Mother Hill's memories: 9/16 to 9/22

This has been a great week. I feel like I got some things accomplished. I learned about the Strive Machines and how to use them on Tuesday and then on Thursday I worked out on them. They are a circuit of strength building machines. They really give me a good work out. One different than at Curves. I then tried the rowing machine. I thought is was pretty easy until I asked one of the trainers what the number's meant of the screen. She told me and then she asked me why I wasn't using my arms to pull with. I replied that I didn't know I was suppose to. So she showed me the correct form and I rowed for 15 min. I like it because it really works my abs.

Wednesday, at Activity Days, I taught the girls how to lead music. It was wonderful to have Holly hand outs. It is nice having a daughter-in-law having the same calling as I. I am really blessed that all of them have had some musical training and so I didn't have to first teach music basics. They caught on really well and I saw some of them trying to lead with the primary song leader. We are going to have the girls sing in April for Sacrament meeting, Sally DeFords song" I Know My Heavenly Father Lives" It is a gorgeous song with beautiful words. The girls will sound beautiful for they all can carry a tune.

On Friday Nancy and I decided that we are going to try to do 3 Christmas Shows at the rest homes this year. Her grandson has agreed to play the French horn with us. He is really good and we are excited to have him join us. We are using some of the pieces that we did 2 years ago but now I have to arrange it for the French Horn. I got "I Be Home For Christmas" done and have almost finished "Ding Dong Merrily on High" For piano, harp and bells. I really the creative process.

Saturday was a nice full day. We first went to help clean the chapel. The we went to Eagle Island State Park to see Hunter and Garren run in the Bob Freman race. Luckily both boys ran in the same JV race. This was the first cross county race of the season. Hunter did well, Hunter did 5k in 17.50, I think and Garren in 22.24. Both boys run with great heart. It is fun watching them run.

Garren and Hunter Before the race

Hunter running


Garrens great form


At the end and he is still smiling.

Running seems to be in the family. Sarah put this picture on Facebook of Jane running on her tread mill.

Jane running in good form.

I had fun helping Sarah get organized. She called me asking for my help in making some tags for her bins in the lofts. She needed the words with pictures so the non-readers will know which bins to put things in.

One of the Tags.

I was happy to help her and it was fun to do.

Then that evening, I took Velma to the Boise Philharmonic. Nancy was unable to use them so she offered them to me. I was so grateful for that opportunity. It was a concert that I will always remember. The pianist was wonderful. He played a Revel Concerto written for only the left hand. It was also a great piece of music.

Then they plays a Samuel Barber, Symphony No 1 in One Movement that he wrote when he was 26. What a cacophony of sound and harmonies! We both just sat there engrossed in the music. It was truely mind blowing. It was hard to imagine that one person could put all those instruments with their different sounds and rhythms and have it harmonize. The thought came to me that this would be the only time I would ever hear this piece of music unless we get to see reruns of our live. I was so thankful that Barber could write such marvelous music all without the benefit of electronics.

The pianist, Spencer Myer, then played Concerto in G major by Ravel which was exciting.

Boise Philharmonic

Then came Bolero by Ravel. They played it beautifully. I thought it was interesting that he first wrote it of a infamous barefoot ballet dancer who danced and dressed very sensuality.

This program note I thought was very funny. After directing Balero " Many in the cheering audience found it irresistible, but one terrified woman was seen at the back of the hall screaming hysterically "He's a madman, he's a madman!" When Reval was told about her reaction to his music , he smiled and said "She is the only one who really understood it!" I was so grateful to have had the opportunity to hear such music.

Today, I really got a treat. I substituted for Nancy in primary. It was so much fun to play for them as they sung my arrangement of "I Wonder When He Comes Again". They sang it so beautif

ully that I hardly could see to play the ending because of the tears. Music is such a blessing in my life.

Pictures from the Internet.