tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72182378722945962732024-03-14T00:42:11.843-07:00Life in the mountains to the tune of BluegrassRaynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-64119268081887091062013-04-21T23:47:00.000-07:002013-04-21T23:47:04.657-07:00Our new grandson Baxter is bornWell just when we thought we weren't going to get to have any more grand kids our youngest son found the most perfect person and two years ago they were married. Now we have been blessed with grandchild number 12 born March 23, 2013 at approximately 7:50AM. His name is Baxter Richard Redman and here's his birth story. <br />
I've been in the delivery room or at the hospital when all but one of my grand kids was born, and so Baxter's due date was March 29th and my younger brother Larry was getting re-married on March 23rd. John and I faced a decision, do we miss my brother's wedding to make sure we were down in Utah plenty early so as to not miss this birth or do we make plans and attend my brothers wedding and just hope that we could make it in time for this little guys birth. <br />
We really love the gal that my brother was marrying and we didn't want to miss their special day either, but I also didn't want to take a chance and miss this babies birth. <br />
Well our decision became easy when the Spirit spoke to me as my mom called a few weeks before we were making our plans, and with sadness in her voice pleaded with me that we might be able to help them to get to the wedding. You see my dad was turning 86 on April 1st this year and even though he's doing well and maybe would be plenty fine to drive clear to the Seattle area from Billings to get to the wedding, he's also starting to feel the pangs of age and so it's slightly harder for him to navigate the traffic of those busy interstates. I felt my mom's trepidation as she visited with me and said that she sure wished they could just drive to our house and then jump in with us to get to the wedding, then continue on with us in order to meet their new great grandson hoping that he would be born shortly after we would arrive there. <br />
I knew from the whisperings of the Spirit what I needed to do and so after visiting with my husband John the decision was easy for us and we elected to make sure we attended the wedding and help my parents to be able to get there. We would just hope that the birth of Baxter would wait for us to arrive.<br />
My parents arrived here at our house on Monday the 18th of March and we left for the wedding on the morning of the 19th so we could have a few visiting days beforehand. Well sure enough the night before their wedding at around 7PM March 22nd, I received a text message from my son that they were headed to the hospital. Secretly I hoped that it would be a false alarm and that she would wait a couple of days to deliver, but I also was afraid that if this were the case we could risk that he wouldn't be born while we were there and we'd have to come home before his arrival, so on one hand I was glad, on the other sad that I was missing out on being at the hospital with them. However I never had second thoughts on our choice as I knew the whisperings of the Spirit to be true and I was glad that we had made the choice to be at my brother's wedding. There were no regrets with this choice at all. I guess I had to accept that I can't have everything and so I was still very glad that I had made the choice to help my parents get to the wedding, and equally importantly I had made the decision to be at their wedding also.<br />
Now with all this excitement, I called my son and told him to keep texting me all night long to keep me informed of her progress and the moment that I was a new grandma again. So all night I laid in bed and answered texts every few hours. Finally at 3:30 AM my son sent me the text that the doctor had come in to deliver our new grandson. A few hours went by and finally it was 7:30 in the morning and still no call or text saying that we had our grandson here. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore so I sent off a text asking if he had been born and my son sent me just a one word answer. "Pushing" I guess poor Ashleigh had to push almost 3 hours but finally at around 7:50 AM we had a healthy grandson. <br />
We got up and gave the news to the rest of the family and then got ready to head out the door for the wedding. <br />
Now looking back our grandson and my brother's anniversary are going to be on the same day so I'll easily remember their anniversary each year. <br />
After the wedding we hurried on our way to get to Utah and see him while they were still in the hospital but that wasn't to be quite so fast. As we drove the route that was the fastest way to get there suddenly I got an e-mail inquiring about a 5th wheel camper that we'd had for sale for the last 2 months. This man just had to see it today and only today and he was going to buy it, so if we could just come home for him to look at it we could consider it sold. Once again we had to make a choice. We needed to get this camper sold so we elected to drive 5 hours out of our way with my poor parents having to ride longer to get back to our house here so we could show it to this man. We had the promise that he wanted it though. We hurried home to show it to him and finally after saying yes he wanted it he decided that he wanted heated water tanks since he would be living in it even during winter months, so after leaving here telling us he'd be back in the morning with the check, he called to say that he wasn't going to buy it! I was so disgusted because now I lost a day, and spent the gas money and time to get to go and see my grandson. No one should ever get in the way of a grandma trying to get to see her new grandson. I pitty the poor fool! <br />
Now the next morning we got back in our Jeep and headed south once again and after spending a night in Pocatello so that we could see our kids living there and also pick up our 11 year old grand daughter to take her with us, we finally arrived to see little Baxter at 3 days old. <br />
We went to visit them 4 times in the week and took dinner with us so that neither of them would have to cook for us and we could stay longer to hold and love on him each time. <br />
We love our newest grandson. Making the right choice to help my parents made it possible for my dad and mom to meet him and hold him and since he's named my maiden name for his first name it was quite an honor for my dad to get to be there and see his names sake. We were able to get pictures of them holding him, and it's so wonderful to have this new little guy in our family. He's so cute and looks just like his daddy. As I watched them be parents my heart swelled with joy and pride to know that my son and his beautiful bride are going to be such good parents to this grandson. Seeing our kids doing what's right and living a righteous life raising their children in the Lord is the greatest blessing to me as a mom. We love you Baxter Richard Redman. Welcome to our family. <br />
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<br />Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-24375988109478793462013-01-31T19:25:00.000-08:002013-01-31T19:25:17.266-08:00Sometimes kids can teach us adultsThere's one thing in life we can all depend on, and that's that trials will certainly come our way. How we choose to react or deal with these trials is always our own choice. I know many friends who have more trials than is humanly possible to imagine. I wonder why Heavenly Father has given them or allowed them to go through so many trials, but I see that they are very strong people and they teach me many life lessons as I help them. <br />
This past week I had a relatively mild trial and I feel like I certainly could have passed the test better than I did. I know that this is an area of my life that needs to be constantly worked on. I'm generally a positive person, and I have a natural easy going personality so I don't usually take things personally or get upset at things that aren't important in the eternities. I definitely am not a worrier, to the point that it bothers my husband that I don't worry enough. <br />
Well this past week something happened, nothing major in the scheme of life, but just something that was a trial for me. Here's how it all unfolded....<br />
A few weeks ago I was asked by the leader of my band Gravel Road if I could get some of the kids I teach and also our girls band, The Foggy Mtn Girls, together to perform with Gravel Road for a benefit concert up in Lewiston. Everyone who knows me, knows just how much I love to play bluegrass and so I was very excited after this Fall's dry spell to finally get to play a show again. I was really excited that the kids I teach and who I've pulled into their own band were going to get to play it too. We've named their band The Bluegrasshoppers and they were all very excited that they were going to get to play it too, and especially because they were going to get to play the show all by themselves and without me playing with them. <br />
All was going well and I had spent extra time working with the kids over the last two weeks. For an entire week four of these kids were staying out here next door to us with their grand parents and I had gone over every night for four evenings and worked with those kids. Then I worked with the two guitar players who are brothers and finally on Monday a few days before we were to do the show on Saturday, I went to town and worked with all the kids to have them ready for their show. We practiced working the mic, how to introduce their band, where they should stand in regards to the mic stand and then how to feed in and who would be taking breaks on each song. The kids sounded so good and we had worked so hard. <br />
Then on Wednesday came the phone call. The two guitar playing boys' mom was on the phone. Both boys had come down with the flu even though they had been given the flu shot this season. I was devastated, and I just knew that my prayers were going to be answered and the boys were going to be all better by Saturday, so I didn't allow myself to worry about it, but I know that my disappointment was very apparent to their mom, and this is where I felt like I failed the trial. I was so busy practicing with both Gravel Road and The Foggy Mtn Girls over the next few days, but in my mind I was just positive that the boys were going to be all better and able to play come Saturday. <br />
When Friday came and their mom who was now getting sick with it too told me that as of that day if they weren't a lot better by the following day they wouldn't be playing, I know now that my voice must have given away my feelings. The following day I phoned their house and spoke to the oldest boy who's eleven years old. He informed me with his sad voice that they weren't going to be able to be there and once again I'm sure he detected my disappointment, because an hour later their dad called me to explain that they felt like the boys were still contagious and that they didn't want to spread this bug to the other people at the show. The poor dad I'm sure had to build up courage to call me. I could tell by his voice that it was very hard for him to make that call, and I knew that I certainly could have handled this trial better. I felt so sad and guilty for how I had obviously been less sensitive to the poor kids and their trial, and realized how selfish I was to have even let them feel any of my disappointment. The Holy Ghost whispered to me in my heart that if I was this disappointed imagine how the poor boys must have felt. <br />
I've learned a valuable lesson, about me being selfish in my wants for the kids to the point that it made those poor kids feel even worse than they should have had to feel. I always hope that I'll do better next time when such trials come my way but the truth is that I don't seem to remember these lessons until after the fact. I want to do better and I hope to someday learn these valuable lessons. I guess I just have such a passion for bluegrass music and I have had so many great blessings in my life through my music so I want everyone else to feel this in their lives too, but I need to step back and make sure that my exuberance doesn't cause me to make choices that are counter productive to ultimate goal with my teaching.<br />
I ended up playing guitar with the kids and yes it was a disappointment to the rest of the kids in their little band, but no it wasn't the end of the world. Life will go on and there will be other times for them to get to play together. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Bluegrasshoppers</span></td></tr>
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Trials are inevitable but how we deal with them is up to us. We can learn lessons and grow through them or we can fail them it's our choice. I hope that the next time I have a trial, I'll pass the test a little bit better. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-78212391111236571582012-11-11T21:30:00.001-08:002012-11-11T21:30:06.591-08:00MacKenzy's baptismI felt like I needed to write a few words in here tonight and express my thoughts of the events these past few days. <br />
We were able to go to Missoula to attend and participate in our 8 year old grand daughter MacKenzy Best's baptism. This past year has been a lot of ups and downs for this little girl as her parents separated and divorced. She and her brothers have had a lot of traumatic events as their lives were changed in a split moment decision. I felt the great love of our Heavenly Father for us and for my daughter Gina, MacKenzy, Jimmy, Cody, Zachary and Jim this weekend, as we were able to be there for her baptism and feel of His spirit healing our hearts and teaching us through His unconditional love. I volunteered to play the piano for the service and John, her grandpa, my husband, was asked to speak about baptism. We have felt a lot of deep sorrow over the events that this little girl and our other grand children have had to deal with, but their love for their parents was very evident. John gave a wonderful heartfelt talk about baptism and I played two songs for the service, "When I Am Baptized," and "I'm trying to be Like Jesus." Those Primary songs that we sing with the children in our church are so touching to my soul that I can't sing or play them without crying and feeling the Spirit so strong each time. They just touch me deeply and I felt it a privilege that I was able to play two of them for her. <br />
After her baptism we all went out to dinner with her other grand parents and both our daughter and Jim her dad. Everyone is friendly and loving towards each other and this has made it so much better for our grand kids. Once again I was taught through the Spirit. <br />
Today as we attended church we had a lesson on showing kindness and how we should always do this to all people no matter what the circumstances. We need not judge but we should encourage better choices when those around us make mistakes. It allowed me to think, ponder, and reflect about this past year and the events that happened this weekend. It gave me the opportunity realize how I treat other people especially my own family members, and how I've judged the events of this past year with my kids. Today as I listened to this lesson I realized that Heavenly Father knows each one of us, and is compassionate when we make mistakes. He was cementing those lessons I had already learned earlier in the weekend. I know I am to show love and treat others as Heavenly Father treats me even in difficult situations. Heavenly Father healed me through the gift of this weekend and the lesson today. We must be as innocent as a child and my grand kids are pure and full of this love that the Savior has taught us about. <br />
I have had a hard time forgiving my daughter and son-in-law for the decisions that they made which resulted in the hurt that came to our grand kids. Today's lesson taught me and has given me the knowledge and tools to forgive and to help her to "start over" in choosing better choices. After this weekend I have felt the Spirit and it's taught me to forgive and to help both my daughter and my grand kids. I have learned this day how to be a better mom and grandma, and have been given a gift from Heavenly Father, the gift of knowledge about how he would have me do this and live my life better. <br />
Once a year our church has a Sunday where the children of Primary age, (3-12) are allowed to present the entire Sacrament meeting (church) program. Today was that day and as the children sang, I was touched, and tonight my heart is full. As the song that I played at the baptism was also one sang today it says,<br />
<br />
"I'm trying to be like Jesus,<br />
I'm following in His ways, <br />
Trying to love as He did,<br />
In all that I do and say, <br />
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,<br />
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,<br />
<br />
Love one another as Jesus loves you,<br />
Try to show kindness in all that you do, <br />
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,<br />
For these are the things Jesus taught.<br />
<br />
I'm trying to love my neighbor,<br />
I'm learning to serve my friends,<br />
I'll watch for the day of gladness<br />
When Jesus will come again,<br />
I try to remember the lessons he taught,<br />
Then the Holy Spirit enters into my thoughts saying<br />
<br />
Love one another as Jesus loves you,<br />
Try to show kindness in all that you do,<br />
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,<br />
For these are the things Jesus taught. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My grand kids, Cody, MacKenzy, Zachary, Jimmy</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">MacKenzy is baptized by her father Jim.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5Ml8oM-V2I/UKB0vAMOwPI/AAAAAAAAAh0/mykODz_6EP4/s1600/DSC_0065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5Ml8oM-V2I/UKB0vAMOwPI/AAAAAAAAAh0/mykODz_6EP4/s400/DSC_0065.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My daughter Gina, MacKenzy's mom and MacKenzy. Baptized this day, November 9th, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7_S7IevKbo/UKB0-drc92I/AAAAAAAAAh8/fUXSAsaDyUg/s1600/DSC_0084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7_S7IevKbo/UKB0-drc92I/AAAAAAAAAh8/fUXSAsaDyUg/s400/DSC_0084.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The family someday to be together again is my prayer.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTAvQ1PuWLo/UKB1JrSDTPI/AAAAAAAAAiE/lzYL-1tqVAc/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wTAvQ1PuWLo/UKB1JrSDTPI/AAAAAAAAAiE/lzYL-1tqVAc/s400/DSC_0074.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I have been blessed to teach myself piano and now I get to use this skill to play for my grand kids and special family and church events. Today I got to play for MacKenzy's baptism. </span></td></tr>
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I realize that if I live my life as this song says, I'll be a better person each day and a better mom, wife, grandma to all I meet each day. I have felt of His love for me this weekend and I know that I can do better and show that love each day to all of my family and friends. The lessons I learned and the spirit I have felt these past few days, has taught me well. I truly want to try to be like Jesus and I hope that I can always remember those things that He has taught me the last few days. I love all my children and grand children and I need not judge but instead I need to encourage, serve and guide with love. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-12719470158007340162012-10-09T18:27:00.003-07:002012-10-09T18:27:58.977-07:00IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Assoc.) WOB (World Of Bluegrass Week)Well once again it's been a little while since I've posted on here and I want to take this moment to write about my recent trip to Nashville and the IBMA's World of Bluegrass, WOB conference. It's important that I write my thoughts down while my feelings and emotions are fresh in my mind, so today is the day.<br />
I'll start by saying that I truly believe that my Heavenly Father has blessed me through this bluegrass music that I love so much. I own good instruments, I've taught many people and especially many kids, (close to 300 I think) and I've had life experiences that are so numerous, I couldn't begin to talk about them all. I feel that He knows me personally and has chosen to bless me with these many gifts. <br />
Today I want to write my feelings down, as I have just recently returned from Nashville and once again been blessed to be able to attend the World Of Bluegrass conference put on by the IBMA, (International Bluegrass Music Assoc). This is a huge conference attended by people from all over the world who play bluegrass, but of course mainly people from right here in America. There were small numbers of people from Australia, Germany, England, Switzerland, Italy, Japan and many other countries. <br />
I started going to this conference back eleven years ago when it was being held in Louisville, Kentucky and then have been able to go all but two of the years since it moved to Nashville, which has been eight years now. If my math is correct that's nine years that I've gotten to go. This conference is held the last week of September each year, and goes the entire week beginning with a business portion of the conference from Monday through Thursday and ending with a Fan Fest show Friday, Saturday, and gospel Sunday morning performances by several bands. It includes seminars, luncheons, and an exhibition hall full of fun vendors. <br />
I used to earn my money to get here by selling pizza at the Missoula fair and so each year five days of hard work more than earned my way, but since our retirement four years ago, now I have to teach lessons and save like crazy to afford it each year. <br />
Now with all this preface I want to talk about this years trip to Nashville and the IBMA's WOB conference. <br />
The week before I was to fly out my husband John and I had planned a trip to Billings to see my parents who are getting up in age, and the plan was for John to stay there at their home while I went on my Nashville trip. He was going to supervise a concrete project they had planned for their house. We drove over there and I left him behind as I drove myself back home to catch the plane, up in Lewiston, for Nashville. He was to drive their motor home back to our house when we were both through and that ended up with a whole story in itself that I won't go into here. <br />
This was a perfect plan and so all was well. I drove home on Thursday and stopped in Hamilton, Mt to see my sister and her family overnight then continued home on Friday. After doing all my wash and packing I was ready to fly out early Sunday morning so off to Lewiston I went, very excited for the week ahead. My plane flew into Salt Lake City, Utah and then to Nashville. I had decided to only take my mandolin with me this year instead of the usual mandolin and guitar. It was an experiment to see if I'd miss my guitar or not, and it certainly was easier getting around in the airports with just the smaller mandolin in it's backpack case. <br />
When I landed in Salt Lake City and was waiting for my connection flight, there was a man also waiting for my same flight to Nashville, who was from Japan. He wasn't carrying any instrument so I had no reason to think that he would be going to the same convention with me too, but he stopped me and asked in his best English "You, IBMA?, you IBMA?" I was so shocked and of course answered him yes that I was and was he also going. His reply was "yes, yes" as his eyes just danced to see me and know that I was also going. Then I proceeded to ask him where his instrument was and as best as I could understand him his friends were bringing it for him. Later I was to learn that even though he told me he played mandolin same as me, his friends were actually renting a bass for him. We landed and I saw that he had a wife with him and thought that we'd be on the same shuttle bus to the convention's hotel. They went on a different shuttle and he told me that he was at a different hotel for the first couple of nights. <br />
I arrived at the hotel at around 10 PM Sunday evening and had made arrangements to sleep on the couch in the California Bluegrass Assoc's suite for that first night and then had plans to room the next two nights up at the Sheraton Hotel just two blocks up from the convention sights hotel, and then from Wednesday through the rest of the conference I would be right there at the Renaissance Hotel where the actual conference was being held. My friends back here at home thought I was nuts to move around like that, but I knew that in order to afford to be able to go, I needed to do anything necessary to have enough money to afford the trip. For me it is worth any amount of room changing that I need to do to afford the trip. I have Missoula friends, Phyllis Erck and Kimberlee who were also going to be at this conference and they were staying at the Sheratan two blocks away because the room fee was $40 per night cheaper. My friends, Kathy Nichols, and Peg Becker were going to be coming also but they always arrive on Wednesday and then stay through the weekend so that they can afford it also. Anyway my first night there was sleeping on the couch in the California Bluegrass Assoc's suite, of which they didn't have any blankets for me so I slept with my hooded sweatshirt on my legs all night, then the move to the Sheratan for the next two days, and finally to the Renaissance for the final few days. I never mind the inconvenience as long as I can get to go each year and so it was this year, but it was all good. <br />
Once there Monday morning started out with me getting my registration packet and lanier badge, then reading the book to see which seminars, classes and fun activities I wanted to take in. Each year they have lot's of very fun and very educational seminars and activities. Everything began to kick off in earnest at around noon so I was very excited and the adrenaline was pumping through every fiber of my being. People ask how I can do it staying up late and I mean 4AM late every night jamming and still getting up by 8 to hit the bluegrass trail of activities, well that's my only explanation. I guess I just get so excited to be there that I don't want to waste a single moment of the time I have during that week. <br />
I went to mandolin classes, classes on Earl Scrugg's banjo style, song writing classes, morning breakfast classes where they told stories about each of three different icon's in the music we've lost this year,(Earl Scruggs, Doug Dillard, and Everitt Lilly) and many more fun activities all week long. They even had several of the pro bands jamming in a scheduled area where you could bring your instrument and jam with the pro's. This has become a very popular activity and although I only listened this year but in past years I've participated myself. <br />
Then I would jam each night until between 3:30 and 4 AM and still wouldn't be tired so would have to force myself to bed. The CBA (California Bluegrass Assoc.) would host their suite where you could jam in the bigger room and they would serve you free pop, and beer for those who would want that, and then snacks of chips, veggie trays, fruit and things of this nature. Most nights if a person were to want to jam in there earlier in the evenings would be great when things were fairly mild and fun but later in the evenings of course it became a wild house and so I would stay away. <br />
About mid week I was walking around looking for a perfect jam circle to play in when the elevator opened up on the 3rd floor lobby area and here were several people from Japan, all jamming together. I decided that this would be fun to jam with them and so I stepped off the elevator and was immediately welcomed into their circle. They were grinning ear to ear and playing their hearts out with pure joy in every note. In years past I've had opportunity to jam with some Japanese bluegrasser's but those were just for a few songs and not for an entire evening like this ended up being. We all connected spirit to spirit and it was a wonderful evening. <br />
Thursday evening I was able to go to the Awards Show which is similar to the CMA awards that we see on TV all the time. Now this has been held at the Ryman Auditorium for most of the years that this conference has been held in Nashville. I've gone to it every year except for last year because it costs $50 to attend and I just couldn't afford it last year, but this year with it being the last year for this conference to be held in Nashville and possibly my last year to ever be able to attend another show in the Ryman I bought myself a ticket and went to it. Now I bought the "cheap" $50 ticket, thinking that I would be up in the balcony as usual but was informed that my seat was down on the main floor and not very far back from the stage. Shocked! Yes I was and then as I sat there here it was that I ended up being right behind all the stars and in my same row sitting right next to me was a presenter for one of the awards who was from Italy (who I'm sure I should've known since he was obviously someone important enough to be asked to be a presenter), and next to him and his son was Byron Berline the famous fiddler (who at one time played with Bill Monroe and several other famous first generation bands), and his wife. He was also a presenter of one of the awards, and then next to them was Eddie and Martha Adcock also presenting, all in my same bench row and I was sitting on the end. How I got this seat is still a mystery to me and as I think about it I realize it was a huge blessing from Heavenly Father who knew how much I'd love it. I'm sure he was smiling down on me and hoping that I'd enjoy His gift to me that night. Needless to say it was a very spiritual and wonderful evening as I sat in awe! <br />
The next night I once again tried to find my new Japanese friends, but they weren't in that same 3rd floor lobby area and I couldn't find where they were jamming, so as I wandered, I found a different jam that was in the lobby of the 18th floor where the California suite is located. Their jam was out in the lobby though so away from the chaos of the CBA suite. Two friends both from North Carolina were jamming with just themselves. One guy could really play the banjo well and the other could play the guitar really well and take leads on his guitar too, but the thing that struck me the most with those two were their vocal harmonies. It was amazing how magical it was hearing them sing together and they could execute perfect harmony on each tune. They had chose tunes to sing that offered great harmony parts too so each and every song they called would make the hair on my arms stand right up when they sang. I was so impressed with my own ability to keep up on my mandolin too and then I commented to the banjo player that I detected some Reno style licks in his banjo playing and he answered that yes that last song he had played was a Reno and Smiley tune. I was so proud of myself that I have learned to discern the banjo styles well enough to have picked this out with him and actually have been right with my knowledge. It was an exciting ah hah moment in time for me that week. <br />
The next few nights I was able to find my new Japanese friends once again and so spent the nights jamming with them and becoming closer friends. By the time the end of the week came they were asking me to come to Japan to see them and had traded e-mails with me so that we could keep in contact. <br />
None of these jams included the man I'd first met at the airport, so I don't know where he was at or ended up jamming at each evening, as I never ran into him again other than in passing twice in the main lobby or at a seminar until the very last morning when I was getting ready to leave again and suddenly there he was sitting in the lobby at 4 AM looking at a lap top computer. I'd seen him 3 different times in the lobby with different people from Japan but they weren't the same ones as I'd been jamming with all week. Bluegrass has become fairly popular in Japan ever since Bill Monroe first went over there and played some concerts in the 60's. This was a surprise to me when I first heard it but has been confirmed by just how many come to this IMBA conference each year, and how more and more of them attend each time too. Now in comparison, there are approximately 15,000 people who attend the conference and about 50 or 75 of those are from Japan. <br />
Finally here it was the end of the conference, many fun luncheons, shows in the evenings at Ernest Tubbs Record Shop, a Martin Guitar showcase at Roberts Western World with Del McCoury and several other famous bands, the awards show at the Ryman, super good seminars on very interesting subjects, a great exhibition hall with fun booths, great time with old and new friends, and plenty of good jamming with all of them, and the week had to come to an end. <br />
My flight was to fly out at 7:30 AM and I thought it through and decided that I would be a lot more tired and upset at myself if I would have gone to bed early that night, just so I could get up at the same time as I'd been staying up playing all week. I would have went to bed unable to sleep then woke up early tired and mad at myself for missing out on my last chance to jam with my friends. So with great thought put into it I decided that since I'd been jamming until 4 AM the entire week and hadn't felt any ill effects of being tired, I would be happier and better off to just stay up the entire night and then go up to our room by 4 to shower and get my suitcase to catch the shuttle bus back to the airport. As it turned out this was a perfect solution and worked just fine. The problem arose because I'd bought a round trip ticket on the Grayline shuttle bus costing me $25. What I hadn't done is check to make sure that the shuttle bus would begin running early enough for me to get to the airport on time. Now I realize that they want you there 2 hours before your flight and usually that is more than plenty enough time to get through security and make it to your gate. My dilemma came because upon looking at my ticket it said that the first shuttle bus would arrive at the hotel around 6AM and that they would be picking up passengers at several hotels in the downtown area before taking us to the airport. I'm not a person who likes to be last minute at anything, in fact if I'm not 10 minutes early I feel that I'm late. So I began to panic a little bit but also realized that the worse case scenario would be that I'd have to pay for a taxi even though I'd already paid for this shuttle. So as I'm thinking this all out and what my options would be here once again, as I mentioned already, was this Japanese man who I'd first met at the airport coming over and so I was explaining my dilemma and looking on my ticket which read, "if you need an earlier shuttle please call by 7 PM the evening before you'll need the ride." Of course when I called the number on my ticket at 5 AM they weren't answering phones and would just send me to an answering machine saying please leave your message and someone will be here to take your call after 7 AM. So upon all of this I was just about ready to call a taxi when suddenly here comes Missy Raines and her husband and a friend. Now Missy is the 7 time bass player of the year and a famous bluegrass musician. They were giggling and laughing as they walked by so I suddenly asked them if they might be going past the airport. My thoughts were that since they had a friend with them possibly they were taking her to the airport. They looked at me and answered that no they weren't and then just as my heart sank a little more they turned just as quickly and said, hey we can give you a ride there if you need to get there. We don't live very far from the airport and it wouldn't imposition us at all to give you a ride. So I walked with them to their van and they loaded Missy's bass, and my suitcase and all of us loaded in and headed to the airport. I kind of know Missy as an acquaintance anyway because I'd hired them to play a festival in Montana once but have also seen her and had association with her through the years at all these conferences. So that's how I ended up making my flight and arriving at the airport with plenty of time to spare, still not tired and full of adrenaline, we headed off. Missy was laughing saying that these "old folks" meaning her husband and friend had wanted to go to bed or she would have still been jamming. We had a nice drive and got to visit and I made it to the airport. <br />
Now of course I was plenty early with my good fortune of getting the ride so I decided to get me some breakfast in the airport. I sat down to a table with a breakfast biscuit that I'd ordered from Popeye's Chicken, and then a few minutes later this Japanese man said to me, "do you mind if I sit here at your same table?" You see it was pretty busy considering how early it was but of course that was great by me if he wanted to sit at my table. He was very quiet and just ate his food without saying a word. Suddenly as we were both about finished he looked up and said to me, "did you enjoy the IBMA?" Shocked once again, yes! His English was very good but he definitely had an accent so I knew he was from Japan. I of course could have been knocked over by a feather when he said this. So I answered him that I sure did and was he there also. He told me that yes he had been there too and that this was his first year to have gotten to go but that he was going to try and go again next year. Obviously I hadn't seen him there. He proceeded to tell me that he'd been to Nashville 3 times this last year on business but this was his first time to come to the America to attend the IBMA. He didn't have an instrument so I asked him about it and he told me that he'd checked his guitar in the baggage. <br />
So this year's IBMA seemed to center around all the new Japanese friends I made and will be remembered as the year of the new Japanese friends. Not only did I meet my first one in the airport upon the beginning of my trip but then I met the last one in the airport at the end of my trip and in between I had many fun nights jamming and making new Japanese friends too. <br />
I've already written an e-mail to two of them and have received several e-mails back from one of them. The lady in the ball cap pictured here is named Yoko and I've also sent an e-mail too but haven't gotten a response yet. She was very happy to meet me and the one that really was excited to e-mail me once we got home so I anticipate that I will hear from her. She had showed me a movie of them playing out in front of the Ryman the morning of the Awards show and was excited to tell me that Fox News had contacted them and asked them to meet out there and play for them to do a news story on our convention and the Awards Show which was that same evening that they were filmed. So I got to see the movie on her phone with the Fox News reporter telling about it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hKs1GQW8yNA/UHTJ38fMhcI/AAAAAAAAAeU/L9Vm1QN18ic/s1600/Australia+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hKs1GQW8yNA/UHTJ38fMhcI/AAAAAAAAAeU/L9Vm1QN18ic/s400/Australia+friends.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Missy Raines, and Chris Jones DJ on Sirius Radio give the keynote address to kick off the conference. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8s3Bp9GlJoc/UHTJ8aE-qLI/AAAAAAAAAec/H_9yFgoo8bY/s1600/carpet+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8s3Bp9GlJoc/UHTJ8aE-qLI/AAAAAAAAAec/H_9yFgoo8bY/s400/carpet+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The carpet in the Renaissance Hotel</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qMi-Suopijc/UHTKEwW0SnI/AAAAAAAAAek/3M99fh5nZCM/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qMi-Suopijc/UHTKEwW0SnI/AAAAAAAAAek/3M99fh5nZCM/s400/DSC_0022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Roland White, (former Bluegrass Boy) Curly Seckler (mandolin player for Flatt & Scruggs) and little ole me..</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAIs2cUmB7U/UHTKOsA_57I/AAAAAAAAAew/dn-fKn9SEiQ/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hAIs2cUmB7U/UHTKOsA_57I/AAAAAAAAAew/dn-fKn9SEiQ/s400/DSC_0027.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ricky Skaggs</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CSwJkkgQzbc/UHTKa9IlkxI/AAAAAAAAAe4/xJEySDX1YQg/s1600/DSC_0084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CSwJkkgQzbc/UHTKa9IlkxI/AAAAAAAAAe4/xJEySDX1YQg/s400/DSC_0084.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me playing a Lloyd Loar that was for sale at a mere $175,000 which is a bargain compared to last year when they were going for $225,000. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q6TgDLfbskk/UHTKkC_8EbI/AAAAAAAAAfA/ZUpCSKPm6PU/s1600/DSC_0085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q6TgDLfbskk/UHTKkC_8EbI/AAAAAAAAAfA/ZUpCSKPm6PU/s400/DSC_0085.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Loar</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W_f7IgiYsDs/UHTKvFCmBMI/AAAAAAAAAfM/vfiSVvwOYmo/s1600/DSC_0142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W_f7IgiYsDs/UHTKvFCmBMI/AAAAAAAAAfM/vfiSVvwOYmo/s400/DSC_0142.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Missy Raines playing in the exhibition hall on a Kay bass that she's played since she was a little girl.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPYXlsmpHWU/UHTK84jDwlI/AAAAAAAAAfU/hOt1pYB3c14/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPYXlsmpHWU/UHTK84jDwlI/AAAAAAAAAfU/hOt1pYB3c14/s400/DSC_0155.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Japanese friend I met in Salt Lake City as I began my trip.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jXTeRN8iLbA/UHTLEtVJFSI/AAAAAAAAAfc/ZYT9pEYbeIQ/s1600/DSC_0119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jXTeRN8iLbA/UHTLEtVJFSI/AAAAAAAAAfc/ZYT9pEYbeIQ/s400/DSC_0119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nice right hand technique on this banjo player.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pHgn4s5ZhQQ/UHTLNqdu_8I/AAAAAAAAAfk/FeKkfFrHhGM/s1600/DSC_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pHgn4s5ZhQQ/UHTLNqdu_8I/AAAAAAAAAfk/FeKkfFrHhGM/s400/DSC_0178.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nicky Sanders my favorite fiddle player and friend. He also plays for my favorite band "The Steep Canyon Rangers."</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yoko and Kenichi my new Japanese friends that I jammed with every evening. Both play fiddle.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-19zU7z8IWdQ/UHTLhUgPn6I/AAAAAAAAAf4/QEjpEVRzvME/s1600/Ernest+Tubbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-19zU7z8IWdQ/UHTLhUgPn6I/AAAAAAAAAf4/QEjpEVRzvME/s400/Ernest+Tubbs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YzwN4SZLr24/UHTLqAiqYWI/AAAAAAAAAgA/2ZCP2d7wRvw/s1600/Japanese+friend.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YzwN4SZLr24/UHTLqAiqYWI/AAAAAAAAAgA/2ZCP2d7wRvw/s400/Japanese+friend.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MBqK57HGVZQ/UHTLvTBJ3WI/AAAAAAAAAgI/-b6hwpF3r60/s1600/Flatt&Scruggs+bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MBqK57HGVZQ/UHTLvTBJ3WI/AAAAAAAAAgI/-b6hwpF3r60/s400/Flatt&Scruggs+bus.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Traveling museum of Flatt and Scruggs bus.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_e0ABSrJQuM/UHTL1dYdkvI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/-2C0QxkbeME/s1600/Jesse+McReynolds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_e0ABSrJQuM/UHTL1dYdkvI/AAAAAAAAAgQ/-2C0QxkbeME/s400/Jesse+McReynolds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jesse McReynolds</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UJFifLUfai0/UHTL6LpV2TI/AAAAAAAAAgY/sudZ8BvZYFM/s1600/Johnny+Mizzone+Sleepy+Man+Banjo+Boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UJFifLUfai0/UHTL6LpV2TI/AAAAAAAAAgY/sudZ8BvZYFM/s400/Johnny+Mizzone+Sleepy+Man+Banjo+Boy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sleepy Man Banjo Boy 10 yr. old Johnny Mizzone.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUTIHOT-ZQA/UHTMAUo7Y4I/AAAAAAAAAgg/Y5jLFkor2to/s1600/Kenichi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cUTIHOT-ZQA/UHTMAUo7Y4I/AAAAAAAAAgg/Y5jLFkor2to/s400/Kenichi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">New friend Mitso, who has been e-mailing me now.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IigAn1jXfdo/UHTMLFKRIFI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4mXw5jl99q0/s1600/Michael+Cleveland+jamming.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IigAn1jXfdo/UHTMLFKRIFI/AAAAAAAAAgw/4mXw5jl99q0/s400/Michael+Cleveland+jamming.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">8 time fiddler of the year Michael Cleveland as I watched him in a hot jam the first night.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Na4rumkwEh0/UHTMP0k_mlI/AAAAAAAAAg4/-NE3V83GA7U/s1600/Mitsuo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Na4rumkwEh0/UHTMP0k_mlI/AAAAAAAAAg4/-NE3V83GA7U/s400/Mitsuo2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mitso</span></td></tr>
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Now at the end of each festival or bluegrass event it's always a let down for me but I've come to accept and realize that if these times never ended I wouldn't appreciate them for what they are because they would become a daily way of life and not be special anymore. So once again I'll begin saving up for next year when this conference is moving to Raleigh, North Carolina. It's been in Nashville for 8 years now so this move could be something fun and new to look forward to next Fall. Save, save, save... do I really need those new boots?... save, save, save... How much do you want to go next year again..... I guess I better think hard before buying the new cowboy boots I want cause I want to be able to afford to attend this again next year. PS, once I got on the plane we were delayed on the tarmac 2 hours because they needed to fix our plane. I slept the entire time and on the entire flight back to Salt Lake, but by golly after that I was ready to hit the bluegrass trail once again. <br />
<br />Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-43394563041594495892012-09-15T10:24:00.000-07:002012-09-15T10:24:13.613-07:00The End of a wonderful SummerWell it's been quite a long while since I've written here, but let's just say I've been busy having a fun Summer with my grand kids. John and I are so fortunate to have kids who allow us to keep our grand kids as much as we'd like to each summer and so it was again this summer. <br />
It began in June when we were down in the Salt Lake Valley with our oldest grand kids. We'd dropped our grandson Jeff off at the Missionary Training Center for him to begin his two year mission to the St Louis, MO area. We had spent almost 3 weeks at the kids' house with all the celebrations and activities related to the beginning of his mission. We took him to the training center to begin his mission on June 6th and a few days later John and I headed out for a big bluegrass festival in Grass Valley, California. The 3 oldest grand kids wanted to come with us and spend a month with us so we headed out and got to bring them with us.<br />
As it turned out the teenage brain has set in and the kids didn't enjoy their time at the festival whereas years ago they used to love to get to go with us to bluegrass festivals. It was a boring week for them and it sort of spoiled it for grandpa and I but we understand how it is with teenagers and so off we went to get them home here where they could do the fun things they love around our house here. <br />
Before the final drive home though, we stopped off at Weiser for 3 days at the National Fiddle Competition so that I could play some music with my friends there and the kids enjoyed that slightly better cause there was a lot of booths of people selling their wares and they had fun shopping. Other than that though they were bored once again so anxious to get back to our house here. <br />
Once home we enjoyed another 2 weeks with them and Tanner our 13 year old loved that grandpa and I had brought his Honda 100 motorcycle home with us so that he could actually ride it. You see where he lives, right in the city, there's no place for him to ride and now they'd just sold their truck so they didn't even have a way to haul it somewhere that he could ride. Grandpa and his dad had made a rack for it on the back side of our 5th wheel and we were able to get it here for him. The next two weeks leading up to my 4th of July annual family reunion was spent riding the 4 wheelers, swimming, and Tanner riding his motorcycle. He's a really good cyclist and was able to take it way up into the mountains on the trails with no trouble controlling it at all. I was totally amazed at how well he had remembered how to ride. You see his parents had him riding a little Suzuki 50 when he was only 3, but on that cycle you didn't have to shift, so now with this larger bike he had to learn to shift. He took to it like a duck to water and wanted to ride it day and night. I was so happy that we could get it up here to our place so that he had that opportunity, and surprisingly he's grown so much that he's almost too big for the cycle already, but it was really a good two weeks for him especially. He was in 7th heaven getting to ride it as much as he wanted every day. <br />
Then came the 4th of July and we hosted the family reunion once more, so that entailed the bluegrass concert here with the grand kids getting to play. Tanner who had always embraced getting to play didn't want to play with the kids this year so I began to see him pulling away from it like the others have done also, but when he was one on one with me he enjoyed playing still and has become a real decent bass player. When their parents left at the end of the reunion this set of grand kids went home with them. I was sad to see them go. <br />
Now during this reunion time our oldest son Tyler and his family came with their 3 kids, Pyper, Ryker, and Greisyn. They got to stay with us an extra week once the reunion had ended so it was really enjoyable to have them all to ourselves. When the adult kids left though we got to keep those 3 grand kids for the rest of the summer. John and I had so much fun with them and they learned so much and grew so much in the 7 weeks that they were here. <br />
Pyper learned to swim in the deeper water and not be afraid of it, and even though she still needs to wear a life jacket this was a huge step, because just 2 years ago she was deathly afraid to be in water deeper than her knees. Now here she was swimming clear out to the dock in Gail's pond all by herself so her parents just couldn't believe the progress that I was able to make with her there. Then Ryker also learned to swim but he's never been afraid of water so he actually learned to swim without his life jacket and now can swim across the pond and back several times with no life jacket. Greisyn also learned to trust his life jacket so was swimming way out into the pond too and I would send pictures home to their parents showing how good the kids were doing. I think we swam in the pond almost every single day that the kids were here. <br />
Ryker learned to ride the 4 wheeler even better than last year so was able to take it all by himself and go around our property here just like a pro, and meanwhile Pyper learned to drive one by herself too. I would always ride behind her though as she was just learning but at least she wasn't afraid and she did it all by herself each day. Once again their parents were in shock at all the things these kids were learning to do! <br />
Now I'm saving the best for last. I was able to really work with the kids musically and they advanced like crazy. Pyper learned to play the bass, changing chords fluently in the Key of D, and Ryker also learned to play it even pushing down notes on the fingerboard. His true passion is for the mandolin though and he's always loved mandolin. He found our oldest grand daughter Cortney's mandolin here in my bedroom and he immediately gravitated to it and wanted to play it all the time. I was able to teach him to play 4 songs while he was here, all three parts to Boil Down the Cabbage, Hot Corn, Cold Corn, and Angeline the Baker, plus one more Handsome Molly. I taught him how to take breaks and come in right with the singing and the down beat as he took his break on it. It was so awesome that these kids were playing so good and we were having so much fun each day playing music together. We were able to play music pretty much every day that they were here too. Ryker promised me that he wouldn't ever stop playing! <br />
John and I were able to take them to the Hardtimes Festival where they played the "Kids In Bluegrass" and did a fantastic job! Then some of us from my Foggy Mtn Girls band along with 2 of Gail's grand daughters, Callie on fiddle and Victoria on banjo, and then Pyper on mandolin competed in the band contest and we won it again this year! Pyper was so excited that we won and we had Joy, the mom to Callie and Victoria take our picture in front of an antique car that was there. It was so exciting for Pyper that she talked about it the rest of the summer. <br />
Finally after a busy summer of fun it was time to take the kids back home to Pocatello but not before dropping John off at the Round Valley Festival area for him to work on finishing building the stage that they'd begun last year. When Ryker found out that they weren't going to get to stay for the festival and play on the stage he cried. I felt so sad for him and then Gail suggested that they could get on the stage and play before we had to take them home and that I could get pictures of them. So even though they couldn't play on the stage for the festival they could play on it beforehand and I could take their pictures. This cheered him up and so when we dropped grandpa off he and Pyper and Greisyn got up there and I took a whole lot of pictures of them. I got some wonderful shots, and it was a fun way to spend my last summer day with them. <br />
As we drove home I was able to talk to the kids about a festival being held right there in their own town of Pocatello that very weekend and how I could take them to that festival. Ryker went with me for two full days and he stayed up clear until 1AM and midnight the next evening jamming with a whole group of us the entire time. A new friend we met there Joel, was a dobro player and Ryker was really taken with his dobro so this guy went home and brought one of his dobros for Ryker to play and jam. Before the end of the festival he actually made Ryker his own Hawaiian guitar/dobro to keep at his house and work on playing and he also offered to help him keep learning it now that I'm home which was way nice too. <br />
Finally to top off our perfect summer the kids put on a concert for their other grand parents and an aunt and uncle on their mom's side of the family. That side of the family were so impressed that I thought they were going to cry when they saw the kids playing so well, then I took them back to the festival for the last day and signed them up to play the open mic time. They got on stage and played 2 tunes, Hot Corn Cold Corn where Ryker got to show how he could take a lead on his mandolin and how he could come in on the downbeat and everything, and Pyper got to play the bass and show that she could keep great time on it, and then per the kids' pick they wanted to do their favorite song they learned this summer, "Barefoot Nellie" which switched Pyper and Ryker on the bass and mandolin duties. It was an awesome way to end our summer. <br />
Now before I end this post I want to say one more thing. I got a phone call yesterday from our daughter-in-law LaDeena telling me that Pyper went into the office at her school and told the secretary that she'd learned to play the bass this summer and then she sang the song "Barefoot Nellie" to her. The secretary told my daughter-in-law Deena how cute it was and how impressed she was that Pyper could play the bass. My heart about pounded out of my chest with pride to hear this. <br />
I'm praying that my older grand kids will come back to playing and grow up to have the desire to learn more and once again want to play, and that my younger ones who are so enthused right now will keep up the good work and stay with it forever. I've taught and given every one of my 11 grand kids the opportunity to learn, and it's been a huge blessing for me to see them each have a time in their lives when they embraced it and loved it. I have a feeling that Pyper and Ryker are going to stick with it though because they're both self motivated even while I'm gone to keep practicing. I taught Ryker how to tune his instruments too. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Playing with the "Kids In Bluegrass" on stage at the Hardtimes Festival over in Montana, July 2012. Ryker and Greisyn. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MVPzVOfl2PE/UFSso9iWSiI/AAAAAAAAAcM/TwOeKSMygnA/s1600/DSC_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MVPzVOfl2PE/UFSso9iWSiI/AAAAAAAAAcM/TwOeKSMygnA/s400/DSC_0505.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper and Ryker playing on stage with the "Kids In Bluegrass" at the Hardtimes Festival.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The winning band from the Band Contest. We called ourselves "The Hens and Chicks." Pyper was so proud that we won. We each got a jar of Huckleberry jam and the button you see the kids wearing here. It has a picture of two hillbilly guys on it and says. "We Dun Won" Hardtimes 2012.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryker learning to play the dobro that our new friend brought for him to try. He jammed both Friday and Saturday night with us until around 1AM. The next day he told his mom, I won't be home with grandma until after midnight, and he thought it was so cool that he got to stay up that late playing music each night. I got a real kick out of it!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nda0aebxaxM/UFStoO9tq6I/AAAAAAAAAco/45mHuc-yz4M/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nda0aebxaxM/UFStoO9tq6I/AAAAAAAAAco/45mHuc-yz4M/s400/DSC_0039.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Playing Hot Corn, Cold Corn at the open mic time for the Pocatello Festival. Ryker is taking his lead. He did great and afterwards I had 3 different parents come up to me and ask me how I teach the kids because they want to teach theirs and don't know where to start or how I do it. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ler0CixNItM/UFSt8xxHFMI/AAAAAAAAAcw/5TEn7SuQrXw/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ler0CixNItM/UFSt8xxHFMI/AAAAAAAAAcw/5TEn7SuQrXw/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Round Valley Festival that their grandpa helped build and this was the day that we had to take them home so before we left grandpa there we let the kids get on the stage and play while I took their pictures. They loved it!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LOymKjlxPcE/UFSuKALPL_I/AAAAAAAAAc4/ckFK9kZp4Rk/s1600/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LOymKjlxPcE/UFSuKALPL_I/AAAAAAAAAc4/ckFK9kZp4Rk/s400/DSC_0015.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Greisyn who's almost 6 here is still too young to learn to play so he sings with the kids. He gets upset though that he doesn't have an instrument so sometimes we let him hold one while he's on the stage. Next year I'll begin teaching him. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGb5i35lYZY/UFSuXjWVmHI/AAAAAAAAAdE/-Lf62k71HBk/s1600/DSC_0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGb5i35lYZY/UFSuXjWVmHI/AAAAAAAAAdE/-Lf62k71HBk/s400/DSC_0012.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">11 year old Pyper loves to play the bass and is learning it really well. She can really sing good too and can sing while she's playing it which is hard for some people to be able to do. I'm so lucky that my friend Joel who lives in Pocatello sold me this smaller quarter bass so that the kids can learn on it. She looks so small with this bass but the bass is only about half the size of a regular bass. They call them quarter basses. This one is even a Kay Bass which is a real find as instruments go. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p8k1ZdlZK7E/UFSugTWrP2I/AAAAAAAAAdM/WKg4ubKAQ6U/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-p8k1ZdlZK7E/UFSugTWrP2I/AAAAAAAAAdM/WKg4ubKAQ6U/s400/DSC_0026.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryker playing the Cole mandolin that I'd bought for my oldest grand daughter Cortney. She was told that if she didn't stick with it and play it then it came back to me, so since she isn't playing it I've had it at my house. Ryker immediately gravitated towards that better mandolin and played it the entire time he was here, so I let him take it home to keep practicing on. His mom tells me that he gets it out every day is plays, so I'm very excited to see his self motivation. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper playing her bass and singing. She's really good at both!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DG79P6-uLEI/UFSvDaS8jzI/AAAAAAAAAdc/1vXIQ4jgivA/s400/DSC_0078.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryker takes his turn on the bass. Not many 9 year olds can say that they know how to play 3 instruments, but he sure can and is learning them all really good too. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryker playing the Cole mandolin that may end up belonging to him if Cortney doesn't come back to it and if he sticks to playing. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9A-f8njDGE/UFSveVj1-dI/AAAAAAAAAdw/x6sKuCDzpRw/s1600/DSC_0096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9A-f8njDGE/UFSveVj1-dI/AAAAAAAAAdw/x6sKuCDzpRw/s400/DSC_0096.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper chops the mandolin whenever Ryker takes the bass. I love these guys and love that I get to teach them. It's the best thing ever in life getting to be a grandma! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What a great summer filled with lot's of memories and great times. And now you see why it's been such a long time for me between posts on here. Life is Good. </span>Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-18041910502789566162012-08-06T17:45:00.000-07:002012-08-06T22:12:57.920-07:00My Grandson Ryker is a bluegrasser thru and thruI had a heart warming and heart breaking experience today with my 9 year old grandson Ryker. He's always loved to play bluegrass and jam with me from the very first time I put a guitar in his hands at age 7, but when he heard me play my mandolin for the first time his eyes lit up and he came running then begged me to teach it to him. Ever since that first time he heard me play it he's been hooked on the mandolin. So last year I found an F style Savannah brand, which is Chinese made of course, but it's a beautiful mandolin with super cheap tuners, but it actually sounds good and looks beautiful too. Anyway I was able to get him this mandolin for only $200 including a hard shelled case. It's even got the curly maple sides and back, finished in a nice sunburst and as I said it plays easily and sounds pretty dang good for tone too. So he's had this mandolin for a year now and has gotten a few lessons from me but now this summer we've really had the chance to start learning it better. He's self motivated and practices it on his own 4 or 5 times a day plus the lesson time that we have together.<br />
Now the point of this blog...<br />
Today I went to town to teach my regular students and my grand kids were with me of course. He loved that he got to come to the lessons and I had my core kids in The Bluegrasshoppers practicing for their stage set that they'll be playing on stage over Labor Day Weekend at Round Valley.<br />
Now Ryker won't be able to be with us for this festival because I have to return them home to Pocatello, Idaho before Labor Day so that they can be back for school. <br />
I didn't mean to hurt the poor little fella's feelings but I announced to the rest of the Bluegrasshopper band that he was going to sit in with us today and just practice, but that he wouldn't be playing with us on the stage at the Round Valley Festival. Little Ryker looked at me and his whole countenance changed. His eyes welled up with tears and he held back from crying but I felt like the worst grandma in the whole wide world. I'd hurt his feelings and made him sad that he wasn't going to get to play. His thoughts were that I just wasn't going to take him. I knew that I needed to set things straight and console him so I asked my Bluegrasshoppers to go ahead and practice the song "Man Of Constant Sorrow," and I'd be right back. I took Ryker aside and explained to him that it wasn't anything to do with me not wanting to take him to this festival but that I had to have him back because of him needing to start school. I explained to him that if I could I'd keep him forever and he would be able to go to all festivals with me but that he would have to be home to start school and this was the only reason he wouldn't be able to come and play. Then I put my arm around him and told him that there was a good side to this though and that is the fact that because he has to go back to start school, we would be able to play for his class again and that our practice today would help him to be able to play better for his school when the time comes. He cheered up and regained his composure then joined in with our practice once again and was exuberant to get to play, but boy for a moment there I felt like a real crumb bucket of a grandma. <br />
It was an innocent remark by me to explain to the other kids that he wasn't new in their band but was just there to play with us for today. I had no idea that his feelings for playing bluegrass are so close and in his soul so deeply at such a young age. It taught me a valuable lesson.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q2sJGKMDjs/UCBkxASJCeI/AAAAAAAAAas/ojsYIpY0KcA/s1600/DSC_0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0q2sJGKMDjs/UCBkxASJCeI/AAAAAAAAAas/ojsYIpY0KcA/s400/DSC_0551.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandson Ryker playing with the Kids In Bluegrass at the Hardtimes Festival July 28th, 2012</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9SRGnoIJs6Q/UCBlHSp57yI/AAAAAAAAAa4/b9qloDqsh6Y/s1600/DSC_0533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9SRGnoIJs6Q/UCBlHSp57yI/AAAAAAAAAa4/b9qloDqsh6Y/s400/DSC_0533.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandson Ryker playing bass and is sister our grand daughter Pyper playing mandolin. </span></td></tr>
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He's just like me with a tender spirit with such a passion to play and at only 9 years old it's already there. I hope he always has this same passion to play and that he'll be just like me when he grows up wanting to play like crazy. I have taught him guitar, bass, and mandolin and he does pretty well for a 9 year old who rarely gets the help he needs for sure. Anyway I've had deep feelings in my heart all day because of what happened earlier today. <br />
I'm editing this post from what I had written earlier, because we were headed out the door to a neighborhood dinner and I was pushed to hurry so forgot to say the other very fun thing that happened today. After our lessons, I went to the bank to deposit my pay I earned playing for the Hardtimes Festival last weekend. All the ladies in the bank know that I teach bluegrass and that I play in a couple of bands. Now living in such a small town our banks are much more personable than big cities so as I was doing my banking one of the ladies working at a desk began visiting with my grand kids. She was asking them about their names and what they've been doing all summer with grandma etc. Naturally the grand kids told her about getting to play bluegrass. When she asked them who their teacher was of course the answer was grandma. So she commented that she'd like to hear them play sometime. Well upon this request the grand kids tell her that they have their instruments in my Jeep. So she asks if they'd like to bring them in and play for the bank. I'm thinking okay I'll just grab the mandolin and the guitar and they can take turns on the mandolin because I didn't have either of their little Martin guitars with me. So I head out the door to grab my guitar and the mandolin when Pyper says to me "what about my bass, I want to play my bass." So then I of course couldn't leave her out on her main instrument so I had to haul in the big bass, the mandolin and my guitar. They all helped me of course. We played 3 songs for them "Hot Corn Cold Corn" of which Ryker took a break on it, then he played "Boil the Cabbage" with all 3 parts to it on his mandolin while Pyper was on the bass for those two, and finally we switched out and Pyper played mandolin with Ryker on bass for their favorite song, "Barefoot Nellie." All the ladies in the bank just went crazy to hear them play. As we were walking back to the car putting our instruments away the bank president came running out to the parking lot and thanked us for playing for them and told all the grand kids how good they were and how much they enjoyed it. <br />
Our day in town ended with a bang. I love you Ryker, Pyper, and Greisyn. You guys and I will always play bluegrass together. How many people can say that they played bluegrass in their local banks for all the tellers... You guys can! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">5 year old grandson Greisyn, sings and "holds" the mandolin</span></td></tr>
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<br />Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-33063522775540725212012-08-02T00:00:00.002-07:002012-08-02T00:00:21.338-07:00I love being a grandmaI haven't posted in here for quite awhile at least for me it's been quite awhile, so tonight I am making sure that I don't go to bed until I take the time to write my thoughts.<br />
My kids have all been so good to me allowing me to keep my grand kids in the summertime as much as I want to, or as much as possible with church camps etc. Every one of my kids have been so good to let me have them and John and I have had so much fun through the years doing all these fun things with them. <br />
One set of our grand kids lived with us for 6 years while our oldest daughter went back to college and got her PharmD degree so we became very close to them. The other set of kids lived with us for about 2 years and during that time had one baby grand daughter. This was Pyper who is now almost 11 years old. The last 3 years we've been able to keep her and now her brother Ryker who's 9 and their younger brother Greisyn who is almost 6. We have so much fun every summer with all the kids. <br />
In June we were able to take our 3 older grand kids with us to Grass Valley, then to Weiser and then on to our home here where they got about 10 days before having to go home with their parents. 13 year old Tanner got to learn to really ride his motorcycle well while they were here and we would take him way up the mountain onto trails where he honed his skills. I wish we could have kept him here a little bit longer but he's of age to be going to scout camp so his parents had to take him home after our July 4th family reunion. <br />
Now our son Tyler and daughter-in-law Deena have also been so good letting us have the kids for as much time as we want in the summertime too. The parents came for our family reunion and then left the kids when they had to go home around the 12th of July and we are going to get to keep them clear until the end of August. <br />
I cherish every moment I have them because we get to have so much fun and I get to teach them life skills that they don't get to learn at home. Pyper has always been afraid of the water and timid to try hard things. This summer while she's been here we've been able to teach her to be comfortable floating all over the pond and finally today she even let go of my hand while swimming and floated for 3 or 4 minutes without panicking. This is a huge step for her and I even took pictures of her doing so well so we could show her parents. At the end of our swimming time I asked her if she was ready to get out and instead of the usual yes, like she couldn't wait to get out of the water, I got the response "I think I'd like to swim a little bit longer." I sent pictures of her way out in the pond without me and floating alone for the very first time today. <br />
The other very cool milestone we've crossed is that she was willing to learn to ride the 4 wheeler by herself and is now driving all over the place on it with confidence and a new feeling of self esteem in all these things she's overcome this year. <br />
Ryker learned to swim without his life jacket a couple of days ago and he's now doing really well and doing better and better each day. I sent their parents pictures of all our fun today and their mom sent back an e-mail to the kids so excited that I could feel her pride through her words. <br />
I really feel like I've grown super close to these grand kids this summer, even more than all the past years. <br />
Every day Ryker gets out his mandolin and practices on his own several times a day. He's self motivated to practice and learn and I get so happy when I see him go get out his mandolin and play it. <br />
Today was no exception, not only did he practice it 3 different times but when I'd mentioned to the other kids that we needed to take a little time to practice our music tonight he never let me forget it and reminded me asking if we could play on our front porch like he'd remembered us doing a few years ago with a friend of mine. <br />
Finally at 9:00 we headed out there in the dark and spent an hour practicing. He can play a guitar, mandolin, and bass already and is learning them quickly and well. His sister Pyper is learning the bass and mandolin and she is also very self motivated to learn. She sings our bluegrass songs around here all day long as we do different activities. Okay I guess I'm rambling now and so I need to just write all about how our day went today and call it good.<br />
After our morning breakfast, I took all 3 kids down to the garbage dumpster on our way to the post office. Ryker who is always very helpful jumped right out and into the back of the pickup to help me get a whole lot of sheet rock scraps into the garbage. We made short work of it, so then we headed to the post office where I mailed off Jeff's care package. When we left there I took the kids into "Hoots" cafe so that they could see where I go to play my fiddle when I always talk about it with them. They got to sit up to the counter on those fun vintage swiveling stools and I bought them an ice cream cone. <br />
When we finished that we came home and almost immediately went on a 4 wheeler ride up into the mountains. We saw 3 mules up there which was fun, and several cows of course along with a grouse bird who flew up beside us on the trail. When we came home we were all dusty and hot so we put our suits on and headed to the pond for a swim. By the time we got home from that it was time for me to fix dinner, and then we practiced music late tonight. <br />
My back patio door is full of hand prints, and my bathrooms need cleaning, but those things don't bother me a bit when I have the kids here. There is plenty of time to wash the hand prints when they go home but for now my focus is on having fun and teaching them valuable life long skills. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3KGpdvdiRFs/UBofnv5KixI/AAAAAAAAAYs/ZfFD7dT7ABY/s1600/DSC_0013+%285%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3KGpdvdiRFs/UBofnv5KixI/AAAAAAAAAYs/ZfFD7dT7ABY/s400/DSC_0013+%285%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyper, Greisyn, and Ryker having fun in the cone flowers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jmbbSpBeNqU/UBogdK_qw9I/AAAAAAAAAZA/bboEoR6rn9w/s1600/DSC_0024+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jmbbSpBeNqU/UBogdK_qw9I/AAAAAAAAAZA/bboEoR6rn9w/s400/DSC_0024+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryker shows me how he can balance on the front of the 4 wheeler.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U5OmcK4vSOw/UBogtj65GtI/AAAAAAAAAZI/8pEjsa9AP2A/s1600/DSC_0027+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U5OmcK4vSOw/UBogtj65GtI/AAAAAAAAAZI/8pEjsa9AP2A/s400/DSC_0027+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Greisyn loves wearing this big helmet. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JABXUSghy60/UBohAFmF4rI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/b6VtSMxZQC4/s1600/DSC_0037+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JABXUSghy60/UBohAFmF4rI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/b6VtSMxZQC4/s400/DSC_0037+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Greisyn loves playing with Maggie who comes to the pond with us every day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RHkEdx-owHA/UBohQUVpVwI/AAAAAAAAAZc/6AttjPJvi_I/s1600/DSC_0035+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RHkEdx-owHA/UBohQUVpVwI/AAAAAAAAAZc/6AttjPJvi_I/s400/DSC_0035+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ryker is showing me how he can swim with no life jacket and I take his picture so he can show his parents how good he's gotten this year. He's so proud of himself!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgNg0T0iRVk/UBohjST2x7I/AAAAAAAAAZk/CJA_NwMMiyc/s1600/DSC_0045+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgNg0T0iRVk/UBohjST2x7I/AAAAAAAAAZk/CJA_NwMMiyc/s400/DSC_0045+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now Ryker wants to show me how he can float. "Take a picture of me floating grandma."</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VVWUwxybiPM/UBohx0Y-9iI/AAAAAAAAAZs/Y4tNLWYc9dw/s1600/DSC_0030+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VVWUwxybiPM/UBohx0Y-9iI/AAAAAAAAAZs/Y4tNLWYc9dw/s400/DSC_0030+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Look grandma no hands, hurry and take my picture before I fall. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCvsZmJdILY/UBoiQDDr6OI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/tqu0gX3kPJk/s1600/DSC_0077+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCvsZmJdILY/UBoiQDDr6OI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/tqu0gX3kPJk/s400/DSC_0077+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper floats without me near her for the very first time today. I had to take her picture so that we could show her parents how good she's doing. She's always had a horrific fear of water so this is a huge step for her. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LRe3fTLRyfY/UBoioBYhknI/AAAAAAAAAaA/xSjzw5FA0_M/s1600/DSC_0057+%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LRe3fTLRyfY/UBoioBYhknI/AAAAAAAAAaA/xSjzw5FA0_M/s400/DSC_0057+%283%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper and grandma practicing and getting her confidence up to float alone without me near. You can see from the previous picture that she did it too!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SSNREmgveaQ/UBoi82AmrlI/AAAAAAAAAaI/M1Mnrtg7SlM/s1600/DSC_0081+%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SSNREmgveaQ/UBoi82AmrlI/AAAAAAAAAaI/M1Mnrtg7SlM/s400/DSC_0081+%282%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pyper and Ryker having some fun now that Pyper has shown that she isn't nearly so fearful anymore. I'm so proud of her conquering her fear! We did it Pyper!</span></td></tr>
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Am I tired every night? You bet I am, but I'm so happy that I get this opportunity each summer. I wouldn't change it for anything. I just found out that my other 4 grand kids are going to get to come spend a week with us this month too. <br />
All 11 of them got to spend time at grandmas and grandpas once again this summer. They love it and call us the day school is out each year asking when they can come. Ryker said to me that he wished he could stay here for 6 more months, then he said, wait maybe I'd like to stay here about 2 more years or maybe even till I'm 16. <br />
Earlier this summer our 13 year old grandson said that he loves coming here because he can just have so much freedom to wander around. Tori our 15 year old grand daughter had so much fun here too that I think she would move in and live here too. Then Cortney our 17 year old grand daughter told me that she loves it here because a person can just be themselves and not worry about how they look or having their makeup on or anything like they do living in Utah. <br />
Me I have to agree with everything each one of these kids have said. I love my grand kids and being a grandma is what I was meant to be. <br />
Today was once again just awesome. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-90505489620260636572012-07-17T22:12:00.002-07:002012-07-17T22:12:44.339-07:00Today was filled with mostly "ups" and a couple of "downs"As I reflect on the things that we did today it was mostly a lot of "ups" and only a couple of "downs" so as this day ends, I'm going to talk about all the "ups". I'm grateful for those moments that came my way. <br />
I'm not sure who said it but I love the saying that, "in all things we can find something to be grateful for," and today I had a lot of really cool "ups". I'd like to talk about those here tonight. <br />
We have been so lucky to have kids who let us keep our grand kids each summer and bond with them as grandparents can do when we have them all to ourselves. Living here has afforded us many fun things to do with them each and every day. <br />
Earlier this summer we had our older grand kids, Cortney, Tori, and Tanner for a month and now we have some of our younger grand kids for the rest of the summer, or about 6 weeks. <br />
The oldest of this set of kids is a grand daughter named Pyper and she's a 10 year but turning 11 in about 5 weeks. Pyper was born tiny at just over 4lbs and has always been tiny and slightly younger for her age so sometimes she can be fearful of trying new things or of doing things that are age appropriate. Every year we've watched her slowly closing those gaps which has been thrilling. Each summer that we've been able to have them I've been able to help her and work on those things in her life that will help her. <br />
This day was a moment in time when we broke a lot of barriers with her shy, and timid personality and we were able to help her grow tremendously in her abilities. <br />
It started right away this morning as we had our daily bluegrass music lessons. A few years ago, I had tried to get her interested in learning to play a guitar like her brother Ryker is learning, but she would always shy away from it because it was just a frustration for her trying to learn it. So for several years she would just throw up her arms and say that she didn't want to learn to play, and I could see that the reason was that it was just too hard for her co-ordination level. <br />
Well last Winter I received the prompting to start her just chopping on a mandolin with dampened strings and this was our answer. She was able to do it and had success so she got to play for her class at school with Ryker and his classroom too. She hasn't looked back ever since that day, and now is willing to learn the bass too. <br />
So back to my morning today... We got out the little Kay quarter bass which is huge for her and for our lessons her brother Ryker started off on playing mandolin, and her the bass. Then we sang with all three kids, and even 5 year old Greisyn was singing with us as we practiced. For the first time today Pyper learned how to change chords on the bass and was able to watch my hands and change with me getting it right almost the entire time. This is a huge step for her to be able to do this and she was keeping good time and best of all, is having fun with it too. This is so awesome for me to see. <br />
Then we switched over and had Pyper chop the mandolin and I put Ryker on the bass. He's been playing the bass since last winter too but he has been playing guitar for 2 years and now is learning mandolin too. He could already changed chords with the bass on just the open strings. At 9 years old he's doing pretty good with his music. So today we practiced with him changing chords on all the open strings and after that I began teaching him to play the pressed down notes for the key of A. He was able to do it fairly decently for his first try and for such a little guy. I was so happy to have moved both kids forward with their music. Learning something new on the bass for each one of them and starting Greisyn on the singing was an "up". <br />
Then at around lunch time I asked Pyper if she would like to learn to drive the 4 wheeler like her brother Ryker has already become a pro at. Now normally she would have bulked at the idea and been scared to try but she suddenly just perked right up and said "sure". We went outside and I began to teach her. She surprised me because she's been more observant than I'd thought and she knew just how to start it. I had to somewhat help her but for the most part she had watched Ryker or me enough that she knew. So she started it all by herself and I taught her how to shift from reverse to drive and to neutral. I helped her to back it up and then I taught her how to work the gas and drive it. I was riding on it with her but I let her do everything herself and she did it! I thought for sure that she would panic and not be comfortable when it started to move but, no, off she went and drove it clear up to Will and Gail's and back to our place twice. All I had to do was remind her to keep looking way out forward so that she could steer it and stay in the middle of our road better. Other than that she drove it all by herself and shocked the dickens out of me. <br />
Then if that wasn't enough we all went down to swim in Gail's pond at around 1 this afternoon. It was a nice hot day and the kids wanted to go swimming. Now in the past she's been afraid of water and it's been a real deal to help her get over her fear of it. We've worked pretty hard with her to get her to understand that her life jacket will keep her afloat. She's just one of these kids who has a fear of the water and we've really tried to help her get over that. Each year that we've been able to have the kids she's gotten slightly better though. I've had to remind her each time we go swimming that there's no whining and that when I ask her to try and float and go in deeper than her feet can touch she doesn't need to fear but that her jacket will hold her up. It's been a long haul but today we broke down that barrier as well. <br />
She willingly went on the float with me first and we floated around together, then I told her that we were going to practice swimming and she didn't complain a bit, so I was once again shocked. I worked with her and got her to let me completely let go of her hands and everything and float in her life jacket. Then I would walk away from her by about 5 feet and have her swim to me and she did this too. She was laughing and not a bit bothered by getting splashed from Ryker actually having fun swimming and this was the first time that's ever happened! I just couldn't believe all the leaps and bounds that this little grand child made today. She even drove the 4 wheeler all the way down to the pond for us to swim too, so this little girl has amazed me to no end today. I told her that we needed to call her parents and tell them about everything she did today so as soon as her mom was home from work we called and she got to tell them. I think her confidence with all these other things started with her learning to play the bass and chop the mandolin and having success with it at her school. Suddenly she is learning that she can do so many things. I love getting to help her and be a part of her growth. I can't wait to see how far she'll advance by the time summer is over.<br />
Ryker was learning to ride the 4 wheeler last year but couldn't do it without us being on it riding with him. This year he's an ole pro and he is able to drive it all over our property all by himself. I've watched him and he's been very respectful on it driving carefully and at a regular speed so I've complimented him on this and hope that he always drives them this way. Anyway this has been my "ups" today. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVLIHQae20Y/UAZDnGysPoI/AAAAAAAAAYE/RQHDDnYkLgQ/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVLIHQae20Y/UAZDnGysPoI/AAAAAAAAAYE/RQHDDnYkLgQ/s400/DSC_0002.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pyper Redman age 10 almost 11</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27QsXGBTujo/UAZDvWYg1II/AAAAAAAAAYM/cttOWnHyNd0/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-27QsXGBTujo/UAZDvWYg1II/AAAAAAAAAYM/cttOWnHyNd0/s400/DSC_0003.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWja-Aa-JCk/UAZD6_Fh5YI/AAAAAAAAAYU/Q0waNY2TsKQ/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WWja-Aa-JCk/UAZD6_Fh5YI/AAAAAAAAAYU/Q0waNY2TsKQ/s400/DSC_0006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandson Ryker, 9 years old does so well with his music he's really a natural and learns quickly. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxv7h-RCaIA/UAZECi2xERI/AAAAAAAAAYc/zucZ9AToOTs/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mxv7h-RCaIA/UAZECi2xERI/AAAAAAAAAYc/zucZ9AToOTs/s400/DSC_0005.JPG" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">You can see how small the kids are and this is a Kay quarter bass but still dwarfs them. Ryker is playing actual pressed notes as of today. Way to go buddy, I'm proud of you. </span></td></tr>
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I'm not going to delve into the "downs" of today, but one of the things that happened was that the little deer we found on our 4 wheeler ride 3 weeks ago and that Gail and the Limehouse's have worked so hard to save died this morning. It was very traumatic for Gail who'd spent so much time and love trying to save the little guy. The other down was related to this but even in that we can all find things in all things to be grateful for, so I'm going to just leave it at that, and say that all the "ups" trumped any of the "downs" today and I need to remember to show gratitude in all of life. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-36949938553711705422012-07-13T00:06:00.001-07:002012-07-13T00:07:31.045-07:00Oh yah, I just found my genealogy clear back to Adam and EveWell tonight was a very interesting night and I truly believe that because of the service my son Tyler gave to our friends the Limehouse's with their computers and Iphones we were blessed in service back from them with help on our genealogy tonight. <br />
Yesterday Tyler went up to the Limehouse's house and spent 3 hours helping our friend John Limehouse learn how to put music onto his Iphone and also how to use his Ipad better and also how<br />
to extract pictures off of it and put them into his computer.<br />
This morning PT Limehouse called me and offered to make dinner for all of us then come down and all of us could eat together. When they called they asked me what Tyler's favorite food was and we came up with Taco's for dinner tonight. Tyler our son was frustrated with trying to do genealogy a few months ago, and was having trouble with the church's website newfamilysearch.org trying to navigate it. I mentioned to Tyler that the Limehouse's were really good at doing genealogy and that we could ask them for some help when they were here.<br />
John Limehouse was able to show Tyler how to find the information for our lines and it was so amazing what happened after that. Here's the story.....<br />
We started on my husband John's lines and it just kept going back further and further until we ended up in royal lineage and I'd been told that if you have any royal lineage in your lines you usually can go way far back. So this excited us when we found the royal lineage on John's line.<br />
As we kept clicking and clicking to the next generation it ended up taking us clear back to Adam and Eve. My son was so excited he was jumping for joy. At first he was typing in all the names into his own Ipad, but when he realized that it was just going to keep going and going he decided that he would have to do it at home later. Finally it was so long that it took us clear back to Adam and Eve as I said. This was all on my husband John's line. <br />
So we called the Limehouse's and told them the good news and they were excited that they were able to help us, just as Tyler was excited that he was able to help them yesterday.<br />
After that I was curious if any of my lines might go back to Adam and Eve also and so our daughter-in-law began researching my lines. The last I'd checked was over a year ago when I had some help to enter in my meager 5 or 6 generations that I had too, and like I said I've never been very good at doing my genealogy either. I only expected to just see those same meager generations of names. Imagine my surprise when some of my lined kept going too. Some dead ended at around 700BC but she kept on going and checking other lines and we found a line that took mine back to Adam and Eve too. My line has me related Mary the mother of Jesus and so Jesus too, then it went clear back to Adam and Eve on one of my lines just like John's did. I had a lot of royalty in my lines too and it was on more than one line, but this one particular line took us all the way to Adam and Eve. <br />
We called my John on the phone to tell him this good news because he's over in Missoula tonight. He couldn't believe it either because both of us had only plugged in our recent lineage like about 6 generations back but someone else who's done more research has been able to tie into our lines and this has brought up all of our genealogy clear back like this. Neither dad nor I dreamed that this would be connected and this information on our family tree clear down the lines like this would be there, because the last we knew only the names we had submitted were in our genealogy. This was a complete surprise to both of us. My John mentioned when we called him that he wished there was some way to print off all these names in a pedigree chart form, and then John Limehouse told my son of an app that he could download that would print it off for him and he wouldn't even have to type it all into his own program like he was doing earlier tonight. From this Tyler and Deena said that they will compile and have all this printed off into a book for us as a Christmas present, and they plan to do it for all of our kids and family members that would enjoy having it. Tyler was so excited that this idea came to them because he loves using his computer and he's so excited to have learned this information tonight too, so he's really going to have fun making our Christmas present this year now. <br />
What an awesome night this turned out to be! I know that the blessings of service come many fold and in many different ways. Tonight I know that Heavenly Father blessed us from Tyler giving his service to the Limehouse's yesterday because they were able to serve us back tonight not only with the dinner but with showing Tyler how to use the church's website better which now is going to bless all of us to have our genealogy compiled into a book. <br />
Peter and Lynda Schostag also bought a new TV and were having trouble getting it connected so that it would work to play a DVD player. Tyler went up to their house this afternoon and helped them too, so he's become known in our neighborhood as the tech support guy. He was happy to be able to help them and said to me "Well it is my specialty". It made him excited to be able to help all of them and now in turn it came back to all of us many times over.<br />
It's obvious that I've never been interested in genealogy because of how little of it I had compiled and it just takes more time than I'm willing to spend researching it all, but now here it is all there for me and suddenly I'm very interested because it's so awesome learning that I'm related to Mary the mother of Jesus and thus also Jesus through my bloodlines.<br />
It gives me a whole new outlook on who I am too.Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-27417548583982562882012-07-10T23:08:00.001-07:002012-07-10T23:08:30.882-07:00A story of my mom's childhoodIn the last few years my mother has opened up and started telling me a few stories from her childhood. She may have told me some of them in the past but recently she's been talking more openly about some of her life's childhood stories. <br />
Recently during our family reunion my grandson Ryker along with one of Gail's grandson's Emilio found some small bottles of craft paint and they had a hey day breaking the small bottles and smashing them making a paint splashed mess on our back patio. My mom was here when this happened and was interested in if the little boys cleaned it all off, so when we talked on the phone tonight it was a topic of conversation that came up. <br />
This incident with Ryker sparked her to tell me this story of herself. I wanted to get it written down before I forgot it, so I'm posting it on my blog to get it recorded for my kids. <br />
As she began telling me this story I began to remember hearing it before but now that I'm older and wiser and I realize that I won't have her forever either I'm interested in writing these things down and having them for my posterity. <br />
She began with how there was a family the Walter Hoven's that lived down Hallowell Lane from where she was raised, which was also where I was raised as a child so I'm quite familiar with the area. This family lived about 2 blocks away and then you had to turn down their driveway which was about a half a block long to get to their house. They had one boy who was 2 years younger than my mom, the same age as my mom's sister, my aunt Merie. His name was Harley Hoven. My mom and my aunt Merie used to walk down there and play with their son Harley. My mom said that she was about 1st grade age and she was old enough to know about and to have played a game called Jax at school each day. This game is played with a small red ball and some little metal jax. You bounce the ball and you have to grab one of the jax before catching the ball using only one bounce. As you get all the jax picked up this way then you toss them out on the sidewalk again and you have to grab 2 at a time with a single bounce of the ball until they're all picked up, then 3,4, 5 in each single bounce of the ball until finally you have to grab all 6. The first person to be able to do this wins. Well my mom had played this at school but she had never realized that people could actually own a set of jax themselves, she thought they were just a game that the school had. So she told me that when this Harley Hoven had a set of jax she was fascinated that he owned them but was especially fascinated with that little red ball, so after they were through playing it at his house she slipped the little ball into her pocket. <br />
Later that night when she was home she was bouncing the ball and having so much fun with it when her mom asked her where she had gotten it. She told her mom that Mr. Hoven had given it to her, but her mom knew better and she told my mom that she would need to walk down to their house and return it that very night. <br />
It was pitch dark and Hallowell Lane didn't have any sidewalks plus the houses were spread further apart and people never left their lights on like they do now days. My mom said she was so scared to walk in the dark the 2 1/2 blocks to their house. She said that she walked slowly because she was scared to death and like petrified to be all alone in the dark and walking clear down to their house alone to return it. When she got to their house she had to turn down their drive which was another half of a block long to get to their front door. <br />
She said that she knocked and was so happy when Harley's mom opened the door and she was able to return the ball. She told me that his mom just said to her, "thank you, he'll be glad to have this back because he needs it to be able to play the game." So then my mom turned to walk back home and she got out to the main road and saw something move in the dark near her. At first she was so scared but then she realized it was her mom and that her mom had followed her all the way there to make sure she would be safe. She said that she was never so happy to see her mom and she ran to her as fast as she could then happily skipped all the way home. <br />
She told me it was one lesson she's never forgot, "never take anything that doesn't belong to you." and it's been more than 70 years ago since that day, but she told me that she can still remember her feelings and the lesson she learned just as clear as if it had happened just yesterday. <br />
So now this brings me to what happened here with my grandson Ryker and Emilio. Both of them had to pick up all the tiny pieces of glass by hand and with a little scraper dig up the excess paint as best they could, then they had to scrub with sponges that have the scratcher side on them and we had to use paint thinner on the concrete. We never got all the paint off but we got it somewhat better. Both boys worked with a good attitude and Gail's other grandson Abrahm, who didn't even have anything to do with it came down to help clean it up too. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandson Ryker scrubbing the paint mess he made.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ryker and Emilio</span></td></tr>
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We all hope it was a good lesson learned and that they'll remember not to do anything like this again. My son Tyler who is Ryker's dad supervised the cleanup and got some pictures of them. I had to laugh about it all because I remember our oldest daughter Traci throwing mud and smearing it on a neighbors garage door one time when she was about the same age. The neighbor called us and we had to take her and the other little boy who had helped and make them scrub it all off too. So all kids do things like this and it was just another Idaho memory for my grandson Ryker. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-85832813144401116722012-07-10T11:50:00.002-07:002012-07-10T12:34:53.341-07:00Grand kid fun this summerWe are having so much fun getting to keep our grand kids this summer. It started off with the teenage ones from Herriman, Utah when they got to come with us the first part of June. We took them to Grass Valley and Weiser with us then brought them back to our house for about two weeks before their parents arrived for the family reunion. We live in such a paradise for the kids to get to do all sorts of fun things they can't do at their own houses and it's so much fun for us to be able to offer them all the things around here.<br />
Tanner got to ride his motorcycle as much as he wanted to and every day he rode it for hours. We went way up on the mountain with him and he was able to hone his skills on the trails. Then they got to swim in the pond as much as they wanted to, and just hang out and rest from all the busyness that they have when they're at home.<br />
They left this last Sunday morning and I think they were ready to go home by then but it won't last long and they'll be begging to be back here again. John and I just love it having our grand kids and seeing them loving being with us doing all these fun things.<br />
Now we're loving the time we're getting with the next set of grand kids. Our son and daughter-in-law Tyler and Deena are here with us this week and lucky for us we get to keep their 3 kids for the rest of the summer. Pyper, Ryker, and Greisyn have been so excited to get here and to get to ride the 4 wheelers, swim, and just play outside. My neighbor and one of my best friends Gail has her grand kids off and on most of the summer too so these grand kids of ours are in 7th heaven getting to play with all her kids too. We go to the pond and we swim with all the kids and they just love it so much having all these kids to play with.<br />
Now today Pyper and Ryker are up at Gail's doing things with her grand kids. Pyper got to have a finger nail painting party and they're making bracelets and doing crafts something she really loves too. My heart burst with joy as she asked me if she could go up there with the other girls and play and then I called to see if she could come up and was told yes to send her up for the party. She was skipping and running up our road to Gail's and was waving and laughing as she went saying, "Thank you grandma." "I love you." It's so fun for us that our grand kids love it here and that we get to keep them each summer like this. I want our grand kids to have grandparents who build memories and bond with us so that we are always a close family. This place we live in is soooooo a grand kid haven. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grand daughter Cortney in the red inner tube and nieces Whitney and Heather Baxter.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandsons Ryker and Cody jumping from the new dock in the pond.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grand daughter Pyper Redman</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandson Tanner tries the new slip and slide going into the pond. I love all the wild daisy's blooming out here right now too. You can see them in this picture. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grandpa and our niece Mijandra learning how to ride the 4 wheeler by herself. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tanner on his motorcycle riding way up on the mountain. Notice the pretty purple wildflowers behind him.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grand daughters Cortney and Tori </span></td></tr>
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I love it getting to live here and give our grand kids these experiences, and maybe this is part of the reason I love summer so much.Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-48392858326737318452012-07-10T00:30:00.003-07:002012-07-10T12:27:05.249-07:00Family Reunion concert July 7thEach year I hold a family reunion at our house here in Idaho, and I always hold it around the 4th of July. Towards the last day of it I put on a bluegrass concert right in my front yard featuring my two bands plus the Kids In Bluegrass. Our place here is a perfect setting for a full festival so it works great for this concert each year. <br />
This year it was decided to hold the concert on the weekend after the 4th because the 4th was on a Wednesday and also because I open up the show to all my neighbors and friends in town. Grangeville has a celebration around the 4th called Border Days and it's the largest celebration of the year for the town. In the past I've held my show right on the 4th or at least on one of the days of the Border Day celebrations and so this has been a little tricky getting all my Kids In Bluegrass kids available to play for it. This was my reasoning for holding it after the 4th when all of their celebrations were over with and also on a Saturday so that working families could make it here more easily.<br />
We ended up with about 75 people this year and John BBQ'd hamburgers and hot dogs while the rest of the people pot lucked the other dishes.<br />
The show kicked off at 3 in the afternoon with the Kids In Bluegrass which included a lot of my grand kids who were here for the reunion, then I also had my new kids band called "The Bluegrasshoppers" play and they were able to play without any help from me. They did so well that their parents were in shock and smiling ear to ear throughout their performance. A lot of the crowd of people were coming up to me telling me how they just couldn't believe these kids and how good they were. Today Gail and I were visiting while the grand kids swam in the pond and even she was shocked at how well "The Bluegrasshoppers" sounded and was so impressed with them. None of them had heard how well the kids have gotten because at their lessons I basically do a band practice with them helping them learn to play as a band now, but their parents are always busy working around the house and the kids are practicing upstairs in a room large enough for us. So anyway I was so proud of how these kids have been doing and how good they were for their first real show on stage. I really love it when they do their favorite song "Barefoot Nellie". They just come to life when that song comes up on their set list and their eyes dance with excitement. I can hear them say to each other. "Barefoot Nellie" guys as they smile and kick it off. Then they sing it with extra zip and bounce. I'm so glad I thought of that song to teach them. They do the stop in it and everything and really sing it out well. I'm just standing their grinning ear to ear when they play. I'm so proud of those kids! It's something I've worked for and now it's materializing! Pretty cool for me to say the least. <br />
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After they played then our girls band "The Foggy Mtn Girls" played and Lynda Schostag got to sing with us for the first time in a performance on stage. Before she moved here she had never worn a pair of jeans in her life and in our band we wear overalls and straw hats so this has been so fun for me to see her letting loose and having fun with us. Now that they live here she bought herself some jeans and just loves them. She wonders why she never wore a pair before, and I've even gotten her to wear the overalls now. Our girls band has so much fun practicing and playing together. I've got to get busy and learn more songs to keep up with being able to teach the kids more of them and also learn more for all my bands too. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Foggy Mtn Girls</span></td></tr>
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Finally the headliner band "Will Williams and Gravel Road" played with Hannah on the mandolin for the first time in a performance. This band recently lost our mandolin player Chris Williams, Will's son because he had to take a job where he works weekends, so Hannah who I'd taught a couple of mandolin tunes to said that she would switch and learn mandolin better so she could take over the spot in the band. Anyway this was her first try at it for a performance. We had a great time and my brother Larry, from Stanwood, WA, and his girlfriend Beth took a whole lot of great pictures. They own really good Cannon cameras with really good lens. Every year he gets me tons of really good pictures, and I just love getting all of them. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pt Limehouse on mandolin and 10 year old Victoria Williams on banjo. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Victoria Williams</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Emilio Barela</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Illyana Barela</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Matthew Nelson</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dalton Dennis guitar and my grand daughter MacKenzy Best on Bass</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mickey Nelson</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Callie Williams</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gail Williams and Dallas Olson....singing their song What a Friend We Have In Jesus.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">My grandson 9 year old Ryker Redman wearing his patriotic shorts for the show.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just me playing with Gravel Road on my 1939 Kay Bass.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Grand daughter MacKenzy Best, 7 years old.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Will Williams playing his new banjo he just made.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Will Williams and Gravel Road</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mike Schmidt</span></td></tr>
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We all had a super fun time and it was a perfect day and perfect way to end the reunion. Here's a few pictures from the day.Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-18578738051696553862012-07-04T22:47:00.001-07:002012-07-04T22:47:35.244-07:00July 4th celebrationsToday is the 4th of July and my parents along with our niece Whitney and my grand children from Utah Cortney, Tori, and Tanner are all here getting ready for the family reunion this week. We all went into Grangeville for the huge Border Days fun and we had a great time watching the parade and just walking seeing friends and taking in the vendor booths. I always love to see those booths and the fun things that people make to sell. <br />
The Old Time Fiddlers were playing in City Park from 1:00 to 3:00 so I had taken my fiddle along to play with them a little bit. My parents enjoyed the parade and one of the floats was advertising Yummy's a new ice cream store in town with licorice flavored ice cream. My dad and I saw that and we both love licorice so right afterwards we found ourselves that new ice cream store and made a bee line to get us one of those cones. We sat out front of the ice cream shop on a bench and ate our ice cream as we watched the people. I always love seeing all the cute the little kids dressed in their western clothes and big cowboy hats, and the little girls dressed in 4th of July colors and flip flops etc. After we finished our ice cream, we walked around a little bit and shopped a little in a couple of stores before heading up to City Park where I played with the fiddlers. I got to quickly browse the booths in the park and then we went to get some lunch at the Chinese restaurant before heading back home here. <br />
The grand kids and Whitney went back into town tonight to see the fireworks, but us adults stayed home here and watched some on the TV. <br />
My grand kids are lucky to have both sets of their grand parents still alive and to even have healthy great grand parents who are able to drive here to our house for these reunions each year. I hold them over the week of the 4th of July. <br />
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Tomorrow several others are coming in including our daughter Gina and grand kids Jimmy, Cody, MacKenzy, and Zachary, my sister Dayna and her grand daughter Mijandra, and Dallas Olson. Friday more will be here including my brother Larry and our son Tyler and his family. Pyper, Ryker, and Greisyn will get to stay with us when the reunion is over with for most of the rest of summer. They've been excited to finally get to come here and so has MacKenzy. All of these grand kids have been calling here every few days with their count down to when they get to come. We plan to have a band practice tomorrow night with the Foggy Mtn Girls and then on Friday night we're having a band practice with our Gravel Road band. Saturday is our big concert at the house here with John BBQ'n hamburgers and hot dogs and the rest being pot lucked. I feel very lucky to have wonderful parents who I was able to spend this 4th of July with today. Just having fun and enjoying the warm sunshine, and having my parents here made this a perfect 4th of July holiday for me. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-28204867195275111252012-07-04T00:45:00.005-07:002012-07-04T00:45:49.989-07:00Jamming with Sabra Lindgren and AllisonIt's been a few days since I posted anything on my blog as I've been just so busy since coming home from our trip. I wanted to take a few moments and write tonight though. I've recently been back in contact with an old friend who was actually the first person to teach me music. About 25 years ago, when we were first living in Laurel, I wanted to learn to play the fiddle and I had a violin laying in my closet that was used for a short period of time by my son Tyler. <br />
This lady, Sabra went to church with us there and played violin music. I wanted so much to learn and she was kind enough to teach me and get me started. I really wanted to learn fiddle, but I was excited to learn any type of music on it and she was an Orchestra violin player so offered to help me. Sabra is responsible for me playing music today because she is the one who taught me way back then and got me started down the right path. I have a lot to be thankful for thanks to her. From her, I learned proper bow technique and the proper way to hold my violin/fiddle. That has spun off to make me a better fiddler because of her early teachings. <br />
For years now I haven't had any contact with her until recently when she found me on a social media website for helping to promote your business called "Linkedin". She found me on there and befriended me. Her last name had changed from Bradley to Lindgren and since we hadn't seen each other for over 25 years at first I wasn't totally sure it was her, but after reasoning that Sabra wasn't that common of a name and that it must be her, I added her to my network and it got me to thinking about how she had been doing these past years. I found out that she was now living in Missoula and was actually living there at the same time that we were, but we just didn't know that each other were living there. <br />
We began e-mailing each other and re-connecting, talking about our music interests and just what each of us has done with our music through all these years. I was able to talk about bluegrass and different famous first generation pickers that she could listen to on You Tube and learn more about it too. She began telling me about her composing and copywriting her songs. <br />
Sabra has gone on to become a composer of scores and has gone back to school furthering her education and getting degrees in her music, and I of course have gone on to play bluegrass and old time fiddle teaching a lot of people and playing in several bands throughout the last 15 years. It was great fun getting to know each other better and visiting over the e-mails. <br />
Well a couple of days ago I received and e-mail from her saying that she had a couple of days off and was thinking that if it worked in with my schedule maybe she could come visit me over the 4th and we could play some music together. I was very excited and surprised. It just so happened that my company for the reunion wasn't going to be arriving until today and so it allowed us two days to jam and have the time to devote to it with little interruptions. <br />
She brought a fiddle/violin and mandolin and her guitar. I'll have to admit I was a bit skeptical as to if she would be able to fiddle since she's so adept at orchestral violin style, playing and reading music, but to my surprise she has developed a great ear and has a real talent for hearing something and being able to execute it on her fiddle almost immediately including the bluegrass techniques I was showing her. I have played with violin, classically trained players and they just have a very hard time understanding and being able to relax into fiddle playing, so this is what I somewhat expected. Boy was I ever surprised though. She has become a great player in both the genre of violin music and also now fiddle music. We had a blast! I enjoyed meeting Allison and getting to know her also and it was a pleasant surprise learning that she also plays a little bit of music too. We had a wonderful two days of getting re-acquainted and playing music together learning from each other once again, and having Allison playing some back up guitar for us as we twin fiddled. I was able to teach them the mandolin chords and how to chop the mandolin in the bluegrass style and also the "G" run used in bluegrass guitar playing. <br />
We jammed on our front porch until 12:30 last night and finally I began to get a little cold as the weather turned on us and it started to rain. They had pitched a tent and so I was a bit worried about the weather and hoping that it would just be a short shower but as the night went on we got severe thunder storms and it echoed off the mountains so loud that it shook the house. I was worried about them in the tent but this morning she told me that they stuck it out and were just fine. <br />
I always love it when people are able to be self sufficient and withstand being less convenienced, still having fun and not allowing little things to bother them. I myself am that kind of a person and I've slept in my car, washed my hair with a hose, and slept in many tents just to be able to play music at different festivals and campouts through the last few years. It warms my heart when I see other people, my friends with the same passion and willing to do such things in order to play the music we love. Those are some of my fondest memories roughing it like that and playing bluegrass these past few years. <br />
I just wanted to get this all written down in my blog today before I went to bed, and now I realize that it's after midnight so this is going to post as the next day, but I'm glad that Sabra and I are back in touch and back in our friendship. One thing I learned these past two days and that I never noticed before in Sabra; that is the gentle, kind, considerate person who she is and her kindness was once again evident as we played our music together and found a common ground in each of our styles. I was very impressed with how good she is musically and we just plain old had a great time. <br />
Oh as a side note.....she even got to see the baby deer Jasper, and hold him and love on him getting lot's of fun pictures of them together. One thing I wanted to show them though and forgot was the beautiful pond we get to swim in down at Gail's place. I hope they can come back again and have more time, then I'll remember to take them down there and show them it. I guess I can post a picture of it on here too. <br />
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Life is always so good, and has so much fun around every corner we look. These past two days were definitely great times! Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-21632534176552762282012-06-23T23:05:00.001-07:002012-06-23T23:05:21.009-07:00An injured baby Fawn we found todayToday started off really busy and I was trying to get everything done that I wanted to do when my best friend Gail Williams called to invite the grand kids and me to go on a short 4 wheeler ride. John came in and was adamant that the kids have to wear a helmet which is beyond me why suddenly he's decided this is important. I was so upset because the older kids don't want to have to wear one and so I told them I didn't know if I was going to go or not. Then the kids wanted to go badly enough that they were willing to wear the helmets so I decided I'd get over it and go too. Part of my reason was I had so much to do but the main part of my reason was that I was upset at John for being so demanding on the kids wearing a helmet when he's never been that way before. But anyway as it went I decided to go ahead and go. <br />
I was hurrying up to get out the door cause Gail had called and said they were headed for the ride within 15 minutes. So off we went 7 kids on 5 different 4 wheelers and we headed up the trail behind the Limehouse's house. We had no sooner turned up that trail when we came across this baby deer just 2 days old laying sprawled out in the middle of the trail and obviously listless and not doing well. <br />
There was no mother in sight and this little guy was only a few hours away from death. Gail picked him up and began rubbing his tummy and stroking his neck then she even gave the little guy mouth to mouth. Pretty soon he was bellowing and making sounds of distress, but was pretty weak so we loaded the little guy onto the 4 wheeler with Gail holding him and one of her grand kids driving. <br />
Lucky for us we have two Veterinarians living right here on our mountain and this baby deer was found on their property right behind their house. We went straight there and they examined him then gave him some naturapathic medicines to help ease the shock, and then we sat out on their porch as they examined him some more. <br />
He had one eye that was cloudy and full of dirt and several small bites near his eyes on his head but the main injuries were to his front legs. We could see that he was skinned up pretty bad there and had some chunks of skin and fur missing near his front leg joints. They had dried up already so it had to have happened a little bit before we got there. <br />
The Limehouse's gave him an IV of fluids right away to help with shock and dehydration too. Then we fixed a surgical glove with a hole in one of the fingers and put some canned milk along with a little cooking oil into the bottle, and hooked the glove over the top of the opening and tried to get the little guy to eat. After a few tries he did actually take some milk. <br />
Gail took him home and put him into a playpen bed in her bedroom and covered him up to keep him warm and quiet and the little guy just laid there like a cute little baby. We tried to see if he could stand up but he was too weak to get up on his legs and we noticed that he would tip his head as if there was some brain damage there too. <br />
Tonight the Limehouse's picked up a baby bottle and some goats milk which is supposed to be the closest to a deers milk then they went over to examine the little guy again tonight and he's doing ever so slightly better, but still is holding his head crookedly, so that's our biggest concern at this point. <br />
We're just hoping that he will come out of the brain trauma and then we can nurse him back to health. Gail has nursed 2 other deer when her kids were young but it's been over 20 years since she last did that. The one deer she did that to years ago became pretty tame and would even be in her house when it came around. It would even go to the door when it needed to go to the bathroom, and even though she'd turned it loose when it could survive on it's own it would come back and come right into their house. <br />
Finally it stayed outside and was a regular deer. This one is a little buck and only 2 days old so the poor thing is lucky to be alive. We're lucky to have the Limehouse's living here to help the little fella. <br />
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All the grand kids are wanting to pet him as Gail looks him over. You can see his cloudy eye. <br />
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Grand daughter Cortney pets the fawn while Wyatt and Thayn look on. <br />
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My two best friends Gail and PT examine our little Bambi.<br />
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Gail Williams and I along with her grand daughter Allyona. <br />
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Grandson Tanner, best friends Gail Williams and PT the Veterinarian. <br />
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Gail's and my grand kids at Limehouse's place. Lot's of 4 wheelers. <br />
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Grand daughter Tori<br />
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So that was my day today. An exciting thing for my grand kids that they'll never forget since they're all city kids. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-18573950646514390542012-06-22T00:07:00.004-07:002012-06-22T00:07:44.082-07:00Bluegrass Pickin Fun Times with Friends Old and NewA month on the road and now we are home as of 10:30 this morning.... It's been a great last few weeks and we came home to see Will, Gail, and 10 of their grand kids helping them work around their property raking and picking up branches, burning and just working together as a family. It was a wonderful sight seeing our house again and being greeted by all these kids who I also teach bluegrass music too. They were all waving and shouting to us, welcome home, welcome home. This is the coolest place on the entire earth to be living at. You just don't have neighbors and friends like this anymore but we sure do. It was just plain old awesome that's all I can say. <br />
I was sad to have to leave Weiser a few days early but I was also grateful for the time that I did have there. I used to never miss a year at Weiser when I lived in Missoula, then we moved over here and now I'm only 3 hours away instead of 7. I haven't made it there a single year now. Crazy! What's up with that! Well I guess it's the retirement thing and wanting to have the grand kids spend more summer time with us which has limited my time at Weiser cause I can't watch kids and have any fun playing music. They're just a little young to take and let them run loose quite yet but soon they'll be able to do that. <br />
This year though I thought ahead and didn't take any of the younger grand kids until after Weiser week. We have been on the road for a month doing all sorts of fun things with our grand kids and you can read about those in other posts but the last part of this trip was all fun bluegrass things. <br />
Grass Valley was so awesome and the jamming was incredible. I made new friends, Jeanie and Susie meeting them on the first evening that I was there so each night I'd head right back to their camp and jam with them again. <br />
I played a lot of fiddle there and a lot of mandolin too so this was especially fun since I've been playing so much guitar in the last few years. I've been working on my bluegrass technique on my fiddle and it was just way fun to experiment with playing it in a bluegrass jam circle. So anyway that was our week at Grass Valley, hot weather, hot bands, and so much fun for me. I loved seeing the fun vendors that I have gotten to know down there too and even Jerry Logan had a booth again this year so I bought two more of his original bluegrass necklace pieces too. I already have one of his which is a mandolin peg head necklace made out of silver with a black onyx stone in it which I bought more than 10 years ago right there at Grass Valley too. So anyway he had a booth there again and I got to visit with him and catch up with all what both of us have been up to. I ended up buying two more of his necklaces so that now I'll be able to interchange this one I've been wearing constantly this last 10 years. I also was able to buy 3 new/old fiddles from a fiddle luthier guy who always has a booth down there too. I was looking for some smaller sized fiddles for my students who can't afford to buy one, and was excited to be able to get 3 German made ones for a total price on all of them of $240 the normal cost of just one fiddle. <br />
All of these things added up to make my Grass Valley week so fantastic. <br />
After Grass Valley we had a long driving day up to Weiser Idaho for the National Fiddle Competition week of fun. I needed to get back home here to get our place ready for hosting a woman's retreat out here in about 10 days, and also my big family reunion and bluegrass concert day that I do here each year over the week of the 4th of July. Lot's to do to get ready for these, but John was really great to let me get in 3 days at Weiser jamming with friends.<br />
I was really surprised to see several of the people who I'd jammed with down in Grass Valley up there at Weiser too. Our daughter Gina and her new husband own a business where they go to fairs and such and sell food. They were camped in the LDS church's parking lot which borders the city park in Weiser and so they suggested that we could park there too and that's what we decided to do. I was good with it as long as I had access to the truck to go jam as much as I wanted to and it worked out just fine saving us $60 too. It was also really good since we had the grand kids, Cortney, Tori, and Tanner with us as and it gave them things to do while there. They could walk up and go swimming just a couple of blocks away or they could browse the vendors booths of which both things they did a lot during the 3 days we were there. I had such a great time getting to see my Weiser friends and play a little music with them again. I just love all those people so much and only a fellow bluegrasser can appreciate and understand how those friendships run so deep. When I first got there my good friend Richard saw me and gave me this great big hug saying how glad he was to see me there. It was a wonderful welcome to Weiser hug and we visited for over an hour just catching up on things. <br />
The Limehouses's were with us at Weiser too and even though I'd always talked so much about it they had never been there or seen it. They stayed an extra day and let me take them on a grand tour of everything so we got to see a guy re-hair a fiddle bow, and I got to show them the Institute area where we all jam an usually camp too. I was excited that they didn't just hurry off and not get to see all the things that make Fiddle week at Weiser such a special thing for all of us who get to come each year. They got a real feel to it all and had a nice relaxed day of walking and seeing it all. I had a fun time showing them all the ropes and introducing them to my friends too. <br />
Last night, my last evening at Weiser, I got into a jam with a guy who was playing a musical saw. He could make that thing sing and another lady, myself and one guy on the bass plus two of us on fiddles made up the jam. It was a great little jam and suddenly I turned around to see standing behind me a lady who I met at Weiser 20 years ago, Julia Milleson. She was standing there listening and holding her fiddle not realizing that it was me jamming. Now Julia has had a pretty hard time of things these past few years. First of all she lived with and took care of her aged mother until she passed away at almost 100 years old and then shortly after her mom passed on Julia got cancer real bad and had heart trouble to boot. She was so weak that she had to move in with her son until she could recoup, but she got better and is looking great now. She told me that she's been cancer free for a year now and that she's living in her own home once again. It was fun to see her. I think it's been close to 10 years since we last saw each other but I do keep in touch with her on the computer here, and she's in her mid to upper 80's herself now! So it was just so good to get to see her and doing so well too. She got out her fiddle and played with us for about an hour. <br />
Then later that evening I wandered over and jammed with JD Webb and his wife Judy for the rest of the evening. Suddenly about 1AM here walks up Helen Smith. She'd just gotten there and her husband drove their nice 5th wheeler up there for her then plans to come back and get her this Saturday. I let her use my guitar since I was playing fiddle and then we got to play together too this way. <br />
Finally at around 2:30 I turned it in and drove back down to our camper where I cuddled into bed with John content at the wonderful few days I'd had to be bluegrassin it, but sad that it was ending, but happy that I was going to be coming home too. <br />
I always enjoy browsing the Weiser gift shop where sometimes I find the coolest souveniers of Weiser week. One year I bought a banjo shaped cribbage board, one year blank note cards with cool vintage pictures of old time fiddlers on them, and this year I found a super cool wooden plaque where someone wood burned a little girl wearing chaps playing a guitar on it and then it says Get along little doggie all wood burned into it. They used old saddle straps on it for decoration and then they nailed horse shoe nails across the bottom of it making it a perfect necklace holder for me. When I asked the price and was told $20 for this nice 20 X 12 inch plaque I was shocked that it was so reasonable and I knew that it was going to be this years souvenier and so I grabbed it. They had about 3 others that were each uniquely their own design but this one is the one I liked best. On the back is wood burned into it Weiser National Old Time Fiddlers Contest 2012 which is their 60th aniversary. It's very fun and useful too. The wood is off an old barn making it a really fun little piece and it was such a fun find. I also ran into an old aquaintance there named David who wrote a song about all the things we experience each year at Weiser week and he'd written this several years ago when Weiser was in it's hey day so it has all the cool memories of those years for us. The year that he'd written it he would play his guitar and sing it and this one guy recorded it live at our jam, then later put it onto a cassette of which I'd bought way back then. Suddenly here he was sitting there again this year and so I asked him if he might have that song recorded onto a cd so that I could get it and put it onto my ipod. Well he had some other friends there who had downloaded that jam session recording onto their computer and so upon visiting with him I found out that he would ask his wife to burn it onto a cd for me. I was so lucky to get that and I count it as another prized souvenier from this week too so I'm going to get it onto my ipod for fun memories as I listen to it. I was sitting and playing along as he sang it and it was recorded so this is a very special song and luckily I got it again. <br />
Today as we drove in and had 10 kids waving and smiling shouting welcome home to us just made an end to this perfect trip feel so good to us. <br />
We not only swam in the pond earlier today, but we also had our first night time swim in the pond tonight. It was pretty fun and at first we were seeing bats flying over head of us, then suddenly more and more came in and we even had some pretty huge ones of a different variety come in too. One scared me a bit as he sort of dive bombed some insects right above my head. Grass Valley pictures.....<br />
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Weiser pictures...<br />
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I guess that's about all I have to say this evening so I'll say goodnight and will be posting regularly once again. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-58394918904083920592012-06-21T22:10:00.000-07:002012-06-22T00:13:57.126-07:00An update on Willie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I haven't been able to post on here for awhile because I haven't had access to Wifi but also because I've just been so busy playing music that I haven't wanted to or taken the time either. I thought it would be good to update this blog on what happened to our Willie.<br />
He went downhill fast the last part of the week we were in Grass Valley so Father's Day Sunday after we'd gone to church there in Grass Valley we decided that he would need to be put down. Now I'm a person who absolutely hates putting an animal down unless there's just no other choice and Willie had gotten so weak and bad off that we decided we were going to just have to do it. He couldn't eat, and was so weak that he couldn't even jump up onto our short little camper bed. The kids or us would have to lift him up so he could lay there on our bed where he loved to sleep all day. We even put a small amount of food and water up there for him and then John rigged a little litter box so he wouldn't have to try to get up there anymore. It was just pitiful to see him try to jump up just a foot and not be able to make it landing on his backside each time.<br />
Then he got sick and lost control of his bowels so we had a big mess which I was trying to clean up out there at the campsite. Poor little fella was just ready to go home and so the Limehouse's who had a fellow Veternarian coming up to the festival had asked her if she could bring the stuff to help<br />
Willie out.<br />
We all went to church for Father's Day which was a very nice service and then had decided that when we got home we'd have to put him down if he was still alive. I had to put the poor little guy into the bathtub of our camper with a blanket and all his stuff until we could get home and do this. So after church we gathered the kids and let them all say goodbye and be there when we did this. I had Tanner take John's and my picture holding him and saying goodbye. John was especially close to Willie because just a couple of years ago Willie would jump up into John's lap every day for his belly scratching and he'd roll right over on his back and purr away as John would scratch his tummy. They were especially bonded so it was hard to see the little guy in such shape and hard for us to have to do this but we knew it was the right thing to do.<br />
We had a family prayer before we did it and I held him as he passed peacefully away and went home.<br />
Banjo climbed up into my lap and said goodbye too and now she's been missing him off and on. Sometimes she's okay and other times she's meowing in her siamese meow and looking for him around the house here. Tomorrow we're going to have a funeral graveside burial for him and the kids, with the help of John are going to build him a wooden box and decorate it for him to be buried in. I just wanted to update my last post since I had written it about Willie. We love you little fella.Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-11078305714106520322012-06-16T20:21:00.002-07:002012-06-16T20:21:49.533-07:00Our cat WillieI want to write this quickly to get it in here before I forget to say something about our little kitty Willie. Willie is our cat Banjo's daddy and we've had him since he was just finished as a breeder cat. He's started going downhill the last couple of years and just recently is worse. I was worried to leave the kitties at home for an entire month and especially since Willie is going down hill so fast. <br />
Well the first part of this trip he was doing great and then suddenly he began going downhill really quickly. Two days ago he got incontinent and we had a mess all over John's and my bed, but I was able to clean it up as best as I could and John was good about it too. <br />
Pt and John Limehouse brought along fluids to give to him and this revived him enough to keep going until we can get him home hopefully. He's just so frail that he can't even jump up onto our bed now and this has just started in the last few days. <br />
John and I are hoping that he makes it long enough to get him home and then I'm afraid we're going to have to put him down. <br />
I'm sad about this as he's been a very sweet cat and it's very hard for me to have to put any animals down. I want them to pass away naturally and I just hope that we won't have to do that with poor <br />Willie. He's about 19 years old and so he's lived a full life. He's had kidney failure for about 2 years now and the Limehouse's said that once that happens an animal usually only lives 2 weeks to 2 years depending so he's been able to make it for almost the full 2 years of this time. <br />
I took a picture of him and Banjo laying beside each other on our camper bed today. She's going to miss her best buddy, her dad. <br />
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We are praying for him to pass away on his own and if not then when we get home we'll have to help him out. The grand kids are having to lift him down to get water and he's not really eating anymore either. He looks at the edge of the bed and debates jumping off of it to come get water but then decides better of it because he doesn't want to have to jump back up there, and actually he can't jump up there. He tries but he lands back on his backside and just can't make it, so we have to help the poor little guy out. He's just nothing but skin stretched over his bones. I love you Willie and I'm sad to see you in such a condition. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-18096119152179699822012-06-16T20:06:00.001-07:002012-06-16T20:06:15.275-07:00I love the elderly and the youngWell now this post will have the correct date to it as it really is Saturday June 16th the day before Father's Day and here we are at the festival which is almost over now. <br />
I had a very special moment in time today of which I tried to make it a teaching moment to my grand kids, but am not sure if it went over their heads or not. <br />
So this is how my day shaped up this morning. After we got a breakfast of biscuits and gravy that John had made finished up here, I decided to head over to the stage area and start listening to the music. As I was looking for a chair in the shade, as it was already really warm, this elderly gentleman takes my arm and offers me a chair next to him. He was just the nicest, kindest man on the face of the earth and his eyes just danced with joy at being here at this festival. He introduces himself as Buster and after a few minutes of sitting beside him I found out his real name was Richard Kraft but that his wife had given him the nickname of Buster which he prefers to be called by. <br />
He visited and visited with me between each song and telling me how he lives near this area and how when he got up this morning his wife asked him what time he'd like to leave to come on over here. He told her "early and I'm staying late until after 11 at least." He was talking and telling me that he lives only about 7 miles from here but that he can no longer drive. He then tells me about in his younger days he traveled a lot on vacations and even went to Europe once for 6 weeks but got homesick to be back here during the trip. He says to me, "just like the little girl in the movie, I feel the same, There's no Place Like Home." As he said this he began to cry and I could tell that his mind was taking him back to a better time when he had his youth and could do more of the things he enjoyed. <br />
He noticed my wedding ring and he touched it and said, "I like seeing this." I told him that we were celebrating our 40th aniversary this year. Once again he teared up and gave me a big hug. Then he saw me taking pictures of the different bands and people and he says, "here let me take a picture of you." "I always tell my wife to take lot's of pictures, as you can always delete the ones that don't turn out and you can just buy a new camera chip card when it fills up but that a person can get about 1,000 pictures on one of those things. I don't think he understood that a person could put the pictures on their computer and then erase their chip and begin taking pictures again. <br />My heart was so filled with joy at meeting this wonderful, happy man who told me that he loves the Lord and was such a happy man. It was a great way to start my bluegrass day off and later when I came back to the camper I tried to use it as a teaching moment with the kids about attitudes and being kind to people and happy in life. That making choices is always an option and that we can always make choices to be happy. His spirit emulated his kindness and I loved this guy and wish that I could have gotten information to keep in contact and write him letters or phone him etc. <br />
I have several good friends who are elderly and not in good health and I love those friends deeply. Today I added a new one and if I see him later tonight I will give him my phone number and see if I can get his. <br />
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I'd love to add him to my calling list of people that I love to call and check on. So here is a picture of him and of us and I know that when you see it you'll see his beautiful spirit too. Richard "Buster" Kraft....A good example of kindness and living a Christ like life in our everyday living. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-35460269942979173832012-06-16T19:38:00.000-07:002012-06-16T19:38:02.228-07:00On our way to Grass Valley Bluegrass FestivalThe date on this post isn't going to be correct because it actually happened a few days ago as we were driving down to California to Grass Valley to the annual Father's Day Festival held here. We have taken 3 of our grand kids from Utah with us and as proud as I was of them a few days ago, now it's been a different story as this trip has progressed. They've been bored and complaining to us making the festival less fun for John and I. But that's not what this post is about anyway it's about our drive down to here which was on June 12th when we headed out of Herriman Utah and we were to drive over to Winnemucca, Nevada then pull into the Walmart there and wait for the Limehouse's to arrive. <br />
We had less of a drive so arrived earlier than they did, so we were there and parked by 2:30 in the afternoon and they were due in at around 5:30. It was nice and warm but not too hot so I decided to sit outside our camper and practice my fiddle. <br />
I enjoyed having the time to do so and the campers around us were thrilled to get to listen to me which was fun for all of us. Suddenly after about an hour of practicing I see this man come running towards our camper pushing his shopping cart and shouting at me that he'd been listening to me fiddle on his way into Walmart and again on his way out. He said that "I was pretty good and he loved the music and was also a mandolin player." He had his mandolin along with him in his semi which was parked in a dirt lot beyond our camper. He asked me if I'd mind letting him play a couple of tunes with me as he said he had a little bit of time he could spare. So I of course said yes, then he ran to his truck and grabbed his mandolin out.<br />
It was a nice Gibson F-9 and he knew a lot of bluegrass tunes to play and was pretty good on it. We ended up jamming for 2 hours and of course all the campers had pulled their chairs outside of their own rigs and were listening so we got to entertain them a bit too. He told me that he was from Oklahoma and that his dad plays the banjo and mom sings and plays too. He'd been playing along with them since he was a kid and so had learned a lot of the old time tunes. We had a great time and it was so fun passing the time this way until Limehouse's arrived. This guy had long hair and a long beard and was wearing a Harley Davidson t-shirt so when he got ready to leave I asked him if he rode a Harley to which he replied that he has a Heritage Softtail Classic the same bike as John and I have. What a small world and what a fun day that turned out to be. I posted about this on Facebook and got a ton of reponses from people who say they camp at Walmarts all the time but never thought to get out their instruments and play or practice but from now on they're going to start doing so. I commented back that us Bluegrasser's need to unite and play whenever we camp at the Walmarts and start a bluegrass revolution of a new trend. <br />
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It was just so very fun that I had to share! Now all my bluegrass friends are laughing and saying "Only you could start a jam in a Walmart parking lot, all on your own as you park there." I love it!<br />
<br />Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-89603539195653113522012-06-10T18:06:00.002-07:002012-06-10T18:07:12.257-07:00Grass Valley & Weiser here we comeWell this will be my last blog post for a couple of weeks cause I won't have access to my computer for a couple of weeks as we head out tomorrow morning for the big Grass Valley, California bluegrass festival. We've been to this festival several times in the last 10 years or so and it's always a very fun one that we just love. In fact Grass Valley was the very first bluegrass festival that my husband John went to. Before that he didn't think he'd like them and so would never use his vacation to come along with me even to the local ones.<br />
Years ago though our good friends Ron and Barb Cole invited us to come to this festival with them and help them run their booth where he sold the mandolins that he makes. I finally convinced John to take some vacation time and come see what a festival was truly like. He had so much fun that afterwards he told me to go sign us up for a CBA membership so that we'd get their newsletters and would know about Grass Valley again the following year. He was ready to go again and ever since that fateful first Grass Valley festival he's wanted to take me to a lot more of them and even other festivals too. Anyway now with a bit of that history, I'm excited that we get to head out once again for Grass Valley this year, and tomorrow morning is the day. The extra bonus fun to the rest of this trip too is that on our way home to Idaho we get to stop for a couple of days at Weiser where they hold the National Fiddle Contest every year. I always love to camp there and jam with friends who I only get to see at Weiser and no where else, and the last three years I've missed out on getting to go so this year at least I'm going to get a few days there again. <br />
We're going to get to take with us our 3 oldest grand kids, the ones here in Utah who's brother just left to serve a mission. Those kids used to play bluegrass when they were younger and I was teaching them. They even played two different times in the Kids On Bluegrass program that the CBA puts on at all of their festivals. Now days though the kids don't play anymore and have lost the interest except for Tanner the youngest. He's 13 and he still has some of the interest whenever he's with us, but when he's home here without us around he's just like the others and doesn't play or have the interest. This of course makes me sad, but we get to take them to Grass Valley and then to Weiser too, so for this I'm happy. <br />
I'm hoping that this trip will kindle a fire in them once again and even if it's just for this week at least I can keep a little bit of bluegrass in their life for the moment. If they decide to play and have fun with it then I'll sure be happy about that.<br />
So now I'm going to post some pictures of these grand kids when they were playing at this festival several years ago. One year in particular was very special to me. They got to do the grand finale on stage in the Kids On Bluegrass program and for that the people running the program always get the headliner stars to come out and sing with those kids doing that finale'. That particular year it was Rhonda Vincent, and Wayne Taylor of the US Navy Band. My grand kids sang and played Rocky Top to a standing ovation of the crowd. Grandpa and I were so excited and someone took a video of it and posted it on Youtube too. Now I have a new friend who painted a picture of playing my fiddle and I'm going to save up the money to hire her to paint this picture of my grand kids playing the Grass Valley stage with Rhonda, and Wayne singing and playing over their shoulders as they did a fired up rendition of Rocky Top. It was a moment in time that grandpa and I will never forget and if I can preserve it with a painting, at least that'll bring back those memories and be a real treasure for me.<br />
My dream would be for them to someday come back to the music when they mature and get older in life, and my grandson Jeff who just left to be a missionary gave me a blessing on the eve of his departure promising me that my posterity would carry on this music. I have to have faith that some of my grand kids will stay with the bluegrass music I've taught them. But if they don't at least I gave them the chance and it was their choice.<br />
As for now it's going to be fun to get to take them once again to this festival. Afterwards they are going to get to come to Idaho with us for a month so we're very excited for tomorrow to come. These kids are now Cortney 17 years old, Tori 15 years old, and Tanner 13 years old. I'll get pictures of them at this years festival and will post them in the blog when I get home. <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jDAjrbBf3s/T9VD3OWMwuI/AAAAAAAAANw/MmONTAWkjqQ/s1600/CIMG0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--jDAjrbBf3s/T9VD3OWMwuI/AAAAAAAAANw/MmONTAWkjqQ/s400/CIMG0443.JPG" width="400" /></a> I'll post some more blogs,and get lot's of pictures on how our <i>festival </i>part of this trip goes.. I love my family and my grand kids are the icing on the cake of life for me.Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-46153684713039295522012-06-10T16:19:00.001-07:002012-06-10T16:20:33.717-07:00Tori got her drivers permitMy 15 year old grand daughter Tori has been studying to be able to take her drivers test to have her permit. She's had to retake the test a few times and I guess the one here in Utah is pretty hard to pass, but finally on Thursday of this last week John drove her to the DMV on their way to Malad for her to re-take it one more time.<br />
She wanted to have her permit for when we took them all to Idaho since they'll be with us for about a month now. Well this time around..... SHE PASSED... and so now has her permit. She was so excited that she just ran up to the counter once the computer told her that she'd passed.<br />
Then John took her and her sister Cortney up to Malad to work helping their other grandparents get moved in and helping John to lay some tile that they wanted done up there. Well our truck is a stick shift but also they were in heavy traffic and such so now it's been 4 days and she hasn't gotten to try to drive yet.<br />
This morning as we all headed out the door to church, Neil and Tanner had to be there half an hour early for a boy scout meeting that Tanner has each Sunday. Tanner is the scribe for his troop so has to be there to take notes of each meeting, but anyway they needed to leave early and this was Tori's first time to get to try to drive their car. Now I had let her drive our Jeep last summer on our gravel road where there's very little if any traffic, but this was her first time to try to drive on regular streets and in town.<br />
As they were driving out of their garage, Tori at the wheel, and her dad Neil beside her with Tanner in the back seat I hurried up and grabbed my camera and shot these pictures.<br />
Tori's first driving lesson and first time to drive with her new drivers permit. <br />
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Go Tori, go.... Love you.. and here's the pictures to prove it! Neil and Tanner look pretty relaxed!!!!Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-22069632479592357382012-06-09T16:20:00.002-07:002012-06-09T16:37:22.580-07:00Sold the Droid, thank you Lord<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had prayed and then let it be in the Lords hands regarding selling my Droid phone so today hadn't even had it on my mind, other than I noticed that the battery was down on it this morning so I charged it full.<br />
Suddenly at around 2:45 this afternoon my daughter Traci calls me and says that someone has called and is interested in my phone but wonders if I'd take $80 for it. I was just thrilled to get the phone call so took the offer. She wanted to meet up within 45 minutes to pick it up and asked if I could meet her half the way from where she was at to where we're at. Traci told her that I could meet her at Carl's Jr at the District shopping area which is near the theater that we always go to when we're here. So then Traci needed me to stop by where she is working at Walgreen's today and she would reset the phone to be factory new erasing all that I had on it. I headed out the door immediately and stopped in to see her where she reset it all and then off I went to meet up with the gal, just praying that she'd show up and I could get the phone sold.<br />
I drove the kids' little red Geo/Suzuki car that's a piece of junk of a car but hey the gas is cheaper than our big truck and it's easier for me to drive than that big truck too, and when I got to the Carl's Jr, I wasn't there more than 30 seconds and she pulled in right beside me. She was a college girl who was very nice and really excited to get the phone so it made me feel glad that I could help her out and I didn't feel bad that I'd come down in price for her. She gave me cash and I showed her how to work the phone a little bit then gave her instructions to take it to a Verizon to have it set up for herself.<br />
I was so glad that it sold cause now I have the cash to pay for my tickets to the IBMA and if I use our Skymile points for my plane ride then I just have to save up about $500 for motel and spending money which I think I can do over the summer months with our band jobs. Yay!<br />
I'm loving my new Iphone and I got the white colored one and then put a black and white polka dotted case on it so it looks really fun. The Iphones come in either black or white color but I like the white best and it looks really pretty in this case. I'm learning all the different things on it that are slightly different than my Droid was. <br />
It's been a good day. John and the grand kids got home shortly after noon, and he made $400 which is great for this trip, and now tonight we're meeting up with Casey and Ashleigh to go to dinner at a Chinese restaurant which is my favorite so I'm lovin it. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-58909610261963148762012-06-08T23:10:00.002-07:002012-06-08T23:10:43.762-07:00New IPhone or not...Well I did something today that I hope I don't regret. My grandson Jeff who just went on his mission is a master salesman and just has good luck at selling almost anything. He's just like his dad that way. Two days before he left he listed his Android Verizon phone on a classified site down here called KSL. His phone was the exact same model as mine and within just 30 minutes of listing it he had 4 people call wanting it. The very next day one person came forward and bought it for $80 just like that. My daughter said that people buy them because they can get them without any contract agreements and so they're in demand. <br />
Well I've been wanting to upgrade my phone to an IPhone and the cost of the IPhone with a new 2 year contract agreement is $199 so I get the idea that if I can sell my Android like Jeff did then the new IPhone is only going to cost me half as much, and it would be a great deal. I also decide that if I'm going to do this, now is the time because my daughter Traci can help me learn how to use it too which is an added bonus when you're a technological bone head like me. Of course this could have been just me trying to justify getting it too, hmmmmm not sure there. <br />
So anyway last night I prayed about the decision and felt nervous but also excited cause I really wanted to do it. It wouldn't be so nerve wracking on me except for the fact that until I start getting a retirement check we have to watch our spending each month. I mean we live comfortably but we can't just spend money without really thinking it out either. I knew that if I went through with this phone thing I was going to have to spend my music money to get the better phone and I've also had a lot of extra expenses come out of that account this past few weeks so it was praying on my mind whether I should do this or not. I called John who's up in Malad helping our son-in-law Neil's dad lay some tile flooring at their new house and I discussed it with him, hoping that he'd be all for it and give me the okay to do it. Well he was neither for it or against it and just told me to think it through as the money would be coming out of my music account anyway, which I knew of course. So he was of no help in my decision process either. <br />
This morning after sleeping on it and praying some more before getting out of bed, I decided to go ahead and take the plunge and get my old phone listed. So at around 1:00 my daughter Traci and I went to the Verizon store and I bought the IPhone. We listed my old Android right before we headed out the door and now it's been all evening and not even one person has called on it. <br />
I'm going to use faith and prayer and hope that Heavenly Father will see my need, or rescue me from my stupidity to answer it and bring me a buyer tomorrow. I spent $200 in gas to help us get here since we're also going to be going to Grass Valley to a big bluegrass festival there as part of this trip and I felt like I could contribute. Then my good Nikon camera broke and I had to spend another $150 to fix that, and so now with this IPhone purchase, my music fund is depleted to just a couple of hundred dollars and I really want to be able to go to Nashville in September for the last IBMA conference to be held there. I know that I have a few money making jobs with our band this summer which will help, but I'm nervous as I said and if my Android phone would sell I'd sure feel a whole lot better for sure! <br />
So with these thoughts on my mind I retire to bed tonight and just hope that my crazy old phone will sell tomorrow. I need to remember the saying "Worry Ends Where Faith Begins." Now I'm off to say my prayers and hit the sack. Let's hope I didn't do something stupid today!Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7218237872294596273.post-68240176112158795632012-06-06T08:33:00.001-07:002012-06-06T16:02:03.559-07:00Today we take Jeff to the MTCIt's been a few days since I've posted in here, but my heart is full this morning as we get ready to take our first grandson Jeffrey Jordan Christensen to the Missionary Training Center where he'll begin his journey of serving a mission for the next two years.<br />
We've had many spiritual blessings this last two weeks as we've spent these this time leading up to today. It's due to the blessing of early retirement that I realize we were able to be here for this entire time and be a part of each and every step leading up to today.<br />
We arrived here in time for the first event which was his farewell at church where he was able to give part of the sermon and plan the entire service how he wanted it to be that Sunday. He had a special man who he loves how he sings, do a musical number of a Primary song that he loves, "Armies of Helaman", and some of the young kids who he's taught in his Primary Sunday School this last year sang with this guy in a really neat arrangement of the song. A person couldn't listen to these kids, and this man singing and not be touched by the Spirit. Our daughter and son in law Traci and Neil put on an open house for him afterwards and it was well attended by a lot of people wanting to support him. <br />
My parents who live in Billings, and Jeff's great grandparents were able to drive down here from Billings to be a part of that weekend. My dad is 85 and my mom 80 and it's not as easy for them to drive these long distances like it once was. I thought about how wonderful this was for Jeff to have his great grandparents still alive and still in good health so that they were able to make this trip and be here for him on his special day. A lot of kids at his age don't even have their grandparents still alive let alone their great grandparents, and then to have ones in good enough health that they were able to be here for him is an extra special blessing. To have grand parents who value gospel principles and want their grand kids to be worthy active church going people following Jesus is another blessing of his. Not only has he had parents who've taught him to follow the Lord, but he's had grand parents and even great grand parents who've all set a good example for him to follow and stay strong in the Gospel. <br />
Then the next step drawing us closer to today was going with Jeff to the temple and being able to go with him a couple of times this last week. It was very spiritual for all of us getting to be there with him, and he had a lot of family support with 17 of us there that first evening.<br />
Now Casey and Ashleigh were able to be with us last night as we all went to with him to be set apart as a full time missionary. His Stake President is a really wonderful man and he took the time to visit with all of us and with Jeff on the importance of hard work and living to have the Holy Ghost as his constant companion as he labors to teach and help the people he'll serve in the St Louis, Missouri area. <br />
We all felt the Spirit so strongly last night, that there wasn't a dry eye amongst any of us, and Ashleigh commented that she hasn't felt the Spirit that strong in a long time. Jeff bore his testimony to all of us about how he felt being a missionary, and when we came back to the house here he gave each of us a blessing, his first as a missionary. It was very apparent that the mantle of a full time missionary was on him and a testimony to me of the truthfulness that God is our Father and Jesus our Savior. <br />
When we were finished with that we all helped him pack for today. He has to be at the MTC by 12:40 and we want to stop and buy him a black back pack and some of the last little supplies that we noticed he still needed as we packed last night. <br />
His dad has written him a couple of personal letters to take with him and open once he's out there in the mission field and this morning I was prompted to write him one myself so I took the time to write down our conversion story and my feelings towards him. I have felt the Spirit so strong this morning as we prepare to head out the door now, and I want to tell my grandson here in this blog how much I love him. I'm proud of him and of his parents who have taught him correct principles and brought him up to be able to make these correct choices on his own. They've brought all these our grand kids up to be very independent and make their own decisions, as they guide them to make good choices in all areas of their life. I see this as we spend time here and sometimes it's scary for me, but ultimately I see the results and I'm proud of them all. I love you Jeff! I'll post a picture of you with all of us and in front of the MTC later today after I've taken it.<br />
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Now as a second part to this blog, we have returned back to the house now after taking Jeff and being with him as he entered into the MTC. It was so neat for John and I to get to be a part of this last step as he began his mission today. I love that we were here for every bit of the activities leading up to today. Raynae Redmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09415764317413100485noreply@blogger.com0