If you would like to hear an electronic version of the music that Dave arranged for the Lincoln Southeast Band's fall marching show, go to http://www.lseband.org/. I plan to video the show in Clarinda if I can get a good vantage point, so I may have that ready to post on Sunday.
Dave had a good day today. He only re-wrote four sets of drill. That seems reasonable. They still have three days to learn it. That is . . . unless it rains.
Is there such a thing as a "Please don't let it rain dance?"
Jeannette
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Nice week-end
Dave and I had a nice family-oriented week-end. On Saturday, Kristi, Paul, Zach and Tyler stopped by on their way to the Nebraska-Louisiana LaFayette football game. As you know, we save up little chores for Paul so he can always feel appreciated when he visits. This time he installed three grab bars in the basement shower, and replaced two sprinkler heads on our underground sprinkler system. Kristi helped me repot a couple of outdoor plants. She pruned my ficus within an inch of its life and then went shopping at Wal-Mart with me to pick out a new pot for the ficus's new home. Saturday was Kristi and Paul's 17th wedding anniversary, so taking the boys to the 300th Husker sellout game was a great way to celebrate.
On Sunday, Angie came to Lincoln just for fun. However, I did have her help me finish repotting the plants on the balcony, so I could bring them in for the winter. Then Angie and I went shopping for more planters at Earl May, and then made a stop at a place called Euphoria. Angie likes to make jewelry and Euphoria has a wide selection of stones, crystals and other jewelry making accessories. She found a very unique smoky quartz speciman. Several crystals were joined together at varying angles, and the resulting configuration reminded me of a wolf's head. Angie will wrap the smoky quartz with silver wire and make it into a pendant that can be attached to a silver necklace. I found a beautiful translucent green flourite crystal which was hollowed out to hold a votive candle. I also found a two-inch quartz crystal blanketed with tiny citrine crystals. The large clear quartz sticks out of the top of this tiny mound of yellow crystals and looks to me like a castle on a craggy mountian top.
I finally finished reading "The Historian." I won't give away the ending, but I highly recommend it for those of you who love supernatural thrillers. It's perfect for adding a terrifying dimension to your Halloween enjoyment. Now I've started reading Dan Brown's new book "The Lost Symbol." So far I think I can recommend it as a great reading companion for your next trip to Washington, D.C.
Dave is traipsing up and down the stairs to the basement several times daily, and it thrilled to be back in his office and his workshop. He is finishing up a nice oak cabinet for Angie's apartment that he started long before his accident on May 9, and he hopes to have it ready to stain before the weather turns bad.
Dave got up to a 112-degree knee bend on his last visit to the physical therapist and the knee brace is now history. He will use his cane for quite a while I imagine, but otherwise he is back to normal. Yay!
The first of four marching band competitions for Lincoln Southeast will be this coming Saturday in Clarinda, Iowa. The other competitions will be in Lincoln and Omaha. Things will be intense for the next few weeks, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
We'll keep you posted.
Jeannette
On Sunday, Angie came to Lincoln just for fun. However, I did have her help me finish repotting the plants on the balcony, so I could bring them in for the winter. Then Angie and I went shopping for more planters at Earl May, and then made a stop at a place called Euphoria. Angie likes to make jewelry and Euphoria has a wide selection of stones, crystals and other jewelry making accessories. She found a very unique smoky quartz speciman. Several crystals were joined together at varying angles, and the resulting configuration reminded me of a wolf's head. Angie will wrap the smoky quartz with silver wire and make it into a pendant that can be attached to a silver necklace. I found a beautiful translucent green flourite crystal which was hollowed out to hold a votive candle. I also found a two-inch quartz crystal blanketed with tiny citrine crystals. The large clear quartz sticks out of the top of this tiny mound of yellow crystals and looks to me like a castle on a craggy mountian top.
Flourite
Quartz and Citrine
I finally finished reading "The Historian." I won't give away the ending, but I highly recommend it for those of you who love supernatural thrillers. It's perfect for adding a terrifying dimension to your Halloween enjoyment. Now I've started reading Dan Brown's new book "The Lost Symbol." So far I think I can recommend it as a great reading companion for your next trip to Washington, D.C.
Dave is traipsing up and down the stairs to the basement several times daily, and it thrilled to be back in his office and his workshop. He is finishing up a nice oak cabinet for Angie's apartment that he started long before his accident on May 9, and he hopes to have it ready to stain before the weather turns bad.
Dave got up to a 112-degree knee bend on his last visit to the physical therapist and the knee brace is now history. He will use his cane for quite a while I imagine, but otherwise he is back to normal. Yay!
The first of four marching band competitions for Lincoln Southeast will be this coming Saturday in Clarinda, Iowa. The other competitions will be in Lincoln and Omaha. Things will be intense for the next few weeks, but we wouldn't have it any other way.
We'll keep you posted.
Jeannette
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Nebraska 55 - Louisiana LaFayette 0
Pay Per View - $29.95
First shutout since 2006 - Priceless!
Go Huskers!
Jeannette
First shutout since 2006 - Priceless!
Go Huskers!
Jeannette
Friday, September 25, 2009
Independence Day
Dave finally walked down the stairs into the basement yesterday. He takes one step at a time, so it takes a while, but he can finally say that he is back to his normal routine. Today will be his last physical therapy session at Lincoln Orthopedic. Today will also be the last day that he wears his leg brace. So I guess you could say that today is his Independence Day, a mere 21 weeks since his accident on May 9. Do I hear an "Amen!?"
Parents' night (Wed) for the LSE band went surprisingly well. The music is actually in pretty good shape. The drill has been learned and is now in the polishing stage. There are eight huge frames on the field to help depict the theme of "The Architecture of Life." The frames are 8' x 4' so even Sousaphone players can march through them. The drill often winds through the frames, and the frames are moved around on the field from time to time. Mercifully, the frames were removed when the parents joined their offspring to march the show at the end of rehearsal. The parents actually did quite well and I saw no collisions. Although, I did see a parent of one of the drum majors trip over the ladder. But like a real trooper he got right up as though nothing had happened. This show is going to be gorgeous, especially the ballad, but it's not there yet. But as the old saying goes, "We don't want to peak too soon."
Today is the day I prepare my outdoor plants for their return to the indoor environs. I have a bottle of insecticide soap spray that I will administer today, so I can bring them all back inside tomorrow. I also read online that you should place the potted plants in a tub of warm water for 15 minutes to drive out any insects that might be hiding in the dirt. I only have 6 potted plants that I want to bring in, so it won't take too long. I have a 20-year-old hibiscus that moved with us from Bellevue. It loves the sun, so I let it spend the summers out by the pond. I also have an unwieldy cactus that is even older. They're like pets, I guess. You try to give them what they want. Pita is also fond of the sun. She follows patches of sun all around the house all day, and begs to go out on the porch in the evening to catch the hot setting sun on the deck. I guess I should take a hint from my "pets" and spend more time in the sun myself.
I have two photos to share today. They were both given to me by my mother a few weeks ago. She's been going through old photos and giving some of them to my brothers and me. This first one was taken in 1900. It is my mother's father's family. The young man standing left is my grandfather, Emil, and the young woman standing on the right is his sister, Agnes. Yes, that is the Aunt Agnes after whom I named my GPS. (My GPS received the name "Agnes" while Mom and I were driving to Boulder, Colorado, to visit her sister, Adeline. Mom was telling me stories about Aunt Agnes, and my GPS was giving directions, and I wanted to talk back to my GPS, so I knew I had to give it a name. Aunt Agnes was a rather colorful character, so I decided she would be a perfect traveling companion for us.)
Nostalgically,
Jeannette
Parents' night (Wed) for the LSE band went surprisingly well. The music is actually in pretty good shape. The drill has been learned and is now in the polishing stage. There are eight huge frames on the field to help depict the theme of "The Architecture of Life." The frames are 8' x 4' so even Sousaphone players can march through them. The drill often winds through the frames, and the frames are moved around on the field from time to time. Mercifully, the frames were removed when the parents joined their offspring to march the show at the end of rehearsal. The parents actually did quite well and I saw no collisions. Although, I did see a parent of one of the drum majors trip over the ladder. But like a real trooper he got right up as though nothing had happened. This show is going to be gorgeous, especially the ballad, but it's not there yet. But as the old saying goes, "We don't want to peak too soon."
Today is the day I prepare my outdoor plants for their return to the indoor environs. I have a bottle of insecticide soap spray that I will administer today, so I can bring them all back inside tomorrow. I also read online that you should place the potted plants in a tub of warm water for 15 minutes to drive out any insects that might be hiding in the dirt. I only have 6 potted plants that I want to bring in, so it won't take too long. I have a 20-year-old hibiscus that moved with us from Bellevue. It loves the sun, so I let it spend the summers out by the pond. I also have an unwieldy cactus that is even older. They're like pets, I guess. You try to give them what they want. Pita is also fond of the sun. She follows patches of sun all around the house all day, and begs to go out on the porch in the evening to catch the hot setting sun on the deck. I guess I should take a hint from my "pets" and spend more time in the sun myself.
I have two photos to share today. They were both given to me by my mother a few weeks ago. She's been going through old photos and giving some of them to my brothers and me. This first one was taken in 1900. It is my mother's father's family. The young man standing left is my grandfather, Emil, and the young woman standing on the right is his sister, Agnes. Yes, that is the Aunt Agnes after whom I named my GPS. (My GPS received the name "Agnes" while Mom and I were driving to Boulder, Colorado, to visit her sister, Adeline. Mom was telling me stories about Aunt Agnes, and my GPS was giving directions, and I wanted to talk back to my GPS, so I knew I had to give it a name. Aunt Agnes was a rather colorful character, so I decided she would be a perfect traveling companion for us.)
Grandpa Emil, Great-grandpa Jakub, Uncle Hap, Great-grandma Frantiska, Aunt Agnes - 1900
When Mom and I were in the Czech Republic in 2007 we visited the villages in Southern Bohemia where Jakub and Frantiska were born. Their villages (Pristpo and Biskupice) are about 8 miles apart and we had fun conjecturing how they might have met. I think their families came to the US around 1862. On the day that we visited Biskupice, Mom and I arrived just as a village funeral was about to begin. There was a small brass band standing outside the only church in the village playing hymns as the villagers dressed in black and other traditional funeral attire were walking to the church. Biskupice is a very tiny village, so I am sure that everyone knew the deceased. We did not want to invade their privacy, but we did enjoy that precious glimpse of this enduring tradition.
This next photo is of my mother's mother's father, Vaclav. My great-grandfather, Vaclav, is seated in the center front row and his brother, Josef, is standing far left in the back row. They lived in Cleveland, Ohio, and their band had the honor of playing for President James A. Garfield's funeral in 1881.
Great-grandfather Vaclav (center front row) - Cleveland - circa 1880s
President Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881. The President had been walking through the Sixth Street Station of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad in Washington, D.C. on his way to his alma mater, Williams College, where he was scheduled to deliver a speech. Garfield did not die instantly. He lingered until Sept. 19 and finally died of a massive heart attack or aneurysm, due perhaps to blood poisoning from the lead bullet which the doctors had been unable to remove. Bronchial pneumonia had also set in just before his death. During the eighty days between President Garfield's shooting and death, his only offical act was to sign an extradition paper. Garfield was buried in a mausoleum in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
So now I have priceless photos of both of my mother's grandfathers, one of my great-grandmothers, and my maternal grandfather, Emil, as a young man.
Nostalgically,
Jeannette
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
110 Degrees
Dave finally made it to a 110 degree knee bend, both on Monday and then again today. His next goal will be to go down the stairs into our basement. That could happen later today. Right now he is at the chiropractor's for an adjustment to his sore back. This happens every fall during marching band season. It's either due to general stress or to the hours of sitting at the computer re-writing drill, or both. Anyway, we are happy with his continuing progress in spite of the back problems.
I finally completed the practicum placements for the music education majors yesterday. We have 41 music education majors at Nebraska Wesleyan, an all-time high, and 31 of them needed practicum placements. I used 15 teachers in the Lincoln Public Schools, one in Waverly, and one at a local Catholic high school. A few students will be doing their practicums during fall break back in their home towns. But I am happy that I can finally say that they all have their assignments now.
I stayed home today to work on domestic projects. Translation: I stayed home to continue reading "The Historian." It's getting harder and harder to put that book down. We're in Bulgaria now, hot on the trail of Vlad Dracula. The characters' recent visits to Istanbul and Budapest (in 1974) have been rich with detailed descriptions of the architecture, cuisine, politics and history of these grand cities. Oh, and back in Istanbul, we just witnessed Professor Turgut Bora drive a silver dagger through the heart of a dear friend who had just received his third bite from a vampire. (One needs to use a brick to accomplish this feat.) If one dies after the third bite from a vampire, one becomes eternally "undead." Oh, and Professor Bora just happens to have a vampire kit handy at all times. It seems his friends (usually librarians) are attacked fairly often for custodializing secret vampire documents. Like I say, this book is hard to put down. I'm about 3/4 of the way through now. I'll keep you posted.
Last night I attended a wonderful world music concert at Wesleyan. The artist was Todd Green, who studied composition, arranging and performance at Berklee in Boston. He has studied with George Benson (one of my all-time favorite guitarists), Pat Metheny, Christopher Parkening and Mick Goodrick. Todd performed on over 30 string, flute and percussion instruments from the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa. All of his selections were either original or improvisatory, and he had a way of recording a sound loop so that one or several instruments could continue to be heard while he played another. It was a stunning and masterful performance.
Tonight is Parents' Night for the Lincoln Southeast Marching Band at Seacrest Field. This is a totally amusing event (for me, anyway). The students rehearse for a couple of hours. Then they perform a run-through of the show for their parents. And THEN the parents go out on the field an follow their children around during the final run-through. My favorites are usually the parents of the drum majors and the drum line. The drum line sometimes has to do this thing they call a crab walk, sort of like the Greek grapevine dance, and it's fun to see the parental renditions. The dance movements by the flag corps also create some interesting challenges for the parents, especially the dads. It should be fun. I'll report back later.
Ciao,
Jeannette
I finally completed the practicum placements for the music education majors yesterday. We have 41 music education majors at Nebraska Wesleyan, an all-time high, and 31 of them needed practicum placements. I used 15 teachers in the Lincoln Public Schools, one in Waverly, and one at a local Catholic high school. A few students will be doing their practicums during fall break back in their home towns. But I am happy that I can finally say that they all have their assignments now.
I stayed home today to work on domestic projects. Translation: I stayed home to continue reading "The Historian." It's getting harder and harder to put that book down. We're in Bulgaria now, hot on the trail of Vlad Dracula. The characters' recent visits to Istanbul and Budapest (in 1974) have been rich with detailed descriptions of the architecture, cuisine, politics and history of these grand cities. Oh, and back in Istanbul, we just witnessed Professor Turgut Bora drive a silver dagger through the heart of a dear friend who had just received his third bite from a vampire. (One needs to use a brick to accomplish this feat.) If one dies after the third bite from a vampire, one becomes eternally "undead." Oh, and Professor Bora just happens to have a vampire kit handy at all times. It seems his friends (usually librarians) are attacked fairly often for custodializing secret vampire documents. Like I say, this book is hard to put down. I'm about 3/4 of the way through now. I'll keep you posted.
Last night I attended a wonderful world music concert at Wesleyan. The artist was Todd Green, who studied composition, arranging and performance at Berklee in Boston. He has studied with George Benson (one of my all-time favorite guitarists), Pat Metheny, Christopher Parkening and Mick Goodrick. Todd performed on over 30 string, flute and percussion instruments from the Middle East, Asia, South America and Africa. All of his selections were either original or improvisatory, and he had a way of recording a sound loop so that one or several instruments could continue to be heard while he played another. It was a stunning and masterful performance.
Tonight is Parents' Night for the Lincoln Southeast Marching Band at Seacrest Field. This is a totally amusing event (for me, anyway). The students rehearse for a couple of hours. Then they perform a run-through of the show for their parents. And THEN the parents go out on the field an follow their children around during the final run-through. My favorites are usually the parents of the drum majors and the drum line. The drum line sometimes has to do this thing they call a crab walk, sort of like the Greek grapevine dance, and it's fun to see the parental renditions. The dance movements by the flag corps also create some interesting challenges for the parents, especially the dads. It should be fun. I'll report back later.
Ciao,
Jeannette
Monday, September 21, 2009
Family Gathering
Yesterday Dave and I went to Kristi and Paul's house in Omaha to celebrate Angie's birthday (Sept 15), Paul's birthday (Sept 25) and Kristi and Paul's 17th wedding anniversary (Sept 26).
Kristi, Paul and Angie
Dave grilled one of his famous beef roasts, I brought my traditional broccoli casserole (Dave is allowed to eat green veggies twice weekly now), Kristi prepared her potato casserole and a German chocolate cake, and Angie brought some fancy root beer. The root beer was for Angie, Zach and Tyler. Dave and Paul drank a different kind of beer. Meanwhile, Kristi and I made a nice dent in a bottle of Wollersheim Prairie Fumé (from our favorite winery in Wisconsin). Ellie drank from her water bowl.
Dave & I and Angie gave Paul gift cards to Cabela's to help him buy a new topper for his boat. With this new topper he will be able to fish even when it is raining. (Last year when we were all at Branson together, Dave and Paul got absolutely drenched one day when they were out on Table Rock Lake fishing and it started pouring rain. They had to come in early. We can't let that happen again.) Kristi and Paul gave Angie some homemade tomato sauce and salsa. Their garden produced a ton of tomatoes this summer. I told Kristi to save some of her salsa for Christmas gifts. (hint, hint)
We had a very lovely evening together, and all September family milestones were duly celebrated.
Jeannette
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Charles Bridge 1965-2001
My passion for the Charles Bridge on the Vltava River in Prague began in 1965 when I received a gift from a penpal named Milena. She sent me a beaded handbag which contained a small hand mirror. On the hand mirror was etched an image of the Charles Bridge in her hometown of Prague, Czechoslovakia. I looked at the little mirror quite often and said to myself, "One day I am going to stand on that bridge." In 1965 that was an impossible dream, since travel to communist Czechoslovakia prior to 1989 was nearly impossible for US citizens.
I spent five weeks in Germany in the summer of 1968, but it still was not possible for me to go to Czechoslovakia. My first chance to travel to Prague came in March 2001 when my good friend, Bill Sucha, invited me to travel with the Irondale High School Orchestra from Minneapolis on a trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. We only spent two days in Prague, but I had invited my penpal/cousin, Jarda, to meet me there so we could finally meet after having been penpals for nearly 40 years. The Irondale Orchestra arrived at the hotel in Prague after a long flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam and then to Prague. Within an hour of our arrival the phone in my hotel room rang. It was Jarda and he was in the hotel lobby.
Jarda and I were born three weeks apart in 1949, Jarda on January 26 and I on February 19. His mother, Jarmila and my dad were first cousins. Jarmila's father and my dad's mother were brother and sister. Dad's mother was the only one of her family to emigrate to the USA (in 1912). Jarda and I had exchanged photos and many letters over the previous 40 years, so I knew I would recognize him when I saw him. He was much taller than I had expected, but I knew him right away. However, I was totally surprised when he introduced his mother, Jarmila, and his wife, Helena. I did not speak much Czech at that time. I only knew a few words, but Jarda and I had always corresponded in English. His English was excellent, so he translated for Jarmila, Helena and me. The orchestra was about to go on a bus tour of Prague, so Jarda, Helena, Jarmila and I joined them. Jarda is a building engineer, so along the way he pointed out a couple of buildings that he had constructed. At the first stop on our tour, I was able to take my very first photo of Prague Castle off in the distance.
The beaded handbag from Prague
The small hand mirror
I spent five weeks in Germany in the summer of 1968, but it still was not possible for me to go to Czechoslovakia. My first chance to travel to Prague came in March 2001 when my good friend, Bill Sucha, invited me to travel with the Irondale High School Orchestra from Minneapolis on a trip to Prague, Vienna and Budapest. We only spent two days in Prague, but I had invited my penpal/cousin, Jarda, to meet me there so we could finally meet after having been penpals for nearly 40 years. The Irondale Orchestra arrived at the hotel in Prague after a long flight from Minneapolis to Amsterdam and then to Prague. Within an hour of our arrival the phone in my hotel room rang. It was Jarda and he was in the hotel lobby.
Jarda and I were born three weeks apart in 1949, Jarda on January 26 and I on February 19. His mother, Jarmila and my dad were first cousins. Jarmila's father and my dad's mother were brother and sister. Dad's mother was the only one of her family to emigrate to the USA (in 1912). Jarda and I had exchanged photos and many letters over the previous 40 years, so I knew I would recognize him when I saw him. He was much taller than I had expected, but I knew him right away. However, I was totally surprised when he introduced his mother, Jarmila, and his wife, Helena. I did not speak much Czech at that time. I only knew a few words, but Jarda and I had always corresponded in English. His English was excellent, so he translated for Jarmila, Helena and me. The orchestra was about to go on a bus tour of Prague, so Jarda, Helena, Jarmila and I joined them. Jarda is a building engineer, so along the way he pointed out a couple of buildings that he had constructed. At the first stop on our tour, I was able to take my very first photo of Prague Castle off in the distance.
Prague Castle - March 2001
The next time the bus stopped, we all got off and walked to the Charles Bridge. I asked Bill to take this photo of Jarda, me, Helena and Jarmila. So . . . I finally got to stand on that very special bridge that I first saw etched on that little hand mirror. AND I got to stand there with my Czech family.
Jarda, Jeannette, Helena and Jarmila on the Charles Bridge - March 2001
We only got to spend three hours together that day, but those memories remain fresh and vivid today. I returned to Prague in 2003 and traveled to their little village of Breznice near Zlin to visit them for four days before returning to Prague to take a ten-day Creativity Workshop. That visit gave me the idea to spend my sabbatical in the Czech Republic in 2005-06. Angie and Dave came to the Czech Republic during my sabbatical year, but at different times. Then I took Mom to visit the Czech Republic in May 2007. Jarda and I are now email pals instead of penpals, and we look forward to meeting again some day, hopefully soon.
Na shledanou. (Till we meet again.)
Jeannette
Friday, September 18, 2009
Schuyler
I am happy to report that Gerald was dismissed from BryanLGH today. There were no complications from his surgery to unblock the iliac artery. (OK . . . I’m just guessing. I looked at a diagram of arteries on Wikipedia, and it’s either the iliac or femoral artery, but you get the idea.) Anyhow, the blood pressure in both legs was good, so they let him go home. Yay!
I offered to drive Gerald to Schuyler, since my time has become quite flexible lately. =) We had an absolutely gorgeous drive to Schuyler going north out of Lincoln on 14th street and then over to Valpraiso, through David City and on to Schuyler. The corn stalks are turning brown and the soybean fields are bright yellow, but there are still a few bright green fields. Maybe it was some special effect caused by my new driving sunglasses, but I thought the colors were positively vibrant, especially around the Bohemian Alps. But then the rolling hills leveled out and soon we were in the flatlands crossing the Platte River going into Schuyler. Gerald was happy to be home, and anxious to just sit around and recuperate, so I left him there and drove out to the farm to see Mom for a while.
Mom has been sorting through old photos, and I mean OLD. Absolutely priceless photos of her parents and grandparents, some from the early 1900s. And also some family photos from the 60s and 70s. She gave me a stack of photos of me from my high school years, including the ever-popular Schuyler Czech Queen photos. To be honest, they are actually quite nice. I have a beautiful costume which was sent to me by relatives in the Czech Republic back in 1966. I wore this costume when I was Schuyler Czech Queen in 1966 and 1967. The amazing story behind this photo is that when I visited my father’s cousin, Jarmila, in Moravia in 2003 she had a very faded copy of this photo displayed in her china cabinet. When you realize that I never met her in person until 2001 and never visited her apartment in Zlin until 2003, it is touching to know that she probably had that photo in her china cabinet for 37 years.
I still remember sitting down with Jarmila and going through her little shoebox of family photos. When we came to a photo of her son, Jarda, standing on the Charles Bridge in his army uniform in 1969, I told her I would give her any amount of money for that photo. She gave it to me as a gift, and I have it framed in my office to this day. As you can imagine, being in the army in Czechoslovakia in 1969 is a story in and of itself, but I’ll save that for another day. Jarda and I have been penpals since 1962, and we lost touch with each other when he was in the army in the late 60s. He obviously would not have been allowed to correspond with an American at that time.
Jarda, Jarmila, Jarda’s wife, Helena, and I met in person for the first time in 2001 in Prague. I visited them in Moravia in 2003, and then again in 2005-06 while I was on sabbatical.
Long story short . . . going through old photos conjures up all kinds of memories. I could go on, but I’ll stop here . . . for now.
Jeannette
I offered to drive Gerald to Schuyler, since my time has become quite flexible lately. =) We had an absolutely gorgeous drive to Schuyler going north out of Lincoln on 14th street and then over to Valpraiso, through David City and on to Schuyler. The corn stalks are turning brown and the soybean fields are bright yellow, but there are still a few bright green fields. Maybe it was some special effect caused by my new driving sunglasses, but I thought the colors were positively vibrant, especially around the Bohemian Alps. But then the rolling hills leveled out and soon we were in the flatlands crossing the Platte River going into Schuyler. Gerald was happy to be home, and anxious to just sit around and recuperate, so I left him there and drove out to the farm to see Mom for a while.
Mom has been sorting through old photos, and I mean OLD. Absolutely priceless photos of her parents and grandparents, some from the early 1900s. And also some family photos from the 60s and 70s. She gave me a stack of photos of me from my high school years, including the ever-popular Schuyler Czech Queen photos. To be honest, they are actually quite nice. I have a beautiful costume which was sent to me by relatives in the Czech Republic back in 1966. I wore this costume when I was Schuyler Czech Queen in 1966 and 1967. The amazing story behind this photo is that when I visited my father’s cousin, Jarmila, in Moravia in 2003 she had a very faded copy of this photo displayed in her china cabinet. When you realize that I never met her in person until 2001 and never visited her apartment in Zlin until 2003, it is touching to know that she probably had that photo in her china cabinet for 37 years.
I still remember sitting down with Jarmila and going through her little shoebox of family photos. When we came to a photo of her son, Jarda, standing on the Charles Bridge in his army uniform in 1969, I told her I would give her any amount of money for that photo. She gave it to me as a gift, and I have it framed in my office to this day. As you can imagine, being in the army in Czechoslovakia in 1969 is a story in and of itself, but I’ll save that for another day. Jarda and I have been penpals since 1962, and we lost touch with each other when he was in the army in the late 60s. He obviously would not have been allowed to correspond with an American at that time.
Jarda, Jarmila, Jarda’s wife, Helena, and I met in person for the first time in 2001 in Prague. I visited them in Moravia in 2003, and then again in 2005-06 while I was on sabbatical.
Long story short . . . going through old photos conjures up all kinds of memories. I could go on, but I’ll stop here . . . for now.
Jeannette
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Gerald
My brother, Gerald, had surgery yesterday at Lincoln's Bryan Hospital to open a blocked artery, the one that branches out and goes to both legs (the artery, not the hospital). He had been having severe pain in both legs for a long time, so there was no doubt that this surgery was required. I visited Gerald this morning, and was pleased to see that he was doing just fine. If he is dismissed tomorrow, I will drive him home to Schuyler, which will also give me a chance to go out to the farm to visit Mom. It’s nice to have the freedom to help out like this once in a while.
Jeannette
Jeannette
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Happy Birthday, Angie!
Yesterday was Angie's birthday. She took a day off from work, so I went to Omaha to spend the day with her. It was a great day to spend outdoors, although we did spend some time indoors eating and shopping. Dave and I gave Angie a door mat with two black cats on it. Angie has two black cats named Murphy and Luna. I call them Murph-Murph and Luna-Tunes. One has no trouble telling them apart. Murphy has a different kind of black fur. Near the skin it is pure white. Only the tips are black, so he looks more like salt and pepper. Luna is a sleek and shiny coal black cat that closely resembles a small leopard.
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How will we top this next year?
For lunch we had Indian food at the Oven in the Old Market. Then we did some shopping and walked over to the Koneko library annex. It is a special non-circulating library for UNO students, faculty and staff. Angie had to ring the doorbell to have them let us in. It is a very special place designed to inspire creativity. Large tables, comfortable chairs, large screen DVD screens, and all sorts of books about art and creativity. Angie goes there quite often just to write or draw. She can spread her materials out on a huge table and just luxuriate in the space. My attention was captured by a large book of replications of hand drawn maps from centuries past. I found a lovely map of Prague with the Charles Bridge before the statues were added 600 years ago.
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After we left the Koneko Building we moved the car a bit closer to the First National Bank Western Park, which contains amazing life-sized statues of wagon trains, pioneers, buffaloes and migrating geese. It occupies an area of four city blocks and the statues behave as though the streets and buildings are not there. These photos do not do the display justice. I only hope that you will go see this park for yourself someday.
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Next we moved on to Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue. And yes, we did find dinosaurs!
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We ended the day at the Melting Pot at Village Pointe. And we ended our meal with Yin and Yang Chocolate Fondue with bits of fruit and little cakes for dipping.
How will we top this next year?
Monday, September 14, 2009
108.5 degrees
It's just like the little kid who says he's 8-and-a-half years old. Dave didn't quite make it to a 109 degree knee bend today, but Roger said he got a little past 108 degrees. If you've ever seen the protractor that physical therapists use to measure knee bend, you'll be amazed that it could measure a fraction of a degree. I say he should round it up to 108.6 degrees. Anyhow, it's still good news, and we're happy that progress continues to be made.
I worked at Wesleyan this afternoon, still trying to place a few practicum students. Thirty music education majors need practicum placements this semester, and I only have four left to place. Wesleyan, UNL, Doane and Union College all compete for cooperating teachers in the Lincoln Public School system, so we usually end up with a shortage of available music teachers. Fortunately, I have resources in Waverly and in the Lincoln parochial schools, so I think I will be able to get everyone placed with a music teacher. If all else fails, I can place them with regular classroom teachers, but that is truly a last resort. A couple of the students will be doing their practicum over fall break back in their home towns of Hampton, Bellevue and Papillion. There is always a way.
Tomorrow is Angie's 37th birthday. She is taking a vacation day from her job at the UNO library, so I will be going to Omaha to spend the day with her. She has so many vacation days accumulated that they are always encouraging her to take a few days and go somewhere already. We plan to have Indian food at the Oven in the Old Market and then go to either the Henry Doorly Zoo or to Fontenelle Forest. I hear there are dinosaurs in Fontenelle Forest. Some sort of visiting art display. In either case, I will be wearing my walking shoes tomorrow.
On Sunday, we will have a family gathering in Omaha to celebrate Paul's birthday on September 25 and Angie's birthday on September 15. Kristi and Paul will also be celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary on September 26. Menu planning is always fun. Angie is fond of Dave's marinated roast and Paul wants German Chocolate Cake. Cucumbers and tomatoes from Kristi's garden will also appear, I am sure. We still have a few days to plot and plan.
All in all, we are anticipating a nice balance of work and play this week. Well, ok, Dave's week will be a little more unbalanced than mine in favor of work over play, but writing drill IS play for Dave, don't you think?
Jeannette
I worked at Wesleyan this afternoon, still trying to place a few practicum students. Thirty music education majors need practicum placements this semester, and I only have four left to place. Wesleyan, UNL, Doane and Union College all compete for cooperating teachers in the Lincoln Public School system, so we usually end up with a shortage of available music teachers. Fortunately, I have resources in Waverly and in the Lincoln parochial schools, so I think I will be able to get everyone placed with a music teacher. If all else fails, I can place them with regular classroom teachers, but that is truly a last resort. A couple of the students will be doing their practicum over fall break back in their home towns of Hampton, Bellevue and Papillion. There is always a way.
Tomorrow is Angie's 37th birthday. She is taking a vacation day from her job at the UNO library, so I will be going to Omaha to spend the day with her. She has so many vacation days accumulated that they are always encouraging her to take a few days and go somewhere already. We plan to have Indian food at the Oven in the Old Market and then go to either the Henry Doorly Zoo or to Fontenelle Forest. I hear there are dinosaurs in Fontenelle Forest. Some sort of visiting art display. In either case, I will be wearing my walking shoes tomorrow.
On Sunday, we will have a family gathering in Omaha to celebrate Paul's birthday on September 25 and Angie's birthday on September 15. Kristi and Paul will also be celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary on September 26. Menu planning is always fun. Angie is fond of Dave's marinated roast and Paul wants German Chocolate Cake. Cucumbers and tomatoes from Kristi's garden will also appear, I am sure. We still have a few days to plot and plan.
All in all, we are anticipating a nice balance of work and play this week. Well, ok, Dave's week will be a little more unbalanced than mine in favor of work over play, but writing drill IS play for Dave, don't you think?
Jeannette
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A New Record
We have a new record for shortest length of time between completing the drill for a marching band show and the first re-write. Dave finished writing drill around 10:00 am Saturday, and decided to celebrate by going to HyVee to get a Frappachino for himself and a cafe mocha for me. He was gone about 30 minutes. When he got home, he sat down with his Frappachino and started reviewing his work, and immediately discovered that he had written an impossible feat for the band. He had written a segment that should take 12 measures to complete, and he had only given them eight measures. There was no way they could cover that much ground in so short a time. Therefore, he had to either re-write an enormous amount of drill or add four measures of music. Fortunately, the drill was during the drum feature, a place where the winds were not playing. So he just added four measures of drum solo. I say "just" . . . .because now 24 hours later, he is still wrestling with that first re-write. The good news is that the band doesn't even know about this. They won't even begin to learn this drill until tomorrow, and they'll never know how close they came to being asked to do the impossible. But I would say they've got their work cut out for them. Dave told me, "This is the hardest drill I have ever written in my life." Those of you who have ever marched one of Dave's shows might have a clue what this portends for the band. If the weather holds out and they get this show learned, it will be really fun to watch. Dave said they are marching about 140 students on the field.
Now I'm wondering if I will eventually be able to put a little video clip of the show on this blog. I promise I'll wait until the performance is "dazzling."
Jeannette
Now I'm wondering if I will eventually be able to put a little video clip of the show on this blog. I promise I'll wait until the performance is "dazzling."
Jeannette
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Let the re-writing begin!
News flash!
Dave just finished writing the drill for the Lincoln Southeast marching band show. All that really means is that he can now start rewriting it. That will go on daily based on what happens in rehearsals. It is futile to ask him to refrain from making last minute changes. You should begin to worry if he ever says that the drill is good enough. It would mean that he has lost all interest in the band.
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Welcome to my new blog site, D & J Enterprises. Dave has a small business for drill writing and arranging. For business purposes his little company is called D & J Enterprises, so I decided that would be the perfect title for my new blog.
I hope you will visit from time to time. I've got some stories brewing and I'd love to share them with you.
Time for lunch and a football game. Nebraska vs. Arkansas State. Go Huskers!
Jeannette
Dave just finished writing the drill for the Lincoln Southeast marching band show. All that really means is that he can now start rewriting it. That will go on daily based on what happens in rehearsals. It is futile to ask him to refrain from making last minute changes. You should begin to worry if he ever says that the drill is good enough. It would mean that he has lost all interest in the band.
---------------
Welcome to my new blog site, D & J Enterprises. Dave has a small business for drill writing and arranging. For business purposes his little company is called D & J Enterprises, so I decided that would be the perfect title for my new blog.
I hope you will visit from time to time. I've got some stories brewing and I'd love to share them with you.
Time for lunch and a football game. Nebraska vs. Arkansas State. Go Huskers!
Jeannette
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