My House Debra

It all started with losing my camera while visiting Audrey in the Spring. All of my interest in blogging came to a sudden halt. It took me so long to finally buy me another camera, and then when I did... I just wasn't in the habit anymore of doing the Blog. So here I am finally stepping back into my Blog World and sharing what's happening here at the Poulsen home.
This summer was fast as usual, but exciting and fun in so many ways. We worked and worked and worked on many projects and in our garden, but we also had some break time for fun, family and a tour with the Tab Choir and Orchestra. Just recently we had a little grandchild born into our home. Little Sterling came into the world on the 15th of September. He was pretty much fine and dandy except for the main arteries in his heart had got switched up somehow. He gave us all a little scare at the beginning but he just wanted us to see how tuff he was by pulling through the surgery and recovery like a Trooper Cooper. He is so precious and just a beautiful baby.
We feel so very blessed in our lives as we begin to approach the season of Thanksgiving. We are grateful beyond measure for our family and loved ones. They are a joy to us and we love each one so very much!

Well it's beautiful outside today! Spring has sprung, or has it? I feel like singing, skipping and going for a walk in this beauty; sun shining and the air crisp but warming to the soul. Yesterday was a mixture of foggy, cold, snowy and gloomy. At the end of the day I was confused. Well, as you can see I'm hoping for Spring. But you never know what will happen in this unpredictable climate here in Utah. I'm still not used to this conflict between winter hanging on and spring wanting so bad to arrive, at least in my heart. I'm excited at least for today and that's great! And on those days that shut out the sun I just "kick up heels and say, "The Sun will come out tomorrow, Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, they'll be sun. Just thinkin about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrows, till there's none. " How's that for breaking out into singing ! This hesitant hope for spring is doing my heart good!!

I was able to make a quick trip to San Antonio in March to see Dorothy. We had a really good time. One of the fun things we were able to do was go and see the Broadway Musical "Wicked" together. It was performed in an old Theatre in downtown San Antonio, very ornate and beautiful with balconies that tier above on the second floor that look like they come out of a European Opera House. The atmosphere was just great. Of course she is always the perfect hostess and we did a lot of other fun things as well. One of the things I really enjoyed was getting to go to the San Antonio temple to help clean. It is a beautiful temple with a Texan flair. I really loved it and was happy to share in beautifying it by keeping it cleaned. Dorothy's mom did such a fun thing for me ... she made me an apron. What a delight it was to meet her. She reminded me of my own Grandma Annie Fancher.

"Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it."

--Thomas S. Monson, "Treasure of Eternal Value", Liahona, Apr. 2008, 2–7

It is really important to me to use this Blog to share the real things that are happening in my life. We all wake up each day with a new adventure before us; some are unplanned events that catch us off our guard like my pipes busting, and some are scheduled events that we have purposely put in our life because we feel they have special value. Being in the Orchestra at Temple Square and performing with the Choir is a purposeful part of my life right now. This is a time and a season for me to be involved with something that will survive and move forward with or without me, but just because I was lucky enough to become a part of this amazing organization, I now enjoy the adventures that this calling provides.
So what is a recording session you might ask? It's easy enough to give a quick answer, but if you haven't experienced it before it might be a worthy topic for me to spend some time on.

Well.... it's Friday and Seth and I will be showing up along with all other Choir and Orchestra members to begin recording at 6:45 pm. The session will go from that time until 10:00 pm or thereabouts. Last night we didn't even get in our cars to start heading home until 10:35 pm . We had just finished recording "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven. We were all excited and exuberant even though we were tired. This piece just makes you feel that way.
Sit with me a minute and I'll review last night's session. : I'm sitting in stand #5 , 3rd row back from the principal 2nds. Stephanie is my stand partner. We arrive and sit down ready for an evening of recording. Our first piece to record for the evening is: "Wonder" a fun original composition by Matt Wilberg featuring a 4 hands piano part , orchestra and the Choir. It's written in a buoyant happy, modern style that sounds a bit Broadway. Moving from 7/8 to 5/8 time there are probably, I'm guessing at least 30 or more measures before our part will be needed. Quiet in the hall, all telephones off - "completely" not even on vibrate!! Of course all the usual formalities are observed; welcome from Scott Woodbury because President Mack was out of town, a wisecrack about how he hasn't left us to serve as President of the Vienna Boy's Choir, prayer, tuning and we are ready to begin. Many of us place a book in our laps and begin to read because it will be some time before we will be needed.

Back to Wonder............ very rhythmic and happy this piece shares the delight and wonder of all the stages of life, from being born, to being a child, growing to maturity and then becoming old. I am sitting close to the big 10 ft grand piano. Brother Elliot and his wife are playing the four hands and clipping it off without missing a beat. The usual pattern of recording consists of taking a few measures of music and laying down the track, then stopping and consulting with the sound booth to see what they are hearing. Once Mack knows what the concerns are in the sound booth he proceeds to work with the Choir to fix whatever problems there are. The idea being to get the most perfect and flawless performance possible. It is always fun to watch Mack work with the Choir. He has some typical concerns that always seem to be at the forefront: pitch, pitch, and more pitch. He speaks about getting the placement of vowels right because that is what influences pitch the most; and when he talks of placement, he always mentions the "upper shelf". Another big bugaboo about getting pitch in the right place is singing without vibrato. Most of the time when he is talking about that he is referring to the sopranos. It is quite fun to see him demonstrate by using his hands ... swimming them around like a fish in water ... you can see the way vibrato just messes with the consistent pitch that is needed. In talking to the men it's always about getting away from the sound called "profundo". It's really important to lighten up the sound or the pitch will sag, or the quality of sound will be too heavy for what he wants to hear. On the Beethoven it was especially important to say the German words with a lot of diction. The power of the message was enhanced with a strong emphasis on diction and getting the energy up. We all really loved playing the Beethoven. It provides a lot of activity for the Orchestra and so we felt like we were being featured almost as much as the Choir. The other piece that we worked on Thursday was a piece that was used for the movie "Henry the Fifth" called "Non Nobis Domino which means "Not to us, O Lord, but to your Name give the Glory." The movie depicts the battle of Agincourt between the French and the English (part of the 100 year conflict.) The English are greatly outnumbered by the French, it's like 20,000 French soldiers to about 7,000 English. In the end the English win the conflict. As they walk off the battlefield they sing this song, giving the praise and glory to God. It's a beautiful piece written for the men's section of the Choir. Using a Latin hymn text, the tenors begin with one voice and in a stately processional style that begins as though it is coming from a far distant place. This one voice sound builds by adding more voices and swells to a beautiful triumphal finish. Like I said before all of this is happening in small sections. Usually it takes from 10 to possibly 15 takes before you move from one section to another. It is painstaking but carefully crafted to insure that they have at least 2 to 3 good possible takes before moving on. In the end... as you can imagine, it's like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. All the elements are there it's just piecing them together.

We all try to make the most of our time while we are there. Just listening can be enjoyable to some extent but the continual going back and forth especially when you are not playing requires some other diversions to keep you awake. That is why many bring books to read while they are waiting. Emily is always good for something fun to do. She brought us a word puzzle this year where you find all the words scrambled and locate them in the maze. It helped me keep alert on the last day. Of course... after we finish up a piece Mack does give us as much as 7 to 8 minutes of break. Once we even had a 12 minute break but he is a stickler for not wasting time. A couple of times he mentioned being so anxious about some of the sounds that he feels like his heart is racing and he's concerned that he may have a heart attack. We of course usually have our Dr. Price around or Jeff Anderson who are both heart specialists. So many talented and capable people in the group.

Seth and I have dealt with a few personal concerns, Sitting for long stretches of time really aggravates my sciatica and Seth has been feeling a little under the weather with a cold, but by and large we have held up pretty well despite getting to bed at around midnight each night and then up early. I really think the Lord blesses you a lot. Many others there are also dealing with aches and pains of every kind. What an amazing group of people!!

I will never forget how on Saturday at the very end of the day the women's voices began to sound like angels. Mack kept saying how beautiful it sounded and was very complimentary. The piece that was being recorded was Psalm 148 by Gustav Holst. The melody that was being used was the one we commonly hear in Church from the hymn "All creatures of our God and King". The words are absolutely beautiful, expressing the highest feelings of praise and adoration to our Lord and Savior. As the Choir performed this piece I couldn't help but think that angels truly were joining in their voices and lifting the performance to the highest level of exultation. It truly reflected the joy we all felt as we finalized this offering of our talents to the Lord for the furtherance of His work upon the earth. This sweet spirit continued to carry over on Sunday morning and for me it was a spiritual feast of beauty as we once again worked very hard to create a new CD. Mack mentioned that they are thinking of giving the new CD the title of "Gory".

what's cool about it is she bought it at Overstock.com for $165 and only paid $1.00 shipping.

For me it is always hard to just start a story from the beginning. It almost seems like you have to set the stage and reflect upon how the events all fit into the abundant life you are trying to create. At Christmas time for example, our narrator suggested that all stories really begin in the middle. As I have thought about that from time to time, I have come to believe that it is really true. And so let me set the stage....
Now that I'm in the middle of my life, as I look back it appears that life just whizzes by from toddlers to teens, from marriage to motherhood, from family all around to the empty nest stage... and then quick as a wink time changes and your full life, brim with activity stops for awhile and you wonder where you are? But that's ok... because it is only giving you time for reflection and for rediscovery. As you deal with all of this and wander a little in puzzlement, you see a glimpse of what it's all about when the family gathers.
Look for a moment at the pictures below and feel the pulse of life all around and then your questioning moves into understanding, and understanding to gratitude, and wrap it all up and you have happiness and love. Few people really understand that "FAMILY" is God's code word for the abundant and happy life not only in the here and now, but in the world to come. Those who do are the lucky ones. No wonder the Lord puts such a huge emphasis on gathering His people. And doesn't it feel good knowing that you always have a place to belong; to be loved and to be needed? As for me and my house.... I'm so grateful for my family!!!

Lauren and her Mom and Dad came to visit this weekend. We always have such a good time. She is at that stage where she's always full of energy... at least most of the time. This weekend she was pure joy. We played and played hide and seek and she was just tickled beyond silly. She posed with Grandma's glasses and enjoyed being outside for awhile. This morning she thought it might be really fun to pull all the kleenexes out of the box and throw them around: (too bad I didn't take a picture). However, she did have a little bit of a down day at "Jungle Jims"on Saturday though. She was just too tired, and didn't have the energy to get in the mood for all the rides and fun activities. Sometimes our timing can be a little off. For me it was sad to see them leave this morning. The house is quiet now... I can clean up the dis-order, but I miss the squeals. I'm so grateful they came for a short visit.