Month: October 2010

I finished The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain.

Here’s what we can do now for our brains, even in middle age and beyond. You’ve heard them all before, but I’m really sold after reading just what it’s doing in the brain (generating brain cells, increasing white matter in the brain, and building something called “brain reserve”).

1. Exercise. 2. Nutrition/eat well. 3. Continue education (those of us who went to college are going to fair better in the end, the more education the better).  4. Socialize. 5. Volunteer.  6. Be positive and cheery.

Being in a choir is as perfect as can be because it involves socializing, learning, a little exercise, and in my case volunteering (I do work in the Grace Church archives). Also, whatever mood you are in when you walk into rehearsal, you come out feeling very positive.

I am now on the look out for another weekly group activity that has similar benefits.

Here is Finney in the sunlight. When I catch my cats in the sunlight I sing the sunlight song. “Finney in the sunlight. Do-da-do-da-do. Finney in the sunlight. I’m so in love with you.” (I am the ultimate cat dork.)

But he zoomed right by and out of my life! Look at this little guy!! (Or girl.) Aren’t you just dying?? Everybody stopped to watch him go by.

I should leash train Finney and take him on walks. That would help him lose weight. It would probably help with his arthritis, too.

The sky was buzz, buzz, buzzing with helicopters out there. What’s going on out there? Is someone in town? Is there a bomb threat or something? When they sentenced the Times Square wanna-be-bomber he said something big was coming. I mean, of course he’s going to say that, but still. I should stock up on bottled water and cat meds.

I’m practically hyperventilating!! I sent the chapters to my editor. It’s out of my hands! Onto the next chapter. In the meantime, a portrait of my life!

– The papers under my glasses are the notes I’ve started making for the current chapter.
– To the left of that are library books relating to this chapter.
– To the left of that are books not immediately related, but might be.
– Underneath are articles about the science of singing.
– Behind that are projects I’m working on for my book Unbelievable, which is still new-ish.
– And to the right of that are books I plan to read, and occasionally refer to.

They’re like good and evil here. The one on the left wants you to pet him. The one on the right is plotting your destruction.

My agent loved the two chapters I showed her!! I made the few changes she suggested, and after I give them the once over this morning, off they’ll go to my brand new, shiny editor! Accomplishment!

Every chapter I start has one thing that terrifies me. Like with these two chapters. With one I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to condense the entire history of singing into two pages AND make it interesting. I could. With the other I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to weave in these sad, haunting stories of people from the Grace Church past. I couldn’t! (I will work them in elsewhere.)

With this new chapter it’s portraying John Maclay, my choir director. He’s a very unique character and he’s going to read it, hundreds of choir people who know him are going to read it, and his family is going to read it. Ugh. Plus, I have to pick some aspect about singing to weave into the story of him. Great. I’m freaking myself out.

Rick posted a link to this story in the comments section. Thank you for doing that. And what?? No pictures?? Seriously though, thank you for saving that little bird. (Although the squirrel leg!!)

The picture below is an older shot from my roof at dusk. I haven’t been up there since I stopped feeding the pigeons. I can’t face them. (I feel so bad. Sigh, sigh, sigh.)

In other news: I’m always terrified of facing a new chapter and for weeks I’ve been hemming and hawing about starting this new chapter where I hope to show what a conductor does. And talk about Joseph Haydn the slut. I’ve been researching, making to-do lists, and collecting articles about the science of singing, but I’ve only written a paragraph. It’s a BIG paragraph, but still. It’s just a paragraph. I’ve got to go in there now and really get going. Now. Right this minute.

STACY STOP WRITING THIS POST. GET IN THERE. (<——Talking to myself. Okay, shouting.)