Showing posts with label band concerts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label band concerts. Show all posts

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Zentangle Challenge # 21-"OOF"-Out of Focus


A new challenge put out by the Diva..."OOF" is a zentangle designed by the originators of the whole Zentangle "madness"...but a good madness!  I have really been taken by doing these so I really appreciate Maria (Zentangle creator) and the Diva who challenges me each week!!

And here are pictures of the two band concerts we attended this past week to see the grands...we are always so impressed by how much these kids can do in the time they are in school/band!  Big thanks to their band directors for a fabulous job!!

Our favorite tuba player, in the middle.
Summer Creek Middle School Band
North Crowley High Honors Band
And our favorite French hornist, setting up for the concert!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

A New Zentangle

"Through My Garden Gate"

This is a zentangle that I did recently, and I have added a new one to the left side of my blog.  In adding the Zentangle Challenge "Ixorus" (one of the early challenges from the diva),  I changed up my blog so that you can click on that image and it will take you to the pictures I have on Flickr.  I thought that might be easier to keep them all together....and I have other older pictures of things out there too.  I am planning to use Flickr even more as a good way to store pictures "out there".

Last night we attended a wonderful concert! Our grandson's Middle School Spring concert!  And a nice surprise...he has been asked to be in the Jazz Band...in which he will be more active next year as an eighth grader.  Tomorrow night is another great concert....our granddaughter's High School Band Spring concert.  I have some pics of his and will add some of hers after tomorrow night!

Nice rainy day today...we did get a little soaked last night...just as we were leaving the concert, the sky opened up!  And today, no where we had to go, so we stayed home and enjoyed about three hours of a soaking rainfall!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Update

Kathleen got home from the hospital yesterday...she is such a trooper! She is still pretty sore, needing to learn how to reuse some muscles, getting used to her new "shape", but every day she will be stronger and get to feeling more secure.

Last night, Colin had a band concert....he is a tuba player.  Auntie Andrea came all the way over from her house which is about 75 miles away to stay with Kathleen so all the parents and grandparents could go to his first concert.  I think we have such a great family...all pitching in together in a crisis be it little or big!  And I include the extended family also...we have become very good friends with the "in-laws".

And the concert was stellar!  It is just amazing how the directors can get so much out of these kids in band...to think that four months ago the beginner band kids had never played their instrument of choice before and now they are actually making real music.  These are seventh graders for the most part.  And the school has a jazz band that was really good..cannot believe they are just 13/14 years old!

We kept the kids' dog while the hospital event was going on so they wouldn't have to be concerned about her care.  Saturday, Colin came out to spend the weekend with us.  This doggie, who is an indoor dog, has the run of our yard and sleeps in Dick's shop at night.  When Colin was here, Sadie (the dog) was so excited to see him...when he put her in the shop later Sunday when he was tired of playing with her, she just howled!!!  She NEVER does that with just us here.  Then we took him home Sunday evening; when we let her out, she ran all over looking for him...once she was satisfied he was gone, she was OK.  Then today, the kids' mom came out to get her and take her home....she was just a mess...yipping and wagging...you would think we were abusing her!!  Just shows how crazy she is about her "family" and it is mutual!!!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Musings on This and That

"No individual raindrop considers itself responsible for the flood!"  Anonymous 

I like this quote...since it is anonymous...I think I will claim it!  I finished reading "South of Broad" by Pat Conroy ("Prince of Tides" author) and found it to be very good...a little of "The Big Chill" feel to it on a little different topic. 

And I am now reading "The Postmistress" by Sarah Blake.  I've not read anything by her before but will try to find more of her books....really good.  It takes place in a small seaport town off Cape Cod and Europe at the very beginning of WWII..1941 to be exact, before we entered the war officially.  I highly recommend it to all...just for the value of remembering what occurred in that time frame...the persecution of the Jews and our country's fear of anything "different" (immigrants from Germany, Japan, etc).  With the current feelings towards Muslims and illegals, we need to recall the error of our ways sixty years ago against those who were innocent of any crimes just because fear existed.  Unfortunately, it seems to me that even with all our sophisticated technology and supposed enlightened intelligence, we are still in the dark ages as to our compassion and understanding of other cultures and beliefs....a very closed minded attitude prevails, I am afraid! 

What I really want to do is to go to DC next week and participate in John Stewart's Rally for the Return of Sanity!!!!  That is certainly needed in this country!!

On a more cheerful note...had a great time playing poker last night with our buddies...I was actually ahead at one time, and almost broke even!  And...Texas Rangers are World Series bound!  TCU won their game tonight against Air Force.....and....my alma mater, Missouri, tromped on #1, Oklahoma for the first time in 12 years!
Go, Frogs!!!

Rainy day here in our part of Texas...the North Crowley band was to play at Regionals for UIL today; I haven't heard whether they got a chance to or not....will talk to the kids tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Random Ramblings

" Despite the cost of living, have you noticed how popular it remains?"  Anon.

Sunday On La Grande Jatte-1884 by Georges Seurat

Such a thrill to see this painting at the Chicago Art Institute last week...when I was a kid, I did see it but after having taught art for 32 years, I had a much greater appreciation for it...knowing something of the artist and the history of the period.  My mom was also very fond of this particular work of art and had a print of it hung in her living room as long as I can remember. (I wonder what happened to that picture?)  I also really enjoyed the musical "Sunday with George"...I haven't seen it live but many years ago, PBS filmed a production of it with Mandy Pankin in the starring role. 


North Crowley Spring Band Concert

Somewhere on that stage is my granddaughter, playing the French horn.  NC held their spring concert last Saturday. The middle schools that feed into NC had their concerts first...then the high school.  I am always amazed at how wonderfully those kids, from 7th grade on up can play!!  And kudos to their band directors!!  They have to have great patience to work with all that noise...then to make it into something beautiful...what a feat!!

My guild has a members only challenge quilt each year in conjunction with our quilt show which is in September.  This year the theme is a scrappy quilt, using 50 or more fabrics.  It can be any size, any pattern, with a minimum of applique and embellishments.  Coming up with 50 fabrics is no problem...I have started on what I think will be my entry...and that may be the only thing I actually get done to enter the show this year!

Our speaker at our meeting this week is Paula Nadelstern, who creates kaliedescope quilts...she is having her workshop on Saturday...I have signed up for it and am very excited to attend and see how she makes the magic happen!!  I am working with fabric which is totally out of my comfort zone....Pink and lime greens!!!  But I hear it is good to break away into something totally different once in awhile!!  We'll see!