If you're happy and you know it......

My, "If you're happy and you know it..." would be "...sing a song". Because, if I am happy I will be singing who knows what, just singing. Sometimes I will start singing and usually church hymns start coming out of my mouth. Or sometimes I just make up songs or new music to old lyrics, just whatever comes into my head comes out my mouth. And I would sing in the ward choir from time to time. Well you know how they say, "If you don't use it you will lose it." well it is true. I lost my voice for a couple of years. Just could not make the pipes work for me. I couldn't sing anything and that was truly sad for me. I think it was allergies or something but for whatever reason it didn't work.

Then a couple of years ago we got a new ward choir director, Brother Troy, and after being asked to join the choir several times I realized that I actually had a voice again and began to sing with our choir (missed a lot of preformances because of traveling so much last year, lol!). Choir practice is at 11:00 Sunday mornings and we were supposed to sing a new arrangement of As I Have Loved You. When Brother Troy handed out the music he asked for a volunteer for the solo part. I thought I should offer to sing it because I have sung that song before in Sacrament meeting but being unsure of my ability to do a good job I kept quiet. Sister Penni, being a great soprano, was voluntold. We were supposed to sing it last Sunday. I kept feeling that I was supposed to sing it and actually went to Brother Troy's house on Wednesday before our last practice to tell him that I thought that I was supposed to sing the solo. But he wasn't home and then I forgot about it and I figured that it was too late to get help practicing so I didn't say anything more. However, when we got to choir practice we were told that the plans for our singing that song were changed to the last Sunday of the month. It was then that Sister Penni announced that she was having knee surgery and would not be able to sing that week. I wispered to her that I would talk to Brother Troy about my singing it. So what does she do but announce it to the whole choir. Ah swell! So after choir practice, Brother Troy came over and asked me if I would like some help practicing and we set up practice time on Fridays at 3:00 p.m.

Today at 3:00 p.m. I went to his house and found out that I was going to have two months of singing lessons. Oh my goodness! That is way more than I had expected. He checked my range, which was two and one half octaves. He checked my breathing by having me take in a deep breath and then releasing air with an S sound and he timed me as to how long I could sustain the sound, 47 seconds. He said that that was very good and that my range was very good. But with practice I would be able to hold my note out for over a full minute and that my range should increase by 8 notes. Again, that was way more than I had expected. So we practiced the solo part several times and he gave me suggestions on improving my diction and a couple of other things. He is so sweet! He didn't want to overwhelm me with his critiquing and I just felt really comfortable and tried to do what he asked of me. What a blessing! Perhaps this will give me the confidence I need to be able to sing the songs in my heart that will bear testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that Heavenly Father wants me to sing and this will help me do that!!!

Mom's Weekly Planner

I was at my FAVORITE store (any one know what that would be?) the other day and found a new calendar for 2011 (July 2010-December 2011) cute red leatherett spiral bound Mom's Weekly Planner with an elastic band to keep it closed. So for $5.99 it became mine, sweet huh?! It has a month-at-a-glance and then a week-at-a-glance. Lots of room for notes, etc. As I was entering my already planned events I noticed that each month on the month-at-a-glance page there is a quote in the bottom right hand corner of the two-page spread under the notes area. So I thought I would share them. Enjoy!
MARY KAY ASH: No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make the other person feel important.
AMBROSE BIERCE: sweater, n: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.
LUCILLE BALL: If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do.
ELIZABETH CADY STANTON: I am always busy, which is perhaps the chief reason why I am always well.
GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON: Your world is as big as you make it.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON: This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.
EMILY KIMBROUGH: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand.
LOUIS L'AMOUR: There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.
ANDREW JACKSON: Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON: The reward of a thing well done is to have done it.
MARCELENE COX: Parenthood: That state of being better chaperoned than you were before marriage.
PHYLLIS DILLER: Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.
BUDDY HACKETT: As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it, or leave it.
AUTHOR UNKNOWN: The trouble with being a parent is that by the time you are experienced, you are unemployed.
MICHAEL J. FOX: Family is not an important thing; it's everything. (This is my favorite quote!)
RALPH WALDO EMERSON: Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow.
BILL COSBY: Even though your kids will consistently do the exact opposite of what you're telling them to do, you have to keep loving them just as much. (So true!)
MARCUS AURELIUS: When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive --to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. (Our days would be much better if we started each one with this thought!)

Bad Thoughts and Tender Mercies

We all experience bad thoughts from time to time and this week was my turn. It was Tuesday when the thought came into my head that no one calls me to "check on me". I call people all the time and say that I am checking on them but no one calls me and says that. Usually people call to tell me something or to ask for something. I must say that I recognized right away that it was silly to think like that. That it was from the Adversary and I did not want to give the thought acceptance or power over me. But the thought persisted Wednesday and Thursday but I kept trying to ignore the thought. Thursday evening I was with some friends and I almost told them about what I had been feeling but chose to just keep it to myself. It served no purpose to tell them and I did not want to give the thought voice. Then today my friend Sherry called and said, "Hello friend, I am calling to check on you!" I started to cry and she asked what was going on. I said I was fine but would she please repeat what she had said. Then I told her of the battle I had been waging and that she was the Lord's messenger to me to let me know, again, that He knows my thoughts and concerns and loves me. She said that she had been told a couple of days earlier to call me and use those exact words. I told her that I recognized that those were not words that she uses. She agreed, that was not her normal greeting but she was told to use that greeting when she called me. It was so wonderful to talk with her again! I am so grateful for good friends that Listen Right and then act! It was a true tender mercy from the Lord!