Birthdays.....!

     Today is Lou's 74th B-day.  It is also my sister-in-law, Sandy's, 61st B-day.  Happy B-day, Lou and Sandy!







Saturday was Emelia's 3rd B-day.        

 In the morning we took the girls to a cupcake shop to buy B-day cupcakes.  I had been there the day before and had each of their names put on with frosting. 

 .....helping to blow out candles!

Charlie's Angels!

     Charlie's Angels? 

Chuck and Anna, Mimi, Liv, and Lulu

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     This is another super busy week for me.  There is something going on every morning this week besides the afternoon at the store and piano lessons.  There is also the last minute rush to get details finished in order to close on my house.  (I'll know soon!)  If all that weren't enough (and evidently not), I offered to accompany the Butternut school's spring concert.  The 2 high school songs are difficult for me so there is much practice time needed.  (Have you heard of the person who kept banging her head against a wall because it felt so good when she stopped?  I think I am her twin sister.)

      Tuesday I went to an appointment for teeth cleaning.  They have a gadget now for deep cleaning the gums.  You snug a rounded toothpick into a handle and then you clean the deep openings in the teeth with the rough edges of the toothpick.  This is suppose to  keep one's gums in excellent health and feel really good after a week of this.  I think it is merely a mini torture device. 
      My favorite dentist for the past 25 years signed my autograph book as did his 3 office workers.  He wrote a nice compliment that he admires my courage to leave the known and head into the unknown. He hopes he has that courage when he retires. (He is about 6 years younger than me.) 

       This morning a couple came to look over this house in hopes of renting it when I move.  It was a rush (busy rush, not exciting rush) to tidy up and do the dishes.  This evening, though, it was really nice to come home to an orderly house!  Maybe I should try that rush more often.
       I talked on the phone with my daughter, Angie, for a long time this evening.  Hadn't talked with her for a few weeks.  My son, Burt, called to discuss a few difficult situations.  It was good to talk with him.

        This has been two good "head banging" days in the life of Grandma G.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers (and sisters), whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

    
                                        

Great Recital Weekend! (once you get past the mouse)

      I was actually too busy and too tired at the end of the days to BLOG.  Sorry.
The weekend story really starts where Friday PM stopped.  Chuck had come down to sleep on the couch because of something climbing in the walls-----a dragon? ( I have occasionally heard a critter running through the walls, but only for 5-10 minutes.  I figured Chuck was over reacting.)  I went up to bed shortly after.  As I lay in bed I started hearing scratching, running, thumping--sometimes in the far wall, sometimes in the chimney area, sometimes in the wall right next to the bed and sometimes in the ceiling right over the top of me.  Then there was a brief stillness and it would start again.  A dragon?  Soon I was imagining this thing falling through the ceiling right onto my head.  But I was also very tired.  I figured whatever was up there could not get through the walls. 
     THE NEXT MORNING.....I got up a little short on sleep, but I wanted to spend time with my 3 granddaughters.  When I came downstairs, Anna, (mom)  was looking very, very tired.  She told how she was laying in the other bedroom and listened to something run around the perimeter of the room and then stop to pull yarn out of the edge of the carpet.  Then she could hear the thing run around in the walls.  She had come down stairs around 1:45 to talk to Chuck---when she woke him, he thought the creature was coming after him.  When she did get to sleep, morning came quickly as the youngest girl was up at 6:30.
     A great portion of the day was spent discussing "it".  Was IT a mouse, a rat, a squirrel, a racoon, a dragon?  Was it only in the walls or was it really in the bedroom?  Was it going to keep us all awake the next night?  How should we get rid of it?  Should we buy some mousetraps?  WHO should buy the mousetraps?  Who is going to set the mousetraps?  What should we use for bait---peanut butter, cheese or a nut?  Where should be set the traps?  And on it went....  One of the girls found a tiny hole in a corner of the middle room where she concluded the mouse WAS getting into the upstairs. 
     I volunteered to buy the traps since I had to go pick up the flowers for my recital anyway.  But I was not going to set them.   Chuck was brave to do that and we decided on 2 baited with peanut butter and 2 with cheese.  (I told my experience of the varments eating the peanut butter without springing the trap, but we opted for peanut butter anyway.)  With the 4 traps set in the late afternoon we all left to go have  a pizza supper.   We returned to all the traps still intact and went to bed with them intact.  I heard nothing all night--too busy sleeping.  Anna heard a little.  Next morning, sure enough,  the trap baited with peanut butter was still intact and the peanut butter GONE. 
     REST OF THE STORY....it is now past midnight CDT Monday night.  I am going up to check the traps and ......they are all still set.   Check back for more of the REST OF THE STORY when it happens.
      Come back for pictures of fun events of the weekend. 

      Chuck helped me with blog settings.  It should receive comments now.  Try if you care to.  

 This has been a good 3 days of family and music in the life of Grandma G.

"How many are your works, O Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures."  (Psalm 104:24)

Hard Decision...

.....to blog or to clean my house?   Super busy week and days.  This morning I had to start cleaning my house for family to come up this weekend.  When the kids were home I always thought they were the ones causing the mess.  Now that I am alone and there is a mess all over the place I must admit that I am the messy one (too).  
      I also had to get a hair cut, get the key for the auditorium for Sunday and make a few stops in town.  Home from noon to 3 PM to clean and then to the music store for lessons from 3:30--6.  A little piano practice, grocery shopping, watching TV while eating supper and then back to cleaning until 10:45 when Chuck and family arrived.  Did a little visiting, now a quick blog and I'm off to bed.  Come back in  a day or two for fun pictures and recital update!  (Chuck just came down from upstairs---said there is something running in the wall and it isn't small.  I told him I know, but it hasn't broken through yet.  He is sleeping on the couch.)


      Thursday was the National Day of Prayer for our country.  What a privilege to live in a country where we are free to pray and worship!

singing a medley of This Is My Country; America the Beautiful/ God Bless America














Prayer written by my granddaughter's 3rd grade class and read at the prayer service


















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

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."  (Psalm 33: 12)

Music Week.....

     This week is all about MUSIC, MUSIC,  MUSIC!  It's about getting the students ready for the recital on Sunday.  It is about me singing for the National Day of Prayer service tomorrow (Thurs) and attending a jazz choir concert in the evening.  It's about getting 2 piano solos and 2 songs ready for me to perform at the recital on Sunday.  It's about getting the "perfect" look---or at least an acceptable fashion look--for me for the recital.  It's about getting the program typed and printed and signing the achievement certificates for the kids.  It's about getting the house in order for the weekend---Chuck and his family will be here. 
         It's my BIG EVENT of the teaching year.  So.....I am going to bed so at least there will be enough energy to make it through everything.
        One humorous story I just learned about today.  I went to the local "fashion" store-- the only one in town.  The lady who owns it has known me and my kids for years.  When my son, Chuck, (Chuckie) was in 4th grade he stayed overnight at their house.  He and their son were schoolmates.  She told me she still remembers that time.  She made pancakes for the boys for breakfast.  Chuck ate and ate and ate and threw up on the plate.  Immediately after he asked for more because he was still hungry.  She said they were all grossed out, but he simply wanted more pancakes.  If Chuck told me about that I don't remember it.  I'll ask him if he remembers the event when he comes this weekend.  Gross. (She signed my autograph book.)
     I sold 2 guitars this afternoon.  A few people are checking out the 2 pianos.  Sales will be 30% off for the next 2 weeks. 

     This has been a good "middle of a music week" day in the life of Grandma G.

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High."  (Psalm 92:1)

The Merry Month of May!

red buds on tree

     I went for an early walk--9:30AM--early for me.  Thunder storms are forecast for later this afternoon and tomorrow.  It was partly sunny/cloudy and a hint of moisture in the air.  The breeze had just a tinge of chill.  A refreshing walk.  I followed that with 20 minutes of stretches, a hot cup of Yorkshire Gold tea with turbinado sugar and half & half, and a great hot shower.   Life is good!   A wonderful, refreshing combination for the 1st day of May!
    May means that winter is officially over.  Spring is HERE no matter what the temperature or wind.  Summer is on the horizon and activities schedule!   Yeah!

  I had another first this morning.  I finally put in different pierced earrings than the originals "pierced in"  8 weeks ago.  I had tried a few weeks back, but a little bleeding scared me off.  Not THIS time.  The left one was hard to get out, but the new one easy to put in.  The right one came out easy, but the new one didn't want to go in---a little bleeding and a patch of skin in the back of the ear.  With a little persuasion  and persistence I got the new one in!   Who says you can't teach an elder poodle new tricks!
(The earrings and necklace are hanging turtles.  My talkative young boy student was looking at me this afternoon then commented, "those turtles look like they are biting your ears".  Kids)



     A customer came in the store this afternoon.  She is also a friend of mine.  She has a soap making business and was looking for guitar strings to use  for soap cutting.  She didn't know what gauge to buy.  She says, "I don't know what string to get.  What note do you use to cut soap?"  I replied that I don't know, maybe G.  I told her a fellow was in awhile back to buy a  guitar string to cut cheese.  I said that would make a good song, "Who Cut the Cheese in the Key of G?"  My friend thought that it would go over well in Portland.  I'm sure she wasn't implying folks in Portland are cheesy.  We had a good laugh and then found her a couple strings to try.  She signed my autograph book; said she was excited for me to follow my dreams.  When I told her that 2 sisters and I were going to Banff National Park in Canada she responded that she has heard it is very beautiful.  She even suggested I start  "one of those Internet things--you know--a blog?".  Good idea!   I told her I did 2 months ago.  She is eager to follow along!

     I spent time this afternoon figuring out what song to play and sing for the annual prayer day for our country that is held every year at our local nursing home.  I have participated in it for several years.  The coordinator asked me to sing a song.  I have been putting it off but since Thursday is 2 days away I figured it is time to decide.  I am going to do a medley of 3 patriotic songs.

    This evening I altered the dress for Sunday's recital.  There wasn't much that had to be done, but the upper portion was too long for me.  (This is a busy, crazy week.  Lots of activities going.)

     This has been a good May Day in the life of Grandma G.

"See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land."  (Song of Songs 2:11 & 12)