July 21: Friendly Nurses

I had an endoscopy on Wednesday morning to try to figure out why my stomach has been so weird since November (turns out, nothing conclusive was found, surprise, surprise) but the entire experience was delightful, especially because of the amazing nurses I had. Before I got my IV in, I warned my nurse that I had vasovagal syncope (which means I faint during procedures like giving blood and getting Novocain). She commented that she has also fainted like that before.... when she was getting her belly button pierced! It was such a hilarious story to share, it definitely relaxed me, and I had no problem with the IV. She also shared that during her first surgery on the job, she fainted while watching the procedure and banged her head badly on a metal cart. 

Later, she described in detail what I should expect before the procedure began, which was amazingly helpful and reassuring, but the most delightful part was how she explained that they would insert this mouthguard in my mouth that is a little "S&M". hahahaha. (FWIW, it totally is!!). And she commented that my doctor is young ("...you'll see what I mean").

The whole experience was so comforting and relaxing and made everything so much easier to get through. I know it must be a difficult job to be working at a hospital nowadays, and I am even more grateful for kind, caring, considerate, good-humored people who are pushing through the craziness and still being patient-focused. 

With delight (and a sore throat!),

Jamie

July 20: Dungeons!

There is a new set of Magic the Gathering cards that was just released; it's theme is "Dungeons and Dragons". I bought one of the new premade commander decks (Sefris, black/white/blue commander) and played it for the first time at Magic Pizza Tuesday. It is a delightful deck and I LOVE the new dungeon mechanic. This particular deck has many different triggers (whenever a creature enters the battlefield, whenever a creature dies, whenever you do combat damager, whenever you attacked, etc etc) to allow you to "venture" into a dungeon. A dungeon is a new card that has several different rooms on it that do different things (draw cards, gain life, etc). Each time you trigger "venture"-ing you go to another room in the dungeon. The deck also had triggers for when you complete the dungeon (or enter the last room). It is super fun, and I spent the whole time just trying to trigger venturing, not really caring about winning or losing. I definitely need to edit the deck (premades are never great out of the box), and I can't wait to try it again with a bit more of a beefed up deck!

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 19: That's So Cool!

I experienced a delightful little moment during our Cape Ann Community Band practice on Monday night. We were playing a concert band arrangement of "Africa" by Toto (a song which my husband and I are super familiar with because we play an arrangement of it for "Reset Button"). Our director had just the clarinets play the melody during this one section to have them practice it. Then he had the low brass and low woodwinds (me on bari sax, my husband on tuba, and one more tuba player) play our background part so the clarinets could hear the accompaniment. We played it perfectly (it's the exact same part we have for Reset Button, only a LOT slower) and it sounded great. Afterwards, one of the flute players in the row in front of me turned around, looked at the bari, and said, "That's so cool." It made me so happy. I also think the sound of the bari is super cool, and I'm glad she shared the sentiment. I very much enjoy playing bari, and I am forever grateful that I found this instrument. I never felt super comfortable on tenor saxophone or bassoon (my two main instruments in high school and college), but the bari feels so natural to me. I love the bass parts of songs, I love the deep sound of the horn, I love everything about it!

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 18: All Ages Game Night

Our Rockport Band concert got cancelled due to rain (it's been raining for many many days in a row now which has been absolutely miserable), so I was able to attend our weekly board night game. And because my niece was now available, I invited her to join us and she did. It was awesome having a 13 year old in attendance and she is delightful to play board games with; she is a super fast learner and totally gets strategy and game play. In fact, I taught her two new games (Wingspan and Puerto Rico) and she got second place in both (....I got first place...), which means she scored higher than all my adult friends. In Wingspan, she had more points just for birds played than one of my friends had in her entire game the last time she played. It is delightful that my friends are so welcoming and tolerate having people of all ages at game nights, and I love introducing the next generation to my favorite games. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 17: Sour Cream with Apple Pie

Saturday I had another reunion with friends I hadn't seen since before the pandemic, and it was absolutely delightful to see them, catch up on our lives, and share a meal together. I love cooking for people, and I whipped up some of my best and favorite dishes for us (bacon spinach dip, braised beef, mashed cauliflower, and green beans with our homegrown spicy red peppers). For dessert, my friends brought an apple crisp and a tub of sour cream.... to use as a topping to the crisp... which I have never used as a topping, nor even heard of before. (Our go-to has always been whipped cream!) I was hesitant, but willing to try it, and it was absolutely delightful. The sourness/tartness of the sour cream was the perfect balance to the sweetness of the crisp. I was shocked that it tasted so good (as was my husband, who kept saying how delightful it was, and even asked me if this is what I would blog about 😉). 

With delight (and a dollop of whipped cream),

♥Jamie

July 16: Airplane!

Friday morning, as I was making breakfast, my husband turned to me and asked, "How about some coffee, Johnny?" I didn't get the reference and said something like, yeah go ahead and make some. Then he proceeded to inform me that he was quoting from the movie "Airplane!" which I've only ever seen once, on my phone, on shared headphones, while we were waiting at the airport on our honeymoon in Hawaii (I know, great place to watch a movie about an impending airplane crash, but it's more funny than scary). Even if I had seen the movie 100 times, I'm not confident I would remember this one particular quote. My husband has a knack for remembering obscure quotes verbatim. I mentioned that we should watch it again, and we agreed to watch it that night, and it resulted in an amazingly delightful evening. I basically didn't remember any of it, so it was like watching a whole new movie. One of my favorite parts was at the end, I was reading the credits, and saw the name of the blow up doll used as an automatic pilot (Otto) and finally got that joke. "Otto" the "auto"-matic pilot. hahahaha. I told my husband, and he said, wait, you just finally got that?!? Of course I didn't get that joke when they said his name during the movie. Another delightful moment was during the movie, when I recognized immediately what is definitely one of the most famous quotes from the movie. Rumack asks Ted if he can fly the plane. Shocked, Ted says "surely you can't be serious," to which Rumack responds with the iconic line, "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley." I remembered this quote not from watching the movie 7 years ago, but from a round of Jeo-Party I created a few months ago about AFI's Top 100 Movie Quotes list, on which this quote is listed as #79. Also during the movie, apparently one of my husband's favorite scenes contained a bit of humor I did not even notice. He made me watch the scene three times and I still didn't get what was so funny about it. He finally told me that the character (Kramer) went from looking into the mirror to walking through the mirror; I totally missed it. All three times. hahahahaha. I also giggled when the "How about some coffee, Johnny" line was spoken; it was SUCH an obscure line (though it is repeated so I *guess* I see why my husband has remembered it). And last but not least, my favorite credit listed was for someone with the title: "Generally in charge of a lot of things." I want that to my new answer to the question of what I do for living. I'm generally in charge of a lot of things. Hahahahaha. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 15: Sax Section

If you've ever been in a band, you know that certain instruments are played by certain people with certain personalities. I've bounced around on different instruments, and I can 100% say I am not a clarinet personality (stereotypically, clarinet players are snobby, judgmental, and full of drama). I do tend to fit the  bass clarinet or bassoon personality (because they are unique instruments, these players are independent and not afraid to be different). But I am definitely a saxophone personality. We are loud, funny, friendly, relaxed, and nonjudgmental. The saxes in the Rockport band and I get along great; we already have inside jokes (like these CRAZY looking notes in a few songs that we are calling "suck-tuplets"). I enjoy not only playing with them but also socializing and bonding with them, and it has been a delightful experience. I also enjoy being the leader of section, as the Alto 1 player. 

On a related note, I stumbled upon this funny list online of stereotypical instrument personalities. These are the best ones: 

Saxophone: You spent a heady and sexually deviant semester in Paris whereupon you stumbled into a live jazz bar and never left.

Bassoon: You enjoy being mocked and only laugh at your own expense.

Trombone: You came to terms with being thoroughly uncool and this is where it got you. (My husband plays trombone 😁)

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 14: New Reed

I practiced bari sax on my own a little bit before our Reset Button practice and was having a hard time maintaining a consistent sound (similar to the experience I had at Community Band on Monday) and then my tongue started hurting like I had cut it. Lo and behold, my reed was terribly cracked and was cutting into my tongue, which was definitely the reason why my sound was so bad. I got out a new reed and popped it on, and I sounded a million times better. It was amazing the difference such a seemingly simple solution could make, and I feel silly I didn't check this earlier. I figured it was just me (thanks to my low self confidence) but it was just the reed! I felt way more comfortable and confident playing after this little change, and everything sounded so much better. Our Reset Button practice was absolutely delightful and we got some great recordings that I can use to promote us and get us more gigs. I'm so glad I was using a new reed for the recording!

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 13: Drawer Installation

Oh, the kitchen project. I am very slowly making my way through priming, painting, and top coating the cabinetry. Next up were the drawers, which I had been working on for a few weeks, an hour here, and an hour there, whenever I could squeeze in time between music and volunteering and general busyness. On Tuesday, I was finally able to re-install the drawer hardware and put the drawers back where they belong. And oh my goodness do they look and feel great. They're so delightfully smooth, and clean, and pretty, and now the lower half of the kitchen cabinets is complete and it looks great all together, especially against the dark color of our new floor! It was also delightful to put back all the stuff that goes in the drawers, so it feels less chaotic now going through the kitchen trying to cook and to clean. I've started on the upper cabinets, and hope to have this painting project done by the fall (and of course I am still waiting on my husband to finish building the new cabinets that I will also have to prime, paint, and top coat. What were we thinking?!? haha).

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 12: Cape Ann Community Band

My husband, my niece, and I attended the first rehearsal of the Cape Ann Community Band on Monday, and it was delightful for many reasons. First of all, I was finally able to play bari sax in a concert band (this band has a full sax section, with 3 altos, 1 tenor, and me). Because my husband plays the tuba, we often have the same parts, so I enjoy listening for him and playing with him (we have a soli in at least one song that sounded gorgeous). My niece seemed to enjoy this band much more than the Rockport band, because it is a more relaxed atmosphere with more beginner musicians like her, and the music is much easier. (and we are playing some very familiar songs, like Let It Go from Frozen). I also love the conductor, he is absolutely great at what he does, he is easy to follow, and he respects our time; rehearsal are 7pm-8:30pm on the dot. I am excited to see how this band progresses from our first rehearsal to our concert in August. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 11: Follow Through

My husband and I have been very proud of ourselves recently for making plans and actually following through on them, instead of cancelling which used to be a common practice for us. Especially since we basically took a year off from socializing and plans, it would be super easy for us to fall back on cancelling. Sunday was full of plans, including the birthday party of my friend's daughter (the girl I've been occasionally babysitting for). It has been delightful watching her grow up, and I'm excited to be a part of her life. It's unfortunate I missed the first few months due to the pandemic, but I'm glad that I have been able to spend time with recently, and I look forward to seeing her continue to grow and develop into a young woman. And even though I don't have kids, so going to a birthday party full of adults with kids was slightly intimidating for me, I still attended, and had a great time. Later in the evening, my husband and I had plans to attend a free, outdoor concert of the Cape Ann Big Band at Stage Fort Park. It was rainy and dreary, but the concert was still scheduled to go on, so we suited up in rain gear and headed over. The concert only lasted 30 minutes before it was called off due to the rain getting worse, but we had a delightful time nonetheless. And we both commented on how amazing it was that we actually got out to the show. The weather would have given us a perfect excuse, but we followed through instead. I hope we continue this pattern, because it is good for us to get back out into the world and experience life again!

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 10: Old Friends

It is fascinating looking back on the journeys my life has taken me on, and the people I've met along the way. One of the most remarkable people I've met (originally we met in Wisconsin as high schoolers, and then we reunited in Massachusetts as adults) moved to Tennessee a few years ago, and I haven't seen her since then. She came up to Massachusetts for a visit, and I was able to meet up with her on Saturday (and her husband, and her new baby!). In addition, a woman who used to attend the church that my friend and I worked at in Needham was there. It was a delightful little reunion, catching up on how our lives had changed since we last saw each other. Even though it took over an hour to get there, and socializing has been hard since the pandemic, I pushed through my anxiety and had a delightful time. It certainly helped that the house where we met up has about a dozen adorable free range chickens, including a silkie (they're the ones with little poof balls of white feathers on their heads) named Stevie Chicks! 

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 9: Bravely Default II

The past few weeks I have been delighted by a new video game I am playing on the Nintendo Switch called Bravely Default II. It is another JRPG (my favorite genre of video games) with four main characters and a job system, which is a unique game format that I've only previously experienced in Final Fantasy games. There are many, many jobs, and after every boss battle I unlock a new job. Jobs include things like Black Mage (who has strong magic attacks), White Mage (who has strong healing abilities), Beastmaster (who can capture monsters in battle and release them later as very strong attacks against other enemies), etc etc. All the jobs are really creative and have a wide variety of skills, and it has been interesting and challenging to figure which character should try out which job, and which jobs go together (each character can have two jobs, so my team is using 8 jobs altogether, and it is definitely a delicate balance to make sure your team has everything it needs to succeed). I am also enjoying the plot and character development, the artwork and music (especially the background music at Wiswald Woods which is just gorgeous). One of the most recent bosses I've fought, Folie the Pictomancer, was super creepy (with a super creepy high pitched nightmarish voice). Her entire vibe was art; she killed people to use their blood as red paint, and mesmerized people in the village to do her bidding and help her create other colors of paint by using a talking painting with glowing eyes that is like something out of a nightmare. It was very well done, and it was delightful defeating her on the first try (unlike almost all the other boss battles where I have died several times). I look forward to many more delightful hours traversing the world of Bravely Default II.

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 8: Introductions

Thursday was my niece's first practice with the Rockport Legion Band. The conductor had me introduce her to the group; I said she was my niece and clarinet student, which was delightful to say out loud. It sounded just right. I have a student. I am a teacher. And even though practice was a little over her head and went way too fast for her, she managed very well (if I had been in that situation as an 8th grader, I definitely would have cried). I was excited to have her experience playing in an actual band (even if she only played a few notes). Band was instrumental (I feel like I overuse this pun 😁) to my childhood and it is delightful to share that experience with her (and hopefully many more students this fall!). Not sure how much my niece enjoyed it, but she hasn't quit yet, so that's a good sign, right?

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 7: Band Manager

I am starting to get quite busy being the band manager for "Reset Button". I've been arranging and organizing music like crazy, trying to get enough songs for us to play a gig, and of course then trying to get us some gigs! I started by contacting a bunch of people I knew from my brewery days (because, as I know all too well, music and beer go very well together), and those connections seemed to have paid off! We have our first official gig of 2021 at the Gloucester Sidewalk Bazaar on Thursday August 5 from 12pm-3pm (on the stage set up at the Cape Ann Savings Bank parking lot). Scheduling is in the works for gigs at Cape Ann Lanes and Old Planters Brewery, and I am hoping we can do the North Shore Pride Parade and the Haunted Happenings Parade this fall. I am also going to try to get some t-shirts printed for us to wear and sell. Most significantly, I have re-entered the world of Facebook, mostly so I can advertise our band and gigs (and all the other gigs I have lined up with my other bands). I am still trying to stay off of Facebook for the most part, and am very intentionally only using it on my computer, but I have to admit it is a helpful for tool for sharing news like gigs. I just don't want to get sucked into its nastiness and time-sucking qualities! If you are also on the Facebook, "like" the Reset Button page: https://www.facebook.com/ResetButtonBrassBand

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 6: Clarinet Lessons

I convinced my 13-year-old niece to join the Rockport and Gloucester bands this summer. I taught her clarinet when I was teaching in Gloucester, so I know she is a fast learner and competent musician. The music will be challenging, but I think it will be good for her to experience a concert band. On Tuesday I met up with her to practice some songs and it was delightful to teach music again. It was also crazy picking up the clarinet again to play along with her. I started on clarinet in 5th grade but moved on to bass clarinet in middle school, bassoon in high school, and saxophone in college, never to touch a clarinet again until I started teaching a few years ago (and then I promptly stopped once the pandemic hit). In my opinion, clarinet is the easiest band instrument to learn, to play, and to teach, so I was able to pick it back up again with no problem... like riding a bike! Thankfully my trombone/tuba-playing husband happened to own a clarinet in decent shape for me to play for lessons (he also has a flute, piccolo, trumpet, euphonium, tenor sax, drums, percussion, keyboards, guitars, in addition to his many trombones and tubas. Add those to my alto sax, bari sax, bass clarinet, and oboe, and we have instrumentation for a full band! And yes, I admit, we are a little insane.) Anyways, I am happy to be back to teaching clarinet, even if it's a volunteer gig, and it is delightful to be spending time with my niece (she is my favorite, but don't tell anyone, cuz I'm not supposed to have favorites!). Come hear us at our first concert on Sunday, July 18 at 7pm; free outdoor music at the Rockport gazebo. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 5: Return of The Runaround

 My husband had played keys and trombone in a local ska band, The Runaround, for many, many years before the band "disbanded" a few years ago. All the members seemed to miss being in a ska band, so they reorganized and had their first show in 3 years at the Boulevard stage in Gloucester, playing before and after the fireworks display. They had played this show for over 10 years (I had attended at least 5 of them) and it was delightful to see and to hear them at this venue again. It was especially delightful because we hadn't heard them in so long. I loved how every lyric and rhythm came right back to me as I danced and sang along; I even got to experience the gig with a friend who I used to go to MANY Runaround gigs with. We had made up motions and dance moves to a few of the songs many years ago, and those came right back to us as well. It was a gorgeous night, cool but not *too* cold, an amazing breeze from the ocean, the band was fabulous and the fireworks were gorgeous. It was great to see family and friends, and I didn't even feel that uncomfortable in a crowd of strangers (thankfully most people were well behaved, it was outdoors, and I am fully vaccinated). It was my first experience of live music since before the lockdown, and I was so proud of my amazingly talented husband up there on the stage. 

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 4: Clown Band

Through a crazy series of connections, I ended up playing Alto in the Rockport Clown Band on the 4th of the July. Usually this band marches in the Rockport 4th of July Parade, but because of the pandemic, the parade was again cancelled this year. That didn't stop the band from gathering and playing outside of a local nursing home to bring its residents some joy and then at the Rockport town square in front of a huge gathering of tourists and residents. The clown band doesn't really dress like clowns, they just dress up in fun wacky colors and decorations (I wore a funky hat), the conductor uses a plunger, and they collected donations for the volunteer Rockport firefighters by using an old fireman's boot. I really appreciated this band because everyone was there to have a good time, play fun music, and share joy with others. We played songs like Uptown Funk, Shipping Out to the Boston, Vehicle, God Bless America, and When the Saints Go Marching In. The band had people of all ages (12 to 80!) and all abilities, and it was one of the best community band experiences I've had. It is exactly like the marching band I had envisioned the Brewin Brass Band/Reset Button being in the community, and I'm delighted I was able to participate.

With delight,

♥Jamie 

July 3: Road Trip

My husband found a new keyboard (the piano kind not the computer kind) on Craigslist that he wanted to buy, located in Wayland, MA, so we took a delightful little road trip together on Saturday. It was a crazy day on the highway, not only because of the increased volume of drivers traveling for the 4th of July holiday weekend, but also because there was a crazy 10 hour stand off on I-95 between police and 11 armed militia men starting at 1:30am, and we definitely experienced traffic and delays because of both of those things. But we had nowhere else to be and nothing else to do, it was totally fine being stuck in traffic. It is always delightful to spend time with my husband (I mean, it's not like we don't already spend practically every waking moment together) but it's something else to be stuck in a car with someone. And with the exception of him judging my driving (to be fair, I judge his too), we had a good time together. And of course, we got the keyboard, which very much excited my husband (which also delighted me, because I delight in his delight, and I can't wait to see him play in at his first gig on Monday!). 

With delight,

♥Jamie 

July 2: Cheers

I started watching the TV show "Cheers" kind of accidentally, because Hulu just started playing it after the last episode of Frasier and I thought, ok, why not? Frasier was a sequel if you will to Cheers, featuring a few of the same characters (sometimes with guest appearance of others characters, too) so I thought it'd be fun to see where Frasier came from. Of course, his character doesn't show up until like Season 3, and I'm only on Season 2, so there hasn't even been mention of him yet, but I've still enjoyed it. Some of the show is terribly antiquated, but other parts are delightfully entertaining. Most recently, this joke had me nonstop giggling. In Season 2 Episode 11, one of the main characters who works in the bar, Diane, had an old college friend (Heather) come to the bar who just moved to town. They were telling stories about the past, as old college friends do, and one was about prank phone calls they used to make. The friend proceeded to pretend to be on the telephone holding a radio station contest and said, "This is the WTRM radio contest. For a trip to Hawaii, name three cars that start with P." Sam, the bartender and Diane's boyfriend, is prodded to answer, so he says, "Porsche, Plymouth and Pontiac." And Diane says: "No, I'm sorry, those cars start with gas." hahahahahaha it still makes me laugh. (Side note: it took me less than a minute to google the episode and find this quote written out, thanks to IMDB.com, so I did not have to transcribe it. The internet is amazing). I am looking forward to continue watching this show, and can't wait for Frasier to show up!

With delight,

♥Jamie

July 1: Improved Sightreading

I attended my third practice with the Rockport Legion Band on Thursday, and I was delighted in my improved sight-reading skills for the Alto 1 part. My fingers are moving so much more quickly and I feel myself reading the notes and translating them to my fingers much more accurately. And more importantly, I am feeling more confident and comfortable. Reading and playing music is such a fascinating experience (though if I think too much about it while I am playing it really screws me up!). Notes and markings are written on a piece of paper that I translate immediately into fingerings and embouchure and articulations and dynamics. Soon I will be playing music in 5 groups (Gloucester Community Band, Ipswich Summer Band, Reset Button, Peabody Big Band, and Rockport Legion Band), and all the time playing will be hugely instrumental (haha) to my musicianship. In these months of discernment, I have definitely gravitated towards the playing and the teaching of music as what I want to do with my life. It's less complicated than owning a business, less controversial than selling alcohol, less polarizing than discussing God, it's easily accessible to all ages, and it provides a great service to the world (both for entertainment and enjoyment of the listeners, and huge learning benefits to students). It also has great possibilities for bringing people together in the community (again, both for the players and the listeners). I am excited that is the path my post-pandemic life is leading me on. I am hopeful that I can start being comfortable in answering the question "What do you do?" It continues to make me feel awkward, and I no longer want to say I am unemployed. I am trying to get comfortable saying something like, "I teach and play music and do a lot of volunteering." Because that's what I do, and it's what I love.

With delight,

♥Jamie 

June 30: Thunderstorms

Before Reset Button practice on Wednesday, a large thunderstorm passed over us. It quickly got incredibly dark (I love the dark eerie colors of the sky during an approaching storm, making the the green of the trees really stand out), it starting pouring rain, and then came the thunder and lightening. My husband turned off the lights in the house so we could see the lightening, and we both pulled up chairs to our front door to look out the window to watch. It was delightfully magnificent. My husband even commented, "This is better than watching TV." And it totally was. Especially the lightning, how it gorgeously lit up the sky. It was also just nice to experience the quiet, darkness of the house; just my husband and I and the sounds of the wind and the rain and the thunder. And we have always loved the smell of rain; one of our favorite vocabulary words is "petrichor" which means "a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather." In addition to the delightful sights and sounds and smells of the storm, this storm also brought in a cold front as reprieve to the recently oppressive hot temperatures. The other day it stormed for a bit too, but it stayed super hot so it did not have the same delightful feeling as this storm (and it smelled horrible after that storm, the air was thick with humidity and it was still so hot, so this storm was a delightful change). I continue to be amazed by nature and am thankful I live in the woods so I can experience so much of it.

With delight,

♥Jamie