Bean Town Part Deux

One of my really good friends is also planning to move to Boston and attend Emerson University. So, she and I decided to take a trip to Boston together at the end of February to check out her school, apartments, and to shop of course! It felt soooo good to actually see the city, something I did not get to do on my last trip there. We stayed in downtown a walked and trained it EVERYWHERE!!! It felt so good to use your legs to get you where you want to go! The night we arrived, we met a fellow Louisianian in the elevator of our hotel! He was an engineer who had been in Boston for several weeks, so we all hung out and he introduced us to all his new Bostonian friends! The trip was beneficial in that I was able to figure out the T-routes and my way around, but I wish I had enough sense to schedule a tour or meeting at Lesley or SOMETHING...oh well, it was a good time.

Bean Town

Back in January, I got an email from the university I want to attend about an open house. I told Thad "I wish I could go." and he said "Why can't you?" So then the purchasing of plane tickets to Boston was made! Lesley University has a graduate program for music therapy and I'm hoping they accept me for Fall 2009. My husband has been wanting to attend Berklee College of Music for quite some time, so I decided to look into Boston schools as well.
Late January Thad and I flew to Boston and stayed with our dear friends, Amber and Wayne. We were actually in Boston for less than 48 hours, so this trip was strictly business and school-related. I was really nervous this open house would be a lot of fluff, but it was very informative and personable. I got to talk to THE music therapy professor who was so warm, kind, and intelligent...I really got the feeling that that was the place for me. I know without a doubt that music therapy is my calling in life. Even if I don't get accepted by Lesley, I'll find someone who will take me as a student, although I feel my chances of getting admitted to Lesley are quite good based on my music education qualifications. It seemed like we were actually there for 5 minutes before it was time to leave and I was already falling in love with the colonial style building and 2 feet of snow everywhere! What a trip!

Erin's Graduation

So, it's be a LONG time since my last post...I'll do my best to catch you up on the last 8 months. In December I finally graduated!!! I got a Bachelor's of Instrumental Music Education. It was bitter-sweet day (but mostly sweet because I was SO over ULM). I was especially sad that my really great, hillarious, beautiful friend, Kimberlie, was moving back to Seattle, WA (her hubby's in the Coast Guard). She moved back to Monroe to do her student teaching and we became so very close during those four months...I couldn't have done it without her support, humor, and tenacity! So, since we wouldn't see each other before she left town, we decided to do a joint graduation party at Genusa's Italian Restaurant! It was SO fun and beautiful and DELICIOUS! We invited our families (hers traveling here from New Orleans) and a couple of our closet friends. My sister made the most scrum-trulescent cake EVER! It was just a great time of celebration, loved ones, and food! The party was so perfect, I wouldn't have changed one thing about it.

Thad's 29!

Thad turned 29 the day after we arrived home from New York (July 25). We were so busy we hardly had time to think about his birthday, let alone plan for it. For our birthdays this year Thad and I decided we would only have a $20 gift budget, which was fine by me since when had just spent a crap-ton of money in NYC. I found a documentary about John Coltrane at Best Buy for his gift, and we had sushi at Samurai. But, the real fun began when my family had a belated birthday party for Thad at my mom's house on August 9. My sister made Thad's cake, which was TOTALLY AMAZING tasting and looking. It had a chocolate cake tier and a white cake tier covered in buttercream icing. She free-handed the piping into a piano theme. She's so talented at cake making; I can't believe she's been doing this less than a year! We had some bratwurst, potato salad, and pasta salad...yummy!
It was great to see all the family, too. Cora decided to go back to her Beemaw's bedroom without telling anyone and paint her toenails. Nobody even knew she was gone! I saw her running around and said "Erica, what's on her feet?" Erica said "Oh my goodness! Is she bleeding?" Nope, she had painted her toes! So naturally, we panic and think, "Holy crap! It's going to be all over everything!" So we go back there with Cora and Erica asks her, "Cora, where were you when you did this?" and she said, "I's right here." There were a few little drops on the hard wood, but came up easily. Afterward, we all cracked up because she actually did a great job and left very little evidence that she had done it! Too funny!

The Big Apple!

As stated in the previous blog post, Thad and I had the honor of accompanying Wayne and Amber on their honeymoon to New York City. We had an incredible time, but for Thad and me, it was a lot of work keeping up with Amber, Wayne, and the two seeing-eye dogs. For Wayne and Amber, the best way to experience New York is to experience nice cuisine. We ate at very nice restaurants for nearly every meal. We had sushi, Indian, Mexican, and Bobby Flay's food from the Mesa Grill. We had the chance to visit the Empire State Building's observation deck, the Irish Famine Memorial, and the famous jazz club, Village Vanguard. We all stayed at the Washington Jefferson hotel on W51st and 8th, which was the best location imaginable! If we walked a block and a half outside of our hotel, we would reach Times Square! We visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and visited the Battery Park area. There were some hairy situations, but everything turned out great. On the last day of the trip which was Thursday, July 24, Thad and I traveled back to Louisiana by plane, and Wayne and Amber went home to Boston by train. I'm going to miss those guys so much...

Congrats, Amber & Wayne!

     On July 19, 2008, two friends of ours, Wayne and Amber, were married in Alexandria, LA. Wayne and Amber are not your average couple...they are both completely blind.  They first met through the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston, LA while Wayne was in high school and Amber was a LA Tech University.  Thad was Wayne's best man, and I was asked to play a clarinet sonata during the processional.  It was a beautiful wedding, and Amber was a stunning bride.  We were even asked to go with the on their honeymoon to New York City which was an honor in itself.  Thad played keyboard for the reception and Wayne got to join in on several tunes.  It was a great day.    




 

Marriage

Thad and I were married August 13, 2006 at Kiroli Park.  It was a most beautiful (and scorching) day. My older sister, Erica, was my matron of honor, and Thad's older brother, Lane, was the best man. My nephew was my ring bearer, and his girlfriend was my flower girl (who thought she was marrying Jay!).  They were a hit at the wedding...they walked down the aisle together while holding hands...it was precious.  We had our friends perform a piece from the Royal Tenenbaum's soundtrack that was arranged for us as I walked down the aisle.  The piece is called "Mothersbaugh's Canon" and was arranged for keyboard, flute, and violin. I had my dress made for me out of satin, chiffon, and silk from a simple Vogue pattern.  Our reception was held immediately afterward in the Kiroli Lodge.  It was far from elaborate, but I will forever remember it as the day I married the greatest person I know.  I can't believe our 2 year anniversary is right around the corner...time flies when you're having fun!