life up dates and making progress

Last Tuesday I was having a busy crazy day, 

plus I was trying to figure out what songs to sing at the nursing home that they would know and enjoy. 

Our Internet had been down because of the wind storm so I wasn't able to google any songs.

 The phone kept ringing. I kept ignoring it.

Then my cell phone was ringing. 

I don't ignore my cell phone. 

It was AnnaKate. She said her stomach hurt.

 I, the always skeptical mother when it comes to my kids saying they don't feel well 

told her to eat lunch and go to recess then call me if she still felt sick. 

45 min later on the dot she called. She said she was sick. I said, have you thrown up?  

 She said, No. I said, you're OK. She was mad. Then I tried to practice but couldn't. 

I picked her up from school and took her with me to the nursing home and told her she was going to sing with me. 

We got there and talked to Elaine in her room for a long time. 

Then we sang some songs out in the common living room. 

It ended up being very fun to have AnnaKate sing with me and I was glad I acted on the little nudge I felt to just go get her. 

Then I sang Count Your Blessings.

 I put my own twist on it and made it much more up beat. 

When I finished, Harriet who is 94 and who has slept through my other visits and songs clapped so happy with a big open mouth smile and her face all lit up.

 I can't tell you how happy it made me that I could give her a boost of energy and make her smile.

 It felt so good.

That's when I knew I wasn't going to come in there and sing any mellow songs.

 I'm thinking they want to feel alive the same way I do.

This Tuesday when I went to the nursing home I talked to Elaine in her room for a long time again. 

I really enjoy listening to her stories. She was telling me how her and her x husband were close friends with Neal A. Maxwell and Colleen Maxwell.

 I love Neal A. and have missed his talks since he passed on. It was so fun to hear her stories and I'd like to hear more.

 She also was telling me of some of the troubles she has passed through in her life.

 Woe.

 We went out into the common  room and I sang a few songs for her and Harriet.

 Harriet slept through it all.

 It made me that much more grateful for her applause and smiles the week before.

 I didn't want to sing anyway. I just wanted to listen to Elaine. 

Next Tuesday I'm just going to go listen and talk with Elaine. 

The time of day I'm able to go seems to be every one's Nap time anyway. 

The manager of the nursing home asked me to come sing at the Christmas party they have for the residents and their families on Saturday so that should be fun. 

I'm going to see if my band wants to come with me.

So far my band consists of two 12 year old girls.

 My daughter Emmaline and her best friend Kaitlyn. 

It will make it more fun for me to have there sweet selves with me.

Next I want to tell you about the privilege  I had of singing O Holy Night at the Relief Society Christmas party.

 It will be 2 years in January since I've sung in Relief Society.

 The last time I sang it was a nauseating terrifying experience.
 You can read about it here.

This time it felt like a gift.

 I didn't even get shaky till I was done and sat down.

I only made some minor errors that I hope only I noticed. 

It was tricky trying to get the microphones all positioned, one for my voice and one for the guitar,

and still be able to see my  music.

 Lucky for me they asked me to give the historical background on the author of the song. 

Being able to talk before I sing really helps me chill out and just feel like myself.  

The song is long and takes 5 minutes to sing. My friend Kristy was asked to make a slide show of pictures of the Savior's birth to go along with the song. 

It was nice to have the lights low and know that people could watch the slide show and not me.
As I was singing I was even enjoying it and feeling the spirit of that beautiful melody and words. (miracle) 

 Such a huge contrast from my experience 2 years ago. 

It's nice to know we can grow out of our phobia's, even if it is one painful step at a time.
My mom and mother in law and my friend Melissa came to the hear me sing.
I was so thankful to have their love and support and to have them say really kind things to me after.
Kind words are treasures I hold in my mind and write down in my journal.

Last I'm wanting to alert you to the fact that I had my first real chiropractic adjustment yesterday!
I have avoided this because the thought of anyone popping even my knuckles is distressing to me so to let a chiropractor "adjust" my neck or back sounds like a seriously bad idea. 

But

My back has back has been hurting. I can't keep ignoring it.
It's never good to ignore your body.
 I know this truth but still I ignored it because I was hoping yoga and glucosamine would cure me like always.

Instead yoga seemed to be making it worse! 

It was a bit unnerving to have a big strong man holding my head in his hands and 

snap crackle pop my neck....

or my ribs, or hips...
Apparently I was really out of joint in lots of places.

I feel better already but I'll be going back to get the Pilate's exercises he will be recommending to help me  with the strain it puts on my body to be contorting around that dang guitar and sitting at the computer blogging about my life. 

This blog. 

There is not enough of an energy exchange for it to feel worth it. 

I've avoided one sided friendships my whole life. You know the kind that drain you of energy.

 The kind where you are always giving and they are always taking. 

That seems to be the type of relationship I have with this blog and I 'm beginning to really resent this energy sucking friend of mine named blogger. 

This little musical/blogging venture I've found myself in is getting expensive in more ways than one.


Enough complaining.

I hope you're further along in your Christmas shopping than I am. 

Can you believe it's next weekend!?

I'll be 38 on Christmas day.

38

That's really close to 40