Blue Skies over Coastal Georgia

Sometimes the skies where I live are just breath taking.  Yesterday was one of those days.

After my piano lessons were finished, I ran into Walmart looking for more notebooks to finish the choir's Easter music notebooks.

When I came out, I was greeted to this beautiful sky...

I've never seen clouds look quite like this before.

  Anyway - I wanted to share a small view from my part of the world - the South.

Thanks for visiting ~ Reia

Carnegie Hall, Lesson Plans and Suggestions...Please?

I love all of my students but I'm having a whale of a time playing "Tag - You're It" with one special student.  We're exploring Music History.  We started with the 1890s and made it through to the Dave Matthews Band.  Now we're just plain having fun.  This week is my turn and next week is his turn to suggest the subject and plan the lesson.

This week I chose "Carnegie Hall".  I've already learned so much about Carnegie Hall as I've worked on our lesson plan.  I thought you might enjoy what we'll be using and what I've found interesting.

This is the 4 minute assignment I gave him before we meet this week.  I hope you find it interesting also.  Carnegie Hall's Opening Night 1891

From Wikipedia - Carnegie Hall

Now my question is - any good suggestions of what we should study when "Tag - I'm It"?

Thanks for visiting and for your suggestions.  Reia

A Coastal Georgia Sunset and Ashes

This week was my first week as the Music Director for St. Stephen Catholic Church.  I'll write more about this later.  Needless to say, my blog time has been limited getting ready to take this position.

It was a busy week as we entered the Lenten Season on Ash Wednesday.  After today's 5 PM Mass, this is what I found waiting for me as I left the church.

The perfect ending to an amazing week!

An added note:  Ash Wednesday is a special day to me.  I'm always touched as I watch the lines of people receiving a cross of ashes on their forehead while being told,

"Remember that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return."  Genesis 3:19

  by  Jamiesrabbits 

My favorite Ash Wednesday song is "Ashes".

I found a beautiful 1:43 minute video of the song to share with you.  Ashes

I hope you enjoy listening and thanks for visiting!  Reia

Downton Abbey and Secrets of the Manor House

I was talking to my daughter, Traci, today about Downton Abbey.  She'd just finished Season 1 and was heading into Season 2 tonight.  As we discussed our love of all things Downton Abbey, I remembered a PBS show that just made the history of Downton Abbey so much clearer to me.

  Secrets of the Manor House



I recommended watching it before she started Season 2 of Downton Abbey.  We were able to find it in 4 - 15 minute segments on YouTube.

Here are the links for each of the 4 segments in case you want to see it also.


                                 Part 1 of 4  ~  Part 2 of 4  ~  Part 3 of 4  ~  Part 4 of 4

Happy Viewing!

I can't wait for Sunday's new Season 3 Downton Abbey episode!

Thanks for visiting!  Reia

Some Southern Sayings...

I try my best to live by the "Golden Rule" and the other one, you know, "if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."  

However... there are times when some of the Southern sayings I've heard all of my life just pop into my head and nearly out of my mouth.  I thought I'd put a few out there and see if you can add any yourself.  (Feel free to ask what they mean in - "Southern".  Granted, I've said them all of my life and I may not know what they mean either.)

• This happened just the other day - I was driving home and saw someone walking along the sidewalk and I immediately thought - He just isn't "right".  (Said in my slow, Southern drawl while shaking my head in wonder.)

• When my children had tantrums, they "pitched a fit" and sometimes it was a "hissy fit".

• It took several years to help my Midwestern husband (of nearly 20 years) understand that citrus grows in "groves" and peaches grow in "orchards".  He kept discussing the "orange orchard" I'd grown up with as my front yard.  He finally understands - my front yard was an "Orange Grove".

• After dealing with a troublesome person, "They could make a preacher cuss!"

• One of my favorites things to say when I'm talking about someone fun to be around is, "They are a Hoot and a half."  I have no idea what a "Hoot" is, I just know it's fun.

Okay - now it's your turn - what sayings do you say or hear frequently?  (They don't have to be Southern either.)  Thanks for visiting!  Reia

PS - my daughter Ginger from www.literallyinspired.com wrote about one of my favorite books plus her life/heritage as a GRITS (Girls Raised In The South) here.  (Pictures of grandparents, etc. are included.)

Happy Birthday, Ginger!

Today my "baby" turned 31.  You know her as Ginger from www.literallyinspired.com.

It seems like just yesterday that she was born...

Learned to walk, talk, watch TV (with her 1 year older sister, Traci)...

She's always been a lot of fun to be around...

...and still is.

Now she has her own family with her husband, Adam and...

Landon who came along 3.5 years ago.

He's just as cute and funny as his parents.

She's a really good mom to Landon.

I'll leave you with the picture I took last summer while we were sitting at the steps of a hotel pool.  Looking at my daughter's feet beside my grandson's little feet just hit me as precious.  So - being a mom - I took this picture to remember that special moment.

Ginger has added so much to my life and I know how blessed I am.

She's my heart walking around outside of my body and I love her.

Thanks for visiting on Ginger's Birthday!  Reia

Crazy for Eureka!

Do you need a diversion from the craziness that is your life?  I know we do!  So - we've discovered a really "off the wall" show - "Eureka" by the SyFy channel - that makes us forget the cares of our day.

Oh my goodness - if it can happen, it will happen in Eureka!

From IMDB - "The best minds in the US are tucked away in a remote town where they build futuristic inventions for the government's benefit."

Short glimpse/teaser here 

It's definitely a mix of Comedy - Drama - SciFi and we love it!  Maybe you'll enjoy it also.  

(FYI - we're watching it on Netflix.)  Thanks for visiting!  Reia