Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Texas 'Bonnets
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
The Blind Side
I found no evidence of Hollywood exploitation of either the Tuohys or of Michael Oher. That in itself is surprising and refreshing. Implications of his difficult early life were made without actually divulging his most hurtful circumstances. Evidence of the Tuohys kindness, love, and tenderness toward Michael was obvious without that becoming the focus of the film. It was, in a word, balanced. My understanding is that if all parties are correctly quoted they would give God more glory than He received in the film version of this story, but He is getting glory. Each member of the family, and Michael, grew and matured as a result of those relationships. Thank you cast, writers, producers and directors for balance in telling a worthy story. APPLAUSE!
Monday, April 26, 2010
April Concert 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
In memory & in Honor
Art and the Nickel
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Teaching and Playing: Three generations
Now Boo is playing professionally and teaching twenty-something students herself. Looks like one of them is going to be our Gracie! She is delighted to play her "my-lin". And because she has watched her mommy teach and re-position violins so many times she thinks she can position them for her grandparents. This makes me very happy! She is learning my language.
Planting
On a routine shopping trip for groceries I found hanging baskets full of petunias and begonias for $6.98 each. Hard to beat when the four inch pots are often $1-2.00 each, add a pot, the hanger, and potting soil, not to mention the planting time. My Mom gave me a beautiful fancy purplish geranium for my birthday. And another trip to the nursery netted 3 big red geraniums for the mailbox planter along with some herbs and a celosia and alyssum for another planter. Wal Mart garden department had these big pots of Crodyline. When I dug them up to transplant there were 3-4 plants per pot. Google sites pictured fields of them growing like corn in bright, hot sunlight. Hoping mine will do as well as the spring warms to summer.
alyssum |əˈlisəm|
noun ( pl. -sums)a herbaceous Eurasian plant that bears small flowers in a range of colors, typically white or yellow. Several kinds are widely cultivated ingardens. • Genera Alyssum and Lobularia, family Brassicaceae:many species, including sweet alyssum ( L. maritima), with fragrant white flowers.
Not long after Muffin and I returned from the nursery I receive a text message from a recent college graduate who wanted to come over for some comfort and advice. She experienced a very difficult rehearsal earlier in the day and was struggling with shame and guilt as a direct result of the director's words. Ugh! I know that feeling. We talked and prayed and loved on her and I trust that we planted some life to replace the hurt.
Teacher Gifts: For and From the Violin Teacher
1. More music--CD's of classical music or scripture songs or Christmas music. Itunes gift cards or Amazon gift cards also buy more music. You can never have too much.
2. A ream of hole punched paper, ready to go from the printer to my students' notebooks.
3. A hand-crocheted angel for my Christmas tree
4. Gift cards to bookstores, Starbucks, Chili's, and movie theaters
5. Violin ornaments--my Christmas tree and garlands are loaded with them
6. Big coffee mugs with scriptures printed on them
7. Homemade cookie dough, ready to bake
8. Homemade bread.
9. Hand made tea towels with seasonal themes
10. Soft ornaments for the lower branches on the trees that my children, and now my grandchildren, can touch safely.
11. Mechanical pencils--orchestra musicians never have too many.
12. A big bowl filled with everything for a night "in" with my Muffin
13. Framed photos of my students posing with their best "violin posture"
14. One red rose
15. A handwritten note explaining why you love to make music
Gifts I love to give to my students
1. Gift of musical interpretation
2. CD's with my favorite music in a sampler
3. Ornaments with musical themes--miniature instruments or music symbols
4. Pencils
5. Mini rosin
6. Picture frames with photos of special moments we have shared
7. A harmony--the second, more difficult part to a song for which they have already learned the melody
8. Silly putty--It strengthens the fingers, and who can resist it?
9. Small silly objects they can use to learn a new skill--sticky frogs to hold under their "frog fingers"; small balls to balance on the strings to improve posture; stickers or objects they can use as a focal point
10. Games to improve memory skills
11. Hugs and praise
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Last few weeks
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!
Monday, April 12, 2010
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!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
It's Official!
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