Cache of the Day - Music Education

Music in schools often seems such an afterthought, so it is especially exciting to have the opportunity to enhance the educational experience. The Bloomington Symphony Orchestra has always had educational outreach as part of its mission, and our recent weekend of Young People's Concerts is an important component to achieve that mission.

In addition to having high school music students from both Bedford and Bloomington sit side-by-side with BSO players, the BSO also holds a Concerto Competition for regional high school students. The winner plays their concerto at a BSO concert in front of a live and very appreciative audience. Our Concerto Competition winner here, violinist Zoe Martin-Doike, played a Sibelius concerto and was simply amazing!

For high school students to say, after the concert, "That was really neat" is a testament to how neat it really is!

Cache of the Day - Tapping into Untapped Potential

I'm a pretty good singer, and quite an accomplished flute player. My acting skills can pass, although I won't win any awards. But for all these dramatic talents, I never could get the hang of dancing. Coordinating legs and arms and torso and feet and hands and head with any sort of a beat is not a natural ability. So, I decided to do something about it. I joined a tap class.

This is my third year and, while I have not improved my skills all that much, I do have a ton of fun. Our group is called "The Klassy Kats" and we are, as you can see from these pictures, not exactly young kids.

We are preparing for our recital in May (I've included some shots from last year's recital) and, for the first time (at least for me), we are doing a kick line.

Watch out Rockettes!

Cache of the Day - Appreciating the Unappreciated

Having grown up in Phoenix and subsequently moving to the temperate climate of southern California, I have had a hard time adjusting to the "seasons" of the Midwest.

Just today I had several "near misses" while driving on icy city streets. I couldn't find a parking space in a lot that usually has plenty of spaces - unless there are snow piles in them. I even got stuck going up a hill. A friendly neighbor tried to help by pushing my car, but to no avail. I used about half a tank of gas to finally force my way out.



And then there's the cold. My run was cut short today by freezing temperatures and snowy paths that I could only walk on. I've not done a good job of acquiring proper gear for the winter, so my thin bikers pants quickly became merely a sheet against the biting wind.



But despite all the inconveniences, nothing can compare to the beauty that has been provided. I snapped these shots outside my workplace. I actually walked outside - once again without the proper attire - and wobbled in my stilettos through the snow to capture these images.



While these pictures don't do any justice to what I saw, know that the branches of these trees reminded me of Christmas. The grove was filled with twinkling icicles that glittered in the sun like thousands of tiny lights.

And I just snapped this sunset shot from my front door.




And I did startle a herd of white tail deer on my run today. They scampered away at first, but then stopped and watched me carefully as I passed on the path.





Topping off the day: this crackling fire and a glass of chardonnay.

There may be a lot I don't appreciate about Midwest winters, but I do appreciate the beauty that surrounds them!

Cache of the Day - Professional Networking

I used to not see the value of it, but I now know that contacts with professionals, in various types of industries and roles, is an invaluable way to plug into people that can add value to your career and your future opportunities.

Yesterday I participated in the Indiana State SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) Leadership Conference. As a member of the Board for our local chapter, SCIHRA (see the link to the left), I was invited to attend and to network with members of other chapters. Not only did I pick up some great ideas from other chapters from the state (I'm the VP of Membership for SCIHRA, so I focused on my counterparts from other chapters), but I also had the opportunity to connect with others that may at some point have a need for the services I provide through Employment Plus.

In addition to quite an extensive involvement in this organization, I also attend Chamber of Commerce functions for the Bloomington area, as well as Chambers in some of the other markets that Employment Plus is in. I have had several leads from my connections to these organizations and we've actually closed quite a bit of business, simply as a result of the people who I have met.

I'd like to hear of ways that others have made successful connections through networking. What has worked for you and what kinds of results have you seen?

Here are some photos of people I otherwise wouldn't have met, and who have sent business my way:

(TOP) Me with Chris Schrader, the current President of SCIHRA, and the VP-HR for AuthorHouse. I am in fact getting "schradered" in this picture.

(NEXT) My friend and co-trainer Sharon McGuire. She assists GREATLY with the membership committee at SCIHRA, and we also are both members of CIASTD (see link to left). Sharon has her own training company "Above and Beyond Workplace Training"

(NEXT) My friend Kyle hosting the HR Games at Indiana University - she's actually the "Alex Trebeck" for the games that were held yesterday. Kyle used me a lot in her role as HR Manager for NextWave Management Group.

(BOTTOM) I met Ryan Bass when I worked at Sunrise, and we still catch up at local events, such as this recent Chamber After Hours. Ryan now heads up Marketing for Walnut Grove Spring Water.

Cache of the Day - Running with Gracie

Just ask Gracie, "Wanna go for a run?" and you will see the most excited, jumbly, happy, vocal dog I know. She loves it. It makes me happy to make her happy. I don't know if it's the actual running, the fact that I'm excited, getting in the car, going to a new place, the exploration, or the actual run, but I know she likes it when I ask her that question.

I wish I could get inside a dog's head and know.

Here I am with Gracie (above) and here's a picture of my friend Deb with her dog Abbey (left).

I did learn a little dog/cat theology at church today.

A dog says: "You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, You must be God".

A cat says: "You pet me, you feed me, you shelter me, you love me, I must be God".

I swear, Gracie does think I am God. Kinda cool.

Cache of the Day - Super Colts!

I've seen it posted everywhere. Colts won the Super Bowl, and of course this was exciting news to most who live in the environs of Indianapolis.

We had a fun time at the SuperBowl party. Here's a shot of the screen we got to see the game on at the Clubhouse.

And here's my favorite picture of the Colts, taken after the game. Puts priorities in perspective.

Cache of the Day - Friends Who Call You Out

Ladies and Gentlemen! Let me introduce to you Mr. R. Dale Preston! Blog Critic and Monitor! Yes, he may look like a nice guy, especially as he assumes his ruse by posing with a couple of man's best friends, but don't let this "canine closeness" fool you! He will indeed be monitoring your blog and calling out your inconsistencies in postings!

So, with this pressure in mind, I have in fact succumbed and am posting today, if only to appease RDP.

Seriously, I LIKE people to hold me accountable, and here is one thing I can say about Dale: You can ALWAYS depend on him to say exactly what is on his mind. You know EXACTLY how he feels about you. And he will call it out as he sees it.

Oh, and I also know he LOVES dogs. For real.

Dale is my kind of guy. Loud, obnoxious, and incredibly lovable. He makes me laugh. Even when he calls me out for missing a few days on my blog. I love this guy!