Lamb E Umptum

What we did this past week……

I seemed like mostly musical things…...

Sunday – it was the Columbia Civic Orchestra playing the Messiah but I already told you that last week.
Monday – I had to go to the doctor because I developed pink eye. Yuck. Now I am putting drops in my eye four times a day.
Tuesday – It was the Columbia Independent School Instrumental Music Winter Concert. I had three groups perform and the Advanced Orchestra really wow-ed the crowd – mostly because it was triple the size from last year. I attribute the later school start-time to the increase in numbers because we have to meet before school and no one likes to get up earlier than they have to just to play their violin. It also helps that all the violinists in this group play at the advanced level so they sound really good.
Wednesday – my adult string group – Carpe Harmonium – had their final class in the form of a recital/Christmas party at one of the member’s homes. Remember that we played at a nursing home last Saturday? We did exactly the same program and did so much better. Not sure why because this was in front of people we actually knew which would usually make someone more nervous?
Thursday – I spent all morning in a R.S. presidency meeting in Jefferson City but I got to stay home in the evening – wahoo! I worked on Christmas projects.
Friday – I was asked to play in a string quartet for the Smithton-Ridge Ward Christmas party. And, they needed me to play – get this – VIOLA! I only had one “cello moment” when I mistook a G for an A but, other than not being able to do vibrato, I did OK. Plus, Steve and I got a free meal out of the deal. That is always a good thing.
Saturday – Columbia Civic Orchestra played again in a program of Russian Christmas and/or winter music coupled with a Messiah Sing-Along with the Columbia Chorale. The solos were auctioned off on e-bay and three of the four singers were actually pretty professional sounding this year which made for an awkward-free experience all around. Beckie came over during the day and she and I became candy-making machines. We had a couple of learning moments in the process: bittersweet chocolate is sweeter than unsweetened (to me, the word “bitter” has bad connotations so it didn’t sound like it would be more desirable – oh well), baking chips will not produce the same texture as bars of baking chocolate and should not be a substitute for baking bars, and NEVER use unsalted butter when making toffee even though it sounds healthier. The salt stabilizes the toffee so the ingredients don’t separate in the end. Thankfully, our mistakes still tasted good so things weren’t a total loss.
Today – We had about 3-4 inches of snow fall last night so trying to find a place to attend church meetings proved to be a challenge. Steve and I were scheduled to speak in Moberly in the morning but they cancelled. Our home ward, Bear Creek, meets in the afternoon so we thought “surely, they will have meetings” but they cancelled. The only ward in Columbia that held meetings was Highlands at 12:30 so that is where Steve and I went and we had a great experience. What a nice ward! And, it is so crazy that a ward in the same town would have soooo many people I don’t recognize.
We have a new patio door. Our old one was slowly failing so we asked Bob Eschrich, our resident handiman, to look for one at Habitat for Humanity where one can find all kinds of used building materials. This was six months ago. Well, this week, he finally found the kind we wanted (hinged – not slide) and he installed it on Friday. It is a very nice door which we got for a very nice price and I LOVE it. Now he is going to build a gate to put at the top of our deck stairs so Trissy won’t ruin this door like she did the old one. And, I think I will actually wash this one regularly!
Sorry for no photos. I took enough last week to cover this week.....