May days

Early May is off to a lovely start, with the notable exception of 4 days of 40 degree rain right at the beginning.  Luckily my tulips survived with flying colors.  

Aside from Ivy's birthday, the biggest highlight of this first week of May had to be the West Shore Chorale gala.  Part fundraiser, part retirement celebration for the inimitable John Drotleff, and 100% a great time. I opted to completely disregard the "business attire" suggested dress code and took myself shopping at Thriftique, where the universe brought me this entire ensemble for $20.  

I happily contributed cookies to the event, of course.

This man right here.  One of my lifelong heros and mentors, pretty much my second dad.  I've been singing with him for 30 years (!) and would literally not be the person I am today if not for his influence.  It was so emotional and inspiring to hear so many former students give tributes, echoing my own experience.  And it was one of the capstone moments of my life so far, to have him give me a hug and tell me that he is one of the pride and joy students of his career, and that he is so proud of me.  Any of you choral singers out there may know that we live for the approval of our directors, so this was pretty special.

We also thoroughly enjoyed being in the wonderful Hildebrandt building space, with its old industrial feel and huge windows-  and  a creepy forgotten basement area that we wandered into on a bathroom break.  I very much enjoy exploring abandoned spaces in fancy clothes....

Fiona and Jim came to town from Florida for the event and joined us at our table.  Another amazing human who I am so grateful for.  I miss driving her home from rehearsal-- those drives were a gift in my life...

Here's what happens at my house if you don't hang your dress up right away.  (Pink satin suits keeten, no?)

I've been dutifully trying to get back on the running horse.  It's a slog right now and I can't seem to get myself much past 2 miles with walk breaks... but I've gotten out 5 days in a row so somethings got to improve soon, right?  

Getting out for a run is a wonderful way to enjoy the string of gorgeous days we've had. I love this photo of Forest Hill park, all glowy and overgrown.  Cleveland Heights really is the Shire. 

Despite her face in this photo, Ivy was thrilled to receive her bookcases and with just one or two little foibles, built this one on her own. 

We continue to plug away at Lucknow.  The white trim in the kitchen is pleasing me and I just love our "drywall blue" paint color.  

Oh and!  Jen is back in town!  Extended her CLeveland "layover" home from St. Thomas til the 15th so the good times continue.  We had a great time catching up with Tony who is in town this week too.  My schedule and house are going to feel so empty when she leaves...

Our chickens, on a field trip. :) 

Participated in the Reaching Heights spelling bee with two of my COC comrades because we can't say no. :)  We were subbing for the orchestra team that has historically participated but had a dress rehearsal last night. It was more fun than expected- we were in the back row so we decided we could just talk and joke amongst ourselves the whole time--  and we did all right, lasted 4 rounds.  I might even do it again!

 

Lucky Thirteen

In a blink, this baby of mine is a teenager.  

A remarkable young lady with wild hair and a personality that is a study in contrasts.  Fierce, but with the softest heart.  Ambitious, and also a homebody.  Outspoken and opinionated, and also shy.  At thirteen, Ivy loves to read (her gift this year is a set of three bookcases to build a platform bed made of books). She loves to paint, draw, sew, and make crafts in general, and continues to enjoy baking and cake decorating.  She prefers to keep just a few close friends, who she loves with all her heart. Her cat Sunny is her favorite person, except for a few notable horses.  She'll do any amount of work to get to ride.  Like any teen worth her salt, she argues with her brother and rolls her eyes at her parents and is quick to depair when things don't go her way.  She is justice-minded and has found a group of like-minded friends who just blow me away with their radical love and acceptance. I had to buy a new progress flag for the house because she wanted to keep last year's hanging in her room. She's developed a fashion style that centers on wide leg pants, crop tops, hoodies and Doc Martens and she is cooler than I'll ever be.  She's a straight A student who is quiet in class, and she wants to get her associates degree by graduation.  She impresses me every day and drives me crazy and I adore talking with her and her friends as they turn this corner towards young adulthood...

Faces of Ivy Past....

3 months

Two years

Five years

7 years

10 in a pandemic.

And this weekend, with her cool and kind friends.

                                           

She planned and executed her whole party pretty much herself this year.  For the past week, there have been notecards with meticulous to-do lists everywhere in the house.  I am so proud of this girl. She learned list making from the best. :)

         

We teamed up a bit on the centerpiece and the creation of the watermelon bowl for the fruit salad. .. but the cake baking and decorating was all her.

This girl of mine. She made homemade stickers for her guests.  Everyone got a gnome and a frog and then she made a custom sticker for each friend based on their favorite characters.  She worked on these for weeks and there is no way that the 12 and 13 year olds in attendance will ever appreciate these for the gifts they are.

Of course I HAD to make a banner... which was so long the only place for it was the garage...

One of my favorite moments of the day-- all of the kids looking through Ivy's photo book, exclaiming over pigtails and shared memories. 

These kids ran and played and shot arrows and made s'mores and had hammock wars and climbed into the treehouse without a ladder and played board games and ate a LOT of fruit salad and talked and laughed and shrieked and went in the hot tub and gave super thoughtful gifts and just had a wonderful time for over 6 hours in our yard.  And it made my heart so very happy to hear them back there. 

And to not really have to "run" the party!  Crazy!  Much of my time for those 6 hours were spent on the porch with our best friend and these really pretty watermelon cocktails.  Having teenagers is really not so bad sometimes. 

The balance of April

Little play on words there.  Because April was the month I was going to get my life together.  Achieve the balance I've been trying to find, the one where I have time to exercise AND keep my house clean AND work AND have fun, all within the confines of a week.

Then April went and got all spring-green gorgeous and I had to kayak instead of clean.  And Jen came to town and we had to play instead of exercise.  And it turns out my singing schedule hasn't really lightened up yet.... nor has the laundry. And we're still renovating a house and we had to find TWO new tenants for Rexwood and we continue to have far too many animals to clean up after....

So here at the start of May (so soon!) April turned out to be just more of me running around like crazy trying to grab hold of the moments of my life as they fly by...

Not that it was a BAD month.  Not at all!  Just, not particularly balanced. 

<shrugs> At least there's always May....

Highlights reel.

I got me some new daffies last fall and they are glorious.

So is porch coffee in the Heights in the spring.

So is Daffodil Hill at peak on a blue-sky day.

(and so are oddly cooperative teens who look like they actually like each other in this photo.)

So is playing tag on the lawn at Wade Lagoon.  These people love tag.

So is the lake. 

Prpgress at Lucknow!  Since this photo was take we've added a stove and fridge and recessed lighting above the sink.  And we think we're going to paing the kitchen the actual color of the drywall protective paper because it turns out its perfect in the space. 

Betty has a friend!  We brought Nat's Kayak home from Easter in Aurora and I got to show my honey my happy place on Euclid Creek. 

Riding lessons with my favorites.

Kayaking with a friend.  To an ACTUAL beaver dam.  So cool.

Oh, hi, cherry blossoms.

And a pet bunny out for a walk. 

Night with our neighbors.  Had an impromptu and informal gathering where we met Taro and Calizo, the new pups from Puerto Rico... and drank all the things and laughed and laughed in the warm spring air, and I got to snuggle with and tuck in a 5 year old.  A perfect night, pretty much. 

Oh and my tulips are blooming!  And they are glorious too. 

After some time apart (because life just gets busy for everyone)  Ivy was reunited with her beloved Goose, and she and Vi have had several "farm days" with our friend Mallory this month.  Grateful for generosity and the light in my girl's eyes when she is with horses...

Oh and I also met Bruno and he and I are in love. 

Movie night with choir friends.  With cocktails and food as glorious as the weather...

And then, to make a busy and wonderful month even more busy and wonderful!!  A visit from JEN!

Which coincided with Cocktail Choir so first I went and sang 80s music with these people (after Jen covered my face in glitter) and then they all came over to play with Jen and a lot of other Hiram peeps and I was SO happy. I just love when people from different parts of my life come together.  

Then- more fun with my chorus peeps-- off to Columbus to rehearse the Mahler 8 with Bob Porco and the May Festival chorus...5 hours of singing and a long drive so why not make a weekend of it?  A group of us stayed in Columbus and treated ourselves to Ethiopian and Otherworld and watching comedy til all hours of the night. I really don't understand sometimes how I got so lucky, to have friends and opportunities like these- and the support of my husband who holds down the fort while I am away. 

Jen stayed through the week so we got to have thai food with Donna....

...and grilled pizza with crazy toppings at Tina and Cassidy's place...

And a rollicking campfire on a Thursday, where my girl learned she LOVES to chop wood. 

You know you like your daughter's friends when... you let them take out your beloved kayak. These two felt like giving it a try (and getting out os swim practice for a day) and it was so fun to watch them fall in love with Euclid Creek too.

  

I don't usually post photos of my students on the blog but this one is internet friendly and captures a nice moment of these sweeties enjoying Friday afternoon with some Lego time.  It's been a tough year and we're not done yet, but April is a bit of a sweet spot.  Routines established, some progress evident for every kiddo, but not yet into the mad rush of the end of the year.  Some good things have happened in this little classroom this year. 

Oh, hi there, chickens.

Campfire round two with Jen!  A new cast of characters- including Smeg, all the way from Buffalo!-as well as everyone from Thursday who came back for more.

Moved it inside after a while for some Questions and Answers and Cards Against Humanity and my stomach hurt from laughing and my "I feel like I am 19 again" heart was just so very happy and I was so energized that I stayed up til 3am in the hot tub with Meg and Jen 

So it was super fun to get up at 8am for a WSC dress rehearsal...

But worth it all to sing the Brahms. 

Luckliy I was energized again to tackle the 4 hour Oddesy that was getting Jen from Chardon (where we dropped of girls for horse time) to North Olmsted (where'd she leave for her trip to St. Thomas with a friend the next day).

It was a magical adventure through my own town that included a perfect greenhouse, a geodesic dome, and the Miles Road Market. 

This photo pretty much sums up the energy of having my wonderful friend in town this past week.

Topped off the day with a trip to Playhouse Square where I was very impressed with Tina. 

And we turn the corner into May, with Cleveland Heights looking like this and me all exhausted and out of shape still but my heart completely full of friendship and joy. 

Who needs balance, anyways?