The day after Jeni leaves, my mom will visit again for a few days before she catches her ship for Around the World again this year. We'll have a bit of Christmas and do some shopping.
My house has really taken shape. Most everything is done, but I decided to do a bit more painting. One wall in the living room (purple, of course) and some trim in the bathroom (red and gold). Going to try to get that done before Mom comes to visit. Also, my bed frame still isn't built. Probably will do that between Christmas and New Year, when there are less students.
Started a great family with 3 kids last night. 2 piano, 1 violin, but I think the older girl wants to play violin instead. I hope she does. Seems like she'd be happier with that. Have 2 more beginning cellos coming on board in January, and a returning student from a few years ago, a boy I absolutely adore and have missed a lot and I usually don't take kids back and he plays guitar, but I adore this kid so much that I'm going to take him anyhow! I just hope I can fit him in the schedule. He'll make #43.
And now I present...a little teaser from Book 2:
“I think it’s time I met your family,” Jack Franklin said to the love of his life, Elizabeth Hennessey.
She scoffed. “Why?”
“You’ve met my family!” he reminded her. For two blissful weeks over the holidays, they went to Jack’s family estate near Reading in Berkshire in England. His parents died several years ago, but she met his sister, her husband and her two daughters and several other members of his extended family. “When is the last time you talked to them?”
“I talked to Dad last month for about a minute.”
“And the others?”
She shook her head.
Jack couldn’t imagine having so little contact with his family. “You haven’t seen him in how long?”
“Last summer. And you haven’t seen your family in three months either.”
“Lizzie!” He clicked his tongue. “I can’t imagine that, you know. Not seeing your family on purpose.”
“Well…you like your family.”
“You really don’t like any of them? Why not?”
Elizabeth sighed and played with her sandwich. “I’ve already told you a lot about them. My mom isn’t nice, and my dad is a pushover; my little sister is a troublemaker, Charlie is completely withdrawn and aloof, and Will’s in Denver at school and he’s a stuck-up snob. I don’t really get along with any of them except Dad.”
“They all seem to have glaring faults, don’t they?”
She grimaced at his implication. “I don’t have anything in common with any of them.”
“None of them are musicians like us?”
“I think Charlie plays a little guitar. But no.”
“So, they’re not like you; they don’t like music. Don’t they have any redeeming qualities?”
She stared at him and stated, “You think I’m judging them.”
“Even murderers have something you can like about them.”
“Oh, don’t even say that,” she scoffed.
“It’s true.”
“Yes, but at the very least that makes my mother less likeable than a murderer!”
“There’s got to be something about her you like.”
“No. I really can’t stand her.”
“Do you love her?”
“Of course, she’s my mother but that doesn’t mean I have to like her."
