Saturday, February 28, 2009

Lee J



It's been a long time since 7th grade for me but a friendship that started a long time ago was revisited last night and I am still smiling! I don't remember how we met but I think it must have had something to do with band. He lived just a few blocks from me and so we would see each other a lot 'cause you see everyone a lot when the town is only 3800 people! Anyway, we were friends and I admired him for his ability to play piano! Not just piano but key boards; at 2 at a time with rhythm mixed in. He had only a year or two of lessons if that much (if my memory serves me right) but he could play anything. At a talent show we had he had 3 keyboards around him so he could play Axel F (the theme from Beverly Hills Cop) without music which was a big deal when you are a junior high kid. He rocked the auditorium! We hung out with a group of friends and sometimes I would listen to him play what ever he was working on.
Then came high school and when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore we hung out together again. We were in band together and played together for marching band, pep band, symphonic band, in student council and at sometime we ended up in study hall together. Lee worked on composing an original work to get into college and I remember hours of listening and watching and just being awe struck and excited for him to succeed. He named the song OPUS 401 since it was during our 4th hour study hall and the 1st work he had composed! I knew that whatever he did with his music he would be great at it. He has been around the music scene for a long time now and been with people like Hank Williams Jr., Kevin Sharp, Sha Daisy, Bo Bice, and more than I am probably aware of and now he's hit the mother load with Darius Rucker. The first high light of the night was as Lee was playing a light flooded the audience and the stage at the same time and he and I made eye contact and pointed to each other. I wasn't sure if he really could see me or if he was working the crowd until after the concert when he confirmed that he could see me through the whole concert. For us it was like being in the band room again during study hall; him working and me listening to his music. I have never felt more honored to be his friend and was so proud of him for following his dream. He still is the same thoughtful, kind and genuine person I knew so many years ago. He took us with him back stage to meet Darius and the band and to just spend time together reminiscing. My heart is so full of joy for him and I am so proud to call him my friend. For Ken and I it was also a full circle moment. A Hootie and the Blowfish song was one of Ken's first songs he learned to play on his guitar and one that his grandma had helped him figure out the words for since he had lost the words to it. It was also the same time that Ken and I started to date and here we were last night backstage with Darius Rucker and my friend Lee who allowed us the opportunity to meet him! What an awesome night!

A Banner Week



Where do I start? This has been a banner week for the Brewer Zoo! I guess it all started Monday with a trip to H&R Block which left me smiling. (That's always a good thing) Then on Wednesday we had parent/teacher conferences with Jackson and Gavin's teachers. Jackson got his ITBS test scores back and I was floored with how well he did on them. I knew he would do ok since he doesn't have to struggle with school but his marks far past what I was expecting! WE ARE SO PROUD OF HIM! Then Gavin's teacher's report was filled with positive remarks as well. He's on target with kindergarten goals and reading better every day. He enjoys school once he is there and when he is on task it's hard to pull him away! WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE LEARNER HE IS BECOMING! Then came Friday, our biggest day yet. Jackson had a basketball team party and was awarded "THE ENFORCER" award. On it is a picture of him stealing the ball from his opponent with some serious force and determination. I look at that picture and think instantly of my sister who spent more time on the floor some games than standing up but her defensive skills were awesome. He also got a slide show of the team and their great moves. Despite not having a winning season they improved every game and if they could have gotten points for defense they would have won every game! Then came Friday night for mom and dad, date night at Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque to watch Darius Rucker and the Low Country Stompers perform. My friend since junior high plays keyboards and guitar for him. I have been having a difficult time trying to put all the feelings I have had about the concert and meeting up after with them into any sort of sentence that truly captures the magnitude of it all. I think it requires a separate entry. I must say that this week "Life is Good" would have to be the motto!

Friday, February 20, 2009

continue to wait

It's been months since I uploaded pictures and now with a new Mac I have to figure out how to upload all over again. So... be patient with me. I'll get them there sooner or later. This week was full of being the nurse at home with Brenden needing breathing treatments and Gavin having a stomach bug. Sometimes I wonder how moms without nursing degrees handle 2 or more sick kids at the same time. For me I felt like another shift when I worked at EPMC with little kids. The only difference; I got to go home and leave the sick kids behind. If the bugs leave our house soon I will get the bugs worked out of my computer and upload the last 2 months of our lives!