Where's Community?

What an amazing December day. It's 60' outside and beautiful sunshine warms my back. I'm hanging out my 3rd load of laundry. It's one of my favorite chores. I find it very meditative. I listened to birds and to what I thought for a minute was a lawn mower....a leaf blower. Well, I'll save the world by hanging out clothes and the leaf blower takes us back down a notch. But the noise! Irksome especially because in between the roar I can almost hear the little community of musicians who are jamming on the front porch of the house. (That would be my nephew Duncan and his friends...who I think are playing at the Grey Eagle Contra Dance on Jan. 5. )

So imagine the idyllic scene of hanging out laundry to live music. Ahhhhhhh. You gotta love it. "WHIIIIIIIIIINNNNNE", goes the leafblower.

I used to hang out laundry when I lived out in the country near Holland, MI. When I moved in town I had trouble with the shade in the yard, the ear wigs and the dust from the metal recycling plant down the street. I really missed the smell of sundried bed sheets.

Here in Asheville we seem to have had a lot of rain and my previous load of laundry ended up out in the rain overnight. When I took that load down the smell was so wonderful...rainwashed and sundried.

Today I've been thinking about community. I still floating out there wondering where the heart of this community is.

I'm living here in Asheville in a way that's purposefully trying to reduce my "foot print". I'm renting a room from my sister. Cost-wise it helps her and it helps me. But I'm trying to adjust to other eco-friendly ways that I've given up by moving to a city.

I'm driving a whole lot more than ever. Taking a highway to get to teach my Kindermusik classes. Can't walk to church. Can't walk to library and college concerts, the movie theater (miss you, Knickerbocker). Can't find what I want at the local farmers market so I end up driving to two or three different markets...and their farmers market season is pretty short.

I had high hopes for what's on Haywood Road. I walked to my mom's house via Haywood Rd. with my sister and the kids. You know, I'd say the sidewalks on Haywood are a joke. You can't walk next to a friend, the phone poles are right in the middle of the walk. Every so often you have to turn you body sideways to walk between the building and a control box that's hanging about shoulder high on the telephone pole. There's no green grass strip between the sidewalk and the street so the cars whiz right by....CAREFULL KIDS!!


I was looking forward to being part of the Haywood Road Food Coop. That has been a struggle from the beginning. The cost of living for food here is pretty high compared to Michigan. And they seem to be very sluggish about selling their veggies. I wish I could find out when they get them in so I could buy them FRESH. I tried to volunteer there and the person in charge at the time took my email saying they really weren't set up for that. I haven't heard back yet.

Our local neighborhood has had a once a month potluck which I am really enjoying. But getting to know real people around town is slow work.

Maybe everyone's just blogging and facebooking....(I've found "West Asheville" on an online social network)...I know I am really liking my laptop!

Gotta go check on the laundry.
Peace,
Yvette

Piccolo, just a little....

Here's a little bit for the very little.
These two darling little girls; Addison and Samantha! How much fun we had playing piccolo and drums together in class. Thanks Shelley for the picture! My big girls are ooooohing and ahhhhhing.

Canadian Brass, the flight of the bumble bee

And today, we experienced the Brass Family instruments of the orchestra. We listened and danced. We looked at the pictures of brass instruments to see the similarities and differences. Next time I'll bring in a trumpet to try!

Watch this fun video of a brass quintet. They are playing the "Flight of the Bumble Bee". It is VERY fast! I think the Tuba's fingers must be cramping up; everyone looks worried. But listen carefully. You can't tell! They are flawless. Wow.

Glockenspiels!

Look out world, here they come! The new crop of music READERS!!! We can read C and A on the staff and we know several songs on our glockenspiels.Here we are doing a train ensemble. Yes, moms! Your glockenspiel skills are improving! The children have all been singing on pitch and with creative enthusiasm!


These children are working hard. Learning has never been so fun.

Maybe you can play your glockenspiels for the relatives when they come over for the holidays!
Have fun.
Yvette

Holidays Gifts that make a difference:

For ideas on smart gift giving for children see the blog from the past.

Here's my recommendation for online shopping for children...

Tu ra lu ra lu! Pat a pat a pan!

Here's some pictures of the fun at the Children's Health and Harmony Expo...go check out the Asheville Citizen Times Photo gallery:
I spy with my little eye a flute and drum (well actually that's my piccolo!) We were jammin'!

Yes, things were jammin' in the Asheville Arts Center corner! The stage was alive with Irish Dancers, Sleeping Beauty Ballerinas, Seussical Musical Theater, and rockin' Rock U. One mom said to me "You mean after Kindermusik they can take all those classes!?" Yes, begin at the beginning with the tiny newborns developing a sense of beat, nurturing curiosity for pitch and melody, keep the music ball rolling with the offerings at the Asheville Arts Center.

Come on over and see!
828-253-4000
www.ashevilleartscenter.com

Perspective

Parenting is not about a power struggle or an affront on authority. Children do not operate on that level. It is about how children learn to control themselves.