Ideas.

We’re a nation of ideas because of free speech. We have the right to disagree, we have the right to agree, we have the right to make up our minds or to change them. We don’t have to be afraid if we come up with something new. New is not dangerous.

I thank God that Americans don’t have reason to fear if they come up with new ideas or have dissenting opinions.

Imagine if  Thomas Edison had been afraid to voice his opinion for a light bulb? He challenged the status quo that had been in place for thousands of years. He demoted candles as the supreme light-givers to modern humanity. If his idea for the light bulb had been deemed as “dangerous” by the political machine, we wouldn’t even have an object to symbolize ideas!

The value of an idea lies in the using of it.

-Thomas Edison

We’d have to use candles to symbolize ideas (Or something like that)… And that’s really just not as nifty. So thanks to free speech, we can now use light bulbs to universally communicate new ideas to the world. You can thank America for that. (And Thomas Edison, of course.)

Nearly every man who develops an idea works it up to the point where it looks impossible, and then he gets discouraged. That’s not the place to become discouraged.

-Thomas Edison

Image used in this article by: Victor Bezrukov

I can find some things to say about being single based on just matching up a pair of songs. I attribute this to being Sicilian… Stick with me here. And I promise, this does tie into the socks.

You shouldn’t define yourself by your relationship status. You should define yourself by the status your relationship with Jesus Christ. With Him, you’re never “alone”. If you don’t have a good relationship with Jesus and yet you’re married, you can feel far more alone than if you’re single… Don’t believe me? Just look at all the broken Hollywood marriages. Sometimes the Hollywoodies seem more miserable together rather than alone. It’s a sad thing.

On a cuter note, I found the missing match to a pair of socks I just adore… They have adorable little lamb-y things on them and I was always very sad that I had never found the other sock to match! I would find each separate sock in random places, but never together… Thankfully though, yesterday, I found the other sock and the two were reunited! It made me everso happy… Probably because it reminded me of how, if we wait long enough for just the right person (Or, er, sock in this case), God will unite us with our match… I put out a Tweet, inspired by the reuniting of a pair of socks, saying:

Being single is a lot like being a lone sock… Someday you’ll find your match, they’re just lost somewhere in the dryer for right now.

There you go. Now you see how inspiring socks can be. Just don’t go looking in the dryer for a date though. I have a feeling that won’t really yield good results.

First off, I was all decked out in my Irish garb today… “Everyone Loves an Irish Girl”, quite fitting, yes? (No pun intended.)

I wanted to make some Cheddar Potato Chowder (Irish style) but ran out of time to prepare dinner in a timely manner, so I will try that tomorrow. If anyone is interested in making a belated Irish soup, here is the recipe! This is from the Idaho Potato Commission.

3 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 medium-size carrots, pealed and diced
2 medium-size ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 cups milk
2 cups water
4 medium-size Idaho Potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 chicken-flavor bouillon cubes or envelopes
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

In 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt margarine. Add carrots, celery and onion, cook until tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, dry mustard, paprika and pepper; cook 1 minute.
Gradually add milk, water, potatoes and bouillon. Bring to a boil over high heart, reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Remove saucepan from heat; add cheese and stir just until melted. Top each serving with crumbled bacon and chopped chives, if desired.

And hopefully it’ll turn out deliciously tomorrow! Let me know if you make this too. Post photos, let me know how it tasted, all that good stuff.

St. Patrick’s Day always instills a bit of pride in me because of my Irish last name - Nagle! Most people assume it is German, but no, my friends, it is of Irish descent. My great great great great great errr… Yeah, my great-something-grandfather from about the 1700s was a true Irish rebel! Forgive me, I may be messing up a few details of my family heritage, but here is the main story… My great great (something) grandfather, his name was Richard Nagle and he was from County Cork, Ireland. He was a Catholic who rebelled against the Protestants, and he was considered a governmental terrorist and was smuggled into Canada by the help of Edmund Burke. He went on to move to central Pennsylvania, fought in the Revolutionary war, set up a homestead, escaped attacks by Indians and was considered a local hero in Cambria County. Oh, he is also a relative of Nano Nagle, who set up the very first Catholic school! And there is a tidbit of Irish history for you.

How about some Irish sayings and quotes?! I just love sayings!

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

A closed mouth–a wise head.

A fool and his money are easily parted.

A hut is a palace to a poor man.

A little of anything isn’t worth a pin; but a wee bit of sense is worth a lot.

Don’t rest your eyes beyond what is your own.

Don’t tell your secret even to a fence.

Never put off tomorrow what you can do today.

No-one is ever poor who has the sight of his eyes and the use of his feet.

Wisdom is what makes a poor man a king, a weak person powerful, a good generation of a bad one, a foolish man reasonable.

The best looking-glass is the eyes of a friend

Heres one more Irish saying! “Poor is the church without music.” The same goes for a blog entry! So here are two Irish songs for your listening pleasure: “Be Thou My Vision” and “Peg O’ My Heart” (A personal favorite of my Grandma Peggy… Who was not Irish, but still, part of her name was in there!)

I think I yammered on enough about all things Irish… That’s all for me for now. But remember, “All happy endings are beginnings as well!”

I seriously think we need a day honoring Sicilians. When is that? Hmm……..

Hey. Private eyes. They’re watching you… And you asked for it. No, this doesn’t have anything to do with conspiracy theories, Big Brother, Joseph Stalin and the Communists or the novel 1984 by the brilliant George Orwell. It has everything to do with a website you’re consciously signed up for and advertised your life on…

Everyone seems to wish to become a larger than life reality TV star on Facebook. No one seems to care that their private lives are on display, like a circus for all to see. Are you trying to create your own gossip website about yourself, people? Seriously. It looks like it by all of the crazy statuses you’re posting about yourself.

“O.M.G. I am sooo mad @ him he is making me soo mad i hate himm”

“i am tired of everyone being jerks! u all kno who u r!” (This oddball may also even post the names of people upsetting them.)

“i love this girl soo much she is my world” Blah blah, include a lot more romantic details and such…

And let’s point the big, fat white elephant out in the room here. All of the stupid pictures of yourself drinking and looking like a fool are not flattering. Who do you think you are? Kim Kardashian? P Diddy? Do you think you are glamorous or cool by doing this? (They’re not people to emulate, by the way.)

We seem to have an attention hog generation, whose addiction is promoting their entire lives to the world. It’s as if they are on their own stage, not even caring who knows every detail about their lives. Generations before us seemed to understand that creating your own rumors was a dumb idea… We humans thrive on gossip and seeing the demise of others when we often feel terrible about our own lives. That’s not an idealistic concept to assume such things but it is the truth.

(Great Grandma Sandra and my Grandpa)

A few weeks ago, my Sicilian Grandpa gave me some advice about being private - for your own good. His mother, Sandra, who emigrated from Sicily to America when she was in her 20s, told him that: “You shouldn’t tell everyone about everything that is happening in your life.” He continued with what else she told him, saying, “They may act like they care when they ask you what you’re doing, but as soon as they’ll listen to you, they’ll turn around and use what you told them against you. You can’t trust everyone.”

And believe me, a full blooded Sicilian would know the meaning of trust… And betrayal. Don’t believe me?

Two words: The Godfather. Sometimes I wonder if Don Corleone was an influence on my Grandpa. Anyway, I digress… Really, people don’t change. Even if my grandma gave that advice to my grandpa 60 years ago (Before Facebook, computers and even LCD alarm clocks), it still stands today. People don’t change much.

It’s not to say you should go live in a cave and not share anything about your life with anyone… I have a Facebook account also, to keep in touch with family and friends easily and make new friends. But you have to be careful about what you share. Some say you shouldn’t have anything to hide about your life, which is true, but your most intimate thoughts should not be broadcasted on the internet for the world to see. (It’s called a journal, people).

I mean even when I was 9 years old, journals were being sold that had LOCKS on them. Now instead of locking away their most sincere ponderings of the heart in a lock and key journal, kids are now broadcoasting every whiff of the mind on the internet!

Nobody thinks that Facebook is almost like Big Brother - or private eyes. When you’re on Facebook, you should act like theres spies on the lose trying to convict you of everything. I mean, I prefer to call them Facebook creepers. They are private eyes, and they’re watching you.. Hmm. They see your every move… Watching your every move….. Hmm, I feel a song coming on!! (Surprising.)

Thank you, Hall and Oates, for practically writing the Facebook theme song in the 80s. You may have trumped Nostradomus on this one!

But, okay, the point being, any time you’re about to publicly insult your ex, or complain about how bad your mom and dad are for not letting you go see some gruesome movie - or you’re just plain ticked and feel like ranting on about anyone you please, or posting those foolish pictures of you being drunk and/or insane looking.. Remember … Private eyes, they’re watchin’ you!

Anyway… My Grandma Peggy (Margaret) learned how to crochet nearly 50 years ago, and my mom learned from her quite a few years back, too. I followed in their footsteps and learned how to crochet around the age of 10. I wanted to try it when I was 5 but mom thought, “Hooks, 5 year old child, no.” (Thanks mom for not letting me lose an eyeball.)

As I looked up the history of crochet, I realized it may be another one of those things that could be in my blood. Crochet is french for Hook… And the French frequented the practice of crocheting in the late 1800s as a way to make money. Oui oui, vous aimez les Français! That could be another reason as to why I have such an affinity to it at such a young age…? Who knows, but I obviously like to hypothesize.

It’s funny, most 19 year olds are not spending their Friday nights making sweaters for their mugs… And even still as I don’t live vicariously, I’ll end up with arthritis and health problems regardless. (Irony.) But hey, I like to keep people surprised and be a true freethinker. It’s not freethinking to go and be your typical young adult who only thinks about MTV and whatever dumb television shows are out now, and ramble on about a subject that sounds relatively intelligent, such as the rights of animals when all you are really doing is rehashing everything PETA has already said, or really over thinking something that is plainly in black and white. Like, “What is truth? Is truth the absence of lies? Or is it mostly truth with some lie?” Blah blah blah… No, that’s not being intelligent or thinking logically, that’s pseudo-intellectualism and it really has nothing to do with being intelligent, people…

Woah, sorry. Bunny trail. So instead of writing mindless blog entries about nothing that matters (Hmm), I crochet. This is what I’ve been working on lately:

It’s a “Mug Cozy”. (I call it mug sweater.) Lately (Or always), it’s been considered quite tacky to wear crocheted sweaters but cups don’t think anything of it, so I figured, why not make a few for them? They don’t complain when you stick boiling hot water in them… So they won’t mind if you stick a disgustingly tacky sweater on them either.

But come on, you know that thing it’s wearing is CUTE!

And quite frankly I’m a little OCD, so the other day I decided to crochet a coaster for my coffee to sit on so it doesn’t hurt the finish on my Viscount piano. I mean, yes, forget the fact I could be a clumsy baffoon and knock the coffee off of the ledge and onto my keys and ruin the electronics in it… I’m more worried about the warmth of the cup on the mahogany finish. Caffeine IS an addiction that alters your mind, obviously.

So that’s what is up in my life lately. I bet you didn’t know someone could write a blog entry this long based on crocheting, could you? Obviously a Sicilian could make a speech out of anything, mia amici… Anything at all. I didn’t make it into the top 5% (70 out of about 15,000) in the speech division at a national arts competition for nothing. I sure can talk. About anything.

I figure, what other reason would I have to play piano? My own fame? It is highly unlikely that I myself am the next Bach. I passed the point where I could qualify as a virtuoso years ago. Playing for someone who transcends time itself (Our Lord Jesus Christ) is the goal I should have in mind. This is the exact same goal Bach himself aimed for.

“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”

-Johann Sebastian Bach

Amen to that. Can we get a few more amens?

Bach is still heralded to this day as revolutionizing the world of music. Yes, even more so than Michael Jackson. To this day, Bach’s Mass in B Minor is considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed.

It certainly will stick with you after you hear it. I don’t know what makes Bach’s Mass in B Minor one of the greatest pieces of music ever composed… But the fact of the matter is, Bach was a revolutionary who dedicated himself wholeheartedly to the advancement of music. Not only for the delight of man but for the glory of God.

He paved the way for hundreds of other revolutionaries thereafter, and notably to a certain Frederic Chopin (Whose music I enjoy, along with other millions of Chopin admirers for sure.) Chopin would warm up before concerts by playing Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier”. He knew them all by heart. He adored the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. It seems Chopin followed in the footsteps of Bach, too!

So, to all you classically trained musicians using your talents in church - Press on my friends, by dedicating your talent first off to God, you are on your way to greatness. Keep following in the footsteps of our friend Johann Sebastian Bach!

I guess I’m supposed to give you some kind of advice as a memoir, because, er, well I can’t help but see the advice is pretty pointless. Perhaps it’s something I can take through the next decade also?

Well, on with the show. Good afternoon, 9 year old Annette! Right now I’m pretty sure you clock in at a whopping 4′3″ (IF that), and from what I remember, you count the minutes until your math homeschool work is finally over so you can work on that next comic book page. After that, you’ll probably watch your favorite cartoon (Rugrats) or listen to some techno music. Great, you are a little bundle of imaginative, creative energy that enjoys a good story. Keep it up! That’s the only thing that will keep you ahead in the coming years.

Just about everything interests you. (Except maybe sports.) That’s not going to change. You’re just going to be interested in a lot more. Right now you’re in some kind of like, sci-fi/anime/science phase. Which is good and all but because of your beloved asthma, you’ll give up the “becoming an astronaut” dream in about five years.

In fact you’re going to explore quite a few different careers in the next ten years, some of them being:

Astronaut (As mentioned)
Politician
Writer (This one’s a keeper!)
Singer (This too!)
Secret Service Agent
Comic Book Writer
Musician (Pianist, more specifically. Keep up with this one.)
Guitarist (Don’t try, you have dainty pianist fingertips.)
Violinist (Again, the dainty pianist fingertips.)
Trumpet player (Well this time it’s your dainty lungs that will hinder you from this one!)
Graphic Designer
Photographer (This will help you later!)
Webpage geek (Don’t know what else to call this. This definitely will help you. You’ll discover website designing in about a year.)

I think there is more to add there. You were crazy, pretty much. ADHD, yes? (Thank God they weren’t medicating every crazy kid yet at your age!)

Oh yeah, about the musician thing… You took guitar lessons a year ago but it wasn’t quite a sure fit. You just didn’t connect the guitar too much, huh? It’s fine. The piano is more of your perfect fit. If I’m not mistaken, you started piano lessons either last year or this year. Keep up with it. It’s a pain, I know. Note reading doesn’t make any sense yet. Remember, for the treble it’s “Every Good Boy Does Fine”… And uh…. Well, you see, you’ll get to a point someday where you’ll even forget those reminders for the bass cleft. (I just did.) But you’ll still know the notes! PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! And try to get over that whole stage fright thing. No one cares if you hit a wrong note or two.

You’re on the computer a lot. And now you’re just discovering the internet. In fact, you’ve been using computers since you were four years old. GOOD. Computers are just starting to catch on, before you know it, everyones going to be using them for just about everything. Anyone who is familiar with a computer right now while it’s primitive will have the upper hand!

And God makes sense to you. Jesus makes sense to you. He’ll always make sense to you (Even when He doesnt). So don’t ever doubt (You never will, as far as I know). Just don’t try to be perfect. You’re going to drive yourself nuts about being perfect. You’re not supposed to be… Just really close to it, that’s all. Learn to embrace your perfectionist self8 here and there.

Enjoy your time with Grandma Peggy and Pappy. They will provide wonderful memories for you, and give great advice. How lucky you have been to have all four of your grandparents for most of your life! Friends will come and go, also, but you’ll find a lot of valuable ones out of unusual circumstances. Just don’t hope for any luck in the whole dating thing when you get older. (It’s just as well, you have a lot to accomplish right now!)

Gee. I mean, sometimes I feel like I didn’t do so much as my 9-year-old self, just living in my own little dream world half the time… But you know what, you were a cool kid. Spunky, but shy. Competitive, but a great loser. Mostly unflappable and determined. Cool. I know you think about your 2009 self a lot, like, how it’s going to be so cool to be an adult and all.

Being an adult… It’s interesting to say the least.

I really feel like after the New Year begins tonight, that I should write a blog entry giving advice to myself for the next decade! Because, quite frankly, this seems rather pointless. These ten years are gone. But they were wonderfully developing for me. (Go figure, they were those crazy pre-teen and teenage years!) Thankfully, God got me through mostly unscathed… Or wait, scathed, in the best ways possible.

I actually have some old journals from 1999. I’m going to have to dig that thing up and see just how different I am.

I’m excited to see what the next ten years have to offer! Until then… See you in 2010!

Autumn in Pennsylvania

In the Mid Atlantic states, we always get a special treat every year around the end of October. It’s autumn foliage. It is the silver lining on the cloud of that big snow storm that comes billowing in as soon as October ends. I love warm colors, so it gets me very excited to see the lovely colors against the blue sky. Reds, oranges, yellows… So pleasing to the eye!

When my family and I went to Orlando this past August, we noticed how the trees are different, of course. The trees there don’t change, or lose their leaves. We thought that had to be great for you Floridians everywhere! You don’t see the trees look lifeless and barren. But my mom had made the comment, “The thing about our trees in Pennsylvania is that they’re more hardy!”

That’s true, it may not be pretty to see our dormant looking trees in winter… When everything looks so lifeless and dull, but when spring comes around, sure enough the trees come back to life… Maybe, looking even better than before. And when trees change colors in autumn, it becomes one of the most beautiful processes in nature.

God reminded me that the same is true for people. It would be nice (And probably comfortable) to be a vibrant palm tree in Florida, in the same sense it would be nice to have a life without hurtful changes… Always looking alive, beautiful and have everything under control. But the fact is, we wouldn’t be as strong. As humans, our lives should reflect more of the trees in the north. We should always be changing, growing, and shedding our old ways. As you can see, God makes it an even more beautiful process for His children than for trees. Just as those autumn leaves show their true colors through the process of moving into the hard winter times, humans show their true strength when faced with hardship and total dependence on God.

So, you summer lovers (I being one of them), remember the beautiful process of change, and dependence on God. It all brings its beautiful rewards!

Now this is slightly off topic but very on topic, I must share Nat King Cole singing “Autumn Leaves”. I’ve worked on this song before… I must dig it back out in honor of autumn. The lyrics to Autumn Leaves were originally written in French by Jacques Préver.

That was a bunny trail, but a fun illustration nonetheless. I’ve prayed about it, and thought about what I like to do, and what God has equipped me to do… And I feel He’s leading me into the arts. Of course, I’ve always been into it, but now it seems He’s specifically leading me into playing piano and acting. Oh, and writing. Because I always have something to say!

I really didn’t care much for playing piano when I first started taking lessons. It was such a chore, because I didn’t see the use for it! But somehow I was able to keep going and feel inspired by people like Rachmaninov, Chopin, Michael W. Smith and other nice pianists in their respective genres. But now it’s getting exciting! I did those competitions for the past two years, and now I have a job playing at a church. It’s been such a joy! Is it a lot of work? Yes, but that makes me appreciate the skills I build even more.

And acting? Oh, it’s just effortless, fun and never dull.

The tough part with choosing acting is, there are not a lot of opportunities to do it in the area I am at. But somehow God will make a way! I’ve played tons of different roles, and they’re always so different and fun. I’ve played Josephine March from Little Women, various characters from the book The Phantom Tollbooth, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz… The list goes on a bit. When you’re an actress, it’s like you have multiple personality disorder, but enjoy it. A lot! (You can quote me on that.)

And I don’t need to explain my love of writing! I love to tell stories, I love to write stories, I love to hear stories. Truth, fiction, in a book, in a magazine… It doesn’t matter. As long as it requires a good imagination, I’m there! I wrote my first story at the age of 4 and never came back from that place called “Creativity” ever since. Maybe I’ll share my first dabbling in writing with you someday.

And this all sounds fine and dandy, having an imagination the size of jupiter and a sixth sense for adventure… But oh, can it be done? Can it be successful? Can you do it without starving in a bad economy that’s already taxing its artists? People have told me “Oh, that’s nice, Annette… Playing piano, acting, writing… But you do realize you’d be broke! You need a back up job.”

Let me tell you something about crazy artists. They can’t have a backup job. You can’t separate a wild imagination and a passion for the arts from every day life. You can’t turn off ideas and ambition when you get up and go to work at the office all day staring at a fabricated gray cubicle and a computer screen. You can’t just ignore those ideas for the next big story, concerto or performance… Or that groundbreaking idea that can change your life could be gone forever and forgotten!

And so, there you go… Again I ask, can it be done? Good question. You and I are both going to find out in the years to come.

Oh, and a side note. I updated my About page a little bit.

Today, I’ll share with you a little work I’ve done on the piano. I’ll be posting some new piano videos within the next two weeks. I’m currently working on a jazzy version of the hymn, The Solid Rock. But here are some songs to keep you occupied in the mean time, including the song I did for competition in Orlando. Enjoy!