Music

C Jane’s Rooftop Concert
I have blogged several times about my new favorite blog.
CJane
I sent Courtney (who happens to be NieNie’s funny sister) an e-mail and asked her to guest post,
but I believe she has been so dang busy with 
her rooftop concert series
that she hasn’t been able to respond.
I do give her the benefit of the doubt
because I really like her.
And decided I should keep reading her, even if she doesn’t read me.
And I really appreciate her sense of humor, her love for Provo and her efforts in the FREE rooftop series.
Did you hear the word FREE?
You all know how frugal I’ve become.
I jumped all over this opportunity.
I could satisfy my husband’s love for jazz AND maybe hopefully run into my favorite blogger.
One out of two ain’t bad.
We had a blast.
We got to listen to Mindy Gledhill, whom I really love.
And LG and I both got to check out a new Canadian artist that is all the rage: Meaghan Smith.
She was awesome. LG loved the souped up jazz form that is all her own.

I know crappy picture, but you all know my camera has been broken for a year.
I just thought you would like to have proof that we were actually there.
And, wow, what a view from the rooftop.
I love Utah.
I love my old workplace: NuSkin.
I love the mountains.
And I love our blue skies.
They just seem so much bluer than Knoxville’s.

These really sweet college co-eds let us squeeze in front of them.
The rooftop was packed, and we arrived late because I mistakenly thought that concert was at Provo Town Center, not Provo Town Square.

We thought it was so funny that one of our sweet concert friends was smack dab in the middle of our self pic.
She suggested we take one without her in it.
I told her I was going to do a before and after on the blog,
but she never asked for the blog address.
I guess it’s better that way.

Man, I need to color my hair desperately.
Wally world has been out of my color for weeks.

Here is another one of our newest friends, she is trying to hide from my behind the head shot.
I was trying to document how crowded the place was.
It was nervous making.
LG’s lawyer came out in him and he commented several times that we had to be breaking some fire-code and that if we had an earthquake we would all be done.
O.k maybe that wasn’t the lawyer in him, maybe it was the claustrophobia speaking.

One of the most fun things about attending a really crowded space, is people watching.
You got a picture yesterday of the chubby little boy next to us with chocolate all over his face.
I also tried to capture the family with 5 kids a few rows up. The dad was so cute wearing that baby backpack, but once again my crappy camera disappointed.

LG and I are always dumfounded at the new styles.
We are so behind the times.
We pegged this guy as gay for sure.
But, then he was all lovey with the lady.
Chalk another one up to old age.

Do Your Duty

At church on Sunday, Relief Society meeting proved for a really good laugh. I just have to share.

The lesson was about how our testimonies evolve. The teacher asked us to think about our first experiences where we felt God was talking to us through the Holy Ghost.

This one woman talked about how she couldn’t remember ever not believing in the truthfulness of the gospel and that God was watching over her. She recalled how she could remember when she was very young, toddler age. They didn’t have primary songs then, but would sing the hymns. One day at Primary, the children sang Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.

She said that for us to understand, we needed to know that her mom would say they needed to go potty for #1, and for #2, her mom would always say, “do your duty”.

So, now, the lyrics to Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.

Put your shoulder to the wheel, push along.
Do your duty with a heart full of song.
We all have work. Let no one shirk.
Put your shoulder to the wheel.

Minutes of laughter ensued. Minutes. The more you thought about it the more you laughed.

When everyone calmed down, the woman said that she didn’t think it was funny as a kid, she truthfully thought how wonderful it was that God watched over us so much that he even cared how we did our duty.

More laughter.

I love the women of the church. They are hilarious.

How Great Thou Art


When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home- what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, my God, how great thou art!

I have loved Carrie Underwood since her days on Idol. Someone recently shared this video on facebook and it made me feel like worshiping. I can say that only because I have lived in the South. Those Southern folk are good at worshipin and ministerin.

I love my God. He is a mighty God. He is all powerful. As I have focused on my relationship with Christ I have found myself overcoming my fear of death and really looking forward to the day that I will once again meet my Savior Jesus Christ.

This old hymn How Great Thou Art has been a favorite since the days that I was a Mormon missionary. It was a hymn that we sang at a lot of baptismal services because it was usually known by most of our converts from different faiths.

While listening I got thinking about How Great Thou Art. How great is our God. I sometimes think that we don’t trust Him enough. Think about it. He is all powerful. He can handle every situation in our lives. Recently while talking to a bunch of people about the third step among the 12, I reflected on my trust in God and how it has changed. I used to think I trusted in God, but I have felt the power of really trusting. Giving it all back to God.

I shared with the ladies that the reason God wants us to trust Him so badly is because He wants us to give our burdens to Him. He wants us to trust Him enough to take care of them, so that we don’t have to. I used to think trusting in God was a one time choice, but I have come to learn that it’s a process. It’s one choice at a time. One problem at a time. One moment at a time. Sometimes I do well and sometimes I don’t. I usually know I haven’t done too well when I find myself fretting, worrying, feeling depressed or overwhelmed.

God is indeed a wondrous God. He is more than just great. He is perfect. He is powerful. He can handle our problems in a bat of an eyelash. We just have to let Him. And when we do, we can then sing How Great Thou Art in a whole new understanding because we will see that he shared His power with us and made us strong. All because we trusted Him to do so.

And my P.S. is: people if you believe in this mighty God enough to give a standing ovation for one of His hymns….please please please cover up your boobs and thighs. Do you really think He wants you, his daughter, walking around looking like a tramp? Are you giving that ovation to the performance or the God? 

I know someone is not going to resist calling me judgmental so let me clarify. I have no problem with people who do dress this way. I used to dress like that when I was 14 and didn’t have any respect for myself. If you show up at my door in a bikini, I will hug  you and tell you I love you, but I will also try my darnedest to keep you out of my husband’s peripheral vision. And my daughters’. Because God  is a great God and I truly believe he cares about modesty. And it isn’t enough to just proclaim that He is great but we need to show Him in our every day decisions that we really do love and respect Him and his commandments to us.


PS22

Do you remember this old post from January 2010?

I introduced you to PS22. A public school choir in New Jersey. Mr. B is their amazing teacher.

Well, guess what I just found out?

This choir sang at the Oscars.

I was so ahead of my time.

I love it when that happens.

And I love Mr. B.

What an inspiration.

Here is another one of my favorites.

My voice

A friend had this video posted on facebook tonight.

It didn’t make me want to sing; it made me want to listen.

It made me want to use my voice better as a mother.

No more screaming. Only loving.

No more criticizing. Only encouraging.

No more frustrations. Only moments to embrace.

I am blessed by God to raise four beautiful daughters.

Sometimes I fail miserably, but because of God’s grace, I still have a shot every day at being their biggest fan. I get every day to become the kind of mother I want to be.

I hope someday when I am gone, and they are hanging with their children or grandchildren, my girls will have a moment when they say to themselves: “That was the voice of my mother coming out of my own mouth.” And I hope whatever they said was something that I would be proud of.

The World Is Just Awesome : Discovery Channel

Do you remember this old post?

Here is another great video about the world that I love.

Why do kids make me so emotional?

I love great teachers. hmm. Maybe I should write a song about it.

Bella and I spent our date night watching Boom De Ya Da videos.
Here is one of our favorites:
Go here to watch all kinds of entertaining videos:
This one is for the guys:

Loving me
I have learned something about myself.
Most people may have the same problem.
I am a lifelong sufferer of not loving myself.
For many reasons I have never felt worthy of true love.
Lately, I have been getting in touch with the reasons.
Many have validity and many don’t.
I have taken these things to my God.
I have come to peace with them.
And I have felt God’s loving arms around me.
And He says he loves me.
And now I can say I love me too.
I hope I can love me more.

Band Blues

Abigail surprised us by bringing home her french horn yesterday.
She said the band teacher made everyone take their instruments home.
She hasn’t been going in early to practice
because she says that they have only learned three notes
and she already has them down.
She took out the instrument to demonstrate.
I said, “What notes were those?”
She said, “Mom, that was one note.”
LeGrand and I busted up.
We couldn’t help it.
And then LeGrand said,
“Alice, maybe you should go down to the school
to see about switching Abigail over to just choir
instead of the choir/band combination.”
Abigail smacked him.
And her and I proceeded to the piano to practice some more.
It’s about time the kid has some humbling experiences.
Between band and never-ending homework,
I think she’s finally being challenged.
We are happy.
And still chuckling
over
“which notes were those?”

On Moonlight Bay
My grandpa John and Grandma Dorothy remind me of
Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.
Supposedly, they danced beautifully together,
and they sang together in perfect harmony.
I would have liked to have seen it with my own eyes.
One song that they always sang on road trips was
On Moonlight Bay.
My parents, although, maybe a little less talented in the vocal department,
passed on the great tradition to my siblings and I.
I now sing this song with my children.
Four generations, and I hope it will never stop.
I wonder if Grandma and Grandpa could have forseen.
I can’t help but smile as I listen to my girls singing the song in the other room.
They always respond to this song.
I found a video of the song on You Tube,
to pass along.
This is amazing, as the same man does all the parts.
I thought it did justice to the imagined memory I have in my head
of Grandpa John and Grandma Dorothy.
Sing along everyone.
We always echo every line.
It’s more fun that way.
If you really want a blast to the not so distant past
and if you happen to be in love with The Beatles like my Abigail,
go here, and see The Beatles’ version of Moonlight Bay.

Sing, sing, sing
If I had another life to live, I think I would like to be a music teacher.
Abigail was chosen to be in the Knox County Honors Choir.
I am so excited.
I cannot wait for their concert.
I feel like I have ticket to American Idol or something.
Abigail’s director gave them this youtube link to hear one of the songs they will sing.
I cried when I watched it.
Maybe I am in the dark ages, but this choir PS22 is all over the place.
Check out their blog.
What an inspiring choir director.
He just made my day.
I e-mailed him and he e-mailed me back.
What a guy.