Kayla wondered why I hadn't blogged about her day yesterday...so here goes!

She went to the Class 1A music contest in Ruthven with seven entries. Two were vocal and five were band. Her first vocal was a duet with Jacob (boyfriend) and they ended up with a II, but were one point from a I. The second vocal was a group of girls, 12 total, singing two songs, they got a I rating. But the big events of the day were of course the band entries. She had solos with her Bb clarinet, bass clarinet and trombone and a mixed woodwind duet and a clarinet trio. All three of her solos and the trio got I ratings and the duet got a II rating.

By the time she was in the same room, with the same judge, for the third time, with her trombone he questioned her if there were triplets of her or just her :) The judge was very complimentary to her performances...said her bass clarinet solo was a very difficult one and she did a great job. He also complimented her on her trombone solo and seemed surprised that she had only been playing it for two years. When she came in for her last performance of the day, the trio, he teased her about coming again and bringing friends.

To say she was freaked out before her performances would be mild...she was so nervous and worried...but just like I knew she would, she did great. Not surprisingly, her headaches have mostly disappeared after yesterday's stress. I am going to miss these days of music after she graduates...after all, between the three kids I have been watching for 7 years!

date April 18, 2010


Some people hate tattoos. They link them with low-life people who are dirty druggies. They see them on prisoners or think they are only for sailors. Other people love tattoos. They have their arms full of them (sleeves) or they are all over their bodies. I personally am on the fence. I think some tattoos are beautifully done and art. Others are gruesome and go too far. I personally think having them all over your body is too much, but a few here and there I am fine with. Kayla's band teacher has 8 tattoos, but you can only see one small music note on her hand and one small tattoo behind her ear. She is a great teacher, a respected individual in the community and she has tattoos. Ink on your skin does not make you a bad person.


So today is the day. I am going to get a tattoo. Just a small, tasteful one on my leg, a place where it can easily be covered with clothing on a daily basis, or shown if I want it to be seen. I am not a dirty druggie, I am not going to get them all over my body (there are places not even a tattoo artist should see!) and I am not going to make a habit of getting them (although I may get one more, but that is it!). But this is something I have put a lot of thought into and something I want to do. I didn't ask anyone else's opinion before I decided to do it so if someone doesn't like it that won't bother me. My body, my choice.

date April 15, 2010

If there is one thing that I really, really dislike it is a "kiss-up". The kind of person/people who tell someone what they want to hear, stroke their ego, just generally make a fool of themselves. "You are the smartest person I know" "Wow, you do that better than anyone else" "You could never make a mistake" Makes me want to gag...

No one is perfect and by kissing-up that is basically what someone is telling them. Ridiculous! If someone has to stroke your ego that much then maybe they, and you, need help. Does it really benefit anyone to tell them they are wonderful and spectacular and you admire them oh so much? No!
So knock off the excessive compliments and treat people normally, the world will be a better place for it.

date April 13, 2010


In honor of Becky's 19th birthday today, I am going to list 19 words to describe her...

1. Beautiful (inside and out)
2. Outgoing
3. Charming
4. Smart
5. Vibrant
6. Funny
7. Generous
8. Kind
9. Friendly
10. Looney
11. Adventurous
12. Giving
13. Humble
14. Self-confident
15. Mature
16. Polite
17. Loveable
18. Crazy (in a good way)
19. Grown-up

Where did the time go? Nineteen years of Becky...what an adventure it has been :)

date April 9, 2010

Lately Kayla has been having a lot of trouble with headaches. Constant, daily, almost debilitating headaches. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with stress migraines. Hard to believe a high school kid should have that much stress, but let me share her schedule for the month of April.


School Monday through Friday.
Work at Arby's two to three nights a week and usually Saturdays.
Physical therapy two afternoons a week.
Private band lessons once a week.
Symphony practice two times and then a performance.
Prom
Set up for Swing Show after school
Dress rehearsal for Swing Show after school
Swing Show
Practice before school for solo music contest
Jazz band and/or show choir practice before school
ACT college test
Solo music contest
Decorate cakes for grandparent's party
Attend and perform in program for grandparent's party

Now mind you, every single thing on this list is something that she has chosen to participate in and wants to do. But holy smokes, is it any wonder she has no free time and stress headaches? Luckily May looks a lot better...

date April 8, 2010

The previous Josephson generations were an interesting bunch. Rather than take broken down, rusted things to the dump or to be recycled they buried them. Therefore, in my yard, deep down under the grass, or in some cases not so deep are:

An old green DeSoto car (belonged to Dan's great-uncle Earl)
Parts of corn pickers
Parts of a pull-type combine
Cellar filled up with tin cans and junk and part of a house (we have a small hill in the backyard where it is all buried)
Various farm junk accumulated through the years-rocks, fence wire, glass bottles, tin cans...

Of course before anything was buried all the good stuff was taken off of it. The sprockets and chains and anything usable.

My favorite thing is the car. They buried it because years ago the junk dealers wouldn't take cars. If you wanted to get rid of it you had to cut it into pieces that were no more than 18" x 36" and it took more money to cut the stuff up than you would get in payment. But the best thing of the car is that there is a small hole in my yard where you can look down and see part of the car! It is like a little buried treasure, a little surprise, a fun story. This Josephson generation hasn't buried anything, and Dan assures me there are no bodies out there...but if holes suddenly appear in our yard don't ask too many questions.

date April 3, 2010



Hard to believe I was ever that young or that thin..."sigh" That big LM megaphone on the front of my sweater?...I still have it...25+ years later.

date April 2, 2010
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