Sunday's Song

Yes, this is late, again.  But thanks to my niece, Megan, I have a video from yesterday which I wouldn't have had if I had posted on time.  Good things come to those who wait!

First, a bit of background.

It started with this group of seven kids, born over the span of 10 years.  Can you guess which one is me?  Here's a clue:  I'm the poster child for middle children!

We have a long history with music.  Having music in our family history, growing up in a church denomination with a strong singing heritage and attending schools with a reputation for musical excellence, it was inevitable that music would become a major part of our lives.

So, let's fast forward from these pictures taken in the '60s.  The seven became . . .

. . . 30 and counting.  This picture was taken at one of our annual Christmas Concerts, 1999 I believe.  I think this may have been the last concert, after more than ten years.   The recording from Sunday's Song two weeks ago was from one of the earliest concerts.



The reason for all this reminiscing?   Yesterday, at the end of our family's Christmas gathering (there are over 40 of us now), nineteen of us piled into cars and went caroling.  Each stop was meaningful for different reasons, but the last stop was extra special.  We went to our childhood home, the one in the photos above, which is now a home for assisted living.  I couldn't help but think of how we were singing in the very room where we first started singing over 50 years ago.  For me, it was one of the highlights of the day.

From our family to you.  May you realize daily the "wonders of His love."

A Flurry of Flakes

Okay, so four flakes don't qualify as a flurry.

And technically speaking, snowflakes are made of more than one snow crystal stuck together.  That was something I learned a few years ago when I came across the work of Wilson A. Bentley, also known as Snowflake Bentley.  He pioneered the technique of photomicrography, and is recorded as the first to photograph a single snow crystal.  Quite a challenge, considering the equipment needed and conditions required.

Sunday's Song

Most people have heard the carol I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day.  Many may even know that the lyrics are by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.  But I wonder how many know that it was first a poem he wrote  in response to the Civil War and during a time of his own personal loss.

Christmas Bells

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
   And wild and sweet
   The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
    Had rolled along
    The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
    A voice, a chime,
    A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
    And with the sound
    The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
    And made forlorn
    The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
    "For hate is strong,
    And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
    The wrong shall fail,
    The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

This is an old recording of Dean Wilder singing an arrangement that uses the two most familiar tunes written for the lyrics.  For me, it beautifully captures the emotions behind the words.

I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day by queenodella

Sunday's Song . . .

. . . is late.  I could say it's because yesterday was a full and tiring day.  But here it is nearly 1:30  2:00 on Monday afternoon and I'm still trying to decide on a song.  Too many choices!  While the Second Sunday of Advent could be summed up in the word Prepare, that doesn't necessarily narrow down the choices.

When I think of preparing, I think of having some expectations of what's coming.  I mean, really, how can one prepare for something if you don't know what it is?  But expectations are tricky things.  Sometimes the cause of great disappointment; sometimes ending in surprised delight.  And the expectations connected with Christmas run the gamut: all the way from expecting the Messiah to be a great warrior or honored king instead of a poor little baby, to expecting the sight of the baby in a manger, the sound of angels singing and all the other traditions of the season to produce sentimental warm fuzzies.  So maybe preparing for Jesus requires allowing God to defy our expectations.  No easy feat.

Okay, enough rambling!  Let's get to the song.  This is from a recording of our Family Christmas Concert, presented in 1983.  While the quality is quite poor, it is still something I treasure.  The reading was done by my dad.

Once In Royal David's City (with reading) by queenodella
Once in Royal David's City
Stood a lowly cattle shed.
Where a mother laid her baby
In a manger for his bed.
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ, her little child.

He came down to earth from heaven,
Who is God, and Lord of all.
And His shelter was a stable,
And His cradle was a stall.
With the poor, and mean and lowly
Lived on earth, our Savior holy.

Not in that poor lowly stable
With the oxen standing by;
We shall see Him, but in heaven
Set at God's right hand on high.
When like stars His children rise
Singing praises in the skies.

A Mantra

I learn so much writing this blog!

Here's how that happens:  I want to use a word or phrase to impress you with my cleverness for a catchy title;  I'm not very original, so I go for something I've heard before;  I second-guess whether I really know what it means or how to use it properly;  I head to the online dictionaries (so convenient);  I get totally sidetracked with definitions, pronunciations, origins, forms, usage . . .sidetracked, but learning.

Learning that I only had a vague sense of what a mantra is.  However, I think a mantra is exactly what I need in the midst of this renovation.

So, you want to know what my mantra has been lately?

Sunday's Song

For the first Sunday of Advent - Hope

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear.

Refrain

Rejoice! Rejoice!

Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,

Who orderest all things mightily;

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Refrain

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory over the grave.

Refrain

O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Refrain

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Refrain

O come, O come, great Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes on Sinai's height

In ancient times once gave the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

Refrain

O come, Thou Root of Jesse's tree,

An ensign of Thy people be;

Before Thee rulers silent fall;

All peoples on Thy mercy call.

Refrain

O come, Desire of nations, bind

In one the hearts of all mankind;

Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,

And be Thyself our King of Peace.

Refrain

O come, O come Emmanuel from MBC Tysons Campus on Vimeo.

Chaos, Construction & Cats

One of these things just doesn't belong.  

The CATS would say it's the first two!  They're not fans of guests in general, but guests with hammers and power tools . . .

Ode to Danny

Who would have thought I'd be singing my cousin Danny's praises!  Certainly not any of my relatives who witnessed the teasing I over-reacted to endured when we were kids.  Even he, when asked if I had named my son, Daniel, after him, said "No, I was too mean to her."

As adults, we get along just fine.  (It's amazing what a little maturity will do.)  Of course, he earns big points for stopping by to visit with Mom and Dad, often with donuts!  But when he showed up the other day and announced that he was putting in the windows, I think I actually squealed for joy!  It almost, ALMOST, makes up for the torture.  (But don't tell HIM that.)

Let the fun begin!

Another Thanksgiving Song . . .

because I enjoyed this one so much I just had to share it.  And because . . .

Everyday is a day of thanksgiving.
God's been so good to me,
Everyday He's blessing me.
Everyday is a day of thanksgiving;
Take the time to glorify the Lord today.

He keeps blessing me, blessing me;
He opens my eyes that I might see,
He's blessing me.
He keeps blessing me, blessing me.
Take the time to glorify the Lord today.

He keeps blessing me, blessing me . . .


Take the time to glorify the Lord, today.

Sunday's Song - Thanksgiving Song

I've often wondered why the tradition of carols for Christmas never really spilled over into any other major holidays.  I would love to hear more Easter songs.  After all, without the Resurrection, Christmas is almost pointless really.

And Thanksgiving songs?  Few and far between.  I did find a few gems, however.  Like this one.

A Review

In the previous post, I shared about our quilt group's field trip to La Conner's Quilt Museum.  Today, I'd like to share my thoughts about the exhibit itself.

Field Trip!

This past Sunday, some members of our quilting group took a little trip up to La Conner, WA, to see the current exhibit called Material Men.  (I'll share more about the exhibit in my next post.)

It was cold and rainy outside, but inside this beautiful Victorian era mansion, we were quite comfortable.  There were three floors of amazing quilts, countless rooms filled with period furnishings, and two very friendly staff members to make us feel welcome.

Afterwards, we headed over to Dawn's.  She lives far enough away from the rest of us that most of us have never been to her place before.  She treated us to a little show-n-tell, a cozy time of fellowship and . . .

dessert!

Sunday's Song

This week's piece is a beautiful arrangement of a Salvation Army hymn.  

1.
Life is a journey; long is the road,
And when the noontide is high
Souls that are weary faint 'neath their load,
Long for the waters, and cry:

Chorus
The well is deep and I require
A draught of the water of life,
But none can quench my soul's desire
For a draught of the water of life;
Till one draws near who the cry will heed,
Helper of men in their time of need,
And I, believing, find indeed
That Christ is the water of life.

2.
Life is a seeking, life is a quest,
Eager and longing desire;
Unto the true things, unto the best,
Godward our spirits aspire.

3.
Life is a finding; vain wand'rings cease
When from the Saviour we claim
All we have longed for, solace and peace,
And we have life in his name.


On a technical note, I would love some feedback on how this Spotify play button works for you.  Especially if you don't already use Spotify.  I hope you'll leave me a comment.

Autumn Stroll

Join me on a little nature walk.  Yes, I know, we did this just a little while back.  But it keeps changing outside!  Most of the bright reds are gone but the big maples have turned golden yellow and are putting on a grand display.

Here's our contribution to the neighborhood show.









Looking the other direction from this, there used to be a clump of huge cottonwoods which was also impressive.  However, they had a habit of dropping limbs.  So now we have stumps and . . .

fungus . . .amongus!  (Sorry, I couldn't resist)

Okay, let's meander back towards the maple.

What's this?  I thought we already had the Last Rose of Summer. With the mild fall we've had they just keep going.

Hanging out with the rose is an assortment of lichen.  I think this one looks like Einstein's hair.

Are you lichen this?  (I know, there's no end to my wittiness.  I'm sure you're thinking there's no beginning either.)

Oh, look at this little guy.  Only about an inch tall.  Cute.

Oh my, I think I took too many pictures!  How do I make this manageable?  Maybe categories will help.

Usually, it's the colors that catch my eye first.  

If I look a little longer, it's the textures.

Sometimes, it's the light - directly, or indirectly.

Or what the light reveals.  When I took this I could only see the one big strand.

And then there's the broad subject of perspective.

Near.  It's amazing what you see when you get up close and personal.  This moss is growing on the roof of the shed.

Far.  The tree next door is perfectly placed for our viewing pleasure from the kitchen.

But it called for some more "near."  (With permission, of course.)

And, one of my favorite perspectives - up.

I hope you enjoyed the stroll.  I'm sure we'll do it again sometime.

Sunday's Song

I've decided to start a Sunday tradition here.

Actually, music on a Sunday morning isn't anything new for me.  In our house growing up, music is what we heard every Sunday morning.  Mom would wake us with the sounds of sacred music.  Usually it was choral. Often it was The Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

I tried to carry on that tradition in my own home, albeit with less consistency.

For this first installment of Sunday's Song, I'm sharing a video - not for the video, but for the audio.  (And not for the stuff at the beginning!  Click at the 56 second mark to get to the song.)

I came across this video last year when I was looking for a recording of the song we were doing at church.  I can't remember why I kept watching past their silly introductions but I'm glad I did.  I was amazed when they started singing!
But aside from how much I enjoyed listening to their beautiful harmonies, I share this with you on this Sunday morning (and I know it could very well be a Thursday afternoon as you read this) in hopes that you will take a moment to *Sing to God with gratitude in your heart.

Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills

Knowing my help is coming from You.

Your piece You give me in time of the storm.

You are the source of my strength.

You are the strength of my life.

I lift my hands in total praise to You.

*Colossians 3:16

The word of Christ must live in you richly.  Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Daniel's Quilt

Meet my son.
Whether he's just hanging out at home . . .

collaborating with family or friends . . .

leading worship at church . . .

or on stage with the band . . .

Daniel's world is filled with guitars and music.

Sometimes, as in this photo op with his best friends, it's not about the music . . .

And sometimes, an actual guitar is optional.

So, when I saw this quilt by Robbi Joy Eklow, I knew I had to make one for Daniel.

Color Quest

Another bookmark finished.  

I thought I'd play around with the background again. 

 First I tried this greenish blue.

Next, I went bold with this bright green.

My third try was this light peach.

And last, this bright, (yes, in real life it's bright) sky blue.

I was fascinated by the differences from one background to the next.  Keep in mind that I have done no editing on any of these.

These two pictures were taken minutes apart, under the same lighting, using the same settings.  The only thing I changed was the fabric background. 

Now, I know my point & shoot camera is supposed to have a mind of its own but I think its power has gone to its head!

By the way, in case you were wondering, the first background gave the truest color.

No Flo, No!

Flo:  "Were you going to use this?"

Me:  "Um . . . yes, I was."

Flo:  "Oops.  Sorry!"

How can I not forgive a face like that?

Okay, so get out the tape and clean it up.  Then on to the photo shoot.

What Would You Do For A . . .

. . .  quilt?   You thought I was going to say Klondike Bar, didn't you?

No, I have a little story about a quilt.  And it's true!  Hmm.  Let's see - should I give you the full story or a shortened version?  Well, since my last two posts were more pictures than words, I'm going to risk being word heavy on this one.

First, a little background.  Sometime last year, my sister, Pamela, and I were looking through the fabrics on the sale table at Pacific Fabrics.  She likes to look for ugly weird unusual fabrics and imagine what someone could do with it.

This one caught our eyes.  Yes - those are green and brown fern fronds on a background of purple with little blue dots.  The challenge was on!

We scouted out some coordinating pieces, only guessing how much to get because, of course, we had no plan or pattern in mind.

Then Pam ordered me to take it home and make something beautiful suggested that I take it and see what I could come up with.

What do you think?  Did I succeed?

Well, I didn't need anybody else's approval (this time) because I loved the way it turned out!  I've always liked the kaleidoscope block - there are infinite possibilities just with color placement.

Okay.  So, finished quilt = end of story?  Nope.

When I took it to quilting group for show-n-tell, one of the young ladies really, REALLY liked it.  Unfortunately, we had already decided that it would be a Made With Love* donation.  We started joking about how she needed to be old, sick, pregnant, or to break a leg in order to get it.  Can you guess what happened next in this quilt story?  Thankfully, she didn't break any bones.  But she did become pregnant!  With major morning sickness!!  With TWINS!!!  No, she didn't do this to get it but there was no doubt about it - she deserved this quilt!

Okay, let's all sing:   What would you do-oo-oo for a Klondike Bar?!

*Made With Love is an outreach group associated with First Free Methodist Church in Seattle.

The Last Rose of Summer

The Last Rose of Summer by Thomas Moore

'Tis the last rose of summer

left blooming alone; 

All her lovely companions

are faded and gone.

No flower of her kindred,

No rosebud is nigh,

To reflect back her blushes,

To give sigh for sigh.

I'll not leave thee, thou lone one!

To pine on the stem;

Since the lovely are sleeping,

Go, sleep thou with them.

Thus kindly I scatter

Thy leaves o'er the bed,

Where thy mates of the garden

Lie scentless and dead.