This is my Happy place!

Good thing this is my Happy Place, I have been in this room sewing for the past 2 days straight! I am trying hard to get everything ready for Texas and for my other quilting classes. Then I have to get my machines in the shop while I am gone! I am tired already but...oh soooo excited!
Will try to post tomorrrow night! Here are a few things I have been working on!

A silky blanket for my Baby Oakley! Only 6 more days!

Tissue holder, I could make a 100 of these and still need more! There is always someone out there who is struggling or hurting. It's just something little to say " I care, I am praying for you and hang in there"

Another Casserole Carrier! I love these!

Working on scripture bags for some friends!

New bag! Love it!

The projects aren't over yet!. The way I have been non stop sewing, you would think it was December! :) It could be, I've got my Christmas Music cranked up and the fan on HIGH! :)

Good Night dear friends!

Music to my ears!

Jason hit this note on the head, when he shared a story about someone who was tone deaf but sang with all her heart in church. It was a sweet reminder that the Lord loves each of us, and only cares about what is in our hearts!
Good night dear friends!

Years ago while attending church far from home, I arrived earlier than expected and sat down next to an early-bird elderly woman sitting alone. She had a big handshake, a huge smile and we snacked on some friendly chatter before the service started.

When a less commonly known opening hymn began, she shared her hymnal by sliding it in the air between us and energetically starting to sing. But it didn’t take long to realize that she didn’t need the book. Not because she knew the words, but because I suspected she couldn’t read.

With her cracked and craggy voice, she looked up and down from the hymnal to the chorister at the front of the chapel and sang a mishmash of spiritual words and phrases as if her salvation depended on it. But it was not obnoxious or distracting in any way.

It was off-key, off-rhythm and completely out-of-tune.

It was also beautiful, uplifting and memorable.

Even though I haven’t seen her since that Sunday morning years ago, I can picture her next to me singing out with all her heart to a God that she loves and with a voice that is uniquely hers. No, she wasn’t in tune with the organ, but she sure was in tune with the Spirit.

A few weeks ago, once again in a different congregation, I had the opportunity to sit next to a former member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Carter Knapp had two stints with the group before relocating permanently to Virginia and is known as “Golden Tones” in his home ward and stake.

The well-educated and articulate Knapp has such an authoritative, distinctive voice, that if he asked a complete stranger on the street to clean his room and finish his homework, both chores would be done by dinner.

I listened to him sing at my side and was genuinely touched by the Spirit. He sang out with all his heart to a God that he loves and with a voice that is uniquely his.

It was in-key, in-rhythm and completely in-tune.

It was also beautiful, uplifting and memorable.

I wondered why, in that moment, sitting next to this man who’d traveled the world and sang countless numbers with the world’s most renowned choir, I was thinking about a woman whose voice I’ve only heard once, but that I could not forget?

Because despite sounding as different as two voices possibly can, both had invited the Spirit into the room and into my heart. These two children of God have taken all the Father has given them and used it for good. Despite differing talent levels, there is no pride on his part, and no shame on hers.

Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Just do the best you can, but be sure it is your very best.”

I’m certain that for both these singers, this is true.

Obviously no one would propose that my tone-challenged friend should take a coveted seat with the most talented choir on the planet. The suggestion would trigger in her a giggle fit that would last longer than the church service.

No, not everyone sings as if they belong in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but when it comes to raising a voice to heaven, it doesn’t matter.

The sound of your voice is much less important than the fact that you’re singing in the first place.

Read more of Jason's stories HERE:

Tis the Season!

A friend came over today and brought us her family Christmas CD, that is what they give others each year. What a wonderful gift to share your talents with others like that. This sweet girl and her family have shared their musical talent so freely with everyone that it truly brings the holiday spirit in our home each year! Thank you dear friend for your kindness and for the wonderful Christmas!

Change and Chaos!

I have to admit that this quote ( below ) is very true...at least in my life. If you have ever been in my home, you realize that I don't really change things  up in my home very much ( only the seasonal decorations ). Like furniture or things such as that. I know a lot of people do but once I like something, I definitely am satisfied with it staying right where it is....for some times even years. That means I am either very satisfied with what I have or...I am really lazy, I hope it's the first reason!
Today was a big change though and with that ( like the quote said ) came a lot of chaos and mess. After all these years of having our piano, we finally got arrangements made ( and with the help of many dear friends, with muscles ) we moved it to Amy and John's house. What a beast that was to get out of here, and into their house. Of course our house has a ton of stairs and so does theirs...but some how we got it there in one piece and even dry. It began to rain when Jeff and I were driving it there, and I prayed that it wouldn't get wet. That could truly damage it. The tarps held down, the rain was only a sprinkle or so, how grateful we were. As soon as we got it there, Amy sat down and played it...actually it sounded pretty good. It made my heart feel good, to hear that beautiful music come out of that piano. It has been silent too long. Now Amy can have music in their home, and hopefully the girls can take lessons some day.
In preparation for getting the piano out, we had to empty shelves, move everything off the porch and from the entry way. Move all the furniture in the living room, and so the chaos began. But later this evening, we were able to rearrange the living room and put up some things that I had been collecting and try and make it look like this is what our house was always suppose to look like this. I was able to put up an old window that I got this past years at an antique shop ( it came from a dairy farm in Anicortas ) and then some shutters and a new wreath. I will take a photos and proof to you ...I can change, every now and then. I love it, don't love the boxes of stuff still in the middle of the floor...but that chaos will have to be tackled ....another day!
We all probably did too much today, but it felt good to get that piano to a person who loves it and will play it often. It was a LONG, EXHAUSTING but GOOD DAY!
Good night dear friends!




  "MUSIC is what FEELINGS sound like"

Perception

Someone sent this to me today, it was a true story about perception. It was wonderful and definitely worth passing on. It also gives us all something to think about. Enjoy!

       THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.  During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.  After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar.  A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time.  This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.  About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed and no one applauded.  There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.  He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

    *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

    *If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

    *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

 

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing."  ~ Camille Pissarro

"The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes."  ~Marcel Proust.

"What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what sort of person you are."  ~C. S. Lewis.

Merry Christmas!

Today my story is one of the best stories ever told. The birth of the Son of God. There is a you tube video on a blog from Paul Cardall. He is an incredible musician and survivor! Please go to the address below, and watch the video of..... yes, the best Christmas story EVER!

http://beforemyheartstops.blogspot.com/ 

P.S. Don't forget to read the quote off to the right, on his blog from Albert Einstein

My post wouldn't be complete without a quote you know! :)

How much more do we have to give?

I read this story and was so touched by it, that I wanted to share it with you today.

How Much Music Can You Make?

On Nov. 18, 1995, violinist Itzhak Perlman, performed a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City. Stricken with
polio as a child, Perlman painfully walked with the aid of two crutches to a chair in the middle of the stage. He carefully laid the crutches on the floor, loosened the clasps of his leg braces, extended one leg forward and the other underneath his chair, picked up his instrument and nodded to the conductor to begin.
But something went wrong. After only seconds of playing, one of the strings on his violin broke. The snap was a gunfire reverberating in the auditorium. The audience immediately knew what happened and fully expected the concert to be suspended until another string or even another instrument could be found.
But Perlman surprised them. He quietly composed himself, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra resumed where they had left off and Perlman played -- on three strings. He played with passion and power. All the time he worked out new fingering in his mind to compensate for the missing string. A work that few people could play well on four strings Perlman accomplished on three.
When he finished, an awesome silence hung in the room. And then as one, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered wildly. Applause burst forth from every corner of the auditorium as fans showed deep appreciation for his talent and his courage.
Perlman smiled and wiped the sweat from this brow. Then he raised his bow to quiet the crowd and said, not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."
Perlman should know. Polio left him with less stamina than he had before, yet he went on. Playing a concert on three strings is not unlike his philosophy of life -- he persevered with what he had left and still made music.
And isn't that true with us? Our task is to find out how much music we can still make with what we have left. How much good we can still do. How much joy we can still share. For I'm convinced that the world, more than ever, needs the music only you and I can make.
And if it takes extra courage to make the music, many will applaud your effort. For some people have lost more than others, and these brave souls inspire the rest of us to greater heights.
So I want to ask, "How much music can you make with what you have left?"   ~ Steve Goodier

"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything."
- Plato -

When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
~Author Unknown

'Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't forget to check your foundation!

My granddaughter loves to sing. I have been singing Christmas songs to her since she was a baby and now I am singing them to her little sister Jenny too! I don't care what people think, I love the Christmas songs...they make me happy. I love to think about the words in a song. I bet the person who wrote the song certainly was concerned about the words. Yes, music can teach us in ways that some times miss in just talking or reading.

One of the songs that Angie loves to sing is..THE WISE MAN BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON A ROCK

She even has hand jesters to go with it. I thought about the words in that song today...

 

THE WISE MAN BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON THE ROCK,

AND THE RAINS CAME TUMBLING DOWN...

THE RAINS CAME DOWN, AND THE FLOODS CAME UP,

AND THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK STOOD STILL...

THE FOOLISH MAN BUILT HIS HOUSE UPON THE SAND,

AND THE RAINS CAME TUMBLING DOWN...

THE RAINS CAME DOWN, AND THE FLOODS CAME UP,

AND THE HOUSE ON THE SAND WASHED AWAY. 

As I thought about those words I wondered if I am standing on the right principles in my life? How strong is my personal foundation? Am I doing and living what I know to be true?  The song never said what the house looked like or how big it was, but just that it's foundation was strong, that is what is important. In the book of Matthew chapter 7 verses 24-27 the Savior talks about the wise man and the foolish man. He talks about how important it is to not only hear and know His words ...but live them!

How grateful I am today for music, for the way it teaches us and the beautiful lessons that we can learn from it.

Hope you had a great Sabbath day!

A Dream come true....

I think that all of us would love the opportunity to be famous for even a moment. There is an old saying that goes "Everyone deserves their 30 seconds of fame", or something like that. Well, yesterday our was our son's Bradley's birthday. He got his 30 seconds of fame and more, this past year at Brad's college they have a band festival or battle of the bands so to speak. It is called Guitars Unplugged. Brad and a few of his friends put together a band and decided to try out and they made it to the semi finals and got to perform on stage in front of 5000. They sang and played the song...Johnny Be Good. So here is a photo of our FAMOUS boy on stage ( he is the one on the far left, playing the guitar.

This story seemed fit for the theme of today...

Grandma Moses and Me

I'M TOO OLD AND IT'S TOO LATE, PLAYED OVER AND OVER IN MY MIND. I WAS DISCOURAGED AND EXHAUSTED AFTER ENDING MY MARRIAGE AND MY LAW CAREER AT THE SAME TIME. DESPITE MY INTENSE DESIRE TO BECOME A WRITER, I DOUBTED MY ABILITY TO SUCCEED AS ONE. HAD I WASTED YEARS PURSUING THE WRONG GOALS?

I WAS AT A LOW  POINT WHEN  THE VOICE ON THE RADIO BEGAN TELLING THE STORY OF GRADMA MOSES. ANN MARY MOSES LEFT HOME AT 13, BORE 10 CHILDREN AND WORKED HARD TO RAISE THE 5 WHO SURVIVED. STRUGGLING TO MAKE A LIVING ON POOR FARMS, SHE MANAGED TO PROVIDE A BIT OF BEAUTY ON HERSELF BY EMBROIDERING ON CANVAS.

AT 78, HER FINGERS BECAME TOO STIFF TO HOLD A NEEDLE. RATHER THAN GIVE IN DEBILITY, SHE WENT OUT TO THE BARN AND BEGAN TO PAINT. ON MASONITE PANELS SHE CREATED BRILLIANTLY COLORED, PRECISELY DETAILED SCENES OF COUNTRY LIFE. FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, THESE WERE EITHER GIVEN AWAY OR SOLD FOR A PITTANCE. BUT AT THE AGE OF 79, SHE WAS "DISCOVERED" BY THE ART WORLD-AND THE REST IS HISTORY. SHE WENT ON TO PRODUCE MORE THAN 2,000 PAINTINGS, AND HER BOOK ILLUSTRATIONS FOR  "TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS WERE COMPLETED IN HER 100TH YEAR!

AS I LISTENED TO THE RADIO, MY MOOD CHANGED. IF GRANDMA MOSES COULD BEGIN A NEW CAREER AND SUCCEED AFTER 80, MY LIFE STILL HAD HOPE AFTER 30. BEFORE THE PROGRAM ENDED, I CHARGED TO MY COMPUTER TO WORK ON THE NOVEL I'D NEARLY ABANDONED.

IT WAS PUBLISHED EIGHT MONTHS LATER.   ~ Liah Kraft-Kristaine

 

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." ~ Anatole France

"If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

The Trumpet of Conscience