Glanalaw - delighting in pure song

I've had a few people recently ask me what my blog name means, or why I chose "glanalaw".  So I thought it might be interesting to do a post explaining the name! When I first set up my blog I knew I wanted it to reflect both my love of God, my love of singing, and my love of Wales.  I am partly Welsh and for years I've been fascinated with the country, the music, and especially the language (which is exceedingly difficult to learn, as I found!)  In high school I spent several years trying to teach myself Welsh with the help of a Rosetta Stone program and a couple of grammar books, and one of my favourite opera singers is Welsh. I wanted to come up with a name that would reflect "pure song" or "pure music" -- as my singing is done for the glory of God.  After some research I chose "glanalaw".  "Glan" is an adjective meaning "pure", "clear", or "untarnished".  "Alaw" means "tune...

Happiest Christmas to all of you, my friends!  After a long day of traveling I'm finally with my family for the holiday, and I'm enjoying it so much. I'll just leave you with this video: Bryn Terfel, reading the Christmas story.  It doesn't get much better than this -- a most beautiful voice, reading these most beautiful words with such feeling.

There are so many things I want to write about, this Christmas.  About peace, especially.  About being light to the world.  About joy and beauty and love.  About concepts so big I can't even put them into words. Mostly, about the phrase I came across in a book I read recently.  "Light a candle for Christmas Eve."  In the book this is in the context of Christmas during World War I - when there was a spontaneous, unofficial cease-fire in the trenches, and may lit candles to celebrate the birth of Christ, oblivious to their personal safety. I haven't been able to get the words out of my head, and I think they have a wider application than a cease-fire almost a century ago.  As I go to services tonight, and tomorrow on Christmas morning -- as I light the Christ candle at the centre of the Advent wreath -- I will think about this.  Light a candle -- not just for Christmas Eve, but for every day.  Light a candle -- and share the Light with the ...

Happy Christmas Adam! (It's a joke.  It's the day before Christmas Eve... and Adam came before Eve... ) So about a week ago I decided I really wanted a new holiday dress.  Maybe not specifically for Christmas, but one that I could wear maybe for a New Year's Eve party, or something along those lines.  I wanted white with black trim.  Classic, but feminine and a little frilly, just for a change. I dug out McCall's 6027, which I bought on sale for a dollar, and some white figured calico.  Bought black lace on sale.  Then did nothing with it. I'm making view b (the one with sleeves) and adding a bit of length to the skirt, but taking out the godets. Last night it occurred to me that Christmas was really  soon, and I should maybe start sewing.  So today I got out all the supplies, and cut out and sewed up what was supposed to be the lining (a lovely, silky polyester.  It really is a "lining" fabric, but it's not the nasty kind!) ...

I was going to have a nicely-written and thoughtful post about Christmas today, but I accidentally slept until noon and I have quite a lot to do before flying to PA on Sunday morning, so I'll just give you some more music and a photo of Sunday's Advent wreath, instead. I know it looks like the centre candle is burning, but it's just a reflection.  This is "What Sweeter Music".  The setting is by John Rutter, the words by Robert Herrick, dating from the 17th century. (In case you hadn't noticed, I really love English choral music!)

A couple weeks ago I bought five pounds of sweet potatoes because they were 20 cents a pound... and ever since I've been trying to find creative ways to use them!  (So if you have ideas, I'd love to hear!) Tonight, I poked around on the web and ended up making a stew of sorts -- a conglomeration of several recipes.  It turned out to be really tasty so I thought I'd share.  It's hearty and just a wee bit spicy; perfect for chilly evenings! Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped 1/2 apple, peeled and chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 1 small onion, peeled and chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 2 T butter or olive oil 3/4 cup lentils 1/4 tsp each ginger, cumin, curry powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp kosher salt fresh ground black pepper, to taste 3 cups broth (chicken or veg, your choice) Saute all the veg and the apple in the butter until onion is translucent and everything else begins to soften.  Add in broth, l...

I like my Christmas holiday.  It's been especially nice this year because I have a whole week between finishing all my obligations and actually travelling anywhere. So far it has been full of good music. Hot tea and peppermint cookies . A new doily in the shop. Also things like the antics of Conrad, and staying up half the night reading. I could get used to this. (P.S.  I'm going to be playing with the layout over the next few days, starting with making the photos bigger.  Please let me know what you think!  What would make this page clearer, easier to read and to navigate?)

Today I had the privilege of being the soprano soloist for a performance of Saint-Saëns' "Christmas Oratorio" at a local church.  It was quite an ambitious work, and the solo work was hard.   Lots of high notes, and lots of singing in general.  This was one of my favourite numbers from the oratorio - the soprano/tenor/baritone trio.  Unfortunately we didn't record the concert, but here's a good version from YouTube. (We sang it in English, though.) That was a bonus!  Here's the official Advent music selection ;-)  This one is probably more of a Christmas Eve/Day song, really, but it's so lovely I want to share it (and I have something special planned for Christmas Eve and the day itself!)  We sang this anthem at church a few weeks ago and will repeat it at the Christmas Eve services.  I'm not sure whether it's the melody or something about the text, but the first time we sang through this I found myself in tears.  It is beautiful.

I think it's interesting how people tend to assume that "classical" music is beyond the reach of the average citizen, and when they are trying to make it appeal to those who are not trained musicians, they jazz it up or add special effects or something. Take this video for example. A friend posted this on Facebook this morning.  I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it; the idea is really cool, and it's well executed.  But then I started thinking, I really think the original -- one cello, no gimmicks - is actually at least as dramatic and exciting as this version.  Maybe more. Maybe that's just me?  After all I am a "trained musician" and I did grow up with Bach.  But listen to this: What do you think?  I've had this reaction before to "souped-up" classical music.  I'm curious whether anyone else thinks the same way!

I'm sorry it's been quiet around here this week.  I've been a little busy.... ...sitting two finals ...finishing a project ...completing a 25-page research paper ...singing an opera ...rehearsing for a Christmas oratorio this weekend ...grading final exams. I finished all that this afternoon, and celebrated with a trip to the yarn shop (a gorgeous hank of charcoal-grey lace-weight) and a batch of peppermint crinkle cookies.  Now I'm going to bed for about a hundred years. See you when I wake up ;-)

I spent this afternoon lazily.  I watched Jane Austen movies instead of studying, did some embroidery, and had tea and biscuits. Conrad had tea, too. He wasn't supposed to, really.  But he likes to sit on the end table in the living room, which is where my tea was, and I guess he was thirsty.  Anyway, he'd had a good drink before I caught him at it, and then I figured, well, I'm  not going to drink any more of that mug now, he might as well have his fill.  And thought nothing more of it. Approximately an hour later, he went suddenly berserk.  He's a high-energy cat anyway, but this was ridiculous.  He was tearing about, ricocheting off furniture, bouncing off the walls (literally!)  He also spooked at small noises and appeared completely convinced that the furtherance of his life depended on how thoroughly he killed his toy mouse.  He's never been so crazy. The effects lasted about an hour, after which he appeared to come down off his...

So I think that today's events pretty well sum up my life at the moment... I woke up later than I should have because I'd spent an hour hitting snooze and ignoring the cat, who was yelling for breakfast.  So when I finally got up Conrad was delirious and rushed down the stairs ahead of me to get to the food. He was in such a hurry that he tripped and fell down the last half-dozen stairs.  I almost fell down them myself because I was laughing so hard. Then later I dropped a large spoonful of (hot) oatmeal on my (bare) foot in an absent-minded moment. I also tripped on my skirt on the ladder during opera rehearsal and almost crushed Esther who was supposed to be pulling me off said ladder.  (No, I don't know whose bright idea it was to dress us in ankle-length skirts and then tell us to perform an opera on a ladder...) Then on the bus this afternoon the driver started before I had time to sit down, and the hanger of the costumes I took home to alter got caught on ...

So, most of you who knit have probably heard of the Yarn Harlot (otherwise and more politely known as Stephanie McPhee.)  Sadly I have never read any of her actual printed books (which probably makes me an outcast in many knitting circles), but I do read her blog faithfully, and it is pretty excellent.  She is funny and smart and occasionally poignant, and she writes really well. This month, she's doing a totally brilliant series on Gifts for Knitters, geared towards non-knitters who know their loved ones who knit would love something useful and cool for Christmas, but haven't the least idea where to start.  I have been nodding and saying "yes, that's absolutely right!" each time she puts up a new suggestion (it's one per day, theoretically), and so I thought I would share this treasure-trove of information with the world.  Or, the very small portion of the world which reads this blog, anyway. Here is the link to her blog.   Go read, and laugh, and then le...

Dear Jogger who I almost hit this evening, I understand that you want to get your daily exercise, even on cold, gloomy, rainy evenings.  But if you must do so outside, please realize that it is NOT a good idea to don black sweats and a dark cap, and then go jog on an unlit and winding road, relying only on the (faint) reflectors on your running shoes to make you visible.  The only reason you are not now flat on your back in the hospital is because I thought the twinkling of your shoes was probably a raccoon's eyes, and swerved.  The rest of your person didn't register until I was already passed. For the sake of those drivers who would rather not become guilty of manslaughter, please invest in some light-coloured exercise gear, or go find a gym that's open past 5. Sincerely, A severely shaken driver.

This morning my church had its "Lessons and Carols" service.  It was really lovely, I think!  The choir sang five anthems, and we had a brass quintet, a violinist, and an oboist, mostly faculty from my school. Today's music isn't really related to that, though.  It's an anthem which we sang last year at the Union Christmas concert, and I fell in love with it.  I was privileged to have a solo in it, but that's not the only reason I like it ;-)  The words are an old English carol, and I love the imagery; also, the beautiful setting by John Rutter. I hope this Sunday has been blessed!  (And less full of research papers than mine has been...)

A lace doily or mat.  (I never know what to call these.  "Doily" sound so prim and Victorian, not very appealing to the modern sensibilities... but then, what else would you call it?)  First time in a couple years I've worked lace, and it was so satisfying. It's been starched and now it's blocking.  I can't wait to take the pins out.

Note: This might get a little boring for anyone who's not an opera nerd like myself... sorry!  You can scroll down and look at the pictures of things in the shop, instead ;-) The last couple weeks I've been deeply involved in my music research project, in which I'm comparing and contrasting the methods of the composers Bellini and Gounod in turning the story of Romeo and Juliet into operas.  (Bellini was an Italian, writing in 1830; Gounod, a Frenchman whose opera premiered in 1867).  This project led me to watch a film version of the Gounod opera, made about 10 years ago and claiming that "Shakespeare's lovers never looked and sounded so good as in this romantic new film adaption." Well.  I take issue with that statement!  Firstly, apparently this director was trying to make a feature-length film, presumably to appeal to a wider audience than opera often draws.  When dealing with a 3-hour opera, that means some pretty significant cuts.  (The liner...

For as long as I can remember, my family has set up an Advent wreath every year, lighting a new candle each Sunday of the Advent season until we reach the Christ candle in the centre on Christmas day itself.  This Sunday ritual is one of my favourites, so when I realised I'd be spending the entire season of Advent in my own place and not at home, I knew I needed to set up an Advent wreath for myself. I could have bought one but I didn't like any of the options I could find in my price range, so I decided to devise my own.  I knew I wanted something rustic, unpolished.  My first thought was to use a grapevine wreath as a base, but all the ones I found were so rigid and densely woven it would have been hard to affix the candle holders.  But a trip to Hobby Lobby produced a hank of raffia and a coil of floral wire wrapped in green fibres.   After some experimentation I formed the wreath by braiding the raffia tightly, then twisting and tucking the ends into ea...

Today marks the first Sunday of Advent!  I love Advent; maybe because it hasn't been secularized by the rest of the world in the same way Christmas has, it's always been a really special time for me.  I thought that this year, it could be fun to share some carols and hymns which are suited to the Advent season, before we move into the true Christmas music. Today, a lovely anthem, "Lo, He Comes with Clouds Descending." Enjoy this first week of the Advent season!

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving day with family and friends!  I wasn't able to travel home to be with family, but I had a good time with my landlords and got to help with the cooking.  (I'm really glad I did - I can't imagine Thanksgiving without spending a lot of time in the kitchen!) I've spent the rest of the weekend doing some finishing work and listing things on Etsy!  Yesterday I showed you lots of socks; one pair was just recently completed but the others have been hanging around for a while, waiting for me to get my act together.  Today, I have two crocheted afghans and a set of quilted coasters. First up,  a granny square afghan from the stash .  I used up most of my scraps in the blue/grey colour range, with the centres of each square in a creamy white surrounded by robin's-egg blue.  It's not symmetrical but it all works together! Then I made a set of quilted coasters, using part of a "fat quarter" of calico.  They're b...

Finally the weather was clear and I was able to photograph my backlog of items for the Etsy shop!  Today, a quintet of wool socks:    Check them all out  in the shop!   And spread the word to your friends who might be looking for hand-crafted Christmas gifts :-)

You meet the most interesting people at bus stops.  On Monday I went to the library by bus.  Coming back, the bus was late, and it was raining.  I had my backpack (enormous and heavy) and a tote bag (ditto) and a large red umbrella, and wet boots.  There were two gentlemen at the bus stop.  Both were smoking, one of them inside the semi-enclosed shelter.  Cigarette smoke does not do good things to my lungs, so I stood outside with my umbrella. Smoking gentleman #1 (the inside one) decides to come out and offer me a seat.  It was very good of him, I say, but I'm extremely allergic to smoke, so I'll just stand out here. He retires.  A moment later, he's back to offer to stand outside.  So good of you, I say, but even the lingering smoke would trouble me. He turns away.  Then back.  "You say you're allergic... what does it do to you?" I try to explain about deep, hacking coughs, and headaches, but I don't think he gets it. ...

I don't know about you, but I have a weakness for flavoured coffee drinks.  Specifically the holiday-themed ones Starbucks comes out with.  Their warm, creamy goodness can make the worst day seem better.  That is until I look at my bank balance.  At upwards of $4.00 a cup, they add up quickly. So I decided I would try to make my own!  I stocked up on canned pumpkin the other week when it was on sale (as well as cooking down a couple of fresh ones), so starting with the pumpkin spice latte seemed like a good idea.  I took a quick look at a few other make-your-own recipes floating around the web, but I ended up just coming up with my own.  My goal was not only to save money, but also to make it a little more healthy!  I'm sure the commercial version is full of sweet syrups.  The most expensive item here was the Reddi-whip I used, which cost about half what a single latte at Starbucks would run, and will last for many  drinks.  (Min...

Conrad went to the vet yesterday, and now, in the words of some famous author whose name I can't recall, he is an ex-gentleman cat.  He also got a microchip implanted - useful for if he gets out, and required if I ever take him out of the States. He took it pretty well, though he spent most of the evening looking like this on a chair: Later he perked up a little and looked out the window, and now he is chasing his feathers-on-a-stick toy around the kitchen.  I think he's feeling better. By the way, it's incredibly difficult to administer syrupy pain medicine in a syringe to an alert and unhappy cat.  I tried wrapping him in a towel, but that only made him mad.  Eventually I just dosed his food -- and since he's been acting like I've starved him for weeks, he scarfed down the medicine with no fuss.  We'll see how this evening's dose goes...

1. To begin with, I'm still sick.  We've proceeded to the sandpapered-throat, hoarse coughing stage, accompanied by a voice which has dropped at least a fifth and which is threatening to give out entirely.  I probably shouldn't have gone to school today, but I decided to muscle through and go anyway.  Which leads me to 2.  I locked my keys in the car.  Normally I'm extremely careful about that.  I collect my things, holding keys firmly in hand the whole time, and I check three times before I actually shut and lock the door.  Today, possibly due to 1), my mind was elsewhere.  As I pushed the door closed I saw the keys sitting on the seat, winking at me. 3.  AAA is really a great convenience.  I am glad I am a member. 4.  I wish I hadn't needed to find out how convenient they are today. 5.  Conrad went to the vet to get neutered today.  I'm going to have a sad little kitten after school. 6.  We will probably s...

This whatever-it-is feels like flu, only without a fever.  In pretty much every other respect it is the same, though. Thanks to Nyquil I slept almost 16 hours last night, which probably helped.  I have spent most of the day lying in bed contemplating my various ailments, which is not very pleasant.  However I did not even have the energy to knit (which is how you know I'm really sick.) Then a friend recommended a remedy.  It involves green tea, honey, lemon juice, salt, and a splash of strong liquor (I used rum) and she said "don't skimp on the salt and the rum!"  (They are supposed to kill bacteria.  It is the most vile-tasting concoction I have ever swallowed in my life, but it seems to have helped.  I sat up, watched True Grit , and took out my knitting.  (I stocked up on movies at the library this weekend, which turns out to have been a good thing!) A strange lineup.  Suitable for a witch's brew producing vile, unspeakable concoct...

I've been fighting off a bug for more than a week, but today it finally got me.  It's time for boxes of tissues, doses of Nyquil, and a lot of hot tea and pineapple juice. And bowls of chicken soup.  What a good thing I decided to make a big pot of it yesterday! Now, if you'll excuse me while I tuck myself into bed and sneeze quietly to myself.  Conrad has made it clear that he will accompany me.

A bright, blustery day. A day of crisp sunshine in which it is impossible to be unhappy, and which dares you to go out of your way and crunch in the fallen leaves.

A friend posted this link a couple days ago: http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/tennessee In case you don't feel like following the link, it's a relay race.  A 196-mile relay race.  And I'm actually seriously considering signing up. If you know me at all you know how ridiculous this is.  I've done a couple of 5-K races, but usually with reluctance and a great deal of mental swearing.  The last one I only did because my sister needed a running partner. But this looks... well... fun .  The thing is, you're running with a team of 11 other runners, and the most anyone runs is 20 miles, broken up into 3 sections.  The website also has a detailed training schedule posted, which would help a lot.  And the next one in our area isn't until next November.  I'd have a whole year! So, I've decided I'm going to work on the training schedule.  Even if I don't end up doing the race itself for some reason - scheduling issues, or not getting a team tog...

I bought a smallish butternut squash last week and then realised I had no idea what to do with it!  After an appeal to my facebook friends, I had lots of suggestions.  I decided to try soup, and since I had some cooking apples on hand, I threw one of those in as well.  Below is the recipe, more or less - I didn't measure anything so amounts are approximate.  This was warm and satisfying; the perfect Autumn food in my book! Butternut-Apple Soup makes about 4 servings 1/2 a medium-small butternut squash 1 large cooking apple 1 large onion 1 carrot about 2 T. butter cumin and curry powder - a sprinkle each 2 peppercorns 1 tsp salt 1 quart water 2 cubes chicken bouillon Cook onion in butter and salt until soft.  Peel and chop the apple, carrot, and squash.  (My squash was in about 1"-square pieces; the apple and carrot were roughly diced.)  Add to pot with the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil; keep at a low boil/vigourous sim...

Finally, I have a post about the costume I've been hinting about!  I'm so glad to have this project finished, but I had a blast making it!  If we're friends on Facebook, you've likely seen a few of these pictures, but here are lots more plus all the construction details.  At some point I would love to do a "real" photoshoot of this dress; I think it deserves it.  For now though all I can manage are some mirror shots and a couple of self-portraits done with my camera's timer :-) I've wanted to copy Bellatrix Lestrange's costume ever since the trailer for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out.  But I never had an excuse to wear it, or I couldn't find a pattern, and with one thing and another it's been nearly five years since that first viewing.  But this fall the boys decided they were going to take me trick-or-treating (the first time I've ever been!) and I felt that my sewing skills were finally good enough that I could ...