Franceour Sonata

Plus Dvorak Cello Concerto

Plus more Dvorak Concerto

Plus Popper Etude #13

Equals OUCH on the thumb!

And this is what I'm up to in Kalamazoo.

... Back to the practice room! :)

New (school) Year Resolutions

My Fall Goals

Finally!

1. Stick to my Schedule

2. Use my Cello Practice Tracker

3. Learn Recital Rep by December

4. Get a 4.0

5. Talk to family at least 1x a week

6. Write Nathan 1x a week

7. Use my aerobics pass more than 15 times

8. Express Gratitude

9. Refrain from Gossip

10. Build Testimony

Life is going well for this busy midwest musician. I'm subbing for the South West Symphony this weekend, and practicing my little fingers raw. I suddenly REALLY MISS MY FAMILY! I probably won't be going home for Christmas. :( Does anyone know a nice, tidy person who needs a roommate ASAP? I seem to have lost mine...

REGINA!

Friend Nick and I went to the REGINA SPEKTOR concert Tuesday Night! Which was especially fun, because I didn't know we were going until Monday!

On my lengthy list of favorite music, Regina is probably on the very top. I can't even imagine counting how many times I've laughed, cried, and danced crazy around my room to Regina tunes.

"Some songs are so familiar that listening to them is like... being home."

So we drove to Ann Arbor to soak in some Regina at the awesome Michigan Theater. Sometimes I make weird faces. But I was excited.

This was the band that opened. I don't even remember what they are called, but they were fun. Look at the guy second in from the right. He looks like he's wearing disguise glasses with a big nose and mustache. But HE'S NOT. It's his real face. I think.

And then it was Regina. Did I mention we were sitting on the SECOND ROW? It was incredible. And she is incredible. The concert flew by so fast.

The only thing that was weird was that since there were seats, instead of General Admission open floor, people didn't stand up and dance ever. It's a different experience to enjoy your favorite music sitting politely instead of rockin' out. I just rocked out on the inside instead.

Man, I've missed concerts like this! It was fun to see Rudi, Jake, and Emily on the same row as us. And fun eating with them at Pizza House after.

I have to admit that it was a major "I miss Nathan" moment. After all, he did introduce me to the wonderfulness of Regina back in 2005. And we went to our first Regina concert together in 2007. And I can't listen to songs like "Samson" or "That Time" without thinking about him. I am, after all, his sweetest uprise. :)

So I bought him a concert t-shirt, and I'll wait for him to get home to tell him all of the amazing details of the concert, as to not make him trunky. And then we'll listen to her new album together, and probably all of her old albums too. Because I'm sure he misses her ...almost as much as he misses me.

"We counted up our feelings and divided them up evenly and called our calculation perfect love!"

But, Nick deserves a trophy for finding these tickets. And for putting up with me and all of my crazy mixed up MG emotions. And for being a good friend. A million thanks, pal!

Recently... in Kalamazoo

Little UPDATE!

First week of school... SO good to be back!

Orchestra Audition... Co- principal cellist.

Composers: Copland and Ives... Favorite class.

Graduate Assistant in... Time Based Media? 

Black Current Scones... Delicious! 

Lake Michigan September Sunset... Gorgeous!

I haven't gotten a letter from Nathan in over a month.  What do MGs do when their M stops writing? 

Be patient

Be supportive

Keep an eternal perspective

Be grateful for what you've got

And for what they're doing

What else? 

I've got Fall Goals on my mind.  They're coming soon.  And they're gonna be good.  The time has come (the walrus said) to start being who I really want to be.  This weeks inspirational speaker says "Think of the end result you want, then carefully plan the steps it takes to get there."  

I want to be awesome.  So I'm planning.  

"OH Let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France.  Let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters and teach them how to dance.  Lets get rich and build a house on a mountain, making everybody look like ants.  From way up there, you and I!" -Ingrid Michaelson 

Summer Goals Evaluation

Wow.  In the life of Jamilyn Beckstrom, I would say that this summer does not rank among the best I've ever had. But I guess I'll evaluate my goals anyway.  It's good for me. 

• 1.Provident Living.  
  

I guess this went ok.  I'm getting better at only spending money on things I truly need, instead of silly wants.  And I took a provident living institute class, so I have more PL skillz now.  And I started a mini- food storage.  :)

2. Read a New Book Every Month.  

I started out by reading The Secret Garden.  Then I read LIFETypes.  And Confessions of An Ugly Stepsister.  And Walden.  (Which also improved my knowledge and desire for provident living!).  Plus I listened to Harry Potter 6 and half of Harry Potter 7 on CD.  

3. Matthew 5:48.  

    My secret goal with Elder Morris.  FAILURE!  But I have increased desire to start again and do better. 

4. Journal, Scriptures, Pray. 

 Hit and miss.  Jeez, when am I going to make this a priority?

5. Bike More than Drive.  

Well, maybe not MORE, but I did bike a lot.  And I love it.  

6. Run.  

    Also FAILURE.  When I was restricted to glasses all summer long, I got discouraged about running, and simply didn't do it.  But my contacts came now, so I'm excited to start again.  

7. Wake Up by 8 am. 

     This went pretty well.  I just love being up and around when the world is still quiet.  Now, if I can just consistently make myself go to bed at a reasonable hour every night, this goal will go better!  

It's FALL!  Can ya feel it?  School FINALLY starts Tuesday.  And new FALL goals to come.  

Jamilyn and Michael Go to Mackinac

Yesterday, my good friend (let me emphasize friend here, k?) Michael Weston and I hit the open road and spontaneously headed to Mackinac Island.  Look at the Michigan map.  Find Kalamazoo in the bottom left-ish corner.  Then go to the very top of the mitten, and find Mackinac Island.  It was the most fun I've had on a Wednesday in a long time! 

Michael was our fast, yet safe, driver in his Mercury Hybrid SUV.  Here he is looking fierce in my sunglasses, somewhere mid-Michigan.  We listened to plenty of Springsteen, TuPac, and Highway Country Radio.  We can talk and not talk for hours! 

To get from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan to Mackinac Island, you have to take a ferry, because there are no cars allowed on the island.  We crossed beautiful Lake Huron in the early afternoon on this, our little ferry.  

This is Michael on the ferry with the harbor in the background.  He assured me that he is a natural seaman.  It was a beautiful day!  Nothing but blue skies and high 60s.  The ferry ride was fantastic!  We had an awesome view of the mackinaw bridge and all the beauty that surrounds it.  I was really excited to get to the island.  

And then we DID get to the island.  And everything was so expensive!  We didn't pay $10.50 each to visit Fort Mackinac, but instead, we walked around up behind it.  We found Skull Cave, Fort Holmes, and don't even forget Sugar Loaf rock formation!  We made it a goal to read every touristy information sign we could find.  As we were walking around, I couldn't help but love how beautiful the trees were.  The light and the shadows and the leaves were breath taking.  This picture doesn't do it justice.  

After we were done walking around the Mackinac forest we were REALLY tired, so we went down to the shore of Lake Huron to rest.  I'd never been to Lake Huron before.  And here is the classic 'feet in the lake' picture.  It was exactly the kind of refreshment I needed.     

These are the lovely waves of Lake Huron with the lighthouse in the background.  We spent some time throwing rocks into the lake.  Mike almost accidentally threw a rock at my head.

Then we tried to go to scope out the Grand Hotel... the largest Summer hotel in the United States with the longest wrap around porch.  It's spectacular.  And $600 a night!  In true Mackinac fashion, you have to pay $10 just to walk around the grounds.  A stuffy lady with a foreign accent wouldn't let us walk much closer to the hotel than this.  But don't worry, we snuck around through the back gardens.  We got to observe the obscenely rich swimming and playing croquet on the front lawn.  We're so deviant.  

Then we fulfilled one of my life long desires.  I've always wanted to ride a tandem bicycle. We rented one, and rode it around the perimeter of the island.  Mike thought it would be lame, but it was actually amazingly fun and beautifully relaxing.  It was a good team building experience for our friendship.  :)  We finished the route in record breaking time, and had the bike back to the shop before our hour was up.  

After that, we just spent some time checking out the tourist shops. I was trying to find a shirt that said "I biked Mackinac TANDEM" and Mike wanted a shirt that mentioned fudge packing.  We didn't find a shirt for either of us.  We did buy some fudge.  Lots of fudge.  And the unanimous favorite flavor of Jamilyn and Mike is Chocolate Cherry Walnut.  YUM.  Then it was time to catch the ferry and head home.  It was much colder and windier in the evening, but still fun.  It was beautiful to watch the sun setting over the water.  

Before we left Mackinac completely, we drove over the 5k suspension bridge connecting the Lower and Upper peninsulas.  THAT was amazing, and beautiful.  Did I mention that I forgot a memory card for my camera?  So I could only take as many pictures as would fit into the internal memory?  And by the time we were on the bridge, the memory was all filled up.  So there is no picture evidence of this magnificent experience.  But now I can officially say that I've been to the U.P.  We drove around St. Ignace for a while, and then headed back down south.  

On the way home, we stopped at Burger King for vegetarian ANGRY WHOPPERS and fries with Ranch sauce.  These are our ANGRY faces.  After Burger King, it was all down hill.  We were both exhausted, and still had a long way to drive.  I'm not sure what we talked about for the last two hours of the trip.  I'm pretty sure I was asleep for most of it.  Somehow Mike got us home. 

But WOW what a fun day.  And fun memories.  Thanks, Mike, for the last HOORAH of Summer 2009! 

Gossip

Question to all rude girls out there:  

Is it because you're bored, malicious, generally unexcited with your own lives, struggling with low self esteem, PMSsy, addicted to lying,JEALOUS, misinformed, {sensationalizing}, or just plain RUDE that causes you to make up horrible gossip, spread it around, and laugh about it?

I know I shouldn't care.  Advice from 9th grade teacher Mr. Saltas rings in my ears 

"Let it run off you like water off a duck's back."  

I'm trying.  

But I've ALSO been trying really hard to be nice and accepting of all kinds of people here.  I've been nothing but kind to these girls.  AND IT'S NOT EASY!  I don't understand why people HATE! 

Before you say anything about anyone else, probably make sure you know it's true.  Don't sensationalize, embellish, or make up stuff to fill in what you don't understand!! Actually, maybe just mind your own business and take care of yourselves.  You have no idea what people might be going through.  Or how far your feathers will spread.  

{I stole this video from Cassee's latest blog.  I hope she doesn't mind.  But it goes along quite nicely with what I have on my mind these last few days.  And now I want to see this movie.}