2009 Update

Mom's beautiful living room decorations

Its now a few weeks into 2009, and so far I'm pretty happy with this new year!  The days leading up to Christmas were, as usual, a whirlwind of rehearsals, arranging music, hugs, kisses, how've-you-beens and finally the Christmas Eve services.  As hectic and stressful as the holidays can be, I can't imagine not doing what we do.  I can't remember a Christmas Eve where my parents and I weren't involved in the services or running around, driving each other insane.  That is part of our tradition.  Christmas Day is to slow down and relax, watch the fire and spend all day opening presents.  And when I say all day, I mean all day.  Granted we didn't get started until about noon time with the stockings.  Staying out until 2 in the morning does not make anyone want to get up early, even with all the presents under our tree.  With phone calls from family and a prime rib dinner, the last present wasn't opened until quarter to ten.  That too, is part of our tradition.  As much as I love receiving gifts, I also love watching my parents' faces as they 

open the presents I've bought them.  Or the presents I know they've gotten for each other.  All part of our family tradition.

And so, Christmas came and went.  Katie Morag survived the Two Grandmothers, and did enjoy the time she spent with them.  As a present to them, and myself, my parents sent us to Mohonk for the day.  We had lunch and spent time enjoying the decorations around the house.  I love the views of the lake and all the little lounges with wood-burning fireplaces.  We stayed after lunch and had afternoon tea before returning home.  It was a lovely day for just us to spend together.

A few days later, my Aunt Judy flew into town to surprise her mother.  She stayed until New Years.  Mom, Grandma and I drove to the airport, not tell where we were going.  Grandma's face was priceless when the car door opened and there stood her youngest daughter.  We then drove to the city to visit a cousin who is a Jesuit priest and enjoyed lunch with him.  From there, we scooted across the river to Jersey and stopped at my grandfather's grave.  Also buried in that graveyard are his parents and grandparents.

Slight digression for a little family history.  My grandfather's grandfather was a man named Gustav Wasmer, who was born in June of 1855.  His mother, Maria married a man named Urban Baier in March of 1855.  For reasons unknown, Gustav took his mother's maiden name of Wasmer instead of her married name.  Urban and Maria went on to have six other children who took the Baier name.  This leads us to believe that Urban was not Gustav's real father.  This many years later, we don't know the circumstances that led up to these choices.  Maria's choice not to abort the baby or even abandon it after it was born.  Urban's choice to marry a woman who must have clearly been pregnant, and then their decision to give Gustav the surname Wasmer.  Yet those choices are why we are not Baier, or the Americanized Beyer, but rather Wasmer.

Sarah, an oboe friend from college, arrived the evening that my grandmothers left to partake in the New Years festivities.  I had a few other friends from high school over as well and we watched Cinematic Titanic's Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before watching the ball drop at midnight.  I have spent the past four or five New Years with the same group of friends and it is always enjoyable.  Sarah and I spent Friday in the city, visiting all the tourist spots - Times Square, Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center, Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We walked a lot, and had an excellent time.  The picture is taken from the top of Rockefeller Center looking towards the Empire State Building, all lit up for Christmas.

The next week was a bit more relaxed, as the house was finally empty.  Except for Mother who enjoyed another snow day.  I finally returned to Fredonia on Saturday, dodging around the winter storm and other bad weather.  The entire next week I practiced and organized and unpacked.  It snowed every single day and the temperature stayed in single digits, positive AND negative.  So I kept to the apartment as much as I could.  This picture is taken at one of the docks into Lake Erie.  I'm not sure if the entire lake is frozen yet, but considering that it keeps snowing, I don't think it is!

Yesterday I finished the last piece of my seminary application.  So now the waiting begins.  Thankfully, I have plenty to keep me busy with my recital hearing next week and the actual recital in February.

Speaking of my recital, I should go practice again.

Beannachd leat.