SPRING BREAK!

I loved every minute.  My main goal was to cut out and sew more bibs.  I am slowly using up all my small scraps of fabric on this project – which I am not so sure about now.  Will they sell?  I wonder.  Maybe I will make small patchwork receiving blankets with the rest of my extra fabric?  Maybe I will just have  a whole lot of baby gifts to give away.  Ah, me.  But, while I continue this project, I get to watch quite a few movies  and last week was no exception.  Here is what we watched:

The Pawnbroker – not a very good start to my movie-watching week. In fact, it was a TERRIBLE start.  Steve’s co-worker, John, loaned him this early 1960’s film starring Rod Steiger.  Talk about bleak and dismal story accompanied by the worst soundtrack ever.  Ugh!

 The Prince and Me – cute, predictable, but fun to watch

Mrs. Brown – Judy Dench stars as Queen Victoria after Prince Albert dies.  It was a good story.

The Good Lie – wow!  How can I be so ignorant of the suffering people around the world endure?  How can I help now?  This had a powerful effect upon me

Big Hero Six – Delightful!  Funny! 

Larry Crowne-  Again – Delightful! 

When I was not sewing, I worked on my HUGE Harris family outline.  Almost done and then I will upload the information into FamilySearch. 

I pruned the rose bushes in front and the peach trees in back.  I severely pruned the peaches and I have been waiting for a 24 hour period without rain so I can spray them.  We have had no significant peach crop in the last couple years thanks to frost and bugs.  I don’t want a repeat this year!

Steve and I traveled to St. Louis on Friday to attend the temple and to visit a bit with Emily and family.  We took Flat Stanley photos at the City Park downtown by the arch.  

 

  

 

 

We couldn’t stay long, however, since Steve and I wanted to attend the visitation for John Jorgensen in Moberly that evening.  And, we were back on Saturday afternoon for the funeral.  He was 77 years old and had a stroke last May and never really recovered  from it. 

Finally, I taught only a few music students this week.  And we have bid farewell to the plum-colored couch that belonged to Beckie (because the frame was starting to come apart (sniff)) and we have welcomed a blue love seat belonging to Sarah. 

Districts, concert, and spring

Ah, 'tis the week of wearing of the green, which was Tuesday, and the wearing of the black, which was practically every other day of the week.  Districts time!  I had two private cello students play in their district music festival in Jefferson City on Thursday so I drove down to do their accompanying that morning.  On Saturday, I had one private cello student and nine Rock Bridge High students play in our district music festival at Mexico High School so I got up at the break of dawn to ride the yellow bus at 6:45 (yawn).  With the exception of just one of my Jefferson City students, ALL received a "one" rating.  Which makes me think that either the judges are becoming a wee bit lenient or the students are just getting better.  And, it is probably a little bit of column A (good thing I am not asked to be a judge) and a LOT of column B (which continues to prove that I have the BEST teaching job in the world).

That last statement was further proven Wednesday night at our post-festival concert where both orchestras performed extremely well.

The first day of spring came in gloriously.  Steve and I did a bit of yard work Wednesday morning.  Our old prune-plum tree in the front yard has been limping along these past few years and our new little Lodi apple tree we planted last year was really not in a good spot back by the aggressive native blackberries.  The solution was to dig up the plum tree and haul it off and dig up the apple tree and put in in the big hole we had from the plum.  Fortunately, the soil was still a bit damp so the task was not too difficult.

Steve and I watched his March movie - The Scarlet Pimpernel (sinc-me!)- Friday night and my Netflix movie - The Adjustment Bureau (could this explain why Steve wears hats????) - last night.   I am half-way through reading East of Eden.  It is hard to put down but also hard to read just before going to bed because some of the characters are rather unsettling.  When I finish, I am looking forward to conversations with both Emily and Beckie who put this book at the top of their favorite readings.

Flat Stanley has been enjoying his travels with us.  See where he has visited.....

 

Spring is HERE!

  I love it!

I had a less-than-regular week since I substitute taught seminary Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.  This threw my morning routine out of sync.  But, I’m not complaining because  I really enjoy teaching seminary.

RBHS took part in a music festival at Battle High School on Tuesday.  We played the first movement of Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 and Peter Warlock’s Capriol Suite (6 short movements) for two judges and they gave the Chamber Orchestra all “ones”.  I was really pleased with the performance and thankful for the very complimentary comments from the judges.  

Below are photos of some of the kids prior to performing.  

 

Evenings were less-than-regular, too.  Monday we had Lizzy Crippen over for split pea soup and Home Evening.  Tuesday was the Easter cantata rehearsal.  Wednesday evening, I attended an informational meeting on the Neighborhood Watch program.  Steve and I have signed up to be co-captains for our block.  And, Thursday evening was a Relief Society birthday celebration.  I made a gluten-free lasagna for me and another celiac sister in the ward and the RS president made gluten-free cream puffs!!! So DELICIOUS that I ate two!

Steve and I made homemade pizza on Friday night and we watched an old Shirley McLaine film called “What A Way To Go”.  It is available on Amazon Prime and I recommend it.  It has an all-star sixties cast.  I watched “A Letter to Three Wives” on Saturday evening.   It was an old black-and-white film from the late forties that was recommended by my friend, Susan Lendroth, on her blog.  Here is the link  http://www.postwhistle.com/

She blogs all about letters. 

We attended the Kansas City temple Saturday morning (St. Louis is closed for cleaning and the Southerlands are gone, anyway) and got home in time to do some yard work in the afternoon –specifically transplanting asparagus. I just tried to look up a photo of an asparagus "crown". Sadly, no luck. But, before the asparagus stalk starts to grow, the thick, pale roots spread out spider-like and look like an alien being.   I put about 15 of them into the ground yesterday.  Hopefully, all will live and grow.

Oh, I made a strawberry pie for pi-day yesterday.  We will eat it tonight with our corned beef and cabbage. 

Only in Missouri

 would we have six + inches of snow one Sunday and temperatures in the 70's the next Sunday!  And I guess I neglected to mention that all church meetings were cancelled last Sunday because of the snow.  Frigid temperatures lingered all last week until Friday.  And then, it was as if a huge heater kicked on to melt all the snow and ice.  The last three days have been spring like - which I love.  I just don't love cleaning the dog paws (with a bucket and towels) EVERY time they go outside.

It was a really average week.  I finished reading Divergent and now I want to see the movie again.  I watched the movie Belle on Thursday.  It came out in 2014 but hardly anyone has heard of it.  I would describe it as a blend of Pride and Predjudice and Amazing Grace.  Very lovely movie - and based upon a true story.  I highly recommend it.

We had a MMCO (mid-Missouri Community Orchestra) rehearsal Saturday afternoon, then I had a Prairie Strings wedding at Stephen's College chapel (featuring two very long-winded ministers - sigh).  After dinner, I attended a Civic Orchestra concert.  I am currently rehearsing with the stake Easter cantata choir on Tuesday nights so I opted out of this particular performance.   It was the MOCOP: or the Missouri Composers Orchestra Project which featured all new compositions and, wow, I enjoyed every number.

Friday night, Steve and I attended a stake fireside called "Crucial Connections" - it was all about effective communication given by a fellow in the Highlands ward who is a professor of Family Relations at MU.  It was very good but the metal seats got really uncomfortable an hour into the presentation so I was not very attentive the last thirty minutes.  We brought Flat Stanley with us so he could have his picture taken with Darth Vadar!  (actually, the shadow cast by assorted mill work on the stake center building)

 
 

Finally, Happy Birthday to Tamara.  We enjoyed her birthday dinner tonight.  She requested raspberry zinger bars for her cake.

Snow Sunday

Boy, it has been so cold this past week.  Doggie walks in the mornings have been tests of endurance and will-power.   

 

 

 A beautiful, if freezing, sunrise...

 And, now more snow.  I love snow.  And, I am actually fine with it in March because it usually melts quickly by this time of the year.  I just wish we could get more snow in the front end of winter.  

 

This squirrel is my NEMESIS!  He constantly crawls across the kitchen window screen to raid the bird feeder, spilling seeds all over the deck (which the dogs then eat - dumb dogs).  This morning, when I filled the feeder, I decided to sprinkle a few seeds on the patio table.  If he would just eat seeds from there, I'd be happy!

 

There was no school for the kids on Friday (teachers had a “flex” day) but it was the music festival at Central Methodist University in Fayette.  I had a private cello student perform so I got to make the drive up and back.    

 

 

She played very well – got a “1”.  But, it happened on the coldest day of the year and the walk from my car was frigid.

Steve and I went to the temple Friday evening and stayed overnight with the Southerlands.  After breakfast (thanks, Emily, for the sausages and scrambled eggs) we left and got to Columbia around 11:00.  Snow was predicted for later in the day but I guess it got impatient because it started falling as we were going to Aldi to grocery shop.  And, it kept falling the rest of the day.  The orchestra boosters had planned for a table at Lucky’s Market from 1:00 to 3:00 and I had arranged for several students to take turns playing duets and quartets.  Bless their hearts, everyone but one showed up and played.  And, I think we made over $300! 

 

 Carrie Schlimme and Eleanor Farnen

  

Helen Keithahn, Betsy Schlimme, Trentynne Davis, Ethan Forte at Lucky's Market

 

 Speaking of RBHS orchestra, here they all are during class last week

Camden Killian, Jason’s son, read Flat Stanley at school and his class sent their own Flat Stanleys all over to visit and report back later in the spring.  He arrive in our mail on Wednesday and I have been showing him around.  

 

Guess where he went first???

 

 He got to visit orchestra.

 

And Fayette.  If you look closely, my cello student is holding him in her photo.

Netflix report:  I watched “Robots”.  It was quite cute.  And, I am almost finished with season 1 of Enterprise.