Update!

So, it's been a while, and so much has been going on!

In the Family:

Caroline turned 23 in March- we're getting so oldish! crazy....  

Fun cake with feisty napkins, 

and we got Mom to play some Nirvana 

on Guitar Hero Rock band.

Drums are all in the family now, right, Uncle Young?

(and notice Caroline's crown....)

Kohen will turn ONE next week! I can't believe it's been a whole year! 

He's walking, talking (okay, just four little wordies), 

and working on growing two more teeth!

He likes to discover new sounds to make with his mouth, 

and he LOVES to play with his soccer ball. SO cute!!

A few days old: Almost a year old!:

In the "professional" life:

I had my last rehearsal with my kid's church choir. 

We had a party :) I'll miss those kids!

I had my debut on the opera stage! 

Singing with Fort Worth Opera, I had the small solo role

of Mrs. Charleton. My line: 

"I can't tell you how I've praaaaaaaaayed for ooooone, Sister Catherine."

Yes, about a pot holder.  Count on me to get one of the only Lucille Ball lines of the whole opera.

And CHECK OUT my costume. Please, hold your selves back. I know it's just about too much attractive to deal with in one person.. The frizzy ponytail, the jean skirt and shirt that looks like wallpaper peeled from the walls of cheap hotel, both 4 sizes too big... too bad I didn't get a picture of the shoes. Those babies were stellar.

Here's a picture of me with my cousin's boyfriend: 

We didn't meet until our first rehearsal- such a small world!!

And a picture of the set from backstage. 

Seriously. One of the coolest things I've done up to date.

It's amazing. I can't wait to do more.

And on a Final Note:

The decision's made- I'm MOVING TO MARYLAND!!!

I'll be attending the Peabody Conservatory of Music

to get my Master's in Voice Performance! Woohoo!

A few pics of my to-be stomping grounds:

snowing! :

workers "working":

If you come visit me, I'll take you to the harbor and we'll visit the aquarium!

Yes, I'm bribing you. I miss you already. 

But we WON'T eat this: promise. Worst Valentine's Dinner EVER.

The latte was good, though. :)

And that's about it for now! Lots of new, exciting things going on! :)

Have a great day, peoples!

Cheers

Happy Easter :)

I hear the Savior say,
"Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all."
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find,
Thy power, and thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots,
And melt the heart of stone.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

For nothing good have I,
Where-by the grace to claim;
I'll wash my garments white,
In the blood of Calvary's Lamb.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when, before the throne,
I stand in Him complete,
"Jesus died my soul to save,"
My lips shall still repeat.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow

Happy Easter, everyone.

Love,

Annie

It's Windsday

"Texas, our Texas..."

This 'global warming' is KILLING

us Texans these days.

Why, today, it got up to almost..

..55 degrees.

I studied French in high school, 

and also in college.

As I prepare to go back to school

this coming fall for my Master's degree,

and afterwards pursue my career,

I wanted to use part of this year 

perfecting my language skills.

(Because opera singers sing in so many 

different languages, it is good to learn 

as much about each of the languages 

as is possible, to further the connection

with the characters, emotions, etc...)

So, this past fall, I hired a french tutor

to help me with my then-TERRIBLE grammar

and stuttered speech.

I love learning languages!

I'm encouraged these days since I can watch a film

or read a book, 

and actually really comprehend what I'm "digesting," 

as opposed to just guessing.

Si vous voulez parler le français avec moi, laissez-moi savent! :)

And now, when I have to take 

another language in school,

I'll (hopefully) be tri-lingual

upon graduating. yipee

On a completely different note,

I saw Monster vs. Alien tonight 

with my sister and her hubby.

It was cute! Many laugh-out-loud moments

(yes, I refuse to use the "LOL"..)

and very surprisingly little inappropriate humor, 

which is usually annoyingly rampant in kid's movies

these days. A fun, all-star cast, I recommend it!

I leave you with

some links I've found this last week..

..maybe you'll find them as interesting

as I did. Or maybe not.

And that's ok with me, too. :)

Videos:

Natalie Dessay, a french soprano, and Kristin Chenoweth, a huge American artist on the musical stage- both are amazingly real, hilarious, and down-to-earth "divas", and both kinda make me wish I was only 5 feet tall...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXS0nEOx_20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HDKgsXfkaA

My "Big Break," as it were...

I have the fun privilege of singing with the 

Fort Worth Opera Chorus 

in the opera 

Dead Man Walking 

this coming May (rehearsals start tomorrow- woohoo!). 

 I recently was informed, however, that 

I've been given a small solo! 

How exciting is that? 

It's only two measures long, but I'll take it! 

My debut on the 'real' opera stage, 

and I've got a solo to boot. 

And what's it about, you ask?

Perhaps something glamorous?

Well, it might be, if it looked like this:

It's about a POTHOLDER.

Love it.

:) 

Bon Nuit, mes amis

Two Hams X Two

Love This:

Danny Kaye and Beverly Sills

 

Natalie Dessay singing the "Doll Song" in "Tales of Hoffman". The set is AMAZING; performed outdoors with l'orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse:

Today's Tops:

  I've decided to share my top recommendations for today, 

just in case you may not have heard of one:

~Waking Ned Devine (great film, but watch out- 

there's some crazy hilarious old guy nudity, 

so make sure you watch with a guy

willing to sacrifice his own eyes

so he can tell you when to look...)

~Les Choiristes (film in French. Quite cute)

~Renee Fleming's Homage CD

~All the Harry Potter Books on CD

(Jim Dale is a fantastic narrator!!! SO good.)

~Motorcycles with sidecars

(I want one, and I'm going to get my dog 

to ride in the sidecar 

and we'll both wear the little

hats and goggles :)

~Organization

(I love it when things are organized

but I do think I need a maid to help keep

it that way...)

~Babies

(try and keep one around.

They make everything better.)

~Shane and Shane "Carry Away" CD. SOO good.

~Memory Smells.

(Isn't it amazing how a millisecond

whiff of something can bring back years 

of memories?!)

And that's all I've got for today.  

I hope you're staying dry and enjoying some Springtime,

unlike us in Texas, where it's still raining and

38 degrees...

Cheers

A Day in the Life of a young Opera Singer 2

So I'm sitting in my Boston Hotel Room debating how to best spend my day. 

90% of this day will be spent doing absolutely nothing but

resting

and

yes, more resting.

Yesterday was the first day of a 10 day audition trip.

First to Boston,

next to Baltimore.

It was quite a day.

Got up at 4:50 AM.

Got to airport by 5:55, 

all nice and checked in the proper hour early, no hitches.

Then my flight was canceled.

Boo.

Bumped up a whole hour.

Sorry mom, for having to get up that early for nothing.

So I got me a healthy bagel to munch on,

and finally boarded my plane

(after having to take a tram to a completely different terminal).

Then I land in Boston

and have the pleasant task of figuring out the T system.

Every big city has their own transportation system,

and it didn't take me too long to figure it out, 

but it sure seems like longer when you're dragging around 

a purse,

a 45 pound suitcase

and a backpack.

Makes me wonder what happened to the days when 

I was a chronic under-packer....

So I get to my hotel,

The Buckminster

(what a name)

and they give me a room. 

So up we go.

 But there's a janitor painting a fan or something.

So back down we go.

New room. 

Up we go again.

SO tired... I do NOT sleep well on planes.

Hmm... this room kinda smells like cigarette smoke...

Too tired to think.

Fall asleep.

Wake up.

Ew. DEFINITELY smokey in here.

I can NOT stay in here and expect to sing in a few days...

Down I go again.

New Room.

(By now I think I'm their fave person on the planet)

OOOOOO! 

King suite,

no extra charge,

no smokey smell.

I'll take it!

Yum, dinner next door 

Japanese.

Tastey.

Across the street to buy munchies from the convenience mart.

Don't want to have to eat out every meal.

In bed by 7:30 THIS time.

That's 6:30 TX time.

I can't remember the last time I was...

wait, no, I can

that time mom put all us kids to be in summer at like, 7:30.

We joke how awful it was since we could still see squirrels playing in the backyard...

Long night's sleep.

Feeling ok.

Continental breakfast provides fresh fruit. 

Back in my room.

Got necessary phone numbers, directions, 

and now have blogged.

Taken up my whole free hour of internet through the hotel. 

Will probably not be back on the internet until Baltimore.

Seriously,

who wants to pay outrageous fees for internet

when you're already paying outrageous fees 

for the hotel room?!

Not me. 

I'm outta here!

(Oh yeah, and Happy Valentine's Day!)

:)