Last few weeks

The last weeks of Spring semester in my studio are always challenging.  Students are tired. They are over committed to extra curricular activities. They are weary of school and their least favorite teachers. Parents are tired of the routine, the endless car trips, the whining and complaining and any lack of cooperation that goes with it.  So when the discouraged parents and weary students show up at the studio with baseball or soccer or basketball or flying kites on the mind it is my job to inspire them to think for half an hour, or for a whole hour. Then, just perhaps, they might also be inspired to practice the following week.  Today I did drills, played games, sang, tried impersonating a British teacher, went along with music chosen by the student, challenged some to play "10 times perfect", did my best to play along with everyone who came for six hours, and ended with performance techniques for recitals.

The best compliment I had all day was from one the the last students.  He said, "Is that all?  How long have we been here, because it just feels like a couple of minutes."  I love that boy!

Wedding Music

Yesterday 75 % of my quartet rode in our Toyota chariot, driven by my warrior, Muffin, to a small town about 75 miles southeast  of here to play for a wedding.  It was a beautiful day--about 80 degrees, clear blue sky and gorgeous wildflowers blooming in the bucolic fields with cows and horses and sheep grazing and lazing along the way.  We all chatted about musical experiences and teaching and ministry, new apps for making all of those easier.  Arriving about 50 minutes before the beginning of the wedding we sat up our ensemble in the brand new chapel (stained glass windows installed just days before), rehearsed briefly with the violist, who was from that town, and double checked all the details of the ceremony with the officiate and the harpist.  The bride is beautiful, the groom is handsome and has a voice like James Earl Jones, and the attendants were the adult children of the couple.  The flowers were gorgeous and al the toddler children in the audience were well behaved.  We fumbled a little finding the music because the folders are too full--even though we had sticky flags marking the pages. Note to self: must reorganize the folders for future events.  The only hitch was that there was a wasp chasing me and which almost landed in the bride's hair and bouquet during the photo session after the ceremony.  These things happen where there is perfume in the air!
We played Spring and Concerto in Dm for Two violins by Vivaldi, Air on the G String, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach, Air from Water Music by Handel, Canon in D by Pachelbel, the Trumpet Tune and Voluntary by Clark and Purcell, The Prayer by Bayer/Sager, Rondo by Mouret, and the traditional Wedding March by Mendelssohn.  A harpist played a very nice arrangement of Be Thou my Vision for the communion service.  All instrumental music in a brand new chapel, packed with friends and family for a brand new life.  Beautiful!

It's Official!

Do you see those tiny little leaves sparkling in the sun against today's lake-blue sky? Those are the official sign of spring's arrival in West Texas. Leaves on the Mesquite trees.

We see some signs of returning spring —

The redbird’s back and the fie’ larks sing,

The ground’s plowed up and the creeks run clear,

The onions sprout and the rosebud’s near;

And yet they’s a point worth thinkin’ about —

We note that the old mesquites ain’t out!

The fancier trees are in full bloom,

The grass is green and the willows bloom,

The colts kick up and the calves bend down,

And spring’s a-pear-ently come to town;

And yet they’s a point worth thinkin’ about —

We note that the old mesquites ain’t out!

Well, it may be spring for all we know —

There ain’t no ice and there ain’t no snow,

It looks like spring and it smells so, too,

The calendar says it’s plenty true —

And still they’s a point worth thinkin’ about —

We note that the old mesquites ain’t out!

— Frank Grimes

My Life Today

So, last night, rather late, I learned that:

1. My 1:45 student, who comes from out of town for a one hour lesson every other week, had a family conflict today and wanted to "re-arrange" her lesson.

2. My Mom, my Muffin, and my Son-in-love, JB, all went to see their doctors yesterday. Muffin has a low fever and infection and feels sluggish. He was told to drink cranberry juice. JB is on the end of a possible gall bladder attack and has a standing order for a scan for the GB if it flares again.

3. Nannie has severe nerve compression pain and an MRI is ordered for tomorrow morning at 6:45 a.m.

Much later after learning those three news items I also got email that my friend got a very bad report from her doctor yesterday and went home with oxygen. Doctor's opinion is that tumors are causing all her breathing problems and she will be bedridden within a couple of weeks.

Today I filled the car with gasoline and went to Bible study. My friend was not at the study this morning and my thoughts and prayers were directed toward her so much that I was very distracted from other subjects. I also stayed awake late praying for her and prayed more before starting my afternoon teaching. In between praying and lunch I called another student who came in the time slot vacated by the out of town student. Then I got email from the out of town student wanting a make up day and time. I explained the policy: one make up day a semester for all missed lessons and the make-ups are in master classes. (This is on my web site.) I taught nine students between 1:45-6:30. Maybe two of them had actually practiced this week. I ate a very quick supper and went to the gym until it closed, then called my Mom to ask about taking her to her appointment in the morning.

By 11:00 pm I had also written seven thank you notes, received an email in SHOUTING CAPITAL LETTERS to get an article and calendar information to three publications ASAP, two of which have been submitted for over a week, but that person who is no longer the president or chairman of the event, is not copied on the emails. I had an email informing me of an 80th birthday tomorrow--keep those prayers and cards coming, folks! I reached my Mom on the second phone call and was berated for not calling her cell phone when I couldn't reach her on her house phone. By the time I reached her she had also made other arrangements for transportation in the morning, reminding me that I had not called her or checked back with her about the appointment. I guess I should have done that first thing this morning from the gas station or the church parking lot. And I learned that one family member thinks another family member has lied to us "quite a lot" and doesn't give us an accurate picture of the lifestyle. Oh, I also worked out at the gym for an hour.

Muffin gave me two nice CD's for my birthday. One is titled The Overshadowing and the other is The Oil of Heaven. I am ready for a big dose of that oil right now!

Easter Sunday: Texas & India

A tradition that I love at our church is that we bring fresh flowers to cover an empty cross on Easter Sunday. New Life!

Our sponsored child singing hymns (front left). Her first Easter Sunday at the girls home.

Rather than hunting eggs the girls searched for treat bags filled with pink M&M's and Easter stickers.

Our girl and her sister--post service, excitement, treat hunt, and feast.

Maybe a little sugar shock?

Still backtracking

Our family was invited to a Good Friday Service on a ranch about 60 miles Southwest of town on top of a hill. Muffin and I, CB, JB and Em and Roo drove there Friday afternoon, taking flashlight, jacket, blanket and chair as instructed in the invitation and directions to the ranch.

After a delicious catered dinner we sat in the Safe Place, constructed of native stones, watching the sunset as we sang and worshipped the Lord Jesus.

After sunset we heard a sermon by Cowboy Preacher, prayed and walked to our cars under the stars (rhyme!) and drove home. It was a lovely way to remember all that He did on that old rugged cross on another hill named Golgotha.

Backtracking

Spring has sprung.

The grass is riz,

I wonder where the flowers iz?

Well, they are outside, that's where! We had such a cold, long, snowy winter that the wildflowers in Texas are later than usual but beautiful and abundant. And my front porch is blooming too. For my birthday, which was Saturday, my Mom, the Nannie, gave me a lovely double geranium in purple. I bought a hanging basket of petunias, also purple, and two gallon pots of Cordyline. The Sam's club sold hybiscus plants a couple of weeks ago, so we added one of those also.

So, my point is that since my last post, Spring has happened. Daylight Savings Time is here, and baseball and spring soccer are stealing violin practice time from my students. Yesterday was Easter, my favorite day of the year. We celebrated Jesus at church and at home. We sang worship songs and prayed for friends and with friends, then had lunch at home with Nannie and Abigail, CB, JB, Em and Roo, Kaki, Muffin and me. The Easter egg hunt was quite a success and the Sunday afternoon nap was best of all.