I Was Seated One Day at the Organ

A few weeks ago, the stake decided to start giving lessons for those who know piano but don't

know how to play the organ. That would be me. I faked it when I worked at the temple in Billings and played prelude before sessions quite often. I even used both keyboards and an occasional pedal. Now that I am taking the lessons, I found out that I have been using the wrong hands on the wrong keyboards and the wrong foot on the pedals. I did pretty well faking how to play legato (smooth and connected) and I was even told several times how beautiful the prelude was. You can only fake it for so long. Now I go to the church two days a week to practice and try to unlearn what I had taught myself and that is hard.

I love to listen to our ward organist who plays with great feeling, uses just the right tempo and doesn't play so loud that you can't hear yourself sing. She also plays beautiful versions of hymns.

Sharon Loiseau is her name and she is my teacher. I know I will never master the organ because I don't have that drive to, but I love learning the basics and since I never really understood the stops Nd settings before, now I can at least play for my own amusement and even enjoyment.

We are supposed to do a recital number in April and I plan to be sick on that day.

For those who haven't heard I have two blogs. This is one, and the other one is about the things in life that bring me joy every day. Amazingly, it is titled "A Joy Every Day". It replaces the "My Musings" blog. Come and join me in my joy of the day and then tell me yours.

A Joy Every Day

Google Earth

I downloaded Google Earth and then proceeded to try to find the homes of everyone I know on it.  Some photos came up clear and some couldn't be seen at all.  My current home  showed up with a little work.  If the exact address is not on the satellite's list you have to go up and down the street a while, then maybe turn around to find it.

This is the house Wayne and I had built when we lived in Boise, Idaho.  My Dad came and built the fireplace which I LOVED so much, and he also put the brick around the front.  When we built it, it was dark brown but the yard looks pretty much the same.  This is where Shon went to school for the first time, and Amy was born when we lived here.  It is a very sentimental house for me.  The windows were large and extended clear to the floor so I could see everything and it was my first real chance to decorate, one of my favorite hobbies. I thought it was heavenly with it's large open beams in the living room, custom made cabinets and rock floor entry, all which I picked out.  Now I will be able to see it's progression or decay whenever I want.  It's a little spooky though isn't it?  If you plan to sunbathe in the nude this summer, you may want to change your plans.

Blackfoot, Idaho revisited

Each time we go on a little trip to Idaho and travel through Blackfoot, I always mention to Wayne that it is the quirkiest town I have even been through. Remember this?

The O's Have It: Idaho Part 2

We were there again last week and because we have been there a few times I really wasn't looking for anything new but as we were driving around, waiting for an appointment I saw this box in a yard. I thought it was a utility box like we all have in our yards. Now, I have one and HATE it. The guys who installed it didn't bother to make sure it was at all level or even parallel to the sidewalk (and I am known to like things in order), so it bothers me every time I look at it.
Wayne says this one has something to do with water, but I think I may have to borrow the idea and paint mine. Do I have to check with the city first?

This is the thing that really made me laugh this time. We ate at a little Mexican restaurant
in Blackfoot. Afterwards, as I used the ladies room and as I....um....washed my hands....there on the wall, right next to the toilet, was a large mural of the virgin Mary. What a treat! As you do your duty, you now have the Mother of Christ looking down on you. I'll leave it at that.

Did You Know?

Did you know that tulips (unlike other flowers) will continue to grow even after they are cut?

You can put your new tulips in a vase with their nice straight stems, and the next day they are bent over and look like they have been dancing. They grow rather quickly too as I found out when Wayne gave me these tulips for Valentine's Day. When I got them , I trimmed them all the same length and put them in the vase with the heads just showing above the rim. The next day, they they had grown an inch with the white tulips growing more than the red ones.

I trimmed the white ones and put them back in the water.

Here they are 2 days later....notice how much taller the stems are, and again the white ones are taller than the red. I actually used a rubber band to keep them from bending over so the stems wouldn't break. Tulips are one of my favorite flowers, and since I got them from my love, it is a symbol to me that loves keeps growing too.

Arizona Day 4

We checked out of our motel room and had time to waste before heading to the airport so we just toured Phoenix. We checked out a big casino because nothing else was open yet because I wanted to find a Christmas ornament. We always get a new one when we go on a trip. The only thing I found there was a group of people that were squandering their hard earned cash and didn't like they could afford to. I felt pity for them. I also came out with my hair smelling like smoke and I could hardly stand it. We stopped at a park and I walked around to try to let my hair air out. The park had a pond in the center of it and this is what I found in one area. You know how you sometimes find pop bottles, papers, cigarette butts, etc. in stagnant water? This one was full of that too but there were also oranges. There must have been an orange tree somewhere along the edge and they floated to this area. It seemed like such a waste. I love fresh oranges and almost jumped in to rescue a few.

Almost, but not quite....yuk.

The trees outside the motel were in full bloom and the air was
full of their perfume. This was a month ago mind you. Ah spring.
I looked out the window and what did I see, pop-corn popping on the apricot tree.

There was a gazebo outside the french doors of our room. I need this in my back yard. Wouldn't it be a cozy place to read a book and watch the birds?

I can never go on a trip without finding the geese. They are darling, and to watch them waddle is such a treat.

This was a most fascinating thing to see. A tree farm, (a palm tree farm to be exact), as far as the eye could see. Little baby palm trees all in a row. This is one reason I love to travel.

I love that Heavenly Father gives us variety on this earth, different kinds of beauty to make our souls sing. Tra la la

Hopefully, I will return to Arizona one day in the not too distant future, and I will drag along my children.