[	Tags	|	piano, treadmill, tuning, vbs	]
[	Current Mood	|	happy	]

So its been busy here lately!  Last week was VBS and it was a blast I’m still singing the songs here and there and swimming in the pool!  Here are some pictures from my helping out.

Then I got sick for a few days, which was a bummer because we had to cancel dinner with some new friends of which is also the choir director that I’m playing with.  We still haven’t been able to reschedule it even though we’ve tried a bunch of times! 

Tuesday we headed to Temple for the day for my sisters 14^th birthday and also so we could pick up my treadmill and klunker piano.  We took Stephen’s family’s 15 passenger van and took all the seats out except for one and the trailer, but it rained on the way, so when we loaded everything, it all fit in the back of the van - which was cool!  It rained on the way home too - so that was really nice not to have to wrap the piano up in tarps and everything.  When we got home we picked up another guy to help us move everything upstairs and it all got moved safe and sound!  Hurrah!

The piano was a dusty mess (as it has been sitting at a moldy old house for several years and before that it sat at another old person’s house for I’m not sure how long) and it was kind of moldy on the keys and a little on the wood.  I took the whole thing apart (or mostly) including all the keys and hammer/action.  The only thing left was the soundboard.  It all got wiped down, vacuumed, and oil polished and now it looks really nice - it only sounds just as bad.

BEFORE

AFTER

So I called a guy just now and he quoted me a price of $120 for a good tuning (which he’d have to get all the strings back up to where they should be and then tune it) - so I’ll probably save my money and get it done asap.  Anyone want to contribute?!  :-P

Its been jolly nice to play on so far! I’ve pulled out a bunch of beautiful choral music (the Wilds) and have been playing almost all day…ok, so just this morning and afternoon.  :D

Anyway, Katrina and I just went swimming and now I’m relaxing, I think I might play the playstation for a little bit.

Dear Journal,

Today was fun!  Different than what I’m used to doing…heehee!  Tim came over at 10 and went left for Jonathan’s house to do some shooting with our guns and some of theirs. 

After setting up targets for the glocks, revolver, 22’s, and some other stuff, we set up a big paper target for our shotgun.  I haven’t ever shot anything more than a bb or pellet gun, so it was fun shooting something dangerous!  Heehee   I didn’t do too bad for a first time - most of mine hit the target and fairly ok - I hit the 9 circle a bunch of times and the very middle once or twice.  Most of the time if I was shooting rapidly they were in the same close area - so that’s a good thing!

Then came the shotgun, and boy, you don’t ever want to be on the other side of the gun.  After blowing HUGE holes with bunches of small shots all around we blew up some boards, logs, and pvc piping. Oh, and a snake too.  :D  we used mostly doveshot but I shot some buckshot which gave quite a bit more of a kick and way louder, but boy it was tons of fun shooting!  :D

*grossness next*

We saw a snake and so Stephen shot him with a 22 a couple times but he was still alive so Jonathan grabs the shot gun and blows the snake in two - and after I was looking at him and the top of his head was blown off, but his tongue was sticking out.  So I picked up a stick and poked on it a little further back from his mouth and his tongue kept coming out more and more…then when I poked really close by his tongue it all went back in!  It was amusingly funny - they guys got a kick out of my fascination.  :-P

After shooting Jonathan and Hannah had to leave so we played spades with Mrs. F for 2 hours on ONE GAME!  It was me and Mrs. F against Tim and Stephen.  We totally thought we’d cream the guys, but in the end they won!  We got set a couple times which was our downfall (thanks to me) but on one round we bid, but then basically played hearts so that they guys would go minus 100 for bags and it worked!  It was so awesome! 

Later on we met up with Jon W and played tennis until a big beautiful thunderstorm rolled in and started soaking us, so we decided to pick up and drop by the Hulin’s house to say one last goodbye to Sarah and Rebekah before they leave in the morning for Korea for a month.  We ended up staying there 30 minutes chatting.

Then on to check out the W’s new house and supper at CiCi’s and now I think we’re going to watch Fast and Furious 2 and probably hit the sack sometime late tonight (the guys are staying the night), but I’m pretty tired.

But it’s been a good day!

Dear Journal,

Today was nice at church, I feel like I’ve been fitting in and becoming someone who is somebody or something like that.  This morning I woke up pretty tired, but we got on the road and church was good.

Pastor Hovey was talking about how we’re not any better than anyone else and how we’re all equal in God’s sight.  It was cool because we had been talking about that on the way to church.  Its one of my pet peeves how we get into a groove about thinking that we’re better than the guy who goes around with his baggy shorts hanging down - - - and how, pray tell, are we any better in God’s sight than him?  Its true, we may be saved and have the gift of salvation, which is more than the other guy, but its our responsibility to tell him about God’s free gift of eternal life.

Today was my first children’s choir practice at North Belt and it was fun!  I loved the piano - it’s a Kawai upright, but it had really good action and beautiful sound.  The choir music is cool - a lot of Ron Hamilton.

Its cool lately because we’ve been having people over to our house a lot - my family was here last Friday through Sunday, Monday my friend Angie came for a couple days, and on Friday Jonathan F was here hanging out and ended up spending the night.  I really love having people here and having them feel at home - I guess its that homemaker in me that I really love. (even if we don’t have tons of food!)

This week we’re having VBS at church and I’m going to be working with crafts and doing the sound for all the skits and stuff.  Woot, I’m looking forward to doing it!  Unfortunately, I’ve been sleeping in since I got married and now we’re having to leave at 7:30 to get to the church.

Its great to have some new friends and really enjoy being with them.  Sarah is leaving for Korea for a month and that’s sad because I’m going to miss her!  We play tennis every week and its great fun to hang out and chat.

Meanwhile, being married is awesome stuff.  Being married is not so much like you’re a wife and you have a husband, but more like always being with your best friend.  We have the best time together just being together and living life together, cleaning, playing, talking, burning food, doing really stupid stuff, and always having somebody to hold you.  J  But its been great fun working on projects together like mowing and keeping the yard up, painting and fixing this place up a little. 

I’d love to start a small garden in pots, like especially okra, tomatoes, and squash.  Our neighbor downstairs in the house (our garage is separate from the house) has been growing okra for a couple years now and keeping everything growing throughout the year - so I’d like to try it.   It would be awesome to have some extra vegetables in our back yard!

Swimming is a very often part of my daily life, we go swimming almost every day in our neighbor’s pool.  Its wonderful to have a nice swimming pool always available - even through the winter because its heated - and she gets it professional kept up, so she loves people to come and use it.  And so we do!

Stephen’s Aunt is going to give me a serger and hopefully I can pull out my sewing projects - the first of which is to finish a quilt for a friend - I haven’t forgotten!!  But a serger will be awesome to have.

We're watching a weird movie called Arabian Nights - its super long!

December 4, 2008

My life sure is different than it used to be.  Nothing is the same.  My friends are different, my work is different, my studies are different, my life is different.  I think maybe I’m starting to know why, or that there is a purpose, but it is so bittersweet.

I miss the days gone by.  I desire to never be separate from my best friend, but even that seems impossible at times.  I’m in a different place.  I used to be completely musically wrapped up with music, playing, practicing, and more practicing.  I’d play and practice with friends - and then bake brownies afterwards.  I haven’t forgotten.

Now I’m studying Microsoft, I’m completely computer oriented and weirdly love it.  I guess it’s a way I find a sense of accomplishment and if I can make money at it too, all the better.  I play music more these days, but its not my driving force anymore.  It’s a good feeling to know I’m still wanted and if that if they didn’t already know what I would say they would be begging me to come back…ok, they are anyway.  So that’s a nice feeling.  I love doing well at things. 

So instead of classical I’m down-hoe and country.  I used to attend all the Temple Symphony but now there’s no friends to go with me, and its not the same.  Instead of playing classical in the orchestra, I’m playing bluegrass, blues, irish reels, and country fiddling like Old Joe Clark, Blackberry Blossom, Rose of Sharon… I’m working on my double-stops, slides, and bowing, fast and accurate and a whole new style of playing. 

I work full-time plus another job, and possible 2 extra jobs.  I don’t get paid enough for my work, but am happy to live with it.  I get up early, don’t stay out at night much, but study, attend computer workshops, teach people how to be better computer/secretary’s in churches.  I’m Microsoft office certified in Word, Excel, Shepherd’s Staff certified in Finance, Membership, Contributions, & Reports.

I know what kind of work I like to do.  I thrive on doing stuff with other people’s work, but hate developing from the ground up.  Give me ideas and info that you want - shoot, I’ll ask you want you want and make you think, but you tell me what you want, and I’ll get it done for you.

I don’t lead like I wish I could, but I suppose that can change.  I want to put together a time for the church office secretaries to get together and exchange ideas and tips.  I’m working with someone tomorrow showing them how to work with programs to develop their bulletin, and there’s more people who could benefit.  I’ve learned a lot and enjoy showing people how to do their work faster, make it look better and in the end making everybody happier.  Its hard for me to slow down enough to keep it on their level.  Hopefully I’ll do better tomorrow. 

I don’t do puzzles anymore.  I haven’t put one together in a long time, but did take one class on hand quilting and have made two quilts.  My first one was hand pieced and computer machine pieced and then hand quilted - it was funky looking, but really cool, I still want o make another one like it. It was for a single bed.  The second is a large queen quilt, beautiful and sewed with tears.  Machine pieced and hand quilted. 

I value my friends even more, and I haven’t forgotten the others.  Actually I think of them often.  My friends are now entering the marriage time and I, who had a guy first, will probably be the last to actually get married.  Such is life.  Hopefully I won’t have 27 dresses before I actually get married.  Heck, I don’t have that many friends!  LOL

I forget stuff - which makes it nice for movies, so I can watch the Incredibles over and over and not get tired of it because I don’t remember the little lines or what’s coming next.  People are convinced that I have alzheimers.  I say its because I’m an office manager. 

I care about strangers more.  I realize that I’m not better than the other person on the street, and just as I might think they don’t deserve food/gas/money and why haven’t they been more responsible, I’m not any better than them and don’t deserve any better!  I’m only saved through Jesus’ love and blood.  And it doesn’t matter what I think, I’m called to serve them.  I have a blast buying food for local pantries, and giving money to people.  I found that even though giving to God first He has increased and I’ve never been in want.  I can practice self-control in order to bless someone else.  To be a finger of God.

I don’t have a perfect family life.  In fact, its like most everybody elses’.   

I am my worse critic.  Its pretty bad sometime.

I have discovered the awesomeness of waxing.  Will never return to other methods.

It makes me super happy to help other people. 

I miss my baby.

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are:

first, hard work;

second, stick-to-itiveness;

third, common sense.”

November 25, 2008

Huge rant, excuse me.  If you’re gonna be offended, don’t read it.

Today was HORRIBLE.  I’m STILL mad and its 7:30 in the evening.  There’s nothing (it seems) that irks me more than LAZY STUPID PEOPLE WHO THINK ONLY OF THEMSELVES!  It seems like they have a job but all they do is sit around and blame other people because of mistakes or information that’s wrong.  WHY CAN’T PEOPLE BE MEN/WOMEN WHO ARE WILLING TO GET UP OFF THEIR LAZY BUTTS AND ACTUALLY WORK?!?!  Or do what’s RIGHT for once?!  It would make my life a HECK of a whole lot easier and nicer.

Please people.  What is SO difficult about doing the right thing?  What’s so hard about doing the work you’re supposed to do?  And people who don’t do those things sure aren’t respected like people who do!  Trust me.  I know.

I’m SO frustrated right now.  Just plain mad.  And so I get to take the blame and suffer for it…when I’m trying to do my best, and all I get for it is a bunch of nothing.  Right now I feel like dumping everything and finding people who really appreciate me/love me or something.  Maybe that’s all wrong, but it suuure feels that way. 

If you want something, you gotta pay for it.  And if you REALLY want something, you gotta be willing to pay the price.

PERIOD.

Did Christ instructions are clear: “Therefore, whatever you want me to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”  Jesus did not say, “In some things, treat people as you wish to be treated.”  And He did not say, “From time to time, treat others with kindness.”  Christ said we should treat others as we wish to be treated in every aspect of our daily lives.  Common courtesy should begin at home.  So today, be a little kinder than necessary to everyone you meet, starting with your family.  As you consider all the things which Christ has done in your life, honor Him with your words and deeds.  He expects no less.  He deserves no less.

“You will accomplish more by kind words and a courteous manner than by anger and sharp rebuke, which should never be used, except in necessity.”

“There is nothing that rejuvenates the parched, delicate spirits of children faster than when a lighthearted spirit pervades the home and laughter fills its halls.”

“Anything done for another is done for oneself.”

“When you extend hospitality to others, you’re not trying to impress people; you’re trying to reflect God to them.”

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb.  Sweet to the soul and health to the bones.”

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”