Another collaboration between Wren and Nonnie! This is one of my favorite arrangements yet, and one of my favorite hymns (we hear it’s Uncle Nigel’s favorite…so this one is for you!)
Category: hymns of comfort (Page 3 of 11)
Tonight I’m posting the second movement of Wren’s Quartet in F. I thought I’d also post a quartet of images from my walk this evening!
Last night we were able to camp on our friends’ farm! It was so amazing to be able to visit with others (at a distance, of course), and for Wren to run around with another child. They roamed in the pastures and the forest, met the sheep and chickens…it was so nice for her to feel that freedom. She said that her “heart was so happy.” That makes my heart very happy! We put our tent out in the pasture where we would have a good view of the fireflies, the fireworks, and the moon (and supposed eclipse).
Rick was very happy that he was allowed to fly his new drone! He got a pretty nice video, and I’ve taken a screen shot to show you this beautiful place!
We set up camp as the sun was setting, and I got my cameras ready for the light show!
The fireworks were an unexpected surprise. When our friends told us that everyone would be shooting them off, we thought they would be the “at home version”…we didn’t realize we were in for this big of a display! The town cancelled the fireworks…so others decided that the show must go on!
The fireflies (lightning bugs) were even more spectacular than the fireworks! I haven’t seen this many in a very long time!
We were expecting a lunar eclipse, and I suppose it happened (at least that’s what google says!), but we didn’t see a change in the moon. It was really pretty, though!
It was a beautiful night! Hopefully we will go back again soon! We didn’t record a hymn last night, but Wren has been recording some more of her compositions. This is the first movement from her Quartet in F for cello!
Normally Wren attends two or three camps each summer. She has tried several, and the plan this summer was to go to Blue Lake and then attend a new (to us) camp in Nebraska with some friends. Of course, everything was cancelled, but some camps switched to virtual experiences. This week Wren is attending the Chicago Suzuki Institute Virtual Camp. She has attended their in-person camp one time. Normally this camp isn’t a possibility because I teach in July. So, one good thing of a very different summer is that Wren gets to attend this “camp.” She has lessons, “arranging for cello choir” lessons, and technique classes over zoom. Today was a pretty big day because she played in a master class. She was selected by audition to play for Amy Barston (an amazing cellist who performs and teaches in very prestigious places). It was so fun to see her play so well and to enjoy learning some new strategies for making music! Tonight I’m posting Wren’s recording for her “arranging for cello choir” class. The assignment was to pick a piece from book 1 and arrange it for 4 cellos. She then had to record it so that it can be shared with the class tomorrow. Here is Wren’s arrangement of Allegro by S. Suzuki
Wren played He Leadeth Me for her hymn of comfort tonight. I write a lot about my walks on the blog, but this hymn reminds me that I’m never walking alone. God walks with me, and he leads me! I think Wren is starting to understand this, which is wonderful! Tonight as she went to bed, she asked me if she would have a cello in heaven…. what a lovely thought!
I look forward to my long rambling walks on the weekends! Today I went out to my favorite spot to see what was happening. There has been a big turnover in blooming plants over the past two weeks! The prairie has shifted from a sea of blue to pink as most of the spiderwort is gone and replaced with phlox. The dragonflies are still really busy, and I added a new species to my list today! The coneflowers were blooming! I love them, and I’m so happy to see them again! The ones in my yard are a little behind what I found on the prairie.
Wren played Just a Closer Walk with Thee for the hymn of comfort tonight. I thought it was appropriate since my walks are good times to pray.
Tonight we decided to go on a sunset walk. We were hoping the Saharan dust plume would make for some beautiful colors. We also were treated to some other surprises.
Just as church ended tonight, we had a huge downpour! It seemed appropriate to go out and run in the evening rain! This was just the thing to cheer up this kid!!!
Wren picked another hymn from my childhood for her hymn of comfort today – God Will Take Care of You. He certainly does!
One of the nice things about staying close to home this year is that I get to chronicle the happenings in my garden! Normally I’d be heading to South Dakota and missing the bloom of my backyard. I’ve been collecting native plants (some seeds provided by biologist friends, some seedlings purchased from the native plant sale). I don’t use chemicals, so I try to choose plants that will outcompete nuisance plants (i.e. weeds). I have a thick patch of Bee Balm (Mondarda) and Joe Pye Weed. I have tons of Phlox and Coneflowers and Cup Plant (looks like a sunflower). This time of year it mostly looks like a cacophony of green, but some things are starting to emerge!
Wren’s hymn of comfort today is Sometimes a Light Surprises. Light definitely results in some beautiful surprises in my garden!
We went to Rock Cut State Park on Sunday to visit with some friends who were camping. We felt a little silly wearing masks, but we wanted to be safe! We knew our friends hadn’t been around others, so we felt pretty safe with them. It was really nice to hike in some mature forest and Rick and Wren even got to spend some time in a kayak!
Wren is back to a hymn for tonight. It is Come, Ye Disconsolate. This seems appropriate because Rick is so good at consoling us when we are down!
Wren has been writing a lot of music lately. She’s inspired by birds, and has a project inspired by them. This is a tune that will ultimately show up in that work. I’ve added photos of birds (and a butterfly) in flight! I can’t wait for you to hear all of the other things that she’s writing, but for now – here is the start of an idea.
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