Killing Us Softly With His Song

We've been keeping the windows open most of the time lately so the breeze will flow through the apartment and we won't have to turn on the AC. It's pretty nice actually. When we first moved here, we couldn't imagine leaving the windows open because none of them have screens. We couldn't imagine that we could keep birds, flies, and bats, (spelled with one "t"; the kind that fly) out of the house. So far,none of these things has been a problem. The only problem we have is "sound drift" from the surrounding apartments that also have their windows open. We hear a phone ring and can't tell if it is our's or a neighbor's. Was that our doorbell or someone else's?

Well, our latest sound drift has been a saxophone. Ever since this started, we have been trying to figure out just where the noise music was coming from. Normally I sort of like the sax. I even bought a Kenny G or two back in the day, but this saxophone is NOT being played by Kenny G. My best bet is a 5th or 6th grader.
As best we can tell, he is working on the melodic scale and the first two lines of "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess. (It's never been a real favorite anyway, and the addition of squeaks and flat notes don't help a bit.) Who would have ever imagined that "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" was not the most annoying song in the world for beginning musicians?

Last night the offender musician got brave. The sound was much louder and we were pretty sure he was out on his balcony. Maybe his mother made him go out there to practice and shut (or locked) the door behind him. We stared out our window long enough to see that other people were also coming to their windows to try to determine the source of the pain sound. One guy was even in the middle of brushing his teeth when he went to his window. We never did figure it out, but after 30 or 40 minutes, it was over. I will say that by the end of last night's session he actually got through the lines of "Summertime" hitting all the right notes and had cut the squeaks considerably.

Who knows? Maybe there is a budding Clarence Clemons right here in our neighborhood; or maybe we are going to have to start using the AC.

Hoe to the End of the Row

The title might make you think I am missing our garden and I am. Not that I really miss hoeing, but I do miss the great tasting veggies that are usually abundant this time of year. BUT that is not what this post is about.

It's about two of our missionaries that will be heading home in two days. They have been excellent missionaries: hard workers, obedient, got along with their companions, not obsessed with leadership positions, fun and friendly. The list could go on and on.

Tonight we attended a baptismal service for 2 families they have been working with the past little while. One couple has 4 children. The other family is a young couple without children. It was a very happy event. I was not only thrilled for the families, but proud of those two missionaries for working hard right up to the end of their missions. They knew how to hoe to the end of the row. If anybody out there is raising a prospective missionary, and I hope there are many that are, do him/her a favor and teach them that many times, the best harvests are at the end of the row, after you are already tired and tempted to quit. I hope I remember this myself.

One more picture: Two little cuties that were my BFsF after they found out about the Passion Fruit Tic Tacs I had in my purse. Aren't they darling?

Shopped 'til We Dropped

How did we end up buying all these shoes and flip flops when all we were really looking for was a brown blouse and some cream colored shoes for me and a pair of sandals for Rebecca? We really aren't sure. Things like that just happen sometimes.

Just for the record, they weren't all for us. Some were gifts and some were "orders" Rebecca had taken. Really, that is the truth.

We had made plans to go shopping with Claudia, the lady sitting by her son, Jared. When we got to her place to pick her up, we found out 2 more sisters and Jared had joined the party. We did some crazy driving out to a nearby town, Maraponga, where they have a fashion market. Because of the lack of sleeves or backs in blouses, and an abundance of plunging necklines we didn't buy much, but it was fun anyway. Claudia is a crazy shopper, always excited for a sign that says LIQIDACAO or PROMOCAO.

We found the displays and mannequins pretty interesting. This bright yellow one with a bikini on certainly made us take a second look.

This extra tall dude with white hair and a goatee was worthy of a snapshot or two we thought.
And our favorites were the "man"niquins, as Rebecca called them, that we saw. They were so broad and the heads looked way too small for the bodies. The store wasn't for cross-dressers or even for plus sizes that we could tell. They just liked big mannequins. We saw quite few in other stores too.

The day before Becca left, she made me go to one more store and try to find the brown blouse I needed to go with this cute skirt she brought for me. I really liked the skirt and didn't want to send it back with her, so I was glad she didn't let me give up. I finally found one that had a back, some sleeves, and no plunging neckline and it was even on PROMOCAO!

Alan's newest YouTube fave

I know some people think this is creepy, but Alan thinks it's great. I like it too.

Poor Little Fella

This picture is so out of focus, it is sad, but maybe not as sad as the story it tells.

This morning Alan says, "Millie, you've got to come here."

What? He hasn't tried talking to me like that since we were first married, 34 years ago, as of last Thursday, and I knew he knew better, but I went anyway.

He points to the door jamb, near the floor, and there I see a very dead, very squished gecko. We literally had to scrape him off. What are the chances that he would be right there when the door was shut? We don't know when it happened, but he was pretty dry, so I'm guessing it was at least a week ago. Poor little fella.

It gives new meaning to "getting yourself in a jam(b)." RIP

Mo' MoTab Please

I have never blogged about music before, because, let's face it, I'm probably too old for that, but, at the risk of being mocked by many of the younger generation that I am related to, I must say I really like the newest Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD.

I have liked gospel choir music ever since I was introduced to it in school choir at good ol' WJ. Back in the day, I think we could safely call the songs Negro spirituals. (I'm pretty sure that doesn't fly anymore.) Mr. Hansen must have liked "spirituals" too, because I think we performed at least one every year at the "Spring Concert." We really rocked the place with "Rocka My Soul."

I like American Folk music even more and Mack Wilberg is a genius at arranging, I think. The instrumental parts by the Orchestra at Temple Square really make some of the songs.

At first I thought there were a few outstanding favorites, but the more I listen to it, the more I like almost every song. There are a couple that have soloists that I am still getting used to. I like the singing of the male soloist quite well, but the shrieky soprano....well, let's just say I'm glad her parts aren't very long.

It is not enough of a problem not to buy the CD though. There is always the forward button and if you have to use it you are sure to find a great song just ahead.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

I have been waiting and waiting for a package Lucy sent the 24th of March. I had all but given up on it. Well, today, June 9th, it arrived. Yeah!
From the tags and stamps on the package I think it got held up in some sort of inspection. It looks like it arrived in Brazil on the 17th of April, so it arrived in the country in the usual time of about a month but the inspection held it up. I don't get this inspection stuff, because I know not every package gets inspected. But what's done is done and I am just glad it arrived.
Thank you ,Lucy, for the Easter things. I am excited to use them next year. Thank you, Grace. for the apron. Now I have an apron just like all the other hen and chicks. It was worth the wait!