Month: May 2014 (Page 2 of 2)

The second recital was this afternoon and it went just as well as the one last week. Same number of performers and same size audience, within one or two. They ate more ice cream, though – we finished the whole gallon. But Dad did walk around asking people if they would like a little more. I have a lot of brownies left, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

So, all that is left for the year is one jury to play for Tuesday and the middle school concert a week from Thursday. In three weeks, I have a totally empty calendar, something I have not seen in some time!

We worked down in New Auburn on the house after the recital. I worked on sheetrocking the downstairs closet while Dad was mudding the upstairs room. We didn’t get either totally done before we decided it was time to head home for the evening. But we got some done, and any progress is progress!

The neighbor came and plowed our garden plot out in the country, but he still has to come and disk it (or is it disc?) Right now it is rows of fresh turned-over dirt, nothing we can really do anything with. Disking it will knock it down a little more, then rototilling it and raking it should get it ready to plant. Dad didn’t think it looked big enough, but I thought it looked plenty big. I was envisioning hoeing all that dirt and it is a lot!

Good turnout! Everyone did well, although some better than others! We had enough food. Just enough!

I just did a fun project this morning (since its raining). I made a food catalog. I wish I would have had this when the kids were still at home and I had more people to please with my meals.

What I did first was make a whole bunch of card-stock squares (about 2 1/2 inches square). Then on each one I wrote first an item of food that we eat, then what it was I liked about that food – was it sweet, comforting, crunchy, creamy, healthful, hearty, etc.? I also wrote the point value since I keep track of that, but you wouldn’t have to.

I worked in categories, because we eat a lot of food. I did fruits, vegetables, breads (which includes cereals and grains), lunch main dishes, supper main dishes, beverages, and fun foods (which are snacks or desserts.) When you start listing them, you will realize you enjoy really a lot of things, but you don’t eat a lot of them very often because we all get in a rut.

Once that was done and I had all these stacks of cards, I found an old scrap book that I’d gotten at a garage sale and put them all in the book, labeling each category and leaving space at the end of each one for more ideas, because I’m sure I didn’t think of everything. I didn’t have any scrapbook glue, so I used a glue stick, but ran out very quickly, so ended up taping them in, which isn’t idea. Scrapbook glue would be better.

I plan to use the book to make my menus, because I’ve been in a rut again of eating all the same things, then overeating because I’m not really satisfied (because I’m bored). But if you have kids still at home, you could let them choose meals from the ideas in the book and they would probably not always ask for the same 3 or 4 things. You could all sit down on Sunday and plan the meals for the week and let each one have a certain number of meals or a whole day or something. If they have chosen the foods, they will probably eat up the meal better, too!

I took by bike out for a spin for the first time this spring. It was lovely, but my legs got very tired quite fast. I only went about 4 miles.

I also painted the primer on the living room in New Auburn today. Dad textured it last night.  We keep getting closer and closer.

I gal I knew pretty well, who was younger than me, died last week. I was just shocked to hear about it. She had a brain aneurysm, which they referred to as a bleeding stroke, so I’m not sure if they are the same thing.  She was one of the sopranos that did a lot of the solos with the Red Cedar Community Choir at the college in Rice Lake, so I’d spent some time working with her on them over the years. She had a gorgeous voice. She was only 48 and had a daughter and two sons. Her mother was still alive, too, so this must really be hard for her as well as for her kids and husband.

It just reinforces the fact that we are all here for an indeterminate amount of time.

Another State music contest is over and done with. I had to leave at about 6:45 to get to Eau Claire in time to be ready for an 8:00 performance. So I was up at about 5:45 to work out. But that way I was nice and awake by the time the thing started. And a bit sleepy by early afternoon!

The kids all did great. Jamison Wendlandt got another “exemplary performance recognition”  for his vocal solo. He got one two years ago, too. I played for 13 events and when I left at almost 4:00, only the ones up until about 10:30 had results posted. So I don’t know how over half of the kids fared. But it really doesn’t matter all that much. They were well prepared and all did their best. If the judges didn’t like them, what difference does that make anyway? My two piano students each got a first, so I was very proud of them, particularly Jamison, since he went from having me really worried after Christmas vacation, when he didn’t have hardly any of it hands together, to getting a first at state. He played Claire de Lune. David played Golliwog’s Cake Walk and he had his totally learned before Christmas vacation, so the trick was not letting it get too fast and sloppy.

I went to the school play last night and it was hilarious. Most of the kids I played for today were also in the play. It was called “The Secret Case of Sherlock Holmes,” and it was the first case Sherlock Holmes had, before he was any good at it. I actually went because I thought the guy cast as Sherlock would be great, and he was. But everyone else was so good, too. Really a strong performance all around because the lesser characters put all their heart into their roles, too. And the story was just SILLY. Sometimes we need SILLY. Like when all the characters come in one door and run across the stage and out the other door and you just know they are going to come back in and do the same in the other direction, and they do. Bob Rogers and Rachel Westberg were the co-directors. This is Bob’s first one at school. Pastor DeYarman’s wife, Nicole, used to co-direct with Rachel, but she has moved, so I guess they asked Bob. Good decision.

I love elephants. They are beautiful, despite being huge and wrinkled. I can relate…

And a giraffe for Chloe. I think they are so beautiful and they move so gracefully. I have videos if I can figure youtube out.

How did they get INSIDE the meerkat exhibit?

We got to go inside the bird exhibit, too. Aren’t they pretty?