The music over at St. Paul Lutheran went better this morning than I’d expected, with the exception of a few blips with that hymn I had to learn and play for them which was written in the key of F minor. I suspected that was going to happen because I didn’t have time to practice it on the organ. Oh well, I’ll be working on it all the more now because I’m sure there’ll be another time it’ll be chosen, and by then I’ll be ready for it.
Right after the Service was over, I announced to the congregation how much I was impressed by their singing, and to keep it up because I’m all the more comfortable playing for them when hearing their voices. When I went downstairs, I asked several if they thought it inappropriate addressing them from the gallery, and they thought it was just fine that I mentioned it.
I don’t know how other accompanists feel about hearing congregations sing, but for me it’s un-nerving because I feel like a soloist which I’m definitely not. One of them said that they do sing, but likely drowned out by their Pastor who does have a very strong voice. If I were one of them, I’d ask that he turn his microphone off when singing.
Back when I used to do a great deal of song leading, there would be times when I wouldn’t even turn the microphone on because of how strong my voice was. There are several soloist in churches around our City who should be either standing away from their microphones or turning them off because the volume and strength of their voices can be noticeably piercing at times.
One thing I did learn at St. Paul Lutheran, was to play the organ more softly, because I used to play an organ louder at another church I played at for a number of years. As often as I asked some of those congregants at the time about the volume, they’d always tell me the volume was fine, but I now know differently.
When I arrived back at my office, I made time to work on yesterday’s sale file. Because there’s an estate involved, I’ll be paying a visit in the morning to the attorney who’s handling it, just so he’ll know we now have time constraints on getting all the title work completed by the closing date.
I’ve found over the years that people who work on estates, don’t move as quickly when there isn’t a sale in process, but when there’s an offer on one, then the wheels start moving all the faster. I guess it stands to reason when we don’t have someone yelling from their grave, “Let’s get this over!”
Most of the rest of my day was spent doing yard work which seems to be a never-ending battle due to all the rain we’ve been getting. There’s no question the yard care people are working non-stop in trying to keep ahead of all their contracts. As much as I didn’t want to, I had to call one of them to go and mow a yard of a home that’s closing this week because the seller cancelled the yard care too early. I almost had to beg him to go over and do it, but when I drove by there today, I noticed it was done.
While I was out working, I couldn’t help but start thinking about some of the very naughty step-fathers I’ve known over the years, and how they’d put on real shows for their own children on Father’s Day, but once they walked out the door, they’d turn back into two-faced devils towards their step-children.
It’s funny how so many stories have been written and movies made about evil step-mothers, but never any regarding evil step-fathers. I wonder if there’s some sort of un-spoken taboo regarding them because they’ve been around as long as their female counterparts.
I’ll never forget reading a birthday card from a blood-related niece of a naughty monkey step-father. I couldn’t help but laugh when I read, “Happy Birthday to my all-time favorite uncle in the world!” Since I’d crossed paths with that niece over the years, I’d say by looking at the way she dresses, wears make-up, and fixes her hair, she’s caught in some sort of 1950’s time warp. Just yesterday I couldn’t help but notice her in the grocery store because of that hair of hers that’s always dyed almost black which looks like a German helmet with hair glued to it. I’m serious! What’s also striking, is the thick baby-blue eye shadow she wears on a daily basis. Now why would someone wear that color of eye shadow when they have brown eyes? Oh well, we just gotta love them don’t we?
Now to all of you great and wonderful fathers and step-fathers, I want to thank you for all the good you’ve done for your wives, sons and daughters, be they your own or those that came with a your new spouses, because being a real father, is the ability to set good character standards for those in your lives belonging to our younger generations. For sure you’ll be all the more blessed as time goes on. Believe me, I’ve seen it happen.
Happy Father’s Day of 2019!
Tonight’s one-liner is: A true conservationist is man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.
