It's TSO, Baby!!....Post Views....21,109

FINALLY......

AFTER WAITING 5 YEARS.....

Grandma G attends the....

TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA...... 

Angie and Grandma G

First it is Angie driving us into Portland for dinner

Then to the Moda Center on a very cold PNW evening

      The TSO is a several piece pop/rock, prog-rock symphony orchestra combined with laser light show and pyrotechnics featuring mostly a Christmas story, though they have expanded lately.  It dates back to 1993 with Paul O'Neill.  In his words.

In the 1980s I was fortunate enough to have visited Russia. If anyone has ever seen Siberia, it is incredibly beautiful but incredibly harsh and unforgiving as well. The one thing that everyone who lives there has in common that runs across it in relative safety is the Trans-Siberian Railway. Life, too, can be incredibly beautiful but also incredibly harsh and unforgiving, and the one thing that we all have in common that runs across it in relative safety is music. It was a little bit overly philosophical, but it sounded different, and I like the initials, TSO.^{[17] (Wikipedia)}

Enjoy a few photos of the light show

Sorry, no rock music to go with it.....

Inside the Moda Center Before Concert....

A Bit of flames toward the end.....

A local Portland street performer.....

Sounded good on his custom drums.......

TSO is on our to do list for next year and every year we can!!

     The most significant delay for me in attending TSO happened shortly before Christmas in 2011. I was still living in WI. I had made arrangements for an inexpensive flight from Rhinelander (about 60 miles from Park Falls) for about an hour's flight to Milwaukee.  Chuck would pick me up about 5:30 for a quick dinner and then onto the TSO concert where we would meet more of my family.  I would stay a few days for a visit then on to Indianapolis for Christmas.  

     The weather "up north" had been blustery all week.  I think it was a Thursday for the flight.  On Wed. the weather forecast was for cold but "OK" for travel.  Come Thursday the snow and wind picked up.  I still went to Rhinelander (don't remember who drove me)---the storm was to pass by mid afternoon.  The flight was about 4:30.  The storm was not passing.  It intensified as the hours went by. (These were the days of  "puddle jumpers", 28 passengers.)  At 4:30 the flight was cancelled--nothing in or out until the morning.  BUMMER....somehow I got a ride to a nearby motel which I had to pay for.  My daughter-in-law's mom was able to go at short notice so she used my ticket.  Me?  I hung out at the motel, periodically crying, bewailing my ill-fate. 

     Early next morning the air was cold but clear.  The flight took off at 7 AM and landed calmly in Milwaukee.  

     When I asked how was the concert, my kids all agreed it was no good; that I didn't miss anything.  To this day I don't believe them.

      The Milwaukee days continued on well.  In fact Santa Gram showed up for a brief visit with a hardy HO! HO! HO! 

 
  

      

    This has been a good TSO day in the life of Grandma G.

   "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."  (Proverbs 13:12)

Transition Days.....Post Views...21,157

      I have had an enjoyable, relaxed week in spite of the shopping escapades. It was a good mix of social and home alone time.  I even enjoyed hanging out by myself.....
       I stayed up to adult weekend hours last night.....went to bed at 2 AM Saturday. Had to catch up on blogging.  The unfortunate part was waking up at 8 and not getting back to sleep.  I did lay there but a head and neck ache were annoying. The day was forecast to be sunny and a bit mild.  I was to get Jake at 11 for a few hours work.  It took a bunch of talk to myself and God to get me out of bed and enthused for the day.....

 Deb brought Jake over and

 picked him up again.  The late morning started out quite nice, sunny and mild.  Jake hauled out my Christmas decorations and then worked on blowing and packing leaves in the front yard.  He helped me prune two rose "trees". 

 Hopefully we did it correctly and there will be fresh stems and roses come spring.  Did you notice the small buds?  In Nov?
      Since time and sunshine were limited I halted the leaf clean up. Doesn't do any good cause they blow in from the neighbors. (We both agreed that such a little yard still takes a LOT of work.)  
Jake straightened out the decorative "ribbon" and hung it.  I tried out lights that didn't work then decided on the red ones that have been on the tree the past  couple years.  
     Shortly I had Jake carry in from the car 2 chair/stools that I bought the  day before.  The problem is they are boxed and needed to be assembled. As he did that I returned outdoors to twist lights around the railing of the porch.  The longer I worked the colder and stronger the wind became.  Soon it felt like a "nor'easter" pushing through. I think it will be recorded as one of the colder winter days out here. (Gonna go down to 25 degrees tonight.) 
    All too soon it was time for Jake to leave and head out for another Thanksgiving meal.  Gram G grateful for what was done.
    I have a "picture perfect" porch planned in my head for the Christmas season.  With a freshly painted deck floor and just right accessories my porch should be transformed into a Pacific Northwest welcoming scene that would be envied by any holiday magazine.   Oh, Yah.....
    It's even sweeter since last year I had a few decorations up outside but nothing inside, not even a tree.  Don't remember why but must have been pressed for time. I'll have to read blogs from those days to see what was going on.  
    By 4 PM it was time to heat up a plateful of leftover turkey fixings, text a bit and give in to a NAP.   I seldom take naps, but when I do they are wonderful.  Seem to have a different style of dreams during that time....usually trying to get something done.  
    And all that texting?  Well.....there is a Mexican vacation being planned for the late winter months.  Daughters,Angie and Debbie, are taking their boys and have invited mom to go along...
Time to fill up my 70th B-day year travel calendar....
     After the nap I was ready for late night turkey soup cooking....9:30....and cleaning the kitchen until about midnight.  
Sunday morning....
turkey, brown rice, veggie soup.....yummy....
Sort of....

 My 3 year old Christmas cactus knows Christmas is near....

       Sunday morning was a balmy 21 degrees...brrrr...for out here.
Sunny, though.   Off to church and then a FUN, FUN, evening coming up for Grandma G and Angie Miller.....you'll have to check back soon to find out what.....Oh, Yah....

      I observed someone from Guernsey clicked onto my blog yesterday.  I admit I did not know where Guernsey is....Angie Miller did, though, since her trip to England/Ireland last summer. To date there have been 79 countries that have checked me out. Check out Grandma G. I'll list your country's name if it is number 80!!  Imaginary prize!!

     This has been a good 2 transitions days in the life of Grandma G.

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth."  (Psalms 57:5)

A Grandma G Thanksgiving.....Post Views....21,123

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!.....

Grandma G's Thanksgiving started last Friday when I spent  most of the morning writing out cards.  It is the holiday where I can simply enjoy and be thankful for my family...my siblings and my offspring and Big Lou.  It is the time to tell them that and to say a prayer for each of them as I address and seal up the envelopes.  

It is also the opportunity to draw the only piece of art I learned in grade school, though then the turkeys were more carefully drawn and colorful..    

My favorite card find....
Gram G in middle bottom
purple and white
surrounded by her 
19 grand kid big and 
little acorns...

      Monday afternoon and evening we were happy to visit with Burt from Wisconsin while he was on a business trip in Portland.  Poor Burt flies so much he often has to sit in first class.  

Siblings Deb and Burt, grandson Jake, son-in-law Keys.....

Jake's poster showing the military heritage of both sides of his family.  

     Thanksgiving morning dawned sunny and chilly....

A great morning to turn on the New York Macy's Parade.... 

       Then get out the Indiana corn meal to make corn bread...

I visited 
Spring Mill 
State Park early summer with some of my family





















Betsy, Stephanie, Kate....

     The dried corn is ground by a huge stone powered by a waterwheel with water flowing from an upper stream.   

    While the bread was baking it was time to call my Indiana family and gobble at them....I mean, wish them Happy Thanksgiving.  
     (It is on this day that the "Happy Turkey" shows up to gobble at folks cause she is so happy to have escaped to live another year.)  "Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!!"    Every year its gets a little more difficult to catch all the family by phone...SO...Happy Turkey went techy and sent out a Gobble video by text message and Face Book.  Gobble.....

     Early afternoon it was time to pack up pies and head to Debbie's. 

"She'll be com'in round the mountain when she comes..."

"She'll be driving six white horses when she comes...."

well, across town driving a small white SUV....but she's a-coming..

    Why is there a slice of pie missing?  Glad you asked.  Wednesday afternoon and evening I had a bake-a-pie-athon....2 frozen and 2 homemade.  To help pass the time I watched 5 hours of digitally colored Gone With the Wind.  That alone is excuse enough to mindlessly slice and gobble down a piece of Marionberry pie.  (Had to make sure it was OK for family or if I needed to leave it home to eat by myself.) The movie, you ask? Glad you asked.  I had never watched the entire movie, but though it may have been exquisite in 1939, it is quite a hoot now.  

    Our gathering of 11 family members was enjoyable and all the fixings yummy.  The Green Bay Packer loss was a disappointment to some of us.                                                                   Grandma G is thankful for her large family and even larger extended family.  

       "Black Friday" also dawned sunny and chilly.  I had talked with Jake about maybe coming over to help me with various chores.  But come 9:30 I decided to do the Black Friday gig at Fred Meyers.  There were a few sell items I really wanted to get.  

Oh My!!  I drove around their 3 sided parking lot for 10 minutes looking for a parking spot.  EVERYONE was taken.  With each turn through a lane I told myself to go home.  But did I listen?  No Way.  It is BLACK FRIDAY....finally after sitting in a jam (traffic, not fruit) for a few minutes I waited behind a car just pulling out and pulled in.  Yeah!! SHOPPING....

Half price socks is Freddy's big thing each year. I remember sorting through them for a long time last year.  Not gonna do it this year....on to the garden decor and Christmas trimmings and 2 new stool/chairs for my newly repainted front deck. All those special sales end at 1PM.  

     It must be the allure of "bargains" cause so many items were calling out to me...."buy me, buy me"... It was the same refrain I heard on Tuesday when I went grocery shopping.  So many good buys.  

   After procuring the pre 1PM sales and hauling them to the car I want back...yes, went back in for a snack and more shopping.  At one point I realized I was aimlessly wandering around the store. It was time to tell my brain to focus, get through the check out and GO HOME.  This time I  listened.  

     My suggestion to anyone concerned.  If ever you can't find me, check Orchard's Fred Meyers.  See if there is a lady wandering aimlessly through the store, muttering "bargains, bargains".  She will probably be wearing a red jacket.  Check the pocket, there's most likely a camera or two ready for action.

      Finally back home there is one last Thanksgiving tradition to take care of.....cook the turkey.  Yep,  cook the turkey that's thawed out in the frig.  It sat in frozen uncooked isolation for several months.  Time to cook it, cut it up, eat a little, pack up most of it, put it back in the freezer to sit in cooked isolation for the coming months.   

   That officially ends the Thanksgiving holiday.  With an abrupt turn the Christmas season is upon us.  Tomorrow (a few hours from now) I will pick up Jake and we will have a good, productive afternoon of outside work. 

   Hopefully Saturday will dawn sunny and chilly...with the chilly warming up by late morning. 

  

   This has been a good 5 Thanksgiving days in the life of Grandma G.

    "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."  (Psalms 100:4 &5)

OH, The Music!....Post Views...21,066

    

 What is the hue and texture of music??? 

It has to be all that exists!!

     

  Friday evening I was privileged to get a ride into Portland with two friends to listen to a bit of 
Christian soul music. 
Undaunted  is a three lady group who write and arrange their own music.  

Grandma G, Robin, Barbara.....enjoying the rhythms, harmonies,words, lights and message of the evening.  

This was another milestone for me...to venture out after dark and pretty sure I know where I am going in Vancouver.....

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     Saturday afternoon was our turkey dinner here at Creekside.  It is held at 4 o'clock.  That way we can go home and go to bed or stay up and eat leftovers before going to bed.....The management provides the turkey, gravy and rolls. The rest is pitch-in....LOTS of pitch in.  I cooked a wild rice dressing that is traditional for me the past 40 plus years. Even if it doesn't get eaten I have leftovers for me.   

     The meal was a bit of a bummer for me.....earlier in the day something "knocked out" my stomach. Terrible heartburn, backache, and cramped stomach. Like a good trooper I gulped down Maalox, dried ginger candy, water, Tylenol, more water, ginger tea. Took a ginger ale with me to the dinner.  And like a good trooper I put down most of a plateful of turkey and trimmings.....

      What's that got to do with the color of music you ask?  Well, since you asked....I played pre-dinner music at the clubhouse while folks were bringing in food and finding places to sit.  It was a simple medley of folk and patriotic songs, including "Over the River", "Turkey Trot", "America", "God bless America" and "Thank We all Our God".  

     Of course, these elders were SO loud in conversing I don't know how much music was heard....good way to mask over wrong notes since I played without music and sometimes notes go awry.....

     I have concluded there is not much Thanksgiving music to be had.  But, I have not gone looking for CDs featuring this holiday.  I think it would be great fun to compile a CD of Thanksgiving songs. I just happen to have a new little ditty titled "Pumpkin Pie".  Maybe next year!  Goals, Goals, Goals!!

    I did have fun right before eating.  Our manager guy in charge of the meal had me "make a lot of loud noise" on the piano to get people's attention.  Had to repeat 3 times!! 

     I was grateful to be sitting between 2 good lady friends...an added bonus.. our table drew the card for the first table in the food line....

     After dinner I talked with 2 other lady friends and told them how nice it is this year to have good friends to visit with and to know that I am loved by them....Happy Thanksgiving!! 

    Then it was time to go home, veg in front of the TV, watching travel programs and eating pumpkin pie before going to bed....

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 Sunday dawned foggy and cold...frost on everything..
A day bringing 6 hours of singing....

    And, peeking through my drapes, seeing this out my deck window at 8:15 AM...more on that next blog....


    By 9 I was driving to church....worship team practice for an hour.... singing and service for almost 2 hours.  Home for a couple hours to eat turkey dinner leftovers, take out the garbage and then finding my way to a friendly Lutheran church.  We were having a song and praise service that evening. Practice at 4 PM, service at 6. 


Our team of 9...4 musicians, 
5 singers....7 guys, 2 ladies....
8 songs for about 75 minutes...
about 40 people attended....
A wonderful service...
A rewarding experience for me...

Friends who attended


Kahana, Gram G, Carole, Frank


This has been a good 3 "bring on the music" days in the life of Grandma G.

"Praise the Lord, O my soul.  I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live."  (Psalms 146: 1 & 2)