It's been awhile

One whole summer has gone by without me blogging. The first summer without Lowell. I was really busy with music stuff: Northern Light Opera took up a lot of time especially evenings. We all did terrific performances of Fiddler on the Roof. Next Summer we're going to perform Music Man. I also was the piano player for the Hubbard Prairie Radio Hour that was performed two weekends in July in the new Akeley Community theatre. All this was very helpful in that I didn't have a lot of time to sit around. I still have a few moments here and there that I will get a bit weepy but for the most part I'm doing good.

And then there was my class reunion - 55 years!!!! I've gone to all my reunions but this is the first one without Lowell. He enjoyed them as much as I did. I expected to have a good time and I did but what I didn't expect was the emotions I felt when I went to church the next morning. It was the church Lowell and I grew up in and where we were married. Physically it hasn't changed much. I automatically sat in the same pew that we sat in when we visited and thought about our wedding and I remembered as a child (when I was bored) counting the ceiling tiles although I gave up before I got them all counted. They are the same tiles.

After church my sister-in-law's mother, sister and husband invited me to have lunch with them. After lunch I drove through the park where with a bunch of girlfriend spent much of our time. Then I drove around town: past the house I grew up in, my cousins house where I spent a lot of time and my grandma's and grandpa's house. My school is no longer there and I couldn't quite remember which house was Mrs. Marsh (my piano teacher). I took pictures which I will post.

So now it is Fall (with the snow it seems like winter) Classis Chorale is back in full swing although without Erich. He has taken a job as music minister in Washington State. He had been our director for 10 years and we will miss him. I was able to schedule my piano students all on Wednesday afternoon so that frees up some days that I can do other things.

Another first

Yesterday was my birthday - the first without Lowell. He would have taken me out to dinner - we each would have had steaks :-) But instead I went to breakfast with my usual Sunday breakfast group - they sang to me and the waitress gave me a blueberry cupcake with a candle on it. When I got home there was a birthday greeting Karen on the answering machine; later Randy called from Arkansas - he was waiting to load for home (oregon); then Barbara called. Later I went up the hill to David's house for supper. Barbequed chicken and rice. Bria made a spice cake - one of my favorites. A number of cards and other birthday greetings. A pretty good day after all.

Except for the wind today was beautiful and warm. The first of many beautiful days to come I hope.

Music, music, and more music

I think I've had my fill of music for a little while - at least for the weekend. Two weeks ago I had my students piano recital. A friend has some of his violin and guitar students join us and it was very nice to have a variety. I think the audience appreciated it. My two 11 year old grand daugters played a duet. One of them lives south of Fargo and so the only time they practiced together was about 2 hours before the recital and they did very well. Last week end the Park Rapid Classic Chorale (I'm accompanist) had a concert Friday night and saturday afternoon. We all did a terrific job. I played the organ for the Mozart's Coronation Mass. It was a transcription so it wasn't hard but I didn't have words to follow which is one way I can know where I am in the music and there were quite a few measures of rests so I had to COUNT all the way through. We had a chamber orchestra also to accompany which made the music even more enjoyable. That was about 20 minutes of the concert so we sang other songs too. Some were in Norwegion because some of the group is leaving for a concert tour of Norway on Monday. I'm not going - can't afford it for one thing and then I'm not at all interested in Norway. Last Monday morning I rehearsed with the Pine Ave vocal jazz quartet.

Then I got a cold so didn't feel well for a few days. Then I got a call "will you help with the HS choir?" Of course I said I would. so yesterday I spent a couple of hours with Roz (piano) and finding good settings on the keyboard (me) and this morning several hours again with the HS choir. Went to lunch with Roz and then came back for another hour with the choir. At 5:30 our vocal jazz group had a 'gig' at Bella Cafe. Different music all together: Summertime, Java, Somewhere over the rainbow, Puttin' on the ritz, Unforgettable were just some of the songs we did. It is such fun!! We have a string bass player that adds so much to the sound. And the bass singer plays guitar on a couple of pieces and sax on a couple more. He's so good. Jazz is a new adventure for me - it's a stretch but I'm enjoing.

Tomorrow I have nothing to do. oh, yah, I have a wedding to go to. I don't have to play just attend. Then Sunday I'm going to Cloquet to a Spa party at Karen's. I'm not sure what all that involves I just know that I don't have to do anything for a few days. I'll write about that later.

Weekend

This was the first Easter that I didn't have to play anything for any church service -not even a hymn. I don't think that has happened in all the years that I've been playing for church services. Although I enjoy playing for church it was kind of nice to be able to sit with my family -well, most of my family. Lowell's comment would have been. "It's about time" :) The early service was really nice. Lots of music and drama and an interpretive dance. And most importantly my 7 year old grandson was baptized.

Both daughters and their families were here and although the adults decided to sleep here the kids all went up the hill. We ate all the meals "up the hill" but people, big and little, were in and out of my house. It was a nice week end and when most of the family played softball Mathew and I watched. Changes are beginning again in our family. This was the first Easter without Lowell. Two of the grand kids have boy/girl friends that were here. And I wasn't the object of teasing this year as I have been in the past. That dubious honor has been passed to a daughter.

Most of the snow is gone in the yard. Yeah!!!! And I think I see just a hint of green here and there. Just hope that we don't get any snowstorms like we did last April. Like everyone else I will be really glad for green grass and green trees.

I was looking through my short videos and thought you all might get a kick of this one of Avery and Lowell. It's self explanatory.

Snow again

This is what Monday looked like

Calves

Reading The Pioneer Woman's blog this morning jogged my memory about the first time Lowell and I bought some calves. Remember now that I was raised in a town and new NOTHING about farming or livestock. We were living on the farm in Redwood and Lowell was driving a school bus. We bought 2 Holstein calves at a sale barn and brought them home in the back seat of our '49 Ford. (we took the back seat out) I was supposed to have bought milk replacer the day before(I forgot) so when it came time for the calves to be fed the next morning I first had to go to town to get it since Lowell was picking up kids. I mixed it like the directions said and filled two pails half full. Lowell told me that the idea was to stick the calves head into the pails and they would drink. Yah right. I pushed - they bucked - I pushed - they backed up. I finally got each one in a corner and after a bit of persuasion they drank. I was wet, my hands were slimy and I discovered muscles I didn't know I had. It didn't take long for them to learn to drink from the pail and later from a bottle and it was kind of fun to feed them.