Singing the Praises of Singing, and Thanksgiving in Buffalo

Brigid is our songbird. She sings all the time, whether it’s something she’s learned, something she’s made up or a combination of the two, which is more often the case as she forgets the original lyrics. She sings in the back of the car; she sings in her room; she sings in bed; she sings while watching a movie. And the kid can carry a tune. And a beat. It’s very cute, and it’s hard not to laugh because she’s always so earnest.

She’s probably just trying not to be out-staged by her big sisters. Margaret is agog this year about chorus and the select vocal ensemble. Part of it is a healthy crush on the teacher – can’t say as I blame her. He’s not too hard on the eyes. The other part is she, too, loves to sing and recognizes what a good chorus is supposed to sound like. The select group went to the local PBS station to record a holiday number for a program they air several times throughout December. A bunch of choral groups and bands perform for the Holiday Extravaganza program. It’s conveniently packaged around a membership ask because if you join the station, you get a copy of the DVD. The group will also go out caroling this season as well. I’d rather have a DVD of that.

Patricia enjoys her chorus experience at Stafford as well, but probably not to the same extent that Margaret does. We have to face facts – the high school chorus is spectacular. The middle school, not so much. But Patricia is one of the few voices that can carry the tune.

Something else to sing about in the household – everyone seems to be well and/or on the mend. Patricia rebounded well after the flu, and so far (knock on wood) no one else has succumbed. She is back on both feet as well, having gotten over her sprained ankle. We’ve all been complaining about runny noses or sore throats in the morning, but other than that, nothing has come of it. Brigid goes back for her booster H1N1 shot the last day of November – something to look forward to after the Thanksgiving vacation. We’ll be spending it in Buffalo again this year. Our social calendar is already filling up, with so many people to visit and so few hours in each of the few days we’ll be there. Between pool parties with family, Thanksgiving dinner at Mom’s and (hopefully) dinner with Chet and Marilyn, we’re filling other holes in the schedules with other visits and trips to the many thrift stores we enjoy in Buffalo. Jack has to work on Sunday, so we’re trying to stretch our time as much as we can.

We’ll be taking Tessa to the kennel this year now that she’s had a visit there once before. Last year, we had only had her about a month and we didn’t want to kennel her after rescuing her from more than a year at the pound. She’s fully ensconced in our family now, and she had a good experience there when we went to Cape Cod in the summer, so I have no worries. I’ll ask our tenant to feed and check in on Brin – she’s a cat lover and has two of her own.

After Thanksgiving, it’s a slippery slope to Christmas. It will be here before we know it.