Thoughts from April 19

     Dear readers:

     Well, it's exciting getting more viewers after Mom advertised my blog on Facebook! :D Dad is cleaning the guest room downstairs and he just was blowing through an empty wrapping paper tube, making this glorious low-pitched vibration. He said you have to get through all the wrapping paper before you get to the fun part! ;) I have thought about somehow making a pipe organ type of contraption with plastic water bottles with varying water levels (which produces the same basic type of sound as blowing through a wrapping paper tube does)....

     I don't have much time to write today, so I'll share with you an awesome piece of music. It is a Dvorak sonatina for violin and piano that I was practicing last summer and would LOVE to someday perform. Not only is this a cool piece of music, but these two people (brother and sister) play it REALLY well! I highly recommend listening to it.

     "Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob! Begin the music, strike the timbrel, play the melodious harp and lyre." Psalm 81:1, 2 NIV. Whatever your level of expertise in music, or if you are simply a music appreciator, rejoice in God, Who gives us His strength to do His will each day!

     Bye,

     Christina Austine

Thoughts from April 8

     Dear readers (if I actually have any, considering how fledgling this blog is and considering the fact that the last time I posted, other than this week, was February ;)  )

     I got to read a history lesson and do some math on a chair outside today. It's a little warm in the sun, but not bad in the shade! I love how all the birds are singing praises to God (even with coronavirus going around), and the fresh new leaves on the trees are growing larger, and our rose bushes are budding. Evidently, just about the time the gorgeous dogwood trees pass their peak in blooming season, the roses are budding! Mom, Dad, and I have all been enjoying working outside in the garden with this sunny, warm weather. A couple days ago I planted some flower seeds that Grandma gave me, so I am excited to see what happens with them. I've been making progress in rescuing my flowerbed from the weeds, but the war isn't completely won yet!

     Dad and I like to listen to awesome music from the classical, baroque, romantic, and 20th century time periods, plus folk music, while we do puzzles in the evenings. We recently finished watching Dvorak's New World Symphony. WOW! Performing a piece like that is an IMMENSE journey. Listening to it live is as well. Even over YouTube, that journey is transmitted to us, the viewers! Before that, we listened to one of his quintets, and before that, we listened to his String Quartet no. 12 in F Major, "American" (after hearing the "American" quartet, I decided that the string quartet I play in should learn all four movements of that piece, that is, after we can meet together again! Hopefully next school year... and I highly encourage you to look it up on YouTube and listen to it!). And after that, I played a Dvorak violin/piano sonata in my personal practice time! After all this, I have decided that I really like Dvorak's music. All of these pieces have folksy elements in them that make them completely enjoyable to listen to. So thankful that even without live music, there is YouTube to satisfy my itch for great music. And thankful that Mom, Dad, and I all play music to one level or another, and can play together!

     Maybe I'm being a bit wordy, but I'm enjoying it! :D I finally got time to write something! Another post, I can introduce you to more great music and a great string quartet. For now, I will leave you with this: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies," Psalm 103:2-4, NKJV.

Bye,
Christina Austine