Tuesday 4 The Music of Home

 The Music of Home

Hello again! You are very welcome here at Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.
From the play Greenwillow comes the song The Music of Home:

Tis the music of home
The music of home
Full of wonder as angel song
All the music of home
Thе music of home
Singing, "Home is wherе I
Belong"

There is a music to home.. let's talk about the music in your home.

1. Was home always your safe place? Or did it leave a lot to be desired? What would improve the music in your home today?

Yes, the home I grew up in was a safe place. I am very thankful for the home and parents God gave me.  

What would improve the music in my home today?  Hmmm, well, I am not really sure how to answer this...my hubby and I are both very musical in our minds and hearts. We don't play instruments, but we love to sing.  My hubby tends to always be humming some kind of tune, many of which he actually creates.  I wish that I had kept a tape recorder going throughout our life together, because he often comes up to me and says, "Listen to this song that I just made up".  Sometimes he gets me in on it by teaching me the harmony while he hums the melody that he just created.  Sadly, they've never been recorded or written down, and so they are all long gone by the next day, or even the next hour.  But to have music constantly flowing in one's heart and mind is a lovely thing, don't you think?  I am not creative like he is, but I do get a lot of music "stuck in my head" throughout the day and often find myself singing tunes we are practicing in the choir at church, or something I might have heard on the TV or radio.  However, we really don't listen to the radio much anymore. I find it too distracting to the real music that is all around us.  I don't think I answered the question about what would improve the music in my home today...

2.Do you like coming home at the end of a day? How about when you were a kid?

Oh, yes, "there's no place like home."   When I was still working I couldn't wait to get home every day, even if it did mean I would have to get to work cooking and/or cleaning and taking care of the house and family, but still, it was home and there's no other place I'd rather be.  When I was a child I also loved coming home. After school I could be free for a while to run outside and play or stay inside and play...however, of course there were always "chores" and homework to take care of, but still, I was at home and happy to be there.

3. What is the music of your home? How would you describe life in your home growing up.. in the middle of your life and right now? Is there a song that might fit your home?

Picture above: At my family home with my family. If you notice the clock on the mantel behind me (in the middle), that clock was the backdrop of "music" every hour in our home.  No, it didn't play the Westminster Chimes or anything else so melodic. It basically just sounded out the number of hours in a most loud and awakening way...especially during the night, but it was a sound of home.  I miss that old clock today, but thankfully my niece Sandy in North Carolina has it at her home and she treasures it. Some time ago she sent me this video of the clock chiming at 3:00!  I'm glad I found this to share with you today.

To describe my home growing up, I would have to say that it was a pleasant place to live. Even though we didn't play musical instruments, well, I take that back...my parents bought an electronic organ when they retired and they enjoyed playing it...as did all of the grandkids:

Our son Scott playing the organ at Grandma and Grandpa's house

And playing it again later, when we were packed up and moving, hence all the boxes in the background...he still plays it today. It is in his bedroom here, and that is the first place he goes when he comes home to play music that he makes up as he plays. It's actually very good, and again, I wish it was recorded.

Back to my original home, our family did love to sing...well, at least my parents and my sister and I did. My brothers weren't really into singing, except on Christmas morning when we lined up by age, (me as the youngest got to go first!)  in the hallway and had to sing Jingle Bells before we could enter the living room to open gifts...but anyway, my parents both sang in the church choir and my daddy also sang in a Barbershop Quartet and chorus.  My sister and I both sing in our church choirs to this day.  At our home it was a requirement to watch "Lawrence Welk" on Saturday nights. LOL.  Oh, and my mother did take violin lessons and really wanted to be a violinist, but she never really progressed very far in that desire, except for a recital or two. My dad loved music and had quite a large record collection, which he enjoyed playing until he was too old to manage it by himself.  Then we watched a lot of "Gaither Homecoming" programs together up until his very last days.  He loved gospel music.  So yes, music was a big part of my home growing up.  

As I said earlier, my hubby and I both enjoy singing and used to do a lot of solos and duets in church during our younger days. Now I still sing in the choir, and hubby and I still do an occasional duet.  I wrote about the first day we met HERE a few years ago, when we sang the song "Getting to Know You" to each other. We discovered then that we both loved music and it seemed to set the tone for our whole life together.

A song that might fit our home is "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine"...Most people know the chorus as "This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long. This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior, all the day long."    This little magnet on our refrigerator reminds me of that song every day:

My favorite t-shirt speaks to this theme:  "The earth has music for those who listen"

4. Like a symphony, home has it's ups and downs as the picture to the side illustrates. What are your homes best ups and worst downs?( stories of happy times, busted water heaters, goofy things that have happened, etc)    

I loved that picture at the beginning of the woman locked outside her front door in her nightgown, with the newspaper and milk, calling to someone to come and open the door for her!  I can well imagine such a crazy thing happening.  As far as stories of goofy things, happy times, etc., gosh, where do I begin?  I may not be able to answer this in one post, there's been so many.  Instead of trying to answer this, I will just post a link to one funny story that I wrote about many years ago HERE, entitled "alarms-sirens-whistles-bells-and-things that go bump in the night."     That's the best I can do without writing another whole book! LOL.    

Yes, all homes do have their ups and downs, and I can attest to the fact that we have had our share of them, some funny and many not so funny. But through it all God has been with us, walking beside us, before us, and often times carrying us.    Since this is about music, here is a great song to sum it all up: Through it All, by Andre Crouch, sung here by CeCe Wynans and Andre Crouch.  

You can join in with Tuesday 4 HERE

More Music From the Heart...

 Happy Sunday!  I hope you are having a glorious day of rest and worship and thanksgiving.  It has been a beautiful day here in our part of the country, albeit a bit warm for so early in the spring, but it is Florida, and we are thankful not to be snowed in or ice-bound.  My prayers go out to those who have experienced severe weather in the past week. I know it has been hard for many of you, and I pray you and yours have come through it all safely.

All week long I had this particular song in my head.  It is the anthem that our choir was scheduled to sing today in church.  I had searched in vain on the internet to find it so I could share it with you...but discovered this morning that I had the title wrong, so that is why I couldn't find it.   I guess it was meant to be that it would be found today so I could share it with you on the day we actually sang it.   Our little country church choir may not have sounded quite as grand as this particular choir, but there again, I know no one sang it with more heart and soul than we did, and our pianist did a remarkable job of playing it, and our choir director also led us with such joy and spirit that we couldn't help but sing it with depth of meaning and our whole hearts.  I hope you will listen to this and enjoy the message contained in the lyrics.  "To Be Your Song", by Joseph M. Martin

When you have finished listening to that song, you might also enjoy hearing and watching our real choir sing a beloved hymn, "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine".  You can sing along with this one, as I am sure many of you know it.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

O what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect submission, perfect delight!

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight.

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Perfect submission, all is at rest.

I in my Savior am happy and blest

Watching and waiting, looking above

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

This is my story, this is my song

Praising my Savior all the day long

Then, if you wish, you can listen to our Pastor's message from Deuteronomy 5:1-21, "The Ten Suggestions Or a Way of Salvation?"...a wonderful sermon about the Ten Commandments and their true meaning for us.

I hope you enjoyed this time of worship and praise and study in God's Word today. I know many of you have your own churches, but perhaps there is someone out there today who really needed to hear all of these messages in song and the Word.

Okay, that's all for now I guess. It's going to be a busy week this week, with Bible Studies tomorrow afternoon, Physical Therapy for me on Tuesday and Wednesday, Choir Practice on Tuesday night,  working at Dixie Cottage throughout the week and some other things happening too...I hope I can visit with you throughout the week, but it might be kind of hit and miss.  Also, I said in my post last night that we were wondering if the Sand Hill Crane babies had hatched. I don't think so from what I can see today.  Mama is still sitting on the nest, so I think they still have some more incubation to complete. Trust me, I will make a big announcement when the "blessed event" does take place. There are two eggs as far as I can tell, so it should really be interesting once they do hatch.  Until then, I will try not to overload you with too many pictures.

I will just leave you with a bit of whimsy.  I love these little wildflowers that crop up in our yard this time of year. Some people might think they are "weeds", but I consider wildflowers to be "God's Garden", because He planted it and I didn't have to do a thing to make it grow.

So I picked a bouquet of what I call "Fairy Flowers" and brought them inside to enjoy. I also had some cut flowers that were given to us at the local Dollar General one day.  They had a lot left over and they were starting to wilt, so they told me to just take a bouquet home with me. Thank you, Dollar General! I enjoyed them until they could no longer hold their smiling faces up.

I also enjoyed this little "Fairy Garden" until the flowers drooped and dropped their petals.

Sometimes you just have to enjoy the little things in life, and listen to the fairies sing...

I hope you will listen to the song not just of the fairies singing, but that your heart will sing a song for God each day...like the song  above said, 

"I long to be Your song! Lord, breathe in me Your music.

Make me Your instrument, Your heart-song, clear and strong.

Lord, tune my heart for peace,

Lord, send Your healing to my silence.

Teach me Your harmony, and I will find my place.

Fill me with joyful praise,

Thrill me with notes of grace,

I will serve for all my days,

I long to be Your song.

I yearn to sing Your Word, Lord, lead, and I will follow.

Teach me a noble theme, and let my soul be stirred.

Lord, speak, and I will hear,

Conduct me with Your wisdom.

Robe me in humbleness, and clothe me in Your grace...

Led by Your holy Light,

I will serve with all my might,

till faith gives way to sight,

I yearn to sing Your Word!

Take my life, and let it be, dedicated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my hand, and let them move at the impulse of Your love!

Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only for my King.

I long to be Your song!

Lord, breathe in me Your music.

Make me Your instrument,

Your heart-song clear and strong.

Fill me with joyful praise.  

Thrill me with notes of grace.

I will serve for all my days.

I long to be Your song.

I long to be Your song!"

(To Be Your Song, words and music by Joseph M. Martin)

Have a song filled day and week!!

Are You Listening to the Music?

The Great Blue Heron was enjoying the day here at Still Waters Pond...

Yesterday I put on this "Life is Good" T-Shirt for the first time this year. I'm just getting out all of my short-sleeved shirts to wear now that it seems the weather is going to be staying more on the warm side from here on out.  I first told you about this particular T-shirt HERE last year, when I received it unexpectedly as a gift from my cousin Becky.

Remember? It says "The earth has music for those who listen".  There is a picture of a Great Blue Heron on a pond...much like what you see here on our Still Waters Pond.

And when I put this shirt on yesterday I had to chuckle!  If you recall, my "One Word" for 2023 is "LISTEN".    How appropriate that this shirt is a reminder to me again of that word, "Listen".

Well, today I was definitely listening for the sound of raindrops on the rooftop.  We haven't had any significant rain in a very long time, and Still Waters Pond is starting to dry up more than it should. That heron is standing way out in the pond where it should be much deeper than that.

We've been praying for rain, and it was predicted for today.

Mrs. Sand Hill Crane is also waiting for the rain...or is that Mr. Sand Hill Crane? I recently learned that they actually take turns sitting on the nest, and because they look so much alike it is really difficult to tell which one is which unless they are standing next to each other, and then the female tends to be a little bit smaller than the male.

Uh-oh...there goes one of our neighborhood cats, out on the prowl for whatever it is that cats like to prey upon around the pond...tadpoles, lizards, small fish?  Just so they stay away from our birds!!!!

Finally! The Sound of the Abundance of Rain!

I Kings 18:41

 "Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

Mrs. Sand Hill Crane continues to sit on her nest, probably enjoying the wonderful fresh rain falling down around her and refreshing her weary body.

If you look below at the dark rim around the edge of the pond, that is where there is usually water, but the pond has receded that much because of the lack of rain.

Rejoice! The Rain has come!

Rejoice!  "Oh sing to the Lord and new song!  Sing to the Lord, all the earth."  

Psalm 96:1

I knew if I waited out there on the porch long enough the Bluebirds would come back to check on the babies in the nest.

However, when they saw me there on the porch, they pretended they couldn't see me.

They were waiting for me to leave, I guess, because they still consider me a threat to the babies.

But oh my goodness! When there was a lull in the rain, all the little birdies started flying back to the trees and singing their hearts out!

These yellow birds look like Goldfinches, but I believe they are really Pine Warblers.

Isn't this one so sweet?

Hello Mr. Sparrow!  God's eye may be on the Sparrow, but I think this one is watching me! LOL.

"Why should I feel discouraged

Why should the shadows come

Why should my heart feel lonely

And long for heaven and home

When Jesus is my portion

A constant friend is He

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches over me

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me"

(Refrain)

"I sing because I'm happy

I sing because I'm free

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me (He watches me)

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches

I know He watches

I know He watches me"

2 “Let not your heart be troubled,”

His tender word I hear,

And resting on his goodness,

I lose my doubts and fears;

Though by the path he leadeth,

But one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know he watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know he watches me. 

[Refrain]

3 Whenever I am tempted,

Whenever clouds arise;

When songs give place to sighing,

When hope within me dies,

I draw the closer to him,

From care he sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know he watches me;

His eye is on the sparrow,

And I know he watches me. 

[Refrain]

"I sing because I'm happy

I sing because I'm free

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches me (He watches me)

His eye is on the sparrow

And I know He watches

I know He watches

I know He watches me"

Are you listening to the music?  All of God's creation is singing to us, if we just tune our ears to hear. 

Finally I decided to go back inside and let the Bluebirds get back to their nest.  It rained off and on for a little while, but stopped after a while.

Just before sundown, my hubby called me to the window and said to look a little closer at the Sand Hill Crane nest through the binoculars.

We can't tell if those eggs are hatching and the young "colts" are being born, or if she is just turning the eggs.  She later sat back down on them. It seems a bit early for them to hatch. We first noticed the nest and the eggs on February 14th, and they normally incubate for about 30 days, so they still have about 10 days to go, unless the eggs had been laid earlier than we noticed...

Stay "tuned" for further developments!

Psalm 5:11 NIV

But let all who take refuge in you be glad;

let them ever sing for joy.

Spread your protection over them,

that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

Amen.

 

Tuesday 4 - "Let's Talk About You"

 Tuesday 4

So Tell Me....

This week's questions come from Sparky at "My Thoughts Exactly" I hope you enjoy doing them.

Let's talk about you...

(This was taken last year... I haven't been out in the kayak yet this year...but this is a pretty good picture of the "real me!")

1. Music. What kind of music do you enjoy? Are you musical?

I mostly enjoy gospel music, sacred music, hymns, contemporary Christian music (to a degree).  When I was younger I also enjoyed popular music of the 50's and 60's, but once I got married and started having babies I was more into singing lullabies and nursery rhymes. LOL.  Yes, I do enjoy singing and have done a LOT of singing throughout my life. Started out in Junior Choir as a child in church, and then graduated to the High School Chorus and then the adult choir at church.

I used to sing a lot of solos in church, but now my voice is better singing harmony (alto) in either duets, quartets, or choir. I never learned to play any instrument, but wish now that I had at least tried to learn the piano. I was too busy playing outside as a child and couldn't be bothered with piano lessons. No one told me that one day I would be a Pastor's Wife, and the first question that would be asked of me when my husband was being interviewed for his first pastoral position was, "Do you play the piano?".  And when I said no, I was told that "Our Pastors' wives have always played the piano."  I replied, "Well, unless you want to sing Mary Had a Little Lamb or Chopsticks, you don't want me to play the piano!"  My husband still got the job. LOL.


2. Travel. Where have you been? What's your favorite destination(s)?
Good question. We really haven't done a LOT of traveling in the vacation sense of the word. But throughout our years in the ministry we did a lot of traveling to our new destinations.  We started out in Florida, our home state, and from there went to Georgia (Toccoa Falls), back to Florida, then to South Carolina to Columbia Graduate School of Bible and Missions, (hubby) then to North Carolina to Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for a summer grad course, back to Florida, then to Ashland, Ohio to finish (hubby's) Master of Divinity degree and served in a couple of churches in Ohio before moving back to Florida and then back to Georgia, Ohio (to finish his doctorate), Michigan, New Hampshire, Kansas, Maine, and finally back to Florida for good (I think!) (I hope!)  We served in many different churches and places throughout our almost 52 years of marriage.   (This map was a part of our 50th wedding anniversary party)

 My favorite destination now?  Well, we still love New England, and since our grandson lives in Maine, we look forward to visiting there again whenever we can. I would also love to take a road trip someday up to Ohio and who knows where beyond. Hubby would like to see where Custer's last stand took place, Little Big Horn, so maybe we will take that trip someday.  

3. Occupations. Did you end up working at what you wanted to be? Do you wish you'd done something else, if so, what? etc.

To be honest, I didn't really know what I wanted to be.  When I graduated high school, I had plans to go to an airline stewardess school, but changed my mind and went to a community college instead, and there I met my hubby and the rest is history. My career became PHT (putting hubby through) and Mommy to three wonderful sons, and then on to become a Pastor's wife. I never dreamed that was what God had in mind for me when I started out in life, but He prepared me each step of the way and I was very blessed to serve in that way. I also did other jobs along the way, mostly in schools so I could have the same schedule as our children once they were all in school.  I took several courses in college throughout the years, but not enough for a degree. I ended up being a school bookkeeper and my final job before retiring was as a Church Administrator for a large church.  That seemed to use all of the years of training and experience that God had provided for me.

Our family around 1981

Our family 2014

Hubby being ordained to ministry

4. How do you keep from being bored?

Well, anyone who knows me knows that I love to take pictures of just about anything, anywhere. Nature, family, friends, just whatever happens to be happening at that moment. I also enjoy writing, reading, and taking walks with my hubby, spending time with family and friends, and going to church.  When we open our eyes to the beautiful world around us, we can never be bored.

And with that, I will say "Good Night!"

  

 Thank you for joining in each week. You have made this such a wonderful experience and I know Toni, in whose memory we continue, would be pleased as punch.

Little Bits of Fall Appearing

In my humble opinion, Labor Day is the end of summer, and the day after Labor Day is the beginning of Fall...that's just how it is in my mind...September means people go back to work from their vacations, kids go back to school, the air starts a perceptible shift toward "cooler"...(well, here in Florida it may be a bit imaginary, but a girl can hope, can't she?)  and I start to celebrate my favorite season of the year...Autumn, fall...my birth-month (September)!  When I was in school I remember football games and cheerleading,

(for those who do "black and white Wednesday blog posts, this will be my B&W offering for this week...)

bonfires, homecoming...happy days...

But nowadays, I'm just getting a little bit into the spirit of fall...little dabs here and there, nothing quite so active as in days of yore...

 Brought out a few fall things for the table and the china cabinet

And the front door...

The local flea market got a bit more active this past weekend after a sluggish, hot summer...and I found this lovely item that I just couldn't resist:

Yes it is an aluminum old tea kettle...and no, I'm not using it on my stove to boil my water for tea, but I am reserving it for use if we need it for a campfire...or if the power goes out and we need to boil water on the Coleman stove we bought last year for the hurricane...You just never know when you might need it...and I trust there will not be any hurricanes this year...please, Lord?  I know some are already suffering from the effects of tropical storm Gordon, which missed us except for some rain...but I pray for those who are in its path that they will be safe.

Another sign of "fall" are these "Sand Pears", which were given to me this morning by our friends who attend our home Bible Study. 

You can read the link for more information on this type of pear...they are very hard and not quite ripe yet, so they will sit out for a few days and see when they ripen if they are edible.  I understand they are quite crisp and not like the kind you buy in the store...but they should make good pear sauce or maybe even a cobbler once they ripen...I'll let you know...

And fall also means churches get more actively preparing for their fall and winter ministries...the choir resumes practice after a summer break...and hubby and I decided to join our church choir. Last night was the first practice, and this is what I brought home...homework!

These are just a few of the songs we'll be working on...and then we will soon begin practicing for the Christmas Cantata as well. 

I saw this article on Facebook yesterday: "Singing as a Natural Form of Therapy" by Professor Sarah Wilson  and what I gather from this is that singing is really good for your brain and for you personally.  After last night's workout/ introduction of these songs, I can say that I haven't worked my brain quite that hard in a long time...or my voice! This could make for an interesting autumn!!  But singing for the glory of the Lord is something that I have always enjoyed doing, and haven't been able to do much of in a long time, so I am looking forward to the challenge!  May God be glorified and the people be blessed by our choir's offering of praise.  Kudos to our director and our pianist and the sound man! They have a lot to keep up with as well!!

So, what things are you looking forward to this fall?  Taking any trips? I would love to do a fall trip to the mountains, but I'm not seeing it in our foreseeable future.  But I think we will be busy enough practicing our scales and tuning our "instruments'" (voices) for singing...

Whatever you enjoy doing, make it memorable!  Take pictures and share them with us! And have a blessed and happy autumn!!