Sunday, April 20, 2008

a few random thoughts

my grandma died last night. please pray for her soul. Isn't that so wonderful that as Catholics we actually have hope that our prayers might have some effect after a loved one dies? We don't just have to sit on our booties and think, "oh, well that stinks. I hope they made it to heaven." we have a TON of recourse to God's mercy!

I love it when Fr. G closes his hymnal after the 2nd or 3rd verse of the opening hymn like, "that's it, we're done for now. I hope Mara wasn't planning on playing any more verses..."

Why are Mary songs so schmaltzy? seriously, all of them. The only couple that are even acceptable (not counting traditional chants) are Immaculate Mary and Hail Holy Queen (IMHO.) (did I blog about this before?) Bring Flowers of the Rarest, O Mary Our Mother, many others I'm forgetting at the moment (even O Sanctissima!) are really poorly written. (The 1940s harmonizations don't help either, I suppose...)
BUT certain people are so attached to these songs (as well as not being musically literate enough to be critical, admittedly not their fault,) that they fail to realize that these songs ARE the Haugen/Haas cheese of pre-VII!

People keep asking me what I am doing next year/fall. Like, I'm expected to be doing something terribly exciting, as if I'm not now? Let it be known: my life is what it is. I am a real adult with a real job.

oh yes, also please pray for my hand/wrist. I have this weird hurting thing going on, which has gotten worse since Wednesday. not so good for an organist to have strange things going on with joints/tendons and the like...
I think tomorrow I will buy some sort of bandage and wrap it up so I at least don't move it much for a few days and see if that makes a difference. (ouch. I dont think I should be typing...)

2 comments:

Puff the Magic Dragon said...

Prayers going up for your Grandmother's soul. My sincerest condolences on your loss.

Eternal Rest...

PhiMuAlpha2681 said...

Mara,

Look for those nylon fingerless gloves with the band around the wrist. They are designed to prevent carpal tunnel. (Mine were called "Handeeze" or something like that). I have a retired rheumatologist in the choir, and talked to him about the same problems. He said not to worry, as it's just overuse of the muscles. (Have you been practicing more than usual lately, or having to spend more time on the computer?) I find mine is the worst after a harrowing choir rehearsal when I've had to bang out parts for 2 hours on the piano.

~Nick