5 Snapshots

If you’re my facebook friend you’ve probably already seen these, but they are too good not share.

Giving her brother a fauxhawk. Or at least trying.

 

Happy Dinner Time

 

Planina at the Russian Festival in Boulder

 

L's reminder to throw away 2 year old frozen turkey

 

Most Cheerful Baby's Summer Reading

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Absent Part 1

I have been woefully absent from my blog.  

(And I am woefully absent-minded this morning, as I poured myself a second cup of coffee.  In a new cup.  Which is now sitting next to my partially full first cup of coffee.  Heh.) 

So here’s what I’ve been doing. 

1)  I finished the semester Friday.  8th grade had their continuation, it was a sweet ceremony full of cute baby pictures and awards.  (I have asked to be reminded how hot it is in our gym any time I get a hare brained idea to have a program up there.) Next year we’ll print the program on fans, I think.   And both the students and I are happy that I will be returning in the fall.  Whew!  🙂 

2) I drove down to Canon City for the wedding of one of our Planinas.  Which means there was lots of music. 

 

And more music. 

I would love to know what they're singing about. It was in Lithuanian.

And cake.  Made by Planinas. 

 

And more cake. 

 

Congrats to Damon and Laima!  It was a beautifully fun wedding and I wish you guys all the best!  And can I just say that Canon City is gorgeous!?  I am embarrassed to say I snobbishly only associated it with prisons, but it is just beautiful down there.  Small town but large enough to have stuff to do.  And they had a yarn store!  Where I may or may not have purchased some yarn.  And needles.  

(I actually already wrote this post once and wordpress ate it.  Who knows where it is now, so this version might be a bit shorter.  Heh.)

Shameless Planina Plug

libanaposter12

Hmm.  For some reason I can’t get the poster to post.  😦  Click the above link to see it.  It’s a very pretty poster.  🙂

 

Oh yeah.  Did I mention Planina is opening for Libana on Saturday, April 18th at 7:30 pm? 

All the cool kids are coming.

Tickets can be purchashed at the website.

 

*Edit*  Apparently my fingers have been drinking without me again.  They are starting to slur their words.  So feel free to “purchashe” a ticket.  Heh.

Shameless Plug

PLANINA at the D Note this Sat., 2/7!

Tell your friends! We’ll perform during the 6-8 pm “dinner hour” at the D Note, 7519 Grandview Ave., Olde Town Arvada.  $8.  www.dnote.us; phone 303-GO-DNOTE.

Enjoy soaring Eastern European music as you munch on the D Note’s award-winning pizza! Yes, there will be background noise and people talking. But it’s going to be great fun, and yes, there’s room to dance (although only some of our tunes are dance tunes). Bring kids – $4 for kids 6-12; kids under 6, free.

If you come for Planina, you may stay for the other acts at no extra charge – The Mourning Sickness (“punk&roll”) at 8:30 and Mr. Knowitall (a Primus cover band) at 10:30. Increasing decibels with each passing hour!

We’ll hope to see you 6-8 pm!

PS:  I get to sing some solos, duets and trios!

* * * * *
P L A N I N A
Songs of

Eastern Europe
Office 303-733-1120
Fax 303-733-0147
email info@planina.org
www.planina.org

Sit back and relax. It’s a long one.

Grab a cup of coffee, I had a busy weekend.

This weekend was Planina’s 20th reunion concert.  To back track a bit, I started singing with Planina, a group that sings songs from Eastern Europe, in January, right before my cancer diagnosis.  Now I could have quit and nobody would have thought less of me, but I really wanted to keep this for myself.  It had taken me a long time to find a group to sing with (the most singing I’ve been doing the last few years is to my children.  LOTS of Twinkle Twinkle.  I think I might even be able to sing it backwards.).  The members were very understanding and supportive even when I could only come to every other rehearsal and needed to use note cards during performances because my chemo addled brain had trouble remembering my own name, much less languages that I’m barely familiar with.  They brought me beautiful scarves to wear when I lost my hair.  I’ve learned so much since January.  My Balkan music learning curve has been pretty much vertical.  This weekend I got to meet the former members and hang out with the current ones as well.  The beauty of the music is only enhanced by the greater number of singers.  Just gorgeous.

On Friday night, at one of the parties/rehearsals, I met the wife of one of the former members.  She told me she loved my haircut and how bold it was.  My hair is coming in pretty nicely, but it’s still at the older Sinead stage.  When I mentioned it was actually growing in rather than cut off, she had said she never would have guessed.  She just thought I was European, maybe German.  I loved it.  It’s the first time I’ve really felt that I don’t look like a cancer patient.  Apparently I look European.  Hooray!

The concert was amazing.  So.  Much.  Fun.  Planina concerts are very audience participatory.  People sing along (You’d be amazed how many people know songs in Bulgarian!) and even dance in the aisles.  I sang Hajdutin in a trio.  It’s a beautifully sad song about a man’s last request of his love.  I also sang a duet on More Sokol Pie (Moray sohkohl peeyay).  Yeah, I pronounce it in English in my head, too.  Yes, I’d like my More Sokol Pie with whipped cream if you don’t mind…  I feel very proud and a little intimidated to have sung solos at this concert where there were so many experienced singers.   I had so much fun though.  Nothing is as gratifying as performing in front of a truly appreciative audience.  Thanks so much Planinas!

We’ll be performing again on Sunday, August 31st at 10:00 am at the Taste of Colorado.  See you there?