On the way home for the holidays and currently blogging from a hotel in a major city in the same state as Flat Place U. The nice thing about this rest stop is the large bookstore and the nice restaurants easily accessible from said hotel.

Trying to use the break to get some things done. Me and Beloved Roomie are planning to do a medieval cantigas concert in the Spring, so we used part of yesterday to plan some of the repertoire.

I'm also trying to plan two traditional recitals in the fall. One as an ensemble concert and the other as a solo concert.......and when I say solo I mean COMPLETELY solo....no accompaniment at all. It's more than a little intimidating. I had a conversation with Dr. Coyote about doing a completely solo recital. I have several misgivings about a completely solo recital. The easiest thing to say is that I doubt my audience's ability to appreciate what I consider pure drop traditional Irish music, but the truer statement is that I doubt my own ability to hold an audience's attention completely by myself. I plan to do it anyway, but it still scares the hell out of me.

Meme's abound:

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both.

2. Real tree or artificial? In recent years there haven't really been trees to speak of....but when there are, they're always real.

3.When do you put up the tree? About a week before Christmas

4. When do you take the tree down? Dec. 26......I think my parents left it up till Easter one year and they swore never to leave it up that long again

5. Do you like eggnog? Blah, no. Althought the Flute Studio Christmas party has famous egg nog

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Ummmm......From my first christmas to this very day I get a book of poetry every Christmas. I love that. I've gotten great presents over the years: a fabulous midi keyboard, my first computer, I think I got a piccolo once, my first Irish flute, my family's always done well with presents.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? My father does....I however have several Buddhas

8. Hardest person to buy for? I'm pretty good at buying presents......usually I involve books.

9. Easiest person to buy for? See above.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Purses.....for some reason my Mother's side of the family loved to give me purses every christmas. I have a bookbag and a gig bag, I don't really need purses.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Unfortunately neither.....I'm trying to get better at it.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? White Christmas/The Year Without a Santa Claus/A Charlie Brown Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Whenever I realize how little time I have left....usually I brainstorm for awhile and just have to actually buy it.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? It used to be this breakfast caserole that my mom made every christmas morning.....now it's generally anything my dad makes.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Both.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Dave Mathews' Christmas Song

18. Travel for Christmas or stay home? Travel

19. Can you name all of Santa's' reindeer? Definitely.....think of all of the things I could cram in my brain if I could forget that.....or the entire periodic table (singable by weight thanks to my 8th grade science teacher)

20. Angel on the treetop or a star? Angel.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Massive ammount of crazed drives/shoppers and rabid consumerism

23. Favorite thing about Christmas? Seeing people be kind to one another.

Anway, I'm off to sleep and drive another 10 hours tomorrow.

Peace, Love, and Tunes,

Mac.