Hits and Misses (June 28-July 4)

Here's my weekly look back at the week that was......

HITS

• This week brought the conclusion of summer music camps at Bartlett Music Academy. Even though enrollment was less than I had hoped for, the students and I had a lot of fun. We conquered some problematic rhythmic patterns, improved their note recognition, and did some composition! I was really excited about the compositions that resulted and learned a lot about how to teach the process to children. I plan to share more of my insights in this week's Collaborations post (and I hope to get back to a normal routine of writing there).
• It's been a week of reflecting, remembering, and rejoicing. Of course, my family celebrated the July 4th holiday together with a simple barbecue complete with hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and paper plates! Earlier in the week, I celebrated the two year anniversary of my departure from vocational ministry. While that may sound harsh to some, I know the difficulty that surrounded that decision and the impact leaving the position had on my physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It's important that I remember the date and reflect on the lessons learned.
• It feels good to tie up loose ends before making the move to Texas in less than a month. One of my concerns was finding a teacher for my piano students that I trusted. I want to know that the students I have invested time and energy in have the opportunity to continue progressing as pianists. The replacement is not *official* yet, but it looks very promising and allows me to focus on other matters now.

MISSES

• Attending funerals of friends is never an easy thing. Late last week, we learned of the unexpected passing of Karren McDonald. Karren was influential in my life since childhood and was always supportive of my efforts as a pianist. Karren often referred to herself as my "biggest fan." I hated saying goodbye, but it was very touching to see the throngs of people that came to pay their respects at the visitation and funeral. 
• I learned this week that campus housing at WBU will not be available this fall. I knew the housing was not a guarantee, but I was certainly hoping it would work out. It would have made things much easier to move into a place near work until I became familiar with the area and found a house I liked. I am not discouraged about it though. I have some leads to follow up on and have just over a month to find housing. I'm hoping to find something suitable without having to make a trip to Plainview before the actual move, but we'll just have to see how that works out. Nevertheless, I am certain that everything is going to turn out just fine.

PROGRESS REPORT

• Masked Innocence by Alessandra Torre - COMPLETED - p. 296 of 296.
• Reboot by Amy Tintera - COMPLETED - p. 365 of 365.
• Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy - p. 78 of 418.