Christmas Door

Christmas Eve Eve on the Couch

Laying on the couch under the Chrismon Tree watching A Christmas Carol (and sleeping). I woke up watching The Nativity Story. I like it.

Christmas Traditions

I started reading parts of "Christmas Gift" to the kids this weekend. So far I've read the part about decorating the tree and going shopping in Atlanta. I can't wait till they both get big enough to really enjoy the stories.

Christmas is Coming

A Pleasant Little Visit with St Nick

Tree Installation and Repair

I Believe, I Believe

PARTY HEARTY

Here We Go! Advent Starts NOW!

Actually, it started Sunday and it's going to be a busy couple of Weeks.

Pearce's first choir performance.

Nice Jacket

A dark one of these would go nicely with a kilt. Oh, wait I have a kilt. Now I just need a jacket to go with it.

Claire Loves Her Cinnamon Twists

Just finished Sunday dinner at Taco Bell. She crashed clutching her favorite food.

Well, Papaz This is a Testimony Cube

Look, I can even work the cube without looking.

What I NEED For Christmas

I need some Ryobi 18 volt batteries like the one pictured or the lithium version. The one pictured is the last one I have and it doesn't last more than 5 minutes per charge. The rest (I used to have 6) got gone when all my equipment got "borrowed" indefinitely. I have a sander, lawn equipment and a flash light that uses them. Just an idea.

Happy 237th USMC

Happy Birthday Daddy. Once a Marine always a Marine. 237 years ago the first Marine recruiting drive began at Tun Tavern in Philadelphia. Thank you, we love you, and we need you.

My First Wish On The Christmas List

This guy races clean and every just expects to finish second to him. 

Mark Cavendish: Born to Race

---

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008PBUQO6/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/275-1453769-8802868?camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B008PBUQO6&linkCode=as2&redirect=true&ref_=as_li_ss_tlie%3DUTF8&tag=markcavendishdvd-21

What I'm Doing on the Cello

I am working on the Daniel Demoivre Suite #1 in C Major for Solo Cello. I've read over the Allemande and Gavotte. I don't sound the best that I ever have. I have a long way to go. I'm working out what fingering I like best, and still working on arm strength.

Side note: I never got farther than a decent 2nd position. Despite the efforts of some very good, nay, wonderful teachers. I am now reading up and trying to beat higher positions into my head and hands.

For those of you that haven't heard of Daniel Demoivre he is the younger brother of Abraham Demoivre, the mathematician, and predominately a composer of recorder music. I believe the four suites I have are the only cello pieces he wrote. They aren't really technical but they are good to cut your teeth on.

I've also picked out a Cello Poem by Alexander Papas to work on. The biggest challenge in this one section that goes up into the treble clef. More on this one later.

Delay of Game

Well, it is time to trot out the old Rabbie Burns quote I love so dearly.

"The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agly."

We hit a snafu with the labor situation for Saturday. I was unable to get scabs for the Saturday move so we have postponed the transporting of the piano until Wed. at noon.

Stayed tuned.

So on the way to work today I picked up a piano.

I am being given a piano. That is how I started my first day of substituting for Floyd County last Thursday. I picked up a job covering for special ed. Teacher, my specialty. Well, the first class was an inclusion math class and the regular education teacher was out as well. The other substitute and I got to talking about how we got into substituting she did it for extra money and I was in it to get a foot in the door for future employment. She started talking about how her son was struggling at Rome, he was always spacing out and got really moody. He had a hard time meeting deadlines and constantly put stuff off till the last minute.

 

“Bells will be ringing …”

 

I told her about my ADD, Clinical Depression, and the books I was reading and the changes I had made in my life since my diagnosis. I mentioned how I had started practicing my cello again and she talked about her children and their musical abilities. Then out of the blue she offered me the piano they had in their basement. She thought it was built in the 19^th century, but wasn’t sure of the date. Her husband had done some research on it and found out it could be worth a lot when restored. The makers were Kranich & Bach and the patent on the action was 1880. I’m going to venture an unscientific guess that this piano was built around 1890.

I offered to send her the titles and authors of the books by email when I got home. She sent me a picture of the piano and said we could have it. We just needed to come up with a way to pick it up.

Kristi and I talked it over.

Me: … and she said she’d give us a piano if we came and got it.

K: WHAT???

Me: she said we could have the piano in their basement if we picked it up.

K: How are we going to pick it up? Who are we going to get to help us?

Me: So you want the piano?

K: looks at me like I had just turned into a cabbage.

 

Kristi and I went over to look at the piano on Tuesday and it looks rough but it sounds well enough. There are two keys that are desperately out of whack, but they are way down in the base register. The action of the keys seems to be good and the notes are in tune with each other. All the wood looks to be in decent condition.

The keys on the other hand look like they’ve been cared for by an English dentist. Roots are good but the enamel is gone on a few of them. The KB has passed initial inspection and has been approved for acquisition. Now I need to reserve a 10-14' Uhaul for Saturday afternoon and cleanup in the basement/playground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday or so I’ll let y’all know how the Uhaul rental and the pick up and delivery of the piano goes.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Playing my cello just now I realized how extremely out of shape I am. Less than 10 minutes and my shoulder is worn out.

The fingers of my left hand are even worse. No tone whatsoever. My fingers strike, no they flap down, on more than one string at a time, and the harmonic squeaks are horrendous.

I shall be very glad of the improvement in tone that will come with having a piano to "cross train" on. The piano exercises I can remember are wonderful for building strong fingers.

I have a lot of work and short time to get there. There is a possibility of a flute, cello, and bells piece for Christmas (which is my fault). There may be one before that, too. In addition to that there are some concert flautists in the congregation that want to play trios with me.

Dinner Guests

Mad Scientist at Work

Ok, ditsy scientist. I'm working on my own crockpot yogurt recipe. I found a bunch of recipes on line, but all said to start on low for nearly 3 hours. I know there's a long wait on the back end, but I didn't see why wait so long upfront. More later on What's For Dinner.

I Gotta Get WHAT!!!

It's time for the flu shots. YAY!

Look Out World

I got Daddy's John Deere and here I go.

Hey Waldo

I mean Jake... I mean Waldo. I'm confused.

Wednesday Night Supper

A little bread a little Alfredo sauce.

Popcorn and a Pirate Movie at Nana's

Yay School

Woohoo!! It's time for school. Go Tinker Bell.

Argh! This is My Castle

Got Some New Kicks

Pearce is enjoying his new cleats. He has a few weeks to break 'em in. Soccer doesn't start till October for him. He's doing the county program this fall.

Oh Happy Day

I've found a station that's on free preview right now showing predominately soccer. Ligue 1 (French), La Liga (Spanish), and Serie A (Italian) are the leagues BEIN is showing.

What, with the ESPN's showing regular English Premier League (self explanatory) matches, I can watch everything but Major League Soccer (US) here in the United States. Kind of disappointed with that. Ecstatic that I get to see so much soccer (Kristi's not), but I'd give it all up to see some regular programming of MLS and NASL (second division US) matches on the ESPN's and/or broadcast TV.

I forgot Liga MX (Mexico). Kristi puts her foot down on those matches. I absolutely have to watch those alone or with the kids. They're in Spanish and the announcers can get a little obnoxious and annoying when someone scores.

Andrew Elkins

Here Fishy, Fishy

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Boy

Pearce has found out how to use Daddy's phone camera. Nice self portrait.

Braves Win

Don't Tell Daddy

I got the cello out this afternoon. I'm working on a piece for church. Pearce wanted to get a little practice in.

Classic Rock and Roll

Guess What

New Members of the Family

Already had to run Caesar off the counter three times. He's too big to pull a Ricky with this tank, but he just might try.

Collateral Damage

This bird nest was woven into one of the rose monsters. It has been vacant for a while. I was going to take it in but ...found out ... ants... had taken ... up residence. So I took pictures.

Taking Control of the Front Yard

The rose bushes needed to know who was in control. I have also found three trees that need to be dug up.

Tinky Bell Putting Baby Down For A Nap

Look at Me I'm Tinky Bell!!!!

And It Lights Up Too

Aunt Suzy made me a Tinky Bell outfit. Now Peter Pan (aka Pearce) and I can fly around together for Halloween.

When Balloons Attack

Pearce is doing his bit to help get the house ready for Claire's birthday.