Thankful: For a Sense of Humor

Our mouths were filled with laughter...

Psalm 126:2

I worked a 10-hour day yesterday (children's crafts, getting music ready, re-writing script, etc.), then came home at 8:50 p.m. to get ready for a new nine weeks of teaching at the Specialty Center this morning.  We were snowed out of having our 9-weeks Studio 1 and Studio 2 recitals last Friday, so we needed to make up both recitals today.  I also had to finish grading the 1st semester projects for both classes and put the finishing touches on their packets of new music, rehearsal cd, and homework to hand out today to my eleven freshmen (8:45 a.m.) and 5 sophomores/2 seniors (10:45 a.m.).  

I worked straight through from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. this morning, when I finally had to set the stuff aside to get a little sleep.  I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., figuring I would be able to finish everything up before I had to leave for school at 7:45 a.m. When my two alarms went off in the wee dark hours, I struggled out of bed, wrapped up in a warm robe, and was about to get back at it when a buzzer alerted me to a new email.  My boss was writing (at 5:45 a.m.) to say that we were on a two-hour-delay this morning because of snow flurries (I had no idea the white stuff was even active!).  At 6:15 a.m., she messaged me that the freshmen recital was wiped out by the delay, but we would have the sophomore recital at the regular time of 10:45 a.m..  The freshmen would not have their recital until next Wednesday.  All the stuff that I struggled last night to finish would not be needed until next week. (sigh)

I felt like crying, but my daughter saw the hilariousness of the situation, and got me to laughing out loud.  The laughter continued at school when my supervisor asked me to "make my best guess" at how my freshmen might have performed if we had been able to have the recital (you've got to be kidding, right?), and turn in those guesstimates as their recital grade (tonight) because all grades for this last nine weeks are due tomorrow.  My sophomore kids had more than a few chuckles when the only boy in the class showed up in a neon blue hoodie instead of his tuxedo.  He forgot we were making up the recital today.  He looked hilarious next to the girls in their evening gowns and the orchestra members in their concert black, but hey - the show must go on, right?

Those grades will get turned in tonight some how (not based on a guess, but on the kids' performance at the dress rehearsal.)  I will get some sleep, snow will begin falling again while I slumber, and tomorrow should be a wonderful day!

Thank you, God,

for the gift of laughter.