an era

This is my director.

Donald P. Jenkins has led the Colorado Springs Chorale for 47 years.

Even though I've sung under his direction for the past 7 years, he has been doing it much longer. In fact, today at the concert he said he's been directing choirs since 1953.

Today I sang. I sang my heart out. I sang to the best of my ability. I sang in German like I've never sung in German before.

And it was amazing.

It was a blessing to sing wonderful music, accompanied by a wonderful orchestra, directed by a legend.

Thank you, Don, for the music.  Even though this was the last, I will remember all of the concerts we've done together.

For the music,
K

recovery

Well this week has been Spring Break.

I am grateful for the break, but more than that I am grateful to be feeling better.

About 5 weeks ago, I got pneumonia. Didn't get sick, didn't catch anything, didn't come out any other sickness. Just...WHAM! Pneumonia.

So I got the drugs, and an X-ray to confirm, and spent a week getting better.

Felt great for a couple weeks, and then caught this nasty virus that went around school. I got it, but a bunch of other students and staff got it as well. And THAT was awful! It was the sickest I've been in several years. Even considering pneumonia!

So for the past 2 weeks I've been taking drugs for that, and doing breathing treatments, and just generally breathing.

Finally, I think I am better. I've gone a couple days without doing a breathing treatment, and besides my regular allergies, I'm feeling "normal". As normal as I usually am.

I just want to say that I am grateful to be better! I guess sometimes it takes feeling poorly to be grateful for health.

Here's to breathing.
K

mittens

Well, it is winter for sure. I have shoveled the front of my house several times in the past few days.

And I have never been so grateful to have mittens.

This is the first time I have ever owned mittens. I never understood mittens at all - I just never had mittens in my life. Oh, I have had gloves - when I moved to Colorado, I quickly realized that it behooves you to have a pair of gloves in every coat pocket. It gets COLD here people! Especially to someone who grew up in northern California, and then lived in Georgia for 14 years.

But now I have mittens.

I guess mittens weren't a part of my life growing up, so I never realized how great they are.

A few weeks ago, a friend came to church wearing a fleece, no coat, and mittens. I told her that I liked her mittens. She said her husband bought them on Etsy. So that afternoon, I went on Etsy, and searched "fleece lined mittens". HOLY COW! Mittens can be cute too! Mine are made out of recycled sweaters, and the inside is fleece lined. Every time I've shoveled in the past couple weeks, I've worn my mittens. It's amazing - the only way you can feel like you are outside is on the face. Everything else is snuggly warm. Unbelievable!

I am grateful for mittens. And for warm hands.

And for spring, if it ever comes.
K

laughter

The other day I fell over. In the middle of a 6th grade class.

I am fine, but it really was a funny experience.

I had walked around behind my piano to pick up a book that I dropped (this is making me sound clumsier by the minute...) and when I headed back around to my stool, my leg got wedged up next to the edge of my stage. Since my momentum was already headed to the right, and my feet were essentially stuck, I slowly fell over on the stage. Actually, it was more of a slow fall/sit/roll over onto the stage.

So, there I am, laying on my right side facing the class. But I couldn't see them at all.

Because I was laughing.

I was just thinking about how ridiculous it was that I just fell over in class.

Someone in the class said "ooohhh, oh no."

One of the boys laughed.

The rest of the class shushed him, and he relied, "But SHE'S laughing!"

I was thinking that I had to get myself up, so I rolled over on my back and was going to sit up, then stand. Right about then, another one of the boys said" I'm so confused. I want to laugh, but I feel like I should ask if you're OK."

That made me laugh even more.

I did get up, and told them I was fine, and explained how my feet got caught. Someone then said "Yeah! You fell over in slow motion!" And I laughed some more.

But In all of this, it was a good laugh. I laughed, they laughed, and we laughed together.

It occurred to the today how good it is to laugh. Not AT anyone, but just to laugh. Together. Even today, I think about this incident that happened 2 or 3 weeks ago, and I STILL laugh.

Laughter truly is good medicine.

I hope this gave you a laugh. :)
K

celebration

Yesterday I went to a wedding.

Actually, I got to play in the worship band. It was a great wedding. And not because I was there playing.

The bride and groom were both in youth group when they were in high school, so I was their youth leader. I've gone on several missions trips with them, and known them for several years and I consider them friends.

It was so great to see them stand up in front of friends and family and be wedded to each other.

But I really enjoyed the day. Not just the wedding, but the rest of it too.

The practice - the best man, and the pastor's wife and I were the worship band, so we got together to practice. It was fun getting to worship with them.

The rehearsal - hanging out with the pastor's wife, and the groom's mom, who I consider a great friend. Getting to see them all nervous, and READY to be married already!

The wedding - worshipping with a bunch of church family, and great friends. Being excited for the bride and groom as they start their journey together.

It was such a fun weekend. And such a blessing to be a little part of their story.
Congratulations Taylor and Lauren!
K :)

Dad

Well. it is not the "official" 30 days of thankful anymore, but I am still thankful.

Today I am thankful for Dad.

Yesterday we had a "snow situation". When I left for school it was fine outside, albeit VERY cold. But fine. Over the course of the day, the snow kept falling, and by the time for carpool it was awful out! About 3, Dad called me and said "I'm in your parking lot".

He came to pick me up in his 4 wheel drive and took me home!

And this morning he took me back to get my car.

I'm thankful for Dad who looks out for me, and thinks about me having to drive home in awful weather. He might have had a prompt from Mom, but I'm grateful nonetheless.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 30

Well this is it. Today I am thankful for rest.

I am home now, after being at the cabin with the WHOLE family, and I am glad to be at rest.
I'm paying bills, have a load in the laundry, and am intermittently watching Friends. Relaxing.

I am thankful for the breaks we get, and the chance to stop for a bit.

Oh, and I'm also thankful that I have all my Christmas shopping done! :)
Bring on the Christmas music!
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 29

Today I am thankful for the cabin.

Several years ago, Mom and Dad built a cabin up in the mountains. This Thanksgiving we all went up to the cabin. Mostly, it has been great. It is different, having the whole family in one place for several days.

This is what I saw going out to the store today:

The collegiate peaks were beautiful with all the snow.

I am grateful that Mom and Dad value time with family enough that they took that into account when building their home. I am thankful that they want us up here. I am thankful for a retreat from daily life.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 27

I am thankful for all the blessings God has given me.

Today I went with a group of people from church to serve at the Rescue Mission's Great Thanksgiving Banquet. It is a free Thanksgiving meal for anyone who wants to come. It is largely homeless people who are there, but there are also some people who are not homeless but just down on their luck.

There were 165 of us volunteers there, and we served about 1000 people.

There were clothing giveaways, flu shots, free bibles, and lots of love and welcoming spirit. As the coordinator told us before starting, the people coming today are out guests.

And that's what it felt like.

I am grateful for every blessing in my life- both those given to me, and the opportunities to work for others. I am so blessed, that I couldn't even count them all.

Thank you God for your blessings, and for the opportunity to serve others.
K

30 Days of Thankful: Day 26

Today I am thankful for God's beautiful creation. Here are a couple pictures I've taken over the years:

The above pictures are (in order): the collegiate peaks, balanced rock in Garden of the Gods, beach at Moss Landing, CA, South fork of the Arkansas River, Pike's Peak, beach in Fort Bragg, CA, Arkansas River near Canon City, CO, Arkansas River near Buena Vista, CO.

What beauty!
K