Spring Spheres!!!!????

Spring spheres?  Give me a break!  There are people in this world that totally blow my mind!  I heard on the news that in Seattle the elementary school wouldn't let a high school student bringing Easter eggs for the children at the elementary school use the name "Easter".  They had to call them "spring spheres".  How ridiculous!  What was even funnier was that the children all called them Easter eggs anyway.  Just shows - little children are smarter than adults!

Palm Sunday

Things are on my mind lately.  People we care a lot about are desperately ill.  We are working on landscaping.  Tri-State Music Festival is coming up soon.  I have doctor appointments to try to keep up with.  These are just a few of the things crowding my mind.  There's nothing wrong with any of them.  They do need my attention.

But, am I really willing to dwell on these things and forget about what my Lord and Savior did for me on the cross?  Do I really stop and focus my mind on Jesus' resurrection? Sadly, not near enough!  There is no greater sacrifice than the sacrifice He made to atone for my sins.  I am so flawed that it amazes me that He found me worthy of this sacrifice.  I should definitely not take that lightly.

So, with that in mind, I am challenging you to join me this year in rejoicing.  Rejoice that every year Spring comes to remind us of our new lives in Christ Jesus.  Our blessings flow over us like a river.  So along with our prayers to God for healing of our precious loved ones, let's don't forget to thank Him for His overwhelming love shown to us by sending His Son to die on the cross.

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!

(If you don't know what I am talking about and want to know more, contact me.  I would love to share my faith with you.)    

MOLLY!

This is the birthday girl.  From the day she was born people all seemed to call her "Miss Molly".  I think that suits her to a "T".  She's quite a little "miss".

This picture was taken at her birthday party.  Dennis & I gave her the dress.  Just couldn't resist it, and Linda was no help in stopping me.  She loved it, too!

I love how much joy a little child can bring to your life.  I can't think about her without smiling.  Dennis and I both feel that our lives are so much richer now.  I love grandchildren so much that I am anxious to have lots of them.  Somehow, I don't think our children are going to cooperate too much in that, though.  :(

This has all reminded me how quickly time flies.  I get melancholy when I remember how it seemed that our children started high school one day and graduated the next.  The college years went even faster, and the next thing we knew they were married!  Molly also reminds me of my children when they were little.  Things they said and did are flooding back into my memory.  Precious times!

This all reminds me to savor the moment.  My cup runneth over and joy overflows!

Happy Spring!

I don't remember a time that I've welcomed Spring more than I have this year.  I don't even care that it is windy!  The warmer weather revives me.

April this year means so much more to me than ever before also because of our precious Molly's birthday.  See my other posting to read more about that.  Just thinking about her fills me with delight.

So send on the storms, wind, whatever.  This year I'm just rejoicing, no matter what

Seiling Music Festival!

Well, it's been quite a day.  For more years than I want to count, I have gone to the Seiling Music Festival.  Seiling is a very small town, but they do such a good job of this festival.  Seriously, I have never noticed a hitch when I've gone.  My piano students through the years have performed there.  Then later I became an accompanist for the elementary and junior high students taking instrumental solos.

All of this makes for an exhausting but fulfilling day.  I start going to the school to rehearse with the children about 2 weeks in advance.  I have played the brass solos so long for Seiling and Tri-State that I sort of know them without much rehearsal.  I even have a favorite trumpet solo, "The Pedlar".  I can hum it.  Just ask me.  I'm always ready to perform it.  :D

The last  few years I switched to woodwinds so that Bev Heinrichs could play for the brass.  Her son, Matt, is a brass player.  It was a big sacrifice for me because I've had to learn new solos! :)  Some might say that trying something new is good for me, and maybe they are right.  My secret is, though, that I'm starting to learn them by heart now, too.  :)  One of them is actually a song the choir sings on one of my favorite "Andy Griffith" shows.  I can't help but grin while playing it.  It's the episode where Barney is so off-key that they get him to sing a "solo" on a special "soloist" microphone.  I'm smiling just thinking about it!

Anyway, I'm tired and happy.  It was a good day, and I am thankful that I am still able to do things like this.  Also, Larry Beeby was one of the judges for the band performances.  It was good to see him!

Tomorrow is Nicholas' birthday.  He will be 29!  I have always called him "my darling angel".  His friends have given me a lot of grief through the years about that, but "What can I say?"  :D

Nicholas has been a source of joy.  I vividly remember the day Penny Payne took the watermelon picture.  It was at our first Kusch Cousin Reunion.  The picture pretty much sums up little Nicholas.  I  particularly like the gun, holster, and flip-flops!  We have picture after picture of Nicholas as The Lone Ranger, Zorro, or his major hero, Roy Rogers!


Now he has grown into an admirable man.  I love the way he handles things in his life.  Nothing seems to rattle him.  He still maintains a lot of his bratty ways, I'm sure Brooke would agree, but they are actually what delight us about him. You never know what he will come up with.  Just check Facebook for his trivia facts if you want proof.  :D

I wish my "darling angel" son a very happy birthday.  He means the world to me!  I can't imagine my life without him.

SPRING!!!

Well, I've had a lousy week.  I try to maintain a positive attitude, but once in a while I just can't seem to do it.  The time change always throws me for a loop.  I do like having daylight last longer in the evening, but it is still an adjustment.  Another reason for my lousy week was my EGD.  I have been feeling great so I went innocently into the scope expecting a good report.  When I came out I discovered that I had 2 varices banded.  My throat hurt.  It wasn't killing me, but it was pretty uncomfortable.  The doctor told Dennis that I will have to have 3-8 more of them, depending on how I do.  They already scheduled me for my next one on June 14.  Whatever they gave me to put me out has made me sleepy for three days now.  And, you know what, a yogurt and ice cream diet gets old!

Enough with the whining.  Today was a warm day.  I saw a temperature of 85 degrees on my car!  What a delight.  You may remember how much I love the Vernal Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, and Winter Solstice.  I even love the sounds of the words.  This Sunday is the Vernal Equinox.  You know what that means ~ lovely, glorious Spring!  Just thinking about it lifts my spirits.  Oh, yes, the fact that my throat is finally feeling better helps too!  :D