Skip to main content

Confessions of a Diva

I feel great! I feel better than I’ve felt in months! Friday night I cranked up the stereo, broke out the cleaning supplies, and started to work. I managed to get the kitchen and living room done before the smells and dust got to me. And I sang. I sang, panting sometimes from the cleaning stuff, but I belted out the words to some of my favorite songs as if I were on Broadway. I’m sure my neighbors really enjoyed the show!

But, after my neighbor’s party the other night, his big screen television with person-sized speakers (in a little apartment) and his own singing kicks – I figure paybacks are hell buddy.

So, this is my confession for the week. I love to sing. Mind you I don’t really have a voice, or any musical talent to speak of – but when I’m feeling down singing almost always makes me feel better. How can you be depressed and sing at the same time? And Friday night I was so happy to have the energy to do more than be an ornament on my couch that I couldn’t help but sing.

Oh how I envy people with nice voices. Mine is mediocre. It’s okay, but not great. With a little training it might be better, but my musical career came to an abrupt halt in the ninth grade.

When I was younger I was very involved with several choirs. In junior high I was part of a youth choir that went on tour all over the country in the summer. I used to make the neighborhood kids sit and endure my “performances” just sure that one day I’d do this singing thing for real.

But, when I arrived at Osterholz American High School, it didn’t take long to figure out the choir just wasn’t very good. People probably would have paid us not to perform. The debate program however (Model United Nations and Model Senate) was very good and they got to travel. So, it wasn’t long before I chucked singing in exchange for debate trips all over Europe.

I’ve been on a Nicole Nordeman kick lately. I love her voice. She also has a number of songs that I like because they aren’t quite your usual contemporary Christian sugary sweetness. Many of her songs depict a kind of human frailty that, to me, seems so much more honest.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ratner's Cheesecake

Here's another recipe from Toby! Thanks Toby......and I'll get the others posted soon! Ratner's Cheesecake and plain cookies Ratner's was a Jewish dairy restaurant in the lower East Side of Manhattan. This recipe, from my disintegrating, no longer in print Ratner's cookbook, is the closest I've ever gotten to reproducing the rich, heavy cheesecake my mother made when I was a kid. It's worth the time it takes to prepare and every last calorie. Dough Can be prepared in advance. Makes enough for two cakes. Can be frozen or used to make cookies – see recipe below. 1 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup shortening 1 teaspoon lemon extract 1 cup butter 2 eggs 3 cups sifted cake flour ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients with hands. Refrigerate 3 -4 hours, or preferably overnight. Filling (for

The next generation with Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome

I'm so behind on posting about the trip to Puerto Rico. Since the episode of Mystery Diagnosis on Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome ran right after we got home, it's been a little busy. These, however, are my favorite pictures from Puerto Rico. I know, not pretty senery etc - but these little guys and gals inspire me. They are the next generation of folks with HPS, and if we keep up the hard work, they will live better lives because of it. They motivate me.

Some good news about Pirfenidone

Below is a press release from Intermune, the company that makes Pirfenidone. They have essentially reviewed the various clinical trials going on, and decided that Pirfenidone is safe and well tolerated. That would pretty much go along with what we've observed in the HPS community as well. We have a few folks that have been on the drug since the late 90s and continue to do well. Of course, as a journalist, I do have to say consider the source - but at the same time, as someone in a Pirfenidone trial, it's good to know. Results of Comprehensive Safety Analysis of pirfenidone In IPF Patients Presented At European Respiratory Meeting - Analysis shows safety and tolerability of pirfenidone across four clinical trials - VIENNA, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- InterMune, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITMN ) today announced that the results of a comprehensive review of safety data from four clinical studies were presented at the 2009 European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria