First a hardy breakfast at the Black Bear restaurant
Mt. St. Helens
I love PNW evergreens!
And weeping willows!
And ducks
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How to enter a song writing contest when one doesn't know how to...
1. You call a music equipment store in Indiana and ask "What am I doing? and "How do I do it?"
2. Honest Hoosier tech guy sells you an equipment "bundle" to record into a computer from the comfort and confusion of your home.
3. When bundle arrives you again call the Indiana equipment store to be coached on where numerous cords plug in and how does one remember that?
How and which software does one download?
How the heck does one understand any of this?
(Kind of like jumping into deep ocean and then remembering you can't swim.)
4. After figuring out what buttons to push on the equipment and one's computer one is ready to play piano and sing along...hoping that a recording is happening.
5. Eureka!! (that's a cry of joy or satisfaction for accomplishing something) An unknown artist has recorded a MP3 file, compressed to under 10 KB.
Actually she has recorded 2 MP3 files for 2 different songs.
BUT WAIT...NOW THE REST OF THE STORY
A number of days after this I was checking my credit card bill. I saw 2 entries for the same amount to some place I didn't recognize posted through PayPal. I immediately called the credit card company to get more info. They said it looked like concert tickets. I did not order concert tickets so I claimed fraud. The CC people closed my account and said they would send a new card.
The next day I received an email from a kind lady working with the song contest to inform me my fees had been canceled and so my songs were withdrawn from the contest. Oops...now I remember! Oh my, what to do, what to do? She went on to say that maybe there was a misunderstanding and that I would need to re-enter my songs if I still wanted to be in the contest. Fortunately the contest had been extended another few weeks so I was able to resubmit....after figuring out how to find the prized MP3 files in the jungle of computer data.
SO....this is the beginning or the end of my public music career. THE END
P.S. Anyone need some recording done at Gram G's home studio? For a modest fee??
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If you can't fly like an eagle, then play like a turkey...
I had the fun and privilege to play songs for our church's turkey dinner outreach and then again for our LoveLove homeless outreach
Beautiful PNW November sunset!!
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Happy Turkey made it through another Thanksgiving!!
Dinner at Deb's and then off to the Oregon Zoo Lights!! Back to Deb's for a Gram G sleepover!
Earning my Wings...
Gnome Heaven...
Keys and Deb...
Back home Tyson enjoyed some apple pie!!
He was repentant...
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Time for...
Cranberry, orange, nut bread!! Yum!!
Or, do you prefer...???
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I hope you are keeping it all together, these days!
NOT so at my house...
REFLECTIONS
It's always hard for me to see fall morph into winter. I don't like the long hours of afternoon and evening darkness. My mind is focused on Dec. 21 when daylight starts to emerge again. But the holidays give us positive energy to plug into.
I confess that I struggle with BAH-HUMBUG.
(That "conveys curmudgeonly displeasure". Now that phrase gives me word pleasure...It has such a poetic annoyance to it.)
I get distressed with all the emphasis on glitter and perfect festivities and decorations and presents. (Grinch) And loud obnoxious store intercom music.
But then I think about the original and proper reason for Christmas. The remembrance of our true King born into this world. That is cause for celebration. Lights to brighten the dark hours and rejoicing in the thankfulness of what the Lord has done for us. Sharing his love with others.
I do believe our greatest celebrations will be in heaven, but Christmas is worth keeping here on earth. SO...I engage in the preparations, join in the activities (senior appropriate), enjoy the carols, and relish the love God has for us.
This has been a good 3 GeoGram weeks in the life of Gram G.
"At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send out the angels to collect his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven." (Mark 13: 26-27)
