Well then....I think I've recovered

I have managed to fit in 40-41 minutes of exercise every week day morning for the last two and a half weeks.  I've even gotten two days where I also did Zumba with my mom in the evening for another 40 minutes.  It's a bit of a struggle to drag myself out of bed in the morning but I feel better when I do so I remind myself of that.  Unfortunately, getting up at 5:00 means I'm ready for a nap at 9:00. Ah well.

Today I auditioned for the Domine Deus aria solo in Vivaldi's Gloria.  It wasn't very polished and it took five tries to get through the 16th and 17th measures on the right cadence.  Fortunately, the conductor was willing to work with me- I could sing it correctly without the accompaniment but somehow the piano was mixing me up.  In the end we had a reasonably good video for the audition.  (AND...if I ever want to try out for something, I now have an audition piece.)  The auditions are actually tomorrow but I have to work during the available timeslots so she and I arranged to do the video ahead of time.  Sandy (the conductor) didn't know of anyone else that planned to try out. Only time will tell.  I'm terrified of getting the solo and then flubbing that troublesome movement in the concert.  Stage fright is very much my reality but I usually get through it in a bar or two.  There are a lot of solos in the music we are singing  but this is the only one that had any appeal to me.  I like Bonse Aba but it's rather bouncy and I'm so, not.  Besides there is someone who has been singing the solo in rehearsals already.  Of course, today would be the day that I woke up with a sore throat but it didn't seem to affect my voice.

Yesterday morning, when we arrived at work, we were greeted with the distressing news that one of our PhD students had died on Monday.  He'd gone to the hospital with chest pain on Sunday but they'd sent him home.  The thought is that, at 48, he had a massive heart attack.  I was very sad to hear it.  I liked John; he always had a ready smile and was warm and friendly.  Unfortunately, the dean didn't know him so he really brushed off our emotions like they were bothersome.  Oh well, I guess it's his loss that he didn't know John.  John was planning to finish his dissertation in the Spring.  He left behind a wife and son and, I imagine, a shoestring budget.  It's so sad!  It's a good reminder to use the days we have to the best of our ability- we aren't ever promised another one.

Now that Midwinter's is over, Marian and I have turned out thoughts to sewing.  We still have garb to make for a very deserving individual and one of the original planners was brave enough to say- I started this, but I can't wrap my mind around this pattern/body type, can you take it and finish it?  It shows a great maturity for her to be able to admit that, and I'm very proud of her for taking that step- not that she'd care about my opinion one way or the other.  So we have that dress, an underdress, and a bliaut to make.  Plus, we promised we'd make garb for ourselves this year too.  I understand, after the great squirrel debacle, that Marian doesn't have much in the way of garb for Egils.  I don't have a whole lot that works for outdoor events and is still pretty.  I will probably start with completing the silk bliaut first though.  It needs a belt and embellishments (and maybe an underdress, or an overhaul of the underdress). It's not the best outdoor garment but it's my first bliaut and the pattern worked well.  So sorting out the details will, hopefully, help me to sort out the next, more outdoor friendly, one.  I have lots of linen and some wool, I just didn't find the references that indicated that linen was worn as an outer garment.  Admittedly, portraits and grave goods are usually the best clothes, not the everyday work clothes and we do too much outdoors to rely on silk.

I am not making much progress on my knitted shawl for the knitalong.  The KAL finished the last day of January and I just started clue three on Monday after restarting in the middle of January.  I'm enjoying it, I just haven't had much knitting time.  I still haven't finished the Christmas presents for the boys.  That also needs to happen but again...time.