So....Yeah.

I may have mentioned before my love for music. I love singing and playing the guitar. I grew up around music. I was a show choir geek all through high school. (Think of a less self-centered, much more introverted Rachel from "Glee".)

Singing has always been a very big part of my life. Then when I got married, my public performing opportunities became more limited. Now I mainly just sing for myself, my kids, and family gatherings. I've even sung for a couple of family funerals. I've always been happy with this, though. No regrets.

Over the past couple of weeks, I'm suddenly getting phone calls, asking me to sing for different occasions.

First, my big sister HJ called and asked me to come and sing a duet with her for a church activity in her neighborhood. We're scheduled for next month. Awesome. I love singing with HJ. We've had a lot of experience singing together, so this should be fun.

The very next night, my younger sister, MN (the one that just got married), called and asked me to come and sing at a church function for her neighborhood. (It was a last minute request, I performed the next night.) It went well, and I was glad to step in and help.

THEN, a couple of days later, my parents told me that my cousin is getting married on St. Patrick's Day. As a result of the wedding date, the theme is going to be all things Irish. Even the invitations have shamrocks on them. I think it's a pretty cute idea.

Anyway...I guess my dad was asked to play the guitar and sing a couple of traditional Irish songs for the wedding. This is no surprise, considering the fact that my dad is amazing.

Apparently, in the process of finding traditional Irish songs that would work for a wedding they found one called "Red is the Rose". It's a very beautiful song, and I guess while they were listening to it my parents decided that it was better suited to my voice than my dad's.

When I went over to their house for Sunday dinner a couple of weeks ago, they played the song for me and asked if I would be willing to sing it for the wedding. I said I'd be happy to do it, so long as my cousin and his soon-to-be wife were okay with it. (I mean, they had asked my DAD to sing, after all.)

Yesterday, I found out that I have been okayed to sing the song. I'm really quite honored. HOWEVER...Now they are talking about using the song for their first dance as a married couple! Now I'm all sorts of nervous! You only get one first dance, people! Come on, everybody, sing along: "Pressure. Pressing down on me, pressing down on you..." What? Don't even try to tell me you don't love Queen as much as I do!

So while I was at my parents' house for dinner last night my dad pulled out his guitar, and my youngest sister, NE, sat down at the piano. We all practiced the song together. It's really beautiful, as I said before.

Just one little glitch: It has four verses, two of which are so freaking sad, they just would NOT work for a wedding song! But...with some finagling, we cut out the depressing verses and made an arrangement that will work out very nicely. It will be great, so long as I don't screw up the words or anything. Cross your fingers!

I addition to "Red is the Rose", my dad is working with my brother MC on a really fun, upbeat song called "Rocky Road to Dublin". If they can get all of the words, keep a steady rhythm, and find a way to breathe at the right times, it should be great. It's a challenging song, but if anyone can pull it off, they can!

Also coming up this week:

Tomorrow morning, I'm giving a presentation in my Cognition class. Singing in public I'm usually pretty comfortable with. SPEAKING in public? NOT my favorite thing to do. Let's all just hope I don't end up standing there, babbling and rambling on like a moron. (But I probably will.)

Later this week, probably on Thursday afternoon/evening: I have a test in that same Cognition class. Ty and I are taking the class together, so we'll be studying for a couple of days before we both go in and take the test. Wish us luck!

Finally, on Friday...TY AND I WILL BE CELEBRATING OUR 11TH ANNIVERSARY!!!

I know, right? I'm amazed he's lasted this long. I'm not always the easiest person to live with, and somehow I've fooled him into thinking HE'S got the better end of the deal. Well, the joke's on him! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Anyway, that's the end of my rambling for now.

Have a good day/night/afternoon/evening. :)