Glenda H.

Today I went to my private voice class for the first time in a month. Can you believe that? A whole month without seeing my teacher, I haven't seen her on Mondays either because I haven't been going to City of Hope rehearsals either. Well anyway, we started singing On My Own and she noticed because my asthma is back, that I'm sounding breathy and she recommended me to see this one lung specialist, who she had been going to for so many years.

My teacher amazes me, I admit, at first, I had not believed she was an ice dancer, the piano student of a world renowned musician, in many famous plays, and could not call birds to her. But since I've been going to her private lessons, I've learned to respect her in such a way that I basically worship her for her talent. I have never seen nor heard anybody play piano the way she does. She has so many health problems, right now this muscle disease that she's had is flaring up (and it has no cure). I had to pull everything out for her because her muscles were too weak. She had to get half of her right lung surgically removed due to a birth defect where there were no arteries there. Well all the other things about her talents I believed and I already knew she WAS a "walking miracle" because when she had her right lung removed, they said she had only five years to live (she was 50). That was 23 years ago. GG is the most amazing woman I have ever met. She's my ultimate role model, she really is. I cry when I think how strong of a piano player and a singer she is now even though she's 73 years old.

Well anyway, we finished early and we saw a blue jay outside and decided to go out and feed her. I don't believe I have mentioned that my GG and Mark's house has this Native American thing going about it. They're full blooded Caucasians but you can see their love of Western American culture by walking around their house. Mark is a schoolteacher and is equally as talented in the arts as GG. He was an artist, as was GG, and was invited many years ago to take up a job concerning art (I forgot what specifically), but he refused it because he is a singer and had to take care of the sickly GG. Okay, anyway, Mark has drawings all over the house and they are simply ASTOUNDINGGGG. I can just stare at them forever and ever, crying because they're so beautiful. There's one in the living room with an eagle, and in the corner are Indians looking toward purple mountains (he named it America the Beautiful; make sense?). GG crochets and knits too. All over the house are sheets, slips, pot holders, etc all crocheted or knitted by her and the designs are AMAZING. AMAZING I TELL YOU. AMAZING. I will never forget these two in my lifetime.

Oh gosh, I got so off topic. So anyway, this morning we saw a blue jay, a girl one (GG knows her birds) and we walked outside and she was just skidding around the backyard. Then came two more, another girl and one boy. The boy I couldn't see because he was in the trees but he was bright blue while the girls were smaller and a darker blue. They're so beautiful. GG took some peanuts out from a can and threw them around the yard. After a while, they came out to grab them. We put some near the door so when we got back in the house, they would come get them and we could watch them (the back half of the house has no screens, only glass windows). She then talked about how fourteen different types of birds have come to their house before. That morning, there were doves there and once, a hawk came. I know they did, I saw pictures of them. Their backyard has this aura about it, it really does. It has this Native American feel to it because, I don't know, but it does. The Native Americans believed that when a hawk comes and circle above your home, it means good luck. That hawk keeps on coming back - it's no wonder GG is still alive, even with all her sicknesses, to this day.

I love GG (and Mark). I really, really do.