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6/5/2010 Back home again...for now! 5/6/2010 Coming and going... 12/14/2009 A new addition! 10/27/2009 Turning 50 wasn't that bad! 6/10/2009 Brief update... 2/9/2009 Interesting interruptions... 10/6/2008 It's been awhile... 7/16/2008 Halfway Through VBS! 6/26/2008 Eager anticipation! 6/18/2008 The dust is settling... 6/2/2008 Catching my breath... |
Date: 6/5/2010 Title: Back home again...for now! We survived California! What an amazing trip! And what a great excuse to go! I was invited to participate in the California Autoharp Gathering, held at St. Nicholas Ranch in Dunlap, CA, nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. A glorious venue, delicious food, lots of wonderful people, and an overall grand time. Mark and the boys came along, and while I was “working” (I feel guilty even using that word to describe what I did at CAG!), they headed south and enjoyed some phenomenal train watching in the Mojave Desert near Ludlow and Barstow. We were reunited on Sunday afternoon and headed to Oakhurst, our gateway to Yosemite National Park. WOW! An amazingly beautiful place! We checked out the Mariposa Sequoia Grove, stood speechless at Tunnel View, got pretty wet approaching the Bridal Veil Falls, and even saw a bear! From Yosemite, we made our way across the state to San Luis Obispo, then made our way up the coast along the legendary Highway 1. Again, amazingly beautiful scenery! We stayed in Pacific Grove, nestled between Monterey and Pebble Beach, utterly surrounded by magnificent beauty! I feel so privileged to have been able to visit, and would return in a heartbeat! Aaron has been safely deposited at The Wilds, a Christian camp in North Carolina where he’ll be working as a camp counselor for the second year. It was great having him home, even though it felt like a whirlwind went through! Musically, I’ll be playing at an outdoor wedding (that’s a first!) at the end of the month, then on to Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering in Newport, PA. I am honored to participate in the 20th Anniversary celebration as a past champion, and look forward to leading the Gospel Jams in the evenings. Hope this finds you and yours enjoying the advent of summer, surrounded by beauty (regardless of which coast you’re on!), and rejoicing in the goodness of God! I sure am! Date: 5/6/2010 Title: Coming and going... One week ago, our family was strolling the streets of Chatham, MA on blustery Cape Cod, enjoying the last day of our vacation. The most beautiful days were the day we arrived and the day we left! We had some nice walks along the beach, an interesting visit to the Sandwich Glass Museum, and I even survived a ride along the Shining Sea Bike Path! We dropped Benjamin off at the “Talents for Christ” competition in Bloomsburg, PA on our way home. He did a good job with his first entry in the Preaching category, as well as team puppets, ensemble singing, and even extemporaneous writing! In less than a week, Aaron joins us after completing his junior year at BJU. We’ll have him here for ten days, which we anticipate will be a whirlwind of activity, to include a day at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, a day at the Washington, DC Zoo, a canoeing day at Lake Marburg, a cook-out, and probably some shoe shopping! Yes, he is his mother’s son! Two weeks from today, we all board the plane for California! I’ve been invited to present workshops and a concert at the California Autoharp Gathering near Fresno, and while I’m doing that, the boys and Mark will head south for some train watching. Then we’ll meet up and spend some time at Yosemite, then head over to the coast and make our way up towards Monterey and possibly San Francisco. We’re excited, to say the least! In the meantime, we’re in the midst of an excellent week of evangelistic meetings at our church with Mark Kittrell. What a blessing that has been! I’ll be speaking and playing at a Ladies’ Tea this Saturday at a church near Harrisburg. One of my students will be joining me on one of the songs, a big moment for us both. Pat approached me almost two years ago, asking if she was “too old” to play the autoharp. She inspires me! I hope I’ll be tackling new challenges and still serving the Lord passionately when I’m in my 70’s! Date: 12/14/2009 Title: A new addition! It has been a whole week since the adoption took place. Last Monday I drove down to Harrisonburg, VA to pick up my new “baby,” a teen-aged hammered dulcimer! It is a 20/19/8 Cloud Nine and has all of the upgrades I wanted (like extended range, dark soundboard, “pretty” woodworking) as well as some I didn’t (like extra weight and more strings to tune!). It is beautiful to look at and has an amazing resonance! I am still getting used to it, but bonding is definitely taking place! The first song to “jump out” of the new baby was “Ashokan Farewell,” and I’m finding new ways to use those luscious bass notes in my existing arrangements. Very exciting! In other news, I’ll be presenting concerts and a workshop in Reedsville and Newport, PA in early January as part of the Mini-Mountain Laurel Concert Series sponsored by the Perry County Council for the Arts. Sure would love to see you there! In the meantime, please accept my heart-felt wishes for a blessed Christmas celebration! Amid the hustle and bustle of shopping and baking and wrapping and visiting, may there be a quiet readiness in your heart to welcome the Advent of the King! Date: 10/27/2009 Title: Turning 50 wasn't that bad! It is the day after turning 50, actually. Although today is dreary and drizzly, my heart continues to soar from the events of yesterday. If there is such a thing as a Perfect Day in this life, then yesterday was one of them! I actually had an extended birthday celebration, which began earlier this month. My high school buddy Leah and I spent a week celebrating our mutual 50th with a road trip to Tennessee and Kentucky. Highlights included watching “Christy” re-runs in our mountain cabin, amazing meals at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, a sumptuous meal on “My Old Kentucky Dinner Train,” shopping the crafts in Berea, and the flaming foliage of West Virginia on the way home. It was a memorable and wonderful trip! The Great Surprise took place several days ago in the parking lot of Lowe’s. Our family returned to the car after shopping for a new screen door (!), and after piling in, I heard, “Hey, let’s go to Sonic!” Nothing unusual about that request, except I thought to myself, “Wow, Benjamin sure is starting to sound like Aaron!” Well, it WAS Aaron! He had traveled the ten hours from college to celebrate with me! What a precious gift! The actual Day itself started out with NO ALARM CLOCK! We meandered out the door in time for lunch at a surprise location, known only to Mark. He definitely revels in such things! Our destination was not just a meal, but an event! It was a Japanese Steakhouse called “Sakura,” where the food is prepared right in front of you. Kind of like having the Food Channel up close and personal! I had never tasted anything like that plate of food! It was a delightful discovery for us all! From there, we headed for Penn Station in Baltimore, where Aaron would catch his train back down to college (an 11-hr trip!). Just entering that station brought back a lot of very fond memories. On the way back home we stopped off at Cracker Barrel for some Coca-Cola Cake to go. When we returned to the car, we were treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets in recent memory. I felt as though the Lord was smiling on me and Personally wishing me a Happy Birthday! Our reason for settling for just dessert at CB was because Mark had another surprise up his sleeve. Since he was batting a thousand, we decided to see what was behind “Door Number Two”! Our second restaurant “maiden voyage” was to “Chipotle,” a Mexican grill that recently opened in York. I could hardly *lift* the burrito they prepared, but somehow I DID manage to eat it! We ended the evening with a brief shop at Ross’s (where, of course, I found some things on sale!), then headed home. I didn’t want the day to end! I can only hope that the rest of the days in this new decade of my life are as satisfying and enjoyable. To be surrounded by loved ones, to experience unexpected blessings, to enjoy new experiences, to have the capacity to savor beautiful tastes and sights and conversation…this certainly makes me feel more alive than ever! Date: 6/10/2009 Title: Brief update... After the musical and ministry flurry of activity in April and May, we're catching our breath and taking the final lap in homeschool. Our evaluation is this Friday with Ginny, who has served as our evaluator and friend for fourteen years now! I always look forward to seeing her. In just a few short weeks, I'll be making my annual pilgrimage to the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering in Newport, PA. I'll be leading Gospel Jams every evening and benefitting from the various workshops and concerts, but this year will include something different--I'll actually be camping instead of being a motel weenie! Two of my music students who also happen to be dear friends have invited me to share their pop-up camper, which is actually more like the Taj Mahal on wheels! It ought to be quite an adventure! I've also just re-discovered Marty Goetz, an incredibly talented singer and song-writer whom someone has aptly dubbed a "modern-day psalmist." I had his first recording "I Call You Friend" decades ago and literally wore the cassette tape out! I was pleased to discover that he has a wonderful web presence and ordered his other recordings. His music ministers to my soul, and I can't recommend it highly enough I hope this finds you busy but not frenzied, challenged but not stressed, taking the time each day to find cause for rejoicing! Date: 2/9/2009 Title: Interesting interruptions... The New Year is well underway, and I am long overdue for a blog update! Mark is back in Boston on business, reminding us both of the last business trip he had there--the one that landed him in the ER with an unexpected gall bladder removal in early December! Ben and I happened to be visiting during the middle weekend of his two weeks there, and I'm so thankful I was next to him when he awoke in the middle of night in some serious pain! Mark's surprise surgery and recuperation rearranged our holiday preparations somewhat, but I was able to follow through on some ministry commitments by the grace of God. I made some wonderful new friends in Hummelstown, PA and in York Springs, PA and music and message were very warmly received. Last night I provided music during our celebration of the Lord's Table. I consider this a great privilege, an opportunity to help establish an atomosphere of worship and meditation. I have a morning offertory coming up, and I'm hoping that "butterfly of inspiration" lands on me soon! Looking ahead, I plan to be at Tri-State again in April, providing a concert the weekend that Jan Christiansen will be speaking. I'm really looking forward to her ministry, and meeting lots of new friends! I'll also be speaking and playing for a ladies' retreat in Massachusetts in May, then vacation in New Hampshire! Much to look forward to! Whatever you're up to, I hope this finds you well and using the gifts that God has graciously given you! My motto since high school has been to "bloom wherever I'm planted!" Date: 10/6/2008 Title: It's been awhile... Obviously, I'm not too good at this blog stuff! Several months since my last entry, and that's NOT because nothing has been happening! Yesterday I played the offertory in church, using my single-key Fackeldey autoharp. That mysterious butterfly of inspiration unexpectedly landed on my shoulder, and I nice arrangement of "How Firm a Foundation" emerged. I just wish that butterfly would arrive earlier and more often! In other "big" news, a recently-discovered chip in my engagement diamond has resulted in a great opportunity for an upgrade! YES! 8~) And I've discovered a wonderful shawl pattern, easy and mindless but works up beautifully! Not to mention my new moebius mania! I'll be giving crochet lessons to a girl in our church as part of her homeschool. I count it a privilege to equip her with what I hope will be a life-long skill and will bring her endless enjoyment! Ladies' Day Away is coming up at my home church, Hope Baptist of Hanover. The theme is "Travelling Light" and our main speaker will be Mina Oglesby. I'll be presenting an afternoon workshop entitled, "Layovers--Making the Most of Downtime." I enjoyed preparing it, and look forward to presenting it. All is well with hubby and sons. We're enticipating glorious autumnal splendor, but enjoying cooler temperatures in the meantime! More later! Date: 7/16/2008 Title: Halfway Through VBS! As I write, we are just about halfway through VBS, otherwise known as Vacation Bible School. I attended as a young child and have taught for the past 17 years. This year my younger son, Benjamin is serving as a helper for the first time. We started out with nine terrific junior-age girls in our class on Monday, and attendance was up to 13 yesterday. Many of these girls have already heard the Gospel at home or at Christian school or through the church they attend; but it is a marvelous opportunity to challenge them in areas of personal growth. By this age, they are good readers and very interactive. We've had good sessions together, so far. Next week, Ben heads to The Wilds Christian Camp in North Carolina. This will be his second year, and he is really looking forward to it, if not the long drive down! It will be pretty quiet around here, but that's okay; I like quiet! Date: 6/26/2008 Title: Eager anticipation! The Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering is underway, and I plan to join the festivities on Saturday. This will be my tenth year attending, and it has certainly been a wonderful place of blessing. Over the years, I have won two 'harps (and through the contest experience, been s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d considerably!), met LOTS of very wonderful people, gotten invited to teach and play in England, was given a lever harp on "indefinite loan" by a very gracious friend (a specific answer to prayer), gotten tickets for the Winfield Festival on two occasions, been encouraged (monetarily and otherwise) to record... it seems like every year has held a special blessing for me, and this year I'm eager to see what it will be! Meantime, homeschool is over for the year and all of the chores that were neglected during the school year are now top priority! We got the grout stripped and sealed in the kitchen, most rooms are now de-cluttered (the worse offenders--the basement and the attic--still await our attention), I'm finally caught up on ironing, and it feels GOOD to cross them off the list! Musically, I'm noodling with an arrangement for "A Mighty Fortress" on hammered dulcimer. I'm yearning for an extended-range instrument, but I trust it will come to me in good time. Songs like this could certainly benefit from it! Date: 6/18/2008 Title: The dust is settling... We just returned from a wonderful trip to Massachusetts, where we were able to visit dear friends en route to Camp Northfield, where Karla returned as the main speaker at the annual Ladies' Retreat. Our theme this year was "Heirlooms--What Are We Passing Down?" Music and message were warmly received, and it was a delight to meet so many new friends! We also had the opportunity to visit Calvary Baptist Church of Easthampton, where I had the opportunity to bring a devotional for the ladies and provide some special music for the morning worship service. Our trip home was safe and uneventful, just the way we like it! On a whim, we decided to get some train watching in the next day. We found ourselves exploring Huntingdon and its environs, blessed with beautiful weather, lots of train activity, and unexpectedly delightful shopping! Everyone was happy! Next on my musical agenda is preparing for the offertory at church this Sunday, then the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering the next weekend. I'm looking forward to renewing some old friendships there and enjoying the evening concert on Saturday. Hope this finds you enjoying a relaxing, productive, restful summer! Date: 6/2/2008 Title: Catching my breath... At the moment, I'm enjoying the "eye of the storm," so to speak! With music and ministry, it tends to be "feast or famine," weeks without any substantial musical pursuits, and then several concerts back-to-back! That's the nature of things, I guess! The "feast" began over Mother's Day weekend, where our travels took us to Brooklyn, NY. We enjoyed the gracious hospitality of Pastor Don and Sandy LeMaster in their three-story brownstone as well as the warm fellowship with his flock at Brooklyn Baptist Church. The weather was perfect, we got a perfect parking space (unheard of!), and we even got a glimpse of Lady Liberty as we came across the Verrazano Bridge on the way home. A great time, indeed! The weekend after that, I had the privilege of speaking at the Ladies' Banquet of Fellowship Baptist Church in nearby York, PA. Due to space constraints, I was unable to bring all of the instruments along, but two autoharps equipped me to accompany the theme of joy, based on Psalm 16:11 - "Thou wilt show me the path of life. In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore!" Pastor's wife, Lauri Nazaruk was a gracious hostess, and warm fellowship was enjoyed by all. Memorial Day weekend found me at the Dulci-More 14 Festival in Lisbon, OH. I enjoyed the hospitality of Bill Schilling, festival organizer and "Johnny Appleseed" of acoustic folk music in his corner of Ohio! I had the privilege of presenting a concert to a local elementary school, greatly impressed by how well behaved and how sharp those kids were! I was also interviewed by Tom Ball, host of "Just Plain Folk," a program aired on The Summit, FM 91.3, broadcasting from Akron, Ohio. I really enjoyed the experience, once I got used to all those microphones! My concert set was on Sunday evening, which was warmly received, and I also enjoyed the other sets offered by Jan Krist, Butch Ross, Dan Landrum, Bing Futch, and Randy Clepper. I also presented two workshops, one on precision playing for autoharp and the other on arranging hymns for autoharp. Between the terrific people, the delicious food, beautiful venue, and perfect weather, it was a great experience, and could only have been improved if Mark and the boys had come along! They certainly would have enjoyed all those trains going through Salem... This past weekend, we attended the wedding of my cousin Amanda to Brent Washington. The ceremony was lovely, made especially by the bride wearing her mother's wedding gown! It was wonderful to see family again, but it was also somewhat bittersweet. It really made me miss my Dad, who would have loved to be there, enjoying the big day with his Cousin Tom, father of the bride. I felt he was there with us in spirit! So other than than scrambling to wrap up homeschool, I'm enjoying a breather! Coming up next, over Fathers' Day weekend, is the annual Ladies' Retreat at Camp Northfield in MA. I'll be presenting a concert and message on Friday evening, three messages and music on Saturday, and presenting message and music at Calvary Baptist Church in Springfield, MA on Sunday. It will be hectic, but I'm looking forward to it! More on that, later... I just finished a lesson with one of my prize students, Helen. She has recently taken up the mountain dulcimer and is making wonderful progress. It is very exciting to help people develop their musical abilities, to watch the "light bulb" go on when they "get it," to encourage them when they get frustrated. And all while I get to sit in my own music room, no getting dressed up, no commute, no other frustrations of regular employment! A great blessing, indeed! |