I've got some pictures this time. I think that always makes things more interesting.
Before getting into the pictures, though, I have to tell you a story: the ward music director came up to me last Sunday and said, "I know you play the cello. I was wondering if you would be able to do a musical number?"
I started thinking about how many months I would need to feel ready for a cello solo, having not actually played my cello in...well, it's been a long time. Would I feel comfortable in six months? Seven? Yeah, I could get something ready in that time if I pushed myself.
"I want something different than piano solos and voice. I need something in two weeks, something for Pioneer Day," she went on.
I choked. My finger callouses have long since vanished. I don't have the hand or arm strength needed to press the strings or draw the bow for very long. Playing the cello is physical. Strength is needed. Yet I am soft and doughy.
What did I do? I accepted the challenge, and I've been practicing every day since. My left hand fingertips are on fire as I go through the blistering stage of rebuilding callouses (I nearly shrieked today when I pressed my pinky finger into the string because the open blister stung so badly). I've been focusing on technique, but I have to stop every minute or two to shake out my left hand or my right arm. I am going to sound absolutely awful in two weeks, but I accepted the challenge because it forced me to achieve a goal I had for myself for this summer, which was to pull out my cello and get back into playing shape. Maybe I can beg the music director to let me redeem myself with another musical number in a year or so when I've improved enough not to be embarrassed.
Funnily enough, she then asked me to also sing in a trio a few weeks after my cello solo. I mean, when you don't have tons of instrumentalists in the congregation, voice and piano are still the most viable options, and people love to hear them. Unfortunately, my voice is not doing well, so we'll see if my alto part in the trio is low enough for me to get through. Once I hit C above Middle C, I'm squawking uncontrollably. I still haven't seen the doctor about that abrupt change to my voice.
Anyway, pictures.
Elannah and I went thrift shopping for her wedding dress. We're not cheap, but why not try to find a perfectly good dress for a very good price when you will only wear that dress once in your life?
Fortune favored us and we found this dress--which seemed perfectly tailored for her--for $80 (originally $500, according to the sales tag left hanging on the sash).
You can't really see it in these pictures, but there is subtle lace detailing on parts of the bodice. The skirt is covered with two layers of tulle, and the dress has a little train. Elannah wanted a very simple design, and though it didn't look good on the hanger, it looked so elegant on her when she tried it on that I told her I was going to buy it as a backup dress even if she ended up finding something else. You don't leave this dress behind just so you can go back and find someone else has snatched it up.
In the end, my other daughter, Sophia, who has been taking sewing/tailoring classes, was able to match the bodice fabric and replace the sleeves, which were uncomfortably tight and not in the style Elannah liked. She replaced the original sleeves with the butterfly sleeves Elannah really wanted. Sophia also made a wider sash and added a bow at the back. While I absolutely adored the quiet sophistication of the original, I'm very happy Elannah has a dress she loves and feels beautiful in. I will post some wedding photos in August so you can see the finished product on this very beautiful bride-to-be.
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My grandchildren are so wonderful. I'm around them a lot, and I've been spending every morning helping Siân as she gets breakfast and feeds them. They're exhausting, but I love them so much! Siân still has no answers as to why she is suffering so much pain and nausea so long after giving birth (neither the hospital nor the OB/GYN could find any infections, which might have explained things). Her OB referred her to a physical therapist for pelvic therapy. Her first appointment is today, so we'll see if any benefit comes from it.
Above is the newest boy, six-week-old Christopher. This photo of him is from when he was really new, and he's lost a lot of that really newborn look now. While Siân is making breakfast for Nicholas and Tyler in the mornings, I hold Christopher. I take him out back and sit on the patio or the deck so he can see the sun shining through the red sun shade, which he finds fascinating. After Siân gets breakfast made for the older boys, she takes Christopher to feed him his bottle and I sit at the dining table and help Nicholas and Tyler. The older boys eat and then play for a few hours before Siân takes them downstairs to their room in the hopes that Nicholas will take his nap. Sometimes he does.
Sixteen-month-old Nicholas is 100% big personality. He is the Energizer bunny. He is a man on a mission to play at all times, and he already has a very well developed sense of humor and mischief. Oh, I love this kid! He is speaking in two- and three-word sentences, and he's finally figured out how to say his name well enough for us to understand him. "Nit-o-las 'raj! (Nicholas garage)" he will insist when he hears Husband working on something in his garage workshop, pointing at his chest with his pudgy little finger. Other times, he demands that his Uncle Gary sing Hot Cross Buns with him. Otherwise, he's constantly on the move between his toy box, the kitchen cupboards, the dog's water bowl (when I forget to put it safely up on the counter), and the collection of everyone's shoes by the front door.
Tyler is heading to kindergarten this fall, and he is very excited to make new friends. He will talk to anyone and everyone. Recently, when we took the Tyler and Nicholas to the local art fair, we let the kids play on the playground, and when we turned around, Tyler plopped himself down next to a random adult and just started chatting. Fortunately, the adult turned out to be my co-worker's wife, who is also an old high school classmate of Siân's, so Tyler was perfectly safe, but yikes! I'm very happy that he has never had the need to distrust adults or children, but we're going to have to keep an eye on him and teach him a little stranger danger.
Siân and Nathan just bought a bunk bed, and Tyler is exceedingly proud to have the top bunk (and also very happy that Nicholas has not yet figured out how to climb the ladder). He's such a sweet, smart kid. I love when he just wanders over to me and sits himself on my lap or snuggles up next to me on the couch. He generally doesn't have a lot of time for cuddling, so I don't take it for granted when he chooses to snuggle.
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Lastly, here is a picture of a finished embroidery project. It's very amateur because I was just trying out different types of stitches, but I like the colors. I copied a design from an adult coloring book, and since it gave Indian vibes, I used bright colors and no shading. For my next project, I am going to try some subtle shading in a floral motif or something. I love crewel work and needlepoint, as well, so those are on my list.
That's all for now. Thanks for joining me for a bit today!
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