My Little Summer Bucket List

Don't worry, I'm also planning a little fall bucket list and a little winter bucket list.  :o)

I was thinking about some of the little fun things I've been meaning to do for a long time and decided to write them down and do them.  Want to see?

1.  Get 3 shadowboxes for some little dolls I've made.

2.  Make a crystal garland.  Years ago Kelly and I had a craft booth at a craft show in Blanco, and a couple traded me a big bag of crystals for one of my candlelights.  We are going to twist wire into loops and curls and hang the crystals on it for some sparkle.  Won't that be pretty?

3.  Make oatmeal cookies with Reece.  I'll have to use the piano bench and round oak table as my mixing area, but that's okay.  I can't stand at the counter any longer.

4.  Have a tea party with the girlies.  We have a special Gramma tea set, and another that I got Cammy for her birthday that we can use.  Maybe we will wear hats.  Reece will be invited, too.

5.  Play Ave Maria on my violin.

6.  Learn the chords to Mull of Kintyre on the mandolin.  I couldn't sleep one night, and this song was in my head.  It has become our theme lately, with Ron and Jason finding some beautiful Scotch whiskey to drink from Ron's birthday Glenfiddich glasses.  I don't drink it, but I smell it, and it smells wonderful.  It came from the Mull of Kintyre.  It's called Spring Bank Single Malt Scotch.

7.  Buy mandolin strap (this one's done).

8.  Work with Reece on his reading and math.

9.  Draw.  Birds.  Flowers.

10  Make natural peppermint oil with my mint.  Use in toothpaste.

11.  Get rid of old green couch.  (I can't do that myself, but I can nag).

12.  Get another anointing.

13.  Visit the local Schoenstatt Shrine.

14.  Visit the local Divine Mercy Mission Center.

15.  Make handsewn pillows from my old summer yukatas.  I'll hem them with blanket stitch.  Simple and soft.

16.  Crochet flowers with Kel to make a cute garland together.  (We got a few of these done today--me one, Kel four). 

17.  Get a new water bucket for my dogs.  Their plastic one keeps getting moldy.  Yuck.  I'll get a metal one. 

That's it.  Happy weekend, dear ones.

One more beautiful family day.

Had another beautiful day with my family yesterday.  This time it was all of us here (Ron, Josh, Cyrise and their 4 littles, Jason and Kis and their four), Kelly and Mike, then Sandi and Mom, Johnnie and Mike, Jared (their son), Cole and Collin (Sandi's sons) Kori, Steve and their two little guys (Kori is Sandi's daughter).  A big, fantastic houseful.

They brought all kinds of food!  Some of the guys stopped at Costco and Target and got everything imaginable for a big cookout.  We had hamburgers, brats, hot dogs, all kinds of cheeses, baked beans and pickles, chips and drinks.  Dinner was delish!

It is so wonderful to see the now grown-up cousins together, and the little ones, too, of course.  Kelly and Jared have a family tradition of making no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies whenever they are together, because we always did it when they were little.  They let Lily help them this time.  That was a privilege for her, because they usually allow no one else in the kitchen.  :o)  They (the cookies) were good.

The guys sat out on the patio at the back of pool, talking and talking.  They are all so handsome and strong.  Most of Great Gran's grandchildren are boys.  She has two granddaughters, Kelly and Kori, and they are both strong and beautiful, too.  Great Gran had her hair cut short, and wore cute clothes.  She is a little doll.  I liked just looking at her.

There was lots of swimming and playing going on.  Sandi trimmed my hair for me as we sat out back on the patio.  Steve took a big family picture (I'll see if it's in my iphoto so I can post it).  Oops, not there yet.  I'll try to get it downloaded later today.

We turned on the party lights on the patio at dusk, and Jason and Lys played for us, and Jason sang.  That was wonderful.  

We're all doing okay.  I haven't noticed much physical change.  I'm tired, but that's nothing new.  No new numbness or tingling anywhere, no breathing difficulties yet.

I ask for prayers for my family.  This is harder on them than it is on me.  Ron and I have been one for over 44 years, and I can barely imagine what this is doing to him.  I know the kids are worried about him.  They are all strong, but I can see that they are torn apart, too.  Please pray for strength and peace and comfort for all of them.  Thank you!

Goodbyes yesterday were difficult.  We live so far apart from extended family, and we don't know what will happen next, or when.  I feel so blessed that everyone was here while I'm still doing well.  

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your sweet thoughts and prayers.  Love you, dear ones!

Emotional Performance

I've always liked Vince Gill's voice.  He made me cry in this video.

Vince Gill and Patty Loveless' Emotional Performance at the Funeral of George Jones from sharethemessage on GodTube.

My Weird Monday

What a weird day.  I slept late today because insomnia kept me up half the night.  I didn't wake up to see Reece off, I didn't wake up to take Aubrey to school (Josh was home for lunch and he took her), and I didn't get to Mom's until after 2:30 PM when I picked the kids up at school.  They were delighted to go to Great Gran's!

We stayed over there until after 4, and Josh and Ron got home shortly after we did.  I watched the kid swim for a bit, then watched the news about the bombings in Boston (how horrible!) for awhile.  Prayers going up for the victims and their families.

So my day has seemed out-of-whack, if you know what I mean.  I'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight, even though I'm not a bit sleepy after sleeping so long this morning.

Josh buzzed Reece's hair this evening.  He looks so adorable, and I like feeling his little round head.  He sure didn't want a haircut, but once it was done, he liked it.  Then he didn't want to take a bath to get all the hair off, but Josh insisted, and Reece was happy after his bath.  Reece thinks going swimming can substitute for a bath.  :o)

Aubrey had a bath after Reece was finished, and then I put the girls down for the night.  We read a story, sang a couple of songs, and I tucked them in.  Later I was going back upstairs with a soda and Aubrey and Camryn were standing outside their bedroom door.  I said, "Get your fannies back to bed!" and they scampered away like two little scared rabbits.  They will use any excuse to get up.  Tonight it was "Cammie wanted a hug from Mommy," who had already given her hugs and kisses before bedtime.  

We worked on Reece's math facts and sight words before bedtime.  Then we listened to Celtic music while he fell asleep.  He loved the sound of the harp.  I love that kid.  He has my taste in music.  :o)

Well, that's been my weird Monday.  Hope yours was great!    

Friday Five

1.  I found a new-to-me TV program that I like.  It's called Troubadour Texas, and features up and coming Texas musicians, writing and playing Texas music.  Check it out.  http://troubadourtx.com/

2.  Lily wanted to go to the mall, so off we went yesterday afternoon.  She wasn't even sure what she wanted to do there, but I overheard her telling one of the kids she had only one pair of jeans, so I asked if she wanted to shop for jeans.  We got her a pair of denim capris, a pretty blue and white chevron striped top, and a lightweight hooded sweater that matches the blue in the top.  She looks cute in them.  We stopped at the Marble Slab Creamery for ice cream on our way out of the mall.

3.  I had another dentist appointment this morning.  It didn't take long at all.  I have one more in a couple of weeks, then my teeth should all be fine.

4.  I have a new email address.

5.  Lily will go home tomorrow.  I wish we could keep her.  We will meet her daddy halfway.  We didn't get far on her knitted scarf, but she can work on it at home.  Love you, Lily. 

Dwight for Jewell

For Jewell.  Kind of a gruesome song, but good music.  I love Flaco Jimenez's little accordion in there with the bass guitar.  The two of them (Flaco and the bass player) look like they're having fun.



My all time favorite Dwight song is I Sang Dixie, but I like almost everything he does.

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

A couple of my latest favorites.

For Lyssa and Jason

Thought you might like to hear this.  So pretty!

This Makes Me Grin

(Turn off my playlist music to listen to the video).

I still like to listen to James Dupre's YouTube videos, and I am captivated by the fiddle playing of this young man, Stevie Rees. He and his brother are playing with James in this video. I wanted to know more about him, and discovered that he's part of a wonderful Cajun family band, L'Angelus.

I think they are wonderful, so talented and sweet and funny. They are all great, but Stevie makes it all look as easy as breathing. God given talent.

Oh, and they are Catholic, pro-life, have been on EWTN, and have CDs of sacred music and Christmas hymns. Explore their official site, linked above.

Thanks, L'Angelus! Your music makes me smile and tap my feet and forget all about cancer. :o)

Friday Chatter

I've been feeling kind of crummy the past week and didn't really know what was going on. Then yesterday my labs showed that my red blood count was extremely low and I needed a transfusion. The doctor thinks it's probably from cutting back on my tacrolimus and I have a little graft vs. host disease, which he wanted because it helps to make the immune system stronger. I've had quite a bit of nausea, too. Not fun.

Dr. O said the most common symptom of graph vs. host is a skin rash. I don't have that, but have felt itchy and have some skin discoloration. He said it can manifest in the lower gut--the colon--and that causes diarrhea. Don't have that. And he said it can show up in the upper gut--the stomach and gastrointestinal tract--which causes nausea. Do have that, but eating something usually helps. My meds make me gag. I'm sure it's all in my head, but makes it hard to swallow them. And then I'm likely to throw them up. Grrr!

I got one unit of blood yesterday and another one this morning. I felt lots better after the one yesterday, and hope the additional one today will have me feeling great. I think the blood helped with the nausea, and I know it helped with the lightheadedness, dizziness and fatigue.

There is young man doing his internship in music therapy who comes to the hospital every day. He plays guitar, and I've enjoyed listening to him play (and sing sometimes), and talking to him. He can play just about any kind of music and is very good. It's amazing what listening to music can do for people. Sure makes me feel better (and happier).

I just had a good laugh. I ordered some bras from One Hanes Place online. They came today. I ordered the size I always wear, and two of them are a little too big since I've lost weight. But the third one is enormous! One cup could fit on my head as a hat. It just struck my funny bone when I pulled it out of the bag.

Kelly and I are going to take Gran to lunch tomorrow, and then shopping. I'm looking forward to it so much. I don't have to go back to the clinic until Monday. Free weekend--yay!!

Reece stayed home from school today. Poor little guy has a croupy cough and runny nose. He wipes his nose so hard and so often that it makes his upper lip all red and sore. We were outside and I asked him if he smelled the mountain laurel. He looked so sad and said, "I can't smell anything, Gramma!"

I've been telling him not to cough on me because it can make me very sick, so he has been trying not to cough on me. Last night he said, "Gramma, I didn't cough on you. I coughed on Papa." I told him I appreciated it very much. :o)

It's in the eighties here today with lots of sunshine. The grass is turning green, the leaves are budding out on the trees, and some things are blooming. Feels like summer and I love it! I'm going to go sit in the sunshine for awhile. Have a great weekend!

Te Deum Laudamus

After Morning Prayer today, I listened to this version of the Te Deum on YouTube and as I listened I smelled incense. This happens to me sometimes during prayer. I don't try to explain it; I just love it.

"Welcome as incense-smoke let my prayer rise up before Thee, O Lord. When I lift up my hands, be it as acceptable as the evening sacrifice." (From the Traditional High Mass during the incensing of the offerings).

Please turn off my Playlist music to listen to the video. Notice the wonderful acoustics in this place. Beautiful!

Te Deum laudamus:
te Dominum confitemur.
Te aeternum Patrem
omnis terra veneratur.
Tibi omnes Angeli;
tibi caeli et universae Potestates;
Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim
incessabili voce proclamant:
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus,
Dominus Deus Sabaoth.
Pleni sunt caeli et terra
maiestatis gloriae tuae.
Te gloriosus Apostolorum chorus,
Te Prophetarum laudabilis numerus,
Te Martyrum candidatus laudat exercitus.
Te per orbem terrarum
sancta confitetur Ecclesia,
Patrem immensae maiestatis:
Venerandum tuum verum et unicum Filium;
Sanctum quoque Paraclitum Spiritum.
Tu Rex gloriae, Christe.
Tu Patris sempiternus es Filius.
Tu ad liberandum suscepturus hominem,
non horruisti Virginis uterum.
Tu, devicto mortis aculeo,
aperuisti credentibus regna caelorum.
Tu ad dexteram Dei sedes, in gloria Patris.
Iudex crederis esse venturus.
Te ergo quaesumus, tuis famulis subveni:
quos pretioso sanguine redemisti.
Aeterna fac cum sanctis tuis in gloria numerari.

English translation:

We praise Thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship Thee and the Father everlasting.
To Thee all Angels:
to Thee the heavens and all the Powers therein.
To Thee the Cherubim and Seraphim cry with unceasing voice:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Hosts.
The heavens and the earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.
Thee the glorious choir of the Apostles.
Thee the admirable company of the Prophets.
Thee the white-robed army of Martyrs praise.
Thee the Holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge.
The Father of infinite Majesty.
Thine adorable, true and only Son
Also the Holy Ghost the Paraclete.
Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
Thou having taken upon Thee to deliver man
didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
Thou having overcome the sting of death
didst open to believers the kingdom of heaven.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God
in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We beseech Thee, therefore, help Thy servants:
whom Thou has redeemed with Thy precious Blood.
Make them to be numbered with Thy Saints in glory everlasting.

Amen

Thursday Chitchat

I guess you can see that I've been fiddling around with my blog a little. I like the blue background, but will have to get used to my blog list, labels, etc. being in the right margin rather than the left. The background is one of the "ethereal" themes from Blogger.

I also added some songs to my playlist. I was a little tired of the soft instrumentals, so I added some songs with lyrics, mostly oldies, a little Texas, some Cajun--I'm very eclectic when it comes to music. :o) If you don't like the new tunes, you can scroll down in the list. I didn't delete the songs I already had on the list, but mixed them up a bit. Or you can just turn off the playlist player for some peace and quiet.

We had another pretty day, although it did cloud up and get colder as the day progressed. Mom and I took Teddy for a walk and I made her tuna salad for lunch.

I'll go over and watch the kids for Josh and Cyrise tomorrow night. Cyrise's birthday is next Monday, and they are going out for the evening with friends for an early celebration. Not sure of our weekend plans, but I'm missing my Kelly so hope to see her.

Have a great Friday!

I Love This!

I've been playing with my mandolin tonight. It's so much fun, but I'll never be a pro. :o) Anyway, I came across the tabs for this song and plucked it out, but wanted to hear how it is really supposed to sound. I found this beautiful video. Oh my goodness, if I could only play my violin like this. (Turn off my playlist in the left hand column to hear the music).

Monday ChitChat

We've been busier than usual with grandkids, since Gina is still in the hospital, and Ron and I stay with the kids whenever Josh and Cyrise go to see her.

Gina is doing great, has gained back all her weight, wakes to eat every 3 to 4 hours, and is eating even more than they require. She nurses well, too. I'm praying she will be home in the next day or two.

The extra time in the hospital has given Cyrise a bit more time to prepare for Gina's homecoming. We've washed two large bags of little girl baby clothes. It seems like a lot, but not when you remember that little babies often have to be changed several times a day. We still need to get the car seat cleaned and the cover washed. We got her a little support cushion that fits into the seat.

She will sleep in a bassinet for awhile. The kids are still trying to work out sleeping arrangements in their two bedroom house. They have a twin bed and crib in the kid's bedroom, but now they need a trundle or bunk bed.

Do you remember the mandolin that Ron got me for Christmas last year? It was a kit he ordered from a company he sometime uses for his woodworking tools. It was put aside and out of mind after my cancer diagnosis, but Ron recently got it out and started working on it again.

It didn't take him very long at all to get it finished (he still wants to put some coats of wax on it), and I'm so happy with it! It will take me some time to learn to play it, but I can tune it and have learned a few chords. I still need a strap and some picks. It's easy for me to pick out melodies on it, but learning to play chords is new to me. I also have a bit of arthritis in my fingers, so I don't know how much that is going to slow me down. So far it hasn't bothered me much.

James Dupre, Again.

Please turn off my playlist music (in the left-hand sidebar) to listen to the video.



Remember this post I made in June about a terrific young singer that I came across on YouTube? His name is James Dupre. This morning there was a comment on that post in my inbox, from someone who knows James.

Anonymous said...

Just to let you know - James Dupre is even nicer in person than he comes across on screen:) He has also signed a record contract.

I think it's so thoughtful of Anonymous to let me know that James is as nice as he seems in his videos, and that he has signed a record contract. I'm as excited and happy for him as I'd be if I knew him in person. :o)

You can listen to sample tracks from James' CD, It's All Happening, and purchase it here, and you can read his bio on his webiste, here. Enjoy!

A Don Williams Night

I've always loved the soothing, mellow voice of Don Williams. My favorite song by him is Good Ole Boys Like Me. I love the music, but even more, I love the lyrics of this song. As usual, turn off my playlist music to listen to the videos.



But this one, I like the music that just keeps rolling along. The pictures with this one are kind of cheesy, so just close your eyes and listen. :o)



This is one that Ron and I used to square dance to, way back in the early '80s when we lived in Kansas. I never thought I'd be a square dancer, and I swore I wouldn't wear those square dance outfits, but I did and it was fun. We belonged to a group called the Silver Spurs. They were a wild and crazy bunch. :o)

James Dupre

I was listening to old songs tonight, and looked up Gene Watson on YouTube. I found his song I Never Go Around Mirrors, then clicked on what I thought was Keith Whitley's version of the same song. It turned out to be a cover of Whitley's version by a young Louisiana man named James Dupre. Oh. My. Goodness. He's wonderful!

James has been posting videos of himself singing on YouTube since 2007. The man can sing anything from Hootie and the Blowfish to Merle Haggard, but his old-fasioned country music is what I like best. He has the kind of deep, smooth voice that I love.

His YouTube videos are made in his home, and sometimes you can hear his children playing or crying in the background. It's very endearing.

It was inevitable that such a gifted singer would be "discovered," and James has been. Someone brought his videos to the attention of Ellen Degeneres, and he was recently featured on her TV show. He has also made an album in Nashville, and a couple of the songs were written by him. I hope that he isn't spoiled by the fame I'm certain is in his future.

James has a website where you can read his bio, listen to a song from his album, see his calendar and order the CD. Go to YouTube and watch and listen to his videos there, too. If you like Don Williams or Vince Gill, George Strait or Dwight Yoakum, you're sure to like James Dupre.

Turn off my Playlist to listen:

And one more (I want to post all 122 of them; they are that good):

A Moment Of Forever

It's a Kristofferson night. Turn off my Playlist music to listen.


A Moment Of Forever

Was it wonderful for you?
Was it holy as it was for me?
Did you feel the hand of destiny
That was guiding us together?

You were young enough to dream
I was old enough to learn something new
I'm so glad I got to dance with you
For a moment of forever

Sometimes when you're cryin', you're happy
Sometimes you're just cryin'
I know. I know.

Come whatever happens now
Ain't it nice to know that dreams still come true
I'm so glad that I was close to you
For a moment of forever.

My Mandolin

Ron gave me the most unexpected but delightful gift for Christmas.

He is a woodworker, and sometimes orders tools and things from a company called Grizzly. One day, months ago, he overheard me say something to someone about how I had always wanted a mandolin. I play the violin, and thought it would be easy to play the mandolin since the strings are the same. He said that he thought at the time, "I never knew she wanted a mandolin." So when he saw a mandolin kit in his Grizzly catalog, he ordered it for me.

He is in the process of putting it together. I should have taken a before picture when it was still in little pieces; he has already assembled the big pieces. There is still quite a bit to do, including putting a finish on it and all of the smaller bits, but it's coming along.

I'm very excited to have it, and have already found an on-line site with instructions on how to play the mandolin.

I'll post pictures when it is finished.

Advent Playlist

I've added some "Advent music" to my playlist. The first melody you'll hear is Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. You might like to see the lyrics if you are unfamiliar with the hymn.

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
German Carol, Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen, ca. 1500
Translated by Theodore Baker, 1894 (Stanzas 1–2),
Harriet R. Spaeth, 1875 (Stanzas 3–4), and John C. Mattes, 1914 (Stanza 5)

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung,
of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.
It came, a flow’ret bright, amid the cold of winter,
when half-spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;
With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.
To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Savior,
when half-spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story, proclaimed by angels bright,
how Christ, the Lord of glory, was born on earth this night.
To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found him,
as angel heralds said.

This flow’r, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,
dispels with glorious splendor the darkness ev’rywhere.
True man, yet very God; from sin and death he saves us
and lightens ev’ry load.

O Savior, child of Mary, who felt our human woe;
O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know,
bring us at length, we pray, to the bright courts of heaven
and to the endless day.