It’s My Imagination

Supernatural Powers

If I could have any supernatural power, I think I would like to have the ability to read minds. I’m always finding myself wondering what others are thinking!

There’s a new movie coming out in select theaters for 2 nights only, May 20-21. In DeathNote is not rated, but is at least an “R” rating. The movie is based on a supernatural action-mystery manga and the main character, Light Yagami, has the supernatural ability to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. Light comes up against Detective “L” who believes that he too is fighting evil. Are they really fighting for justice or have they been deceived? Could one of them actually be evil?

This movie sounds very intriguing and will be in limited release. My daughter has recently been introduced to the manga books and it would be interesting to see how it can translate to the big screen. There will be a 20 minute feature before the movie, showing how the manga translates to live action.

Middle School Band

My daughter entered band in 5th grade while we were still living in Illinois.  When we moved to Texas, we discovered that students don’t begin band until 6th grade.  So, my daughter was a year ahead.  I took the time to speak with the band director and was assured that she would be given the opportunity to continue learning on her instrument.  What he didn’t tell me was that to do so, she would need private lessons.

My daughter has been so bored in band this year, it’s been a bad experience.  The last month or so, things have improved slightly, but things have moved at such a slow pace.  I hired a private instructor who has been working with my daughter the last few months, but it hasn’t helped too much, she’s still bored.

Tomorrow, my daughter will try out for the middle school honors band for next year.  She has to play several scales and do some sight reading.  I’ve been encouraging her to practice, but she, like me, is a procrastinator.  She did practice a little bit while I was gone last week, but, when she was told yesterday by the band director that her tryout would be on Thursday, she panicked.

Last night, I asked her to play her scales for me and before I knew it, she was sitting, with her instrument on her lap, crying.  She told me her private instructor had given her some negative feedback and has been telling her for a couple of weeks that her instrument isn’t fitted properly.  I have no idea why she would be saying that, and the negative feedback has got to stop!  My daughter’s self-confidence was crushed!

I sat with her last night and helped her re-build her confidence.  We sat together, working through the scales, for about an hour, until her lips were too tired to play anymore.  By the time we were done, she had successfully played 5 of the 7 scales and done some sight reading.  I promised her we would finish practicing tonight so that she’ll be amply prepared for tomorrows try out.  She was smiling when we finished and I think she’s going to be just fine.  I am considering firing her private instructor though.

Remembering My Dad

I have spent yesterday and this morning working on my daughter’s 7th grade class schedule. When I was in school, 7th and 8th grade weren’t so important, but now, if she takes the right classes in 7th grade, she can get high school credit in a couple of her 8th grade classes. She can be on track for a great high school career.

This morning, I attended a meeting put on by the middle school counselor for the 6th graders. They filled out their “6 Year Plan”! It’s just difficult to believe we have to be thinking about high school and even college right now, but it’s also such a smart thing to do. I’m very proud of my daughter and how maturely she is handling all of this.

It’s at times like these that I really find myself missing my Dad. He passed away just over 2 years ago and I miss the fact that he can’t be a part of all of this. I know he would be so proud of his granddaughter and how well she’s doing in school. I also know he would love to go out and watch her play softball, her favorite pass time. It’s just hard sometimes, to know that he will not ever see her play, nor will he be at her high school graduation.

With Memorial Day just around the corner, I’m finding myself thinking about him more. He’s buried in a National Cemetery just outside of Seattle, WA. It’s so far away that I can’t go visit. I know he is in my heart, but somehow, I would feel closer to him if I could visit his grave. Is that strange?

I discovered this Free Offer Link where I can submit a free online tribute to my Dad sponsored by the National Hall of Records. It’s available until Memorial Day. My family can then visit the site and leave their own comments. I think it is such a nice way to deal with these feelings I’m having lately of missing him.

I hope none of you have suffered the loss of a parent, but if you have, (((hugs))) to you.