Back at it!

Whole Note Music Therapy has been revamped, refreshed, and re-launched on the Web.  Check out the site! www.wholenotemusictherapy.com

I am so excited to be building a new voice studio and exploring new ways to share music therapy with my community.  I appreciate your continued interest, support, and feedback!

Pet Tails

Anyone who knows Burr and me knows what a big part Gabe and Penny Lane play in our lives... so here are some recent shenanigans from the four legged members of our household.

Gabe's Birthday Party
Ok, we didn't actually throw him a party (we're not THAT bad), but Gabe certainly celebrated his birthday on his own in a BIIIIGGGG way. I was defrosting SIX chicken breasts in the sink for a post-dive dinner party... remembering "the rib fiasco" of '07, I covered the sink so that Gabe couldn't get the chicken out. Unfortunately Burr did not remember Gabe's magical ability to get to food, wherever it may be, and after he (Burr) turned the chicken in the marinade, he forgot to re-cover the sink. Burr left to go run errands, and Gabe enjoyed a Birthday Dinner of six raw chicken breasts. Yum.

Penny's New House

I woke up a few mornings ago and headed into the master bath. When I turned to look into the bedroom, I saw Penny Lane curled up in the middle of Gabe's crate! She looked extremely comfortable and pleased with herself, but hasn't made a return visit.

Gabe's Big Jump
Two night ago Burr and Gabe met me driving home on my way home from "Ragtime" rehearsal. I stopped the car and rolled down my window so we could visit and so that Gabe could put his paws on the window to look in. I turned around to unlock the back door so that they could ride home with me when, all of a sudden, Gabe JUMPED into the front seat with me THROUGH THE OPEN WINDOW!!! This is the same dog who likes to pretend that stepping up onto the bed is too much work for him... he JUMPED THROUGH THE CAR WINDOW!!! Burr and I were flabbergasted and laughing so hard at Gabe's antics. Gabe was just happy to be in my lap in the front seat!

I don't know what I was thinking last summer when I thought I could actually leave these crazy guys with family back home... life would be much less rich without them here!

rmf

Still Here

Hi all! Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Things have been rather crazy around here (in a good way) with me having a FULL music studio and adding MT clients, Burr working really hard to get ready for the MEU, "Ragtime" rehearsals every night, and diving... lots and lots of diving.

Burr completed his Open Water certification two weeks ago so we have spent the last couple of weekends exploring dive sites together! It's been a lot of fun, and last weekend we took some great pictures on our Onna Point dive... and then I erased them as I tried to put them on the computer! GRRRRR.... Trust me, they were really good pics!

I DO, however, have some pictures to share from the OkiNapa Wine Festival. This is a semi-annual event held at the Camp Butler Officer's Club; we spent this past Friday night sampling (and buying) wine! Not only was it a fun evening with tasty beverages and yummy food, it was also an excuse to dress up! We RARELY have reasons to dress up here on the island, so I was happy to get to wear the cute BCBG dress I bought when I was home this summer. Here are some of the pictures.




So, all is well on Okinawa, just extremely busy. I have more stories and pictures to share, and will try to do so soon!

rmf

Funny Conversations

I'm not sure what it is about this week, but a lot of people I've talked to have been a little on the goofy side. Here are some of the highlights from three recent conversations.

1) At the dive shop. I went in to find Burr and do a little shopping. Upon entering the door and looking around a bit...

Sales girl: Can I help you find something?
Me: No, I'm just looking for my husband.
Sales girl: Ok, what's his name?
Me: Well... I don't think you know him. Have you seen a guy in a flight suit come in?
Sales girl: No, I've only seen Marines in here today.
Me: He IS a Marine. Bye.


2) At the bank. Burr had to exchange yen for dollars after the Flightline Fair, and they (the bank tellers) made him roll all of the coins. But when he got back to the teller, she started to UN-roll the coins!

Me: Um... why did you make him roll all of the coins if you were just going to un-roll them?
Teller: Because we're not allowed to roll them.


3) This one's a little embarrassing, but it might have been a compliment, and it was still pretty funny.

Girl: Ok, don't hate me for asking this, but... Are those yours? (while discreetly glancing at my shirt)
Me: Are what mine? Huh?
Girl: You know, are Those Yours?
Me: (as the lightbulb clicked on and my face filled with heat) YES! I'm all natural!


So, that's been my week! And it's still only Thursday! Who knows what other craziness will come up between now and Sunday...

rmf

Giggles

This has been a really neat weekend, despite the fact that Burr has been working the whole time at the Futenma Flightline Fair!

As previously mentioned, I dove Saturday morning with some of Burr's co-workers. Then, Saturday afternoon/evening I headed out to Torii Station to the beach! POPs (Pacific Okinawa Players) had a beach party and it was so much fun! We grilled out, played beach volleyball, made s'mores, and I even went swimming in the ocean! The giggles kicked in when I rode down the waterslide with some of the pre-teen girls in the group (cementing myself as a "cool grown-up!"). I can't remember the last time that I rode a waterslide! It was a blast... I was sliding up on the sides of the slide, picking up tons of speed, and giggling all the way down. When I hit the water, I made a huge tidal wave (I'm a bit bigger than the 4-13 year olds who usually frequent the slide!), and it was just too much fun!

Last night, Naomi and I went to the Flightline Fair on Futenma to see Burr, check out the helicopters and planes, watch the fireworks, and (let's be honest) eat Funnel Cake! It was so much fun! There were tons of local nationals meandering through the booths and touring the different aircraft. Junk food vendors were everywhere, and there was no shortage of "Moonwalks." They even had carnival rides for the little kids, and game booths for winning giant stuffed animals. I loved eating my funnel cake and it put a big smile on my face all night long. (Ok, I got rather naseaus around three this morning b/c of all the grease, but it was worth it!)

I loved getting to see the fireworks and I smiled through that giant display as well. All in all, a very fun weekend. And even though Burr was working for most of it, at the end of the day yesterday, I got to ride home with him. Doesn't get much better than that!

rmf

We're Not as Smart as We Think We Are

That's the hard truth that Burr and I learned today.

Last night we went out to a friend's birthday party. We took my car, planned on leaving it overnight, and picking it up today. Excellent plan. Poor execution. Burr's car keys were locked in the glovebox of my car. And we don't have a spare. One cab ride later, we picked up my car and Burr's keys... hooray us. :)

My second moment of "brilliance" today came when we went to see a movie. I checked the times this morning, and we planned our day around a 2pm matinee. Bear in mind that the movie times are listed in "military time" and the movie we wanted to see was listed at 1600. Um, yeah, I can't do math. 1600 is 4pm... not 2pm. After rushing to get to the theatre in time for the 2pm show, we stood outside and laughed at my blunder. Then we went on with our afternoon; grabbed a late lunch (since popcorn was now out of the question), did our errands on base, and ended up renting a movie instead.

We've had a good night. We enjoyed watching "Charlie Bartlett," Burr got all packed for his week at the rifle range, we tag teamed the floors (I swept, Burr Swiffered), and enjoyed a yummy Freschetta pizza. Now it's time for bed...

'night!
rmf

With bated breath

I know that's how some of you have felt while waiting for my next post! Sorry my voice has been quiet lately... I had grand intentions of blogging with regularity while I was home in Alabama, but somehow my travels through the southeast (and pool time and shopping and eating) didn't allow me to hit Ye' Old Blog as faithfully as I planned!

But I'm back now! And to start out the new month, I thought I would post this survey that is making its way around all of my friends' blogs. Enjoy!

Bloggy Survey...

10 years ago: I began my senior year of highschool. Go PURPLES!

5 years ago: I met Burr the day after college graduation. Later that summer we picked up Gabe! I like to say that I got both of my guys in the same summer...

5 months ago: I sent Burr off on a boat to Thailand. I started running again, went to rehearsals for "Joseph" and made some new friends!

5 things on my list of things to do tomorrow:
1. Teach eager young students how to sing and play guitar
2. Organize my office
3. Run
4. Teach the "New Rochelle" ensemble their music
5. Stay up late b/c Burr will be SDO and I'll be lonely!

5 bad habits:
1. Over-committing my time
2. Laying out in the sun (but it's soooo nice!)
3. Staying up too late
4. Planning too much for the future; not enjoying the moment I'm in
5. Procastinating

5 places I’ve lived:
1. Bowling Green, KY
2. Birmingham, AL
3. Grenoble, France
4. San Diego, CA
5. Okinawa, Japan

5 things people don’t know about me:
1. I'm terrified of heights. I have an unreasonable fear of the structure on which I'm standing crumbling beneath me.
2. I DON'T color my hair.
3. I can't watch scary movies. My imagination is too active and I can't sleep well or be by myself after dark afterward!
4. I stink at sports that revolve around any type of ball; soccer, softball, football, basketball, etc. I'm much better at "solo" endeavors; running, swimming, etc.
5. I love to play Spades. I'm always looking for people to sit and play cards with for hours!

The Roads I've Travelled

Last weekend Mom and I hit I-65N and headed from Birmingham, AL to Bowling Green, KY. For the four years that I attended Samford University this was my trip home. I still remember my favorite exit (351) and all of the food choices there, and I still look forward to the prettiest part of the drive - the big bridge through the wildlife preserve just before Huntsville. Crossing into Tennessee is always nice, and the Jack Daniels Distillery still let me know that I'm on the right road!

Yesterday we hit the road and travelled from Birmingham to Tallahassee, FL. This was my drive for the two and a half years I did my graduate work at Florida State. It was exciting to pull back into Tallahassee and go to one of my favorite restaurants and to pass all of the familiar landmarks on the way. From there, we drove on to Daytona Beach to see Aunt Rita, Uncle Terry, Grandad, Aunt Tammy and Andrea. We are having an impromptu family reunion this weekend... should be fun!

It's been neat to drive these familiar routes the last couple of weeks. Seeing things that were such a part of my life for so long and experiencing it all in different way now that my life is so far removed. I think that it's always fun to look back, but the best of living happens in the present.

Have a great weekend,
rmf

Dog Days of Running

I’ve been enjoying my runs more and more lately; I’m running a bit longer everyday and enjoying covering more ground. This weekend I went running at Grandmother’s in Chalybeate, KY. My run Saturday morning was beautiful. I enjoyed trading in my seaside views in Okinawa for the rolling green hills and farmland of South-Central Kentucky. Seeing the countryside from a runner’s perspective was a special treat over the Family Reunion Weekend. Until the dogs started biting me.

Yes, you read that correctly; I was bitten by, not one, but two dogs on my Saturday morning run. It was a strange experience for me to feel frightened by a dog, but I was really uneasy with the two mutts circling me and snapping at me as I stopped my run and stood still to let them see that I was not a threat and try to get them to go away. Standing still didn’t work. They just kept breaking their circle and nipping at my ankles. Thankfully, no blood was drawn and the owner eventually got them back under control, but still. I have teeth mark bruises on my left ankle and am in no hurry to try that running route again!

In a funny twist that could only be found in Southern Kentucky, I found out post-run that I’m actually related to the owner of the mean doggies. When I told Aunt Jane about the incident and where it occurred, she realized that we are cousins of the people who live there! (She also called over to make sure that the dogs are up to date on their shots; they are – I will not have to worry about bringing rabies to Okinawa!)

In the meantime, I‘ll keep running but will avoid unleashed dogs at all costs! Suddenly Gabe looks like a Very Good Boy!

Family Reunion

The annual Below Family Reunion has been so special this year. It was hosted by the “Bowling Green, KY” First Generation siblings, and much of the activity has been centered at my grandmother’s house. I have gotten to stay in my dad’s old bedroom and have really enjoyed this time of reconnection to my extended family and to my roots!

Of the original eleven brothers and sisters of my grandmother’s family, nine are still living and they all came in for the reunion. This is the first time that this has happened in recent memory and has made it all that much better! Additionally, many of my second generation cousins (my dad’s generation) came in for the festivities, and several third generation (that’s me!) cousins came as well! I have gotten to visit with cousins on an “adult level” for the first time in years; I think that the last time I saw some of them was when we were all in second or third grade and driving our parents and grandparents crazy! It has been fun to come together this time as young adults and learn about each other’s interests and lifestyles and to see how similar and diverse we all are.

This year’s reunion began with a potluck dinner at Grandmother’s house Thursday night. She had a delicious country ham for us and fresh country vegetables (you just can’t find them in Okinawa!). Aunt Chicky made a luscious Jam Cake and I enjoyed the brownies as well!

On Friday Aunt Jane and I went into Bowling Green to run some errands and to do a bit of shopping. I stocked up on a couple of new swimsuits, goggles, and shoes at one of my favorite outdoors shops, Nat’s, then we noshed on bagels and cream cheese from one of my high school haunts. A quick stop at the grocery, then the flower shop and we were back in Chalybeate putting together the stratas for brunch on Saturday morning. Uncle Russ hosted dinner in Bowling Green Friday night; that was the first “big event” of the weekend, with 40+ family members in attendance.

On Saturday, the First Generation had breakfast at Aunt Chicky’s; the rest of us had brunch at Grandmother’s. Aunt Jane and I were in charge of the stratas, and several others pitched in by bringing fresh cantaloupe (Delicious!), pastries, donuts, coffee, and juice. It was a great party! Several people went to Mammoth Cave National Park for a cave tour afterwards and seemed to be a highlight of the day. In the afternoon, Grandmother’s was once again the gathering place and the porch-sitting began in earnest. We had dinner at her house then did our annual “Christmas;” a Dirty-Santa style gift exchange in which about fifty people participated!

The festivities wound down on Sunday with a brunch at Sharlene’s house. I think that all will agree that this year’s reunion was quite special and one to remember fondly for years to come. I am so blessed to come from such a wonderfully diverse, unique family.

The Last Few Days

I arrived back in the USA on Monday afternoon. Customs was not quite the nightmare I was anticipating, and I made it to my gate for my connecting flight with ample time and even got to check my email! We boarded the plane about twenty minutes after our scheduled departure time but quickly pulled out of the gate. Then, we sat on the runway for and hour and a half. And I had the pleasure of being seated within a row of a crying baby, and right next to a teenage guy who snored and had no sense of personal space. His yucky socked feet got way too close to mine too many times. But I can't complain... I was safe in Atlanta by 9pm and back in my own bed by midnight! And it has been SOOO GOOD to see my mom!

The last couple of days have been pretty busy and the jet lag hasn't been as bad as you might imagine. I think the trick is to just get up at a decent hour the next day and go through the day then hit the bed at a decent hour and get a good night's sleep!

So far I have accomplished the following tasks:
- Eye exam and new contacts
- Computer repairs (seriously, don't let me near yours... my presence will cause something on it to break!)
- Two long walks and a run
- New sneakers
- Barnes and Nobles (I got two new cookbooks! and some "inspirational fiction" to keep my mind clean...)
- Zoe's Pimiento Cheese - just as delicious as I remembered!
- Some quality pool time (technically laying out by the pool time...)
- Stocking up on some groceries

Tomorrow I will head up to Kentucky to stay at Grandmother's for the Below Family Reunion. I love this traditional gathering that we do every summer. I feel very lucky to really know my great aunts, uncles, 1st, 2nd, and even 3rd cousins! It should be a fun weekend of family and GOOD FOOD! (Another important family tradition!)

I will also make a stop at the cemetery to see my dad. That will never feel right. But I couldn't go home and not see him. That wouldn't be right either.

rmf

Which of these is not like the other?

That's how I've felt since I arrived in Tokyo to meet Burr on Thursday afternoon. As we make our way around this mega-city through the train stations, intersections, and tourist destinations, I am hyper-aware that WE are the strangers in a strange land. Imagine a sea of people... all of them have dark brown hair, light skin, and delicate Asian features... then there's this red and blonde hair showing up in the midst of it all. We kind of stand out!

Tokyo has been incredible. We toured Asakusa and had dinner at The New York Grill at the Park Hyatt Hotel yesterday and are going to a production of "The Lion King" this afternoon. I have enjoyed sitting back on this trip and letting Burr navigate our way from here to there; my only responsibility is saying "hey, this might be fun" and Voila! he makes it happen!

I'll get some pictures up soon, but right now I have only one minute and thirty seconds left in this rockin' hotel business center!

Hope all is well with you and yours and that you have had an incredible July 4th weekend. Happy Independence Day!

rmf

What I Did Yesterday

Diving! Emily and I went out in the AM and hit Maeda Point. We were early enough to get a parking spot and miss some of the crowd. We did two dives and were home by noon... it was AWESOME! Then, last night I went back to Maeda to do a night dive and finish my night specialty certification (at least, I think I finished it... I'll have to check!). Here are a couple of pics from the daytime, and for more fishy pics click the link to the left.





rmf

Don't Interrupt Me

Seriously. If you see me in a swimming pool going back and forth and back and forth, don't interrupt me!

I did my workout at the pool on Wednesday and right in the middle of my main set another swimmer decided he needed to know all about my workout, how far I was going, how many laps I'd done, etc. HELLOOOO!!!! I'm watching the clock here, buddy! I have only about eight seconds rest between each 100 and I don't want to spend it talking to YOU!!

So again I say, please, if you see me working out in a pool (the swim cap, goggles, and sporty swimsuit will clue you in that it's a workout and not just a quick dip during suntan time), don't interrupt! I'll be happy to tell you all about my workout when I'm done.

That said, if you see me running, feel free to interrupt! I'm always up for chit-chat in the middle of an hour long HOT run!

But don't talk to me at the gym either. I'm not there to socialize and I probably don't smell very good.

rmf

The Weekend - Sunday

Sunday AM - Blueberry pancakes were the order of the day, and they were quite tasty. (Ok, I didn't put any blueberries in my pancakes - not really a fan - but Burr enjoyed his!) Burr did up his stack of "penny pancakes" (like my mom makes) with butter, maple syrup, and cool whip. Sugar rush, anyone?

Sunday noonish - We hit the Exchange to pick up a few things for the house. The only thing we couldn't find was compressed air with which to clean the computer fan; we are still on a quest to find it, though, so we'll let you know how that turns out!

Noonish cont - Burr and I loaded up our snorkel gear (seriously, so much easier to get together than all my scuba gear) and headed up to Maeda Point. Maeda is a popular (and gorgeous) scuba/snorkel spot on the island and we hit the water and snorkeled! Having learned our lesson the hard way in Palau we slathered on the sunscreen and got Burr a rashguard to protect our skin. No sunburns and several fish sightings later, we headed back home.

Sunday afternoon - As you know, I've been running a lot since Burr has been gone. He's been working out hard too, so we decided to keep the trend going and take a run yesterday afternoon. Typically it is too hot and sunny to run in the afternoons here, but it was kind of overcast and breezy when we started out, so we thought we'd be ok. We ran from our house up past the Foster Globe and Anchor Gate, around to the Legion gate and entered Foster there. We hit Taco Bell to get some free water for ourselves and Gabe and then continued our run. Upon my suggestion, we extended our route a bit, and then finally ended up at the Commissary gate (our exit point to head home). Now, I learned several weeks ago that they don't let people ENTER that gate on foot, but I had no idea that you also could not EXIT that gate on foot. Lesson learned. We had to wait at the gate for about half an hour to catch a cab that would drive us the 100 feet out of the gate to the road. Grrrrr.... On the upside, we ran for just over an hour, thereby earning bragging rights for ourselves for the rest of the day and the ability to eat (in moderation) whatever we wanted taht night!

Sunday evening - Thanks to the great Lemon Chicken with Artichokes and Capers recipe that Aunt Jane sent, we had a delicious dinner. It was a nice night with a gentle breeze and low humidity, so we ate on the roof.

Now it's Monday morning and Burr has the day off! He plans to get our taxes done, and I have to teach one lesson - other than that, we have no firm plans, so who knows what fun we will have this afternoon?!

Have I mentioned how nice it is to have Burr home?

rmf

The Weekend - Fri and Sat

By now you know the big news of the weekend - Burr finally made it home from Thailand! We've enjoyed just hanging out and reconnecting all weekend long. Here are some highlights of the weekend.

Friday night - I did my second night dive! Now I only lack one in getting my night diver specialty cert. I enjoyed this dive much more than the one last Friday when I was feeling seasick. I saw FIVE seasnakes, and only got freaked out by one of them; the one who swam up between my buddy and me and looked like he wanted to get even closer! Yikes!

Saturday AM - The "World Famous Flying Tigers" returned to Futenma. They flew in over the hangar in six plane formation did a fancy landing and a "hollywood shutoff" where they all stopped their rotors at the same time. By 8:45am Burr and I got to see each other for the first time since the end of April. FINALLY!!!

Saturday AM cont - I sort of felt bad as I rushed Burr out of the squadron and back home, but our time was short; I had to be at the Futenma Chapel for my first Whole Note Recital at 9:30! It was wonderful having Burr there to see the students perform and get a feel for what I've been doing with myself for the last few weeks. I was so proud of all of my students. They all really rose to the top and had very successful performances. Bravo!

Saturday PM - We spent the afternoon just resting at home. Visiting, sleeping, snacking, walking Gabe, playing with Penny Lane, sharing pictures and showing off what we've each been doing the past two months. I had a lovely dinner in mind to prepare, but was too pooped to put it together! We ended up going to one of my favorite sushi spots "Sushi Zen" and had a really nice meal. The wild part is that our dinner was paid for by a family that left right before us. They had a baby with them that was not really enjoying dinner and cried the whole time. They felt so bad that they had "ruined our night" that they took care of our bill! It was a completely unneccessary, but nice, suprise.

This post has gotten kind of long, so I'll save the adventures of Sunday for another time.

rmf

Back In Business!

Wow, you really don't realize how much you use something until you don't have it any more. I have been at loose ends these last couple of days without the internet in my home! But the problem has been resolved and I am surfing the web, happily, once again.

More to come,
rmf

Internet Withdrawal

Hello all! Sorry it has been a while since my last post. I spent the weekend scuba diving again and have now earned my "advanced open water" certification. Now I can dive down to 100 feet! It's so cool! I want to tell you more about the diving and how much fun it is, but my time is short so it will have to wait.

My internet is down. I'm actually at the library on base right now posting this. Since yesterday morning I've been unable to access the WWW from my home and it's driving me NUTS!!! A friend is coming over to help me out (I hope!!) tonight, so I'm hoping to be happily surfing the web from the comfort of my own home by this evening.

All that to say, if you've emailed me and my response time has been a bit slow, that's why.

Stay tuned,
rmf

Expensive Habits

It doesn't seem to matter what the subject is... food, clothes, housewares, sports, trips, you name it... I have expensive tastes. However, I prefer to think of my spending habits in terms of investment rather than indulgence.

My investment approach is, oh, so clear, as I pursue my new hobby; Scuba Diving. Here's what you have to understand about this sport. It takes a lot of money up front just to DO it! You have to pay to take the class to get certified (I got entry level certification last weekend!), and rent the equipment. After this first experience you learn whether diving is something that you want to pursue further or if you will be satisfied to remain at 60 ft. If you choose to pursue it further, with more certifications and regular dives, it becomes clear that renting the equipment simply will not do. No, like snow skiing, you realize that you will enjoy the sport more (and probably save money in the long run) by ponying up the big bucks and purchasing your own equipment.

This is where I am. I am taking the Advanced Open Water class this weekend and am facing a BIG purchase today or tomorrow. I'm excited to be getting my own equipment (that will actually fit, and will have an integrated weight system so that 10% of my body weight isn't resting on my hips!) and about getting qualified to do more, but that doesn't make the inevitable Cha-Ching sound of the cash register any better!

Last weekend I did my first ocean dives. And it was SO COOL!! Even though the weather wasn't great, the dive spot was overcrowded, and the visibility was mediocre... this is something that I will LOVE!!

When I purchase my BCD, Regulator, and Gauges, I'll also tack on an underwater camera to capture all of the sights. Stay tuned for pictures of Nemo!

rmf

Just Another Saturday Night

A few weeks ago I received goodie boxes from Mom and Linda. I was thrilled with the contents of the boxes, but Penny Lane was more excited ABOUT the boxes. This is how Gabe and Penny Lane spent that Saturday night.




rmf