Pinterest- My Bulletin Board

   In the stone-age, young women and young mothers made idea files. We set up a system to keep all those projects we intended to make and great talks we'd heard, so that someday we would find them again, quickly. I still have many of those files but I haven't a clue what is in them. Technology has saved the day. Introducing, Pinterest, a virtual bulletin board to save all those great ideas.

    Name a folder and then pin the picture or website on your board. Save your favorite recipes, book titles, sewing projects, and pictures on your site. Anything you find on the internet can be pinned to your board or pin things from your own blog to keep for quick reference..
    My first few boards were all about color. I wanted pictures of various images all in the same color. I had dreamed of making that kind of file from paper images. But Pinterest is so much better. I like looking at color images and seeing. Then I started a board for books to read, seminary games to play, favorite photos I have made myself or seen on the internet., and recipes I have tried. I still have a real bulletin board to put quick visual reminders.

     
This one was made by my friend, Jen, and I love sliding a favorite memory behind the ribbons. Look at this cute card another Jenny friend made.

    Well, to get back to my point, if you want to see what Pinterest looks like click on my link on the right side of this post. You might want to do some pinning, yourself.

My Day In The Studio

  Can I tell you about my amazing day in the studio with Kim, recording two of my children's songs? No? Too bad, I am going to do it anyway. This is something that I have always wanted to do. I record my stuff on my computer but I wanted to work with some high-tech equipment and do the job right. My partner in music and movement found a way to trade violin lessons with recording time in the Pumpkin Palace owned by Jason Staczek.

 The time recording was intense as Kim and I were concentrating so hard to get our instruments and singing just right. It certainly was an "in the moment" four hours and we were both so tired after. I played on a nice Steinway to accompany our singing. We decided to record voices and instruments all on one track because, guess what? We had a videographer filming the recording session. I am excited to put the U-Tube video on my blog once it gets edited.

 Jason has some pretty cool computers with three huge monitors to watch the digital recording. I recognized the basic look of the multi-tracks but this was so much more sophisticated than I have ever seen.












This scene looks familiar with the synth underneath the screen. We filmed Jason playing the tuba part on the keyboard to add to our singing tracks. Tuba, you ask? You'll love it!

Jason used slices of trees to insulate the studio to control the sound. That made quite a texture portrait.

  Our videographer was Sam Veatch who was very creative and easy to be with. Can you imagine how many takes we did to get two voices and two instruments working perfectly? Sam was very patient.

One of the songs we recorded was "Singing Stories", which we are using in our music and movement class right now. We brought our books in for inspiration and decor on the video.

I will post the video of our songs "Take a Breath" and "Singing Stories" very soon. Thanks for caring!

A Body Of Pain

   One of my first blog favorites was The NieNie Dialogues. NieNie is a nickname for a lovely mom who had a tragic accident in a plane and was severely burned. She has written for years and her blog started before her accident and through her long and painful healing process. I read her posts with compassion as she talked about grieving over what she lost and the struggle to maintain a normal life. When a mother loses the use of her body or has constant pain, how does that affect her family? My family is dealing with such an issue and I have scoured the internet looking for first hand accounts of mothers suffering with rheumatoid arthritis. I haven't found much and I suppose that makes sense since if you were suffering with this debilitating disease you would find it difficult to type on a computer. So, I am writing this about, and for my daughter-in-law. This disease has slowly taken away Vanessa's strength and mobility. She was once an athletic woman and loved to be outside. Growing up on a farm forced her to take an active role in tending to the animals and garden. That spunky, competitive, girl is hard to imagine as she struggles to climb stairs, make food, even brush the errant strand of air out of her face. What is a mother of five children to do as she faces this experience in life? She gets up every morning and copes with the job of overseeing the children's meals, their getting read for the day, their intellectual stimulation, and their need to be loved. Most of these jobs must be delegated to the children and her husband who take on a great deal more on then they expected.

  There are some benefits to this situation, and I am not being cynical here. I still find a mom who finds her children amusing and delights in their antics. Her eyes light up as she tells a funny story about them. She has found some unique ways to show affection and love even when her body cannot endure much contact.
  I find children who know how to do many things beyond their age ability, simply because they must contribute. They can fix simple meals, do dishes, empty the dishwasher, sweep, and clean up, which to tell the truth, they need to do more often. Even though they fight bitterly at times, they know each other well and they offer support.
  I find her loved ones coming to her support and doing it because they want to ease her burden and carry a bit if her sorrow. What seemed hard gets easier as the effects of the added help show life getting a bit more fun.

  I am meeting angels who aren't family coming and doing so much to make life better for Vanessa. She feels a bitter-sweetness as she tries to explain why she needs this help so desperately. She would rather be the one who has it all together and can help others, but that is not her lot at this time. Will her illness get better? I pray everyday that it does and I have that abounding hope. In the meantime, I am learning that we don't rise to heaven we fall to heaven. In our weaknesses we grasp the hand of the Savior and he brings heaven to our door.

Book of Mormon Sunday II- Alma 28-34

    After the people of Ammon are situated in Jershon, a mighty struggle with the Lamanites begins. This is a terrible time of war. So many people are killed; it is truly a time of great sorrow. Alma expresses his need to continue preaching when he sees, not just the death and destruction, but the spiritual death amongst those who reject the Savior.

   Alma 28:13 "And thus we see how great the inequality of man is because of sin and transgression, and the power of the devil, which comes by the cunning plans which he hath devised to ensnare the hearts of men. And thus we see the great call of diligence of men to labor in the vineyards of the Lord; and thus we see the great reason of sorrow, and also of rejoicing -- sorrow because of death and destruction among men, and joy because of the light of Christ unto life."

   If Alma could be an angel and cry repentance unto every soul he would do it with all his energy but he is just a man whose next calling it is to judge an Anti-Christ, named Korihor. Korihor's philosophy is very appealing. He speaks to the subject of being "lifted up", out of the shackles of religion and the restraints of a unknown God.

   Alma 30:18 "And thus he did preach unto them, leading away the hearts of many, causing them to lift up their heads in their wickedness, yea, leading away many women, and also men, to commit whoredoms -- telling them that when a man was dead, that was the end thereof."

  The paradox of Korihor calling for people to look up and be brought up out of religious slavery is so chilling when the reality is  that Satan has no desire to elevate man at all.

   Alma 30;60 "And thus we see the end of him who perverteth the ways of the Lord; and thus we see that the devil will not support his children at the last day, but doth speedily drag them down to hell."

  Alma is actually dumbfounded when he hears the audacious statements of Korihor.

   Alma 31:25 "Yea, and he also saw that their hearts were lifted up unto great boasting, in their pride."

   The great missionaries embark again on a journey to save souls. This time they take along, not just the sons of Mosiah, but also the sons of Alma. They are given power and strength through the atonement of Jesus Christ, to be able to go forward on this mission.

   Alma 31:38 "And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith."

   Alma bears fervent testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ. He speaks of those in the past who knew of Christ and his atoning power. Even Moses, who used the serpent on his staff to teach the power to heal that comes through our Savior.

   Alma 33:20 "But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them."

  The power to heal is known to Alma. He testifies of his own healing and the change of heart he endured. Oh, that I had some of the faith of Alma.

My Early Morning Guests Are So Wise

   Solomon certainly was known for his wisdom and the Book of Proverbs hold many sayings that ring true and are remembered throughout time, but my Early Morning Guests are in possession of some truly awesome insight.

   We have been learning about Parallelism in Hebrew Poetry and trying our hand at writing our own Proverbs.

    Choosing a religion is like trying to find one Skittle in a bag of M&M's; you have to taste them to find it.


   To have a book is like carrying a cell phone; you never know when you are going to need it.


   Getting to heaven is like waffles; you don't get the butter until it's cooked.


  A great meal includes washing dishes; a satisfying seminary lesson is preceded with preparation.
After cleaning up the last dish; it is time to make the next meal. In the afterglow of an early morning successs, the next day's lesson must be read.


   A proverb a day keeps ignorance at bay.

Swingset Music and Movement Goes Into the Studio

   Big news! The Swingset Music Duo is heading into the studio this weekend to do professional recordings of their original songs.

   This is a big dream come true as over the years we have written many songs to use in our music and movement classes. A favorite song of mine is Singing Stories which we are using currently in our classes.
I wrote it just after taking a cruise to Alaska and I was enamored with the Inside Passage.

Sing Me A Story

I ride a sailboat in my imagination

I take a ferry to places in my mind

Take me along as we cruise the inside passage

Open the pages, let's see what we can find

Sing me, Sing me a story.

Sing me, Sing me a rhyme

Take me and wrap me in your arms

Just do it one more time

I am a froggy who wants to find a sweetheart

A teddy bear, lunching in the woods at night

My bags are packed so my aunt and I can travel 

All these are stories,  can't wait for us to start.

   The studio is big with state of the art equipment and the engineer is so very nice. I will know so much more about recording when I'm done with project. Tell you more next week. 

The French Period

    I am on a French binge lately and I may be on a German one soon.  I have never been to France and the nearest I have come is Germany but I think my reading a favorite blog called Design Mom has piqued my interest. Gabrielle and I share a first name, we both have children, she loves photography, and she loves to read. The fact that she loves fashion, is a designer, by trade, and lives in France, makes us different but I think I may be a wannabe of all those things that make us different. I so enjoyed her sharing how they chose a house to rent in France and I like the insights she gives to living there with her large family.

  I am currently reading a book called, "Paris, My Sweet" which is making me mad for trying croissants.

 I have tried all the sources for chocolate croissants in my town, so this morning I ventured farther afield. West Seattle has a French bakery.

   West Seattle is known for many things, but I really love the murals on the sides of many buildings. Look here for some background on the murals, painted by artists from many places.

   Nouveau Bakery, in West Seattle, is a step above what I can find in my town. Believe it or not, it is even a bit less expensive.

   See those Parisian Macaroons on the menu? I had to try some  after seeing pictures everywhere on the interment.

  They have a crunchy outside with a soft and chewy coconut inside. The many colors are flavors of delight from lemon to raspberry.

   A must at every bakery is the chocolate croissant. As the delicate layers of flakiness litter your lap you know you are eating fresh dough, baked in the wee hours of the morning. These were twice baked.

   At the Nouveau Bakery they also sell chocolates in the manner of the french chocolatier. I can't give you a description as yet. I am saving these for a later day. Most of them are dark chocolate, my favorite.

   This has satisfied my interest for the time being and now I need to come back to work on my own turf, knowing I have those chocolates waiting in my drawer.