Uncategorized | Lauras Choice

Many of you know – my father, John Mochnick, was practically born a professional musician.

It’s truly his life’s passion and only my mother, whom he’s been happily married to for 40 something years, and his children, my brother Jonathan and yours truly, supersede his love for music. Music for him IS happiness and his dedication to his life’s passion has provided my brother and me with a strong, real life example of what living happy is all about.

Thank you Dad.

Born to my grandparents who owned a typewriter store (The Mochnick Typewriter Company) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, my Dad started playing the piano at age 7. He’s been playing every day ever since.

John Mochnick - Age 8 — John Mochnick – Age 8

Now retired from a 35 year career as a university choral and orchestral conductor, composer/arranger, administrator, and teacher, my Dad continues to pursue his musical passion by playing jazz.

I’m lucky enough to live in the same town as my dad and as you may guess, I too love jazz. Especially my Dad’s.

I grew up listening to HOURS UPON HOURS UPON HOURS of practicing and watching his multiple musical performances from darkened concert halls, and I’ve been beaming with pride and amazement for my whole life as I’ve watched him time and time again impress, move, and amaze audiences with his unique talent and flair.

So, I just had to share with you, a sample of his latest accomplished performance, because it was downright AWESOME.

Once again my heart swelled with pride as I watched my gifted father perform March 4th in Wake Forest’s Brendle Recital Hall (where he used to work running the music department) with his long time friend and colleague Matt Kendrick. The two of them have formed a local jazz duo (Mochnick and Kendrick) and play all over town in different venues (check out Nobles in Winston Salem, on Saturday nights from 7-9pm for live entertainment you’ll go back for again and again)!

The March 4th concert presented a truly unique and brand new jazz and classical program, where Dad and Matt conceived of and actually wove famous classical music pieces with uniquely arranged jazz improvisations. They titled it Bach, Brubeck, and Beyond. Fourteen pieces written, arranged, performed and improvised.

Totally blew me away. I think it will you too.

And, if your thinking right now “WOW. She sure is proud of her Dad” – you’re right. I am. I am every day.

Now I invite you to relax, turn up the volume, sit back, and take a look at this impressive, authentic, example of what can come of a life dedicated to pursuing its true passion. (For more, check out Mochnick and Kendrick on You Tube).

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy and live happy my friends!

So we Kubickis were going about our crazy, happy and relatively carefree lives, when…

SMACK! Right between the eyes – literally. Enterovirus strikes.

Enterovirus. That ugly, microscopic, mean little respiratory bug that ‘somehow’ appeared in the US and sent more than a few poor kids to the hospital with horrible wheezing issues – especially if they were asthmatic. There were reports in the news of children flooding hospitals across the country in numbers that surprised us (and then along came Ebola and our focus shifted but that’s another story).

Well, Enterovirus was reported in NC too, and took off once school was back in session. So we redoubled our efforts throwing all daily clothes into the laundry, hand washing and hand gelling to the max, making sure we ate healthy, and got plenty of rest, and stayed hydrated, and kept fingers out of our mouths, and got our flu shots…but it was of no use.

Sure enough – it…got…us:o(!

Jack first…marked by a headache and sore throat followed by four days of high, stubborn, fevers, especially at night…followed by about 8-10 days of fatigue, respiratory and sinus symptoms. Yuck.

And, like you no doubt do when your little ones are suffering, I found myself up every night, administering ibuprofen and acetaminophen on schedule, refilling humidifiers and drinking water, fluffing hot pillows and sheets, holding hands, stroking damp hair, retrieving stuffed friends, singing lullabies, and praying for a quick end to this for all of us…

But the end was not to be, because in case you haven’t heard, Enterovirus is…quite contagious. Quite. So after Jack, Joseph followed (along with more sleep deprived nights). And friends from school reported their kids home with the same symptoms. And then Jason and I got it (thankfully minus the fever, but with rubber cement post nasal drip, combined with a red hot throat).

So now its been two weeks and we’re just now getting over it, dragging our energy depleted selves through the days…hence I haven’t had the ability or the energy for a blog update!!

Grrr. Just when we’re getting this thing going too!

But like my mother always says…if at first you don’t succeed…try try again!

So here I sit with my Ginger Tea in hand, trying to melt the ever oozing and nauseating goo trickling down the back of my throat, but armed with my first night of full, undisturbed sleep in two weeks, hopping back into the saddle. Can’t keep a good woman down after all, and we’ve got a lot to do with the holidays here.

So thanks for hanging in there with me! I sure missed ya! All of yas!

Here’s to your health!!!

Live Your Passion!

Enterovirus Strikes!