Today is Solo & Ensemble Contest day is south Mississippi. M & L each played a solo and an ensemble (but not together). And they both made 1's in each!
Mr. H never went to solo & ensemble, which is surprising, since he is such a talented guy. I went every year from 7th through 12th grade. I have several medals, too. In fact, solo medals is all I ever had until I went to Callaway in the 11th grade. We made a 1 in sight reading one of the years I was there. I remember it because some of the guard girls had sight reading medals and couldn't play an instrument! I got a medal as drum major when I was in the 8th grade, but it was yellow just like the S&E medals.
I hope the girls keep using music in their adult lives. Mr. H and I are on a rotation to play the offertory once a month at church. He actually plays in our praise band every Sunday night. I love to watch him when he is in the groove. I think sometimes he surprises himself with how beautifully a song comes out.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
A Gray Day
I was in the kitchen of the church a bit ago and looked out the window to the north. The clouds and the bare trees look so melancholy.
There is something about a day like this that appeals to me on some level. Maybe that's why gray is my favorite color.
Appropriately enough, the song that's playing on my Windows Media Player at this moment is called "A Hazy Shade of Winter."
There is something about a day like this that appeals to me on some level. Maybe that's why gray is my favorite color.
Appropriately enough, the song that's playing on my Windows Media Player at this moment is called "A Hazy Shade of Winter."
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Happy Birthday, Mom
Today is Mom's birthday. She would have been 71 years old. We used to kid her that she was as old as Abraham Lincoln! He would have been 200 today. She looks like she's having cake, so I thought this one would be appropriate for the occasion.
I posted some other older photos of her last summer, too. She was so photogenic.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Back Online...
...at least for the present.
This week my office computer, from which I am typing this, was unable to connect to the internet through the web browser. I could get and send e-mail and connect to the church server. Everyone else had browser access except me.
Mr. John Mac, our computer guru, came and put the touch on the machine yesterday. As of yesterday afternoon, still nothing. I turned it all off and went home.
Now this morning, behold: The Browser Worketh!!!
I hope it just needed the good night's sleep.
This week my office computer, from which I am typing this, was unable to connect to the internet through the web browser. I could get and send e-mail and connect to the church server. Everyone else had browser access except me.
Mr. John Mac, our computer guru, came and put the touch on the machine yesterday. As of yesterday afternoon, still nothing. I turned it all off and went home.
Now this morning, behold: The Browser Worketh!!!
I hope it just needed the good night's sleep.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
A True Friend
You know someone is a true friend when they tear their last tissue in half and hand you one piece of it. Only a real buddy will make do with half a Kleenex so you don't have to do without.
Thanks, Davina.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
A Musical Post
I apologize in advance to any non-musicians who may read this.
Mr. H, myself and a friend of ours usually play the offertory on the 2nd Sunday of each month at our church. Last month we decided what we'd do this month (we NEVER plan that far ahead.) I went so far as to downloading the sheet music, so we'd have it. Well, it sat on my desktop (unprinted) until today.
Today we printed it out...
all 9 pages of it.
We laid it out on the kitchen table, from one end of the table to the other. After Mr. H noodled around on it a bit (a musical term I learned from a former band director), I put down the blue jeans I was hemming for M and picked up my flute to join him. We stood side by side at the beginning of the music (with me to the right to I wouldn't whop him upside the head with my flute) and started.
It was a bit rough (what an understatement!) at the beginning and we had to start several times before we got the rhythm going. Eventually, we got beyond the first 2 pages. I then noticed that we were having to side-step down the table as we were playing. I ran up against a stool and was pushing it aside with my hip as I was trying to play. I finally had to stop and push the stool around to the end of the table, because this song and that stool were not working to my advantage. I think we both had visions of a Victor Borge comedy skit playing in our heads.
After about the umpteenth time we stopped, we finally made it to the 9th and final page. We were in the home stretch. As we finished the final note, we busted out laughing and gave each other a high 5! We had reached the end...at the same time! M, who was sitting at the table, trying to ignore the atrocious noise filling the kitchen, gave us the oddest look!
Now this is not always such a cause for celebration when we play together, but the song "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is a tough one. It's long and has tons of notes and there is no place to breathe and everyone knows the tune, so it's obvious when you mess up. It will get better as the week progresses. It certainly can't get any worse than what we just did!
Mr. H, myself and a friend of ours usually play the offertory on the 2nd Sunday of each month at our church. Last month we decided what we'd do this month (we NEVER plan that far ahead.) I went so far as to downloading the sheet music, so we'd have it. Well, it sat on my desktop (unprinted) until today.
Today we printed it out...
all 9 pages of it.
We laid it out on the kitchen table, from one end of the table to the other. After Mr. H noodled around on it a bit (a musical term I learned from a former band director), I put down the blue jeans I was hemming for M and picked up my flute to join him. We stood side by side at the beginning of the music (with me to the right to I wouldn't whop him upside the head with my flute) and started.
It was a bit rough (what an understatement!) at the beginning and we had to start several times before we got the rhythm going. Eventually, we got beyond the first 2 pages. I then noticed that we were having to side-step down the table as we were playing. I ran up against a stool and was pushing it aside with my hip as I was trying to play. I finally had to stop and push the stool around to the end of the table, because this song and that stool were not working to my advantage. I think we both had visions of a Victor Borge comedy skit playing in our heads.
After about the umpteenth time we stopped, we finally made it to the 9th and final page. We were in the home stretch. As we finished the final note, we busted out laughing and gave each other a high 5! We had reached the end...at the same time! M, who was sitting at the table, trying to ignore the atrocious noise filling the kitchen, gave us the oddest look!
Now this is not always such a cause for celebration when we play together, but the song "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" is a tough one. It's long and has tons of notes and there is no place to breathe and everyone knows the tune, so it's obvious when you mess up. It will get better as the week progresses. It certainly can't get any worse than what we just did!
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