That’s the Secret

Alex / / Nem Nem Niamh

The other evening, Nem (10yo this writing) came and dropped on the couch next to me, sprawled out.

Nem: So, how was your day?

Me: Good.

Nem: Good, good. You know, it’s all about dem Bears.

She gently karate chops my arm as she repeats a word three times:

Nem: Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah. That’s the secret. It’s all about dem Bears.

She again karate chops my arm with each word.

Nem: Hii-yaa, hii-yaa–I mean–hurrah–

I laugh. She laughs.

Nem: It’s all about dem Bears. Hurrah, Hii-yaa, hurrah. Hii-yaa, hii-yaa, hii-yah!

No problem here

Alex / / Alex, Nem Nem Niamh, Songs

I sing to the (pretty) melody of “Two Little Dolls” from Sesame Street as I work at the computer; and Nem interrupts.

Me: Shut, shut, shut thy little face / shut, shut, shut thy little face–
Nem: Dad?
Me: Yes.
Nem: Do you have a problem?
Me: A problem?
Nem: A problem.
Me: A problem?
Nem: A problem.
Me: What kind of problem?
Nem: A problem.
Me: What specific kind of problem?
Nem: A bad problem.

:)

Alex / / Critters, Mago Elf Liam, Nem Nem Niamh
A domestic baby bunny appeared in our window well 😉
 
He scurried away from Nem and she couldn’t manage to hold him, and when I got him and put him in her arms, he clawed to try to cling to me, his breathing very rapid and irises contracted in terror. We took the bunny inside and awoke Mago and put the bunny on the bed–and the bunny went right to him and nuzzled up against him as to a Mother.

🙂

🙂

Okay. But look at this one.

Alex / / Uncategorized

Me: Are you doing those things on that list–are you praying every morning?
Mago: Yes.
Me: I may have told you this before, but you know, when you were very young, you were very sweet and kind — and my influence has wrecked a lot of that. My arguing, my fighting with Mom, our fighting–it’s had a very negative effect on you. So every morning when you pray, you need to pray for a gentle, kind, thoughtful spirit.
Mago (sincerely): Okay. But look at this one.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SzSGbdKxdx8/TaxZSKT-0OI/AAAAAAAAALg/GFub9hspz2I/s1600/Fat+Dog.jpg

Christmas e-card/video unabridged too lengthy rehearsal thing, with Nem and myself

Alex / / Alex, Audio, Nem Nem Niamh, Religion, Songs, Video

Enjoy the following linked to video, in which I sang something I may have invented and/or imitated after hearing a wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace (not to the usual tune) which I heard on the radio.* The melody is a portmanteau of two or three melodies.

I have not bothered editing out the parts and time you may not have time for. In fact, I added some. Essential captions follow this link to the video file:

http://home.ussins.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2016-12-18__02-00-42_AM_christmas_ecard_video_thing.mp4

–and embedded video player which may not show up in syndication–the captioned verses are what I sing in the video. Words of final verse by yours truly.

But then people will think you’re taller than you are. It’s okay, I’ll just tell them you’re standing on a stool.

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saves a wanton mess like me
I once was lost, and still am lost
Am blind and yet I see

Through many dangers, snares and toils
I have already come
‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

I mixed up some verses. But that’s okay.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to grieve
And grace my heart to sing
For him whose death is my rebirth
The ever-living spring.

*what I heard on the radio was performed by a BYU choir on December 16th 2016 at 8:30 PM; it was magnificent and moving. I’m going to look it up and get a recording of it–and thereby also learn whether I made this song up or not. If I made this up, it validates my theory that composing can consist of remembering songs incorrectly.

Worms2 video game

Alex / / Alex, Mago Elf Liam

I played an artillery game variant, Worms2, when I was a kid, with my family, a lot. This is a very fun and entertaining game. I kept an .iso (disc image file) of it lo these long ages, and a few days ago I installed it from that image and played it with “Mago” (11yo at this writing). We could not get the game to run without putting a music CD in the drive; I remembered the game was coded to only run if its disc was in the CD-ROM (and for some reason it wasn’t recognizing the mounted image). I also remembered we used to put in any random music CD in the CD-ROM drive, and it would function okay that way, only playing whatever music happened to be on the CD instead of the music tracks burned on the original game disc. We would play to the “BRAVEHEART” score or whatever else.

The only music CD we had handy at this game revival now was chamber orchestral arrangements of sacred hymns. So we fired virtual bazookas and super banana bombs at each other to these.

Notes on the door from Ussins

Alex / / Mago Elf Liam, Media, Nem Nem Niamh, Pictures

Transcribed; Note 1: Please, let us know your’e leaving before exiting your dwelling. [I don’t know who wrote that note; I suspect “Mago” did. I’ll ask my kids, and leave it a mystery to you.] Note 2: Dear Moma, I love you as much as a baby bunny, but please don’t forget the hats. Love, [“Nem-nem”].

One more note to follow in another post, later.

Note 1: Please, let us know your'e leaving before exiting your dwelling. [I don't know who wrote that note. I'll ask my kids, and leave it a mystery to you.] Note 2: Dear Moma, I love you as much as a baby bunny, but please don't forget the hats. Love, [Nem-nem].
Notes on the door from Ussins (front door notes 1 and 2)
Transcribed: Please, let us know your'e leaving before exiting your dwelling.
Notes on the door from Ussins, front door note 1
Transcribed: Dear Moma, I love you as much as a baby bunny, but please don't forget the hats. Love, [Nem-nem].
Notes on the door from Ussins, front door note 2

Springtime Splendor–art by Nem

Alex / / Art, Nem Nem Niamh, Pictures

Nem painted this. Click the thumbnail to open a giant-resolution original, free for personal use.

Abstract acrylic painting by a 9-year-old girl. Winner, Juror's Award, Provo City Library Amateur Art competition, Children's category. ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://home.ussins.org
Abstract acrylic painting by a 9-year-old girl. Winner, Juror’s Award, Provo City Library Amateur Art competition, Children’s category. ~ Syndicated from, original, print and usage options at http://home.ussins.org

It was accepted for entry and won a few Juror’s Awards in the Children’s category at the Provo City Library’s annual homegrown art show in 2016.

It’s really, really hard to get a faithful film representation of art that has a highly textured surface–faithful color, intensity, brightness, and a good balance between shadow to show texture and light in the shadow so that the former three aren’t obscured. (I wonder how well Google does this with their friggapixel scans of hallowed art works.) Maybe it would have been easier if I started with studio light instead of sunlight 🙂 This composite from many photos (from two different cameras) is my attempt.