So today we practiced with the new sound set-up for the first time. Things did not go perfectly, but it could have been a lot worse. With Dick there tomorrow to tweak some things, etc. we should be okay.

I went to the foot specialist right after school. As I expected he diagnosed me with plantar fasciitis. You can read about it here. I'm sure I probably injured it from overdoing it on the treadmill back in January. It just makes me so mad. I LOVED working out on the treadmill. I felt so energized and healthy. I know I need to use the elliptical instead, but I just hate it. But then my crazy schedule the last few weeks hasn't lended itself to any kind of exercise routine.

Anyway, the doctor gave me a corisone shot as I expected, told me to double the pain med I take regularly for my shoulder, and THEN he taped up my foot!!!! I said, "How's this going to look tomorrow?" He said, "Well, what will you be wearing? Socks?" I said, "No, pantihose and a skirt." And he proceeded with the taping.

There is no question, the cortisone shot has already helped. I was at school getting everything set up, walking back and forth between my room, the stage, the office numerous times and my heel was not bothering me much at all! But the tape job feels so terribly tight. And it looks horrible. What am I going to do?

Wear these shoes? Dick said I should have told him to tape the other foot too so they look alike.

I certainly can't wear these!

I'm going to go sleep on it. Which reminds me - next week he's giving me a splint to wear at night. Something about pulling my toes up or something. He said it will be uncomfortable, but when it starts to feel better, they readjust it to pull the toes up even more. Now THAT's something to look forward to.

It works - we hope!

It is almost midnight and Dick and I just got home from school. I was there all day. The sound system is installed and each mic and speaker and monitor worked when they were finished. SO - tomorrow's rehearsal is the test. Dick won't be there to trouble shoot for me, so hopefully, hopefully there won't be any major problems. On Friday he'll take off work all day, as he always does on my program days, to be there for the final rehearsal in the morning and then both the afternoon and evening programs.

I have an appointment at the foot doctor at 3:45 tomorrow. I suppose he'll give me a cortisone shot in my heel. I dread it like crazy, but I just hope it makes a difference by Friday.

I'm off to catch a few - a very few zzzzz's.

A sunny day in PA

This morning as I was getting ready for school I got a phone call from Miki in Sweden. She called to tell me that it was snowing over there! She was NOT a happy camper. I told her I was not surprised, considering that we had a terribly cool, rainy day yesterday. I don't think the temp ever reached 50 degrees yesterday. UGH!!

Today, however, was back to Spring again - a truly beautiful day. I snapped some pictures on the way to school again.

In the picture below are the beautiful flowers Sam and Ray gave me for Mother's Day. Does anyone know what they are? I thought I knew, but I can't think of the name of them. I'll take advice as to where to plant them as well - sun, shade, etc.

Things are coming together for my program on Friday. However, I am feeling quite anxious. The school recently purchased some badly needed sound equipment. It just arrived last week. Dick and several other men have been putting in long hours, working toward getting it all installed and in working order for the program. I had high hopes of it being ready for tomorrow's rehearsal, but that is not to be. I really, really hate last minute stuff. I have done so many programs, and I have it down to a science as to which day we do what in preparation for it. Now my order is being messed with and I'm trying to keep my peace. I know it will all be good in the long run, but......will it be good by Friday?

Dottie Rambo

This morning I received an email saying that songwriter Dottie Rambo was killed in a bus crash on Sunday morning. Actually, I'll just copy the one paragraph from the email:

Gospel Legend Dottie Rambo Killed in Accident

Gospel singer and songwriter Joyce “Dottie” Rambo died early Sunday morning when the tour bus she was traveling in ran off the road and hit an embankment. En route to a Mother’s Day concert in Texas, the 74-year-old was the only fatality in the crash that occurred about two miles east of Mount Vernon, Mo. Six others sustained moderate to severe injuries, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.


I was a teenager when I first learned of her songs. We were a singing family, and many of her songs quickly became our favorites. The first one I remember was called Remind Me, Dear Lord. Other songs of hers that I remember are In the Valley He Restores My Soul, Too Much to Gain to Lose, We Shall Behold Him, He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need, Sheltered in the Arms of God, and Mama's Teaching Angels How to Sing. I've enjoyed seeing her on TV from time to time. In fact I was watching a Mother's Day tribute to her as I fell asleep Saturday night. Just a few hours later she would truly Behold the Lamb.

My beautiful girlies

Here are some beautiful pictures Lisa posted on her blog, but I want them on mine too. Are they just too cute, or what??

I'll be heading south to spend five days with them just as soon as school is over at the end of this month. I can hardly wait. I also will get to see the final night of Jeremy's performance in the musical Gypsy. He is playing the part of Tulsa and has an awesome tap dancing act. Their first night was this past Saturday. They're doing four weekends in a row.

This morning a special gentleman from a nearby retirement community, Richard K., came to school to talk to the middle school about his life. A number of years ago, when Richard and his late wife moved to the retirement community they attended our church for a few years. There are many amazing things about Richard, but the most amazing of all is his piano playing. He can do entire recitals of absolutely flawless classical piano, totally from memory. He captured the attention of our middle school with three gorgeous pieces, including Franz Liszt's Leibestraum, a favorite of mine. I used to play it at weddings, but let me tell you, I did not play it the way he did it this morning. It was quite a treat!

And for those of you that wanted pictures of the mom that demanded special drive-up window service Friday morning, here they are!!

This was the first muffin - the one that met its demise on the wet pavement. Sorry, there's no picture of the poor, soggy thing.

And here's the second one - safe in the hands of the happy mom in her nightie! I don't know what that white thing is beside her nose - I think it's actually a raindrop somewhere between the camera and her. But it surely does look like a big old nose ring, doesn't it? Don't get any ideas, Nikki!!

Mother's Day

I have many good memories of Mother's Days with our children over the years. But this year's Mother's Day has been looking less and less like a memory-maker. First of all I found out that Anthony and Lori would be going to her parents in New York, which is fine, because they seldom see her family. Then when I called Ray in Virginia Beach on Friday he said he's on duty this weekend and wouldn't be able to come. Finally, worst of all, right before I went to bed Friday night I was reading the newspaper and saw something that made my heart sink right to my toes. Our son Frank, Destiny's dad, was arrested last Saturday night for a variety of things, and was put in jail with an extremely high cash bail amount. We had heard absolutely nothing about it all week, and still have not been able to get a hold of anyone to find out any more about it. I feel half sad and half mad and half like I don't even care anymore. (That's too many halves, isn't it?)

So yesterday I told Sam that I guess he would be the only one of our seven children that would be here for Mother's Day. Today as we arrived home from church I expected to see Sam's car in the driveway. Instead it was Ray's!! Sam arrived soon afterward. I found out that when I was talking to Ray Friday evening he was actually near Washington DC on his way to Sam's place, where he's been this weekend. He wanted to surprise me for Mother's Day. That just made my day!

This morning in church the pastor had all the mothers come forward to be honored and prayed for and to be given one of these beautiful carnations.

Sam, Ray, Destiny, Dick, and I went to Hoss's Steakhouse for lunch. It was a fun time.

You can dress me up, but you can't take me out. When I went to get my little ice cream cone at the end of the meal, I held my cone right up beside the thing that you press. I wondered why nothing was coming out. Then I discovered that I was holding my cone at the wrong place, and the icecream had indeed been coming out - a lot of it sitting like a cowpile on the grates under the ice cream "faucets." You'd think I never operated one of those things before.

Crazy Friday

My schedule at school was insane today. By the time I finally left at 4:00 I was glad for the chance to be alone in the car with my music and the Lord on the drive to Reading to pick up Destiny. I was all peopled-out.

But my day did start out with a really good laugh. Every other year we have Muffins with Mom the second Friday in May for half an hour before school starts. (On the alternate years we have Donuts with Dad.) When I got to school (it was raining), I went straight to the kitchen to put a bucket of ice cream in the freezer that I had brought for my worship team. Of course the staff persons who were serving the muffins were in the kitchen. As I put my ice cream in the freezer I heard a car horn beep. And then I heard it again, a little bit longer. I looked out and saw a car sitting right outside the kitchen door with a person in it. I said to another teacher, "Why would someone be sitting out back here blowing their horn?" The other teacher poked her head out the door - in the rain - and there was that same gutsy mom that had driven all over town looking for flowers for our tables yesterday. She wanted a muffin, but she couldn't come in for one because she was still in her nightie. Oh my word!! We just screamed laughing as we decided to open the window and pretend this was a drive-in. She opened her car window and someone threw a muffin out to her. The first one didn't quite make it, so they tried again and she caught the second one. Someone took a couple of pictures, but I don't know if she'd appreciate having them on my blog. But then, being her, maybe she wouldn't mind. She is a complete trip and provides us with more than a few laughs.

Teacher appreciation week

This is "teacher appreciation week" at our school. All week we have been the recipients of goodies and gifts and favors. Today our entire staff was "sent" to the church next door to be served a delicious meal while volunteer moms took over the classes. It was a great chance to be together uninterrupted for an hour. Thank you, all you wonderful moms!

As we left for lunch I was amused at this sight in the foyer. The Pre-K class had taken a field trip, and since it's the law in PA that kids must be in a booster until age 8, these boosters must be dropped off with the children when they take field trips in cars.

We're off! Have fun, Moms!

In order to have flowers for our tables, two gutsy moms had driven through town looking for places that had lots of flowering bushes, etc. Then they knocked on the doors of 7 homes and explained what they needed flowers for, and at each place they were told to take as many as they wanted!! I just cracked up when I heard that!

Getting more things crossed off my list

This was another long day. I finally left school at 7:45, but with a GOOD feeling because all the costumes are pulled and almost ready. I had to bring a few along home to mend or alter. I was so tired and hot when I got home, so I got right into my nightshirt and slippers.

Things are coming together pretty well for next Friday's program, and I'm getting more and more things crossed off my list. You know that makes me a happy girl! This musical is going to bring more than a few laughs. At one point when Saul is trying to persuade David that he's too small to fight Goliath, Saul is supposed to say, "He'll eat you for lunch." Today in rehearsal our "Saul" quietly added, "That won't be pretty." Oh, did we laugh!

Today Dick saw regular gas at $3.69. I really did not think it would go this high. But I guess by comparison, we are still among the very fortunate in the world. I simply cannot wrap my mind around the thought that maybe as many as 100,000 people died in Myanmar this week. 100,000!!!

Morning beauty

Lately I've begun taking a different route to school in order to avoid the bus traffic around the Jr. High school. It saves me a few minutes even though it is a very winding path of country roads. Yesterday morning the sun was bright and I was so enjoying the scenery along the way, but I didn't have my camera. So this morning I grabbed it as I left the house. BUT, it was a very hazy, even foggy morning. I took pictures anyway.

Yesterday morning there were swans on this farm pond.

If you click on this one you'll see ducks swimming under this rustic bridge.

I stayed at school until 8 PM working on accompaniment for the Middle School Chorus songs and on costumes for the Intermediates. I'm not finished with the costumes.

So now I checked all my regular blogs, I'm doing this post, and then I'm going to my comfy bed. I love how we can sleep with the window open just now. I love the sounds of the woods behind the house.

Oh, by the way, I did NOT wash those beach towels yet. I don't dare. I considered putting them outside in the rain sometime. One of the teachers at school said that I should just add one towel to each load for a while instead of adding detergent. That sounds pretty smart, don't you think? That idea of putting them outside in the rain is one I got from Jeremy. When he was a teenager he went on a missions trip to Jamaica and had to do his laundry by hand. He said they figured out an easy way to do it: lay all their dirty clothes out on the grass, throw powdered degergent on top of it, and then let the daily rain storm take care of the rest!! Believe me, when he came home, his clothes smelled like they had been done like that!!!

A big mess

This evening Sam came home to do his laundry. It was fun to catch up with him. He did make a BIG mess, though. When he went into the laundry to put his first load into the dryer, he discovered that he had not put the lid on the liquid detergent and it had vibrated off and spilled all across the floor. We cleaned it up with a whole bunch of beach towels. Can you imagine the suds when I put them in the washer??

Dick played basketball for the first time since he hurt his shoulder and did pretty well.

I'm ready to hit the sack. I have to go to school early to prepare everything for a mass chorus practice first thing. And one of these days I need to stay after school and pull costumes for all forty-some intermediates. I hate that job. My other biggest problem is figuring out what to do with Goliath after David kills him. I don't really want him lying there on the stage for the last two songs. He ends up right behind where I stand to direct. Can't you just imagine me stepping back right on him and falling all over the place?

I decided to read the the actual story of David and Goliath in the Bible to see what they did with Goliath afterward. The Bible says that after David killed him with his slingshot, he walked over and took Goliath's spear and cut off his head. THEN he carried Goliath's head and took it to King Saul. Needless to say, we won't be acting out that part!!

Ahhh, Spring!!

Ahh, Spring!! I LOVE it! Above is my first azalea bush to show off it's beauty.

Dick and I have been talking lately about getting bikes, a conversation which was started by the bikes that were sold at my school's auction last weekend. Well, actually, Destiny started this conversation last year, suggesting that we get bikes so we could ride bike with her instead of just watching her. Yesterday morning Dick went shopping for a new pair of sneakers, and on the way he passed a yard sale that had a bike for sale. It apparently was a $500 bike when it was new ten years ago. Dick called our brother-in-law Elvin, who is a biking pro, and he pronounced his blessing upon it, so Dick bought it for $75!

So he and Destiny spent time yesterday afternoon and again this afternoon on the bike trail that meanders through the countryside and some new housing developments nearby.

Yesterday they watched ducks swimming in this creek.

Both days they stopped at this playground along the way. So, as soon as another yard sale has a good bike cheap that passes the 'brother Elvin' test, I'm going to get me some wheels too. I have not ridden a real bike (as opposed to a stationary one) since 1977. I am not kidding! But they say you never forget. I hope not.

This morning I was an itinerate worship leader. My school worship team led at Kauffman Mennonite Church, whose worship service is from 9 - 10 AM. This is the church Dick grew up in and that we went to the first fifteen years of our marriage until we were asked to come to our church as worship leaders. It still feels very much like family there, probably because half of them ARE family (I'm exaggerating!) Dick's parents and two of his brothers, Fred and Steve and their wives attend there. Fred's wife, Deb, ever the thoughtful lady, had delicious blueberry muffins and juice for us before the service started this morning. Kids LOVE that kind of thoughtfulness early on a Sunday morning!

As soon as that service was over I made a hasty exit and drove the 10 minutes to our church, whose service begins at 10:30, and led worship there. It felt very, very good to be there after being away so many Sundays lately.

Destiny was picked up at 5 PM so we're having a quiet evening at home. It's such a lovely evening. I need to prepare my mind for the upcoming busy, busy week at school.

Jr. High Choral Festival

Yesterday morning we headed by bus to Lancaster Mennonite High School for the annual Jr. High Choral Festival. It was a very long, hard day of work for the kids. Imagine practicing the same seven songs over and over again all day long, being stopped COUNTLESS times by the conductor to do something over and over and over until it was right. There were small breaks throughout the day, including a one-hour lunch break. It was a lovely, warm day, so we sat outside to eat our lunches. It gave a chance for the boys to do some carousing and to work off some pent-up energy.

For me, a favorite thing about these festival days is getting to hang out with the other music teachers. Some of us have been at this for a very long time, but there are always new ones too. We just have such fun together, especially me and the other Mrs. Stauffer. What a hoot! We're the same age, her name is Jan, mine is Jean, we've both been at this FOREVER. We like to tell people we're twins. But then we make sure that we go through our stupid introductory speil that we've also been doing forever. First we say that she and I are not related to each to each other, neither are our husbands related to each other, but I am her husband's cousin. And that's the truth. His grandma and my grandma were sisters.

After the final rehearsal we waited in a long line at the cafeteria, had to gobble down our chicken patty and smiley fries supper, then went back to the auditorium to rehearse our individual piece, then braved the masses in the changing rooms and locker rooms to change into our clothes for the evening.

During the first part of the concert the schools did their individual pieces. The other 400 kids and their weary teachers waited on the bleachers in the gym, supposedly watching and listening to the performing choir on the remote screen they provided for us. But the feed is always somewhat unsatisfactory, and it's really difficult to subdue that many middle schoolers after they've been practicing all day.

This is the picture Dick took of my choir singing our individual piece, The Light of That City. Hannah Metzler and Derrick Kreider (at the microphones) did the solo verses. According to the response afterward, I believe it was pretty powerful. Thank you, Jesus!

When each school had sung their individual piece, the 400 kids filed onto those huge risers and sang together the songs we had already worked on this spring, and they had been practicing all day. There was great variety in their seven songs - classical, Spiritual, Gospel, one a capella number, some with brass, drums, one with a penny whistle, another with a violin, most with piano accompaniment. The applause and standing ovation at the end had to make the long hard day worth it for the kids.

The highlight of the day for me was when, after listening to 30-some girls try out for a major solo in the gospel song He Never Failed Me Yet, they chose my 8th-grade student, Hannah Metzler, to do it with the mass chorus. In the picture above, if you look really hard (after you click on the picture), you can see her standing in the opening in the middle with a microphone. She did a FANTASTIC job!!!! After that song there was long, long, loud, very loud applause! I'm quite sure I was the loudest of all. My heart was just about to burst with pride.

And here she is with me afterward. A lot of the other teachers said, "Why do you always have the 'belters'?? Can't you send some to me?" I don't know why, but I have been blessed over the years with absolutely amazing solo voices, and as I look down over the lower grades there are many more to come. Those other teachers are just going to have to deal with it, ha, ha!!

After we left Lancaster Mennonite School at 9:30 Dick and I drove to Reading to pick up Destiny for the weekend. It was okay. It gave us time to be together and time for me to just sit and relax after a long day. I was so ready for my good bed when we got home. And this morning I was so glad when I realized it was Saturday morning. Too good to be true!

3 things

I've seen a few people's posts today in which they answered this 3 things meme. I thought it looked like fun, since I love lists, so I'm going to do it too.

3 things

3 places I go all the time: school, the grocery store, the gym

3 people who email me: my dad, my sister Mary Ellen, my sister Doris

3 favorite places to eat: Pizza Hut, Subway, Olive Garden

3 places I would rather be right now: Florida, Florida, Florida

3 TV shows I could watch over and over: Everybody Loves Raymond, The Today Show, Joyce Meyer.

3 people who will do this: I think Lisa would have fun doing this, and probably Kat and Tonja. (No pressure, girls, if you don't feel like it.)


Well, tomorrow will be a big, big day. I will be taking 33 middle school students to Lancaster Mennonite High School for a Jr. High Choral Festival. There will probably be over 400 students there. All day long they will practice the songs we've been working on for this event. In the evening there will be a concert open to the public. Each participating school will present one individual song, then they will join together to perform the songs they worked on during the day. My kids will do Brooklyn Tab's The Light of that City. I think they're going to do a great job.

Please pray that my feet can survive the day. Thank goodness, we're having cooler weather, so I will wear pants and my trusty Reeboks with the orthotic inserts during the day. But in the evening I'll need to dress up.