when you wish upon a grape

I think that God is so merciful that often he acknowledges our childlike wishes and silent prayers, simply because he loves us.

This was evidenced to me yesterday, when, just for an evening, I got to be an orchestra teacher with my very own group of string players.

It just so happens that between the ages of 13 and 18, there are four violinists, two violists, two cellists, and a double bassist in my current congregation at church. Just the right number for a small but balanced string orchestra. And, it just so happened that there was a district-wide meeting planned for youth 12 to 18 on January 16, and I was asked to organize an instrumental musical number for that event.

Dream come true? I think so. Last month I excitedly arranged a children's hymn for five string parts (with our congregation's talents in mind), then contacted the kids about participation and rehearsals. It all came together beautifully last night as I dusted off my old conducting baton from Professor Schleicher and led the Cedar Rapids 2nd Ward Orchestra through our two-minute musical offering.

Langston Hughes once asked: "What happens to a dream deferred?" I think maybe it depends on the dream. Is it alright for some dreams to be deferred as we prioritize other dreams (like stay-at-home-motherhood)? I think, sometimes maybe it is alright. A sun-dried raisin is, after all, sweeter than the original fresh grape.

ParTEA like it's 2011

When 2010 dropped the ball and the calendar flipped to 2011, the Dixons were still East of the Mississippi, making holiday visits. We spent New Years Eve with Cheryl and co.
Ramona received a little tea set (thank you Cheryl) which was immediately used for a tea party on the living room floor.
Cheryl apparently received a few toys of her own
Forest and I shared our friends with Ramona for a little while, but then we took her back to Paca's house, put her to bed, and tried to have our own kind of New Year's tea party. Although grown-ups probably don't have as much fun as kids do, sometimes we pretend our parties are better just because we get to stay up late.
New Year's Day we met with another Decatur friend, then drove back to Jii and Baachan's house, where we ate sweet rice and giant sweetened black beans from Japan.
After a couple of days there, it really was time to end our stay in Illinois.
On the way back to Iowa, we squeezed in a visit with Aubrey--another friend who takes me back to age fourteen.
After eleven days of travel, sickness, friends, and family, now we're back in our sweet Iowa home with the whole year ahead of us. Here we come, 2011--come snow,
rain, or shine!