Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

Arizona, Finale…Frank Lloyd Wright

On our way from Mesa to Sedona, we passed an exit that said, “Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd” in Scottsdale. I remembered Frank Lloyd Wright built a home/studio, Talesin West,to train students in architecture. On our way back from Sedona, we took a detour and spent several hours at the site. For an architect, this is absolutely a bucket list item. FLW is undoubtedly the most famous american architect of all time. He practiced for nearly seven decades prior to his death in 1959. He fathered the “Prarie Style”, Unisonian Homes, and Organic Architecture. He was using passive solar design in 1937-38 during the construction of Talesin West. Ready for the tour, here we go. Please note, the images are of things that I found interesting and not necessarily in the order encountered nor did I capture everything.

As you can see, organic is the word here. Wright was a known for using local materials and designing structures that seemed to grow from the landscape or live in harmony with the surroundings. As a very private man, the entrance to his buildings was not always a prominent feature of the design.

Welcome to the personal office of Frank Lloyd Wright. The roof here is made of canvas panels that bring natural light into the space. They can be opened and closed to control natural breezes and cool the space. What about rain you ask, well when you only get about seven inches of rainfall per year, it’s not a big deal…apparently.

I never thought I would ever find myself standing the office of Frank Lloyd Wright!

Stay tuned for Wordless Wednesday, featuring interiors.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a freedom of choice week. When I’m in my truck my radio is on Sirius channel 63, The Chris Stapleton station. I believe it may be the most diverse playlist available. There is everything from Bob Dylan to Jelly Roll. There is classic country, modern country, blues, 50′-60’s pop, rock, big band, folk and bluegrass. Almost every day I hear an artist, band or song that is new to me or I haven’t listened to in a long time, so here are a few things I have heard recently.

Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

Aww…Some Monday – Sedona, AZ

During our recent trip to visit a granddaughter and see some spring training baseball, we took a two day side trip to Sedona, AZ. Sedona is about a two hour drive north of Phoenix. It is a bit of an art colony and surrounded by some spectacular landscape, commonly known as the Red Rocks. As an architect, one thing I wanted to see was the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It was built in 1965 and appears to grow out of the side of the rocks. The crucifix on the interior is stunning. Parking is limited and it can be a bit of a hike up the hill to access the structure, but the architecture and view are worth the effort.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

In the Christian faith this is Holy Week, so I am going to focus my music selections around the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The following are a few thoughts I posted in 2018 and I believe they are still relevant.

There are several types of people living in this world. There are those who have never heard of Christ, those who have heard the Good News of the Gospel and rejected it, those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior and are currently living the abundant life of Scripture, and finally those who accepted Christ as savior but have wandered into a lifestyle that does not magnify God nor reflect the salvation of the soul that took place in their heart so long ago. Many of those who have rejected the Gospel and those who are living the prodigal life stay separated from God because they don’t feel they are good enough to be saved or return to their relationship with the Creator of the universe.

On one level, they are correct. The Bible says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Scripture further states, there are none righteous, not a single one. That is the reason that Christ was born, lived a sinless life, went to the cross and rose on the third day. God said that he gave His only Son so that whosoever believes in Christ and repents of their sin will be saved and live eternally in a place prepared for God’s children.

God loves us enough to save us and He loves us enough to restore our relationship with Him when we have either wandered off of the path or deliberately run from Him in rebellion. You might have asked the question, “Who am I, that God should care for me?” The answer is, you are His creation, you are the love of His life and He wants you to spend eternity in His presence. There is no better time than Easter to evaluate our relationship with the Lord and re-center our focus on Him. Have a blessed week.

Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

We spent the March 6-13 in Arizona visiting our middle grand daughter, taking in some Spring Training Baseball, and seeing the sights. It was an awesome week. During our stay, the temperature never got above 85, but as soon as we left the thermometer rose into triple digits.

Our grand daughter works for the Athletics major league baseball team, so we got tickets to a couple of the games. We spent one day at the training facility just walking around, watching players and coaches interact, and shooting some photos. Spring Training is such a relaxed atmosphere for the visitor, but I know the players are under pressure to preform and make a team, major league or minor league class A, AA, or AAA. Some are hoping to preform well enough to go to the majors, even if it means they get traded and wind up in a different location. It’s a lot of pressure for some 18-24 year olds to bear, especially those who are away from home for the first time and home is the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, or Venezuela.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

I can’t think of a more appropriate song for this post. In many minor league parks, it has actually replaced “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” for the seventh inning stretch. Have a blessed week.

PLAY BALL!!!

Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

Spring is in the air in Northwest Arkansas but one has to be cautious about rushing the season. We have had cold spell in March and April. A few years ago we had a foot of snow just prior to Mother’s Day, so planting tender flowers too early can be an expensive mistake. On the bright side, birds are beginning to come to the feeder in variety and number. Here are a few examples.

You might expect the Cardinal to be a winter visitor but they are pretty much year-round residents.

Mocking birds are more frequently found in the rural parts of the county rather than amongst us city dwellers.

Robins are starting to show up and that is a sure sign that nest building will begin soon. They don’t seem to be the sharpest tack in the box, as I have seen them set up housekeeping in some very questionable locations.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4M is…Mar 16th yesterday was the “Ides of March” and tomorrow is St Patrick’s Day. Based on these find song picks to express whichever occasion inspires you.

I have chosen the Ides of March.According to the Roman calendar, the Ides are a monthly occurrence. In March and other months with 31 days, the Ides always falls on the 15th; it falls on the 13th in months with 30 days. The Ides traditionally marked the arrival of the new Moon and was cause for celebration. The word “Ides” is derived from Latin, meaning “to divide.”