Life does go on

Yesterday, we did a lot of running around to help the Loesch family with preparations. Today, we did our work more quietly over here: We're helping arrange the music for the service, as well as loading up an ipod for the reception afterward. For the service, it's two not-too-well known songs, so I had to scramble to find sheet music and cue audio for the talent, but thanks to Schmitt Music and the Internet, it was all findable.

For the reception, I've been asked to put together a few hours of "Very Mark Music" - so Prefab Sprout, Thomas Dolby, Depeche Mode, The Blue Nile, and even Fatboy Slim will be in there: It's what he loved, so we'll respect him with his favorite music. But i can't promise it'll be somber. It won't be. I'm loving listening to these songs and thinking of Mark at my side, giving the thumbs up or thumbs down.

One of our great moments together was at the Stardust Lanes many years ago: I ripped out a karaoke version of "The Reflex" by duranduran, which left Mark gasping for air. I've been asked to bring that back to the reception if possible. Thanks again to the internet, I now have Karaoke software on this little Mac of mine, and the appropriate music and graphics files. I kept looking for stuff, and I'm afraid I might need to have a karaoke party, now that I have everything we need...

Now, in the Life Goes On category:

Today, I needed a date with Bella, so we went off to the Burrito Store, and then off to Guitar Center. She is still loving the 3/4 size acoustic guitar the most... but seems unwilling to acknowledge that the frets exist, so I think it'll be another year before she starts guitar lessons... or maybe not. Who knows. She does get such a happy look on her face when she strums.

On the way out, she let loose with this:
- What if I had a hundred million eyes? Like my entire body was eyes?
- I'd sure be doing a lot of blinking.
- I bet even my brain would be blinking.
- I'd need to have eyeballs on my clothes too. To match.

This morning when she woke up, before anything else she insisted on getting out her paints and did three very intense paintings - one blue one was all whorls and it was a choppy ocean. An all green one had three distinct brush textures at play in it. The third was a series of colored bands and boxes - an abstract. Once those were painted, THEN she'd consider eating something. She's got quite a brain on her, this girl.

And finally, a factoid:
Tarantulas were thought to be rare, but it turns out they're just nocturnal so people don't see them so much. In the Amazonian rainforest, there is one tarantula every square yard. So basically every step you make, there's another tarantula nearby. I am so NEVER going to the rainforest. (This fact courtesy of the DiscoveryHD show "Insectia" which I completely love, despite my fear of bugs).