Notably Natalie

January 9, 2013 -- I’ve known Natalie for quite some time. We attended BYU and played in the Philharmonic together many moons ago. She’s been my stand partner at MT Pit recording sessions since its inception over eight years and 75 musicals ago. She is the sister of Meredith, contractor of many of the sessions for which I play and  concertmaster of The Orchestra at Temple Square and my stand partner there. 

In December, just before Christmas, Natalie mentioned to me that she felt a strange mass in her abdomen and had made an appointment with the doctor. 

I was in Seattle when she received her diagnosis. What the doctors discovered was stage four ovarian cancer that had spread into her lymph system, lungs, heart sac and other places throughout her body. Heartbroken and with a "basket of sunshine" in hand, I went to see her.

I found her cheerful, hopeful, and in good spirits. She had had surgery to remove what they could. We talked of  her choices - chemo or no chemo and the strength of attitude, hope, and prayers. I asked her what she needed most and she mentioned “financial help.” She and a handful of her previous students had started the ball rolling - A benefit concert in two weeks! She had asked many of her “famous” local musician friends to perform, and each and every one was honored to be a part of it. But Natalie was overwhelmed at this point and needed someone to “take charge.” 

I am a very hard-worker but didn’t feel that I had the organizational skills to pull the musicians together in a couple of weeks. I knew someone who could. Natalie’s sister, Meredith! Natalie responded, “She is SO busy -- I can’t ask her!”

I could... and I did and she said, “yes.”

Meredith put the musicians and the evenings numbers together, I spread the word on Facebook and took care of answering questions. Randy and I designed tickets and programs. Natalie’s friend, Loree, and I discussed ideas and logistics, Loree set up a donation sight, and we were off and running. 

The response was amazing and the evening was magical, exhilaration, touching, and inspiring. Nearly 1000 people attended and filled Libby Gardner Hall, its choir seats, and even extra chairs on stage. What an outpouring of love from the all-star performers and audience alike. Though very sick with a respiratory infection, Natalie was there to feel the power of so many and was touched and uplifted by the support she received.

Natalie and her darling mother.

Program

Richard Elliott - “Sinfonia” from Bach’s Cantata 29

Natalie’s students - First movement of Bach’s Double Violin Concerto

Michael Dowdle - “Where the River Bends”

Jessie Clark Funk - Aretha Franklin Medley

Peter Breinholt and Nancy Hanson - “Everything Will Be Alright”

Lex de Azevedo - Rhapsody on the theme “Oh My Father”

Alex Boye - Danny Boy

Ben Henderson and Jed Moss - “Adagio” by Dittersdorf

Daron Bradford and Jed Moss - “Aria” by Eugene Bozza

Will Hagen and Jed Moss - “Praeludium and Allegro” by Fritz Kreisler

Hillary Alleman, Andrea Ashdown, Brant Bayless, Will Hagen, 

Anne Lee, Becca Moench, David Porter, Kevin Shumway - Mendelsssohn Octet

Aaron Ashton and Jake Workman - “Natalie’s Jubilee”

Kelly Parkinson and Jed Moss - “Romance” by Crawford Gates

Sue Krupa Gray and Dan Waldis - “Anything for a Friend”

Jenny Jordan Frogley and Dave Halliday - “Sax-o-Beat”

Kurt Bestor and Friends - “Stradivarius” Meredith Campbell, soloist

I was fortunate to be among the "friends."

Kenneth Cope - “Broken”

Will Hagen and Jed Moss - “Polonaise” by Wieniawski

The Piano Guys - “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

The Piano Guys and Alex Boye - “Peponi”

I didn’t realized just how much responsibility I felt for the success of this evening and it’s importance on Natalie’s behalf until it was over... and I had an overpowering rush of tears. Randy just held me and let me cry. 

May the Lord bless you in your journey, my dear friend, Natalie! 

Natalie posted this sweet response:


Dear Friends....I've been oddly silent, no posts, since the concert. I came down with a virus, RSV and it's been a serious infection, been very ill in bed, but looks like I am finally turning a corner so I can do things as strenuous as posting on FB now :). 

I have loved reading the posts of everyone else and seeing the pictures and videos in order to relive the moment. It was way beyond a once in a life time moment, because I doubt that many have such a great gift given to them. I feel like the luckiest, most blessed girl. If this were part of a movie, I don't know if it would be believable. Each performance was so magical and transporting. From the moment the organ started, to the closing rendition with Alex, Jon and Steve...it hit every human emotion and desire: poignant, spiritual, fun, rollicking, exquisite, it was all there, as well as many tears, refreshing, delicious tears. I felt it showed off "music" itself and the high honor it holds in this world. Nothing could have taken us to the place that the music did, so well performed by such masters. I have had wonderful messages and calls from those who were in attendance as to some of the numbers that touched them most or that they enjoyed most, and they all mention different ones because each seemed to be absolutely perfect. Truly, anyone who was in attendance did experience a moment that can never be repeated. So, my heartfelt thanks to all the musicians who made it happen, to all those who organized and did the behind the scenes work, and to all who were in attendance and shared their love so freely with me. Finally, I must say enormous thanks to everyone who donated. It is such a HUGE burden lifted to have the means to pay my medical costs, the bills are starting to come in and I am able to pay them! MY HEARTFELT THANKS TO ALL for starting out my healing journey with a bang!!!!!

The Bathroom Stall

It was a good movie and rated PG! “Oz: The Great and Powerful” - clean, exciting, colorful, imaginative, had good acting, and was two hours and twenty-one minutes long! I chewed quite a bit of ice and “held it” until the movie was over (I didn’t want to miss any of the action) then raced to the Ladies Room. 

What a relief!

I turned the lock to exit the stall. It wouldn’t budge; I turned it the other way. It wouldn’t move even a fraction. Back and forth I went and got more panicky each passing second. Options went through my mind: Do I crawl out the little opening at the bottom? Do you think anyone would notice? Do I wait patiently until the bathroom is empty and then crawl through the opening? What if I get stuck? Mind you, the movie had just finished and everyone and their dog was in the bathroom. How about I just wait until the theater closes? Or maybe I should just YELL for help!?

How embarrassing.

After what seemed an eternity, I sheepishly tapped on the stall door and half-laughing whispered “Could someone help me please? I’m kind of stuck.” 

Fortunately a nice lady came to my rescue. “Let me get a key,” she stated. What? She has a key to the bathroom stall? She took a key, jammed it into the back side of the lock and after a few tries, pried it open.

I thanked her profusely and told her I was indebted to her for life! If you see the Oz movie, you will know the significance of my declaration.

About Being a Gammie

Friday, January  11, 2013 - Late last night I received a message from Audrey. “I have been ask to speak in church on Sunday on PARENTING. Do you have a journal entry about Gammie?”

The thing is, when life gets tougher, I tend to put off my journal (or blog writing) probably because I am trying to sort things out in my own brain and I have difficulty expressing my feelings in writing. Seventeen years ago when my mother was diagnosed with terminal ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) I had a year and a half of "sorting it out" and didn't record much about her endless courage and faith during that very trying time, or of my own feelings, knowing that I would be "without" her in a short time.

Then I remembered something I had written about her just before she passed away in 1998.

SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT

recollections of life and love

Attitude makes all the difference.

Practice makes perfect sense.

When you make fresh bread, always give at least one loaf away warm.

Always pray before performing, or before doing anything else, for that matter.

Love your husband and always hold his hand.

Keep your temple clothing clean, pressed, and ready to wear.

Each and every freckle is worth a million bucks.

Own a dog.

Don't be too quick to take the car; it's okay to walk or ride a bike.

Music is something that you cannot keep to yourself.

The conductor is always right... especially when he's your husband.

When you go out to eat, share a meal.

A "good-night" kiss is very important.

Run a tidy ship but not a sterile environment.

It's good to have a well-balanced meal ready at dinner time.

Turn and give your husband a kiss after the food is blessed.

A ready smile warms the home.

Everyone loves hot rolls.

Take the smallest piece and serve yourself last.

Wrestle with your boys.

Have a good water fight at least once a year.

Cold fresh-water swimming is best.

Don't cry over spilled milk.

Trust your children.

"Good morning, Merry Sunshine" makes a pleasant wake-up call.

There's something extra special about being a "Gammie."

Stop and smell the pine trees.

Bruises will eventually disappear.

Plant Seeds.

Share your testimony.

This morning, I sent my recollections to Audrey who responded, "I'm pretty sure you taught me all those things too. You must be a Gammie :)"

This touched me deeply. What a joy and a responsibility!

A Makeshift Studio

Lucy couldn’t come to Potts’ studio, so Potts created a studio in Lucy’s home.  He moved everything away from the north-light windows and took the white curtains down and used them as scrims and reflectors. Mark held one, Jenni the other; that left me to go around to the back yard IN THE RAIN and shoot a flash through the window! Anything for perfect light! 

Randy truly is a photographic master. The image he captured of our two-week-old Lucy is priceless!

The "Treasure" Hunt

A week or so before Christmas, Jenni issued a warning about Sadie and Payton's Christmas gift, "Just remember they came up with it all by themselves... I'm more excited about their gift to you than any other gift!" 

We opened it last --

It was a map! We were going on a treasure hunt!

Here's what we were asked to do:

• Eat an onion?

• Sit in a chair for what? Three hours?

• Sing a Christmas carol and do a dance. (Okay, that's not so bad!)

• Hop from one room to the next

• Play a video game

Lucky for us, Payton and Sadie were in a REALLY BIG hurry to get back to their Christmas toys and the "hunt" only lasted for about five minutes.

 (They didn't make us eat an onion!)

And what a treasure we found! Thanks, kids, for the amazing adventure!

Christmas, Covington-Style

We had planned to drive, but as the date came closer and the weather less predictable, we decided flying to Seattle would be the smarter way to travel. Besides, flying? 2 hours. Driving? at LEAST 14 in good weather. Somehow, the extra cost of flying didn’t sound so bad. Besides, we were anxious to be with Jenni, Mark, and their little ones. We hadn’t seen them since the family reunion in July and new little Lucy was nearly two weeks old! 

What a beautiful feeling Warners have in their home. It is always a joy to be there. I told Jenni prior to coming that I hoped she would leave some cleaning for me to do. I prefer staying busy and I would be disappointed if their house was spic and span when she was just recovering from a C-section. She responded that it would really have to be Mark’s decision.  And of course, their home was welcoming and beautifully decorated for the season.

Dad and I tried to make ourselves useful by keeping the dishes clean and put away, sweeping the floors, cooking and baking here and there, holding our sweet new grand-baby, and playing with Sadie and Payton.

What a memorable Christmas! I love spending time with our children and their children, experiencing their unique holiday joys and Christmas traditions.

 

Made with love. 

Christmas Eve PJ's

Singing a carol or two before entering the family room on Christmas morning.

Sadie asked Santa for diamonds. We awoke to find them hung all over the tree!

Sweet dreams, Lucy!

 

Sadie had waited for this chance all week long!