Anyway, a few years ago he bought the first installment, and a few months ago on Woot they had another set. Quite independently, Brad purchased the set and I bought 10 extra bugs.

I really don’t know how to describe these things. Just a take a look…

One of the pieces that Kurt played was a Sonata that he wrote. Here’s the Spinning toward Euphoria movement of Kurt Knecht’s Sursum Sonata

I also learned something at this recital. I now know that I like the third movement of organ pieces the best. It was a good recital. I would definitely recommend it.

Oh, you’re going to want to see this.

WARNING: If you click on the play button below, it will download about 25MB of junk. You’ll have to wait for that to download before you can go to the next slide.

Here’s the text if anyone want’s to give their own chapel…

Please remain seated during the hymns today. I think standing while we sing is a great tradition, but we are going to be singing a lot today and I wouldn’t want you to get tired.

We make our beginning in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Oh Lord open our lips that our mouths may declare your praise.

Last year we sang quite a few Christmas Carols that I thought might be a little less familiar to you. This year we’ll be doing a few more of the old stand-bys. Most of the songs have been transposed down a whole step to make them easier to sing. If you don’t have perfect pitch, you can pretty much ignore that.

1. O Come All Ye Faithful (piano)

O Come All Ye Faithful is a very old song. It was originally written in Latin and about 250 years ago it was translated into English. Since that time there have been many versions and translations. The version of this song (and others that we sing today) might not be the version that you are familiar with. Sometimes I’ve picked modern versions and sometimes ancient ones. Don’t let that bother you. Just sing whatever version you want. No one will care.

Sing

Luke 2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

2. O Come, O Come Emmanuel (opening notes on piano)

Just like O Come All Ye Faithful, O Come, O Come Emmanuel was also originally sung in Latin. From this it is logical to assume that all Latin songs start out with “O Come.”

This song was originally a chant. Probably sung in the catacombs of Rome in the first few centuries after Christ was born. It’s fun to imagine it echoing down underground passages or through medieval cathedrals. To make it sound like a chant, all you have to do is sing each phrase all in one breath. Each phrase ends with a rest: here, here, here and here, so they are easy to find. A rest, for those of you who don’t know is just what it sounds like.

We’ll be singing this one A Cappella. That phrase is Italian for “In the manner of the church” but now-a-days we use it to denote singing without instruments.

Sing

Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

3. The Angel Gabriel (piano)

This carol is based on an old Basque carol. Basque is the area between Spain and France where they speak Basque (go figure). It was translated into English about 115 years ago by Sabine Gould, the same person who wrote Onward Christian Soldiers. Sabine had spent the winter in Basque lands as a boy and when he translated the song he gave it a very Victorian feel, “Wings as drifting snow and eyes as flame.” Beautiful. My wife (that is to say, Mr. Sommerer’s wife) really likes this one, but only when it’s sung quickly, so we’ll pick the pace up a little for this one.

Sing

Luke 1:26-28 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

4. People Look East (piano)

Of all the songs that we sang last Christmas, this one was Mrs. Kuhn’s favorite. It’s a pretty new song as far as these things go. It was written in 1928 by a children’s author, the same women who wrote Morning has Broken.

To really get a feeling for this song you have to look at the last line of each verse. Here Jesus is Love and each verse names Him in a different way. If you then look back at the start of each verse you can see that we are anticipating His coming in ways specific to those names.

This is an advent hymn, and it’s one of two that we’re singing today. I will make no apologies for singing Christmas hymns during the season of Advent. We only have one chapel during the season of Christmas anyway, and that’s not nearly enough.

Would you fold your hands, bow your heads, close your eyes and pray with me before the next song? This prayer will sound like the Common Table Prayer, but it’s not, so don’t get tricked into joining in.

Come, Lord Jesus, and be a guest in our hearts this Christmas as you were the guest in an innkeeper’s stable on that first Christmas.

Come, Lord Jesus, as the Messianic Rose long ago foretold by Isaiah. As the shoot that springs forth from the stump of Jesse, may we be branches of your true vine bringing forth good fruit.

Come, Lord Jesus, as a star to shine in our hearts so that we may shine forth to other, that they too may come to worship you.

Come, Lord Jesus, as the Lord of all, humble born for us. Amen

Sing

Mathew 2: 1-2 Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

5. I Wonder as I Wander (guitar)

This is one of the only songs that we’ll sing today that originated in America. It’s an old Appalachian song, but we don’t really know how old. It was first written down in 1933 when John Jacob Niles paid a little poverty stricken child twenty-five cents for each time that she would sing it to him. After eight times he had it.

This song might not be familiar to you, and to make matters worse, we’re not singing it in the key you see on the screen (that would just be way to high). So if you don’t know it and want to wait until the second verse to join in, that would be okay. We’re going to sing the first verse again at the end anyway, so you won’t miss anything.

It’s suppose to be sung Espressivo, but only Miss. Wisroth and Mr. Morris know what that means. You can think of it as hauntingly beautiful or forlorn.

Sing

Luke 2: 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night

6. Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (piano)

This beautiful carol is from Poland. It was first translated into English around 1920, so it’s pretty new as well. The song is short and to the point, as is my introduction for it.

Sing

Luke 2: 12 This will be a sign unto you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger

7. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (piano)

There are some people who are offended when hymns and such use words like “men” to refer to everyone, to both men and women. It really bothers some people. It doesn’t bother me, but I’m a guy, so maybe I just don’t get it. I asked my wife what she thought and she said that she’s old school, and it didn’t bother her either.

But if it bothers you, Feel free to sing, “Pleased as man with us to dwell”. I hope you don’t use stuff like this as an excuse not to sing. And the same goes for those of you who like the original. I hope you don’t use that for an excuse not to sing when a more modern version is placed before you.

“Hark” means to listen. It’s short for “harken” (I’m sure that clears it right up). And many of you know that a Herald was the guy who made royal proclamations. So the first line here is really something like, “Listen, The King’s messenger is saying…”

Sing

Luke 2:13-14 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Gloria in excélsis Deo Et in terra pax homínibus bonae voluntátis. [Gloria een ex-chel-sees Dayoh. Eht enn terrah pahks hoe-mee-nee-buhs boe-nay vole-uhn-tah-tees] that is: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

8. Come, Your Hearts and Voices Raising (piano melody only)

This one was also originally sung in Latin. It was translated into German by Paul Gerhardt. There’s an actual festival day to celebrate Paul Gerhardt, the great Lutheran Hymn writer. It’s October 26th (5 days before reformation day) if you ever want to have a party for him. I mention that, because if we were to sing all 8 verses of this hymn, you would see a wonderful recounting of the entire gospel message, with the Christmas story woven throughout it. That’s a very Lutheran thing to do.

Sing

Luke 2: 10-11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

9. Away in a Manger (guitar)

Last year before we sang this hymn I mentioned that even though Away in the Manger is sometimes called Luther’s Cradle Hymn, it wasn’t actually written by him (though he did write a number of hymns, including Christmas carols).

We now think that Away in a Manger was written in America, sometime before 1885. Many people consider it America’s favorite Christmas Carol.

There’s an odd thing about it though. People who are under 12 years old love to sing it. People over 16 years old like to sing it too, but there are a few years in there where it seems too childish to some people. I hope that it doesn’t seem that way to you. I hope that you always have faith like little children.

Sing

Luke 2:4-7 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

10. On Christmas Night all Christians Sing (piano melody only)

This song is also know as The Sussex Carol from the area of Southeast England where it is thought to have originated. I know it’s not the most familiar Christmas carol, but it’s an easy one to learn because the first line of each verse repeats. Besides, I like it, and so does Daniel Schaeffer.

Sing

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

11. Joy to the World (piano)

I think of Joy to the World as the quintessential Christmas hymn.

But it has one line in it that maybe we should take a look at. In verse three it says, [sing-songy] “He comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.” that first part is easy enough, right? “He comes to make His blessings flow” But what does “Far as the curse is found” mean? Everywhere that sin is found. That is to say, Everywhere. “He comes to make his blessings flow everywhere”

At my church in Honey Creek, Missouri it would be the final song that we sang at the end of the service on Christmas morning. It’s joyous. It’s triumphant. It’s glorious.

Sing

Isaiah 9:6-7 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

12. Silent Night (guitar)

But it’s not Christmas morning yet, and so we’ll finish up with a quiet little Christmas carol. I hope, that in the hustle and bustle that leads up to Christmas in our modern lives, you keep a quiet little place in your heart. A silent night in your heart for a baby born 2000 years ago to take away your sins.

Sing

Luke 2:16-19 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

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Oh, and it’s Lauren’s birthday today. Lauren, for your present, I made you a post

There’s a neat app called Holiday Bells. It has a great set of jingle bells that play when you shake the phone, but that didn’t help me any. It also has hand bells. But although they sound great, they didn’t go quite low enough for what I had in mind.

However, it turns out that out that Lauren absolutely loved the app, and, after about 37 seconds, was doing things with it that I didn’t know could be done. Here’s one of her early arrangements.

She’s taking some cold medicine then makes her hands tremble. She’s really not as nervous as she looks.

In reality, I had to just get it out there because it’s irrelevant now. It’s a gripping documentary about how cold I keep our house in winter, except now that the new windows are in, I am allowing degrees and degrees more heat to be BTU’d around here. (Like – two of them!) Also, now you know about the nose warmer.

Here is a list of things that are wrong with this movie:
1. It does not star Julia Roberts and Adrian Grenier, who are our preferred stand-ins.
2. Lloyd doesn’t like how he’s singing.
3. I don’t like how I’m singing.
4. I think Lloyd doesn’t like how I’m singing.
5. The drawings are terrible.
6. There are no transitions and the timing is off.
7. I have some typos because I forgot how the song went.
8. There is a LOT of white-out on those drawings, but not enough.

All that being said, here it is: Baby, It’s Cold Inside.

My Aunt Naomi sent me a bunch of her old home movies, and I edited them down to some clips that would be of interest to our extended family (though I actually think that more than what I included would be interesting to them). Since I’m doing these home movie edits quickly, I wait until I’m done before I add the music (otherwise I obsess over matching the beat and such). This time I decided that the clips could be a little more dramatic.

I think Brad said something about doing this, but I can’t remember exactly what he said. I’ll change the soundtrack before I share it with the family. Anyone have a suggestion?

About 4 years ago Apple completely rewrote their video editing program that comes with every Macintosh. They rewrote it and cut out about 50% of the features. Everyone was upset about it, and so they made the old version available as a download.

I’ve been using that old version at school for Multimedia Application and Video Editing, two of the classes that I teach. Every year they add back some of the features from the old program, and this last semester some of my students wanted to use their own laptops for their video projects. Nothing wrong with that, except that Apple no longer allows downloads of the old software, so they had to use the new software.

And they liked it. They told me I should try it. The annual Sommerer family ball game seemed like my chance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVOepguyvY

My verdict? It’s good enough to use now, but I don’t really like it. Lots of features are hidden and the layout does not seem as intuitive to me. But it is easy to make a nice video.

P.S. If you are related to me, you should post comments on the Sommerer Family Website.

The best part was that the place was packed. I arrived at the church fifteen minutes before showtime, as is my custom, and there wasn’t a place to park. I squeezed the Honda in an illegal space, walked in, and saw this:

I got there the same time as Curt, so we sat in the very, very last pew. Crazy. It was a good crowd, but I couldn’t see Lloyd at all during the concert. In fact, I pretty much only saw the head of the lady in front of me. She had nice hair.

Besides the lovely singing, they had a professional orchestra accompany them, and the bassist was seated and playing a strange bass. The scroll was under the fretboard, so he would occasionally be playing notes by reaching over and behind his head. I can’t find any information about that. Any help?

You make up your dough to keep in the fridge, rip off a chunk, smoosh & spin into a circle (yes, I like to throw it in the air, and don’t drop it too often), then bake! No rising time necessary – by the time the oven is hot (450), throw it in for about 5 – 7 minutes. Done. Let cool, split, and fill with butter and cheese. Mmmmmmm.

I made a video a while back, and while the first minute is admittedly boring as heck, the last 30 seconds are totally worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtiqvdoH48Y

Well, I can cross #10 off the life list. There’s a place here in Branson that rents Segways – 20 dollars for 20 life-changing minutes.

It’s a pretty sweet setup. They check you in, take your money, then give you a little training session. (Feet apart, keep your legs straight. Lean your body to turn/ go forward / go backward/ stop.) Then, it’s helmets on, a tiny practice session, then away you go! Lloyd, Scarlett and I went, and it was really fun.

Scarlett and I think that our handlebars were set too high because we couldn’t really lean forward and go fast. Apparently, the first time you go you are a beginner, and can only go 5 mph. The second time you go – and yes, I will go – you can go 12 mph. I wonder what the third time will be?

Lloyd’s in his blue Hawaiian shirt, and Scarlett’s in the yellow tank top. I was a bit worried about dropping my camera while filming, but more worried about damaging the expensive piece of science I was riding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJxVn4m3kbc

I had it all planned out – I’d run my errands during graduation, then I’d go back to school (so he could have the car) and spend the next hour or so reading and drinking coffee in a comfy chair in the computer lab while he was off being social.

Well, when I met up with him after the ceremony he showed me his Party Map. It turned out that his Party Route would take him right out of town, so if I wanted to go home with him I’d better come along. (There’s no backtracking with Lloyd.) I was a little mortified because I was wearing my Too Short jeans and didn’t want to be seen in them, but since I like going home so much, I agreed to go.

The problem was that we had about an hour to kill before the first one started. That’s not really enough time for me to settle down and enjoy a book without interruption, but there were other options.

A computer lab
with tripods in the closet,
a camera,
a dry-erase board,
and a dream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTrOLKPLfv0

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Qsn6nU8bA 520 433]

Danny, Lance and Chance helped behind the scenes, and although Sam served as MC, his dad had the best line of the night: When the Homestead Pickers asked Uncle Ralph what his hat said he replied, “It doesn’t say anything. It just has letters on it.”

Drat our living in the Midwest!   I’ve bemoaned the lack of a close Ikea, and we also don’t have cool stores like Trader Joe’s, and probably never well.  (Although I see that there’s on in St. Louis where my brother lives, so maybe I’ll have to plan a road trip.)

An extremely clever man wrote the world’s best non-endorsed commercial* for the store, and I’ve been searching for the lyrics.  Either my search skills stink or  they’re not out there, so here they are:

(Please don’t sue me, Carl Willit.)

It’s milk, it’s bread, it’s the stuff on your list
It’s the strange little snacks you end up buying instead.
It’s booze, it’s nuts, it’s pills, it’s peas
It’s the peanut butter made of sunflower seeds.
It’s a box of soup, it’s a bell from a boat,
It’s yogurt made from the milk of a goat.
A bottle of juice with a crazy name,
Ten kinds of soy milk that all taste the same.
A two-dollar wine that tastes like four,
All your favorite stuff they don’t have anymore.
It’s the cashews flavored with chili and lime,
It’s the bunch of bananas you buy one at a time.
It’s the stuff that’s organic and the stuff that’s not.
It’s the cars that won’t fit in the parking lot.
It’s the bottled water they keep by the door.
It’s the ginger soy dressing they don’t have anymore.
A snort, a sniff, a gourd, a snack,
It’s the apple juice that’s addictive as crack.
It’s cilantro pizza, it’s organic lox,
Four Fuji apples in a plastic box.
It’s all the new products that come and go,
The exact same sample five days in a row.
It’s mint flavored dog food, it’s an ear from a pig,
It’s your morning coffee in a cup this big.
A handle that rips on a paper sack,
That checker you like – who’ll never be back.
It’s the plastic grapes hanging over the wine,
It’s the guy with twelve items in the ten item line.
The electronic field that stops your cart,
The blackboards covered with employee art.
It’s a ball of ice cream that’s covered with flour,
It’s the shelves that are empty by the dinner hour.
It’s the beautiful moms in their yoga clothes,
It’s our favorite place – it’s that store, Trader Joe’s.
It’s the cage-free eggs that aren’t free range,
It’s the canned corn label that they never change.
It’s the cereal shaped like a little man,
It’s those great tomatoes for just a dollar a can.
It’s five different flavors of lemonade,
It’s dried bull penises done up in a braid.
It’s the organic sugar that just won’t pour,
It’s the aged gouda cheese they don’t have anymore.
It’s cylindrical salmon, it’s pills that fizz,
It’s aloe chunk juice – whatever that is.
It’s the information that nobody reads,
It’s a small watermelon without any seeds.
It’s the oldies music they always play,
It’s the guy who says, “Put that camera away”.
It’s the workers who smoke in the back of the store,
It’s that guy Trader Joe who’s not there anymore.
It’s the manager who asks you to go,
It’s our favorite place – it’s that store, Trader Joe’s.

The music is Aguas de Marco – very nice!

* By the way, he also made the Christmas Hershey’s kiss commercial where they play like bells.  Cool, huh?

(UPDATE: I see you out there in cyberspace searching for these lyrics. What brings you here? Is it the new Trader Joe’s going up in Lincoln? Can I get a woo-hoo?)

I lay perfectly still when I sleep. Seriously, it’s the rare night that I turn over even once. It also makes me a very considerate sleeper because I never steal the covers. Lloyd, however, tosses and turns and he grabs the covers and yanks them with him. (Is he cold or something?) So, as morningtime nears, I freeze. Good thing I have cats draped all over me to keep me alive in the freezing cold room.

Blah, blah, blah. Watch the video – it’s three and a half minutes of stop-motion fantasticness!!!

The beginning photos are from a video that played during lunch on Saturday. They had a talent show in high school that had many acts. (Deanne, we saw you in a skit with Lorrie’s brother.) I was happy to finally see the “Galaxy Song” skit that Brad, John and Lloyd performed, since I’ve heard about it many times but just couldn’t believe that it was true. In the video, Brad started off with a string joke, sang a little bit (with John hitting a high note for him), and then sang the Galaxy Song from Monty Python. John stood by, and I think that’s all he did – except hold a plant, while Lloyd filled in the instrumental parts on his state-of-the art keyboard. Leh-gehn-(wait for it)-dary!

The rest of the photos are of the whole group walking around campus. Enjoy! I think the timing might be off because that always happens. We’ll see.

It was hotter than heck, but Lloyd wanted to walk to all the good lookout points. Here we are at Pulpit Rock.  (My parents took the picture from a safer, saner position.)  The blue speck is me, the red speck is Lloyd.

If you’d like to see a little video of us looking over Chasm View, click here.  My mom – who is not fond of heights – went to look with us!  Yay, Mom!

As you all know, my regular tech guy is out of town, so here is a grainy version of the movie.  I’ll try to fix it later.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mPba7khu8g 520 433]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B5LcIK6-5E 520 433]

Back to Brad. Have a great day! What’s the gift that keeps on giving? I think you know.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyYDqwl1qH8 520 433]

No Carnation Instant Breakfast Drink was harmed during the making of this film. After filming, though, it was sucked mercilessly into the vacuum cleaner and died a horrible death.I think that one thing is a Shrek-head, though I didn’t mean it to be one. I’ve never done this before, ok? And how come I don’t own a tripod? You people would be a lot less seasick if I had a tripod. And you have to admit – it’s the best rockin’ birthday song that you don’t have to pay Paul McCartney royalties for!