Summer Endings and Beginnings

It's that time of summer when things are starting to end and wrap up.

Summer, before school starts, will be over in a couple weeks.

Our long days of sunshine shorten with each turn of the earth,

The weather starts to cool- or not. One day it feels like fall, the next the height of July.

Summer freedom starts to fly away as you remember all of your assigned reading and other homework.

It's getting to be that time where things are ending and the joys of summer slip away one by one.

Soon the flowers of spring and summer will dry up and wither away for the winter.

But I suppose it's OK that summer is slowly leaving because it means new things are to come.

In just over a week I'll be back with the marching band for our 2011 season, my third season with the band. The Planets in '09, Pat Metheny in '10 and I'm pumped for a great fall with this year's show 'The Music of Trevor Rabin' featuring selections from National Treasure and Remember The Titans.

Of course with the end of summer and the coming of marching band means the beginning of fall, my favorite season. And with fall, and August 31, comes the start of my sophomore year of high school. 

Much as I groan and grumble about the beginning of the school year, I am excited to some extent. I've got some great new classes: AP United States History, Honors Math III, French III, Honors English 10, Honors Chemistry, and Wind Ensemble. Not to mention marching band, jazz band, this year's musical, and the Florida trip with the band in February. While I will most certainly be missing some people, friends who transferred for 10th grade, last year's 8th graders who aren't going to my high school for freshman year, and my now post-grad friends now starting college, I think it will be a good year.

However....

I'm hanging onto summer for as long as possible.

A Brief Return

Hey everybody! It's me, Sally....remember?

I know, I know I've only been gone a week....

First off, let's have a round of applause for our guest posters this past week. *Claps* You guys all did a wonderful job, thanks so much, I really enjoyed reading your posts. And if you loved these guest posts, then you're in luck because we start another, longer, round of them next Saturday when I head off to band camp.

As for me, I had quite the awesome week at Pilgrim Lodge. I did a lot of music, and I actually led a workshop in more classical instrumental music with my arrangement of Bring Him Home. It was a LOT of hard work and I was glad to have a counselor to help me out a bit too because we really needed someone to conduct and I needed to play. Plus I know virtually nothing about stings, and he was a violin player so that helped a lot for the string players in my group. It was really really pretty at the performance, soft guitar chords, light eighth-noted piano with chords underneath, classical high trumpet melody (played wonderfully by yours truly), haunting harmony in the second trumpet, dark cello bass line, and sweeping violin and viola descant. It was really really amazing and a LOT of fun.
I also did a bunch of other stuff, like chapel services, some art projects, walk the labyrinth, eat ice cream, swim, and go out in the big yellow dory. I added a new instrument to my ever growing repertoire too. I learned how to play the mandolin! It was really fun, and it's really cute. Hmm...I wonder what will be on my Christmas list this year...

All in all it was a really great week. Yesterday though, was WAY too much driving. My mom picked me up at camp, we drove home which was a little over an hour, I had an hour at home then my mom and I had to drive another 45 minutes to my brother's All-Star baseball game which they won 14-4. Yay. Then we got in the car again and drove four hours up to a campground on Mount Desert Island where my grandparents are staying at a campground which Is where I am now.
It's windy and cold up here right now, so we're just sitting in the camper. Later though, my parents, my brother, my aunt, her boyfriend, and I are going to hike up Acadia Mountain which should be fun and hopefully warmer than it is here.

How have your weeks been?

Sand and Sun (Guest post by Hannah G)

Hello readers! It's Hannah Here from The Caged Bird Sings. As you may have guessed today's topic is all about the beach. The beach is one of my favorite places in the entire world, because I can find so many treasures,creatures, and I can be free. Today I just  happened to take a grand adventure to the beach accompanied with some friends. Let me tell you the story.

As some of you may know it was a very hot and sunny Maine day. After quite a long and strenuous field hockey practice me, and two of my best friends headed off to the beach to soak up some sun! Even though we missed two buses, called the bus station 12 times, and stopped at multiple stops, we finally got to Willard Beach.!! Next it was time to tan, we hit up a great spot on the crowded beach and soaked up some sun. Well maybe a little to much.....

After looking through tide pools for mysterious things, picking up crabs, falling off pipes into the water, being burried from neck to feet in the sand, and getting to much sun it was time to head home. I had found some cool sea glass,and had fun with friends so overall was a good day.My friends are so great and I am glad that I have friends that will always be there to get sunburned with me :) . In the end  I did end up looking like a lobster...I hope someone doesn't mistake me for one. That would not be to good.

Thank you all so much for reading this post, and I hope you liked my little story. Do you guys like the beach as well? What is your favorite thing to do there? Since my favorite place in the world is the beach what is yours? I can't wait to hear your thoughts. have a happy blogging day!

In the Midst of Summer

Being on summer vacation is a truly excellent feeling.
Yesterday was my last day of finals, and my last day of freshman year. I'm happy to say that I passed all my classes with high honors and am excited for a challenging sophomore year come September!
For now though, I sure am enjoying the summer.
After school was over yesterday, my friend Haley and I hopped on the bus and headed down to the local ice cream shop where we treated our selves to large amounts of chocolate ice cream topped with Reese's and plenty of whipped cream. Needless to say, it was a great start to summer vacation. I spent the rest of yesterday lounging around and playing badminton with my brother and my mom and I went shopping in the evening, which was good because I needed a few more summer clothes.
Got some orange plaid shorts a couple tank tops, and also the lovely outfit I am sporting today, some gray jean shorts and a aqua-green and white striped shirt. Very summery and awesome.

Today I simply relished being able to sleep in until eight, which is so much better than having to wake up at five-thirty every morning to a shrill alarm clock. Best part of summer- no annoying alarm clock.
This morning I went to my brother's final assembly at the middle school at which he received a number of awards, and then came here and finished ready Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows out on my front porch. I figured that I had to read it again before the epic second half of the movie comes out in July :)
I also had a practice up at church for trumpet, and soon I am heading out to my final driving lesson! I'm very excited...I take my permit test of Monday and should have that permit in my hands by 3pm, at which time I can legally drive. Bwahaha.
I'm also going out to dinner with my extended family tonight to celebrate my grandmother's birthday.
All in all, it's been a busy and fun first day and a half of summer vacation!
What have you done so far with YOUR summer?

Four Down

Oh finals week...oh joy. 

Finals are extremely miserable and annoying and they take a long time, but at least once you're done, you're done.

With the way my finals schedule, I ended up having six finals (I have 8 classes but there obviously was no final for study hall and playing at graduation was our band final)

Yesterday my first final was French, and I'd say that that was probably my easiest final so far. It was basically a common assessment measuring speaking, listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing. It wasn't bad at all- although I don't have my grade for that yet...there's always the possibility that I will change may mind about it being bad or not ;)

Next I had a free block so I went and chilled in the library before my second exam which was English. That wasn't bad either, so yesterday wasn't bad at all in terms of test difficulty! (Although I don't have grades for either test yet, so...)

Today, goodness, today.

I began the day with a very hard history final. Way over 100 questions, multiple choice, matching and a TON of short answer/essay. It was brutal, but I got a 95 which made me really happy :)

I had the second test block free and my mom took me to this coffee shop place where I got this really delicious coffee/chocolate drink that had whipped cream and was quite marvelous. I also got a really yummy everything bagel with veggie cream cheese and I ate these wonderful food items in a squishy chair and read Harry Potter 7 and emptied my head of history. There is really not much that is better.

Later I headed off to my geometry exam which went quite well too, and which I got a 92 on, so I'm happy.

Four finals down, two to go tomorrow (gym and biology) and I'm not terribly stressed about either and at eleven tomorrow morning....I WILL BE FREE.

A sweet sweet feeling. To celebrate, my friend Haley and I are going to get ice cream, and then it is just sweet sweet summer. Yayness.

And my brother has to go to school the next day...and I am SO going to laugh evilly at him on Friday morning when he has to get up and go to school while I have to do absolutely nothing.

Finally, A Final Product

Completion.

Victory is mine.

I finished the main writing of this piece a little while ago but then I had to format it for all the parts. Like the score only has the four basic parts, but there are a LOT more. I've got trumpet 1, trumpet 2, clarinet 1, clarinet 2, flute, oboe, alto saxophone, french horn, and trombone/tuba/other bass instruments.

I am extremely please at how it turned out, and I cannot wait to play it at camp in about two weeks. It also serves a dual purpose for camp because we're supposed to bring something that we've created and I'm just going to bring this instead of slaving over a painting or something. I've already slaved over this.....although it was not really work for me because it was very fun.

Anyway, the main point is that I am very happy with it. Yay me.

Also, today was the last day for half my classes! Woot! Except for the final, no more biology, no more band, no more history and NO MORE GYM. (The last one in particular makes me very excited)

I can't believe freshman year is almost over....here comes SUMMER!

Standing At The Brink

Yes, this blessed time of year has come, the time of year when there is only one week of school left before it is SUMMER.

Sure, there are finals next week which won't be pleasant, but after 11:30 next Thursday...

I. AM. FREE!!!

No more freshman year, just ready for a really awesome summer, which I am pretty much already prepared for, because i happen to plan things ahead. A lot....

Of course, either like this weekend or right after school gets out I need to do a bit of shopping because I am finding that I am kinda low on good summer-wear. I think a trip to Goodwill is in order, plus a haircut would be nice too.

And as soon as school gets out, I am ready to have some FUN.

My first big thing is of course the fact that I get my driver's permit on JUNE 20.

On the 26th I head off to Pilgrim Lodge, then band camp, the Pilgrim lodge again, then a mission trip, and during that time you guys get to enjoy no less than TWENTY-FOUR amazing guest posts by twenty-four amazing bloggers. Pretty sweet, right?

I'm pumped for PL, especially this first week because that's what I arranged Bring Him Home for, to use in my instrumental music workshop. It's gonna be fun. Band camp too, I've been working like crazy on my audition pieces because honestly, I REALLY want lead trumpet...and well, I would really REALLY like first chair....

We're also doing a bunch of planning and getting ready for out mission trip which will be great too. 

After that I come back to blogging, and I'm not sure what is happening the first few weeks of August, but on the 22nd....the 2011 marching band season begins! It is going to be a really awesome summer, but I really wish it was here right now instead of in a week though. I wish it was here instead of me just standing on the brink looking at finals.

Feels Like Summer

It is a really good feeling when it feels like summer, and there are always these little signs that make me switch my mind from spring into full-blown summer mode. Sometimes this can be a bit of a problem when it starts feeling like summer in March and there's still several months of school left. Not good. 

It feels like summer because I know that school will soon be over. Teachers are talking about finals pretty much every class, my SAT is a week from today, senior graduation is also in a week, we've had our final concert (it went really well!), we've hit our last long weekend, and teachers are starting to tell us we need to start studying for our final. It also makes me really really happy that I shouldn't have to have some of my teachers ever again. Which is good.

It also feels like summer because of what I'm wearing. I'm routinely walking around in flip flops, skinny jeans with the bottoms rolled up and cute summer tops. Light and floaty and summer-y. Awesome.

I think that the biggest indicator for me though, is that heavenly summer smell that drifts through my window. You know....the one that smells like grass and sun and wind and dirt and grills and amazingness? It is probably my most favorite smell. Just beautiful.

What makes you feel like it's summer?

Hello 8-0-0

(And just a note on the above image....I HATE pink. But it finally didn't rain today so I felt springy and needing some pink in my post)

But aside from pink.....HAPPY 800th POST ON TREBLE CLEF!!!!!!!

This is exciting, my 800th post. It's certainly a landmark! 800 posts, two and a third years of action, 164 followers, Treble Clef is booming, and it will only continue to get even better and better.

So, yay me, yay Treble Clef, yay awesome followers.

I'm not going to be doing anything special for this occasion, but there are several things that I'd like to put into this post.

First, I know my posts have been a little less regular than usual. This is just due to a slightly more boring and less exciting life this past week. I dunno how it happened....but relaxing was pretty good. And I went onto Netflix and started watching Glee. I'm now a Glee addict....what can I say? It's hilarious! Anyway, I should be posting more this week because my life gets busier and more exciting again. Tomorrow, my church is having an all-church game of capture the flag, which should be awesome. Monday I've got jazz and it's back to the marching band to to get ready for the parade next Monday, Thursday I have what will be an epic spring concert, and Memorial day weekend is big because of the parade and also I START DRIVER'S ED. Awesomeness. It should be a good week. I'm hoping for minimal homework, as I still need to be reading my one section a day for that SAT of mine.

So I should be posting more :)

More stuff about this blog is....

I have sent an email to my dear friend Olivia, who does all the designing for Treble Clef about a new summer design, *update* She has agreed to my request and will be creating a new look very soon!

 Speaking of summer, I have an important announcement to make.

I am going to be away from home pretty much all but like four days from June 26-July 31 and I don't want to leave the blog inactive, so I'm looking for a multitude of guest posters for that time period. Email me at trebleclefblog@gmail.com if you are interested!

I think that's all, once again, happy 800!

Now, I Long For Summer

It's that time of year again. The time of year when I'm sick of being cold, I'm tired of school, and would just like winter to hurry up and end already.

Of course, I'd like the snow to stick around (at least up north) for another week for our annual skiing trip to Saddleback, (YAY!!!), and it would be nice if it was snowy on my birthday, the 28th, but after that? 

The snow can go and leave, and time needs to skip to April vacation, so there's not a lot of school left.

And it's warm for once.

Another thing that's made me wish for summer is that yesterday, Pilgrim Lodge signups opened, and naturally I pestered my parents into signing me up last night. 

This makes me long for summer even more.

So basically, I want to be here next week:

(not my images)

And then immediately after....I'd like to be here:

(Also not my images)

bAck 2 skoOl

Oh. My. Gosh. It is SO HOT OUTSIDE. I believe that it got up to 102 degrees tonight.......and I was outside at marching band!!!! Yay!!!!!! (Please note that I was being sarcastic there. It was painful.) And you know what? SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW. Tomorrow, I'm a freshman! And you know what? I really don't know how to get to any of my classes. Amazing. Anyway, I haven't shared any pictures lately so here are a few of my school stuff.

It's the last night of summer vacation. And tomorrow is a new beginning.

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

Today my immediate family and my grandmother went to a Sea Dogs game! The Sea Dogs being an affiliate of the Red Sox, I put on my Jacoby Ellsbury shirt and snagged XanFan's Boston cap. (and my ticket of course)

Before the game started, I took some pics around the stadium.

If a Sea Dog makes it to the big leagues, they get their name up in the park.

The umpires and captains had their meeting at the plate...

And I snapped a photo of the infielders right after the national anthem.

Then the game began!

Right off the bat (hey, that's funny!) a member of the opposing team hit a foul ball into the parking lot- right into some poor person's windshield!

After the first inning, Slugger made his tour around the warning track.

During the course of the game, each of us ate a Sea Dog Biscuit. (as usual) Yum!

We had lots of strikeouts!

The score was back and forth the whole time- making it a very exciting game, but in eleven innings the Sea Dogs finally prevailed with a final score of 7-6.

So with the win, the lighthouse in center field popped up to celebrate the victory.

The Sea Dogs were very happy to win, and it sure was a fun game to watch!

It's raining now, which is good for the soil because we haven't gotten a lot of rain this summer. It's kinda nice 'cause I can wear sweatpants and cozy up with a book and some hot chocolate. The season- it is a'changing.

Slipping Away...

I. Am. Flabbergasted. (Haha. I love using that word) I go back to school two weeks from tomorrow. Ahhh! Where on earth has this beautiful summer gone? Like, I'm up at my grandparents for a few days and then marching band starts next Monday (so excited) and the first day of high school on September 1st. Like WOW. But really, I am so not ready to think about school quite yet. So here's a quick recipe for a yummy summertime drink that is really easy to make and that I love. I don't want to let go of summer quite yet.

Cornet Crazie's Recipe for

Easy (yet delicious) Iced Tea

First, boil a bunch of water, and wash a container that can hold hot liquid.

When the water boils, pour it out into your container (it really can be any size)

Next take tea bags of your favorite black tea. Red Rose and Lipton work well. If you are using a small/medium/large container, put in 3/4/5 tea bags and put on the cover.

Steep for 5 minutes, then take out tea bags.

Fill a glass with ice and pour. (It's OK if it's still very hot- the ice will cool it immediatly)

Add lemon, raspberry, and sugar to taste.

For a yummy twist on the concoction, pour half the glass with lemonade and the other with the iced tea.

Also, I changed my signature and I LOVE it. It's really close to my own handwriting.

Hello Lobster in the Mirror

Well, you can certainly tell that I've been at the beach the past three days, that's for sure. Even though it's been nice and warm at home, my body hasn't actually looked like it was summer until now. Pretty pale with now freckles to speak of. Pretty odd, actually. But then you stick me out on a beach for three days, about four plus hours per day and finally I look like it's summer.

 No more white- or at least, not a lot :) Course, it's not like deep tan, but I sure do like a darker color now that it's summer and all.

But the heat and sun can also make you look quite lobster-like, even if you re-apply the sunscreen. So half of me is red, and the other half is tan.

And my face has popped out into millions of freckles. Especially on the nose.

And the hunmidity does make my hair frizz, but when the sun catches it, it looks more like deep auburn than brown which is nice.

So lobster-ness is annoying but basically, I'm glad that I'm finally catching up to summer. :)

 

Packing, Packing.......Laundry.

So tomorrow we leave on our trip. And today, I've spent the day doing *drumroll* laundry! Fun, fun! You know it's really not THAT bad. I'd much rather be doing laundry than say, cleaning. (shudders) But there's still A LOT to do before we leave, especially for me because I'm packing for two weeks instead of just the one. Why? 'Cause week-after-next I'm at PL again! (This summer is flying by waaaaay to fast. September first is looming just around the corner) But never fear, you don't have to go without me for two whole weeks, only the second one, because my mom is bringing her laptop on the trip. (Phew!) Wow, this is random. The laundry must be getting to me ;)

A Contest Entry

Hello everyone! Not much to report- just another lazy summer day! My mom and I rode our bikes down to the beach for a little while but it was REALLY hot so we came back pretty quickly :) Anyway.....

Hannah @ My Nutty Life is having a photography contest with the theme of Summer Fun! The grand prize is a blog makeover by Olive Tree, and I'd just love it if I was able to win and have a fall look on the way for September. (Please vote on the new poll!) Here's my picture:

This picture really sums up summer fun for me. First of all, it's water and that IS where I seem to spend a whole lot of my time during the summer. What can I say? I love the beach, I love the sting of the salt, I love waves crashing on me and the sand, I love splashing my friends (even if it means getting splashed back), boogie boarding and bodysurfing. But this picture, while it isn't calm water, it doesn't show roaring waves either. It's simply a ripple splashing on the shore. To me this is playful and free- just like summer. A time where you can kick back, relax, and just have some time to be yourself. There's no school, there's nothing to worry about, you can just let go. 

Go on.

Have some fun and be free.

Be YOU.

So that's it for that! Did I tell you that my family is going on a trip next week? It's not much (and I'll have the laptop- yay!) but we're going to Maryland to see family, D.C. to see family and sight-see, Delaware to see family, Philadelphia to see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and finishing up the week with some time down in Cape May! (to see family) We're going to leave after XanFan's camp gets out on Friday and the worst part of it will be the first drive from here to Maryland- 12 hours. (or thereabouts) Ouch....

a day at the park

A few days before I left for band camp, me, XanFan, and my mom met up my my aunt and two little cousins, Sammy and Millie. I took some pictures, and so I thought that I might share the best ones with you.

We were just playing in the grass and on the swings at first, and these two cuties were full of energy!

Millie pointed out a seagull to me, so I snapped a few pics of him.

After playing in the big field for a while, we walked down the short distance to the rocky beach.

XanFan loves skipping rocks- and is very good at it too!

These last two pictures are definitely my favorites! This first one is a wave crashing up onto some rocks.

We had such a fun couple of hours! (I love getting to play with my cousins)

Finally I took this final picture of a ripple splashing on the shore. I just love it!

PS: check out my new profile pic!