Happy Halloween

And tonight I broke down

(click on the image to enlarge)
I have debated blogging about a tragedy taking place in our small charming community. But after tonight's breakdown during my last lesson, I've decided that I need my blog to be my outlet. It can't always be about rainbows and goats in Hawaii.

On Friday, my 16 year old piano student Swan, who I have taught for the past 5-6 years, went home from school with a headache. Apparently she had a quiet evening at home and went to bed early. Only she didn't wake up on Saturday. She passed away quietly in her sleep. She was an only child and her father was our doctor. This tragedy has effected all of my students and families. Even the elementary school aged children are aware of what has happened. It is just not fair. It is NOT fair.

This past year Swan slowly stopped taking piano lessons weekly. She was very busy with high school life and this is a normal pattern with my high school students. But nevertheless I have watched Swan grow up in front of my eyes for the past 5-6 years. She performed at all my recitals. On Saturday night after receiving the horrible news, I sat in my music room on the very piano bench she sat on in silence. Shocked. Deeply saddened.

Tonight, 4 days later, I was teaching one of my middle school students a song by "The Fray". And suddenly everything came flooding back to me. I bought this VERY book I was photocopying from tonight specifically for Swan. The Fray was her favorite band. I suddenly vividly remembered the lesson she told me she went to see The Fray during a summer visit to Michigan and how it was "the best day of her life". As I tried to control myself during this lesson, I had the world's largest lump in my throat. The kind that hurts so much it feels like you swallowed a piece of jagged charcoal and can't talk.

I am so sorry that all of my students dealing with this have to grow up so much faster than they should have too. I watch my students grow up so quickly in front of my eyes. Time, and life, is fleeting. And so very, very precious.

The (planned) Great Escape

Mabel balances on a lifted log
Moki keeping his herd in place
10 minutes before this picture Buckley cornered Moki and told him who's boss with his horns. As you can see, Moki is now scared of Buckley, just a little bit.

Who knew this blog would turn into a diary of my animal world. They bring me so much joy! Today we let the goats out of the pen to munch on different pasture grass and weeds. They followed me around the lot. I kept a rattle of sweet meal on me at all times to keep them close by. There is still plenty of grass in their pen. The grass is just always greener on the other side and they acted starving as they devoured the unreachable grasses on the lot.

Dervish

"Dervish concert performances are a myriad of tones and moods ranging from high energy tunes, played with fluidity and intuitiveness, to beautifully measured songs, from charming lyrics of life and love, to inspiring melodies that life audiences from their seats."

Click HERE to listen to some sample songs!

Last night I was treated by my fiddle student Susan to be her date to an Irish performance by the band "Dervish". It's very sad that Alex and I hardly take advantage of the great little theatre just down the street from our house. Missing out with groups like Pink Martini, The Eroica Trio, and Mikhail Baryshnikov practically performing in our backyard.

I tend to only identify with my Italian heritage for whatever reason. I feel very Italian! I eat very Italian! But when I listen to Irish music, I can feel the other 40% of my genetic heritage come to life. Passed down to me through my black Irish Great Grandmother Isobel Greene. My favorite song last night was "Take your hands off Red Haired Mary!"

Billy Boy Cartoon

My parents e-mailed a very cute and funny youtube video they thought was made just for me! Click HERE to watch!

Just Kidding around

Each day Mabel improves more and more. Today we have absolute silence! What a loud stressful week! Nothing worse than a goat screaming I tell you! Alex jokes that our lot looks like a poor man's nativity scene. Hay in the makeshift manger. With a detached dog kennel garage. Complete with an inflatable beach ball.

But other tid bits of information other than goat news shall we? Last night Alex and I went to watch 4 of my middle school students perform in the musical "Bugsy Malone". What a great show!

I have decided for my school's winter show we will perform "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I can't wait to see an entire kindergarten class dress up as Snoopy and dance around to the Linus and Lucy theme song! I've ordered all the material and it should be arriving this week. December will be here before we know it folks! October is almost over!

And finally, today is the Earthquake anniversary! The 6.9 of 2006!

Goat tell it on the mountain

Day 8: Silence!! Happy happy goaties. Things were looking BLEAT there for a moment, I mean Bleak. Will I ever run out of goat pun on words? Yes they bleat for me when they see me walking down the street and cry for a few minutes when I leave them. But now they are playing together (albeit Buckley has an advantage of having horns but Mabel compensates by prancing with her hooves) Today she stuck her head out to eat alfalfa and I was able to scratch her head.

Goat to Bed

This weekend was "Operation take back the lot". Pre Seattle visit, we used to have nicely manicured tiers you could stroll down whilst sipping a glass of chilled white wine. Post summer vacation spent away from the lot, you have to hack your way with a machete through 5 foot tall ginger. Weeds, grass, and ginger have completely taken over the tiers. The land has returned to its wild native landscape.

Goat update: Day 5: 3 escapes and 5 days of crying later, we are starting to make progress. The two goats are bonding and Mabel seems to finally be settling in. Buckley was a bully for awhile, but when Mabel escaped he cried out for her! He never knew what he was missing before. Yesterday Buckley was sleeping next to the fence with Moki sleeping snug up against him on the other side of the fence. Their feet were touching. I wish I had my camera! I have a funny flock here in Hawaii. I have been hacking my way through the lot, carrying armfuls of yummy goodies that I toss into their pen. We thought they'd want to be let out to graze yesterday, but they didn't want to leave their pen!

Pot Roast is in the crock pot. The dogs (we are puppy sitting a black lab named Aja this week) are bathed and flea medicated. Now back to the lot I go!

Seeing double!

I had to do a double take when I first saw Tapa taking a walk with her owners. Now I teach both children of Tapa's owner so Tapa comes over for a weekly play whilst the kids have lessons. When Moki is shaved, he looks JUST like her. His twin sister!

Meet Mabel

If you double click, you can see her blue eyes!
Buckley is sticking his tongue out! They are still getting to know each other.
The Three Amigos. Mabel discovered Buckley's favorite super high stump! The two have been playing King of the Stump for about an hour. One jumps up, the other jumps down, one jumps up, the other jumps down. At one point I looked out the window and saw them BOTH standing together. I guess they formed a peace pact.

Alex named her Moussaka. I like the name Mabel. We'll roll with the two. Goats will never learn their name anyway. Buckley has been nicknamed Buckwheat, Buckingham, Buck Wild, Buck eye, you get the drift.

Already the crying has stopped. Buckley will cry a little when I walk away but quickly gets distracted by Mabel. He no longer tries to escape and doesn't panic either. Buckley is 5 months old and Mabel is 6 months old. But she is smaller than him. Buckley is weathered (fixed) but Mabel could one day have kids. Mabel has had a long day and is doing great considering. Today she was trapped, put in a kennel, taken away from her family, drove in the back of a truck for 3 hours from South Point, has a new brother who's sort of being a bully (That's MY food, that's MY stump, that's MY mother). I've been sending students out to feed them treats all day to calm them both down when my students are done with music lessons. Salerno Strings/petting zoo.