Ordinarily Extraordinary

Just a couple of photos...

Just sharing a couple of photos of the day.

September 9 - My piano. I love that it's being used by Squirt. I love how the light lands on it when the sun streams through in the mornings and in the afternoons.

September 10 - Squirt building with his Magnetix. Love that he loves to build.

Market, Paintings, Piano, & Curious Kitty

Catching up on my photos of the day.

Sunday afternoon I was taking a friend's son home who came to play with Squirt and decided to go by the wonderful little organic market to pick up some specialty items. I love how this area has been developed and planned.

August 16, 2009

Last December I went with my sister to Sips 'N Strokes and won a gift certificate. I hadn't been able to go when there was a painting I had wanted to do, but they recently opened one in a town about 40 minutes away from me so when I saw this painting on the schedule I decided to go. Even by myself I really enjoyed it.

August 17, 2009

The Squirt's piano lessons have moved to Tuesdays now that school has started. He enjoys it, but still fusses about practicing of course.

August 18, 2009

Squirt is in love with the new kitten. He carries him around all the time and the kitten just purrs as loud as you can imagine. Most of the time it looks like he's carrying a baby around on his shoulder.

August 19, 2009

To say the kitten is curious is an understatement. I find him into everything. I walked into the bathroom just a few minutes after getting a shower and heard something in the shower. I pulled the curtain back and there he was. He's even walked along the edge of the tub while I'm in the shower, between the shower liner and the curtain. I have a feeling if he had gotten wet he would not have been such a happy camper. It's just too funny.

August 20, 2009

New Music

I'm so excited. John Claybrook has played & sang in our church's orchestra and praise band many, many times over the past few years. I looked so forward to Sundays when he was there to hear him sing. The first time I heard him I told my best friend that he needed to be recording.  And now his first album is available on itunes! I just downloaded the entire album.  You can click here to visit his website and hear some of his music.

Jim Brickman

I love piano music. I play, but I am so far from good. I just can't quite move my fingers fast enough. Of course if I had put in more time practicing I would probably be better.

I especially love piano music when it's Jim Brickman playing.  He has an upcoming special on PBS. I follow him on twitter and he shared a sneak preview of the special. One day I'm going to be able to see him in concert. My heart may not be able to handle the excitement when I do.

But until that day I thought I would share this with you.

What happened to my week?

I have blogged this week, but I never slowed down long enough to upload my photos for my 365 Photos.  So here we go.

Sunday, July 19 - The kiddo & a friend tubing on the lake.

Monday, July 20 - Cutting up the watermelon & cantaloupe from the Farmer's Market.

Tuesday, July 21 - Our sponsor packet from World Vision came today!

Wednesday, July 22 - The hubby and I had to go to Birmingham to St. Vincent's Hospital to take some things up for his dad while his mom was in the hospital. St. Vincent's has a baby grand piano in the lobby. It's also a player piano so of course I had to get a photo.

Thursday, July 22 - Our sweet dog has taken to coming in and sitting for a bit each day. I know, I said I'd never have a dog in the house.  She's so good though and just lays down and is content to be there with us. The kiddo loves on her a lot.

Friday, July 24 - I'm slowing working on an Amy Butler pattern. Slowly being the key word here.

Saturday, July 25 - The kiddo has been watching Deadlist Catch I think. He made a lego fishing boat.

Sunday, July 26 - I never know where I will find Legos. I found these laying on my kitchen towel as I started cooking this afternoon. They needed a bath after an adventure in the sandbox and in the mind of a 9 year old the towel was the best place for them to dry.

Good music....

inspires me. Especially instrumental music. Especially piano and strings music. It moves me.  It motivates me. It makes my soul sing. It always has, even since I was a little girl.

If I'm having a hard time motivating myself I put on music and before I know it I'm accomplishing more.

I discovered this video on Matthew Paul Turner's blog. Thanks so much for sharing Matthew. I don't know how I've never discovered him before now. I will probably be listening to this all day as I work around the house and scrapbook.

Jon Schmidt will now be moving in beside Jim Brickman in this piano music lover's heart. (Sorry Jim, you have to share my love now.) I'm going to need to add another itunes gift card to my itunes account I believe.  If Jon and Jim ever got together....well, it might be too much for this 35 year old heart. I'm just sayin'.  And I just realized they both twitter! Could this day get much better?

It's going to be one amazing day. I can already tell. So be sure and click the play button and listen. You won't regret it. I promise.

His Own Music

April 22 - POTD - DS decided to start writing down some of the little tunes he comes up with at the piano. It's not Mozart, but you got to start somewhere right?

April 15 - POTD

DS is loving the soundtrack to the Hannah Montana Movie. He really likes the song God Blessed the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts. I love Butterfly that Miley Cyrus sings with her dad, but my little guy says it makes him sad. He's got a tender heart under all that stubbornness.  

Egg Hunt, Easter, Piano and Soup

April 11 - POTD - Saturday we took DS to our church's Easter Egg Hunt.  I had to snap photos like a spy since when he sees the camera come out he fusses at me.

April 12 - POTD - Easter Sunday was very low key. We went to church and then came home for naps and then went down tot he golf club for a late lunch.

April 13 - POTD - DS is now using new piano lesson books. He's learning persistence in practicing can pay off.

April 14 - POTD - I had to run in the grocery store for some cream of chicken soup and DS decided he wanted to try some of the chicken and stars soup. He wanted to heat it up himself and then ate the whole can. Some days I can't fill his stomach up fast enough.

THE Movie

Tonight DS and I went to see The Hannah Montana Movie .  Now I will go ahead and admit that I like the Disney show.  I had heard parts of the music from the movie on the Disney Channel and various talk shows Miley Cyrus has been on and I liked them.  And as country as it may be I've always liked Billy Ray Cyrus. So it's really no surprise I wanted to see the movie. Yes, my country roots do rear their heads on occasion.

The choice to whether or not to see the movie was a struggle for my sweet son. He's become very concerned with what others think of him lately and he really didn't want anyone in his class to know he likes Hannah Montana. Maybe there's a trend where you pretend to not like what's cool so others will think you are cool. Not sure, but for whatever reason he's not wanted anyone his age to know, but he wanted to go see the movie with me and my friends and their daughters. Thankfully one of my friend's sons decided to join us too.

This afternoon on the way home from school my somewhat overly sensitive child (yes, mother, I know I'm paying for my raising with this trait of his) tells me that he finally told all the guys in his class that he likes Hannah Montana. I simply replied with an "okay" while trying to manuever through our afternoon school traffic when he says, "Boy I'm glad I got that off my back" meaning his secret of liking Hannah Montana. It was all I could do to drive and not wreck I wanted to laugh so hard.  In the end he decided it took a lot of courage to tell them that he likes Hannah Montana.

Now onto the movie.

Imagine my delight when Rascal Flatts made an appearance in the movie.  Few people may know how much I like Rascal Flatts. So their cameo appearance was a great surprise. Oh and Billy Ray has a new song in it also. And Taylor Swift made a cameo as well.

Now back to the movie. I loved it and I loved the music. I will be heading out tomorrow to buy the soundtrack.  Definitely family friendly which is what you would expect from Hannah Montana. The music is inspiring which is always something I love.

So yes I recommend the movie. And you will probably see me making a fool of myself trying to learn the Hoe Down Throwdown. I mean come on....who doesn't like a good country line dance? :)

Oh and just to date myself, Miley Cyrus was born during my first semester in college.  Just a random bit of trivia. And did you know she appeared in Tim Burton's Big Fish film?  Good movie.