A couple months ago Roxanne asked Grant if he wanted to go to Art Camp. "No!" Are you sure? You like art. "No!" Come to find out he thought he had to camp out in the woods to do art. When he discovered it was at the Art Association just 2 hours a day for 2 weeks, he was excited to go.
Clay food.
An ice cream cone by Grant.
Looks like chocolate. Yum.
Breakfast by someone else.
The sausages look great, but the bacon
looks like something I once left in the microwave too long.
Water color sprinkled with salt for textured effect.
Saturday morning we went to Starbucks Coffee for an early breakfast and met these teenagers who were having a Bible study as part of their retreat. They were so sweet to talk with, and were delighted when I said I wanted their picture for my blog.
Then back at the cabin, I stuck up a conversation with Leonard, the caterer, who is the same fellow who catered Vanessa's Sweet 16 party last fall. But I didn't know him then. This morning I discovered he is a born-again Christian. We had the nicest conversation. I was so cheered to meet other Christians who love the Lord.
Then this morning, Sunday, I just didn't want to leave for home early, so we found a park next to the water where we read some Scripture and spent quite some time in prayer. It was a good time together loving the Lord by the lake.
Beautiful inside. The parents and students loved it.
So did I.
The local Music Teacher's Association moved our 9-ft. grand piano here recently with the understanding we can use the venue (for a price, of course) for our functions.
Another first: it was on a Wednesday evening.
Can't decide if that is preferable to a weekend.
I think I'll poll the parents.
I know I was exhausted after watching Grant all morning while finishing up preparations, teaching all afternoon, then hurrying for last minute set-up.
I'm always stressed the day of a recital,
because there are so many details to attend to,
but not because I'm worried about the student's performances.
I always over-prepare them for weeks in advance,
because I want it to be a good experience for them.
The students did a great job. Really. A great job.
Even the little girl who performed at her first recital.
They bowed beautifully, didn't turn their backs on the audience
while waiting for me to adjust their bench and foot-boxes.
And they showed their teeth when they smiled.
(Yes, we practice that--they get so nervous they sometimes look terrified.
A big smile makes them and the audience feel much better.)
In addition, I always reassure them I never get upset if they make a mistake.
Their parents and I already know they are wonderful pianists.
If they'll just keep going, most of the time the audience
This week and next week I'm watching Grant while Vanessa attends summer school. Today we are trying to make the children's bedroom into a slightly more adult guest room.
The Noah's Ark wall paper and wall decorations and curtains will stay, because they're just so darn cute. But SOME of the stuffed animals have to go! We each chose our favorites to stay. But the doll stroller, and the farm, and dollhouse definitely have to go! We took out the kiddie chairs and put in an adult rocker and arm chair.
Anyway, on to Grant's humor. I asked Grant to get me a trash bag (for the animals) from under the sink. He came to me holding it up to his waist and saying, "Tell me the truth. Does this make me look fat?" That's my Grant.
The sweet, sweet Holy Spirit was lifted up in our love for each other today.
After a wonderful time of worship this morning four of my closest girlfriends and I had a birthday lunch for Nancy at Panera. Her birthday is in December, but she had surgery then and a long recovery.
Nancy said she has four goals this summer: to learn how to really use her cell phone, IPOD, camera, and "I can't remember the other one." Classic.
Thirty-five year friendships are awesome. We take turns updating our lives since the last time we met and say quick prayers over urgent needs.
The "Second Service Prayer Group" had a barbeque tonight at the Johnsen's where we had an intense discussion about how we pray, what we expect from God as a result of prayer, the nature of faith in prayer, shared answered prayers and gut-wrenching waiting for answers, etc. Then we prayed. Such sweet fellowship seeking God.
1. Finished making the pasta salad for today's music teachers' luncheon.
2. Searched my supply for a Thank You card for the music organization's outgoing president.
3. Went to the music store to pick out a gift for the outgoing president. Pretty musical scarf.
4. Went to Redlands Adult School and introduced myself to 4 ESL classes telling them of our plans to fill the gap created by the city closing their ESL program.
5. Hurried to music teacher's luncheon and got installed as new president for the next 2 years.
6. Came home and pulled things together for Good News Club at Micah House this afternoon.
7. Went to the store and bought cookies for Good News Club. No time to bake today.
8. Taught last lesson on Elijah at Micah House. The kids had more questions about sin and heaven than ever before. It's really sinking in, and they're thinking it through carefully .
9. Went to the bank and made a deposit.
10. Went to Fox Theater to sign a contract for my piano recital in two weeks. They were closed.
11. Went to Micah House 1 by Sylvan Park to look at potential rooms for future ESL classes.
12. Came home and cleaned up the kitchen. Checked out FB.
13. Will teach one 45-minute piano lesson.
14. Then back to Redlands Adult School for the 4 evening classes, where I will do what I did this morning.
Well, the Missions' Pastor is supportive of my ESL ideas. He'll take my plan to the pastoral staff this week to see where we go from here.
Our main pastor is such a man of God. He is a scholar--he reads a book a day, and writes one every two years--and makes God's Word come alive. My heart is so moved every Sunday morning.
Then for second service a group of us meets for prayer. I think one of the ladies wants us to be called, "Got Prayer?" Don't know if the men will go for that :)
Tonight is "First Pray" (first Sunday evening of each month) including several baptisms and finally a report by the Haiti team who returned two weeks ago.
The song goes, "When I was young, I asked my mother, 'What will I be?'"
I'm 63 and still finding new things to be.
I'm studying German. I have new German friends in Germany and Austria. Fortunately they speak a lot of English. But I'm learning some German anyway.
Monday I'll be installed as President of the Redlands Music Teacher's Association for the next two years.
I mentioned recently that this week I finished an intensive course on teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). I'm so eager to begin teaching! So eager that I gave the Missions Pastor a proposed budget (he requested it) the day after class ended.
I had in mind to teach maybe 4-10 adults at Micah House for a morning or evening two-hour class each week.
Then this evening our ESL teacher called to tell me that God has opened a HUGE door of opportunity--much more than I ever imagined. And I'm half terrified to step inside.
The Redlands Adult School is closing their ESL program in four days. FOUR DAYS! The students are distraught and begging for continuing classes. So there is a HUGE need. A 240 student type of need. No that's not a typo. Waaaaaayyyyyy beyond my capabilities.
But wait, there were 14 of us in the class. Okay, two were college students who don't want to teach all year, two more declined for other reasons. So that's 9 more besides me, but I haven't gotten to ask them yet, because I don't meet with the Missions Pastor until tomorrow. (He doesn't even know I'm going to corner him to give a brief verbal rundown and a paper with bullet points of the need, the available resources, and what I need him to provide in order for this to happen.)
Why the hurry? The teacher wants me to visit the classes Monday and Tuesday so the students can meet me. As foreigners, they are shy and need to see a friendly face. Also so I can offer them hope before they leave for the summer.
Only God can work out these details. I'm pretty interested to see what He's going to do.
This one's for me! Last night was our last class of Teaching English as a Foreign Language. We all got certificates (bogus, but authentic looking) for our 10 weeks of grueling but stimulating work.
I can't believe it! I have a new passion. It crept up on me from behind and surprised me. I'm a good teacher (!) in small groups. I've gotten plenty of feedback from piano students and their parents alike that I'm good at teaching one-to-one lessons and small group theory classes. But adults? Two adult students came up to me after my TEFL student teaching and told me I was awesome. Awesome!?! It's not very often...hardly ever...have I ever really been?... awesome.
Then last night our teacher said she was "so excited and blown away" by my last assignment and one of her colleagues at the university asked her to ask me if she could use it as an example in her curriculum. The assignment was to compile teaching strategies we'd discovered during the class and our textbook and online reading. They weren't MY ideas. I'd just compiled 3 pages worth. So of course she can use it. But I sure was pleased to hear it was appreciated. AND she asked me to keep in touch with her and let her know how my (currently anticipated) classes are going, because she said she's confident I'll do a good job.
The problem with this blog, now that other people read it, is that I find myself wondering what they will think of what I'm saying. That's not very good for a free flow of thoughts. So, sorry if this sounds bragging, because it IS. Today's blog is for ME to collect a good memory, not for you to read and think what a big head I've got.
