A sadly neglected blog

Well, hasn't it been a while since you have seen me here!  

I have been occupied with a madrigal dress, cleaning up after myself and the Madrigal dress, going to see the Madrigal dinner and then school started up again.  It is SO COLD again tonight and I am sleepy as can be.  At least I have been able to fall asleep the last few nights and not end up going upstairs to toss and turn.

I have to say that once again I am stressing out a bit over this whole Christmas season. The whole weekend was dedicated to decorating, some exercise and cleaning/straightening from the decorating.  And from the Madrigal dress making.  AND making my calendars.  That is a whole lot more fun when you aren't totally thrown off by the odd Thanksgiving/Christmas timing this year and discovering that the 50% off sale at Shutterfly ends Sunday night..... and you throw those things together like lightening. Oy.  So, kids, if you are a past recipient of my calendar, rest assured it IS COMING, but it might be slightly later than Christmas, but it will be there by New Years!

One REALLY nice thing that is coming up here is the 2 day tech conference that I get to go to next week.  IN MINNEAPOLIS!!!!  WOOOOOT!  Can you say coffee/bakery/ethnicfood?  Why yes I can!!  And we are going to fit in a quick visit to the Minneapolis Museum of Art as well.  After THAT, then I have just a few days and the kids will be home for Christmas the weekend before the 25th.  It will be a nice break.

I have a few blog posts in me when I am more awake.  I think.  Or else I could just babble on about nothing, which is nothing new.  But there are things lurking about the brain.

I think the reason I was compelled to write this is to admit that I once again am feeling like I am not doing a good enough job at ... well life.  Today that means that I am not fulfilling my perfect (in my brain) Christmas preseason work.  I rushed to do the calendars.  I rushed to get my decorations done.  I am panicking about having spent the right amount of money on all the people in my life or that the gifts are just ok or that someone will be unhappy.  And at this rate I am going to be depressed when Christmas Day comes and my kids will not be here.  But that is what they have to do this year, and it really is ok.  But I will be a little sad, but I don't think I should be over thinking all of this.  So I am going to kick back and enjoy the Christmas tree and get my presents wrapped a little at a time and possibly find my Christmas cards that are here in the house somewhere and have gotten misplaced in my shuffling. We have to stop being so hard on ourselves for things like this (she's talking to you, Debi) and we have to quit thinking that there is something magic about Dec. 25- because really Christmas is when the kids get here, or when we get there, or any other combination of family and friends that we can come up with.  So, if you get a Christmas card or calendar from me late, know that I am just relaxing into the season and spreading the joy when I can!

So until next time, relax and enjoy the little things.  I am going to make that my goal for the month!  As pretty much everything is a little thing.

Madrigal dinner

The Madrigal Dinner is an event I look forward to every year- it is the most wonderful way I can imagine to kick off the Holiday Season!  Most years I had been busy up to the this point making one or more of these costumes.  This year I just happened to have a year off, which was a nice change.  I understand that some of the boys' costumes are getting a little tatty and will need to be replaced- so I doubt next year will be another unproductive one!  :) Which is fine, as I do love to make these clothes..... except when I am finishing off a hat or headpiece the day before the dress rehearsal and have an explosion of fabric, hot glue and feathers all over my sewing room!  

But, that is part of the adventure!  

The Madrigal dinner, for those of you who are unfamiliar, is an event that is put on by the HS choral department, under the skilled direction of Mr. Mark Donner.  The kids have to audition for parts, and it is quite an honor to be chosen for the court.  There is an additional singing group, called the Singing Pages, a triple trio of girls who serve as singers and wait staff!  They all are amazing singers as well.  The event is an enactment of the Renaissance times, where we are seated as guests of a castle hall and the "Royalty" is singing and entertaining from the head table.  The meal (which is catered) is served in courses with rounds of old Christmas songs in between.  There is a jester who does some entertaining, some years more entertaining that others!, and trumpeters/flautist/clarinetist to add to the atmosphere.  Ticket to the event are prized, and there is usually a line the first day they are on sale to get front table seating!

The singing is beautiful, and I now know by heart many old Christmas songs that I never knew existed! There are some beautiful pieces that I only hear at the Madrigal dinner and there are interpretations of common Christmas hymns and secular  music that is what this event is known for.  I will never forget the first time I went, about 15 years ago and was BLOWN away by a young lady doing a breathtaking solo of "Mary had a Baby".  It was beautiful.  I'm also very partial to O Holy Night (makes me cry) and Carol of the Bells.  One of my FAVORITE parts is at the end of the night when we get to sing along!  The cast  disperses itself among the guests, walk around and sing some carols with us and then we do a 3 part round, called Music Alone Shall Live, and the audience and singer divide up and participate in a wonderful finale!  Love it.

All things shall perish,

from under the sky,

Music alone shall live,

Music alone shall live, 

Music alone shall live,

Never to die.

A lovely dress I made for Briana, the flautist

One of my favorite costumes that I have made- 

Cat and Debi

Mrs. O and her buddy Blake!

Here are candids from a few of the past couple years' Madrigal dinner.

Jenna in the dress I made last year

One of my boy's costumes

Another costume I made- boys

Charles' costume that I made

Last year's madrigal outfits- with Pam and Cat

I have been making Madrigal dresses for many years- about 18 I think- and have probably made 25 - 30 costumes for the court (I make most costumes for the individual kids) and many additional things for the School's costume collection.  I will update this post when I go and retrieve my madrigal photo album and photos of the pictures.

Anthony's Costume- made 2 years ago

My purple boy costume

Rachel surrounded by blue

I look forward to next year, now!  It is too bad it is all over so soon!  On to Christmas now.....  Until next time, find your joy!

Thanksgiving and Hunting and Madrigals and .....

I am a week or so behind on my blogging here.  Had a wonderful Thanksgiving- all the kids were home, except for one of the Sarahs, who went to visit her Grandma.  But she was here for the beginning and the end of the week!!  And they were all together for Saturday night and Sunday.  For the record, Jon is married to SarahGrace and Greg is with SarahJane.  This may or may not clear up any confusion.

Mike, Greg, SarahJane, SarahGrace, Jon

Hunting was very successful this year, as far as I am concerned.  There were 5 deer harvested off of our property, and regardless of what the DNR says, there are PLENTY left.  Since I had a cheesecake bounty on them, I had to bake the weekend after Thanksgiving, but it was worth it.

Greg and SarahJane fueling up for opening morning

Jon having breakfast

Fred and Ruger

Toby never wants to be left behind

Cleaning the gun

One of Greg's deer with Greg, SarahJane and Fred

The boys with SarahJane and her deer

Always time to talk before hunting

I was trying to work on a Madrigal dress all week, but someone kept me a bit occupied!  So I had to finish up the dress after they went home.  I will post a pic of Jenna in her dress after tonight's dinner.  I can't wait to go and see it.

She was crawling on my head and licking my hair

Thanksgiving was so nice, we had really good food and the family had a rousing game of Monopoly after dinner, as is our habit!

Thanksgiving table

Family gathering

Me, too!

Who is going to land on all those hotels?

Not sure who won, Sarah Grace has a good track record, though!

SarahGrace, Brenda and I went over to Winter, WI on Saturday for the big craft show and the best part of it- the cookie walk across the street!  We traditionally go have breakfast/lunch at a local restaurant after the shopping.

Debi and Sarah

Brenda and Sarah- they had REALLY good coffee

These two kept things lively around the house!  The poor cats outside barely could show their faces in the yard without feeling like they were being stalked.  No cats were hurt- only their pride was a little injured

So innocent

Yet, such little demons

LOTS of relaxing occurred

And here is a sneak peak of the season to come--

New zipper inserted

New dress made

New tree in waiting

Alright, this was indeed a joyful week!  But this is what it looked like when it was almost done-  erg.  I was glad to have the week done......

Until next time- be a joy giver!