Monday, December 1, 2008

Hi, Everyone,

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I don't remember every turkey I ever tasted, but I think Alia's just may be the best of all (Sorry, Peter).
David wants to know: Does anyone know what happened to Grandpa Thompson's shooting trophies? Just curious.

Betty

1 comment:

  1. We had Thanksgiving dinner at Glenn and Dania’s. We also invited another "empty-nester" couple to join us, and Dania invited some friends of theirs. With 5 little children there was a lot of noise for a time, but they finally settled down. Good food, good company—what’s not to be thankful for?

    I don't remember seeing Dad's trophies after Mom died, but that doesn't mean they weren't there. I'm sure we wouldn't have thrown them out.

    Our Messiah went miraculously well Friday evening! The string players outdid themselves and so did the choir. The Lord’s Spirit was there in rich abundance. Everyone (well, many people) said how inspiring it was. (There was one place near the end when the bass singing “The Trumpet Shall Sound” skipped a measure (!), but fortunately the 1st violins caught on quickly and eventually everyone did. [I understand he’s a professional singer], and I'm pretty sure nobody in the audience noticed.)
    I think the favorite part of most of the performers was one that isn't one of the "big" choruses: "Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs." Several people said it had moved them more than any other part.
    It was done in conjunction with a big display of Nativities (kind of like what they do in the Orange Stake every year), and we had only an hour, so we had to pick and choose.
    This is what we ended up with:
    Comfort Ye my People, Every Valley Shall Be Exalted, tenor aria
    And the Glory of the Lord
    Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive; O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion, contralto aria
    For Unto Us a Child Is Born
    There Were Shepherds Abiding in the Field; And Lo! the Angel; And the Angel Said unto Them; And Suddenly There Was with the Angel, soprano recitatives
    Glory to God
    Rejoice Greatly, soprano aria
    He Shall Feed His Flock/Come Unto Him, alto/soprano aria
    Surely He Hath Borne our Griefs
    Since by Man Came Death
    I Know that my Redeemer Liveth, soprano aria
    The Trumpet Shall Sound, bass aria
    Hallelujah (which we invited the audience to join in singing—reviews have been mixed)

    I've also been playing in a handbell choir, which a member of our ward organized several years ago as a family activity. We've done it for 4 years now, except when they were living on the east coast last year.

    Did everyone catch the ND & U.G.L.Y. games? (Thank goodness for cable TV; I missed only one game all season.)

    Sorry to be so long-winded. When are y'all going to come to visit??

    Love to all,
    Jim/Dad/Grandpa

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