SUNDY'S SEVEN SABBATH SENTIMENTS - EDITION 13

I'm back!

1.

The Illinois State Capitol was quite impressive.

But I LOVE our simpler Kentucky State Capitol better.

My favorite part is the out-door clock!

Churchill Downs is amazing!

We learned a LOT about horses and racing.

We even walked over the Ohio....

Our Nauvoo trip was FANTASTIC!  But we weren't finished playing with our family until Wednesday of this week.  The Pughs stuck around and we toured Frankfort and Louisville too.  What a great week with them!  We already miss them so much!

2.

While we were on vacation, we listened to The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.  Ernest Hemingway says it best when he says, "All modern literature stems from this one book.  There was nothing before, there has been nothing as good since."  It was a delightful book.  In fact, at one point, the entire family was laughing out loud at Tom and Huck's antics towards Aunt Sally.  Mark Twain has a great knack for humor and still deals with mature social issues.  This novel definitely deserves the title of : classic.  It was entertaining for my children as well as for my husband and I.  But don't read this book because it is a classic - read it because it is fun!

3.

The last two Wednesdays, my girls and I have spent learning to make applesauce!  Jan, one of my dearest friends, has been kind enough to share her knowledge with us.  We have learned soooooo much!  It has been great fun!  And we have 12 jars of applesauce to show for it!  (I took some great pictures of my daughters making the applesauce... but now I can't find them.)

4.

My best friend, Amy, just got put into Young Women's as the Miamaid assistant.  I am soooooooo excited to be in the same organization with her.  And my daughters are sooooooooo lucky to get to have her be one of their mentors!  I'm even more excited to be in the Young Women organization now!

5.

I started cross-stitching again.  I needed a creative outlet.  I seem to go in spurts with it.  I'm making Christmas gifts for Amy's kids.  It's been a lot of fun and keeps me busy.

6.

Yesterday was a productive day.  I'm plumb tuckered out from ironing 32 shirts for my husband.  While I ironed, Key Lime Pie did 3 loads of laundry, made rolls and cleaned the kitchen.  Kotten Kandy mowed half of the lawn, took care of bees with her father, and did Personal Progress.  Scott worked outside cleaning our yard, taking care of bees and working on Christmas gifts.  It feels good to get so much done.  :-)

7.

My Dad just came out with a new CD, Recovering Romantic, and it is AWESOME!  It isn't like his other CDs (most of them have  some kind of religious theme and he writes all the music and lyrics).  He didn't write any of the songs on Recovering Romantic.  They are songs he used to sing for my Mom or were significant to them as they were dating and grew together.

The first song on the CD is "They Call The Wind Mariah."  I remember my Grandma T LOVING this song and asking my father to sing it for her.  I think my dad's version is the most beautiful version of this song I've ever heard.  And I've heard quite a few.  (No, I'm not prejudice.)  He also covers "Lonesome Polecat" from the musical 7 Brides for 7 Brothers.  He really jazzes it up.  I was surprised it could be so bluesy.  It works.  And I love it.  My daughters favorite track is also my parent's "song":  "Elusive Butterfly."  She instantly wrote down all the words and is trying to learn to accompany herself on the ukulele while singing it.  He also covers two Beatles' tunes:  "Do You Want To Know a Secret" and "Something in the Way She Moves."  All of the songs are done beautifully.

O.K., I am probably my dad's biggest fan.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE his music.  And I really do enjoy all of his CDs.  This one is great too!  If you've never listened to my father before, he has a website where you can listen to his music (and buy it too, if you are interested).  His stage name is One Man Mormon Blues Band.  Check it out:  http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/