Harper's Ferry (Helloo Summer!)

(Please note: Anne's ballerina pose/tomboy shorts, Mom's fabulous H&M sunglasses, my HHS volleyball t-shirt is STILL in use, Robert is texting a GIRL behind Hunter, Peter chose the wrong day to wear black, Sister Edwards is about to slide off of the historical landmark.  Noted.)

Today was the first of what I hope will be many delightful summer excursions!  At 6:55 a.m.,  the fam loaded up into the trusty mini van and cruised into the hinterlands of West Virginia.  We arrived at Harper's Ferry, a quaint ghost town with a history of disastrous floods and of an attempted slave insurrection lead by John Brown.

Speaking of John Brown... any Remember the Titans fans?   I will be seriously impressed if any quote connections are made... sans Google.

Oh, it was beautiful! And so stiflingly hot.   Our ventures included: gawking in a bizarre wax museum,  perusing a lovely underground used book store, cool root beer from a bottle in an ice cream parlor, an informative museum, a tour through a stunning cathedral (I'm beginning to have an infatuation with stained glass windows), and some ruins and gorgeous vantage points!

(I spy two baby brothers)

Though the weather has been playing the part for a while now, it will still be one week until I can officially call it Summer. This school year has been a bizarre dichotomy between two realities, and quite frankly, I can't wait to leave it behind.   Early Saturday morning I'm hopping on a plane for Utah where I will spend the highly anticipated month of June. 

More to follow.

The Rut

I'm stuck in a musical rut!  Old sounds are getting, well, old, and I'm ready to revamp my iPod.  I need some new tunes to set my alarm to, run to, dance to, and drive to ( I've got a lot of hours to fill to get that ever-elusive license).   I'm ready to discover the sound of the summer of 2010!  Plus most radio stations become a blur of static as I drive over hill after hill.

...Suggestions?  Anything, everything!

(Preferably something that will induce this type of response)

Serendipity

Thanks to some major miracles, I will awake to this view for three weeks this summer!  But wait, you've got to hear the story. 

Smack-dab in the middle of Vermont, Point Counterpoint is a chamber music-oriented summer camp that I applied to earlier this year.  Not only does it offer lots of awesome musical experiences, but some boating, hiking, and morning runs too!   The biggest issue was tuition.  How would I earn my way with my time spread between testing and Utah travels?  When PCP's director called to follow up on my application,  I had to resign my position for session two.  That should have been the end of it.

Interestingly enough, twenty minutes later the director left a voicemail urging me to call her back quickly.  Very soon after she had hung up with us, a well-known musician had called in with an offer to sponsor a potential camper-  he would cover full tuition and travel costs.   She admitted that I wouldn't have been the first to come to mind had the timing been any different, but it seemed as though everything was aligned just so.    In very little time, my name was off the tip of her tongue, and into the ear of the benefactor.

Who he is, and whether I will ever meet him, I don't know.   What I do know for sure is that I can't wait to spend some extended time with my violin in such a serene setting.  I know this opportunity will inspire me to in turn "pay it forward", and I'm so grateful for this blessing.