Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Brain dead at tax time

I feel like I haven't been posting much lately, but I have a good excuse: I'm working on our taxes. In fact I've been working on them both day...


...and night. (Well, verrrrry early morning. I don't DO nights.)


Our tax appointment is on Friday and I'm pretty brain-dead at the moment. So, in the absence of any cognizant neural activity not related to crunching numbers, I'll post some random pix until I recover my mental faculties.

For some time now, Younger Daughter has been hankering to try a cello. Her fiddle teacher very kindly and trustingly loaned her his own personal instrument for the week. Here he's giving her a few pointers on how to hold her bow and position her fingers, which are slightly different than fiddle technique.


Oh my goodness, she played that instrument the blessed week long, just fiddling (so to speak) around, playing fiddle tunes on the cello. Really neat to listen to.


When she went back this week, her teacher was so impressed by her progress that he assigned her a couple of specific cello tunes and let her have the cello another week. Hmmm -- we may be renting a cello in the near future.


Not to be outdone musically, Older Daughter just went through an ordeal. One of our church pianists recently retired, leaving the congregation a bit short-handed in the music department. Older Daughter was asked to step into a void when both our other pianists would be out of town, and play the church service. Last Sunday was her nerve-wracking debut, and she did outstanding.


She has a hard time operating the pedals in shoes, so she always kicks them off.


Both my girls hate to perform in public, so this was indeed an ordeal for her which she passed with flying colors. She has one more Sunday to play -- toward the end of May -- so she has lots of time to practice the hymns.

While taking a walk this week, our neighbors had released their hunting dogs to get some exercise. They plastered themselves against the fence as we walked by...


...then raced Older Daughter as she ran along the road.


Climbing over a fallen tree.


The distant mountains are firmly capped with snow.


A neighbor drove by on his four-wheeler...


...with his dog along for the ride.


Speaking of dogs, here's a twelve-foot-high model outside the Aslin-Finch feed store in Spokane. Arf.


Science lesson for the day: the Coriolis Effect.


Older Daughter was practicing with her archery set the other day. She didn't notice that the fletching on one of the arrows was broken. The arrow went astray from the haybales where she was aiming and punched through the wall of the barn.


Good thing there were no livestock around!


Gas prices March 24.


Gas prices April 3.


It must be spring. Our local feed store has chicks.


Chickens eating apple peels.


Lydia lounging. What a life.

6 comments:

  1. Taxes are a handful at times. We try to get ours done and out of the house the first week we have everything in order.

    Looks like your daughter loves the cello! It's a beautiful instrument. I could sit and listen all day. My son, when he was in elementary school took a liking to the viola. I was totally surprised and he loved it. Now, I can't get him near any instrument. Stubborn child, I think he has found girls more entertaining, lol

    Congrats on your oldest daughter's public debut at church on the piano. Will she be taking over the position of pianist for the church?

    I love the pictures you shared. Beautiful country side there.

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  2. Please go see "the piano guys" on youtube. We love the cello guy, and their parody on star wars is hilarious. They do a lot of classical too. My daughter wants to take cello lessons now too. (been taking piano for 9 years)

    Gas is down here. 4.21 :/

    Kathy

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  3. I love hunting dogs. I love hearing them bay when they have an animal treed, one of my favorite sounds. I think it is great that your daughters love music. The archery picture was great also. Let your daughter know that happens to all of us. My husband and I have been archers for over 25 yrs. I just took up the longbow (usually shoot a compound) I hit out cargo container myself two days ago.

    We have been spending a lot of time on pray hoping to move to Idaho in the near future. These pictures make me desire it more. You took some lovely pictures.

    If anyone knows of a school district that needs a teacher I would apprepricate hearing from you. Yes, we live in California, but ARE NOT Liberals. My husband is from Montana and I was raised in a rural California town (hay, onions, sugar beans, and turkeys mostly) with a population under 2500. My father was from Texas my mother Arkansas.

    My rural town is now over 65000 and more of an outcrop of Los Angeles in attitude. We have one child left at home, she is 8yr. We do not desire to raise her here. If anyone knows of a teaching job (elementary/middle school), again I would appreciate the help. I am on-line looking, but not with a lot of luck.
    Thank you

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  4. Those last two of Lydia were awwww inspiring! She has got it made! Just like my two cats! ;)
    Hope you all have a good day Patrice, you sure made mine!

    Mark

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  5. I like when you post the pics - I love the area you live in.

    I believe that the greatest challenges in our lives are our greatest gifts from God. Playing in church is nervewracking, and if that's your daughter's first real public performance = my goodness! Talk about being pushed into the deep end! But it is indeed a great gift. It is an awesome thing, accompanying the congregation when they are making a joyful noise. Kudos to you and to her for serving when called.

    Northwoods Jean

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  6. Patrice,
    I hear you on the taxes...I've misplaced hubby's w-2 and have to get another one - argh.

    Wish I would listen to your daughter on the cello. It's my favorite instrument, and if I was at ALL musical, it would be the one I would learn.

    I think we look at the same mountains but from different sides. If I drive up out of the canyon I'm in and head toward Moscow, I'm probably looking at the other side of them.

    Absolutely love the pics - especially Lydia smiling! Thanks for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Lisa

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