Starting the week before and continuing into this last
week, I was substitute seminary teacher for the 9th grade
class. It meant re-configuring our morning
routine a bit but it worked out and I really enjoyed myself. Thankfully, the lesson preparation time was
not too long thanks to a really effective teacher’s manual.
For the most part, our weather has been wonderful. On Monday, I planted a third apple tree. I got it from a fellow who lives on Skyview
(down off Greenridge and across the street from a school friend of Sarah’s). He has two entire yards full of dwarf apple
trees that I have admired and been curious about for several years so this
year, I wrote a letter with questions and he called me to reply. I learned that apple growing has been a hobby
of his for over 40 years, his goal is to
have apples to eat from July to frost, he experiments with different varieties by growing and grafting and he sells his surplus apples at the Farmer’s
Market. And, he had a one-year old Lodi
dwarf apple that I could have for free.
So, I drove over, learned more about apple growing (Did you know that
Missouri was a huge apple producing state until 1941 when the weather never
turned cold and the trees still had sap in them until a bitter frost on
November 11th killed them all? Since it
the war was going on, they were not replaced and Washington state became the
new apple producer) and, I brought home my little tree and planted it right
away. Steve got out the Mantis tiller
yesterday and tackled the gardens.
I cleaned off the deck and prepared all my planters and pots for herbs and flowers (still to early to plant anything, though) Aaaaaand, today it is really cold.
But, since it is March, it won’t be for long.
Wednesday I took both my Rock Bridge orchestras to a music festival at the new Battle High
School. It seemed like a good “dry run”
for the district music festival in Mexico, MO coming up in early April. It was a long, exhausting afternoon but the
Chamber Orchestra got three ones for
which I was very pleased and the Concert Orchestra got a one-minus, a two, and
a three which I was not surprised.
Ivan, Alain, Jack, Boon, and Robert in their concert finery
Battle High School music boosters were smart to bring Dippin' Dots to the festival!
While one orchestra was performing, the other orchestra played "ninja" in the gym
Roman entertained us with Viva La Vida (which he still remembered from our flash mob playing of it last fall)
The next evening, my Lange orchestra was invited to play
for the PTA spaghetti supper. We played
three pieces – took fifteen minutes – and I was really pleased with how they
sounded. They have come a long way since
the first of the year.
Friday night, Steve and I went to the Alger’s home to
hear Ugo Perrigo, son-in-law of Lois and Dave McAllister, speak about his
genetic research. He and Jenna live in
Italy and he was brought to MU this past week for a workshop. It was great to see Lois (Dave couldn’t be
there) and Ugo had some very interesting things to say about genetics and
family history. It didn’t start until
8:00, however, and he talked for over two hours so we were pretty worn out by
the time we left and we still had to make a quick Wal-mart run. Ugh.
Not in bed until midnight.
Yesterday, Steve and I brought our friend from church,
Lizzy and we drove to Sturgeon where we met up with a former teaching colleague from CIS
and she took us to some new stores in Amish country. Up until now, all we knew of was the
bulk-goods store, a bakery/furniture store, and a salvage grocery store. Yesterday, we discovered a quaint little general
store called Lefties, another general/bulk food store that had shelves and
shelves of different colored glassware.
So pretty. We also visited a
quilt shop and a basket shop. The
weather was perfect and we had a great time.
Steve in front of Lefties
Lizzy with her purchase from the basket shop
the front of the basket shop
chickens behind the basket shop
one of the dozens of quilts from the quilt shop
our haul from the Amish
Last night, Steve and I watched “Ender’s Game”. We both really enjoyed it. I, of course, have read the book several
times and I thought the adaptation was well done. Steve has never read the book but now would like
to. I was at the sewing machine and he
was in the recliner but I think he actually stayed away for the whole
film. That says a lot about how he
enjoyed it! I finished Mockingjay and I
really enjoyed it. I looked forward to
going to bed every night so I could read some more.
Tonight is a CCO concert – it is the Missouri composers
orchestra project concert. All new
compositions. All but one are really
quite enjoyable to play and listen to.
There is only one that is just noise.
This will be my last concert with CCO for the season as their next one
is the same day as Kirsti graduates from BYU so you know where I will be.
I will end by wishing you all an early Happy St. Patrick’s
day!
No comments:
Post a Comment