Patriotism and the American Dream

Made this yummy patriotic trifle on the 4th of July and I forgot to blog about! It's too pretty to not share with all of you, so I thought I'd at least put a couple pictures on here and give everyone an update on life and things that have been happening in the Black household as of late. 

The trifle itself is just a vamped up version of my classic Strawberry Creme Trifle. Add a few blueberries and it's pure patriotism in a bowl! And take my word for it, this recipe is foolproof and is the best trifle you will ever eat (and you will say that every. single. time. you take a bite). If you don't have a trifle bowl, just serve the cake in slices and top with the fruit and whipped cream. Doesn't get much simpler than that!

On to life...

Michael and I are still in our house search and at times it is disappointing, exhausting, and grueling. We've been searching for only 2 months now, so I have to keep reminding myself of that fact when I have frustrating days that try my patience. We've found a couple homes that we have liked and placed offers on, but things just have not worked out or we've felt like they weren't the right places for us when it all came down to details. 

We're struggling finding cute homes with character, when really the type of homes we would LOVE to live in don't really exist out here in Utah. We have always said that someday we think we might move back out East as neither of us were raised here in the West and we just love the green, larger lots, trees, and home styles out there (think Colonial, Victorian).

I actually did something torturous to myself the other day and looked up homes for sale in North Carolina (just for fun, HA) and found hundreds that we would be happy to live in, with price ranges and lots that made us drool. Ah, c'est la vie! Not meant to be right now, but maybe someday! As for now, we're still on the search and have really narrowed down where we would like to live, so it's a waiting game to see what comes on the market every day. Hopefully August will be a promising month!

 

Among other updates...something related to the American dream...I finally have jobs! And yes, I did say jobs as in plural. I have joined The Music Studio in West Jordan and will be teaching private voice lessons there one afternoon a week. The great thing is that they will do all the advertising and recruiting and basically I do what I do best (teach) and let them send students my way.

And as for the second job...I will be contracting with a local hospice company here in Utah to provide music therapy services! This employment I am super stoked about because I basically created it out of thin air. I actually was never sure I'd be able to make this happen here in Utah, where music therapy can be so behind compared to the rest of the country. But, I got in there, did some proposal pitching, talked to all the right people, and they were convinced to add music therapy as one of their provided services to patients!

I'm not going to name the company yet, as I haven't officially signed paperwork, but let's just say that they are one of the most forward thinking hospices I have ever encountered. It took some searching to find the right place, and I do believe, that after a short period of time, they will truly see the benefit in music therapy and will seek to expand its availability to patients they serve. Everyone I have spoken to has been so excited to have me be a part of the company and have put their hearts (and money) behind it!

So YAY for music therapy being awesome and for people who believe in it and what it can do for hospice patients. I feel like I have found the place where I can truly grow as a music therapist and do what I love the most, which is sharing and using music to enrich the lives of others! Life is good.