Allie's recital was in our local paper! :)

Recital, awards night showcases piano students

Published: May 27, 2009

Click this picture to view a larger image. Top: Performing during Part One of the Spring Recital by Mary Ellen Yost's piano students were (from left): top row: Olivia Powell, Tiernan Pietsch and Lauren Heater; middle row: Walker Carroll, Zachary Culp, Grace Litchfield, Claire Litchfield, Allison Bagenski and Kyra Hanson; and front row: Delaney Pietsch, Jarod Von Flatern, Jacky Gong and Kaitlin Culp. Photo Therese Brubaker Bottom: Advanced students performing during Part Two of the Spring Recital by Mary Ellen Yost's piano students were (from left) Hanna Shumate, Jennifer Fincher-Beard, Savannah Howard, Meghan Jordan and Erick Hendricks; and Ralyn Case in front. Photos Therese Brubaker

By Gini Davis

A spring recital for piano students of former Creslane Elementary School music teacher Mary Ellen Yost showcased 19 local youth, ranging in age from elementary school through high school students.

The two-part recital, along with the presentation of individual awards, was held at Yost's Eugene studio on May 18.

Featured during the first part were first-year students Jacky Gong and Claire Litchfield; second-year students Kaitlin Culp, Jarod Von Flatern, Zachary Culp and Grace Litchfield; third-year students Kyra Hanson, Walker Carroll, Delaney Pietsch, Lauren Heater, Tiernan Pietsch and Allison Bagenski; and fifth-year student Olivia Powell.

Advanced students performing during part two of the recital were sixth-year student Ralyn Case; eighth-year students Savannah Howard, Jennifer Fincher-Beard and Erick Hendricks, 10th-year student Meghan Jordan and 11th-year student Hanna Shumate.

During the awards portion of the evening, Oregon Music Teachers' Association (OMTA) trophies, recognizing performances over at least three years in OMTA events, were presented to Shumate, Jordan, Hendricks, Fincher-Beard and Case.

Piano Performance trophies, earned by accumulating qualifying points for performing in OMTA recitals and competitions, syllabus testing, studio recitals and Oregon Music Educator Association (OMEA) district and state competitions, were awarded to Case and Hendricks.

Receiving syllabus exam recognition were Fincher-Beard (Level VII), Case (Level V), Kaitlin Culp, Gong, Zachary Culp, Heater, Grace Litchfield, Powell, Delaney Pietsch, Carroll, Bagenski and Tiernan Pietsch.

All students also received certificates and flowers. A Piano Graduation cake was also presented to CHS senior Hendricks, whose mother, Rita Mensinger, was also honored for her support and encouragement of Hendricks' musical studies.

Jordan received a 10-year Piano cake, while Powell received a five-year cake.

Original program art for part one was by Delaney Pietsch, while part two original program art was by Shumate. Jan Johnson served as recital usher.

Part one of the recital, which featured solos by all the younger students, opened with a duet by Heater (primo) and Bagenski (secondo) of The Old Rocking Chair by Martha Mier.

Claire Litchfield played Firefly, At the Game Room and Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Von Flatern played Hush Little Baby, Ferris Wheel and Sailing in the Sun. Kaitlin Culp played Waltz, My Valentine Gift and Time to Celebrate.

Gong played Indian Drumbeats, Duet in G and Honky-Tonk Ride. Zachary Culp played Grumpy Old Troll, The Juggler and No Moon Tonight. Delaney Pietsch played Anyone Home? Op. 117, No. 8 and Scarborough Fair.

Bagenski played Allemande and Minuet. Heater played Dance, Light and Dark and Shadows. Grace Litchfield played March and Kite in the Sky. Hanson played Bagatelle, Melodic Tune, Op. 218, No. 20 and A Little Porcupine, Op. 89, No. 8.

Tiernan Pietsch played Mozart's Bourlesq and A Tale, Op. 98, No. 1. Powell played Menuet in G, from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach, Make up Your Mind and Light and Blue. Carroll played The Shepherd Pipes and the self-arranged, The Taj Mahal, by Dennis Alexander.

Part two of the recital opened with a duet by Shumate (primo) and Jordan (secondo) of Ravel's Laideronnette, Imperatrice des pagodes.

Case performed Ballade, Op. 100, No. 15 and Toccatina. Fincher-Beard performed Victor's Piano Solo (from Corpse Bride) and a self-arranged Waltz Medley including Magnolia Waltz, Valse Melancolique and Schubert's Waltz, Op. 77, No. 9. Shumate played Improvisation, from Twelve Virtuoso Studies, Op. 46.

Howard played By the Seaside and My Heart Will Go On (theme from Titanic). Jordan played Ravel's Menuet from Sonatine. Hendricks performed Sonata #31, K.345, Allegrissimo, by Domenico Scarlatti and an original composition, Turning Point.

Shumate (primo) and Jordan (secondo) closed the program with another duet, of Dmitri's Dream by Stecher, Horowitz and Gordon.

"It was a lovely evening of music showcasing our fine piano students of Creswell," Yost said, noting the recital was well received by its audience. "I am so proud of my students," she added.

The final event of the year for Yost's students will be Hendricks' performance at the State OMTA Honors Recital on May 30 in Portland.

"How fortunate I have been to be able to work with him," Yost said of Hendricks, who will enter the jazz studies program at the University of Oregon in the fall, focusing on jazz piano.

This made me happy today!

Thanks Mikey!

This really spoke to me.

Brent McCall was our speaker today. As I've said before I absolutely love that man. He was definitely speaking to me today. Well, more so to Mark, but me too.

God has a plan for us. From the moment we are conceived he knows everything about us. He only gives us that which we can handle. There have been so many times in my life that have been "the worst thing that could happen". When Mark got sick, once again it was "the worst thing that could happen". I'm sure someday there will come along another "worst thing", but for now, this is it. But I'm not scared. God already knows what will happen. I'm just along for the ride. I have been pulled so close to Him through all of this. Mark's faith and love of the Lord has been such a strength for me as I'm sure mine has for him. We have made new friends, we have gotten closer and stronger in our marriage, our children have learned about miracles and faith first hand, our friends and family have grown stronger in their faith as they witness the power of our Lord. There is a REASON we are going through this. There is a REASON it's Mark and not me. There is a REASON that every step of the way has been filled with HAPPINESS and JOY and LOVE!! I have felt more of those emotions over the last three months than anything else!! There is no sorrow, despair, fear! We know our God is with us. We feel his presence every single day. We see Him in the eyes of our children. When their little voices pray to Him to "please bless this food and heal Daddy from this leukemia"; He hears them. And He will. He is.

We have no fear! We have faith! We will hold steadfast onto Him and ride it out and hopefully we will see more and more of the REASONS it is happening to us; for we know there are many. It is our privilege to do His work and be a part of His plan.

God is good!


"A prayer for God to examine the heart and see its true devotion. Like Job, the author firmly claims his loyalty to the Lord. Nowhere (outside Job) does one find expressed such profound awareness of how awesome it is to ask God to examine not only one's life but also his soul - God, who knows every thought, word and deed, from whom there is no hiding, who has been privy even to one's formation in the dark concealment of the womb." - NIV Study Bible

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.

You hem me in --behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
to lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake, I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

-Psalms 139-

Welcome to the Creslane Wax Museum!

Allison's Fourth grade class held a "Wax Museum" night! It was THE cutest thing EVER!!! All these fourth graders standing like statues with a "button" (sticker) on their hand. They didn't move or speak until someone came and pushed their button! They all picked a famous person and memorized a one minute speech telling about their life. It was SO fun!!!

Meet Ludwig Beethoven:
And here we have Albert Einstein!
Mark got to meet Beethoven!!! How many people can say THAT!


Her teacher is the best!! She lined them all up for a group shot and made sure all the parents got pics before she let them loose!!

Allie and Lauren
Elvis, Beethoven and Albert
SO cute!!! I loved tonight!!!

Parents...and a video! :)

PARENT - Job Description

This is hysterical. If it had been presented this way, I don't believe any of us would have done it!!!!

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed, for challenging,
permanent work in an
often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed...
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and
an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for
the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension,
no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and
no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love,
and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.


Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do...
or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.

Happy Mother's Day!

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something
off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away
from her and I asked her not to do that. 'Why?' my daughter asked.
'Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's
dirty, and probably has germs' I replied. At this point, my daughter
looked at me with total admiration and asked, 'Momma, how do you know
all this stuff, you are so smart.' I was thinking quickly. 'All moms
know this stuff. It's on the Mom Test. You have to know it, or they
don't let you be a Mom.' We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes,
but she was evidently pondering this new information. 'OH...I get it!'
she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have to be the dad.
''Exactly' I replied back with a big smile on my face.



25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE .
'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL .
'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'

4. My mother taught me LOGIC..
' Because I said so, that's why .'

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC ..
'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'

7. My mother taught me IRONY
'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM .
'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.
'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE .
'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.
'Stop acting like your father!'

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.
'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
'Just wait until we get home.'

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING .
'You are going to get it when you get home!'

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'

19. My mother taught me ESP.
'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'

20. My mother taught me HUMOR.
'When that lawn mower cuts off your foot, don't come running to me.'

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT .
'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
'You're just like your father.'

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.
'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.
'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'

25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE
'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you.


You are in your car driving home. Thoughts wander to the game you
want to see or meal you want to eat, when suddenly a sound unlike any you've
ever heard fills the air. The sound is high above you. A trumpet? A choir? A
choir of trumpets? You don't know, but you want to know.. So you pull over,
get out of your car, and look up. As you do, you see you aren't the only
curious one. The roadside has become a parking lot. Car doors are open, and
people are Staring at the sky. Shoppers are racing out of the grocery store.

The Little League baseball game across the street has come to a halt. Players
and parents are searching the clouds And what they see, and what you see, has
never before been seen.

As if the sky were a curtain, the drapes of the atmosphere part. A brilliant light spills onto the earth. There are no shadows. None.

From every hue ever seen and a million more never seen. Riding on the flow is an endless fleet of angels. They pass through the curtains one myriad at a time, until they occupy every square inch of the sky. North. South. East. West.

Thousands of silvery wings rise and fall in unison, and over the sound of the trumpets, you can hear the cherubim and seraphim chanting, Holy, holy, holy.. The
final flank of angels is followed by twenty-four silver-bearded elders and a
multitude of souls who join the angels in worship.

Suddenly, the heavens are quiet. All is quiet.. The angels turn, you turn, the entire world turns and there He is.. Jesus..

Through waves of light you see the silhouetted figure of Christ the King.
He is atop a great stallion, and the stallion is atop a billowing cloud. He
opens his mouth, and you are surrounded by his declaration:

I am the Alpha and the Omega. The angels bow their
heads.. The elders remove their crowns.. And before you is a Figure so
consuming that you know, instantly you know: Nothing else matters.. Forget
stock markets and school reports. Sales meetings and football games. Nothing
is newsworthy.. All that mattered, matters no more.. For Christ has come.

This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, he saw me, and he asked: My child, what is your greatest wish for today? I responded: ' please; take care of my family, my friends, the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much'.

The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its end.

ANGELS EXIST, but sometimes, since they don't all have wings we
call them FRIENDS, SUCH AS YOU.

Allie's recital

Here's some pics of Allie and the other students that played at the recital the other day at the Wildish. They all did a wonderful job!



Allie and her piano teacher, Mrs. Yost. She's awesome!

Back home!

Seemed a lot longer than 5 days! But we are home again. Mark has a sinus infection and is on anti biotics here at home, but no more fevers and his blood counts are all back to normal. Just in time to go back in on Monday for more chemo. At least we have a few days at home first!

Allie's piano recital was wonderful! She did an awesome job, we are so proud of her!! She has learned so much this last year and is really growing to love playing. I don't even have to tell her to practice!! She listens to the older students play and says "Someday I'll play like that for you, Mom"! She's so sweet! Her teacher Mrs. Yost is so awesome, really challenges her and is straight forward with what she expects etc. Just how Allie likes to be taught! She just excels when challenged! She also had her Spring concert with her choir last night and it was cute as always. She had a solo on this instrument...some German thing, and her piano skills really came in handy! She loves music. Gotta love that!

School is almost out and life will be a lot calmer. Did I mention that we will probably have our July 4th party? It's the weekend before Mark goes in for his last chemo so he should be feeling up to it!! YAY!!! I'll let you all know for sure as we get closer, this in and out of the hospital thing is still new and figuring out how he's going to feel is harder than we thought it would be!!!

God bless!

Admitted again

So Mark spiked a fever yesterday and we began a very treacherous journey to weekend admittance to the hospital!  DUN DUN DUUNNNN!!!  Ya, it sucked.  Being as we're new to this whole cancer thing, we weren't aware of how it's supposed to work.  All we knew was when he spiked a fever, he gets admitted.  So we called the on call doc who told us to "make haste" to the ER, which we did.  Everyone and their brother thinks they have the Swine Flu of course, so the ER was PACKED!  We got back, told them what was up, got registered and were vaguely surprised when they sent us back out to the germ infested lobby.  Luckily we were able to find a dark corner where we huddled together in fear as the sickies circled in slowly....ok, not really but the corner part is true and it sure did feel like a Stephen King movie!  Anyhoo, an hour out there, then another THREE hours before we saw a doc (yes, 3.  three.  THREE!!!) and then another hour and a half after that to finally get onto the eighth floor.  after hour 2.75 I called to complain to my mom and she's like...no way that's how they do it.  There's GOT to be some sort of procedure to get cancer patients through!  Why would they have us wait to see an ER doc when our Oncologist already said, admit him!  Oh ya, duh...why didn't I think of that?  So I called the on call doc again and he was appalled!  Quickly made a call and that's when the ball started rolling.  OY!  He was very upset to learn that they'd stuck us back in the lobby too with all the sickies...he said he specifically told them NOT to do that.  (Well, duh!)

Oh well.  Lesson learned.

Anyway, we are here.  Mark spiked a bigger fever last night as we got to our room so it's definitely a good thing we are here.  He's on two different antibiotics and is feeling kinda lousy, but NOTHING like the first time we were here so it's all good.  He's still eating fine (Cheetos as I write this), in good spirits and ready to go home.  Of course.  Is it possible to love a place and hate it at the same time you ask?  Oh yes, it's possible!  Trust me!!

Love to all!

~B~