Swan Lake

Swan Lake gives me chills every time I even think about it. It is my favorite piece of classical music by my favorite composer, Tchaikovsky. The piece Scene inspired me to play the clarinet in Jr. High. I dreamed that one day I could be in an orchestra and play the clarinet solo during Swan Lake. Also, I LOVE the ballet. I truly wish that I had stayed in dance and attempted to become a real ballerina. Even though I probably would have never been professional (which is fine with me) dancing just brought me so much joy. Swan Lake is pretty emotional for me because it represents 2 unfulfilled dreams that I had, dancing and the clarinet (both of which I quit). Oh, and to top it all off, My dad is the one who gave me the recording of the Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. Music was one of the things that we shared, that was special to us both. My dad hasn't been in my life now for about 12 years.

When I hear this music I'm just moved. The music is so beautiful. The dancers are so graceful. I just get the chills.

Here is an interesting little clip I came across. A new spin on Swan Lake. These dancers are incredible. I am still blown away at what the human body is capable of.

First book review

Ha! I finally am posting a review. This is the third book I've finished since I said that I was going to start doing these, but rather then trying to catch up, I'll just start with this book I finished today. If Lisa doesn't mind, I'm going to copy her format and post the publishers description of the book, followed by my review.


Summary: For more than ten years, Naomi and Phil Harrison enjoyed a marriage of heady romance, tempered only by the needs of their children. But on a vacation alone, the couple perishes in a flight over the Grand Canyon. After the funeral, their daughters, Ruthie and Julia, are shocked by the provisions in their will.
Spanning nearly two decades, the sisters’ journeys take them from their familiar home in Atlanta to sophisticated bohemian San Francisco, a mountain town in Virginia, the campus of Berkeley, and lofts in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As they heal from loss, search for love, and begin careers, their sisterhood, once an oasis, becomes complicated by resentment, anger, and jealousy. It seems as though the echoes of their parents’ deaths will never stop reverberating—until another shocking accident changes everything once again.


My thoughts: I give this book 3 1/2 stars. I loved the premise of this book. The author is spot on in describing the sisterly relationship. It is such a complex relationship. It made me sad that they missed out on so much of each others lives because of holding on to grudges and not being able to understand each other. At a point in their lives when they needed each other the most, they were separated. At first only separated by geography, but soon they became separated by jealousy, anger, and resentment. I was really surprised (in a good way) at where the story takes the characters, the plot wasn't predictable, which was refreshing. However, this book wasn't a real page turner. I wasn't driven to pick it up, or to stay up late reading it. I did enjoy it, but the ending was a bit rushed and it didn't really leave me satisfied.