Words

Kalleigh's vocabulary has taken off. Isn't it amazing when they round that corner and realize that this language business could really come in handy in getting what they want?! Here are the latest words just within the past couple of weeks:

"Pie-pan": Spiderman
"Pee-boo!": Peek-a-boo
"Nana"
"Beh-boh": Bellybutton
"Nooo" (said low, with furrowed eyebrows--great.)
"Hee Doh": Here you go!
"Hi-eee!": Hi, with two syllables. Do we live in TX or what?
"See-saw" (said rhythmically anytime she's rocking, swinging, and of course" see-sawing")

Clearly Vocal sings a Real Group song called Words. (The link is to a Real Group clip ... not us!) I love the words!

Words.
A letter and a letter on a string,
Will hold forever humanity spellbound.
Words.
Possession of the beggar and the king.
Everybody, everyday, you and I we all can say words.
Regarded as a complicated tool.
Created by man, implicated by mankind.
Words.
Obsession of the genius and the fool.
Everybody, everyday, everywhere and every way.
Words.

Chorus
Find them, you can use them,
Say them, you can feel them.
Write them, you can read them,
Love them, fear them.

Words.
Transmitted as we're fitted from the start.
Received by all and we're sentenced to a life with words.
Impression of the stupid and the smart.
Everybody, everyday, you and I we all can say words.
Inside your head can come alive as they're said
Softly, loudly, modestly and proudly.
Words.
Expression by the living and the dead.
Everybody, everyday, everywhere and every way.
Words.

Molasses Bread

I kept meaning to post this recipe for those of you who asked. Here it is ... finally! It's from Kendra--thanks!

Mix together the following and allow to cool to lukewarm:

1 cup oat flakes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. molasses
1Tbsp. honey
1/2 stick butter
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 cups boiling water

When cooled a little, add:
1 1/2 cups (7 3/4 oz) wheat flour
4 cups (17 oz) white flour
1 Tbsp instant yeast

Mix until well blended. It will be sticky. Allow to rise in a greased bowl, covered, for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled. Then place into two bread pans and allow another 1 hour to rise, covered. Then bake for 35 - 40 minutes at 350degrees. You can also make rolls in a muffin pan.

Makes great toast, cinnamon toast, grilled cheese, etc. Can refrigerate as well.

Kendra uses instant yeast which doesn't require proofing. I would guess that you could use the same amount of regular yeast and dissolve it in the same amount of warm water rather than boiling. Maybe sprinkle the brown sugar and salt over it to submerge the yeast? Then I'd just mix it in with the rest of the ingredients, except the flour, and of course, stir the flour in last. She doesn't say to knead the bread, but she also uses an electric mixer with special "kneading" beaters. I'd tend to knead it. Maybe not mix in quite all of the flour it calls for and knead the rest in?

Maybe I should have attempted the recipe myself before telling someone else how I would try it?!

Out of the blue thankfulness

Every Monday morning I do my habitual act of erasing the previous week on our family wipe-board calendar and adding a new week. As I looked at the schedule for this week I realized that four out of the seven days this week, our evenings are free!! I do not intend to fill those evenings, but rather protect them. This means I will be cooking dinner for the first time in a while! The only reason I might be willing to compromise one evening is if John and I decide to go on a date ... not a singing gig, mind you. A real date.

So, I am thankful for free evenings and being able to cook dinner this week!

Clearly Vocal

It's the name of our somewhat newly formed a cappella vocal jazz group. Members include Danny Burgess, Stefanie Albright, John and myself. We all go to church together, so that helps with scheduling practices and such. Plus we can use the building for rehearsals, which is nice.

We had several "gigs" around Christmas time, mostly for parties and dinners. Danny is the front man for a band called "Group Therapy" that had played at Mario's, a local Italian restaurant, for about eight years. They recently stopped playing there to persue other opportunities. What Danny had done over Christmas was basically to add us to the program of his Christmas gigs. The band would play a set, then we would do kind of like a "halftime show," and then then the band would finish the evening. Most of those gigs were for exposure purposes. Danny is in front of many influential people who hire live music for various things and who give money to good causes!

Since then, we found a donor who gave us the money to purchase some very nice wireless mics and in-ear monitors! Danny already had the speakers and a lighting system from his band.

During this Valentine season, we will have performed five shows! Our big one was this past Friday evening for a party at the high-end country club in town. We brought in an 18 inch tall stage that was 12 feet across and 8 feet deep, set up a rear-projection screen behind us and ran visuals during each song. We set up the light trees and used four big speakers surrounding the room. As the guests were finishing up their desserts, our show began. We sang for about 45 minutes, and I think we really "wowed" them!

Another show was a band-us-band format again. We did well again, but then during the second band set, John and I joined the band as additional singers. So fun!

We sang for our church's widows/widowers banquet Monday. It's the only "freebie" we're doing this season, but certainly for a good cause, and of course, they loved us. :)

Then Thursday and Friday nights, we're scheduled to perform at Pico de Gallo, another local restaurant here in town. When we're not doing our show, Danny's band will be playing. We're singing for two seatings Thursday night, and then I think just one Friday night, unless we have two full seatings that night. Who knows?

We do have a website: http://www.clearlyvocal.com/. John created it, and I desiged the logo:



What we're really missing are sound clips. That's #1 on our to-do list after we make it through this week, so hopefully in the next month we'll have some samples of what we sing.

John and I are so fortunate to be able to do what we both love and do it together! We hope that the group's success continues to grow!

He's cracking me up these days

Two more from yesterday ...

Johnathan, regarding Kalleigh's "blow out" situation: "Oh no! Kalleigh had a blow up!"

Then from lunch, referring to his enchiladas: "These chicken chihuahuas are yummy!"

It must be in the genes

So we were sitting at dinner last night when Johnathan, a whopping 3 1/2, took a bite of his bread, furrowed his brow and asked, "Is there cinnamon in here?" much to my shock and amazement! "Why, yes there is, Son!"

Then I looked at the recipe to see just how much there was in this loaf of my new favorite homemade "Molasses Bread."

1/2 teaspoon

I was so proud!