Pure Enjoyment

Today I experienced pure enjoyment just by watching my grandchildren play in their back yard. My grandson, Brandt, told me that he and Lily were "geologists digging for rocks." I watched them dig in the dirt, gather rocks, wash them and bring them to me to look at. Eventually the whole water thing took over and they decided to fill the hole that they dug with water to make a small pond. Eventually the pond became a "pot of soup" and they added ingredients like more dirt, rocks, twigs and grass. When the stirring of the soup began, the mud literally began to fly...all over the block fence, Lily, Brandt and their swing set. For some reason it didn't bother me. They stirred and stirred and became dirtier and dirtier and muddier and muddier! I let them. They squirted water. I let them. They trampled mud onto the patio with their shoes. I let them. They walked into the house and marched to the bath tub. I made them. They cleaned up and changed their clothes. I redid Lily's hair and they were ready for the rest of the day. This whole scenario is quite ironic! When my daughter (Brandt and Lily's mother) was about 4, we went to a beach in Mexico with some friends and I changed Karen 5 times because she and her new friend (Jorge) played in the sand and dirt for hours. My obsessive behavior was noticed by everyone but I didn't care. If Brandt and Lily weren't going somewhere later in the afternoon, I would have left them alone...dirty, muddy and a total mess. As it is, they left pieces of mud on the kitchen tile and in the bathroom. I didn't clean it up. Funny thing...my daughter called and asked me if I noticed her clean grout and tile...I didn't say anything as she hasn't seen the muddy pieces yet. My priorities have definitely changed!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A PIANO...it's a Grand thing!

My story for the letter "P" at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday blog is all about a baby grand piano.  I'm posting this early as I will be out of town on Wed. and Thurs., and working on a computer other than my own really seems to confound me!  Can you say "technologically challenged"?

 

About a year ago, my father-in-law mentioned that he wanted my daughter, Karen, to have my mother-in-law's baby grand piano.  My mother-in-law loved this piano and played it all the time until Alzheimers invaded her mind and memory.  My daughter couldn't have the piano until she and her husband moved from their very small house into a much larger home that could accomodate the size of a baby grand piano. Karen and Joe knew that they wanted had to move because they were rapidly running out of room in the small, cramped house with two kids and all the "stuff" that goes along with a two year old and five year old! All the time they were looking for a larger home, Karen kept the piano in the back of her mind knowing that she had to have room for it. Luckily her new house has an open room (office area?) to the kitchen and family room that is perfect for the piano.



 

Karen and Joe painted the room and the piano looks great against the light walls.  Karen hasn't put anything on the walls yet because we have to have some old piano sheet music covers framed.  We found sheet music from the time my mother-in-law was single with her maiden name on the covers! She married in 1945 so the sheet music is old!

 

 

Eventually my grandchildren will take piano lessons.  Karen took lessons for several years but never really pursued the piano as a serious activity.  She would go to Northern Arizona University for summer music camp but I think that this was more of a social time than serious music theory time!  She insists that she learned a lot about the piano, but I know that she had a ball at music camp as well. 



 

I can't wait to see who gives Karen more of a headache when it comes to practicing the piano...Brandt or Lillian!  Believe me, I speak from experience!

 

 

Here are some of the sheet music covers that we are going to frame for the new "music" room.



 

 

Visit Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday for the letter "P".

Golf 101

One Saturday in September my son-in-law took my two grandchildren golfing at a local course in Tucson, AZ.  Lillian, almost 2, and Brandt, age 4 had fun learning the finer tips of the game!

Because Joe, my son-in-law, has been golfing since he was 9, he knows what he is doing and he can easily coach people when it comes to the form and technique of the game.  Therefore, he is showing Lillian how to hold a club while Brandt looks on.

Somehow they all made it onto the green and it looks like Brandt is ready to putt. 

Apparently Lillian got bored with the game at one point and started to make up her own rules!

Brandt is normally right-handed but he putts with his left hand.  He has been going with Joe for a few years now and Brandt is developing into quite a golfer!

                                      Hmmmm...where did that ball go?

          Okay, I'll just pick up the ball and put it in the cup!

          Lesson 1 for Lillian is apparently over for now!