Music, walks, and enjoying the quiet

[thrihyrne]

My workdays are quite frenetic, hence why I've not posted much during the week. My job has decidedly changed, but as I've become a bit more used to it, as well as fine-tuned my attitude, things have improved. I do find myself looking askance in many ways at some lower management decisions, and can only shake my head. Of the three supervisors for customer care, I believe the oldest is 26 or 27. So... I've been out in the workforce for at least a decade longer than all of them, and have a bit more perspective, which keeps me from going slightly batshite on occasion.

So!
I've been listening to my Anglican Advent and Christmas music, as well as my many Celtic Yule and Christmas CDs. In listening to the choirs I sang in previously, I'm really astounded at the quality. I took that for granted at the time, the semi-professional choirs I sang in in Nashville, with the Nashville Symphony players who often came and accompanied us for certain high services and the two recordings St. George's Episcopal did during my time there. I'm attaching 3 links to 3 very different selections:
Ave Verum Corpus by Francis Poulenc. I'm including it because it's a trio and yours truly sang second soprano. We had a fabulous blend.
Elegy by Gerald Bales. This is a unique piece for organ and trumpet. Jeff Bailey was first chair trumpet at the Nashville Symphony at the time, and a lovely man with gorgeous blue eyes to boot. ;)
Lastly, A Babe Is Born by William Matthias. This is live from the Christ Church Advent Lessons and Carols service in 2000. It's been a favorite of mine since I first heard and sang it, and we did a pretty bang-up job.
So... enjoy!

I've also finally taken a couple of leisurely walks down the dirt road which I now live on. There are a lot of cows nearby, as well as some 'regular' houses that aren't on farms. Lots of dogs, and trucks, and large swaths of grassy hills until they meet treelines. It's delightfully quiet and relatively serene out here, truly. You can't hear the highway, and due to a distinct lack of street lights, the stars at night when the sky is clear is absolutely phenomenal. Did I mention there's no shortage of cows down the road? Pretty funny. I'm settling in well to the new place and the independence of my roommates means that we can chat if we want, but pretty much we all do our own thing, which I find to be just perfect.

Not much in writing news: finished the epilogue for my ginger_lust fic which has already been beta'ed and is now at a second; edited for two of my dear friends; wrote two drabbles over at rondracodrabble and have found myself getting back to the last installment of "Magic Immunity." I did get a short but enthusiastic review for "Crown of Rope" over at Skyehawke, which was gratifying.

I hope that you all have a good beginning to your week! Oh, and risiepookie, thank you so much for your gorgeous card and bookmark and the pictures! How splendid to have pictures of your smiling face that I can look at any time. :D

Comments

[risiepookie.livejournal.com]

Glad things at work have improved- always good to hear! Also, it's wonderful to hear about how the living situation is working out. I'm happy you have found much more indepedence to come and go as you please and don't feel you have to entertain those you're living with. That's wonderful!

SO happy that you got the Christmas card! Makes me smile just to think about it. I actually was wrapping one of your gifts this evening and thinking of you made me smile so wide. Jeff asked what in the world was making me so happy about wrapping. It was pretty funny.

I'm still sans laptop- on Jeff's right now- so communication with lots of people has become really stilted at best. However, you're in my thoughts and my heart and I miss you dearly.

::big, warm hugs::