Boulders, a Wedding Crasher, Pimpernel, and White Gloves

A month and a half ago, the mudslide at Spring Lake looked like this. But after more rain, it became clear that this mud was also full of boulders and rocks. My dad is a master with rock walls. The mountain couldn’t have gifted these to a better recipient.

(The family has been trying to dig out trees from the mud to save them.)

 

While the men and boys worked on the dirt and rock project, I organized the library at my parents’ house. The Sanchez family is a family of builders, minus me. I just like to be zen and organize decor.

I crashed a wedding gathering this week so I could see Paige as a bridesmaid at the Salt Lake temple. I sat in the sun on a bench on the south side of the temple, warm and bright, and couldn’t imagine anything I would rather be doing. I didn’t take any photos of the wedding party because I wanted the moment for myself. Plus, I shouldn’t have been there. The less evidence the better.

A friend took me to see this play this week and we ate Peppermint Crunch Junior Mints. Delightful. Except I can’t erase the guillotine scenes from my mind. HOW did they do that?

Mark had a band concert this week and Tim was a guest artist since they needed trombones. Ha! He and his two friends sat at least a head taller than the middle school kids. But he had his own dressing room with pizza. Mark has taken to wearing white gloves when he plays his trumpet. He is pretty dapper sometimes.

Two Weeks of Music


The boys had two very busy weeks of performances, from jazz band to piano recitals and piano concerto performances.  Richard took me to the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera production of Candide because he knows I like Opera.

With two children grown and gone, I see the little things such as reading, the arts, and music are part of my most precious memories. I have no regrets for the resources and time spent on lessons and books.

To watch a child do something well is one of the supreme joys in life. 2018 has been full of these moments. Well done, my children. You bring me joy!

Thanksgiving Wall Hanging

It is finished! It took me five years to complete it. I would work on it a few weeks each year, get frustrated, and put it away. Now I have a folk art decoration that is not my usual style, but I love it. I love Thanksgiving. I love the colors of autumn. I love gratitude in all its forms. I love praising God and feeling his love for me. I love time with my family during this season.

 

Music of the Season

It’s been a solitary six weeks of painting. I am almost finished, so there is hope for posts about something else. To break up the monotony of the work, I listen to music of all kinds. It’s funny how I can look at a room and remember what I listened to when I painted it, even if it was five years ago. It was the Wicked soundtrack for the basement hallway baseboards in 2013; I remember John Denver, Mindy Gledhill, David Archuleta, and the Dixie Chicks for Paige’s walls in 2017; Mark’s room was painted almost entirely to Classical 89. This is my playlist recently:

  • The Sound of Music Soundtrack
  • Coco Soundtrack
  • Some of Hamilton
  • Josh Groban
  • Tabernacle Choir
  • George Ezra (repeat 16 times)
  • Harry Potter audio books
  • A lot of classical music, including all of the piano practice going on when the boys come home

Sometimes I just turn on the TV for company. I chose these shows recently:

  • Lark Rise to Candleford series
  • Jane Eyre (1983)
  • Fixer Upper
  • Love it or List it
  • Boise Boys
  • All Creatures Great and Small BBC series
  • Upstairs Downstairs series (BBC 2012)

I am almost ready for Christmas music, but I am holding back the urge to listen to it. We don’t want to overlook Thanksgiving!

Once Upon a Time

I drove past the masses of cars at the elementary school Halloween parade this morning on my way to an Old Testament class. And I felt old, but ok with that.

Once upon a time, I was a great costume maker for the cutest children ever. It is enough for me to just have memories now.

Update: It’s enough to have memories AND my youngest show up at the door with his friends. 😉

Powerful gratitude

I have mentioned that my 2018 planner has a section to keep a weekly gratitude list. Here are some highlights from my gratitude lists for October:

  • the violin
  • acceptance from friends
  • the Old Testament class about Eve, the Fall, and the Temple
  • kitchen is painted
  • large chips and queso with Richard at Costa Vida
  • trip to SLC to look for art
  • Spring Lake home preserved from mudslide
  • my friends at quilt group
  • Tim’s Frisbee awesomeness
  • surprise notes of gratitude
  • family room painted
  • Pioneer Woman chocolate Texas sheet cake
  • my violin students
  • happy missionary letters
  • the smell of apples and cinnamon in the kitchen
  • feeling needed
  • a fairy garden in my neighborhood!
  • Mark’s room painted
  • dinner with friends
  • Someone is willing to carry a package to Daniel’s mission home.
  • Mark honored as patriot of the month
  • listening to Harry Potter audio books while painting with Mark
  • sweet visit with an elderly sister
  • courage to reach out to a prickly pear kind of person
  • protected while driving
  • Truth shines through Book of Mormon passages as I try to make sense of a friend’s struggles with church doctrine and practices.
  • Helaman 14:30-31
  • the Book of Mormon
  • velcro command strips
  • Excedrin
  • 2 band concerts for Timothy
  • writing
  • La Caille in golden fall light
  • sewing with a friend
  • the song from Coco, Proud Corazon
  • Tim playing Rachmaninoff at the recital. Wow!
  • Natalie Arcilesi, our piano teacher
  • Youth leaders and teachers Steve Souter, Roger Christensen
  • Dean Brockbank, new YM president
  • Janine
  • Gisela
  • Reva
  • honestly needing nothing

My heart has been a bit heavy this month with feelings of loneliness, fragility, and rejection. I have had mouth ulcers and possibly toothache. But looking at this list, I can say it has also been a very good month.