Art – Page 10 – Letters from Home

Happenings

1-DSC_2292 — Just a smattering of thoughts today, readers.

1-DSC_2290 — These super hero prints were a gift to the kids from the artist, Josh Talbot. We bought my new violin from his wife.

1-DSC_2295 — I love pumpkins, and pumpkins from a friend are especially nice.

1-DSC_2291 — Photo is from Halloween 2006

There are fewer costumes to get ready for Halloween this year. When I think back to the years when we coordinated costumes for the kids, I feel thankful that we made those memories. Super Heroes, The Wizard of Oz, and Star Wars were my favorite themes. I spent a little time sewing Halloween bunting over the fall break. Mark has been my helper to decorate the house. One day he spent an hour wrapping little skeletons in t.p. so they would look like mummies. He emphasized to me that the mummies are NOT for the house, but special for his room. Mark and I found this to be a mutually agreeable use for the mummies.

1-IMG_20141017_174447 — Mark told us that he didn’t need help with his tie. Okay.

The kids had a piano recital this weekend. Paige played the Mendelssohn Concerto in g minor op. 25, 1st movement. Daniel played Maple Leaf Rag by Joplin and a nice contemporary concerto called Concerto Bravo by Olsen. Timothy played Bach’s Solfeggietto and a piece called Frenzy. Mark surprised us again with very expressive dynamics in Spy Bot (He’s a real showman!) and amazed us with his speed at playing Cinnamon Popcorn. The older kids who played concertos were accompanied by their teacher, who spent a lot of extra time working with them on their pieces. She’s in the photo with the kids.

1-DSC_2297 — Mark’s measurement robot. I can’t tell you how many times this robot comes to my mind when I am working in the kitchen.

Home school with Mark is comfortable, sweet, and a joy. I’m savoring the time with him. Our studies follow a familiar path through ancient history, math facts, science, and writing. With each child, however, there is zeal for different favorite subjects and I enjoy seeing Mark’s personality and strengths emerge as we work on projects. Mark is good company, and we have the best conversations, and by that I mean we talk through a depth and breadth of his thoughts about super heroes, Star Wars, planets, Calvin and Hobbes, and Harry Potter. I write down some of the things he says as a keepsake of this time together.

On another front…

I find sharing my faith on Facebook to be very tricky. I admire people who can share concise, genuine statements about their testimonies. One thing I am thinking about is how to convey my testimony more effectively (online, among friends) without sounding like a Puritan or shaking so much in my boots. I posted the following paragraph on Facebook, but didn’t get any “LIKES” from my friends of other faiths. Does this mean I sounded like a Puritan to them? Who knows.

The LDS missionaries in our area needed some teaching practice so they picked our family. I loved how they taught and shared their love for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I wish I had invited someone to join us. Next time you see the missionaries, consider listening to their message with an open heart and mind. It will make your day. Their message is the most important part of my life.

Do you have thoughts about sharing your faith online?

I write this as the missionaries sit outside with Richard at a correlation meeting. They are around our house a lot. I am NEVER prepared when they come. One day I walked into the kitchen after showering, looking for a hair brush in my purse. It wasn’t until I had loaded the dishwasher while sporting wet, messy hair that I noticed that the missionaries were in the next room watching me make a fool of myself. Today they have to sit outside because every living area in the house is full of toys and friends. I just never know when they are going to show up.

This is probably one reason people respond well to online missionary work. I just need to learn how to do it better. Really, do you have suggestions?

A Summary

Where have you been during my absence online? I hope you’ve seen something beautiful or read something good or eaten a delicious meal without having to do the dishes afterwards.

We have been inside the house, at parks, in our schools, church, and work. It’s a full life. Richard works very long hours and on Saturdays. It is stressful for him. I am used to having him gone on weekdays, but those desolate Saturdays without him are just no fun.

The tepee is finished and looks so fun in Mark’s room.

Mark continues to pass through the gate behind our house to his friend’s house to play each day. There are kittens! There is a puppy! Our house lacks these things, but we do have Legos to make up for it, and I have been told that our food is good and I’ve been enlisted to sew a couple of projects for the little boy.

Paige completed the first two applications for awards and scholarships that she will submit this semester. What a task that is! Here is a collage of some of her art.

Paige spoke in Stake Conference on Sunday. We are so proud of her. She was calm, confident, and her talk about the Book of Mormon was beautiful. I wish you could have been there. Someone took this picture from another building where her message was being viewed on a screen.

Timothy made some great plays as catcher and first baseman last week and he tells me that he’s not ready to play the trombone for me yet.

Mark is good at hitting baseballs in his red helmet.

Daniel travels in a pack of friends that I really like. There are movie nights and Frisbee games at the park, game nights in our basement, and lunchtime ball games at school. Hooray for good friends!

1-Cumorah's Hill boys 2-001 — Photo by K. Trounce

The new violin had two debut performances this weekend at Stake Conference. I have been given so much praise. At first it made me feel shiny to get all of the attention. Now I feel a little dulled by it. I can’t explain it. Perhaps it’s just too much for me to take in. I do like hearing that people were touched by the music and that some people have translated the music to an expression of my testimony. Because it is.

1-Cumorah's Hill girls — Photo by K. Trounce

The weekend of music and speaking at Stake Conference made me feel like we’re accepted here. It’s not easy to integrate into a new place with people who have lived here a long time. The kindness of our neighbors has always made the transition softer, but to be invited to share thoughts and music makes me feel like people accept our version of contribution.

Richard made lemon ice cream to celebrate everything. All is well.

Sentimental Journey

One day my violin teacher, Liz Deters stopped me during my lesson and made me promise that I would never stop playing the violin. She was always very dramatic, but I took the promise seriously. I am so grateful that I did.

I became very sentimental before I picked up my new violin this weekend. I thought of all of the amazing opportunities that I have had with my old instrument, the generosity of my parents who bought it for me, the places I have played, and the people I have met. I reflected on the blessing that it’s been to be a violinist.

I reminisced a bit with Richard and I wondered if I would play in as many places with my new instrument. No, we decided, probably not. But that is okay. The opportunities of youth are over, but that doesn’t mean the memories and the experiences cease to enrich my life.

With my little instrument, I’ve been invited to celebrate at weddings and parties; I’ve also been invited to provide comfort at funerals. I’ve been invited to unique venues such as a high council meeting when I was a teenager and years later, a mountainside in the dark for Pioneer Trek. Some of my best friends have been my music friends. I’ve met generosity and sacrifice in my teachers, parents, husband, and children so I could play.

I’ve played my little instrument in the Salt Lake Tabernacle, high school auditoriums, LDS stake and ward buildings, at universities, and on hillsides. I’ve been a soloist, a concert master, and sat so far back in an orchestra that I could hardly see the conductor. I’ve felt strong and I’ve felt weak. I have learned to accept both compliments and mistakes gracefully.

My favorite times on the violin were a couple of Christmas parties in Arizona where I joined a band and we presented a fun program with pop, folk, and sacred music. I love fiddling for my family’s traditional dancing of the Virginia Reel in the mountains.

I am thankful for the emotional outlet my instrument has given me and I cherish the notes of thanks that I have received from people who have been touched by the music.

My new violin is here and last night I played everything I know how to play and then brought out some old concertos from my high school days. I am so thankful to be a violinist and I am excited for the new chapter of music in my life!

This week…

I fell in love with this. Richard has been trying to buy me a violin for a long time, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. I’ve tried out a lot of violins over the years and when I played this one, I knew that it was special. We joked that it was a little bit like wand shopping in Harry Potter. When I played it, I felt so strongly that THIS was the ONE! Magical! This weekend I get to bring it home. I am reading this. I just finished a chapter about the Vikings. Yikes. Scary. I am watching this a little bit at a time. Mark likes the corny humor in it more than I do. I’ve been concerned about THIS. We learned today that Richard still has a job.

I’m making a red one of these for Mark to use as a reading fort:

photo from Care's blog — photo from Care’s blog; pattern by Susan

We’ve cheered at baseball games for Mark and Timothy. I haven’t been cooking much, but Daniel told me tonight that the food this week has been especially good. Now that’s an accomplishment. Did I mention that I am getting a new violin? That’s really all I can think about.

Wicked 2014

Paige’s birthday present was a trip to this play with Richard and me. It did not disappoint.

Paint Day

Paige and Timothy are off to paint a mural at a local Christian church today. It’s supposed to be a big Narnia castle and ocean scene. Timothy’s coach is a youth pastor and the mastermind behind the project and he invited Paige to help. Mark and I will paint Daniel’s bathroom door since he’s away on a high adventure trip. In fact, he’s not too far from these hills in Southern Utah.

Heritage

Paige painted this heritage painting showing how our ancestors got here and important monuments of their faith. She painted the Mayflower, the San Juan Bautista Mission in California, the St. George Temple, and a handcart.

There are many interpretations for Malachi’s words about the hearts of the children turning to the fathers. One way to interpret this phrase is to focus on how our hearts feel when we realize what our ancestors have given us. My heart almost feels like it’s shifting or turning inside when I feel the joy of knowing my ancestors.

Last week I found a journal that belonged to my great-grandmother that I had misplaced. It was Cerie’s journal of their trip to Sweden in 1957. She describes the personalities of people I only know by name and a snapshot or two. I wish I had found it in time to include some of her observations in the history I wrote last year. But that’s the nature of family history. You are never done. Our stories go on and on and there many heart-turning moments waiting to be discovered.

These look better in photos than in person

Our Girls’ Camp scripture was Helaman 5:12. It reminds us to build our foundation on the rock of Jesus Christ. I wanted to make a simple, inexpensive gift for the Young Women in the ward to remember camp. This was inexpensive, but not as simple as I thought. The rocks can’t be too porous or rough. I’ve had a 30-50% failure rate with this craft, which is pretty bad. When I get an image to work, it’s very satisfying and makes me want to keep trying. The rocks at camp wouldn’t work! These are Provo River rocks that I harvested with Mark and Timothy.

I printed a reverse image of the Savior on a laser printer and used a blender pen (toxic! smells like gasoline or paint thinner) to transfer the images. I love rocks. It has been so fun to make these, despite failure after failure.

Artist in Residence at the Gala

Paige was asked to demonstrate a painting to be put up for auction at the school district foundation gala. She and another student participated. Each painted during the event and at the end they were asked to come to the front and tell the audience about their paintings. Then they were asked to walk around the room carrying the paintings while people bid for them. This is NOT what she thought she would have to do! Her painting sold for hundreds of dollars.

There were speakers, such as Noelle Picus-Pace, and that cute singer, Lexi Walker performed. This was the flier for the event.

I couldn’t get a ticket, so I helped Paige set up and took a quick picture of her progress before I left. Maybe I’ll post a picture of the finished painting if I can get it from her phone. She painted another version of a painting she did earlier this year. It’s taken from a photo she took near Snow Canyon. Richard and I are the hikers in the distance. It’s blurry and hours from being finished and not everything is shown, but this is the beginning of her project:

Well done, Paige! What an adventure. You are talented and brave, beautiful and strong!

Art Exhibition

We visited Paige’s art project last night. It has been traveling for a month or two, but
now it’s back in town. It’s on display at a mall featuring high school level artists from several school districts.

I think it must be kind of hard to send off your art for the crowds to see. I think Paige is courageous and so talented.

We took some time to study the exhibit. As we finished viewing, Paige, Timothy, and I saw Richard slipping into a candy store with the other boys. We joined them and watched Mark and Timothy explore the store like a couple of pinballs ricocheting from bin to bin. They’ve never been on the other side of the candy store window at the mall.

It was a fun family night.