My House Debra

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.

Seth was out on his own for the first time today. He was a bit nervous, since he's been letting the more experienced agents do the work and he's been sitting by soaking it in and learning. He stayed late last night making sure he had all of his forms and everything that would be needed to do business. So he heads out this morning pretty anxious, but excited at the same time. It was a happy moment when around 11:30 today I get a phone call from Seth to hear the "good news" that he had already made a sale for the day. Congratulations Dear, You are the best! So excited for you...

Remember the days we used to work so hard to decorate the gym and make it just perfect for a Prom, Young Women's Evening in Excellence, or a big Stake Valentine's event? I have thought in recent years that those days were coming to a close. The effort is just too mammoth! Well, I have a couple of friends that seem to have the energy and strength to still pull it off. Featured here is "An Evening in Paris" by Kaylma Rohrer from Midway, Utah. Coming up soon will be pictures from Amanda Funk's wedding in San Antonio, Texas. Her mom Dorothy, is a very special friend that does everything with flair. So talented! Both of these sisters are dear friends of mine and have so very much talent and zest for life. ..... Kaylma, is stylin with her fur, such a pretty lady!!
Kaylma and Warren.... you look fabulous!!!
PS Thanks for sharing your talentos maravillosos with .... Me and My House

Every year the seasons roll around and life provides us with enough holidays to keep us wrestling with our food addictions and our appetite for more excitement. I wonder what our ancestors did without all of this hub bub? I really think in my most adult self that all of these "special days" are a bit much... but then again I can't think of anything cuter than little cherubs and pretty valentines to share with family. I get sucked into it because in a way it's delightful. I think the men in our lives would rather delete many of these special days but when they are married to us women, what can they do, but give in? This year I sent out boxes to little Lauren and family; Joy, Demi and Owen and family and of course Christian. Then I couldn't forget granny and James... and for sure not my sweetheart... so everyone got remembered in my household. I tried to stay conservative, opting for happy and fun instead of expensive. Mom and I made valentine cookies together; that was fun, (even though I'm terrible at cookie decorating). And then I decided to spend some time ironing my husbands shirts for an expression of my love. (Actually that's becoming a weekly activity now that he's a professional). And......... a few other little things that I will not mention here, since it isn't February the 14th yet. But then again, I doubt my husband or children will be checking my Blog so I'm more than likely safe. But most of all... I love all of you bunches, and I'm glad that someone decided to create these pretty little hearts and lacy valentines. You must admit they really are sweet!

Franklin's nickname for Owen is "O Dog" . He says that Owen smiles a lot now and in recent days is even sleeping longer at nights. They are grateful for that. How fast he is growing.

We had a wonderful time this weekend with the Choir and Orchestra as we made our way to St George to perform for the 100th Anniversary of Dixie College and the 150th Birthday Party for the city of St. George. Barry always does such a spectacular job at preparing the accommodations, food, etc. and so we ate way too much and my system feels a little bloated. The traveling is a bit tiring but the time went by so fast. We had a couple of sisters that sat in front of us on the bus from the Choir, Joan Yarrington and Nola Child. They were delightful to talk with and I truly felt in the course of the weekend that I was supposed to learn from these two dear sisters. I came away from this association with a renewed desire to do my best and proceed forward in life with faith.
Seth and I enjoyed being together. It was beautiful in St. George and that was a nice treat from the cold in our area. We all were thrilled to be in the sun and enjoy it's warmth.
The Choir did a marvelous job. One of my favorite pieces was "Song of Democracy" written by Howard Hanson. The text was taken from the words of Walt Whitman. It was a stirring piece and very enjoyable to play. Jackie Coleman was my stand partner for the tour and I enjoyed her fun and enthusiastic spirit. She has recently become acquainted with a young man that is studying architecture. He is presently doing an internship in Washington DC. She was raised in the DC area and so it makes for a fun correspondence with her new friend. She couldn't stop talking about him. It was good to see her so excited. She has had a rough emotional year and so her smiles made me happy for her. The audience was enthralled with the performance of Alex Boye who sang "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me". and also "Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham." He truly engages the audience and is a fantastic performer. We all truly enjoy the contribution he makes and sit enthralled as well when he sing; because he comes right from the soul.
A highlight was our Sunday services held in the old St. George Tabernacle, where Lorenzo Snow taught the early saints about the importance of keeping the law of tithing during a time of great drought. It was wonderful to be there in that old historic building. The talks that were given were uplifting and strengthening. We were truly blessed. I'm so grateful we were able to go.

Emily plays in the second violin section of The Orchestra at Temple Square. She is fun, and happy; cheers people on and has a wonderful attitude and spirit about her.


I read your post today Emily. It was a bit sad. The clock winding down for that special segment of our lives when we get to wake up everyday and know just exactly what we are supposed to do. I was up at 6:00 am each morning I put the breakfast together for my sweet family. I always tried to do something a bit different each day. Boxed cereal was not the norm. After breakfast we gathered the family around for scripture study and prayer. Before we turned the lights out and finished the day: we once again gathered around the couch and shared some time together with the Lord. This daily ritual seemed to be the glue that held me together. It seemed to provide peace and a sense of progression with those special people in my life that I loved the most. I knew who I was. I was trying to be the kind of a Mom that was building something to last forever. Childhood days were fun and happy for the most part. There was lots to do: concerts and games to watch, scouting activities to plan for, Christmases that were special, and WORK that was a must!! Daily chores simply must be a part of the routine as well. My children thought that's all I knew, but in reality I was just trying to get them to learn that all of us have duties and we must be responsible and perform them, and to the best of our ability I might add. If they wouldn't have resisted; I'm sure it would have been much easier and accomplished without half the emotion and sometimes stress. Life goes on... the children grew, I must say; the teenage years were rather turbulent. I wasn't as laid back and fun as you appear to be Emily, but I was quite determined to be the best Mom I could be and I prayed over my little flock with great faith and zeal. I made it through the rocky times and lived to see my children move forward, progress and do amazing things. My boys all served missions and made me proud. My daughter, well, she is a powerhouse of strength and talent. She can do anything! I have been simply awestruck with what they can do and the strength that is within them.
But one day... the clock winds down. Pretty soon you wake up and wonder: what am I supposed to do now? Maybe for some the answer comes quite readily. Maybe some Mom's have been gloriously awaiting that day when they can pursue some goal that they had postponed when family came. For me: I suddenly didn't even know who I was! On top of that, I was going through that weird season of a woman's life they call; "the change". So for a few years now my identity has been a bit foggy! But time passes on and one day you're a Grandma. Well, that's an identity word, you think? I held on to that one for dear life. Sweet little children once again come into your life. It's not the same as motherhood, it doesn't seem as personally directed to you, but it's real and it feels good. Everyone knows that Grandma's are very special! I'm happier now and doing quite fine. You move along and struggle, but you discover that there are "things to do, promises to keep, and miles to go before you sleep". Your life is still very needed! There's a lot of adjusting but in the end you never really put yourself back together. You just keep creating; you have new things to do in the building of that wonderful family that will last forever.

As you all know the temperatures up here have been extremely low. Yesterday especially was almost more than you could stand because of the wind chill factor. I was supposed to take Mom to a Dr's appointment, but when I woke up to the howling of wind I called her and told her we better cancel the appointment for today. It was a good thing. When I went out to check on her, I could hardly keep the car in the road because the wind was so strong.
Well today, I was out and about early because I had a dentist appointment. Afterwards I went by the store and got a few things and then I went over to visit with Mom. I was there a couple of hours and then headed home. I was planning to take a short nap and then do my housework and dinner. However, when I arrived at the house I was greeted by the gushing of water from the downstairs ceiling. I knew the house sounded like a tub was overflowing when I hit the door. As my family can verify; I at first become a bit panicky when I am faced with a surprise attack of any kind. I couldn't get Dad on the phone, and so I tried to collect myself. I finally figured out how to turn the water off... called the fire department to stop by and assess the situation, and received the gracious help of Debra Eaves a neighbor across the street to help me get as much water out of the room as I could with the use of shop vacs. Seth didn't call any too soon so I took it upon myself to get a plumber here to fix the pipes. By the time he got the message and was headed home, the water was back on.
So ... as you can see. We are now up to our ears in a new project. Furniture from downstairs is all crammed in my upstairs family area. All the carpet pad is up, and wet carpet is sprawled out everywhere. James came in the door all smiles and assessed the situation by saying: "Oh well, it keeps life interesting!"

Aren't these three little munchkins just darling. I just love it how Owen is beginning to have his own little personality. When they are tiny babies it's hard to connect with them. Now he has his eyes open a lot more and he's such a doll. Fits right in with the family.