Frozen Warnings

I'm back from a weekend choir retreat in the mountains.  St mark held the retreat in the same location as last year (wow my hair was long back then!) and everyone had a great time.  It was different from last year when Gary was still director; this year everything was soooo laid back.. we had a schedule but really didn't follow it closely.  I wish I'd had more time to spend daydreaming in the shady meadow down by the river. 

Anyway, on the way to the resort Lucy, Frank and I were treated to the most gorgeous, brilliant rainbow (I've) ever seen.  Actually there were two side by side.. This photo really doesn't do it justice.  It looked *huge*


( and a few others from this weekend )

I was concerned the chancel choir would sing a new song we learned last week, but thankfully it was put off until the following Sunday.  It's a cool piece rich in dissonance and surprisingly dark, but oh so hard to sing.  At one point in the song there are 10 different pitches at the same time! 

I was a little moody at church today and I guess it showed.. Steven came to me after church and said he missed my smiling face and a couple others asked if I was ok too.  During Help Us Accept One Another I stopped singing to avoid a little breakdown. 

Maybe one day I'll figure out what the hell is wrong with me. 

I sang in both services this morning, it was my first time ever singing in a church choir, in a church.  I never would have dreamed doing this, but being that St. Mark is so openly accepting of the LGBT community I have been welcomed with open arms, even with bright red hair and dark makeup.    Plus, I've yet to meet the first asshole who wants to pound our way of thinking down everyone's throats.. it's a very liberal church.  It's christian but agreeable to co-existing with other ways of believing.  They are there to love and show acceptance, no strings attached. 

They're also down to earth, not full of themselves or pretense.  When someone came in the choir room this morning to say Kimberly wasn't going to preach today, one of the choir leaders said loudly, "Shit!".. everyone giggled, at least until we learned why he reacted so.  Jimmy read Kimberly's sermon from a peice of paper, it was very moving.  I wish she had been there to deliver it first hand. 

I'm still singing in the Alto section (can you tell how happy this makes me?)    I have a LOT of work to do with my breathing.  Once I've learned how to control air better I'll begin worrying about tonal color.  I'm making pitch without an issue but I don't have much control over *how* my voice sounds.    During some sections, and when I have full lungs of air, I hear a little vibrato trying to come out.  Lucy says not to worry about that now, just focus on the breathing and reading the notes. 

Next weekend is Pride, and St. Mark will be involved Saturday and Sunday.  I'm planning to march Sunday though I don't know with which group. 

I went for a motorcycle ride with a friend in Conyers today.  I rode her Suzuki 800 cruiser and she rode a huge 1400cc harley.  I was most comfortable on little back roads with no traffic.  I didn't handle being on the main two-lane highways so well..  I have a fear of wide open places now.  We rode over 60 miles, and I'm ready to get home and get into bed.  Lots of work to be done next week. 

I hope you had a lovely weekend.