debjunk

An old man from my church passed away Sunday night after a long battle with cancer. The memorial service is on Friday, but the burial was today. I marveled at his sweet, loving wife, who, though teary eyed, was bright and as cheerful as one would expect after such a loss.

They knew he was going soon, so someone from the family contacted me Sunday afternoon to see if I would sing at this man's funeral. Of course I said yes. I had to giggle when I was told that the wife had wondered how much I charged. As if I would have charged her a cent!

But really, after going through the breakup I have, it was wonderful to see a couple who had devoted their lives to one another, and had a love that had transcended time. This woman knows she'll see her husband again, that they will be reunited and be together as a family. That was why she was able to laugh between the tears and still be a little ray of sunshine despite her deep grief. May we all find such peace and love in our own lives.

So, with Thanksgiving coming up, I'd like to say I'm grateful for the example of this couple.

Looks around and listens to the silence.

Hello? Did you vote for the Intergalactic Quidditch cup challenge? I'm guessing you didn't, as very few already have. Here's a link... Go read/vote! I know tons of you have read! Please take a second and mark the ticky boxes for the fic you liked best. This poll is just for readers, so some of the current votes won't even count.

I know you want your voices heard. Go ahead. Click on the link. Click on it... click on it... That's good. Now vote.

http://community.livejournal.com/potterplace/134713.html

Okay! Not only will you have the opportunity to read the Intergalactic Quidditch Cup entries, (and review of course.) You'll also have the opportunity to vote for the chapter you felt was the best.

So, if you haven't read yet, go read.

If you haven't reviewed yet, please do.

And by all means... Go vote! (There's the link, down there. Clicky-clicky. You know you want to.)

If you don't remember, I'm on team Saturn, and the first chapter is mine. (I'm not telling you what to do or anything.) *Looks around innocently.*



http://community.livejournal.com/potterplace/134713.html

Hi everybody!

Had another concert yesterday. I got smart and brought the camera and had Lisa tape my solo.

Don't forget, if you haven't gone over to TPP and read the Quidditch Cup entries, do so now! That's an order!

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Hi everybody!

Just a little plug for the Quidditch Challenge that's going on over at TPP. The first chapters are set to be posted tomorrow. (That's right, tomorrow! As in Sunday!)

Head on over and give them a read.

In other news, imagine my surprise when I opened my facebook on Monday to find that my 16 year-old had changed her status to 'in a relationship.'

LOL. She was out of town, but I would have appreciated an excited call detailing every second of what happened, seeing that this is her first boyfriend.

The boy is actually someone I know and he seems very nice.

Have a happy, everybody!

Here we all are!

Happy Halloween everybody. My hair's all gray as I'm going to be McGonagall tonight. Lisa is Edward Scissor-hands and looks spectacular. Then there's the 11 year-old vampire and the 6 year-old vampire princess. (Don't ask, I don't know exactly what that is either.) If I get ambitious, I might post photos. ;)

All right. Here are stories of mine that are eligible for SSHG awards. I was surprised at how many there were, once they were all listed!

(I'm eligible for Top Brewer: Best Author)

Title: Time's Treasure
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Finite Incantatem
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=10291
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: The Secrets We Share
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Calming Draught, Amortentia, Polyjuice Potion
Story Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4705027/1/The_Secrets_We_Share
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Recovery
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Still Simmering, Amortentia, Agitation Elixir, Polyjuice potion.
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=14322
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Just Desserts
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating draught, Draught of Peace
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=14010
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Paper Clip in my Pocket
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating draught. best fluff
Story Link: Link to your story. http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=13246
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Snape's Christmas Angel
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating draught, Amortentia
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=12063
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Stud-muffin
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Euphoria Elixir, Invigorating Draught, Amortentia
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=14301
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: The Ministry Ball
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating Draught, Amortentia, Draught of Peace
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=11958
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: the Twelve Days of Snape's Christmas
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating Draught, Draught of Peace, Amortentia
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=12223
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Time's Treasure: Yule Edition
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Amortentia, Invigorating Draught
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=12145
Author’s Email or LJ, if available:

Title: Why Do You Hate Me?
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating Draught, Amortentia
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=13884
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Title: Why Do You Love Me?
Author: debjunk
Category or Categories: Invigorating Draught, Amortentia
Story Link: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=14115
Author’s Email or LJ, if available: debjunk

Had a great weekend! brenamarie visited and we had a blast. Don't believe me? Here's the proof.



Okay, the 16-year-old got a little carried away with Photoshop.

But really, we did have a blast. Here's a real picture:



We went to the Aquarium, star-gazed, and brena made her world-famous lasagna for us. Definitely take her up on any offer of lasangna making she might give. Of course, the weekend flew by and before we knew it, we were hugging at the airport.

I'm incredibly thankful for her friendship. She's my little soul-sister.

I also have loved getting to know many of you better. Fandom really seems to bring the best of us together, I think.

As I was driving to work today, I was reflecting on what a great weekend it had been. Nothing truly amazing happened, but it was peaceful. On Sunday, I performed in the semester's faculty recital. Things went off without a hitch and I got some nice compliments. I evidently moved someone to tears. (That's always a goal of mine. Mwahahahaha!)

Sorry, gang, no one recorded it, so there will be no snippets posted.

Today, my boss, who complimented me at the recital, gushed about how wonderful it was all over again. That truly made my day, as she'd never been so positive for any of the other recitals I'd performed in. We've developed a good friendship these last few months. I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it, but I was quite pleased with what she had to say.

Better yet, my friend and colleague set up an audition for me with the director of the local symphony on WEDNESDAY!!!!! I'm totally psyched. I'm just going to sing what I did for the recital. Hopefully it will open some doors in the future.

Anyway, I've had a really nice couple of days.

Holy cow! I'm floored. :) :)

Picked up a fic today that I haven't worked on in months and actually added a page. Whoo hoo, at this point I'll be done by... Christmas 2020. But that's okay. I'm glad to have started it up again and am hoping to have enough ideas to finish it up. Hopefully before the date above.

Don't know... Haven't really had a great desire to write. Maybe this is a sign of things improving in the creativity zone.

Well, after a good dry out and a try with a new monitor... the computer will not boot up.

She was an old computer. She'd lived a long and hearty life. She was essential in the creation of thousands of words of countless stories. Her sacrifice and her hard work throughout her life will be remembered.

Now, rest in peace, drowned computer. May your hard drive always remain full...

Okay, so I'm new at this picture posting thing. sunnythirty3, her son Mickey, and rdholmantx came to visit on their whirlwind tour of the states. We had a blast. They actually came at the right time, as the rodeo is on this week and the town is full of tourists toting cowboy hats and trying to look like they're part of the 'wild, wild, west.' They got here a bit too late for the rodeo, but we went to the carnival that night and let the kids run around willy-nilly from ride to ride. Despite our having a hearty dinner, we couldn't help ourselves and had to indulge in carny food. A couple of corn dogs, a candy apple, and a funnel cake later, we had sated our 'greasy/sweet food urges and headed out.

We headed two minutes out of town and did some star gazing. (Yes, Cheyenne IS that small!) We had a beautiful view of about a million stars, and I was happy to show off the Milky Way. Lisa set off some fireworks left over from the Fourth and we called it a night. After a goodnights sleep, it was time for our beloved travelers to hit the road again.

It was a great time, probably the most excitement we've seen all summer. Of course, I forgot the camera at the carnival, but here's some pics of the relaxation that happened the next day.

I just came from a funeral of an eight-year-old boy whom I had the pleasure of teaching in Sunday school for several years. My heart goes out to his family. I think that children's deaths are the hardest to take because of everything that will be missed.

Hug your children a little tighter and cherish them a little more, for we never know when they might be taken from us.

The boy's aunt sang a beautiful song called "Precious Child" which had me and most of the congregation in tears. I wanted to include the most uplifting part of the song:

In my soul, there is a hole
That can never be filled
But in my heart there is hope
And you are with me still


This family knows that they'll see Zack again. It's just the day to day struggle until that time comes that will be the challenge.

*Sniff* I just dropped Lisa off for a week at camp. She goes every summer, but I seem a bit more teary-eyed today than I have been in years past. Maybe it has something to do with her being a senior this next school year and she'll be gearing up for... college. It's really exciting stuff, but I know I'll miss her.

Oh, well. She'll be back before I know it, and Maggie and Emily constantly fighting will make the week go by quickly, I'm sure.

Happy Birthday to Appolina V! Hope it's a great one!

Have you guys seen "The Wedding Singer?" Remember the part where Bobby tells Julia that he can't go around making a living off meatballs because that's what his old-lady student pays him for voice lessons? Well, that's me right now.

One of my students has been basically paying me in meatballs. Her first lesson she offered me a music book and lunch out. Her second lesson... she didn't pay at all saying she'd get me the money. Her last lesson... well, that was another lunch out. She's a cute girl, and I understand being low on funds. I really do. She's promised me to get me the remaining cash owed this week. Hopefully she won't hand me a frozen bag of meatballs!

So, I've been busily writing away for the past two days.  Am I working on the many things I need to be working on?  Fics that are already in progress?  Oh, no!  Heaven's no!  I got the bug to write a sequel to Time's Treasure so I've been flying over the keyboard on that.  But, you know, the others will wait.  They'll be attended to in their own time.

You're all thinking... why don't you just finish Time's Treasure first?  Good advice.  It's actually been done for a while and the last chapter is due. 

I'm going through a divorce now and my sixteen-year-old, Lisa, was in my room looking at two pictures on the wall of my hubby and me.  She glanced at one and said, "You know, you should print out a couple of pictures of Snape and just tape it over dad's face in these."

Best idea I've heard in years.

(Because alabastard asked...)

I was born in a town on Long Island on the other side of the tracks.  (The good side of the tracks being the shore and the pretty houses.)  But that really doesn't have much to do with this story. 

This does, however... One day towards the end of ninth grade I came home and said to my mom, "I think I'm going to try out for choir."

She turned and sniggered at me.  "YOU... SING?  Hahahahahaha!  You can't sing!"

So, I tried out for choir and made it.  Basically I can thank my mom for my singing career, because if it weren't for spite, I may not have tried out at all. 

Soon I was in the more advanced choir and getting small solos.

I attended the Eastman School of Music for my bachelors.  It still amazes me that I got in, as I had no private lessons prior to my audition.  My HS choir director coached me in preparation for my auditions.  For those of you who don't know Eastman, it's one of the top three music schools in the nation.  Go figure! 

I went from being a regional treasure to the low man on the totem pole.  It's good for the ego, really.  I did meet some awesome singers, both students and faculty.

Since then, I have been doing not much of anything but raising kids.  I did have a nice surprise about two years ago when I went into the local community college and said, "Hey, I'm from Eastman, do you need another voice teacher?"

Within ten minutes I had the job.  And here I thought a music degree was good for kindling.  Hahahaha.  So, I have a very fulfilling position as music faculty and I really love that.  I'm hoping to have more students this coming fall. 

Performance-wise, I've done a lot with my church.  I was raising kids, remember.  I have sung in some faculty recitals with the college and the soloing with the Creation that I posted.  I'm hoping to branch out more in the performance field also.

Oh, important stuff.  I'm a mezzo-soprano and proud of it.  I have about a three octave range when warming up in the practice room, kind of unique for a mezzo, as I can sing rather high.  I'll do a high 'b' in performance and maybe a 'c' if it's just a short note. 

Gotta run... I have a lesson to teach.