We've turned 15 this year

[wiseheart]

I mean my primary choir, the one where I'm a founding member. Our choir leader chose not to make a big celebration - it isn't a round number, after all - but E, our choir secretary and I thought that she'd deserve at least a small gift for her hard work with us through a decade and a half. So I made her a Christmas/15th anniversary journal, and we'll give it her after the last choir practice of the year, which is next week.

The front (just a piece of music-themed scrapbook paper and a felt angel, nothing fancy):



Inside (the card on the left has been hand-stitched by yours truly):



Inside (the round thingy is one of my recycled, glass-painted CDs, the one with the little bells because, yeah, music... The inscription says: "A good choir leader is like a pearl - rare, precious and hard to find."):



The choir credo (It says: In vino veritas, in brandy felicitas, in choir - Both!):



Choir rules:



On the left side: The basic rules of choir singing
§1: The choir leader is always right.
§2: If the choir leader isn't right, apply automatically §1.

On the right side: The ars poetica of the choir leader
I lead.
You follow.
Any more questions?

I didn't take a photo of the back cover, since it's the same as the front, just without any adornments.

Other than that, we had a visit from the chiropodist, which ate all morning, but I still managed not only to make the above journal but also finished Bärli #1 (photos coming up) and made some more Santa's socks. Oh, and we also had choir practice today!

Comments

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

How lovely. She is going to love that!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I hope so. Considering that I had but a couple of hours to cobble it together (save for the internet research), it turned out well enough.

[artemis10002000]

Wow, 15 years! Congratulations to you and your choir! And the card is utterly gorgeous, like all your craft.

My favorite is the embroidery, btw!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That embroidery pattern is really lovely. I made that card a few years ago, just because I wanted to try out the pattern and couldn't bring myself to give it away until now.

[artemis10002000]

Yeah, I can absolutely understand that, it is such a lovely work. But this is a very good occasion to finally part with it.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

My thoughts exactly. Besides, I still have the pattern, so I can stitch a new one eventually, if I feel like it.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

What a lovely idea. She will be thrilled.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That is my hope, too. BTW, your Russian dolls are on their way. I hope they won't fall into the Channel or whatnot.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Congrats!
And that little book is gorgeous.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I tried my best in the short time I had at my disposal.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

What a marvelous gift! She will treasure it. So many beautiful pages and lovely thoughts! And some humor, too. And Latin!

And I was able to make out two words in the Hungarian, which isn't much but I was excited about it. :-) I recognized "mint" as "like" from learning how to spell in Hungarian ("A mint Anna" and so on) - that came in very handy with the taxi driver who took us to the airport to go home, so we could tell him clearly what terminal we wanted! That was the only time we ordered a taxi--the public transportation in Budapest was fantastic.

And I recognized "ketto" from one of the first sentences I learned--I'm sorry, I learned it phonetically by listening to CDs, so I can't type it, but the sentence was, "Two glasses of wine, please." It seemed like a very useful one! Actually, I think I used "Hol van a W.C.?" more often.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Well, at least you know a few words in Hungarian, which is more than many non-Hungarians can say about themselves. The word 2 is written "kettő", BTW, but your keyboard might not have the right letters for it.

You are right, our public transportation is still really good, despite the increased number of personal cars. That is one of the reasons why I never learned how to drive.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

The word 2 is written "kettő", BTW, but your keyboard might not have the right letters for it.

I might be able to find the diacritical marks using "insert symbol" from Word, but I would have had to look the word up first--I learned Hungarian phonetically by listening to CDs and podcasts, so I am functionally illiterate in it, alas! And looking it up seemed like cheating, since it would look as if I knew more than I really do. :-)

which is more than many non-Hungarians can say about themselves

I did learn, when I was there, that Hungarians were very surprised that I could speak even a little Hungarian. I listened to teach-yourself-Hungarian CDs at lunch during the fall before we went, and I could say a number of preset sentences (like "The weather is nice today!") and also put together some simple sentences. The manager at the B&B where we stayed asked if my parents were from Hungary, because Americans just don't speak any Hungarian otherwise.

I had read beforehand that Hungarians are not patient with people who don't speak Hungarian fluently because so few people even bother to try, so they are not used to people stumbling around awkwardly in the language. That was SO NOT TRUE! Everyone was extremely kind and helpful.

The sentence I used the most often, I believe, was - please forgive my spelling - something like "elnezest, czak egkiget bessilek magyarul." Because I would say something and people would answer me in Hungarian at a mile a minute--which was very flattering!--and when I explained that I only spoke a little bit, they would switch to English and be just as friendly.

I loved Budapest! Someday I hope to visit again and get to meet you!!! I've forgotten a lot of the Hungarian I had learned, but I will brush up on it again. And of course, your English is superb.


Visiting the Legionary Baths at the Fürdő Múzeum. It was cold but I didn't care--the Roman ruins were fantastic!

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I hope you'll manage to hop over the pond during my lifetime. Meeting you in person would be grand.

[meathiel]

That's a nice sentiment to give the choir leader something, even if it's not a "round" anniversary. :-)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

She is a lovely person whose work goes mostly unappreciated by Boss Woman (and don't we know the feeling!), so we thought she ought to know that at least some people are grateful for all the things she does.

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

What a lovely little gift. :)

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Not bad for something cobbled together yesterday morning. Not perfect, but it looks well enough. And she'll understand the sentiment behind it.

[manue7a.livejournal.com]

That stitching, wow.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I worked on that a great deal a few years ago. Which is why I still had the card... I couldn't give it up easily. *g*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

The books you make are so very lovely - you have such a skill.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I do enjoy my crafting a great deal, but it will be nice to have a break once the fair is over.

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

I'm sure the choir director will love the journal, glad you guys recognized her even on the odd year.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

We'll see in Tuesday. But I hope, too, that she'll like it.