Musical memories

Life is full of firsts - 1st day of school, 1st trip to the ocean, 1st date, etc. These "firsts" often are very memorable and it's fun when those moments are remembered years later. Yesterday, I was doing chores around the house and had a classical music feed going on Spotify. I heard several pieces of music that I distinctly remember the 1st time I ever heard them. I think it's really cool that God created music in such a way that it often leaves indelible marks on us. The following is the story of how I became acquainted with 1 such piece of music,  a piano concerto by a 19th century Norwegian composer.

Edvard Grieg's "Piano Concerto in A Minor"

When I was in elementary school, my Dad asked me one day if I wanted to go to the Cedar Rapids Symphony with him. I don't remember my exact age, but I think I was around 7 or 8 years old. I said yes, and so I got into slacks and a dress shirt and off we went downtown to the Paramount Theater. We parked several blocks away, and the weather was cold, so I remember us walking briskly into the theater. We had tickets on the main floor, and when we got there, the musicians were out on stage warming up. I thought it was fascinating. There were all of these chairs and music stands and people in tuxedos and black dresses with their musical instruments. There was a big grand piano in the middle of the stage, and soon the lights went down, the orchestra tuned to A-440 (a beautiful sound), and then applause erupted as the conductor and the pianist came out on stage and took a bow.

There was silence for 5 or 10 seconds and then the most dramatic opening to a piece of music I had ever heard. There was a 2 second drum roll, the pianist played a loud chord, and then 5-10 seconds of flashy music with the pianist's fingers scampering down the piano. I was hooked! After the beginning technical fireworks, the music settles down into a haunting melody in a minor key, and the piece goes on for 3 movements and for about 25 minutes. I had a blast that night, and I love that my Dad took me to the concert. We bonded that night and have continued to bond for the next 25 years over classical music. I was hooked on orchestral music from that time on, and I'm grateful I still remember my trip to the symphony, and the special memories that Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor brings back to mind.

A tribute to my Dad.

Dad holding Griffin! I love how attentive Griffin is!

After 35 years or so, my Dad retired from his job at Rockwell Collins a week and a half ago. He had been looking forward to that day for many years!  Between the birth of my nephew, his retirement, and Father's Day weekend, I decided it was a great time to visit my family back in Marion, Iowa. My nephew Griffin was 3.5 weeks old when I visited.

There are too many things that I appreciate about my Dad to share all of them with you. But there are several that really stand out. My Dad has a love of music. I have fond memories of hearing music played in the house all of the times, whether it be classical music, sacred music, shaped note hymnody, or his first love of organ music. From my elementary days, I remember going to organ concerts and Cedar Rapids Symphony concerts. If I played my cards right, I could get a milk shake on the way back from a concert. I think part of my love for music comes from my father. Our family worship time always included music, and my Dad encouraged each of us kids to pick out a favorite hymn of ours to sing together as a family. This tradition continues every time I come back for a visit!

Weston and I were best buds. I had fun pulling him in the wagon.

My parents really love each other, and I appreciate them modeling that to me. My Dad is very good to my Mom, and I admire there life long commitment they have made to each other. God's grace has held them strong through both the good and bad times.

Laura has her hands full - 2 babies to take care of!

Finally, my Dad's faithfulness to his job is exemplary. He is a great human embodiment of the verse in Colossians that says to work heartily as to the Lord, not to men. I have memories of my Dad bringing many computer programming books home to study throughout the years of my life. His efforts to stay up to date with the latest computer programming languages and expand his knowledge tangibly impressed upon me the value of hard work. He stayed true to this work ethic even to the end of his working years.

My Dad loves his family, and I'm really glad I got to celebrate in person with him as he starts a new chapter in his life.

Game, set, match!

I have been spending my Saturdays this fall playing in a men's doubles tennis league put on by ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association). For $25 a year, I joined ALTA to be able to play with my friend Mark Carter and his neighborhood tennis team. The team participates in a spring and fall league every year, and for 7-8 Saturday's a season, 5 teams of men from the neighborhood each play a match against 5 teams from a competing neighborhood.

Tennis is and has been my favorite sport to play since I was a kid. Both of my parents enjoy the game and taught me the basics at a young age. I also enjoy it because my lack of height and girth is not as big a disadvantage as say football or basketball! But I what most enjoy about the sport is that it is a game of strategy - play from the baseline or volley at the net; hit to the forehand or the backhand; serve out wide, up the middle, or into the body; topspin or backspin! You get the point!

As I started to watch tennis as a kid, I noticed something unusual about tennis - the court surfaces vary! In America, most tennis courts are played on asphalt. I've seen green, blue, and red asphalt courts. However, tennis can also be played on clay and on grass. The ball tends to skid more on grass and tends to travel slower on clay. Footing is also different on each of these surfaces. I have played on clay a handful of times, and it is unusual in that you have to learn to come to a sliding stop instead of a screeching halt! My dream is to get to play on a legitimate grass court some day - I would love to experience it in person.

Have you ever noticed how odd tennis scoring is? When you are serving, say your score first and then the opponent's score. So far, so good. If you win 3 points in a row, the 1st point gets you to 15 love, then 30 love, then 45, scratch that 40 love! I have no idea who came up with that moment of brilliance. And as a matter of fact, I have no idea why love = 0. If you get to 40-40, you call it deuce! I think the foreign sounding terms was part of the intrigue to me as a kid. Getting past the terminology, you have to win by 2, to win a game; then it's the 1st to win 6 games, win by 2, to win the set; then it's the best of 3 sets usually. I'm glad I learned the scoring when I had a young, pliable mind!

Getting back to the here and now, Mark and I haven't been free at the same time this fall, so I have played with 2 other gentleman instead. Bill is a retired tennis coach who hits everything back and is adept at lobbing the ball over people at net. He's so good at it that sometimes we call him "Mr. Lob City." The last 2 weeks I have played with Raj. Raj, like Bill, is a lefty. He takes the left side of the court and I take the right side and we both have the advantage of being able to hit our forehands a lot when we play with each other. I have noticed that when we play he likes to tell me to "chill out" and "calm down". I think most people think I'm pretty laid back, but my "hyper side" comes out on the tennis court. (My Mom always told me I was her hyper child, and in my heart, I know she's right)! In truth, when I do something I love, I get hyper.

To conclude, if you still don't share my excitement for the game of tennis enough to take up the game, make a point to catch a whiff of a freshly opened can of tennis balls. You'll be hooked for life!

 

Left brain or right brain?

I think the human brain is one of, if the not most fascinating, portions of the human body that God created. Not being a scientist, I'll oversimplify - we all have a creative side and an analytical side of brains ... a left side and a right side, and I can never remember which side is which! I'm thankful for how the Lord blesses me with interests, skills, and hobbies that stimulate both sides of my brain. I bet if you think about it, He does the same for you as well.

My job as a public accountant is usually perceived as largely analytical and mathematical. One of the most frequent comments that I hear from people when I tell them I'm a CPA is "Oh, you must be good at math." It makes me chuckle and I usually say, "Not as much you think." That being said, my job is analytical and sometimes it is like putting a puzzle together. Tax return information given through a shoebox of documents quickly comes to mind! 

As a youth, I grew up taking music lessons, first piano and then violin. Music is a creative expression of the soul, and I love it. My favorite assignment from my violin teacher was to go rent recordings of the piece I was learning and listen to how it was played. "Listen for the phrasing of the melody line". "Where is the climax?" "Listen for liberties taken in tempo!" All of this was and is part of the performer's creative license in making the piece come alive. However, the best music is written in very structured ways.  My violin teacher Beth Hoffman would always make me play along with a metronome, which tick tocked (loudly) the specified tempo for the piece. In the midst of my creativity, I had to conform to the wishes of the composer. All musicians that I know have a love/hate relationship with their metronome!

As a homeowner, I don't enjoy cleaning, and doing handyman type of work. But I do enjoy gardening and yardwork (for the most part). This weekend I channeled my inner "Edward Scissorhands" and worked on pruning some of my taller trees. There is a certain beauty in having a rounded tree that isn't lopsided on one side or the other. I enjoyed clearing enough space down to walk under the branches. My trees still look good, and now I don't bump my head mowing the lawn!

Reflecting on how God blessed me with different skills than other people make me realize again that He knows what he's doing. He's the ultimate Creator. Isn't it a blessing to meditate on his grand design?

Soli Deo Gloria!

An orange is an orange

Every February through April, my work schedule turns super hectic, and I end spending a lot of evenings at my office during tax season. One of my rituals during tax season is to stock up my office with as many snacks as possible. The snacks generally need to be nutritious and filling, so I can work late into the evening without starving. My usual staples are string cheese, wheat thins, almonds, and apples.

This year I decided to add oranges to my diet. But once I was at the grocery store, I thought to myself, "What should I get?" There were so many options, it was bewildering. Juice Oranges, Navels, Clementines, Tangerines, Blood Oranges, Halos, Cuties, Mandarins - the names were conjuring up mental images of terms of endearment, Chinese people, an old John Wayne movie, and my own body parts instead of the actual qualities of the fruits. What's a guy to do??

In the end, I went with the tried and true - the "what looks good" criteria! I chose these mandarins, and I was happy with my choice. They have really been a great pick me up as an early evening snack. Maybe next year, I'll be brave and branch out to kumquats!

Christmas Vacation

After a year away, I returned to my parent's home in Iowa for the 2nd time in 5 weeks! This weekend has been very unusual in that it is just my parents and me for the first 4 days of my trip. Because of my siblings' travels, we are planning to celebrate Christmas on New Years Day. Thus, Mom has left her Christmas decorations up. They are beautiful to see! 

Though not worried about it, I did come in wondering what we would do together while Michael was at a retreat. We've had a blast so far. Mom and I bought a 500 piece puzzle Friday afternoon, and we finished it by Saturday evening. I think it is the fastest that we've every completed a puzzle together.

Sunday, we went to church and heard an excellent sermon on waiting on the Lord. The sermon text was from Exodus 2, and Pastor De Boer cautioned us to avoid the sin of Moses. He was impatient waiting to be Israel's leader and avenged the brutality of the Egyptians on his people before the Lord's timing was right. Pastor contrasted Moses to our Lord Jesus, who patiently lived on earth 33 years, waiting on the Father's perfect timing before offering himself up as a sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

After church, I took my parents to Red Robin and introduced them to their famous onion ring towers and dipping sauces. We thought they were delicious. I'm thankful for the relaxing start to my vacation and for the wonderful relationship I have with my parents.

Happy New Year!

Go West Young Man

This Thanksgiving I am visiting my family in Iowa. These visits always bring back a panoply of memories: the smells of Cedar Rapids, the taste of Zoey's pizza, corn fields stretching for miles, the sound of Boggle cubes being rearranged, and warm embraces from my family. This particular Thanksgiving has a brand new memory, meeting my nephew Weston Carl Barnett. He is the pride and joy of Ben and Laura Barnett, and he has me wrapped around his thumb in no time at all.

All of the Chandlers love little Weston, but they have unique ways of interacting with him. Grammy Sandy loves rocking her "Cuddlebug" and taking him on sightseeing tours throughout the house. When Weston is in the house with her, Grammy Sandy becomes a first class Thespian with her expressive eyes, dramatic words, and emphatic gestures. Grandpa Bill loves interacting with him musically, either through whistling or plucking the guitar. Uncle Michael is less hands on, but still is equally interested in observing and interacting with young Weston. Being late to the party, I have to compete for his affections with others, specifically Grammy Sandy. Grammy interprets any sigh or ill-tempered coo as a sign that my "Boogie Man" has had enough of my company. So the pressure is really on to impress Weston. I haven't come up with a signature interaction with him yet, but honestly, he is so fun to just hold and squeeze!