Hello everyone! It is 27 degrees at my house this morning!!!! Burrrr!!!
Our son Tom started his new job this morning. We wish him the best and great success!
Now that Fall is officially here and the cooler weather is setting in ...
That means working on original music for me!!! I am looking forward to that very much!!! I have flute music to get recorded. Music and writing! Music and writing! That is how I spend the fall and winter time.
I hope that you had a great Halloween. We stayed in and at Halloween candy!!!
Here's a Halloween video for you. It's awfully scary so watch out!
Remember ...
You are wonderfully made!
You are worth it and you are deserving of all success and happiness that comes your way!!
The Fallow Deer Are Growing! The babies are growing! Look at the antlers on the bucks!!!! They are widening out!
I love the smell of the fallow deer! They smell like horses!!! If you've been around horses you know exactly what I mean. These fallow deer are the only creatures I have met that smell like horses.
These are deer that our Dad raises these out at the farm.
I am really enjoying my butterfly garden this year!!! So many bees, bumble bees and butterflies. There's some kind of wasp looking thing that is coming to the flowers but I didn't video it. I guess I will if it's there next time I have the camera out.
Incredible!!! The Moon is Setting!!!! I was out taking moon pictures and noticed that I had to keep moving over to the right every little bit to keep the moon in my camera lense. Aggravated ... I stopped to figure it out ... and when I realized what was happening ... ran in to grab the tripod!! This video is at REGULAR speed! Just like we watch the sun setting ... this moon was setting. Watch to the end if you can ... it is worth it!!!
One of the fun things about going out to the farm is getting to see the Fallow Deer!
They are a breed of deer that never lose their spots ... even as adults.
They range in color from white, light brown, regular fawn brown and dark brown.
They are so fun to watch when they run because they "prong" (bounce) like an antelope does when they run. You can see the babies o it here in this video.
The bucks antlers are in velvet right now and will continue to grow.
It has defininetly been quite the time with this virus and everyone sheltering in home for the last month and a half. Just last Monday our state, Missouri, began reopening business. We can now go out to eat again, go to church, go shopping ... some of the things that we weren't allowed to do during the shut own because of COVID19.
With my auto immune issues, we are still not getting out to public places. But we will soon. Things seem to be on the upswing.
With it getting warmer outside ... that means ... the motorcycle comes out!!!
It has to be 70 degrees for me to ride. If you ride, then you already know this, but it is always WAY colder going down the highway on the bike than the actual temperature is. That's why I wait until it's at least 70 degrees. We're getting there!!!
So … we have been in a shelter in place order in the city of
Hannibal, MO since March 26th.
Coronavirus is making its way around the world and the United States as
well. It passes from person to person
through close personal contact and touching contaminated surfaces. We’ve had an order to stay 6 feet apart from
one another and not to gather in groups larger than 50 … then it went to 20 …
currently it is 10. We are supposed to
stay home now, since March 26th, and only go out to go to the
grocery store, to the doctor or medical reasons. We can go for walks, walk the dog and go for
hikes in non-crowded places. The only
people going to work now are the labeled “essential workers” who have papers to
show stating that they are essential and are allowed to cross police lines, barricades
and be out past curfew. As of this moment
right now, Hannibal, MO does not have a curfew.
I have been sheltering in home since Friday, March 20th and have switched to teaching music lessons on
line with zoom rather than in person lessons.They are still one on one appointments … but just on zoom rather than in
person in my living room.I am very
thankful for my students and their parents who chose to continue their lessons
in this way until we are able to meet together again in person.
The first thing that happened with all these announcements
was that toilet paper disappeared… people bought it all up!!!We shop at Sam’s Club and purchase ours there
in large quantities, so we’ve been okay but there are a lot of people who have
been out.Then hand sanitizer became
scarce.We still haven’t been able to
purchase any of that here locally.Then
sugar and flour flew off the shelves.I
am a sweet tea drinker so not having sugar was sad.We were finally able to get some sugar last
week and then some flour about four days later.I am going to learn how to dry can my flour.When you dry can it, it then has a three to four-year
shelf life.So yes, this gal is going to
learn how to do this.
Right now, coronavirus is worse in the large cities and
heavily populated areas.New York is hit
hard, Chicago, California …
They are telling us the best defense is very frequent hand
washing, sanitizing frequently used surfaces, do not touch your face because
the virus enters through your eyes, nose and mouth.To keep a 6 feet distance because if someone
sneezes, it can fly in the air six feet.
So, what are we doing?While there are always the normal whiners and complainers no matter what
is going on in life … even when it’s good … most people are trying to stay upbeat,
positive and use this time to be with their household family members.Nursing homes are not allowing visitors right
now.Hospitals are not allowing
visitors.Churches have closed and doing
online services.Schools have been closed
for weeks and now for sure through April 30th.Parents are homeschooling their children with
materials provided to them from the schools.I have never witnessed anything like this.All jobs are shut down and people are encouraged
to work from home.The government is encouraging
employers to allow their people to work from home.The essential workers, like I mentioned
earlier, are all still going to work.
I am the only one staying home in our household.Both my husband and son are considered
essential workers and getting out every day.With all my autoimmune issues, I am on of those people considered at
high risk.I am washing my hands a lot …
mainly staying at my desk during the day … drinking plenty of liquids and getting
lots of rest.I’m resting ten hours of rest
each night.I don’t sleep for ten hours …
but I am laying down in bed for that long.At first it was very hard to get used to a slower paced life.Am I right?I think so.I also think that we
as a nation are beginning to appreciate things more.
As musicians, we have not been able to get together as a band
and play.Hubby and I play together here at home, we
make our YouTube music videos, we’ve also gone live on our Facebook pages and played
for our friends.
I know I’ve been quiet on here and I will do better.We are going to get through this.We are strong and resilient.I love you all!We’ve got this!!!
Love and Blessings my Friends!
I am so glad you stopped by!
Good day to you all my friends.I know I haven’t talked about it at all, so I
thought I might touch on it a bit before I go any further.Yes.COVID19.My prayers for us all
are that we stay smart, stay safe, shop responsibly, keep a love for one
another in our hearts, pray for those around us, for our friends and family, for
those with weakened immune systems, for our cities, for our nation and for the world.Is this a scary time?Yes.It sure is.Am I staying in as
much as possible?Yes, I am.
I try every single day of my life to stay positive, to share
positive things, to love life, to care about others and to spread joy.I’ve seen other’s say on social media that
those who are not talking about the negative parts of life are not facing the
truth.I’m not talking about this new
virus … I’ve seen people saying this for years and years.I want to assure you that I am always, very,
very aware of the negative side of this life we live.Each of us … you … me … we all have stories
that are sad, sometimes tragic, traumatic, damaging … things that once in our thoughts
would be hard to not see … things that would keep us sad throughout the day …
throughout the week … things that hit us out of nowhere all of the sudden.Things that would be so easy to dwell upon and
bring us down.THIS … this is why I try
to stay positive.For me … and I can
only speak for myself … for me it is much easier to be positive and focused on
the good things in life than it is to think negative thoughts and then try to
get rid of them.I don’t want that
constant fight … that constant tug of war per say … going on in my life all the
time.
I can’t speak for every person trying to be positive … only for
myself … but I can tell you that I am not naïve or ignoring anything at
all.What I am doing is CHOOSING what I
focus on.Why?Because the way we think can affect the way
we feel … the things we do … the things we say … our tone of voice … and the
way we make others feel.
So here is my wish and my challenge to us all.Be kind to others.Be kind to yourself.Pray … meditate … whatever you do to spread positive
energy and bring about positive change … do that.Be that person.And the world will be a better place.
Every day is a new beginning!Please remember to be kind to those around
you.There is not enough kindness in
this world.And every bit of kindness
... no matter how big or small ... matters.
Love and Blessings my Friends!I am so glad you stopped by!
Our new dryer is working
wonderfully!!!It is so nice to be able
to do all of our laundry at home again!!!!No more having to dry our clothes at the laundromat!Yay!!!!!
We’ve had a lot of beautiful days lately.It’s so nice to be in short sleeves and no
coats.I even went barefoot the other day.Even taught music lessons with no shoes
on!Whaa haa!!!!!It’s nice to hear the kids outside
playing!They make me smile.
We saw lots of motorcycles out during this nice weather.Ours wasn’t out, but it won’t be long until
it is warm enough for me (70 degrees) to hop on and go.
We had a great music session with just the two of us this
evening.We got three recordings finished.Yay!!!!We are having a lot of fun with our YouTube channel.We love playing music together and there are
going to be skits in the near future.I’m currently writing one now for the two of us.Future ones may need some friends to join in
with us!!!How fun is that??!!!!
I’ve been taking lots of moon pictures.I am so glad to be back into my photography
again.It’s fun and I even enjoy the editing
process as well.
Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite snack
is.Right now, mine is sliced bell
peppers with French Onion chip dip.I
know, right?delicious!!!!!
Learning on some new tunes.I am always learning new tunes.So is Doug!We keep a list of
ones we have heard that we like.We keep
a list of ten that we practice andwhen
they are done we add a new one.Keeps
ushoppin’!!!
I hope you all have a great day!!!Every day is a new beginning!Thanks for stopping by and come back
often!Please remember to be kind to
those around you.There is not enough
kindness in this world.And every bit of
kindness ... no matter how big or small ... matters.
Love and Blessings my Friends!I am so glad you stopped by!
It’s a beautiful day!There was a very heavy frost on the ground that clung as long as it
possibly could this morning!!The sun is
shining and it is just such a pretty day out there.I’m looking forward to hearing the birds
singing as I sit outside on the patio with my coffee or hot tea this spring.I also look forward to sitting on the porch
swing and doing my early afternoon work online while sipping my sweet tea and
listening to the neighborhood children as they ride their bikes and play
outside.Boy, I used to love riding my
bike when I was a kid.I remember how it
felt … it felt like freedom.That is the
best way to describe it.The breeze on
my face and flowing through my hair as I pedaled as fast as I could.I still ride a bike.I got a new one, used at a pawn shop, last
summer and I’m going to be riding it this year too!!
I was talking about this earlier this week.Do you ever catch yourself thinking about the
past?Life is full of the things we do
and the things that happen to us … people who are good to us and people who are
not … those who tear us down and those who lift us up … things we remember with
fondness and things that we regret.
It can be comforting and even bring a smile to our face when
we think about the past, our childhood, our grandparents, childhood friends,
fun things that we got to do and such.Always think about those things that bring you joy and make you smile.Just don’t let yourself get wrapped up in the
bad or unpleasant things of the past.
By being stuck in that cycle of thinking about things that
were hurtful … remaining angry or hurt … this can allow the past to hold you
hostage so that you can’t move forward even when you want to. Find something
positive to think about and keep moving forward. There is nothing wrong with
trying again. When you fall … get back up and go again. When you stumble … find
your footing and keep going. Create a new path that leads to better you … a
positive you … grateful for your blessings. Focus on your blessings … hold your
head high … and smile. You’ve got this!!
At our house, one of our favorite things to do that brings
us joy is to sit down and play some tunes together!We’re working on new tunes all the time.I’m really focusing on new tunes right
now.In fact, take a look at my
fingers!!I’ve been playing so much
music that my fingers are really sore!!!I think I blistered one too!Well, that is just what can happen!!!It isn’t the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last!!!
We love playing music together!!Here’s our latest YouTube video and one of
our favorite tunes!!
We’ve had several snow days and had to cancel music lessons
several days last week due to snow and school being out due to bad
weather.I am ready for a new week and
getting to see all my students.They are
a bright spot in my day.I always enjoy
hearing their music and seeing their progress.Everyone has been choosing songs that they would like to learn, and I
have been really impressed with their choices.I’m excited for them because I know how much fun it is to learn a song
that you like an enjoy.It is my
pleasure to be an instrument in that experience for them.They make me smile.
I’m preparing for the next 3-day challenge of some of my
favorite Plexus products.It’s such an
easy way to try the products and see what I’m talking about.If
you would like to participate in a challenge with me just email me, it’s listed
below, and I’ll see about getting you ready for the next one that is coming
up.
At session this week, our friend Dave got this picture of Doug
and I playing our fiddles together!We
love playing with this group.I usually
take pictures of everyone but didn’t take any last time.I’ll be sure to do that next time.
Our dryer went out … let’s see … about four months ago maybe
… and we’ve been washing our clothes here at the house and then loading them up
to dry them at the laundromat.We got a
dryer yesterday afternoon and hope to have it moved in and hooked up later today
or tomorrow.Yay!!!I have missed the convenience of having a dryer!!!
I hope you all have a great day!!!Every day is a new beginning!Thanks for stopping by and come back
often!Please remember to be kind to
those around you.There is not enough
kindness in this world.And every bit of
kindness ... no matter how big or small ... matters.
Love and Blessings my Friends!I am so glad you stopped by!
It’s a beautiful day!It’s raining here, but the bright side is that it is warm enough for
rain!!!!No sleet, ice or snow!!!!Yes!!!!
I was talking about this earlier this week.Life is full of the things we do and the
things that happen to us … people who are good to us and people who are not …
those who tear us down and those who lift us up … things we remember with
fondness and things that we regret.
Don’t let yourself get wrapped up in the past.
By being stuck in that cycle of thinking about it …
remaining angry or hurt … this can allow the past to hold you hostage so that
you can’t move forward even when you want to. Find something positive to think
about and keep moving forward. There is nothing wrong with trying again. When
you fall … get back up and go again. When you stumble … find your footing and
keep going. Create a new path that leads to better you … a positive you …
grateful for your blessings. Focus on your blessings … hold your head high …
and smile. You’ve got this!!
One of our favorite things to do together is sit down and play some tunes! Here’s our latest YouTube video and one of our favorite tunes!!
We’ve had several snow days and had to cancel music lessons
several days last week due to snow and school being out due to bad
weather.I am ready for a new week and
getting to see all my students.They are
a bright spot in my day.I always enjoy
hearing their music and seeing their progress.Everyone has been choosing songs that they would like to learn, and I
have been really impressed with their choices.I’m excited for them because I know how much fun it is to learn a song
that you like an enjoy.It is my
pleasure to be an instrument in that experience for them.They make me smile.
I’m preparing for the next 3-day challenge of some of my favorite
Plexus products.It’s such an easy way
to try the products and see what I’m talking about.
I haven’t done any crochet lately and I have some pink
crochet thread that I’m going to use to make a doily of some sort.I haven’t picked out the pattern yet, but I
will be looking to see what grabs me.
Thanks for stopping by today!Come back often!Please remember to be kind to those around
you.
There is not enough kindness in this world.And every bit of kindness ... no matter how
big or small ... matters.
Enjoy this day in your life.Love and Blessings my Friends!
I just had a very good mandolin practice.I worked on a few new tunes and then went down
my list of songs that I know from memory. My fingers were flying!!They’ve been a little sore, but didn’t bother
me this time. I play a few from that
list every day so that they are fresh in my mind and I will know how the song
starts if I am requested to play it.There’s nothing more frustrating than to know a song … but can’t quite
remember how it starts.When that
happens, I can sometimes play a bit of the end of the song and then go right into
the beginning.Other times I have to
wait until I hear someone else start it and then I’m good to go!On the rare occasion that no one remembers
how it goes … time to move to the next song!Thankfully that doesn’t happen very often.
When I practice, I alternate between my instruments. That way I can keep the fingering straight. Sometimes it is hard to keep your fingering
straight when you’re changing between instruments. You also have to keep the strings
straight. When I put my fiddle down and
switch to the tenor banjo it may take a moment for my fingers to make the
switch. When I put my tenor banjo down
and switch to playing melody on the guitar … now … that can mess with your head. Lol That’s why I practice switching from one
to the other. If I’m practicing later in
the evening, I pick up the electric mandolin or the electric fiddle. The reason being that if they are not plugged
into an amp, they are relatively quiet and not going to bother anyone. Those are also the ones that I grab if I am
the first one up in the morning and feel the need to play. You can’t always make your practice time
convenient for everyone around you, no matter how hard you try.
Doug is redoing my counter tops for me. I’m preparing to make some cooking
videos. We are just sprucing up a bit
before I begin that project. It’s going
to be pretty. I sure do appreciate all
the things that he is able to do. Thank
you, honey!!
We have been cold here.Been getting down to the negative digits at night.Today the high is supposed to get up to 46
degrees!!!!We’re going to think it’s
summer!!!!I can’t wait!!!!!What have the temperatures been like where
you are?We have a music gig coming up
on Wednesday that we are really looking forward to.The last one got cancelled because of snow
and ice.We played here at home, but it
just wasn’t the same!Poor Doug had been
working so hard on a new tune for that night and he was disappointed when he
didn’t get to go play.Two more days bud
… two more days!
Thanks for stopping by today!
Come back often!
And please remember to be kind to those around you.
There is not enough kindness in this world.
And every bit of kindness ... no matter how big or small ...
matters.
Enjoy this day in your life.
I am so glad you stopped by!
Ava Jane
Additional Blogs:
Luna Delight ...https://lundadelight.blogspot.com/
Music For You and Fun For Me ... https://musicforyouandfunforme.blogspot.com/
The Curious Art Whip … https://thecuriousartwhip.blogspot.com/
For your PLEXUS Supplement needs email me at ... ajplexus@gmail.com
I have openings in our Triplex Group, our Slimdown Group and
our Joyome Skin Care Group.
It's been snowing here and was really cold this
morning.It was so beautiful coming
down.I didn’t have to get out in it
this morning ... but Doug did.When he got
out there, his truck doors were frozen shut and he couldn’t get them open.The camper hatch was frozen shut as
well.He finally got in … thank
goodness.Today is supposed to be a cold
night for us here … -1 degrees!
I think I will
slip on my long johns!!Burr!!!
I’m behind on practicing my violin and banjo this week.I’m going to buckle down this weekend and
work on my new tunes I’m learning.I
have gotten several of them memorized!Yes!I have several more to learn.I keep a list of 10 tunes and as I learn them
and then memorize them, I mark them off the list and add a new song to
learn.This method seems to work just
fine for me.It keeps me motivated and
learning a new tune all the time.
Where did our imagination go?Do you meet with yours very often? Do you allow it to creep into part of your day
or do you have it turned off?I remember the days of playing with toys …
your room becoming a totally different place that was full of adventure ...
playing dress up and being whomever you wanted to be in that moment ... going
out the back door into a magical place of imagination and adventures!The sand box that became the dry and
dangerous desert full of sand dunes for our vehicles to jump over or our
backhoes to dig in and load the dump truck.The gas tank that became the fastest horse in the west!!The tall patch of grass where you became a
mountain lion slinking toward your next victim.The swimming pool where you became a diver exploring the bottom of the
ocean or a mermaid or an Olympian diver. The paths in the woods where you saw lots of
squirrels, rabbits and birds.Just
picking a spot at the base of a tree to sit and listen to the sounds of the
woods.That "hairbrush"
microphone and my bedroom becoming the stage to an admiring audience who appreciated
every move I made and every note I sang … and in that scene my hair was always
perfect and my wardrobe outstanding!What about just daydreaming?Life was sure better when imagination was
part of every day.When is the last time
you laid down in the grass to watch the clouds?Did you used to name the shapes you saw there?I sure did!!Who says we can’t use our imagination as adults?I say we can!!!We should!
Focus on the positive!Smile!Because one smile can make
the whole world a better place!
And please remember to be kind to those around you.
There is not enough kindness in this world.
And every bit of kindness ... no matter how big or small ...
matters.
I’ve been spending a lot of time the last few weeks learning some new tunes. When we’re are out playing music, I don’t carry any music with me so that means they are all up in my music part of the brain.
I must smile at that thought because there are times when, no matter how hard you try to pry that beginning of a tune out of your mental library … it just won’t show up!! That’s why I keep a list on my phone that has the first 3 notes of the tune. It’s kind of like when something is just out of your reach, even though you’re standing on your tippy toes and have your entire body and arms outstretched just as far as you can, and you still can’t quite reach it. You need a boost and that little boost, whether large or just tiny, is all you need to grab it! That’s what those first three notes of a song are for me. It works!
Right now, I’m watching three fiddlers daily and finding it fun to see the tunes we have in common and hearing tunes that grab my attention and I want to learn. The list is long … and I have to reign myself in with one tune at a time. Wait … who am I kidding!! I keep ten tunes to learn at a time and when I’ve got one learned I add the next one. Are you able to only work on one tune at a time? It seems like that has never worked for me!!!
Where oh where is spring?
I know, I know … embrace the glistening snow with its crystals that are infinitely different and unique. Long for their freedom and grace as they float toward the ground or swirl in the breeze. Embrace the beauty of the leafless trees as they hibernate until the warm sun of spring touches the tips of their branches. Appreciate the distance that you can see through the leafless limbs … the view that is gone once the trees leaf out and are full and green.
Embrace the crunch of the ground as you walk through the yard. The dried leaves on the ground … the crunch of the sleeping grass … gone is the green flowing lawn of summer. Spring will come again and bring along with it all of the new life that blossoms in both plants and animals.
We have 4 inches of snow right now. It came down in great big flakes. It was so pretty to watch as it fell to the ground. School has been cancelled two days in a row so that means no music lessons either. It's been a quiet two days around here. It did give me more time to practice my instruments.
Guess what I did? Oh my gosh! I joined a writing group for women!!! Yes!! I am going to get back to my writing again and blogging.
It's going to be an active and busy year for me. I have a children's book ready to go to the illustrator!! Get out! Right???? I had stopped on my novel. But ... I'm thinking about getting it back out and having another look or just starting over with a new one. I don't know ... maybe just alter it. Time will tell.
I'll be back to blogging again. I have several. One is for my moon photos and moon poetry. I'm working on a coffee table book that includes my moon photos and poetry. I had it all ready to go when a horrible thing happened, and it was lost. Please be kind ... I learned from it and hopefully it will never happen again. It was on a computer that got hit and everything was gone. I was heartbroken. This is the first I've spoken of it. It still hurts, but I'm just going to have to move on and I have already begun again. I will be going through all my camera cards to look at photos and choose the ones I'd like to use. The poems, however, are gone other than any of my originals that I may have already put on the blog. I haven't had the heart until now to even look.
I have about 30 original songs that I have written and put to music. I will be acting upon that in 2020 and getting my songs out there. I haven't decided whether to try to sell them or re-record them myself. Things to ponder.
I have my collection of original Native American Flute music that I will be recording, hopefully this year. I need to invest in a couple more Flutes before I get started with recording.
I will be active on the YouTube channel again. There will be some adventures ... I am going to do some cooking videos ... Doug and I will be making some music videos featuring our fiddles, banjos and mandolins. And are you ready for this??? I am even going to start a game channel for my time spent at Red Dead Redemption!!!!! Yes!!!!! You didn't know that about me, did you?????
I am using my Plexus products. It's been three years for me now and what fantastic products!!! When something changes your life for the good, you can't help but share with others the blessing you have been blessed with. I am currently building my team and my business. For anyone who is looking for weight loss ... getting rid of inflammation ... balancing blood sugars ... balancing their gut health ... looking for an easy two step skin care regimen in our Joyome Day and Night Serums ... looking for an effective Multi-Action Collagen Complex that you just mix with the drink of your choice (I like mine best in my coffee or hot tea) ... I've got you covered!!!! Just comment or message me and I would be honored to talk to you about the products and groups that I have to offer. Even if you're just tired or being sick and tired ... even if you just want to feel better ... let me know.
I am getting my groove back and I am so happy to be here!!!
