COVID 19: Part 2 & Easter

Welp, turns out I have more thoughts to share.  No one is surprised.

First of all, something I meant to mention in my last post:

One of the things that makes me most sad about this whole pandemic situation is all the life events accompanied by large gatherings that have been put on hold or cancelled, all together.  Whether a large wedding, a milestone birthday party, a funeral, a months-have-gone-into-planning-this work event, a graduation – there are countless things that have had to be permanently crossed off calendars or postponed till who-knows-when.  As an Enneagram 2, I tend to feel other people’s feelings, and the disappointment/sadness/grief surrounding all these cancelled/postponed/changed life events can be a little overwhelming.  I so admire those who are making the best of these situations, whether it be a tiny wedding ceremony, a virtual birthday party, a drive-by retirement celebration, etc., etc.  Doesn't mean they can't be sad for what they're missing, though...and if they're not, I'm probably sad enough for us both - haha.

Moving on…

Thank goodness for Pinterest and smart/creative friends who share ideas.  Here are some of the ways we’ve been spending our days (or at least a few moments of them):

Starting our garden inside this year!
(But with old seeds, so we'll see how it goes.)

He really liked this activity ("painting" cardboard with water), but was very surprised to see his artwork had disappeared.
Not to worry - he was happy to draw it all over again.

Tried out Kinetic Sand for the first time, and it was a hit!

Thanks to a "hot tip" from a friend, I found this gem (sans accessories - we had all those, already) for free at the end of a driveway.  We were soooo glad for a couple warm days to try it out and are looking forward to more.  He was soaked, but was happily occupied for the better part of an hour!  The first day, I pulled weeds and did yard work in the general vicinity.  The second, I sat in the sun and leafed through a magazine in it's entirety - a small miracle!

Modified this Pinterest hunt, since the green leaves weren't on, yet, and the bugs were sparse. 
A success, all the same!

A friend turned us on to Cosmic Kids Yoga, and it's been really fun.  Jacob now requests "kids yoga," and though he usually watches more than participates, unless I do the whole thing with him, he's getting more involved (and involving more "friends") every time.

*not pictured: countless FaceTime dates, Marco Polo conversations, phone calls, and "fun" mail - so thankful for it all!

I know this is hard for everyone in different ways – some we can pinpoint and acknowledge and some we are unaware of.  My smart, sweet husband sent me out of the house to drive around while he was off work the other day, so I wrote some of this from my car in a sunny parking lot.  The peace and quiet did exactly what he knew I needed it to, though I can’t put into words exactly what that was.

I understand a lot of what I’m feeling stems from various forms of grief.  Our current life situation is not something any of us have schema for or previous experience with, so our brains and hearts are figuring it all out in real time.  Paired with all the physical/tangible changes we’re also navigating, it makes for some truly exhausting moments/hours/days/times.

Easter was an especially weird day for me – I don’t have any other word to describe it.  There were ups and downs, though no real high highs or low lows.  For one thing, it was dark and stormy, but with glimpses of sunshine – a true metaphor for my emotions.  

We had stretched out our Easter celebration, because Bryant worked the weekend (his work schedule has changed as a result of COVID-19 - 12-hr. shifts on a rotating basis...while the days get long, it is nice to have him more full days).  It was strange to not have him with us.  Of course, the no “in person” church thing added to the weirdness.  Jacob was sent to his room in the middle of the sermon, because he wasn’t happy with me for asking him to find something to do on his own if he wasn’t going to play nicely in the room where we were listening to the message.  Disciplining my child in the middle of an Easter sermon was weird for me.  Not meeting for church also meant not being part of the musical worship setting – something I’ve done in various ways for as long as I can remember.  Thank goodness for my hymnal and piano in the basement…it did my heart good to play/hear “Jesus Christ is Risen Today.”

All that said, here are some Easter-time highlights:

This was the most festive our food game got. 
Turns out, Jacob loves these nearly as much as his dad does.

The extent of our Easter morning photos.
Nanny Byers makes the coolest shirts!

Sweet "secret Easter bunny" friends hid eggs in our front yard Easter morning.  Jacob was so excited to go pick them up and see what was inside.  It definitely made the morning more enjoyable for both of us. 
Since I didn't have to take time to fill/hide eggs, we had time for a walk afterward.  Thank goodness for the somewhat-nice morning before the storms rolled in.
(We'd also had a special delivery the day before that included several pre-filled eggs.  We took turns hiding those around the house later in the afternoon.  Such thoughtful people we know. ♥)

A fun Easter craft (thanks to my Cricut).

Jacob invited lots of "friends" to church on Easter Sunday.
Like I said - Easter was a weird day for me.  I was feeling guilty for not having made a special meal, so decided to make the meal special by having a living room picnic while watching the Veggie Tales Easter episode.  It went over well. ☺

I've been missing Runzas, lately, so decided to make some of our own. 
Not quite the "real" thing, but still hit the spot...for everyone!

Praise God for Jesus and the hope we have in Him.  There is joy and comfort in that, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

On a lighter note:

A friend has been putting together a video summary for each day of the “stay home” order and asked for some “audience participation.”  So, I added a skill (video-editing – ha) to my resume, and put the following together: https://youtu.be/VuJa7rP4rHs.

I’m really glad to have been prompted to do this, because while this may not be the “best of times,” it’s something worth remembering…and really – there truly are parts of it that are “the best.” ☺  Hoping this will bring some humor to your day.  ♥

Hanging in there and hoping the same for you,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

all the creativity and content that's been emerging, lately

pre-Easter surprises from my husband (our designated shopper)

Surprise Easter delivery from a sweet friend

Opus 76 - art inspired by art

There are probably 6,372 other things I should be doing, now, but I really wanted to get this out while it's (somewhat) fresh.

First, some context (without meaning to sound braggy):

I am a musician.  I took piano lessons from ages five to eighteen.  I started playing the trumpet in the fifth grade and began lessons a few years later.  My degree is in instrumental music education, and trumpet was my main instrument.  I was part of jazz ensemble, symphonic band, brass ensemble, orchestra, pep band, and various weddings and church gigs over the course of my jr. high, high school, and college career (all of the above in college).  I've taught private piano and trumpet lessons since I was in junior high (out of my home, then at a private studio, and now, out of my home, again).  I've toured both domestically and internationally with performing groups.  I have and do accompany soloists.  I currently play trumpet in a community band and keyboard for our church praise team. 

All that said, I have never really been the type of musician who has a great, true appreciation for music.  As I read that back, it seems like an extreme statement.  It's not as it may seem, but I don't know any other way to say it, at this point.  I'll try to explain, though...hear me out:  I've always been so involved in music that I've had a hard time making/finding time to enjoy it outside of my own performances.  Of course, I have taken advantage of opportunities to attend various special concerts and have always supported musician friends by attending their performances, but to truly seek out and strive to take in as much live music as possible has always seemed out of my reach, mostly due to my schedule and the other things I wanted to spend time doing.  During my post-college time in Lincoln, I was able to attend several amazing performances through the non-profit management office I worked for (still one of the most unique work experiences I've had...or heard of - haha.  I wrote a post about it early on in my time there...and added lots of duties to the list in the years following.), but I usually had some sort of duty at these events, so wasn't able to focus 100% on the music, necessarily.  I often have music playing as I go about my day, but it has often been required listening to prepare for my own performance, something I've listened to several times, or simply something I'm not consciously listening to.  I have and do come across new music when people share it, but haven't always sought it out on my own.

Additionally, my brain doesn't work in a way that easily remembers/comprehends/connects performers, composers, bands to their specific sounds, songs, and pieces of music.  Same goes for movie quotes.  I often recognize melodies (or lines, if we're still talking about movie quotes), but I'm only just beginning to have enough history with some of them to recall the name of the piece, recognize the style of the performer/band, or be able to name the composer (or movie/character/scene). 

Of course, as a music major, I spent hours and hours in classes (and lessons) where I was asked to do just this.  I memorized birth and death dates.  I attached names to melodies.  I learned traits associated with different musical periods.  I was able to do all this in small batches, but it was mostly for the sake of the grade, and not as much for the sake of my own musical appreciation/knowledge.  To this day, I'm embarrassed to not be able to really "talk shop" with other musicians (esp. trumpet players), because I can't always speak to my favorite player, group, piece in a particular genre, etc. (Sorry, Dean...)  I can't always hear a song and say, "Oh, that sounds like so-and-so," whether or not it's a cover.  Unless I've seen a musical several times, I don't always remember what songs go with which (unless it's Wicked, in which case I can probably sing the entire soundtrack from memory...and that's just because I've listened to it so, so many times.).  This isn't to say I'm never able to draw these connections, recognize a composer/performing group, or remember the name of a particular song.  I am obviously able to do so on some level, just not the level I would like or think I should be able to.

I've found I'm much better able to recall/comprehend music if I have something personal to attach to it, and even more-so if it's a deep emotional attachment.  I'll always remember the first time I actually cried (rather than just tearing up) during worship ("Here I Am to Worship" at CIY).  I haven't yet forgotten the exact musical moments when I was moved to tears while performing a couple band pieces in college (near the end of the fifth movement, "Hobbits," of the Lord of the Rings Symphony and the climax of our NMEA perfornamce of "O Magnum Mysterium").  I was too emotional to participate in the a capella verse of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" at our wedding.  It was so beautiful and meaningful to hear all our friends and loved ones' voices blending together in harmony and worship.  There's a Christian lullaby CD we were given before Jacob was born that was on repeat during many late-night feedings early in his life.  Those songs will always take me back to those sweet, emotional moments.  I could probably list more examples here, but those give you an idea.  Again - I'm not sure why my brain doesn't better retain this sort of information, but it is what it is.

Now, to bring it to the original subject of this post:

A few months ago, Bryant heard a local musician interviewed on a local radio station to promote his string quartet's free concerts.  My husband, as usual, knows me better than I know myself and acted on the opportunity to hear live music on the cheap, because he thought I'd enjoy it.  So, he told me about the group, and we planned to attend a concert.

If I'm being honest, I wouldn't say I'm really "into" string music (no offense intended, at all...just hasn't always been my thing.  Maybe it's because I'm a brass player...?).  This concert, however, was so refreshing and enjoyable, and apparently, necessary for me.  For one thing, the respite of sitting still for an hour was a treat.  Being able to simply listen to other people perform was also just so nice.  I think part of the reason I enjoyed the listening aspect so much was a control thing; someone else was in control of that situation - worrying about having enough programs, directing people to the restrooms, setting out the reception treats, etc.  For me, being able to sit back and listen to other people perform music (that I had no preconceived notions about - it was Haydn and Beethoven, but I did not recognize the particular pieces/movements to know exactly what they would/should sound like) was very calming and refreshing.  If I'm being poetic about it, I was able to be still and let the music wash over me.  I was able to focus on the musical lines and motives, and at some point while doing so, I realized my mind wasn't wandering.  For my brain to not have 53 tabs open at once is such a rare occurrence.  Yes, as a musician, I was listening critically (though I don't know that I heard (or picked up on) any mistakes) and analytically, but it was surprising and wonderful to truly be able to have a singular focus for several moments.  It was so peaceful, and not just because they were playing classical music.  My mind needed the break as much as my body did.

I've heard (esp. recently) that art inspires art.  I listen to a couple authors' podcasts, and they often talk about how much they do or don't read in order to be inspired.  They also discuss seeking out other mediums to fill their creative souls.  I couldn't help but think about how the quartet performance (art) was inspiring me, both in the moment and afterward.  During the performance, I was able to appreciate the immense skill and talent it took to perform those pieces at the level they did.  I was inspired by their passion for the music (enough to perform it free of charge) and the words they shared about why they do what they do.  Afterward, I was able to reflect to the point of wanting to get it all out "on paper" and am so glad to have a (small) platform to do so (which I don't often think of as a form of art, but I believe it is).  I have also been inspired to strive to play more of the (piano) music in my collection.  I've inherited and been given so, so much music - of all genres and from all time periods.  This inspiration to take time to play more was affirmed by Jacob wanting to bring his musical instruments (a jingle bell stick and harmonica, in this instance) downstairs when he heard me practicing.  We rarely have a silent home, but it's often podcasts or that week's worship set filling our ears.  There's nothing wrong with either of those, but I feel I need to do a better job of exposing him to a variety of music, both live and recorded.

On another note (pun not originally intended), we made a date night out of the concert and happened to drive by the original KC Joe's on our way to the place we'd planned to dine that evening.  Like a bear to honey (I was going to use the "moth to the flame" analogy, but it didn't feel right in this context...you get the idea), we turned around and took advantage of the time we had to stand in line (though it was short on a Tuesday night) and the fact that they weren't sold out of burnt ends (speaking of art...).  It wasn't the fancy night out we'd originally planned, but it was just as (perhaps even more) delicious.  There were also homemade treats after the concert, so we were glad we hadn't stopped for dessert, beforehand.

The concert took place in a beautiful church sanctuary, which of course, just added to the appeal and wonder of it all.

The quartet we heard is called Opus 76.  You should definitely check out their Facebook page and website.  They're doing some really amazing things for the KC community.  If you're in the area, be sure to attend a concert - whether or not you're "into" string music. ;)  Their musicianship and talent is truly inspiring, and their mission and purpose is admirable and worth supporting.  We didn't get to stick around after the concert to visit with them, so please consider this my public display of admiration and appreciation.  ☺

I feel like I bore a piece of my soul that hasn't been brought to light, before.  Thank you for being gracious and kind readers and allowing me to feel safe in doing so.  I don't know that I adequately explained the points I was trying to make here, but I know it was a lot of words, already, so thanks for bearing with me.  ♥    

Inspired-ly,

Kensy

P.S. I edited this post in a trendy coffee shop in downtown KC on my 10(?)-yr.-old-17-inch-screen-Toshiba laptop.  It didn't fit on one of the bar-top ledges they had set up for people like me who've come to work there.  I don't think I've ever felt so old so unexpectedly...

Favorites of the day:

flip-flop season (you saw that one coming)

Kouign Amann (a planned indulgence) and this beautiful pineapple twist (a surprise treat)

an unexpected family photo at a recent alumni event

TBH - we just went for the free food...and for the perfect opportunity for J to wear the shirt the university sent us when he was born. ☺

☺

At-Home Spa Night

I just realized this is my first post of 2019, so Happy (belated) New Year!

Once again, I wanted to write more than is appropriate for an Instagram caption, so here are a few pictures and even more words about something my hubby did for me this past weekend:

After getting home from work, Bryant sent me out the door to grab a light supper and “start relaxing.”  For me, that meant CFA and a couple errands (including the grocery store, of course, because who would I be if I didn’t take a relaxing pre-snowstorm trip to Hy-Vee...?). 

Upon my return (and after helping me put away groceries), he surprised me with an at-home spa night!  In true Enneagram 5 fashion, he had done extensive research on massage, fancy snacks and drinks, face and hair masks, and pedicure techniques.  He did a ton of prep work and made it all such an authentic, relaxing, wonderful experience. I. felt. so. spoiled.  That man seriously thought of everything, including but not limited to, warm towels, fun magazines, and taking the rubber duck faucet protector off the bathtub faucet before my bubble bath.  

Crackers with fancy cheeses, chocolate-covered strawberries, bruschetta (one of my most favorite things), and fancy strawberry water ("Agua de Fresa").

Candles everywhere - so cozy and ambient!

The containers pictured between the sinks contained homemade, all-natural hair and face masks!

These are a few of my favorite things...

I was so impressed by his first-ever pedicure "performance!"

This was one of the most thoughtful, generous, thorough, kind acts of service I’ve experienced (or heard of, for that matter).  He planned it all so intentionally, and what made it even more meaningful to me was the frugal-ness and the effort to truly serve me.  He could've easily sent me away to spend hundreds of dollars at a salon/spa, but instead, he did an amazing DIY version, which meant we also got to spend some quality time together! 

I realize sharing it all may come across as a bit braggy, and honestly, I’m ok with that - my sweet husband deserves alllll the credit and bragging and gold stars.  I’m only sorry it took something like this for me to make such a big deal about him publicly.  There are so many everyday things he does that I appreciate, and in the spirit of bragging on him, I’ll share a few:

-daily preps breakfast for J and I

-turns on my electric blanket before bed

-maintains our vehicles 

-plans date nights 

-voluntarily helps prep and/or fully prepare meals

-takes care of J while I teach lessons, attend rehearsals, and/or just have a couple minutes to myself

In a nutshell, Bryant is wonderful and treats me better than I deserve. ♥

Relaxedly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

that fancy strawberry water - it was so good!

this beautiful snow that's still around

Jacob's excitement about the snow - it's so precious!

29 for the first time

Over 2 months ago, I celebrated my 29th birthday.  As you know, I've had a hard time remembering how old I was the past couple of years.  Don't worry - it won't be a problem this year...

My sweet husband made my day super special.  Here are a few of the things he did to make the beginning of the end of my 20's so great:

He made 3 flavors of cake balls, and they were all soooo delicious!

Pan-seared steak.  Yum.

Can you believe this?!

One of my very favorites!
Gift not pictured: a gift certificate for a massage with the appt. already made for my birthday afternoon!

So many friends and family, near and far, thought of me and called and/or sent texts, messages, cards, and gifts.  How kind and thoughtful?!  They all know me so well!  Here are a few of the tangible items I received:

You know how much I love a good deal, and in the weeks surrounding my birthday, we got to take advantage of several awesome birthday offers.  Here are just a few:

Free appetizer with an entree purchase at Granite City.  We shared both and still had leftovers, and our sweet waitress even sent home a special birthday treat, since we were too full for a b-day dessert!

Free Gigi's cupcake!
(We ate it before we remembered to take a picture...woops!)

Free pizza from Pizza Shoppe.

This didn't photograph super well, but it sure was yummy!
Free stack of pancakes (any flavor) from IHOP.
This one was white chocolate raspberry!

It was a really good day...and week...and month.  Haha.  ☺  29 is going well, so far - life is good.

Anyway. just thought I'd share with you...finally.  Thanks for reading!

More to come soon.

29-ly,

Kensy

Favorites of the day:

quality family time

technology

my cat-shaped lap warmer ;)

Rain, rain, go away. Actually...stay. We thank you today!

Hey, everyone!

Hope this finds you well and you're staying as cool as possible (no, I didn't say cool as a popsicle, but that wouldn't be terrible...) in this lovely summer weather.

I finally unpacked the computer - hooray!  Haha - just kidding...it's been out for a while.  But seriously - we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel (kinda) as far as unpacking goes, so we're able to take time for other things, finally...like writing a blog post about our moving day/weekend!  ☺

I'll try to keep this a "nutshell" version - can explain more in person, if you'd like!  This is what memories are made of...or something like that:

The plan was to close the purchase of our new home the Thursday afternoon before Memorial Day weekend.  That all went as planned, but it had been raining most of the day and was expected to continue the rest of the afternoon, which wasn't ideal...nor was it the dry weather we'd been praying for.  

We had helpers (friends and family) lined up to come help move the piano and other large, heavy stuff that evening.  Bless their hearts, they all showed up, despite the rain and tornado warning!  I'd gone straight to the new house after closing to do some cleaning, so I wasn't there when they loaded the piano (there wasn't much "uncovered" ground to cover there, so the rain wasn't as much of an issue on that end).  They kept watching the radar and decided to take a half-loaded truck to the new house in hopes of catching a "dry" window to get the piano in (which was a much more extensive process on the other end - it was pretty amazing!  I'll show you the video sometime, if you'd like.  My husband is a piano-moving genius and knows some really strong, helpful people to assist in carrying out his plans!).  By the grace of God, they literally had just enough time to get it in while it was not raining.  We had some pizza, then, those saintly helpers offered to go get another load, despite the rain!  Truly can't thank them enough!

We'd planned to put the entertainment center, couch, and most of the extra boxes in the basement, but on Bryant's first trip down to do so, he stepped on the carpet and heard a "squish."  It was wet halfway into the basement - a lot of wet carpet.  We'd also gotten about 8 inches of rain in 36 hours, the front yard was completely saturated, and water was coming over/under/through the front wall of the house.  Luckily, my handy husband had already redirected some of the drainage on the sides of the house, so the two side rooms in the basement were not affected.  We had fans, wet shop vacs, etc. going in an effort to salvage the carpet in the main room, but alas, it was not in any shape to keep.  So, we (mostly my dad and some helpers - thank you!!) tore it up - pad, tack strips, and all - and found this underneath:

"Wow!" huh?  I'd say we'd keep it, since it's back in style after its debut in the '50's, but it's not really salvageable, either, after having carpet pad glued to it, then scraped off.

While this was very discouraging on our very first night in our new house, and staying up into the wee hours of the morning trying to prevent a completely flooded basement wasn't ideal after a full day of moving, this is the conclusion we came to:

The rain we were praying away all day was actually a blessing in disguise.  If we're going to live in this house, that was the best time to have water in the basement, because...

...we didn't have any of our things down there, yet (besides the piano, which was on the opposite wall and not affected, praise the Lord).
...we can ask the seller to pay for some of the necessary remedies, since these issues weren't disclosed to us (this is the short version of that...more details, upon request).

...upstairs is still comfortably livable with the downstairs things up there..
...our realtor is awesome and is still on board with us to keep taking care of the issues at hand - even post-sale.
...we had lots of help right away, so didn't feel totally on our own with this particular "joy" of homeownership.

In the days following, we continued to have several helpers show up in big ways.  From cleaning and unpacking to pulling up carpet and installing ceiling fans to building shelves and a sliding barn door!  All the projects were things we'd planned to do, at some point, and could've done on our own, but we were so very blessed to have lots of helpers to get so many of them knocked out right away.  What a blessing to feel so supported and what an encouragement after the discouragement of a wet basement!  We were nearly in tears most of the day as we realized in such a tangible way the time and effort people were willing to give us.  It was a beautiful day, and they got a TON done!  Huge thanks to those who were involved (or home watching kiddos!)!

Another big thank you for all the well-wishes, offers to help, and to those who have been so gracious to give us housewarming gifts!  From gutter guards to power tools and so many thoughtful things in between - we sure do appreciate it all!  Here are a few:

It's feeling more and more like home every day, and we're still very excited for the potential this new home holds for us.  Thanks for sharing the journey with us. ☺

Thankfully,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

generous friends who are willing to continue to allow their basement to serve as our storage unit till we can get our feet on the ground with the basement stuff

surprise flowers in the yard

pool time!