this

article here, from Newsweek is pretty awesome.

new cello

we’re in the process of buying a new cello for the middle child, this one:

She’s of course a bit bigger now, and needs a full size instrument. Gaad, this is expensive stuff! We’re planning to buy an instrument she can use her whole life, it doesn’t make sense not to buy a cheapo cello, especially since it’s so much more fun to play on a nice sounding instrument. All the blood, sweat and tears sort of make much more sense this way…

went mountain-climbing

Leiðin upp, originally uploaded by hildigunnur.

the other day, mainly to pick some berries. Took husband and youngest son along. Beautiful day, tons of berries (crowberries and bilberries) and some fairly bad muscle stiffness for a couple of days afterwards. Prefer berry-picking on flat surfaces, thank you very much.

But the view was nice. More photos here,

this is scary

Was reading mudflats and came across this comment:

“This blog has saved my sanity, and my surroundings—I would have torn everything to shreds by now, thinking that I was the only ’sane’ person out there, if I had only relied on MSM reporting. I have never really been a part of something like this as I try to keep my opinions to myself but when I went and started googling the new VP pick, I came unglued and got really really frightened. I grew up in a very fundamentally religious house and have watched and listened to how much hate there can be for those who don’t drop the ‘Jesus bomb’ every few sentences.

I have my Obama buttons, my signs in the yard and in the window, and have donated online but I am not brave enough to even put a bumper sticker on my car as it would be damaged for sure. My town is approximately the same size Wasilla was a few years ago and VERY conservative. We are the red part in a blue state. So I know how important it is to ‘hide out’, keep your head down, not speak out, etc…it is about self-preservation!! My kids would have suffered if I ever were to say anything ‘left-leaning’ as even their teachers don’t hesitate to share their religious (”Christian”) beliefs.

So, while I BELIEVE in separation of church and state, it does not exist here, and evidently not in any number of other places. If you want a good job, or good grades so you can get into college, you stay quiet! That is the rule. I have gone so far as to wear a visible cross necklace in order to get a job. I don’t think that people who live in larger towns understand that at all, or really get what is at stake with this Republican political party/movement. I stay silent while fascism spreads and the Christians are dancing in glee.

Here are the latest unemployment numbers: If the Republicans continue this push, and they will, you may all have to carry your Bible and wear your biggest cross necklace to keep/get a job. Do NOT think it is going to be easy to dismiss SP with the innuendo and FACTS. This scary movement may just be able to make her VP/President. Obviously, they have been planning this for some time as there are reports, articles, etc. more than a year old, saying she was on the trail of the nomination. I have finally decided THEY ALREADY KNEW about her and they still believe she can get them in office AGAIN.

You all here have helped me so very much, and at first I thought, oh hooray, now ‘they’ will know and it will be over. But looking at the MSM’s fear of covering this trainwreck and hearing Keith Olberman seem to be gushing over her (THAT was a huge shock for sure, KO say it ain’t so) and the others getting in trouble for asking a simple question that we here all know the answer to, well I am again very frightened. See, facts never really matter for these folks. I was one of those righteous ones, forgive me, who stood up in high school, in a BIG city school, and ‘lectured’ our science teacher about why the devil was turning us from the ‘truth’ with evolution and that we really were only 6000 years old—satan was responsible for ‘mistaken’ carbon dating results.

I would not have fought anyone for this belief back then, but I think this USA of 2008 has become a scary place with Christians ready to fight in any way for their own agenda of total control. I stepped in to stop a bloody fight in a public square between a ‘Christian’ and someone else that was denying ‘Jesus’s message’. The Christian tore into the other guy with his fists, for debating that the Dalai Lama was not evil and of satan. At least I could do something then. It was in a very liberal city.

The reactions from the ‘religious’, to SP, continues in glowing faces and insistance that we evil libs must be ignored. It tells me we need to work very very hard and this blog is important for sure–I just had to get all serious here for a minute as all this mess of hers doesn’t seem to be slowing them down at all!! It could even be solidifying their support. HOW??? They truly do believe that they are “in tune with the will of God”. Scary, huh. The mental wards used to be full of people like that. But hope springs eternal, while I sit here for hours and hours, neglecting all else, sending emails everywhere, and just HOPE!! Thank you allllll for sure. In this economy, I cannot afford a trip to the ER because of the stress…”

It really, really scares me. How can people possibly be so intolerant in this day and age?

Hope with all my heart that the Reps won’t win. America needs change and so does the rest of the world. And not change in this direction…

bound and gagged

boundandgagged, originally uploaded by hildigunnur.

my favourite strip. Can’t for my life understand why it’s not in a newspaper around here, instead there are loads of boring ones (not all of them are boring, but many are)

and so

the winter’s begun, started teaching in the Academy of the Arts, 2 private composition students and 3 aural training courses, the Suzuki method school starts next week and so does the other children’s music school. Yes, I teach in 3 different places, could probably pick one of them and get a full job – or at least as much as I care to teach. But I like the variety, teaching children from 8 year olds up to graduate students. Most fun teaching the composition, I have the kids come to my place instead of a school room, make coffee or tea, listen to and look at their work and discuss. Thought it would be much harder to teach this.

Of course, inspiration can never be taught. Just try to point the way as well as I can.

One Last Parting Shot

One Last Parting Shot, Part 3

Library | Estonia

(An couple of US tourists come into our library and use the public computers for the Internet. When they start leaving, they come to me again and give me 2 Estonian Crowns.)

Me: “I’m sorry, I can’t take this.”

Customer: “What do you mean you can’t take this?! I got it from the bank just down the street. I know it’s not fake. And it says in the rules that it costs 2.”

Me: “No, I mean–”

(He cuts me off and starts ranting on how he never wanted to come to Europe anyway and how everything is better in the States. His wife and I manage to calm him down after a few minutes of loud ranting.)

Me:“Sir, I can’t take your money because just using the computer is free. Only printing costs 2 Crowns.”

Customer: “Oh. I thought… I mean, I always have to pay in… well… America is still better than Europe!” *hurries out with his wife*

Not Always Right | Funny & Stupid Customer Quotes » One Last Parting Shot, Part 3.