Odds and Ends

A couple of spiritual/inspirational thoughts I've enjoyed recently...

Love this scripture and all that it implies.

I've realized over the last year how important it is, to me as a person, to be able to create...to produce something and be pleased with it.  Consequently, when I read this quote from President Monson in a recent Ensign, it really struck a chord with me.

"God left the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon.  He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth.  He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt.  God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of finished things.  He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the JOYS and GLORIES of CREATION."

Love it!

In other news...

Our power company has been sending us reports every now and then of how we rank compared to our neighbors as far as usage goes.  I believe our household started out in the 80's somewhere (#1 being the most efficient house and 100 the least).  We talked as a family and decided on some goals to lower our rank.

We have significantly decreased our power use and are proud of it :)

Yeah team!

I had three piano teachers growing up.  The last one I had through my teenage/High School years.

I remember my mom picking me and Angie up from our first lesson with her and I cried.

I was intimidated and wasn't sure I could survive Deanne Vanderford's confident and powerful personality.

However, it wasn't long before I started loving her.  She was still intimidating, but in a caring sort of way :)  She had had quite a life and taught us much more than just notes and theory.  I remember her speaking to us about things she had learned from her experiences while we sat on the piano bench and listened.

She sacrificed for us...

When I was a senior in high school, I tried out for Music Sterling Scholar.  The piece I was working on at the time was a Rachmaninoff concerto.  Concertos have an orchestral accompaniment so Deanne decided she was going to have her Clavinova taken to the high school for me to accompany me on my piece.

By some miracle I was chosen as the Sterling Scholar.  I believe the next round was regional and was held 45/60 minutes away.  Deanne again, arranged for her Clavinova to be pulled in a trailer to accompany me.  She was probably glad I didn't advance to the next round :)

She was an amazing woman in so many different ways and I cherish the time I spent with her.

I quit lessons about 18 years ago, but I apparently (he remembers but I do not:) took Andy to meet her when we were engaged and sent her a Christmas card each year.

I found out that she had passed on through an almost off hand comment from my Grandma one night at dinner.  We don't take the paper so I am not too in touch with local happenings.  I'm so glad she mentioned something so that I was able to go to the funeral the next day.

She was quite a performer as you can probably tell from the picture below.

Whenever I hear the song MoonRiver I will always imagine her singing it in her deep, wise voice.

She was a very special influence in my life and will not soon be forgotten.

I was able to attend the temple with some lovely ladies recently.

Such a joy to be together in the House of the Lord.

And lastly, just some random pictures from Sunday evenings at Mom and Dad's house...

Love this one of the kids and Grandpa Kidd!