Elena 
Silly me for thinking February would be boring. This last week especially has been full of challenges and adventure.
On Monday I was asked to go to a real recording studio to record a flute part for a new CD. I had recorded before but always in a larger church space. This time it was in an enclosed soundproof room and my tones sounded quite different to my ear. I didn’t like it. On the playback though it sounded great but I’m not sure if it was me or memorex!
Last night I gave my Marriage as a Sacrament speech to the RCIA. I had given it to the RCIA a few years back. That time it was in a big meeting room on a Sunday morning and it was quite well received. I remember one of the candidates even told me that it was one of the most helpful talks he had heard during his RCIA formation.
The talk last night didn’t go as well. First of all, it was in the rectory meeting room which has sort of a country lodge feel to it. It’s very nice and comfortable but it is dark and people were sitting all over the place so I felt it was hard to connect. Secondly the pastor’s dog growled and barked at me unexpectedly! This is the same sweet dog that sat at my feet and wagged his tail and let me stroke his coat as I was making funeral arrangements for my mother! I don’t know what spooked him last night but it threw me off my game a bit and I was a little embarrassed. (I am a dog owner afterall -you can see my Shepherd mix, Sophie, in my kid’s music video that I posted on Monday).
But I did learn a few things about myself last night. I learned that I am much sharper in the morning and afternoon than I am in the evening. I felt a lot like the lady who garbled her speech at the Grammy’s a few weeks ago; I just couldn’t get my mouth to work right and I couldn’t think as quickly. I also learned that I really, really, really depend on the feedback I get from the group listening to me! A few weeks ago I spoke to the Confirmation girls, and although they were kind of unresponsive, the feedback I got from the youth director kept me going. At Pre-Cana we got a lot of positive feedback via smiles, laughs, etc. But the crowd last night just wasn’t having it. Maybe they were tired too. It’s hard to say. They were an older crowd, mostly guys – maybe that had a lot to do with it. But about halfway through I was ready to wrap it up-quickly. Which isn’t like me; I love to talk!
Tonight I have arranged for a dinner meeting for my homeschool group. I needed 30 people to get the banquet room for free and I finally got that by the skin of my teeth! Turns out there is a lot more going on in February than I originally thought, so it was harder to get people to come out for a meeting. I have been worried about the money and how it’s all going to work but I’m feeling much better about that now too. And since I got Mr. Pete to agree to introduce our speaker, I am feeling the load being lifted!
After tonight I will be worry free, except for my oldest moving back on Saturday and Sunday, when I have another concert. Oy.
And the nervous stomach that has plagued me all of my life started up last night too and I noticed I had been neglecting my night time prayers. There definitely is a correlation between being right with the soul and the body and keeping that connection, as the pains of last evening reminded me, is crucial.
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