My Life the Past Few Days.....

Having the flu is like being bit by a big dog who won't let go of it's grip no matter how hard you try to free yourself; and when the dog finally lets you go only after mistaking you for an elephant when it hears you blow your nose; you don't have the energy or strength to run away from it full speed, so it follows you around until it finally goes away fully. -- Carolyn A. Coats

Sapphire! - a few of my favorite things. :-)

The Precious Sapphire!

My personal favorite stone because of it being described of what God's throne appears.  I love the color.  It makes for a peaceful atmosphere.

Catching up :-)

 I am still alive for those wondering.  It's just little ole me, so I doubt the Earth stopped rotating.  LOL!  It's just been hectic and I'm trying to make sure I'm focusing on what I need to be more than ever.  Still a lot of overcoming to do.  I also had cheated a bit with my strict all natural diet in staying busy, and paid the price a few weeks back w/my health, so I have been trying to get back great health especially with piano lessons starting up, so took a time out to catch up.  Here are a few pics and vids of things I've been up to if you want to see.

My niece Sophia really likes Skye.....never mind the almost decade age gap....who wouldn't though....she's a great gal.  :-)  Maybe three or four weeks back we took these pics.  Sophia really likes Christy M.'s homemade lip balm as well.  Who wouldn't though.  It's all natural made from real beeswax from bees that they raise.  She "harasses" me for some every time she sees me, literally every time.  One time, she had emptied one of my tubes in putting it on over and over.  #greasy lips!

Usually, I try to only show pics of "sustenance" but in this case...red shoes on purple carpet are a few of my royal favorite things!  Ummm...judging by this pic though, this time of year, I need to add lotion to that mix though.  Just saying...LOL! 

Below:  Paulette helped Joshua and Sherry with the singles progressive dinner, and they needed drivers, so I accepted the draft and have to say, it was a lot of fun and a fun way to serve in driving, catching up with old friends, and enjoying the dinner!  I had the opportunity to go to Dwight and Becky F'.s for the appetizer course.  Becky and I use to be roomies way back in another life it seems, not really, but you know what I mean.  :-)  She's always been great in the culinary arts dept!

 The appetizer

For main course I had the opportunity to go to the Locher's home.  The food was soooo good!  They took the time to smoke the meat, I think.  Wow!  Fun group there

The Main Course Entree

The Rouzer's for the dessert course!

Mrs. Rouzer is known for her lovely dessert.  She has won our summer picnic baking contest every year I think.  I had a great house for dessert, oh and for fellowship too!

switching gears! - PIANO!!!

I am sooo excited, and most people know that I was accepted into a piano program here locally in my metro area.  I am sure it was a miracle because I am soooo rusty that there is no way I'm sure I would have made it otherwise.  Last fall when I applied, at first I got a no response from the studio, but then a few days went by, and then the head teacher of the studio emailed back and said she liked me and that I was accepted in and that she would teach me personally.  There are several teachers with their masters there, but she only accepts certain advanced students, and I am NOT that good, so a definite miracle.  Wow!  It is one of those things where you have to put down $100 just for the application fee...and if you don't get accepted in, your $100 application fee is gone and no refundable.  If you are accepted, then, you have many hundreds of dollars to pay afterwards for the lessons, so this is serious business.  My goal is to get good enough to serve God and His Work if that is what God wants.  There seems to always be piano player shortages; especially FOT time.  If I progress well enough, I will be able to perform in my own recital....not a recital where you play one or two songs, but a recital more like a concert where I play many pieces from memory with just myself playing.  That sounds scary, and I KNOW it won't happen this semester unless a huge miracle happens, but I'm hoping for Spring 2018, though the way the world is going these days, who knows what I'll be doing then, but at least I have that goal.  It is going to take A LOT of hard work and time.

BELOW is a very for fun only practice session of me playing around with the song Humoresque by Antonin Dvorak.  My piano needs a big tuning.  It sounds more like a harpsichord right now. LOL. I had seriously thought about getting a harpsichord for fun last Spring but ended up having to get a Jeep instead so for the next week, I have a out of tune piano that mimics one at least.  LOL. Have to get my piano tuned here quickly for practice purposes though my lessons will be at the studio.  Piano lessons start up next week.  Been practicing hard to start off strong.  This was just a fun run through....not a great performance, but a laid back no shoes type of practice...and pretty simple song too.  I hit a really bad note in the middle of the song and laughed at how it took me about 3 or 4 seconds to register how bad it was before moving on.  It was like I went into 3 or 4 second shock.  LOL!  Looking forward to improving with the lessons starting.  I will post piano vids on my youtube channel as my lessons progress.  Here I go!

If you're wondering what a harpsichord actually sounds like, this link will tell.  :-)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TobXjDXF0s

BELOW:  My Uncle James swung into town maybe three months back to bring my Aunt Mary's luggage to my home.  My Aunt stayed in my house during the FOT since she attended the FOT here at the HQ site.  My uncle brought his wife with him as well.  I don't see him often at all since we live different life styles, he's not religious at all and never has been, but every few years he'll pop up to say hi or something.  We had a little piano fun before he hit the road and left.  Below is him playing while I sang making up words to a famous song singing about how if you don't know the words, just make them up.  :-)  Words of wisdom for singers....NOT!!!  :-)

...and then he just R and B - ed it playing by himself for a while.  He's more of a R and B artist and I'm definitely training to be more of a classical one.  Totally different styles!  Piano fun!