tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39557630826197303992024-03-13T21:30:27.770-05:00Playing the Music of Life: A Musician Mama Exploring Creativity, Home-schooling, and AdventureA musician mama loving home-schooling, creativity, and adventures!Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.comBlogger350125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-48432845708868560962015-04-27T14:31:00.000-05:002015-04-28T14:01:16.691-05:00You Know Your Family is Full of Musicians When....<div dir="ltr">
Your toddler's favorite book is "The Noisy Orchestra"
complete with buttons that sound all the different sections of the
orchestra, and she had already been to a real concert before she turned
one.</div>
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When someone comes home from work exhausted/frustrated/pent
up, they sit down to an instrument to play music, and everyone gives
them about half an hour's space to calm down.</div>
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Three different people are listening to three different
kinds of music in the house at the same time, and you have to tell your
toddler that she can't have the volume on her music turned up super loud
because then nobody else will be able to hear their music.</div>
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When you think of warm summer nights, your first thought is, "outdoor concerts and singing on our front lawn". </div>
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Even though your mom jokes that she is the only person in
the family who doesn't play any musical instrument except the radio, she knows way more about music than most
non-musicians, after years of sitting through music lessons and having
music played constantly around her.</div>
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When you start singing, another family member will either
sing along with you or try to make you laugh by singing in a silly way.</div>
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There is an instrument, and often multiple instruments, in
every room of the house except for the kitchen and bathroom. This
doesn't mean that instruments have not been used in the kitchen or
bathroom, just that there are none permanently stored there ;-)</div>
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When somebody starts singing or playing a song, somebody
else will shout, " that's not the right key/lyrics/melody/rhythm! It
goes like this..."</div>
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Your toddler gets used to sitting through music rehearsals and actually likes the experience.</div>
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Your toddler also likes to actively participate during
rehearsals, occasionally needing you as the parent to whisper "not so
loud, honey" when she begins belting at the top of her lungs during a
soft passage.</div>
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Your toddler knows conductor's cues better than some high school music students you teach.</div>
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You play "guess that composer" with the classical radio station on in the car.</div>
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Everyone's music tastes are so widely varied that you have a
complex system in place for car trips so that everyone gets a chance to
listen to music they like at different times on the radio.</div>
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All road trips require at least one Handel's Messiah
sing-along (or a musical theater production sing-along, or an opera
sing-along, etc.). Those who don't remember all the words simply hum
until they get back to the parts they still know.</div>
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One of the first things you do to start your day is turn music on in your home.</div>
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When you have a date night, both you and your husband automatically think, "where would there be some good live music to see..."</div>
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There are some movies you won't watch because you don't like the soundtrack or the composer of the soundtrack.</div>
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There are some soundtracks of movies you own even though you hate the actual movie.</div>
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Your child likes more of your (the parent's) music rather
than the kid's music designed for her age. </div>
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The answer "I just don't like it" is never acceptable when
discussing music preferences in your family. Further detailed musical
analysis, philosophy behind lyrics, and theory structure knowledge is
involved when judging musical choices.<br />
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Every day your lives, collectively and individually, involve music! <br />
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-58185907253069634822015-03-30T11:12:00.000-05:002015-03-30T11:12:47.782-05:00Mondays Are All About Gentleness<div>
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This month has looked a lot like exhaling to release how I believed my time was supposed to go. <br />
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Out of all thirty-one days of March, I was healthy for maybe seven
of them. The rest of the time I was battling a stomach virus, a cold, a
severe chest cough, strep throat, bronchitis, and the full-blown
stomach flu. <br />
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My time was often spent lying on the couch or in bed, even in
between going to meetings that I thought were essential or cooking food
for my beloved family so they could stay/get healthy or going to teach
music or trying to play with/teach my rambunctious toddler. <br />
<br /></div>
But last week, when we were gearing up for what was supposed to be
an exciting visit from an ensemble of young musicians from Germany,
where we were supposed to be a host family, my body failed me. I spent
days flat on my back exhausted and too sick to move. It was a sad moment
to realize that all our plans were going out the window.<br />
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And you know what?<br />
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Another host family was found.<br />
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Food was still prepared.<br />
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My house didn't explode in flames because laundry sat in baskets for way too long. </div>
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Meetings were held without me.</div>
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Concerts were given without me.<br />
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Children were taught their music by substitute teachers.<br />
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And everything was fine.<br />
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Without me.<br />
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So now, for the first time on my feet in five days, I can truly
say that I am blessed with both time to recover and gorgeous people who
keep everything spinning when I am out of commission. It all does NOT
revolve around me. <br />
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It's a relief, in a strange way, to know for sure that I am
expendable. That the world won't fall apart if I can't make all my
commitments happen because I have fallen apart. Which of course has
always been true... but sometimes it takes hard situations to know it
again.<br />
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Since Honor is my One Word this year, it will be good to focus on
taking the time to Honor myself by helping my body back to full health.
Probiotics, clean eating, resting when I need to instead doing too much,
not pushing myself beyond my energy limits, lots of water, going to bed
earlier rather than later, getting outside more as the weather warms
up, slowing down. It's always getting myself back to the basics.
Honoring these essential, beautiful rhythms of life that bring me peace,
health, and energy to be who I want to be for those around me. <br />
<br /></div>
My guitar and mandolin are still waiting patiently for me to
return to them. The to-do list is still long, but when will it not be?
Monday is going to be about easing back into the swing of things gently,
Honoring renewal. <br />
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Time to begin again, again.<br />
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-35650547703244670062015-03-20T14:47:00.003-05:002015-03-20T20:10:17.895-05:00Intentional Living: Welcome SpringLooking back into my <a href="http://www.susannahconway.com/" target="_blank">Unravelling the Year Ahead workbook from the lovely Susannah Conway,</a> I'm pleased to see that many of my small and large intentions are beginning to blossom. On the first day of spring (yay, happy springtime!) it seemed fitting that I review my goals created in December for 2015. What can I be doing to further my pursuits? Where might I be falling short? What might not feel right for this season? What still needs gentle change?<br />
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My one word: Honor<br />
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Honoring God has looked like... time spent meditating and praying and reading snippets of my Bible out loud. And lots of looking for <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2015/03/secret-messages.html" target="_blank">the secret messages He sends me!</a><br />
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Honoring Myself has looked like... trying to make sure I have time for music and/or art every single day. Lots of tea, fresh flowers (best five dollars every two weeks I'll ever spend), time to breathe. Sometimes it means letting that load of laundry go unfolded another day, or make a simpler (still healthy, hopefully) meal for dinner so I can take a half hour to regenerate my creative spirit. Taking time for me means that I have more energy and love and renewal for everyone/everything else. That is the truth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8W8OZUze4OE/VQzB4ogaZUI/AAAAAAAADE4/f9MEFqfRrT8/s1600/IMG_20150320_195413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8W8OZUze4OE/VQzB4ogaZUI/AAAAAAAADE4/f9MEFqfRrT8/s1600/IMG_20150320_195413.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.taprootmag.com/collections/single-issues/products/issue-13-song" target="_blank">Taproot's latest magazine, SONG,</a> has been sweet music to my soul!</td></tr>
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Honoring my Family has looked like... being intentional to BE with them, to put down the phone and step into intentional living, to spend time talking and laughing and resting with them.<br />
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Honoring my Friends has looked like... going out of my way to contact those who mean the most to me, by letter and text and call and face to face conversations and walks in the park as we chase littles around playgrounds. <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2014/12/happy-holiday-and-goodbye-facebook.html" target="_blank">And I got rid of Facebook, which was a relief!</a><br />
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Honoring the Seasons has looked like... celebrating the holidays that mark change and growth, in special ways, some old, some new. Plenty of home-made cards, now that Harmony is getting to the age where she enjoys helping me make art to send to friends and family! Valentine's day was hugely fun in that way.<br />
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Today we woke up not too early. We have a ritual around breakfast: sing our morning prayer, eat together, then when I finish more quickly than Harmony does I read a Bible story to her from The Jesus Storybook Bible, then I read a passage from my Bible out loud. We sit with the windows wide to let the morning light in. We talk together sometimes. We sing several songs together as I play my guitar. Then we clear the table and prepare for the time ahead. I love the deliberate sameness that brings intentional Beginning to each day.<br />
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Today we celebrate the newness of springtime. We created an egg tree, in honor of blessed life that springtime represents and in anticipation of the Easter joy coming in a few weeks. We read books about springtime or that celebrate the seasons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u1Pv1uGfAZ8/VQzBk1kxthI/AAAAAAAADEw/xNOd-RF0XCM/s1600/IMG_20150320_195430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u1Pv1uGfAZ8/VQzBk1kxthI/AAAAAAAADEw/xNOd-RF0XCM/s1600/IMG_20150320_195430.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See note at bottom for titles!</td></tr>
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We decorated "happy first day of spring" cards to send out with a spring poem inside. We cleaned the house all week (especially needed since we were all very sick last week) so that we can welcome the new season with a clean home. Harmony and I are about to dye more hard-boiled eggs after her quiet time.<br />
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We will spend the afternoon outside soaking up the sun, as she learns to ride her tiny tricycle better and better. This will mark day 79 of going outside every single day, something I'm calling #365daysofnature on Instagram!<br />
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I am happy with my life. I am grateful for the time and blessings I have been given.<br />
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May I continue to see the direction of where I am meant to go.<br />
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">~ Prompt for March 20th: Intentions</i></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write.</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">*Here are the books we read today for spring! </span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">"Springtime for Jeanne-Marie", from The Adventures of Jeanne-Marie, by Francoise</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">"A Time to Keep: the Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays", by Tasha Tudor (gorgeous illustrations)</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">"The Story of the Root-Children", by Sibylle von Olfers (one of Harmony's favorites!)</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">"Birds: A Child's First Book About Our Most Familiar Birds", an early Little Golden Book</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">"Spring Story" from the "Brambly Hedge" series, by Jill Barklem</span><br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">These books are great for ages two to six or seven years old. The Brambly Hedge stories are a little challenging for Harmony since she's not quite three, but she likes the pictures a lot. We love reading about springtime!</span></div>
Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-6067462752815327212015-03-18T14:40:00.003-05:002015-03-18T14:40:50.337-05:00Find Where Your Comfort IsComfort is...<br />
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her little voice saying, "snuggle, mama, I need snuggles!"<br />
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curling up with the latest Taproot magazine and a warm cup of tea<br />
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the silent beauty of the fresh flowers on my table<br />
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walking up my front steps to hear faint sounds of the piano being played<br />
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lying on the lawn in the sunshine<br />
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lying on the lawn in the moon and starlight<br />
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finding secret messages in the words of my books and Bible<br />
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a quick nap on the yellow couch<br />
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reading aloud to each other<br />
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late night conversations with friends over drinks<br />
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feeling my fingers settle into well-loved favorite pieces on the guitar<br />
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folding paper cranes in the peaceful quiet of nap time<br />
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the art on my walls<br />
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my claddagh ring<br />
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his familiar, beloved smile<br />
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doing dishes while day-dreaming out the window<br />
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knitting away at a steady project<br />
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singing the songs to my daughter that my mother sang to me<br />
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waking early in the morning to lie in bed simply breathing and being before arising<br />
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eating bread fresh baked from the oven<br />
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writing<br />
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letters from friends far distant<br />
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soup on chilly nights<br />
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light filling the rooms from all the lovely windows<br />
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closing my eyes and knowing peace<br />
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When I find what brings me comfort, I find that I am grateful once again, that I am graced beyond measure with many blessings. What do you find brings comfort to your body and soul?<br />
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">~ Prompt for March 18th: comfort</i></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write.</span></div>
Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-63253235246081536312015-03-15T14:12:00.001-05:002015-03-16T08:49:11.352-05:00ConstellationsSpeaking of <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2015/03/secret-messages.html" target="_blank">secret messages yesterday?</a> Here's what I read in a book of poetry this afternoon, as I was contemplating what it means to love the wideness and fullness and deepness of God. It feels sometimes like he is stretching the constellations of His love farther than we can see. What a dangerous, daring, baring, beautiful love he has for us.<br />
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<i>Lovers </i><br />
<i>Don't tell all of their </i><br />
<i>Secrets.</i><br />
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<i>They might</i><br />
<i>Count each other's moles</i><br />
<i>That reside in the shy</i><br />
<i>Regions,</i><br />
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<i>Then keep that tally strictly</i><br />
<i>To themselves.</i><br />
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<i>God and I </i><br />
<i>Have signed a contract </i><br />
<i>To be even more intimate than </i><br />
<i>That!</i><br />
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<i>Though a clause</i><br />
<i>Mentions</i><br />
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<i>Something about not drawing detailed maps </i><br />
<i>To all His beautiful</i><br />
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<i>Laughing</i><br />
<i>Moles.</i><br />
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~ Counting Moles by Hafiz, from The Gift<br />
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">~ Prompt for March 14th: Constellation</i></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease initial;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease initial;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write.</span></div>
<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-43804941126488786532015-03-14T15:34:00.002-05:002015-03-14T15:37:06.258-05:00Secret MessagesEver since I was very young, in single digits, I have loved codes, messages, secret writing, the like. My friends and I used to write each other notes and full-length letters in scripts only we could interpret. Even in high school I had a group of friends who knew how to write in Elvish. We didn't focus on how super nerdy we were, just how cool it was to be able to write Elvish!<br />
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It wasn't just about disguising what you were trying to say. It was also about giving each other secret messages of information and kindness and interest that could be seen only by us invited. Symbols of friendship, a hidden meaning in a hand wave or chalk-written message on the sidewalk... we reveled in the feeling of initiation into knowingness.<br />
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And then it wasn't just about speaking with each other. It became about finding secret messages in the world around us. An eagle swooped overhead. What was he saying? A stranger bought a drink at the coffee shop for us: a compassion sign. A child gave us a flower. What did the flower mean? A song with powerful lyrics came on the radio; it helped us see a hard situation with new eyes. We read a Bible verse which brought new understanding to a circumstance. Everything had a hidden meaning. We learned that God speaks in many ways through the created world.<br />
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Even as an adult I still do believe that everything can have magic and beauty and blessing, in a grace-filled kind of way. But it is not a dark, intense pressure of trying to dig out what something IS, no, not at all. It is an eyes-open, light-filled acceptance of what comes across our path, knowing that at the foundation of all things is Love. Life is viewed from the heart. The messages that come into our lives to see may not always be pleasant or positive, but if our deepest place is one of security in Love, then the messages we find will only allow ourselves to grow more into the person we are meant to be.<br />
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When <a href="http://www.mandysteward.com/what-is-a-secret-message/" target="_blank">Mandy at Messy Canvas began writing about Secret Messages,</a> I was captured immediately. She was one of the first to bring me back to this childhood way of excitement over finding out what the universe held for me to discover, what God was whispering into my ear. She writes, "a Secret Message is a reminder of sorts for something you innately know at your core. Like a colorful fortune cracked out of a cookie at just the right time." So I am always on the look-out now for those Secret Messages on this road of Becoming. Sometimes they are in the form of written words, sometimes in the voice of a friend, sometimes in the actions of an unknown person, sometimes in a surprise or a nature experience or a gentle soul-whisper.<br />
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What have you seen lately?<br />
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What has been speaking to you silently?<br />
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What has been speaking to you out loud?<br />
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What has the Spirit been speaking to your heart?<br />
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What have you been speaking to yourself?<br />
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In the words of <a href="http://www.mandysteward.com/secretmessages/" target="_blank">the amazing Mandy,</a> "May you find {a secret message} that airs out your lungs, melts your heart, and bolsters your soul."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mandysteward.com/secretmessages/" target="_blank">All art pictures in this post created by Mandy Steward</a></td></tr>
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<i>Whether you think that you can or think that you can't - you're right.</i> ~ Henry Ford<br />
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<i>The only impossible journey is the one you never begin. </i>~ Anthony Robbins<br />
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<i>We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.</i> ~ Aristotle<br />
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<i>Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.</i> ~ Anais Nin<br />
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<i>Love doesn't always show up the way you think it should - where you think it must, when you think it could.</i> ~ Radical Creative Sanctuary, Instagram<br />
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<i>Being creative, for me, is simply about seeing beauty in the mundane. It's about noticing the sky and listening to the heart beat of our home. Being in the kitchen barefoot - yep, barefoot, because I need to feel the ground. There is no right way for it to look. It's just love and care and devotion to seeing the beauty in our every-day lives.</i> ~ Carrie Anne Moss, Annapurna Living<br />
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<i>... I don't know what exactly what thought or series of thoughts were gracing my mind at the time, but I can remember the love and contentment present in my heart. I've realized that I no longer seek to understand life, or people; instead I desire to create meaningful relationship with everyone and everything I come into space with; and I choose wisely, who and what I share space with. It's beautiful... I think the energy of my life is shifting from that of a seeker to one of radical embrace. I recall the snow was falling softly yesterday, and I just remember thinking - this is magic - as I watched it float effortlessly toward the ground. Bless the tiny details and mystical moments in time we are able to hold on to and share.</i> ~ Soulinspired, Lindsay on Instagram<br />
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">~ Prompt for March 14th: Secret message</i></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-transition-delay: initial; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.2s; -webkit-transition-property: color; -webkit-transition-timing-function: ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-transition-delay: initial; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.2s; -webkit-transition-property: color; -webkit-transition-timing-function: ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #e6a117; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write. </span></div>
Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-47074519167062206892015-03-08T15:48:00.001-05:002015-03-08T15:58:15.206-05:00ObsessionPlaying classical guitar and playing mandolin are two very different worlds.<br />
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Yes, they both involve music, being a stringed instrument, and possessing a relatively similar tuning, but that's about all they share. One focuses on classical music, a strict world of technical focus and accuracy of playing. The other can have a wide range of genres, from Irish to early music to bluegrass to folk to old time.<br />
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With guitar, I'm focused on improving my tone, playing the beautiful music that I adore so much, and enjoying the sound of the instrument that has drawn me in since I was four years old. It was my first musical love, and one that I will continue to love for the rest of my life, I'm sure.<br />
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With mandolin, I'm completely head over heels crazy for the fun new tunes that I've been learning, the excitement of performing and jamming with others (yay, I don't have to be by myself in a practice room for hours on end!), and the laid-back, happy ease of the musicians in this field. This has been a breath of fresh air into my musical endeavors, making me branch out of my comfort zone.<br />
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This morning I worked on learning the melodies of "Frosty Morning", "Gal I Left Behind Me", and "Piney Woods" on mandolin. Plus there was quite a bit of time listening to the Fuzzy Mountain String Band on CD!<br />
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This afternoon I practiced the first Gymnopedie by Satie (the transcription by Parkening) on classical guitar while sitting outside on the front porch as Harmony played nearby. I also did slow spotwork for tricky spots in other pieces. I'm so stoked to <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2015/03/make-recording.html" target="_blank">record my CD this summer!</a><br />
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This weekend I performed on mandolin with a local old time band for a dance at my favorite nearby dance club. It was SO much fun. My fingers felt like they were going to fall off after over four hours of playing, but it was totally worth it! Both the dancers and the musicians had a blast.<br />
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Next weekend I am performing classical guitar selections for a film festival. Vastly different audience, vastly different music. But I'm looking forward to this event just as much as the performance last night.<br />
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Thank goodness I don't have to choose just one instrument. What can I say... I'm just obsessed with music!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xt7y8mf8a9o/VPyzYqTVZVI/AAAAAAAADCA/WvdbKgCKnqc/s1600/IMG_20150308_153003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xt7y8mf8a9o/VPyzYqTVZVI/AAAAAAAADCA/WvdbKgCKnqc/s1600/IMG_20150308_153003.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My instruments to play today :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dance! My view from over the banjo player's shoulder on the stage.</td></tr>
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<i style="box-sizing: border-box;">~ Prompt for March 8th: Obsession</i></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-transition-delay: initial; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.2s; -webkit-transition-property: color; -webkit-transition-timing-function: ease; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-transition-delay: initial; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.2s; -webkit-transition-property: color; -webkit-transition-timing-function: ease; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write. </span></div>
Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-71265434230864943302015-03-05T09:45:00.002-06:002015-03-05T09:48:38.629-06:00Make a Record(ing)This year marks the twentieth anniversary of my journey as a classical guitarist.<br />
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Twenty years! That seems like such a long time. More than two thirds of my life has been spent as a musician. As I've written before in <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-christmas-miracle-finding-jane.html" target="_blank">my story about finding Jane and the Christmas Miracle, </a>I gave up pursuing the path of becoming a performing, competing guitarist, but I've continued to develop my skills as a musician and music teacher. There have still been plenty of performance opportunities, thankfully, just not the touring and competition lifestyle that would have made it very difficult to be a wife and mother.<br />
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But recently I've found myself wistfully thinking that I would love to have the opportunity to share my favorite pieces of music with the world. My time will be more and more involved with homeschooling my wonderful daughter as she gets older, and we want to have more children in the future, so my time dedicated to music is going to increasingly decrease! Homeschooling is exactly what I want to do, so I'm very happy for that, but it would be so cool to make that secret dream of recording music to share with others come true.<br />
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To my delight, after a few months of pondering, asking opinions, and inquiring about options, I am excited to announce that I am hoping to record a solo CD in August this year!<br />
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This is a first for me. I've played hundreds of performances, performed on television multiple times, performed on the radio, and worked in recording studios, but have never made a solo album as a classical guitarist. I don't want to make a flashy impressive CD... I just want to record some old favorite pieces that I've played for years and several pieces that I've loved for a long time but only recently learned. Nothing fancy! I truly want to simply share what I love so much about the classical guitar: the beautiful music.<br />
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Right now I'm still in the planning stages. I need to solidify my set list, memorize all the music, arrange for graphic design, etc. My former university guitar teacher, the amazing John McClellan, will be my producer and has generously offered to guide me through the entire process of making an album, so that is a huge blessing! The biggest challenge will be raising the money to get the CD made! I will be using a Kickstarter campaign to fund the CD.<br />
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The second toughest part will be getting the time to practice and prepare all the music! I will need to have consistent practice time to make sure that I can play my pieces at their peak. That's why I want to record at the end of the summer, so I can have plenty of time to prepare :-)<br />
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Here we go on this next big adventure! Time to make a dream come true!<br />
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<i>~ Prompt for March 5th: Make a record</i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write. </span></div>
Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-21400090782348004632015-03-04T11:58:00.001-06:002015-03-05T09:47:03.570-06:00ImperfectAs I <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2015/03/beloved.html" target="_blank">wrote yesterday,</a> we all want to be loved.<br />
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Oh my, how much I love to be loved.<br />
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Don't you?</div>
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And we don't need to be perfect to be loved.</div>
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We all make mistakes. We all have faults. We all have weaknesses. </div>
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I get impatient over dumb things. I freak out if my house gets too dirty, yet I allow my laundry to pile up until nobody has clean underwear. I neglect grocery shopping only to find that we are eating quesadillas and toast for dinner. I have little self control when it comes to buying books (that's why I don't go to bookstores). I struggle with self-discipline in planning my daily time out effectively. I have a weird fashion style (or lack thereof) that makes my husband and sister raise their eyebrows occasionally and tell me kindly that maybe I should try matching my clothes a bit better. I stay up too late and then behave grumpily in the morning to my sweet girl. I forget my friends' birthdays. I fall behind on writing letters. I get mad when I don't win a freaking board game.</div>
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I am imperfect. So VERY imperfect.</div>
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But I am loved anyway.</div>
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First and foremost, I believe that God loves me, and has loved me since the beginning of time. He loved me so much that he sent his Son to die for me so that my imperfections could be covered with the Son's perfection and I could be good enough through him to stand before God. He created me to be ME!</div>
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Secondly, but very importantly still, I believe that there is a <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2015/03/precipice-and-gratitude.html" target="_blank">group of people around me who love me</a> in spite of my imperfections. They like me for my quirkiness, and either guide me gently when my imperfect self screws up or forgive me. Everyone needs folks like this who surround them with understanding! </div>
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So the next time you want to beat yourself up for being imperfect, remember that you are loved anyway, and give yourself a little grace :-)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-79eG_pFjuXQ/VPdGGsDhSaI/AAAAAAAADAs/AI6SHJ-tLFM/s1600/IMG_20150304_111613390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-79eG_pFjuXQ/VPdGGsDhSaI/AAAAAAAADAs/AI6SHJ-tLFM/s1600/IMG_20150304_111613390.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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<i>~ Prompt for March 4th: Imperfect</i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write. </span></div>
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-92053974066590928922015-03-03T14:35:00.001-06:002015-03-03T14:35:10.908-06:00Beloved<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><i>Admit something:</i></span><br />
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<i>Everyone you see, you say to them,</i></div>
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<i>"Love me."</i></div>
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<i>Of course you do not do this out loud;</i></div>
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<i>Someone would call the cops.</i></div>
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<i>Still though, think about this,</i></div>
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<i>This great pull in us</i></div>
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<i>To connect.</i></div>
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<i>Why not become the one</i></div>
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<i>Who lives with a full moon in each eye</i></div>
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<i>That is always saying,</i></div>
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<i>With that sweet moon</i></div>
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<i>Language,</i></div>
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<i>What every other eye in this world</i></div>
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<i>Is dying to</i></div>
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<i>Hear.</i></div>
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<i>~ Hafiz, "With That Moon Language", from The Gift, translation by Daniel Ladinsky</i><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X4IMfvpHq_w/VPYZ6ELviKI/AAAAAAAADAY/o7xLNlFToHI/s1600/IMG_20150303_142526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X4IMfvpHq_w/VPYZ6ELviKI/AAAAAAAADAY/o7xLNlFToHI/s1600/IMG_20150303_142526.jpg" height="320" width="306" /></a></div>
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<i>~ Prompt for March 3rd: Beloved</i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write. </span></div>
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-38703137778031076302015-03-02T22:22:00.000-06:002015-03-03T13:54:23.689-06:00Floating <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What keeps me constant these days? The Tiny is growing faster than ever, my schedule book fills the days with events weeks in advance, I am finally getting good at remembering what to bring when we all dash out of the house (backpack with extra clothes and snack and water bottle and pacifier for the Mininsky, her pony purse, my purse, my water bottle, my phone, my glasses, my keys). </div>
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What keeps me steady?</div>
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Looking out the window at the sky.</div>
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Breathing Scripture memorized to my spirit.</div>
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The feel of my guitar under my fingers.</div>
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The flowers everyday on my table.</div>
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Soft, deep sighs, eyes closed.</div>
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Late night talks with my love.</div>
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Pausing to savor the moment.</div>
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Getting hugs.</div>
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And tea.</div>
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Lots of tea.</div>
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Isn't it funny how the littlest things in life keep us grounded?</div>
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These mugs of tea float me through my days. Chamomile, green herbal, Yorkshire black, pomegranate flavor. A spoonful of honey, a squeeze of lemon. A bit of cream, two cubes of sugar. Sipped slowly, gulped quickly, poured into a mason jar to take with me on my travels. According to mood I choose my cup. Maybe one day I'll have a delicate, flowery teacup to drink out of properly, but until then these lovely characters will keep my fingers warm, my tummy happy, and my moments marked with gentle sweetness.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2sOR4on6pe8/VPUyy8D9jYI/AAAAAAAAC_o/O58uW--H5hM/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2sOR4on6pe8/VPUyy8D9jYI/AAAAAAAAC_o/O58uW--H5hM/s1600/image.jpg" height="320" width="179" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i>~ Prompt for March 2nd: Float </i></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; color: #373b41; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">Participating in </span><a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; color: #373b41; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on </span><a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease; box-sizing: border-box; color: #a87227; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start; transition: color 0.2s ease;" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; color: #373b41; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">. Do join me and many others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts! I love seeing what you write. </span></div>
Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-17921569102750565152015-03-02T14:53:00.002-06:002015-03-02T14:56:14.561-06:00Precipice {and Gratitude}<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Looking into the year ahead from this vantage point, the height of the turn of the seasons, still feeling like the beginning of the year, the landscape spread out before me is breathtaking. Metaphorical destinations symbolizing where I hope to go in my music, creative pursuits, and personal growth are growing more clear. The mist is beginning to lift. It may look like these places are far, far distant but the reality is that my journey will take me to them if I keep my eyes fixed not only on the path, but on the beauty surrounding the way and on the lovely people traveling with me. I would not be here without the grace of God. I would not be here if it weren't for His implanted joy of music in my soul. Creativity is what makes me feel alive... makes me bow in worship to the One in whose Image I was created to create. I would not be here without the support of my wonderful family and close circle of friends; their love gives me wings. </span><br />
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These folks. My friends. Although I may not be able to constantly tell them how much they are appreciated, they are with me in spirit every day. Their wisdom, their thoughtfulness, their quirkiness, their awesomeness, their gifts: all these are inspirational to me. For all the times they have encouraged me, helped with babysitting, shared their talents, cooked a meal, gone out to coffee, had late night conversations, listened to me play music, and gently helped me back to the right path when I began to stray, I am so very, very grateful. This life wouldn't be the same without you. </div>
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<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<i>~ Prompt for March 1st: Precipice </i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rq9aQ8P__vY/VPTIIOWJXmI/AAAAAAAAC9w/LPNT8n1x-dU/s1600/image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rq9aQ8P__vY/VPTIIOWJXmI/AAAAAAAAC9w/LPNT8n1x-dU/s1600/image-1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous work by <a href="https://instagram.com/helenboggess/" target="_blank">hand-lettering extraordinare Helen Boggess</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Participating in <a href="http://thehabitofbeing.com/writealm/" target="_blank">Write Alm's March prompts</a>, daily words as guides for writing down what is in my head and heart. Entries might be long, might be short, might be posted here on the blog, or shared on <a href="https://instagram.com/lyssagirlloveslife/" target="_blank">my Instagram account</a>. Do join me and many others in sharing our thoughts with these prompts!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--IfMVQDCbS4/VPTMvPWDD3I/AAAAAAAAC98/_GQ3riuaKs0/s1600/March%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--IfMVQDCbS4/VPTMvPWDD3I/AAAAAAAAC98/_GQ3riuaKs0/s1600/March%2B1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-42392585561937537812015-02-28T10:46:00.006-06:002015-06-16T21:08:16.234-05:00The Jazz Singer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
As I wrote in <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2015/01/twenty-eight-days-new-kind-of.html" target="_blank">my previous blog post,</a> I decided to use the month of February to post a tiny bit of a short story each day on Instagram accompanied with a picture related to music, since that's what the story was about. It is called "The Jazz Singer". Here is the story in its entirety, along with some of my favorite music-based pictures that I took in February!
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<b>Also, before you read it, here are four facts about the story:</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
~ I wrote it completely in about one hour. This is one of the only times I've ever felt totally inspired. I had the grain of the story, then suddenly it flowed out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
~ Dan is based off a real life person whom I saw last year.</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
~ This situation is based partially off a personal experience in the past.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
~ Katy is based off a real vocalist, whose music you can find on YouTube by searching for Katy B! Go check her out! She's not a jazz singer, but I do like her very much :-) All the lyrics in this story are based off one of the songs she sings in with the group Magnetic Man called "Perfect Stranger". </div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<b>DISCLAIMER</b>: Lyrics in this story are not mine! There is a link at the end of the post that will take you to the song where they came from, which I highly recommend hearing! </div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Katy
took a step back from the microphone and let her eyes follow the
young man across the room. There he went, back into the kitchen
carrying his server's tray. While the band played another smooth,
jazzy interlude, she took the opportunity to sip her drink. None of
the patrons sitting around the tables was paying close attention to
their music, but judging by the pleasantly buzzing atmosphere, the
mood of the finely dressed men and women was relaxed, just as it
should be. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That
young man. She had first seen him standing by the lobby door with a
stack of menus, escorting a party to a table, and he had been clearly
distracted by watching her sing. He was dressed in the same formal
black that all the waters wore, same black apron, same shiny black
shoes, but there was something different about him. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Was
it that the waiter appeared so much younger than the rest of the
staff? The elderly waiter with silver hair who had handed her the
glass of water before the band had started was by far the oldest
here, but everyone else seemed to be at least older than she herself
was. Surely you would have to possess years of experience in order to
be hired at such a fancy restaurant as this, Katy thought.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hearing
her cue, she leaned back into the microphone. "Night and day,
you are the one, only you beneath the moon and under the sun..."
Here he came again: she could pick out his alert walk, skinny way of
slipping nimbly around chairs, from all the way across the dining
room. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now
he was leaning over the bar to talk to the bartender for a moment;
now he smiled, which made his naturally nice-looking face seem even
more open and honest. He seemed familiar, now that she thought about
it. Where could she have seen him before...</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Day
and night, why is it so, that this longing for you follows wherever I
go?" Katy found that the mellow song was making her think of
other words. Maybe a new song? Her mind rapidly began to create
lyrics, even while her mouth sang along with the band.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I
don't know</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Who
you are</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All
I really know is</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There's
something in your heart</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
music ended and the band started on the next song. Katy noticed that
the young man had come over to a table next to the stage to help
another waiter serve more plates. For a moment, he glanced up at her,
and her heart skipped a beat. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bright
blue eyes. An eager expression, yet shy... did he want to talk to her
as much as she wanted to talk to him? It had to be more than just his
physical appearance. Could you be attracted to someone's soul?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I
don't know</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Who
you are</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All
I really know is</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There's
something in your heart</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>That
makes me feel</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It's
a new start</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>All
I really know is</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>There's
something in your heart</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
rest of the show went as planned. Katy finished the final song,
bowing with the band. She politely thanked those who came up to gush
about their performance. It always surprised her how many people had
actually been listening and finding enjoyment in the background music
she and the band provided at these fancy establishments. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Even
while she was chatting with the restaurant patrons her attention was
focused on finding the mysterious waiter again. Suddenly, she felt
the skin prickle on the back of her neck.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I
didn't have to turn around</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I
can feel him in the back of my brain</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>When
I stepped into the crowd</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Something
told me I would meet you today</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Katy
turned to face him. He stammered, "Hi... you sounded... um...
great! I really enjoyed the music." His flustered manner made
her almost nervous too. "Thanks," she said, trying to smile
nicely. "My name's Katy. And you are?" "Oh... Dan.
Daniel, but my friends call me Dan." He quickly brought his hand
up to shake hers.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Your
energy when you touch me</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It
lifted me off the ground</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"So
what college do you attend?" Dan asked. Katy flushed pink.
"Well, I don't go to college. I graduated a few years ago. I'm
actually older than I look." "Really? Me too! I'm
twenty-five," Dan replied. Katy looked at him in surprise. "Me
too!" There it was again... that sense of familiarity, the
feeling that they had already been through this surface conversation.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They
continued talking as the band members finished breaking down the
sound equipment, then one by one grinned at Katy and patted her on
the shoulder as they left, carrying drums, guitar cases, and bags.
She nodded goodnight at them, ignoring their chuckles.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Your
energy when you touched me</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It
lifted me off the ground</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Your
words to me are like music</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
had been no more than ten minutes, although it seemed like much
longer, before Dan reluctantly took a step away. "I've got to go
finish my shift. Fortunately, it's pretty late, so I've only got one
more table, and they're in the back having a grand time with three
bottles of wine." "Oh," Katy said regretfully. She
tried to think of something to say that would make it apparent that
she didn't want to finish their conversation, yet she didn't want to
make him feel guilty for finishing his job.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Can
I... get you anything?" Dan asked, a bit bashfully. Katy jumped
at the chance. "I'm actually kind of hungry... is there any way
I could get a little something to eat? I missed dinner. If it's not
too much trouble, that is." Dan brightened. "Sure! Let me
get you some food. Do you want it to go? I can get you a to-go
container, if you want. You're probably tired and want to get home
for some rest."</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Actually,
I was thinking... maybe I'll wait here until you're done with your
shift?" Dan's wordless look of appreciation as he quickly walked
back to the kitchen confirmed Katy's hopes that he was just as
interested as she was in continuing their acquaintance.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
exhaled a long breath. What are you thinking, she asked herself
sternly. He probably thinks you're flirting. She'd been to enough
gigs with slick-talking young men hanging around to be quite tired of
the typical guy who just wanted to hit on her. What was it she was
trying to do? What drew Dan to her? What drew her to Dan?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />Katy
smoothed her black dress down, glad that she had not worn something
more edgy; she didn't want to give Dan the idea that she was
flirting. Was she being too bold already? It wasn't merely outward
appearance that had attracted her to him. It was almost like... as if
they were meant to meet. Could people have met before without
remembering each other? But if they'd met long ago, then certainly
they would have known. There was something magnetic about him. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
didn't want superficial conversation. She wanted to really talk. To
listen. To know.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Are
you from another world?</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I've
never seen someone who looks like you</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Beautiful
stranger, how do you do</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Is
there something I can do for you?</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dan
came back with a small box. "I put a bunch of the appetizers we
have in here. They're kind of like a sticky cornbread roll with nuts
and glaze, really good. I hope you like them." Katy gratefully
took the box and sniffed inside; the sweet smell made her mouth
water. "They're lovely! Thank you. I'll eat these and wait in
the lobby until you're done, okay?" “No problem. Happy to
help.” Dan's shy smile mirrored her own.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
wasn't long before he joined her in the lobby. They were a bit unsure
how to get the conversation started again, but very soon transitioned
into deeper subjects. They began talking of school in their
childhood, of religious upbringings, of her dreams as a musician, of
his interest in philosophy, of their lives in the big city that were
different than what they'd imagined for themselves in earlier years. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Katy
found herself talking with complete ease, a sort of relaxed
friendliness, that she'd never experienced with anyone so quickly
before. Slowly they walked outside to where her car was parked.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">They
both paused. Katy looked at him curiously. "Have we... met
before? Anywhere? Maybe you've seen me perform somewhere else? Or
have you gone to other concerts where we might have seen each other?"
Dan shook his head with a puzzled expression. "No, I don't think
so. But you seem familiar. I know what you mean." They stood in
silence for a moment.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I've
got a boyfriend," Katy suddenly blurted. "We're really
happy together. I... I... but I'd like it if you could come hang out
sometime. I'd like to see... I mean, I'd like to talk more. We have a
cool bunch of friends, and we like to go swing dancing, and listen to
local musicians, and even play different kinds of music as a group
together..." her voice faded away. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
mentally kicked herself. Why did she have to tell him this in such a
blunt way? She could see a twinge of disappointment cross his face.
Of course he would only be interested in her because he thought she
was single. So it did come down to him thinking that she was flirting
after all. Of course.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She
looked up at him in surprise as he ripped a piece of paper off his
server's notepad. "Here. Text me sometime, or shoot me an
email." She stared at the paper with scribbled contact
information. He grinned shyly. "There's something different
about you. It's hard to find people our age who don't just go out
partying or clubbing. Plus, you know," he explained, grinning,
“It would be great to hear you sing again. I'd like to hang out.
With both you and your boyfriend." </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
stepped closer and held out his hand. Katy automatically placed her
hand in his. "It's good to meet you, Katy," Dan said
seriously, but the smile in his blue eyes was genuine. He shook hands
gently, then released her and began to walk away.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I'll
definitely send you a message," Katy called after him across the
parking lot. "You'll be hearing from me!" Dan turned to
wave under a streetlight. "I'll count on it," his voice
came strongly to her. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Oh
there's something, there's something</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I
can see it there</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Something
in your heart</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
you'd like to hear the song based on Katy's story, </span></span></span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ZftrTodU0&index=17&list=PLQr8ZdULrdh4jCD3q_OpCK3PH5KABHBJh"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">listen
here.</span></span></a></u></span></span></div>
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-30081510277023598872015-01-30T13:18:00.000-06:002015-01-30T13:31:17.470-06:00A New Kind of Storytelling: Twenty-eight Days of Music and WordsMy dear friend Heather suggested a wonderful new creative idea: what if you could post an entire short story on Instagram, a snippet each day, over the course of a month? How cool would that be?! So I decided to give it a try. Who knows, maybe nobody will care except me, or maybe it will be a bore, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Nothing ventured, nothing gained! I'm am all about sharing creative work with others and finding inspiration in what others share!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The story I'll be posting during the month of February (woohoo, only twenty-eight days in that month!) is called "The Jazz Singer". I shared it several months ago on this blog, but have since taken it down in order to revise it a bit. After the entire story is finished on IG I'll re-post the whole thing here. Since IG requires a picture to post any content and my story is about a jazz singer, I will be sharing pictures of musicians and musical instruments (not related to the storyline) over the course of the month. I am always seeing gorgeous instruments everywhere, or amazing musicians, and this will give me another chance to share those with the world! There might even be some videos of live music... you'll have to wait and see!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'll be tagging the story under #jazzsinger #instagramstory and #writersofinstagram, along with a tag for whatever particular musical picture I take for the day. My name on Instagram is Lyssagirlloveslife. Come along for the journey! Better yet, I'd LOVE it if anyone else wanted to join and post their short story over the course of twenty-eight days too :-)</div>
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Let me know what you think in the comment section!</div>
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-46017765821051605092015-01-28T12:55:00.004-06:002015-01-28T14:50:22.048-06:00Ten Reasons Why I Let My Daughter Watch My Little PonyWhen I was a kid, I watched Reading Rainbow, Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Puzzle House, and Thomas the Tank Engine. Oh, and the Antiques Road Show, because I was weird :-P At the very least, my mom wasn't too worried about me watching those shows (I was usually allowed one show a day) because they usually had good morals, positive lessons, and decent storylines.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to television shows of today. When I had access to a cable television a few years ago, I tried watching some of the popular kids' shows on channels like Nickelodeon and PBS to see what they were like. Some of the shows geared towards very young children were fine and interesting enough, but the ones for about ten and up (the tween and early teen years) shocked me. There were sarcastic kids who were rude to everyone, too much focus on romance, vague blurring of moral ethics, and other problems. The most innocuous just seemed dumb; the worst had appalling situations or stories that I wouldn't want my child watching until they were much older than the targeted age, if at all!<br />
<br />
Fortunately, from a very early age (see picture below), Harmony found a show that she liked when my sister (who is now twenty-two) introduced her to it: My Little Pony. Despite my sister's reassurances that it was a great show, I was worried that it would have negative aspects, or that it was just another stupid kid's show. But after watching quite a few episodes and learning what it was about, I am finally on the side of supporting MLP (My Little Pony).<br />
<br />
Side note: she has also watched Thomas the Tank Engine (a big hit!), Clifford the Big Red Dog, old Mr. Rogers episodes, old Reading Rainbow episodes, and Magic School Bus (her second favorite show). My Little Pony wins every time, though!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_vlZIVwMB1U/U2MUB2_9WJI/AAAAAAAACDs/w7iEGhEv6D0/s1600/P4160011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_vlZIVwMB1U/U2MUB2_9WJI/AAAAAAAACDs/w7iEGhEv6D0/s1600/P4160011.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harmony a few months after her first birthday, already crazy about ponies!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Harmony is two and half now. She began liking the MLP figurines, the tiny toy ponies, when she was barely a year old. My sister found the toys at the thrift store she works at so we have slowly amassed quite a collection of them, much to Harmony's delight! They are her most beloved toys. She even has a pony purse that she uses to carry her ponies wherever she goes. Ponies go to sleep with her, they are held all day long, she recruits everyone to play ponies with her, and the best reward is to let her watch a My Little Pony episode on t.v. She LOVES it!<br />
<br />
So here are ten reasons why I think My Little Pony is a good show:<br />
<br />
1. Friendship is magic!<br />
<br />
It's such an important lesson for kids to learn how to be good friends to each other! The MLP episodes deal with situations like getting along with folks who are very different (more on that later), trusting your friends, appreciating your friends' talents, respecting the boundaries your friends have, appreciating what your friends do for you, supporting your friends when they go through hard times, being honest with your friends even though it might be tough, and many more wonderful life lessons that us adults would do well to re-learn, too.<br />
<br />
2. It's okay to have friends who are different!<br />
<br />
Each of the six main ponies has a drastically different personality than the rest. Rarity is a high-strung, drama-queen fashion designer, Applejack is a down-to-earth, hard-working farmer, Rainbow Dash is an athletic tomboy, Fluttershy is a gentle animal-lover, Twilight Sparkle is an academically-focused leader, and Pinky Pie is a bouncy party-planner! Yet they are all good friends with each other, learning to appreciate and respect each other's differences, even though sometimes Twilight gets frustrated with Pinky Pie's silliness, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash are always competing with each other to see who is "better" at everything, and Rarity gets on everyone's nerves when she has a freak-out session... everybody has quirks, and MLP teaches kids that true friends learn to love each other in spite of them.<br />
<br />
3. Every person has something they're good at!<br />
<br />
Each pony, when they discover their special ability, the talent that really "clicks" with them, magically gets a cutie mark (a symbol representing their special ability) on their flank, so that all can see what they love. The implication is that EVERY pony has gifts to share with the world. Heckyes! I wish all children could see that they have something to offer, that everyone has talents. Part of MLP focuses on three young ponies who do not yet have their cutie marks. They are intent on finding what they are good at doing, so they try pretty much every activity to see what might possibly make their cutie marks appear, and in the process learn some valuable lessons.<br />
<br />
4. Life can be complicated!<br />
<br />
This show tackles tough situations. One episode deals with colonialism, another with the pony equivalent of the used-car salesman (selling a miracle-cure tonic), another with stage fright, several with wanting to be popular, another with xenophobia, another with the fear that reading books is something an athlete shouldn't do, several with family issues, several with sibling problems, etc. These are hard scenarios for any age, and I appreciate how the solutions are found in a kid-friendly way, because sooner or later we all will need to deal with complications in our lives. One of my favorite episodes is about bullying. In the end, the advice given to the ponies is to tell a responsible adult if you are being bullied, and to also realize that there is often a reason why a person feels the need to bully someone else due to their own negative life circumstances, which doesn't excuse the bullying but does mean that probably the bully needs help.<br />
<br />
5. Girls are great, and boys are great too!<br />
<br />
While MLP is mostly focused on the female characters, there are male ponies too, and they are both equally independent! The female ponies are portrayed as powerful enough to save themselves, yet they rely on each other's strengths and try to help each other through their weaknesses. One of my favorite characters is Twilight's older brother, Shining Armor, who *SPOILER ALERT* marries a princess who used to be Twilight's babysitter. They are shown to have a happy, supportive marriage with mutual love and respect of each other's abilities. Male and female characters throughout MLP are portrayed as being equal, and no gender is better than another, because each individual has talents that can be used to benefit everyone.<br />
<br />
6. Every person has strengths AND weaknesses!<br />
<br />
Each pony has very clearly defined talents, as identified by their cutie marks, but they also each have pretty evident weaknesses of character as well. Rainbow Dash is brave, strong, and the only pony to have ever broken the "sound barrier" by flying fast enough to create a sonic rainboom, but she can also be overly competitive, prideful, and overbearing to other ponies. Fluttershy is gentle, sweet, and compassionate, but she can sometimes be indecisive and afraid of her own shadow. Kids know that we all have these same strengths and weaknesses, and with MLP they can see what it's like to deal with both, in themselves and others, and how it's important to grow and change so that you can become a better person.<br />
<br />
7. Music!<br />
<br />
Okay.... I'm a classical musician, and even I have found the MLP music to be catchy! Harmony likes to listen just to the soundtracks of the shows, so I'll find a Youtube channel with all of season two's songs, or all of the music from season four, and just let her listen to it while she plays (I don't often let her just sit and watch the videos). She is already starting to sing along with the songs, and will play with her pony figurines while she listens and have them act out the songs! The words are often clever or funny, with puns, good messages, or just plain silliness. I've caught myself singing along, and I know I've heard my husband whistling the melodies occasionally ;-)<br />
<br />
8. It's good to try new things!<br />
<br />
One of the hardest lessons for any child to learn is that it's good to try something new. MLP demonstrates over and over again that being brave and trying a new thing (as long as it's a positive thing) is always a good idea. Even if you don't succeed, you still can learn something valuable from the situation. And if you do succeed, that's great! Plus, you have your friends to support you, no matter what the outcome.<br />
<br />
9. You don't always need to have romance to make a story interesting!<br />
<br />
Frankly, I'm sick and tired of shows geared toward kids focusing on who has a crush on whom, or who is dating whom, or who likes whomever... kids shouldn't be worrying about that at such a young age! I know I already mentioned a wedding happening in MLP, but that is the focus of only a few episodes in one season. There are two other episodes I know of that involve romantic interests, and in both cases it was dealt with well at a child-appropriate level, I thought. The vast majority of the MLP stories do NOT have any kind of romance at all, which I very much appreciate!<br />
<br />
10. Positive character traits are highly valued!<br />
<br />
One of the biggest story lines involves the Elements of Harmony, which represent six important qualities of harmony: honesty, kindness, generosity, laughter, loyalty, and magic. Each of the main ponies embody one of these elements, which is a big focus of the storylines exploring friendship. Also, one of the most important lessons woven through the entire show is the power of forgiveness. *SPOILER ALERTS* Princess Celestia forgives her sister Luna for trying to control the world with darkness, even after a thousand years of Luna being banished, when Luna finally learns her lesson and wants to change. The six pony friends are constantly forgiving each other for hurt feelings and wrongdoing. A dragon named Discord is forgiven several times for betraying his friend's confidence and for not doing the right thing. Forgiveness, for those who are truly sorry, is shown to be much better than anger, retribution, or rejection. Once again, that is a great life lesson that all of us could do well to learn better.<br />
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So in the end, when it comes down to children's television shows, I'd rather have my daughter watching My Little Pony than a show that has negative values or imparts ethics or lessons that are not what I want her to emulate. MLP is pretty cool :-)<br />
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Do you have a children's t.v. show that you really like and let your kids watch? Do share!Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-66002819649841018602015-01-26T10:37:00.000-06:002015-01-26T10:37:06.243-06:00Start Your Week Off With Inspiration and ThoughtfulnessSometimes the beginning of a week can look daunting, especially if you're facing a tough job, a hard situation, a difficult relationship, or an overwhelming schedule. I like to give myself some inspiration, ask myself questions that make me think, and consider interesting ideas on Monday so that I can enter the new week with the energy that (for me) comes with a stimulated mind!<br />
<br />
Do you like Doctor Who? What is your morning routine, or do you wish that you had one that served you better? Do you mind being alone? Ever wanted to paint some watercolor flowers? Do you feel like you have a messy mind? Need tips for dealing with the toddler(s) in your life? How was your experience in high school? What kind of insecurities do you have, and what helps you deal with them?<br />
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Hope you enjoy these links!<br />
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<a href="http://www.doctorwhotv.co.uk/10-lessons-to-live-by-from-doctor-who-69347.htm" target="_blank">10 Lessons We Can Learn from Doctor Who</a><br />
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<a href="http://mymorningroutine.com/" target="_blank">The Morning Routines of Many Different People</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/03/how-to-be-alone-school-of-life/" target="_blank">How to Be Alone: an Antidote to One of the Central Anxieties and Greatest Paradoxes of Our Time</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/when-talk-of-racism-centers-on-black-and-white-what-does-a-brown-parent-say/?smid=tw-NYTMotherlode&seid=auto&_r=2" target="_blank">When Talk of Racism Centers on Black and White, What Does a Brown Parent Say?</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.apieceofrainbow.com/paint-watercolor-flowers/" target="_blank">Learn to Paint Watercolor Flowers in Fifteen Minutes</a><br />
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<a href="http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/2014/12/24/the-messy-minds-of-creative-people/" target="_blank">The Messy Minds of Creative People</a><br />
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<a href="http://mommycrusader.com/seven-tips-for-surviving-the-terrible-twos/" target="_blank">Seven Tips for Surviving the Terrible Twos</a><br />
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<a href="http://drkellyflanagan.com/2014/07/09/why-i-dont-believe-in-grace-anymore/" target="_blank">Why I Don't Believe in Grace Anymore</a><br />
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<a href="http://nymag.com/news/features/high-school-2013-1/" target="_blank">Why You Never Truly Leave High School</a><br />
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<a href="http://nymag.com/thecut/2014/11/30-famous-women-on-overcoming-their-insecurities.html" target="_blank">30 Famous Women on Overcoming Their Insecurities</a><br />
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-36242674241493576822015-01-24T07:49:00.000-06:002015-01-24T08:19:34.888-06:00These Moments<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gm6CMKjDeWg/VMOgIQgyoeI/AAAAAAAAC3M/2T4DYps_Vj8/s1600/IMG_20150110_115213508_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gm6CMKjDeWg/VMOgIQgyoeI/AAAAAAAAC3M/2T4DYps_Vj8/s1600/IMG_20150110_115213508_HDR.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kaleidoscope fun.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WoMLz2XAbuw/VMOgKG5h18I/AAAAAAAAC3Y/7T-n0ZM3jnw/s1600/IMG_20150112_115550695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WoMLz2XAbuw/VMOgKG5h18I/AAAAAAAAC3Y/7T-n0ZM3jnw/s1600/IMG_20150112_115550695.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budding creativity.<br />
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</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p5TPYaz0OuU/VMOgY94AM8I/AAAAAAAAC4U/fDaBq2HtHLk/s1600/IMG_20150122_171322713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p5TPYaz0OuU/VMOgY94AM8I/AAAAAAAAC4U/fDaBq2HtHLk/s1600/IMG_20150122_171322713.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old-fashioned.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzCgyyPE2Ik/VMOgROyhY7I/AAAAAAAAC30/mE5vEXJjOVg/s1600/IMG_20150112_115740661_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzCgyyPE2Ik/VMOgROyhY7I/AAAAAAAAC30/mE5vEXJjOVg/s1600/IMG_20150112_115740661_HDR.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washcloths knitted.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HwMKMZHnIs/VMOgQXTu6BI/AAAAAAAAC3s/6VBOh4oiGbI/s1600/IMG_20150116_163344576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HwMKMZHnIs/VMOgQXTu6BI/AAAAAAAAC3s/6VBOh4oiGbI/s1600/IMG_20150116_163344576.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Minimalist flowers.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ctmXEyupkRg/VMOgUTtm14I/AAAAAAAAC38/4jtR8Z__WEA/s1600/IMG_20150118_150429326_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ctmXEyupkRg/VMOgUTtm14I/AAAAAAAAC38/4jtR8Z__WEA/s1600/IMG_20150118_150429326_HDR.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Class": guitarists growing together.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DqSHUE1IIFU/VMOgWZin04I/AAAAAAAAC4E/hc9TF1oainM/s1600/IMG_20150119_140855530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DqSHUE1IIFU/VMOgWZin04I/AAAAAAAAC4E/hc9TF1oainM/s1600/IMG_20150119_140855530.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful mandolins.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3PDu6L_tApQ/VMOgam65QtI/AAAAAAAAC4c/MHSGQAIsONA/s1600/IMG_20150122_185858707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3PDu6L_tApQ/VMOgam65QtI/AAAAAAAAC4c/MHSGQAIsONA/s1600/IMG_20150122_185858707.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burn's Night concert.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJslmJERgWg/VMOgXIa1mYI/AAAAAAAAC4M/ClyFn3h-Jds/s1600/IMG_20150121_153937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AJslmJERgWg/VMOgXIa1mYI/AAAAAAAAC4M/ClyFn3h-Jds/s1600/IMG_20150121_153937.jpg" height="400" width="221" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out last year's<a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2014/01/this-moment-tradition-of-new-years-day.html" target="_blank"> January photo with the same coat!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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"Light gives itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are a friend or a foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished."<br />
~ Michael Strassfield<br />
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"The man who has many answers is often found in the theaters of information where he offers, graciously, his deep findings. While the man who has only questions, to comfort himself, makes music."<br />
~ Mary Oliver<br />
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"We are so obsessed with doing that we have no time and no imagination left for being..."<br />
~ Thomas Merton<br />
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"Your heart does not have to go through half the trouble it does; you need to know that. Tune into a different radio station and let your ears listen to sweetness, for once. Step off the broken glass and give your feet a break. The world is meant to be up for interpretation, and it's a lot more tolerable- and enjoyable- that way."<br />
~ Carly Kaste, <a href="http://zauberbear.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Zauberbear</a> (love ya, sweet girl!)<br />
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"I remind myself, 'Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good'. (Cribbed from Voltaire.) A twenty-minute walk that I do is better than the four-mile run that I don't do. The imperfect book that gets published is better than the perfect book that never leaves my computer. The dinner party of take-out Chinese food is better than the elegant dinner that I never host."<br />
~ Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project<br />
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-48961250724423478872015-01-21T08:20:00.001-06:002015-01-21T08:20:14.512-06:00How I'm Reading in 2015Last year I wanted to read at least one book a week. The titles were documented <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/p/book-list-2014.html" target="_blank">on another page of my blog.</a> I forgot to write down ANY books I read from about the end of November through December, so although I know I didn't quite get to fifty-two books, I do know that I read a few that didn't get documented because I was so busy, so I probably got close to my goal!<br />
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This year I want to read all the books in my home that I haven't read yet. This includes books that were gifts, books that I started but never finished, books that are being lent to me, and books that I bought for myself but never got around to reading yet. There's nothing necessarily wrong with any of these books, and there's a nice variety of genre; they just haven't made it into my queue, until now!<br />
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I collected all the books in my house that fit my qualification. I'm sure more will join this stack after I hit the annual spring book sale that happens in St. Louis every year. Heh. Here's the list so far!<br />
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1. Civil Disobedience and Other Essays ~ Thoreau<br />
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2. The Turn of the Screw ~ James<br />
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3. The Four Loves ~ C.S. Lewis<br />
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4. Candide ~ Voltaire<br />
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5. The Bullfighter Checks Her Make-up ~ Susan Orlean<br />
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6. The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work ~ John Gottman<br />
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7. Gilead ~ Marilynne Robinson<br />
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8. Culture Making ~ Crouch<br />
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9. The Arabian Nights<br />
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10. The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge ~ Rainer Maria Rilke<br />
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11. Flower Fables ~ Louisa May Alcott<br />
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12. Ella Minnow Pea ~ Mark Dunn<br />
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13. My Bondage and My Freedom ~ Frederick Douglass<br />
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14. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man ~ James Joyce<br />
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15. Middlemarch (two volumes) ~ Eliot<br />
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16. O Pioneers! ~ Willa Cather<br />
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17. Forever Music ~ Edith Schaeffer<br />
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18. Questioning Evangelism ~ Newman<br />
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19. Narcissus and Goldmund ~ Hermann Hesse<br />
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20. Silent Spring ~ Rachel Carson<br />
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21. Effortless Mastery ~ Kenny Werner<br />
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22. 1-2-3 Magic, Effective Discipline for Children 2-12<br />
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23. Jayber Crow ~ Wendell Berry<br />
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24. The Goldfinch ~ Donna Tartt<br />
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25. Only You Can Save Mankind ~ Terry Pratchett<br />
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26. The Magician's Book: a Skeptic's Adventures in Narnia ~ Laura Miller<br />
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27. L'Abri ~ Edith Schaeffer<br />
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28. The Stories: A Journey through Time ~ with W.C. Light<br />
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29. Pudd'nhead Wilson ~ Mark Twain<br />
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That's only about three books a month. Should be do-able! I read the Pratchett novel yesterday, which was fast and easy. I liked the characters and the descriptions, and the plot was interesting, but I didn't like the style Pratchett wrote in. Sorry, Pratchett fans! It wasn't a bad book, though :-)<br />
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I'll be marking off each book as I read it and giving it a rating <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/p/book-list-2014.html" target="_blank">over on my book page!</a><br />
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What are you reading lately? Got any great recommendations? Do you keep a list of books to read?Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-74545960694511308892015-01-17T09:16:00.002-06:002015-07-19T08:50:13.965-05:00The World in ColorAs you might know if we are friends in real life, or if you've been keeping up with my blog for quite a while, I am a synesthete: a person with synesthesia.<br />
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The reason I'm writing about this is because I want to continue to spread the word about synesthesia so that people can become more aware of it. Anyone can have it: children, adults, teens, the elderly, anyone. It's something that people are born with; you either have it, or you don't. For some, it doesn't affect their day-to-day existence too much. For others, it has a huge impact on everything they experience.<br />
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The technical definition of synesthesia is this: "a neurological phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway". It is a "union of the senses". Essentially, it is like having an added sense similar to sight, sound, smell, etc.<br />
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What it means for me is that all words, letters, days of the week, months of the year, time, some numbers, music, people, places, and names are associated with color. These are automatic, natural associations that I have no control over. Other synesthetes may have different associations, such as experiencing taste when hearing specific words. There are many forms of synesthesia and it is a scientifically documented occurrence.<br />
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When I see the letter "A", it appears red in my mind's eye. Same with the month of August or the time of 9:00. When I see my daughter Harmony, she has a sort of golden-honey aura around her, an innate color that I associate with her being. When I hear a song on the radio or played live, it will have a glow of colors that radiate through my vision. The strongest colors I see are for letters/words or music. Most of the time I know that the colors are simply in my mind; other times the colors actually appear to be out in my surroundings. Just as if you see a flower and you can automatically smell it when you bring it to your nose, when I hear music, I see colors, too.<br />
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The entire world radiates color.<br />
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I didn't know that synesthesia was something that not everybody had until I was eighteen. I was sitting in a music class at my university as we studied seventh chords. The teacher would play diminished, dominant, major, or minor seventh chords on the piano and ask the class to tell him which one in particular it was. I was simply looking at the shade of blue each chord had, so it was easy to tell them apart. When I mentioned that to everyone, they looked at me like I was CRAZY. "Doesn't everyone just look at the different colors each chord has....?" I asked. They told me that people don't see colors with music, and that I must be making it up or be on drugs. My mind was completely blown! I immediately went to research what could possibly be wrong with me.<br />
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That's when I found out about synesthesia.<br />
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Nobody really knows how many people have synesthesia, or what percentage of the population has it. Scientific estimates guess that around 5-10% of people may have it, but there's no definite number. I know a handful of people who are synesthetes:<br />
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~ Several of my college friends (all musicians) had strong versions of synesthesia. A few other guitarists or artists I know have mild forms of synesthesia that they acknowledge but that do not have a significant impact in their lives. Several musicians I know who are professionals in their fields have very powerful forms of synesthesia that they actively utilize in their art. One of the contested theories about synesthetes is that those with synesthesia are more likely to be involved with the creative and fine arts, due to the high cross-sensory connections they have.<br />
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~ One of my friends, a fellow mother, sees numbers and objects as having gender and personalities, but it doesn't affect her everyday life too much, she says.<br />
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~ Three young people at my church have synesthesia, two of them extremely strongly where it affects them almost negatively as they deal with sensory overload, similar to what I had to learn how to overcome as a child, too. It was very overwhelming when I was younger to have so much stimulus all the time coming in through my senses!<br />
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~ Two of my guitar students have synesthesia. One doesn't notice it much, and describes it as not interfering with his everyday life. The other has strong synesthetic experiences with music which we are currently learning how to use in a positive way in his musical development.<br />
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Otherwise, in the wide circles of acquaintances and friends I have, nobody else to my knowledge has it. That could always change, though. Oftentimes a child may not know that they have synesthesia because they think that everyone has the same experiences they do (like I did). Parents often think that children are making it up or simply pretending that letters have color or personality, for example. Or a person may experience bullying or opposition for being "different", so they might hide their synesthesia.<br />
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I wish someone had been around to help me learn how to deal with my synesthesia when I was a kid! Eventually I learned to work through the sensory overload, and even figured out how to use certain aspects to my advantage. For example, I learned how to speed-read by skimming the colors of words rather than reading individual words. This would have been easier if I'd known about synesthesia in the first place. But if you've never heard of it, then you can't understand it.</div>
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That's why I want to continue to tell everyone I know about synesthesia. </div>
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I would encourage any parent or teacher to keep a look-out for children who may show signs of having synesthesia. It isn't a good idea to formally "test" children beyond asking them questions, but if you are an adult or teen who would like more clarification or information about your synesthesia, then there are tests available online for free. For older children, I would recommend the book <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Mango-Shaped_Space" target="_blank">"A Mango-Shaped Space"</a>, which talks about a young teen discovering her synesthesia and learning how to cope with it.<br />
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Are there disadvantages to having synesthesia? Yes and no. It's like asking, "are there disadvantages to having the sense of taste". Yeah, when you taste something bad! But it's just another sense. Sometimes it's annoying, sometimes it's awesome, but it's just something you live with and learn to deal with and use to certain extents. When I am at a concert with loud music, sometimes the visual colors are so crazy that I am completely overwhelmed; in a similar case, I can't listen to certain kinds of music while I'm driving because the synesthetic responses to the music are so intense that it distracts me too much from driving. Here is a very helpful article about <a href="http://listverse.com/2012/09/02/10-disadvantages-to-synesthesia/" target="_blank">ten disadvantages to synesthesia</a> that I highly recommend.<br />
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People are still people. Synesthesia isn't a super-power. It doesn't make a person any more "special" than someone without synesthesia. But it does make them perceive the world a little differently. And it is kinda cool :-)<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BuTskE68Vk0/VLp8c6yItQI/AAAAAAAAC2s/gEodFWR69Ew/s1600/P1170003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BuTskE68Vk0/VLp8c6yItQI/AAAAAAAAC2s/gEodFWR69Ew/s1600/P1170003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you'd like more information about synesthesia, here is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia" target="_blank">the Wikipedia article about it.</a> You can also visit <a href="http://synaesthesia.com/en/" target="_blank">this website</a>, see <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/tasting-the-universe/201203/synesthetes-people-the-future" target="_blank">Pharrell Williams speaking about his synesthesia,</a> check out the website of the <a href="http://www.synesthesia.info/" target="_blank">American Synesthesia Association</a>, and see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_synesthesia" target="_blank">a list of historical figures who had synesthesia.</a><br />
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Please help spread the word about synesthesia! Do you know anyone with it? Are you a synesthete?<br />
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<i>{Inspired by <a href="http://writealm.com/january-prompts/" target="_blank">Write Alm's January prompt</a>, COLOR}</i><br />
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-70776639678259360472015-01-15T14:27:00.001-06:002015-01-15T14:27:10.571-06:00Time Does Not Stop For Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAmYnx_TrkI/VLghtrlAfII/AAAAAAAAC2E/iB0P7u3KfCM/s1600/P1150008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAmYnx_TrkI/VLghtrlAfII/AAAAAAAAC2E/iB0P7u3KfCM/s1600/P1150008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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She grows out of her shoes</div>
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then out of diapers</div>
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then out of the sweaters I knit</div>
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before she was even born.</div>
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"I'm a big girl now, mama,"</div>
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she tells me.</div>
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<i>Time does not stop for love.</i></div>
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His song, one of his own compositions, springs tears to my eyes<br />
as he gently sings over his guitar.<br />
He will leave for good this summer.<br />
I still see him as eleven,<br />
not this tall, confident young man.<br />
<i>Time does not stop for love.</i><br />
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My friend and I sit across the table<br />
as I listen to stories of university life,<br />
tales that echo my own past<br />
as a guitarist in college,<br />
when music and late nights<br />
and deep conversations<br />
were all I needed.<br />
<i>Time does not stop for love.</i><br />
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<br />
We approach the five year mark.<br />
Some things don't change:<br />
he still hates soup and tea,<br />
I still can't remember our anniversary date,<br />
he still drinks more Mountain Dew than I think is necessary,<br />
I still insist on listening to "that horrible pop music" on the radio.<br />
We hold hands on our walk<br />
as if it was only yesterday<br />
that we were strolling across the campus together<br />
on our way to music history.<br />
Yet we discover new things about each other<br />
every year<br />
that make us love<br />
all the deeper.<br />
It is good to have him by my side.<br />
<i>Time does not stop for love.</i><br />
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-30547678284568607742015-01-07T11:39:00.000-06:002015-01-07T12:34:54.264-06:00The Greatest Mystery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When you're a child, you usually believe most of what you're told, especially when it's told to you by an adult in authority. So for the first sixteen years of my life, I didn't question what I was taught about God. My family attended church from the time I was about four years old or so. The churches we were part of over the course of my younger years had various denominations, but the majority of them taught roughly the same doctrines. I grew up sitting in Sunday school classes and taking notes during sermons. I was never under the impression that you had to be perfect to be part of a church, or that anyone who went to church was perfect, but it was clear that there were some pretty high standards for anyone who wanted to call themselves a Christian.<br />
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All that I learned in this time made me think that I had a pretty good grasp on who and what God was. I didn't have a lot of questions. I was satisfied that I had a good relationship with God. I prayed often, on my own because I liked talking with God, and I read my Bible so that I could understand His character better. It was a comfort zone. I was happy.<br />
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It wasn't until I went to college at sixteen that I began to think that maybe God couldn't be wrapped up in such a tidy box. Part of it was that I began to hear questions from my college friends about religion. Part of it was that I began to tackle issues that I hadn't thought of yet in my short time on earth. And part of it was that after I moved to a large city (from Idaho to St. Louis) I was exposed to much more diversity in Christian beliefs and in religions. I met people who called themselves Christians, and even though they were lovely people, they didn't dress or behave like any other Christians I'd met. Some of them *gasp* had tattoos! Or dreadlocks! It changed my perspective both on who God could be perceived to be and my perspective on who were His followers.<br />
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Also, when I was seventeen, several other events occurred: my parents separated and got divorced, our current church fell apart underneath us (not the first time this had happened), several good friends betrayed our family, and I was very sick after having what was supposed to be minor surgery. Long story short... all these terrible things did not shake my faith in God, but they definitely shook my faith in the institutional church and people. I began to do more thinking on my own, not relying so blindly on what I was taught, but reading the Bible on my own with more intensity, listening with open ears to others even if what they said contradicted what I believed, and listening to what the Spirit was telling my heart.<br />
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Slowly I began to realize that God was bigger than my own personal beliefs.<br />
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I still believed that God's Word was the Bible and that Christ is the way to salvation, but there were a lot of other ideas that were actually compelling on both sides of the arguement, instead of being set-in-stone doctrines. I stopped thinking I had all the answers, or even that I could find all the answers. It was a humbling yet beautiful realization that God was bigger than my human mind could grasp! In way, it is comforting to know that the Maker of Life cannot be completely understood. He is God... I am not.<br />
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Now I am learning to sit with the Mystery that God is. Every year I learn and grow and change in my relationship with him, but I will never stop wondering. There will never be an end to discovering who He is. There will never be an end to discovering what His amazing creation, our universe, contains. He will continue to speak through His Spirit to our souls. He will continue to reveal truth through His Word. And yes, God continues to work through people in our lives and through the church, both as the individual people of God and the institution, despite their flaws. That's the beauty of the Gospel, that God loves broken folks, and we can love others because of His love for us.<br />
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In the end, what does God require of us, even if we have questions or confusion?<br />
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In the words of Micah 6:8, "to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God".<br />
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{Linking up with <a href="http://www.itsshellyscabaret.com/2015/01/write-or-die-wednesday-13-creation.html" target="_blank">Shelly's "Write or Die Wednesdays"</a>}Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-20178836530189791342015-01-04T22:37:00.001-06:002015-01-05T08:31:26.603-06:00In(tentional) 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oQ4M8zbrpGM/VKoGRMw1jCI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/lEI3avLiY80/s1600/choose%2Bjoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oQ4M8zbrpGM/VKoGRMw1jCI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/lEI3avLiY80/s1600/choose%2Bjoy.jpg" height="400" width="270" /></a></div>
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One of my favorite pictures in my folk's home, that my mom made. She's such an inspiration to me as an artist; their home is gorgeous, and has artwork everywhere! I love thinking about choosing joy in the new year. It's also a reminder that I have choices in what I hope to see in 2015. I ask myself the important question: "What does {THE DEEPEST PLACE} of my soul desire, need, and wish for?"</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lusaorganics.typepad.com/clean/2015/01/this-year.html" target="_blank">Beautiful words from Rachel.</a><br />
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For the past four years, I've been using <a href="http://www.susannahconway.com/2014/12/lets-make-some-magic-in-2015/" target="_blank">Susannah Conway's lovely free workbook called "Unravelling the Year Ahead"</a> to think through the past year and set intentions for the next year. I love that she calls them "intentions", because the term "goals" feels too solid, and it would be disappointing if I didn't completely accomplish them! With an intention, I can adapt it, do just part of it, or make it suit my needs and still feel like I've succeeded. Yeah, goals and intentions are pretty much the same thing, but it's the thought behind each of them that makes my mind feel like they're different ;-)</div>
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Here are a few of the intentions I've set for 2015:</div>
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~ Edit my novel, "The Naming of Fio Re", and have a few folks read it and give feedback. </div>
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~ Meditate on Scripture every day, at least one verse. Learn more about Scripture meditation, too.</div>
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~ Deliberately make time to be face to face with friends and build relationships.</div>
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~ Go outside every single day. Every day. No exceptions. Even if it's just for a five minute walk or to sit in my yard on the grass. 365 Days of Nature, commence! More on that below.</div>
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~ Plan a creative retreat again similar to the one my lovely friend Heather and I had this December. Maybe it could be an entire weekend instead of one day? Maybe we could invite more friends? Do more art together? Cook meals? There are so many possibilities! </div>
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~ Finish memorizing Romans 8. I got super close to accomplishing this last year, but it just didn't happen. Now of course it's only vaguely in my memory. I want to have the entire chapter down!</div>
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~ Record a CD of my favorite guitar pieces that I've learned in the last twenty years. Sheesh... I am OLD. I have been playing guitar for a freakin' long time!!! I might as well sum it up with some kind of recording after all these years. That will require practicing. If there were only a few extra hours each day...</div>
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~ Read all the books in my house that I have not yet read. There are actually a decent number of books that fall under this category. I may or may not make an exception for the Dostoevsky novel that even Chris hasn't been able to finish... *sigh*. This past year I tried to read one book a week, and considering that I forgot to log any of the books I read in November or December on my book list page here on the blog, I'm fairly certain that I hit that goal! Yay!</div>
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~ Fresh flowers every week. My mood and attitude are so brightened when flowers are present in my home! I don't need to buy new flowers every week; they last about two weeks if I take care of them, and it would be just five dollars or so from my grocery budget every other week. How about yes :-)</div>
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~ Go back to Lambert's Restaurant, the home of the "throwed rolls"! I was there during my senior year of college: it was AWESOME. Gotta go again, even though it's a bit of a road trip!</div>
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~ Read aloud with Chris more. We're mired in the weirdness of the "Arabian Nights" right now. It seriously seems never-ending. We may end up just reading it separately so that we can finish it and move on to something a little more manageable!</div>
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~ Give another shot to <a href="http://onethousandgifts.com/" target="_blank">writing down 1,000 gifts.</a> I got really close, over the last two years (even though you're supposed to write down a thousand gratitudes in only one year, not two), but made it to about eight hundred and faded out. It's always worth another try! This time I'm tracking it on my smartphone. I hate putting important things in my phone, which is why I still have a paper notebook and calendar, but my phone is almost always on hand to quickly jot something down, so hopefully this method will help keep me more on track. I love that <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/JoyDareCollection.pdf" target="_blank">Ann Voskamp has the "Joy Dares" available for free download</a> in each month so that you have a bit of direction when looking for blessings in your everyday life!</div>
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~ Send more postcards. I love letters, but with the busyness of life, sending a postcard is going to be more doable than sending a full-blown letter, I'm thinking. Plus, postcards are art-in-the-mail! Win!</div>
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~ Get a perfume I really like. I've had only two perfumes, both of which I liked, but haven't yet found a perfume that I truly LOVE. I'm not gonna push this one too much; perfume is expensive! If it happens miraculously, it happens. If not, hey, I can wait.</div>
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~ <a href="http://playingthemusicoflife.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-one-word-for-2015.html" target="_blank">Explore HONOR as my One Word.</a> "The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be." - Socrates</div>
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~ Watch the entire series of "Avatar: the Last Airbender". OH NO NOW EVERYONE KNOWS HOW MUCH OF A NERD I AM. One of my best friends just introduced it to me last week (read: basically held me down and forced me to watch the opening episode because they knew I'd like it even though I was all "noooo I don't want to watch anything new") and I was instantly hooked. It's just the right kind of show for a girl who has watched almost all of the Naruto Shippuden... um, I mean, *cough cough* I totally have never watched anime before. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-43xYi_SlpGk/VKhtoBOkp_I/AAAAAAAAC0o/5bzOEPH9ljM/s1600/Harmony%2Bat%2BChristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-43xYi_SlpGk/VKhtoBOkp_I/AAAAAAAAC0o/5bzOEPH9ljM/s1600/Harmony%2Bat%2BChristmas.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></div>
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I can't wait to see what growth and change this year will bring for Harmony. She is so verbal for a two and a half year old. The other day she and I ran errands all morning, so I made sure that our last stop was at a coffee shop where we could share a fruit smoothie. We sat at a table together, sipping the smoothie, people-watching and talking about the decor of the shop and noticing what folks were eating and discussing the day. That was the first time I realized, "hey, my daughter and I can have conversations now! There's finally someone in our family who talks just as much as me!" and I had a good laugh. My daughter is awesome.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mFGpxxuW35I/VKhtmDIESkI/AAAAAAAAC0g/JJKY1YX1wNQ/s1600/Instagram%2Bdaily%2Bwalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mFGpxxuW35I/VKhtmDIESkI/AAAAAAAAC0g/JJKY1YX1wNQ/s1600/Instagram%2Bdaily%2Bwalk.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, I truly do want to go outside every day. So far, for the first four days of this new year, I've succeeded in getting outdoors for a few minutes, despite a sick toddler, a messy house, a busy schedule, and frigid weather (with snow today). Each time I made myself get my act together enough to go out, I was always grateful that I had! Being in nature, even on our little dead-end street or sitting in our yard, is grounding, refreshing, clarifying, relaxing, calming, energizing, and so many more things for my physical and mental health. I come back inside renewed and ready to face anything. There must be magic in a breath of fresh air ;-) I'm recording this journey on Instagram with a picture every day under the tag #365daysofnature.</div>
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I can tell that even though there will be more days where it will be difficult to get myself out the door, it will be for the best. Many thanks to my sweet husband and sister who have either sat with Harmony or just kept an ear out for her while she slept so that I could escape for a little while! I am SO very blessed to have my supportive family around me. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jcMkTJ5e5uM/VKhtjlB3v3I/AAAAAAAAC0Y/thfTnsdrv8Y/s1600/January%2Bprompts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jcMkTJ5e5uM/VKhtjlB3v3I/AAAAAAAAC0Y/thfTnsdrv8Y/s1600/January%2Bprompts.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love these daily prompts from <a href="http://writealm.com/january-prompts/" target="_blank">Write Alm!</a></td></tr>
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I definitely want to continue to write often, here on the blog, in my personal journal, in postcards and the occasional letter to friends and family, and on Instagram. I've very much enjoyed the little snippets of life I can share on Instagram to accompany a picture, and even more have loved seeing others' lives through their own lens on IG too!<br />
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Facebook was de-activated yesterday, as planned. It feels weird not to check it, but I am already appreciating the social media silence that it is allowing. Yes, I'm still part of social media here and on Instagram, but it feels more manageable, if that makes any sense. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmhc5SDCdzc/VKhtqJ5IpDI/AAAAAAAAC0w/zdAFQLlvwWg/s1600/Myself.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmhc5SDCdzc/VKhtqJ5IpDI/AAAAAAAAC0w/zdAFQLlvwWg/s1600/Myself.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></div>
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The picture above was taken after I was awake for almost forty-eight hours straight. On new year's eve, half an hour before midnight, Harmony suddenly and violently came down with the stomach flu while we were at my folk's home. She had been sleeping in their guest bedroom as we got ready to celebrate the new year's arrival. Instead of ringing in 2015, we spent the rest of the night caring for her, with barely any sleep. When we finally got her home the next day, I fuzzily remembered that one of my intentions was to get outside every day, so Chris sat with her for a few minutes while I laid in the grass of our front yard, which was all I had the energy to do. It was a good reminder that "the best laid plans of mice and men..."<br />
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If all my intentions are not realized in 2015, IT WILL BE FINE. I will be okay. Nobody/nothing will explode, my dreams won't be shattered. Sometimes we have hard times; sometimes our lives are rocked to the core by terrible news. With that in mind, I'm trying to hold my plans loosely, knowing that only God sees the future. I hope that no matter what the coming days hold I will be able to trust in His plans for me even if it means that mine go out the window. My favorite Bible verse from year to year continues to be from Micah 6:8: "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" That is what I truly want to be the desire of the deepest place in my heart!<br />
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So here we go, 2015! What do YOU wish that 2015 might hold for you? Let me know in the comments! Did you choose a Word? Do you have goals, or intentions?<br />
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{Writing prompt THE DEEPEST PLACE from Write Alm's January prompts}<br />
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-8767078345288463212014-12-31T09:59:00.001-06:002014-12-31T09:59:05.071-06:00My One Word for 2015<br />
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This year my One Word was DEEPER.</div>
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It really hit me hard. Without telling any long stories, I've gained a Deeper understanding and acceptance of myself, a Deeper relationship with my husband, a Deeper connection with my close friends, and a Deeper love for God. It has been messy sometimes, and uncomfortable at other times, but in the end, I'm glad for the struggles, because they allowed me to dive Deep and discover more about myself, God, others, and our world.</div>
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This year I've come to accept that:</div>
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~ God is mysterious, and cannot be contained merely in the pages of a book or the walls of a building. He is Deeper than that. He works in relationship.</div>
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~ The Spirit speaks in beautiful, quiet ways to the Deep places of our hearts, if we can only be silent enough to hear it.</div>
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~ I am an individual with talents, failings, and personality quirks just like everyone else, and I don't need to apologize for being myself. Everyone is Deeply Themselves, both positive and negative, but we should focus on loving each other in order to help everyone become the best they can be.</div>
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~ In order to develop/maintain Deep relationships with those you are closest to in life, you need to Deeply pursue them, both in connection and in seeking to understand them better.<br />
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~ Just because you go Deeply into something does not mean that you will always find it is more complex. Sometimes the Deepest things are simple.</div>
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Thank you, Deeper, for everything you have taught me in 2014.<br />
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My new Word for 2015 will be HONOR.</div>
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At first, I thought that I should choose a different word, like Observe or Respect, because those have aspects of what I am hoping the year will hold. Plus I was a bit nervous that Honor would be too much, too weird, or too abstract. But in the end, three things brought me back to Honor as my Word.</div>
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~ All the different definitions of Honor, both as a verb and a noun: regarding with great respect, holding in high esteem, "a belief that your actions represent more than just yourself" (thank you Urban Dictionary), recognizing a significant part of someone's dignity or value. </div>
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~ This word made me tingle with excitement. Part of Susannah Conway's excellent five day course in discovering your Word said that you should choose something that gave you a shiver of anticipation. Honor certainly does! It seems beautiful yet challenging.</div>
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~ My mom created the most beautiful piece of art for me as my Christmas gift, out of a broken piece of pallet wood, and it brought me back to one of the most important messages that our world needs: doing good, Honoring each other, Honoring the earth. We hung it in our living room where I'll be able to see it every day.</div>
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I want to find ways to Honor others and the world around us: my family, my friends, strangers, nature, the seasons, myself, my students, the calendar of change, and most importantly, God. All the positive that is present and potential deserves Honor, so that's what I hope to find in this new year. Along the way, I know that I will be taught lessons of life, just like every other year, and will grow and change through the experience, even if it is difficult or bumpy.</div>
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Welcome, Honor, for everything you are going to teach me in 2015.</div>
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-53886618543523197102014-12-31T09:24:00.003-06:002014-12-31T09:24:42.960-06:00Happy Holiday, and Goodbye Facebook!Christmas vacation has been lovely. That's why I'm getting rid of Facebook.<br />
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I'll explain. But first, here's what we've been up to!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGhYIwLC44M/VKQNcAgOrII/AAAAAAAACyw/k8Fu652oLik/s1600/IMG_20141224_155242170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yGhYIwLC44M/VKQNcAgOrII/AAAAAAAACyw/k8Fu652oLik/s1600/IMG_20141224_155242170.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas has been SO fun to decorate in our new home!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0UskhTXbbPY/VKQNc49mAhI/AAAAAAAACzA/RBCU6AIhm-o/s1600/IMG_20141224_204502911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0UskhTXbbPY/VKQNc49mAhI/AAAAAAAACzA/RBCU6AIhm-o/s1600/IMG_20141224_204502911.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harmony is old enough for the old Christmas tales finally.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGNfF65Gs20/VKQNcNLJYqI/AAAAAAAACy0/WcprltpoVVM/s1600/IMG_20141225_185511436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGNfF65Gs20/VKQNcNLJYqI/AAAAAAAACy0/WcprltpoVVM/s1600/IMG_20141225_185511436.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My entire family created beautiful handmade gifts for each other.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a9dbnBHl1ww/VKQNnHByjcI/AAAAAAAACzQ/YqXp1pSGKig/s1600/IMG_20141226_113846079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a9dbnBHl1ww/VKQNnHByjcI/AAAAAAAACzQ/YqXp1pSGKig/s1600/IMG_20141226_113846079.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even had some time to myself, to rest and enjoy the vacation!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IwJ47sJl-X0/VKQNnsyYdZI/AAAAAAAACzU/lJl_Ochf6bI/s1600/IMG_20141226_115103580_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IwJ47sJl-X0/VKQNnsyYdZI/AAAAAAAACzU/lJl_Ochf6bI/s1600/IMG_20141226_115103580_HDR.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite part, though, has been spending time with my family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wFEzk2Waj8/VKQNko5CATI/AAAAAAAACzI/xzYYLyGSIBA/s1600/IMG_20141227_134122928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8wFEzk2Waj8/VKQNko5CATI/AAAAAAAACzI/xzYYLyGSIBA/s1600/IMG_20141227_134122928.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still working as a musician over the holiday.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxJ8e1lEqOY/VKQNpGpcebI/AAAAAAAACzg/kwVnnEePFgE/s1600/IMG_20141230_194311487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxJ8e1lEqOY/VKQNpGpcebI/AAAAAAAACzg/kwVnnEePFgE/s1600/IMG_20141230_194311487.jpg" height="400" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We enjoyed holiday traditions like looking at Christmas lights.</td></tr>
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I've had so much fun with my family, activities on my own, and friends that I've barely been at my computer at all. Ever since getting a smartphone and Instagram, the easiest way for me to document our lives together has been to simply take a quick picture and either save it on my phone or share it with folks on Instagram. <b>I haven't been near my computer to get on Facebook. And it hasn't bothered me at all.</b></div>
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Before you remind me that you can download the Facebook app, I know! But I'm trying very hard not to be glued to my phone too much, so everything I can do to keep myself off it as much as possible is good. I told myself that <b>I could have my email and Instagram on my phone, not Twitter or Facebook.</b> It's definitely made it easier to not constantly be on my phone, but I'm still working on finding a good balance.</div>
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Getting onto Facebook has just not been something I've wanted to do lately also because... honestly, <b>I'm tired of all the political posts and advertisements everywhere.</b> I originally liked Facebook because I could see people's cool pictures and keep up with their lives that way. But there's not as much of that because there's so much other information coming through. </div>
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<b>The sheer amount of information coming through from hundreds of people is getting overwhelming.</b></div>
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Yes, I think social media has a good purpose. I like that I can have a web page there for myself as a musician/music teacher (it's got my full name, so I don't have it linked here, sorry!) and a web page for my other blog, Life is the Teacher, on Facebook. Those will still stay up! But my personal Facebook page is going to come down. At least for a while. Maybe I'll be back in a month, or a few months. The one big drawback is that I won't be connected with some of my closest family and friends who are on there, so that might be what brings me back eventually. </div>
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In the meantime, if you're friends with me on Facebook and you want to continue to connect with me, you can find me here on this blog where you can leave comments or a message in the message form, or you can private message me for my email address or number, or you can find me on Instagram at Lyssagirlloveslife, or you can text or call me if you already have my number, or we can set up a time to get together and have a real conversation, which is what I prefer :-) I'll be deleting my Facebook page on January 3rd.</div>
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Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3955763082619730399.post-29871667644876433142014-12-23T18:28:00.002-06:002014-12-23T18:33:45.765-06:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Christmas break is here! Despite the crazy schedule of the final week before the holiday break, life didn't feel out of control (although the piles of dirty dishes in my sink were definitely overflowing). Around here we were enjoying the season, so here are some pictures of our escapades that I've been taking on Instagram. I'll be writing a blog post very soon with details about New Year's "intentions"!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tQuUFoXFNXQ/VJoBXI-AI4I/AAAAAAAACwA/ouTK0EBhe2s/s1600/Instagram%2BChristmas%2Bornament%2Bsisters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tQuUFoXFNXQ/VJoBXI-AI4I/AAAAAAAACwA/ouTK0EBhe2s/s1600/Instagram%2BChristmas%2Bornament%2Bsisters.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister and I immortalized in an ornament :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-II3OjSoPPpc/VJoB7NAF5kI/AAAAAAAACyY/1apHr16CIu8/s1600/Instagram%2Bbuckeyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-II3OjSoPPpc/VJoB7NAF5kI/AAAAAAAACyY/1apHr16CIu8/s1600/Instagram%2Bbuckeyes.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chocolate buckeye candies I made for all my guitar students.</td></tr>
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Harmony and I continued to do activities together. She is a ball of energy, obsessed with ponies, always insisting on music and dancing constantly, and fighting any efforts for us to get her to sleep. A typical toddler!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yg0-jF76gA4/VJoBaoNulgI/AAAAAAAACwQ/n60UEybuPWE/s1600/Instagram%2Balphabet%2Bpuzzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yg0-jF76gA4/VJoBaoNulgI/AAAAAAAACwQ/n60UEybuPWE/s1600/Instagram%2Balphabet%2Bpuzzle.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with an alphabet puzzle and her ponies.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMaVYSDhl5k/VJoBqxpB1NI/AAAAAAAACxg/TI_-9UdI2BI/s1600/Instagram%2Bhalf%2Bbirthday%2BHarmony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMaVYSDhl5k/VJoBqxpB1NI/AAAAAAAACxg/TI_-9UdI2BI/s1600/Instagram%2Bhalf%2Bbirthday%2BHarmony.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy half-birthday! Two and a half on the 19th.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DeHI2r26n60/VJoBXnOLp4I/AAAAAAAACwE/ZghZjdsrQXs/s1600/Instagram%2BHarmony%2BChristmas%2Bflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DeHI2r26n60/VJoBXnOLp4I/AAAAAAAACwE/ZghZjdsrQXs/s1600/Instagram%2BHarmony%2BChristmas%2Bflowers.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She simply loves flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LK30VES5fz4/VJoBv0Ca52I/AAAAAAAACx4/_Opya88KmY4/s1600/Instagram%2Bmatching%2Bsocks%2BHarmony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LK30VES5fz4/VJoBv0Ca52I/AAAAAAAACx4/_Opya88KmY4/s1600/Instagram%2Bmatching%2Bsocks%2BHarmony.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Learning to match socks while we fold laundry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2HwnrVZG_uA/VJoBzT8yO_I/AAAAAAAACyE/u8_6sV5Mme0/s1600/Instagram%2Bshapes%2Bplay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2HwnrVZG_uA/VJoBzT8yO_I/AAAAAAAACyE/u8_6sV5Mme0/s1600/Instagram%2Bshapes%2Bplay.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An amazing shapes game I picked up at the thrift store.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBikKdWNAhU/VJoBhB8GuwI/AAAAAAAACwo/zxDY19Ci1V4/s1600/Instagram%2BRemembering%2BSandy%2BHook%2BHarmony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBikKdWNAhU/VJoBhB8GuwI/AAAAAAAACwo/zxDY19Ci1V4/s1600/Instagram%2BRemembering%2BSandy%2BHook%2BHarmony.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Remembering Sandy Hook, ringing our bell twenty-six times.</td></tr>
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Most of my time out of the house was taken up with performances and music-related events. Instead of six performances in one weekend, I ended up having seven! They all turned out beautifully. December is truly the most busy time for musicians!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96gSeEjmMUU/VJoBjOrwCXI/AAAAAAAACw0/IFnYpy-0O30/s1600/Instagram%2Bcarol%2Bsing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-96gSeEjmMUU/VJoBjOrwCXI/AAAAAAAACw0/IFnYpy-0O30/s1600/Instagram%2Bcarol%2Bsing.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The carol sing we held at our home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PS9k56PMqQM/VJoBUSoxAPI/AAAAAAAACv4/Io6HZsPanMU/s1600/Instagram%2BChildren%27s%2Bhospital%2Bperformance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PS9k56PMqQM/VJoBUSoxAPI/AAAAAAAACv4/Io6HZsPanMU/s1600/Instagram%2BChildren's%2Bhospital%2Bperformance.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Performing at the children's hospital.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VG6GWeCsVVU/VJoBlFt4kcI/AAAAAAAACxA/OTW7wCCGGSA/s1600/Instagram%2Bchoir%2Bconcert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VG6GWeCsVVU/VJoBlFt4kcI/AAAAAAAACxA/OTW7wCCGGSA/s1600/Instagram%2Bchoir%2Bconcert.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Performing at a choral concert.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCfsyXhzUOQ/VJoBlz8WipI/AAAAAAAACxQ/mYpwbuYrUoo/s1600/Instagram%2Bchoir%2Brehearsal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tCfsyXhzUOQ/VJoBlz8WipI/AAAAAAAACxQ/mYpwbuYrUoo/s1600/Instagram%2Bchoir%2Brehearsal.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rehearsing with my musical family.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LZtxL3KVSZQ/VJoBlaC5gQI/AAAAAAAACxE/PgI4vEeYMdU/s1600/Instagram%2Bcoffee%2Bshop%2Bguitar%2Bperformance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LZtxL3KVSZQ/VJoBlaC5gQI/AAAAAAAACxE/PgI4vEeYMdU/s1600/Instagram%2Bcoffee%2Bshop%2Bguitar%2Bperformance.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing at coffee shops with two of my students.</td></tr>
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Oh yeah, and I found a cello in someone's trash by the curbside while driving through our neighborhood. No, it doesn't currently play, but how could I leave a cello in the trash?! At some point I think I'll get it appraised for how much it would cost to make it playable again. It doesn't have to look great, it just needs to sound okay.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNvJGf4QxM8/VJoBi6440NI/AAAAAAAACww/642wrSwQZvo/s1600/Instagram%2Bcello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNvJGf4QxM8/VJoBi6440NI/AAAAAAAACww/642wrSwQZvo/s1600/Instagram%2Bcello.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She still has soul!</td></tr>
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Through the busyness, I tried to savor the little beautiful moments that make life worthwhile. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i7y0RWLKTcI/VJoBn83pNaI/AAAAAAAACxY/Motpxbq1EAQ/s1600/Instagram%2Benjoy%2Bthe%2Blittle%2Bthings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i7y0RWLKTcI/VJoBn83pNaI/AAAAAAAACxY/Motpxbq1EAQ/s1600/Instagram%2Benjoy%2Bthe%2Blittle%2Bthings.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mantra for this season has been "breathe deep, seek peace, and enjoy the little things"!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v8HKtXzlF-o/VJoBtAnlvKI/AAAAAAAACxo/lqLgy_nsB-s/s1600/Instagram%2Bhappy%2BHarmony%2Band%2Bmama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v8HKtXzlF-o/VJoBtAnlvKI/AAAAAAAACxo/lqLgy_nsB-s/s1600/Instagram%2Bhappy%2BHarmony%2Band%2Bmama.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She makes me smile.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcx7tSogMUs/VJoBzxBfP0I/AAAAAAAACyI/53QGw9_Y_UY/s1600/Instagram%2Bstar%2Bsocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcx7tSogMUs/VJoBzxBfP0I/AAAAAAAACyI/53QGw9_Y_UY/s1600/Instagram%2Bstar%2Bsocks.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a holiday from teaching means I wear purple pants and star socks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aIW3P2WCtU/VJoBtWWu2oI/AAAAAAAACxs/bwgts-2lWPs/s1600/Instagram%2Blove%2Blove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3aIW3P2WCtU/VJoBtWWu2oI/AAAAAAAACxs/bwgts-2lWPs/s1600/Instagram%2Blove%2Blove.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing better than a morning cuddle with my love.</td></tr>
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Merry Christmas to everyone, and may you have a beautiful holiday with your loved ones!</div>
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<br />Lyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04148646576042516203noreply@blogger.com0