Merry CHRISTmas 2010, Everyone!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: 

and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, 

The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end,

upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, 

and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this

Isaiah 9: 6, 7

Virtuoso and his Stradivarius violin

THE SITUATION In Washington, DC, at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007,  this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.    During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station,   most of them on their way to work.   After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed  that there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.  About 4 minutes later:    The violinist received his first dollar.  A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.    At 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.  At 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time.  This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly. At 45  minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal  pace. The man collected a total of $32. After 1  hour: He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed and no one applauded.  There was no recognition at all.  No one knew this, but the violinist was  Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.   He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.   Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats   averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music. This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was  organized by the Washington Post as part of a   social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

Hallo-weenie!

Jill, as a member of the Red Queen's Court

Worth the investment and time

Piano Recital
Fall 2010

Why God made brothers

Leatherette Jacket by Joujou

Polka-dot bubble dress by BCX girl

Sunny side up

Theo & Lily

They're many miles away, but they remain near and dear to our hearts!

Sunday best

Navy suit by Michael James

Photos by Jared

Do you want to buy a dog?

Well, here is a Dog that is NOT for sale!

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Pencil Fun

THESE ARE JUST PENCILS*

PLEASE READ THE PARABLE AT THE END!! 

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX :

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK.

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE, YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS,

   WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF 

   TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

We all need to be constantly sharpened. This parable may encourage you to know that you are a special person, with unique GOD-given talents and abilities.  Only you can fulfill the purpose which you were born to accomplish. Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot be changed and, like the pencil, always remember that the most important part of who you are, is what's inside of you.

*from a forwarded email

Table Decor

J Crew Girl's Dress

Tattered Ruffle Dress:   What an attractive dress!  Color is "Tawny Sand". Worn to two parties on the same day. As a side note, I turned in a defective CrewCut silk dress and got another one of these pretty dresses (in color "Antique Lilac") at full price LESS the current price of the defective dress.  I was very pleased with the exchange

The Juice

At Julie's baby shower, a game was played as to who would finish their baby bottle of  apple juice  first.
Farrah, Jillian, Danielle, Mindy, Julie and Nyia were the contestants:

Ready, Set...

Go!!!!

And the winner is....

Nyia!

Jump Zone Fun

Ashley turned 1 year old, and had her birthday party at  Jump Zone.  The children were either running or whizzing by me in the cavernous space that had wall-to-wall moonwalks, slides, jumpers, and obstacle courses.  They had a blast, but  I just could not keep up with them.  After an hour, the pizza, cheetos, chips, and cupcakes looked extra delicious.