All kinds of weather

Yes, I did post last evening about Dick's 70th birthday, but that was kind of an experiment with his new iPad.  Not at all a satisfactory experience for me!

So since this blog is my diary, I want to post the pictures and activities since last Monday when I did my last regular weekly post.  Our weather has been all over the place!!  

Wednesday was absolutely beautiful and I got these pictures when I went out for my walk. 

On Thursday it seemed sunny around noon and I thought I would go for a walk.  But just like that, I looked outside and it looked like a blizzard out there!  In about 15 minutes the storm blew away, leaving a light covering of snow on the grass.  But soon thereafter the sun came out, and just like that, it was all gone!

I had to work for my coffee that day.  Our Keurig had been warning us that it was time to descale,  but I was SO busy I forgot.  (Hahahaha!  That's not true.  I was not busy, I just forgot.)  On Thursday morning it refused to let one drop of water come through.  So good old YouTube to the rescue!  As it told me to, I straightened a big paper clip and cleaned it well, of course, then I poked it up into the little holes on either side of the needle that jags through the K-cup.  I also put white vinegar into the carafe to descale it first.  At first the vinegar/water was just dripping through, but eventually it started coming out full force.  Of course, I had to run many cups of water through it after the vinegar to make sure it was ready to drink.  I had the unpleasant experience one time of making my coffee too soon and the milk instantly curdled when I added it.  Yuck!  Anyway, my first cup of coffee tasted extra good that morning after waiting so long and working so hard for it!  

I've been spending a lot of time reading a lot of things I have written over the years. I came across the story of teaching the song "You Gave Your Life Away" at school in the spring of 2009 - my last year of teaching, although I did not know it at that time.  Here's what I had written:

One of the songs I recently taught each of the grades is Paul Baloche's "You Gave Your Life Away." It will be one of our mass chorus songs in the Spring Program. Most of the songs I use are more upbeat, complete with choreography, clapping, jumping, or whatever. And, of course, the wild and crazy behavior that goes with it! But I usually like to use one contrast song, and this one is it. So far I have always had the kids sit down on the risers to sing this one, asking them to try to forget about each other (a HUGE request for any age) and just focus on the One we're singing to. 

I'm telling you, I have never seen any song have the effect that this one does. No matter how many kids, or which grade, or what normal behavior issues there are, they COMPLETELY calm down as they sing this song, and they really do seem to become oblivious to each other. 

Today I had my Tuesday half of the Primary Chorus, normally my most challenging period of the week. Today was no exception until we sang this song. The Pre-K teacher was waiting outside the door in tears, so moved as she heard those little voices singing so beautifully in pure worship.

So I decided to experiment again with the acapella app and here's my trio version of that song.  

On Friday afternoon and evening we got snow again!! But it disappeared before noon on Saturday. 

I've been telling Dick that I think he could trim the back of my hair a little bit.  I hate when it gets long enough to start "bunching out" in the back, haha!  So he got his beard trimmer and pulled the hair outward bit by bit with a fine tooth comb and then trimmed the ends off with his beard trimmer.  He did a pretty good job!

I did get a couple of sunrise pictures this week.  I always get up at 6:15, and now it's already daylight!  Often it's too cloudy.  Also the sun is rising at a different place than it had been this winter.  I used to be able to stand on my front porch to get a good shot.  Now I often have to stand on the side porch to see it, or sometimes it seems to be completely hidden by the neighbor's house.  

On Saturday my friend Peg texted me that she had hung something on my front door.  So I checked, and there was a bag with two masks she had made for me!  Musical notes and pianos!  I LOVE them!!  Sunday evening when we were FaceTiming with the guys in Portland, I was being silly and put the mask on top of my head.  It reminded me of the little black bonnets we used to wear to look dressy when I was a teenager.  

Sunday was Dick's 70th birthday, and that is what my post was about last evening.  You'll have to scroll down to see it after you're finished with this one if you missed it.  But I did not post this little "Happy Birthday" video that shows our little, very delicious dessert. 

In the process of looking for photos to put in his "decades" collage I came across this one!  Eight years old.  Good grief, he looks like Anthony's boys!!!

Today was another beautiful sunny day.  I love walking in our community.  I like to take different streets each time.   Here are a couple of pictures I took.  

Our governor announced today that he'll start to open some things up on May 8th.  I was hoping for May 1st, but thankful he did not say that he's keeping everything closed for the whole month of May.  I think I would have fallen down screaming and crying if he had.  Today there was a protest in Harrisburg and they most certainly were not at all following any rules of social distancing, masks, or anything.  There were a lot of people there, all of them standing close to each other.  It made me sad and mad.  If our numbers in PA go up because of all those people being defiant and careless, thus causing us to have to stay home even longer, I will really, really cry.  I just want to see our children and grandchildren and have them here and go to visit our parents in the nursing homes.  

Well, that's my rant and now I'm all caught up!  Lord, heal our land!!!