American Idol 2010

BOR-ING! Some of you do not care an ounce about American Idol...and truth is, on the grand scale of importance, it's in the negative numbers. However, as many of you know, it is a fascination of mine.

This season has been, by far, the WORST. You know it's bad when you long for the season of Fantasia. The singers are boring, pitchy, and mostly non-creative. The group numbers are now pre-recorded and over produced (but at least on pitch thanks to auto tune) not to mention HORRIBLY staged. Of course...this is all in my own opinion which is only that. The only singer I truly love is Crystal Bowersox. She rocks my face off.

The other saving grace for me is my guilty pleasure, Idol Schmidol. (Think fantasy football meets American Idol.) Schmidol was invented by a contemporary Christian singer friend of mine who is absolutely hilarious. (I'll keep his name private to protect the innocent!) Our league has several music biz people and the banter back and forth is just priceless. We have picks we have to make online each week before the Tuesday night performances and then bonus picks afterward but before the results show.

However, the best part of Idol Schmidol is the recap each week. Truly hilarious. We each have Schmidol screen names. Check out the website...anyone can read, but you must be a member to vote. It's completely worth it just to read. Laughter inducing...and very fun. http://www.idolschmidol.com/

I predict that Idol is seeing their final days. With the introduction of Simon Cowell's show next year (X Factor), Idol will be history. X Factor is more like artist development...and a completely different approach than Idol.

Tonight...my bottom three picks were the actual bottom three. My pick to get kicked off was Tim Urban. I lost points. Why, oh WHY, America???

ZOE in Midland, TX

Our weekend in Midland was great. Thank you to Marc Kondrup for these great pictures!

Part of the afternoon was spent teaching new music in sectionals. The basses look particularly excited here. :)

Saturday we led a night of worship for Golf Course Road

We all shared in a very powerful time of family communion. Families and friends went together to different communion stations around the sanctuary and shared the supper together in true fellowship.

Sunday morning we led worship at Golf Course Road along with their team

The ZOE Group, the team from Southwest in Amarillo and the team from Golf Course Road in Midland.

Thank you again to all who made our weekend such a blessing!

Midland, TX

ZOE is heading to Midland, TX tomorrow to sing. We'll be singing Saturday night at 7pm and then for both services Sunday Morning at the Golf Course Road Church of Christ. Join us if you're anywhere near.

I am looking forward to seeing all our Midland buddies! Sheryl and I are staying with Tod and Lee Ann Brown--long time friends (Lee Ann is Stephen Bailey's sister). We'll hopefully get to see Alan and Holly Brown too. A big thanks goes out to Kent Rogers, Marc Kondrup and Charlton Taylor for all the pre-planning and leg work. We're really looking forward to being with you all.

Weekend of Fun

What a fun weekend it's been! The sun actually made an appearance yesterday (and then promptly went back into hiding today...BOOOO!).

You've read things I've written about my friend Beverley Staunton Chitwood.

Bev and I go waaay back. We were principal singers on a cruise ship together years ago for Jean Ann Ryan Productions on Norwegian Cruise Line. Bev and Audra (one of the dancers in our cast) and I have stayed in touch all the through the years. In fact, God has woven our lives together in so many neat ways. Beverley has been performing on ABC's Dancing With the Stars for the last 6 years or so. She's a fixture on that show...and what a great gig! New music every week on LIVE TV! She and I have shared some funny text messages as events have occurred. She's seen it all. Listen for her every week. Her voice is smooth as silk and you'll see her each week as the singers are shown on camera.

Last fall Bev told me she was getting ready to put together a country record and demo some stuff. I immediately thought of my friend Brad Crisler who is a maniac producer and song writer with songs performed by Brooks and Dunn, Rascal Flatts and many other country stars.

Brad and Beverley make a great duo. Bev flew in and Brad recorded her...keep your eyes and ears open for this one!

So, Saturday we got to enjoy a nice long lunch together laughing and catching up. Her husband, Jeremy, was also here.

Maddie, Jeremy. Beverley, me, Sheryl, Ella and Sam (thank you, Brad, for taking the pic!)

Jeremy and Beverley are so great together. I have been anxious to meet him for the last few years. He's awesome and Sam's new best friend. We all had a blast catching up. I'm so thankful for the years of friendship we share and the way God has brought things around full circle.

Yesterday afternoon we went home and had some fun outside. Sheryl painted the kids' playhouse and the girls have turned it into a drive through complete with a chalkboard menu nailed to the tree out side. I love their creativity. Here are a few pictures of "drive-through" service!



Thanks to Kevin and Kiki, Ella has graduated up to her "grown-up" bed. Sheryl painted the frame hot pink just for Ella. She was so very proud and excited to sleep in it for the first time last night!

The pictures on the wall behind her bed are original pastels painted by my father. She loves having "Poppy's" art work in her room!

This morning was great at Fellowship and this afternoon Nonnie treated us all to a movie..."Diary of a Wimpy Kid". Wow...middle school. Don't wanna ever go back. Maddie loves the books. She has devoured every single one of them. I must say, the books are hilarious. The movie was pretty funny too. It just made me dread what's coming in the next few years as we will have 2 middle schoolers at once. May God help us!

ZOE's version of "You Were There" I've always loved Sheryl's voice on this. It's especially fitting for this season of Lent and upcoming Holy week. We'll be doing a special Palm Sunday worship service in Midland, TX next weekend. March 27-28

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The photographer from the concert in Anaheim took this for me backstage before the show and sent it to me this week. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band guys... (L-R) Bob Carpenter, Jeff Hanna, Jimmie Fadden and John McEuen.

These guys are legends and incredible...STILL! They are also really nice guys.

Spring Program!

This week was Spring Program for Otter Creek Pre-School. Sam had two programs because he is in two different classes (one MWF and one T-TH). Sheryl and Sarah also led their class in their portion of the program. The theme was nursery rhymes and it was very cute.

Here are some pictures...

Sheryl with her 2's class.

The kids were actually supposed to be singing here. :)

Sheryl and Sarah's 2's class. (the boy on the right is Eli Sanderson...Murray Sanderson's son)

Evy Tate Williamson stole the show with her hip hop rendition of "Jack and Jill"

Evy Tate singin' "Oh yeeeaaahhhh"

Brax Belville is on the left. In the middle is Murray and Jaime Sanderson's beautiful daughter, Faith.

Sam's class with Miss Anna did a great job!

Charity Rubio...daughter of David and Becky. I would be absolutely fine with Sam growing up and marrying her. What a cutie! And...she is as sweet as she is cute.

Sam's on the back row

This is Sam's other class with Miss Amanda

The boy standing next to Sam is Jackson Hiett. Jackson's dad and I were roommates in 1997 back before we each got married. Jeremy's wife, Hailey, is also an old friend. Sheryl and I love them dearly. It was so fun to see Sam and Jackson up there together!

Jackson Hiett

The group

Here are some video clips...one of Sam's class and one of the group. Sam's class did a song from our children's record ("I Want to Shine") that we did with TJ McCloud. There are actually two different CDs and they are available on Amazon if you're interested...see the links to the right or click one this link. http://www.parable.com/parable/item.Playground-I-Want-to-Shine-CD-TJ-McCloud.0631955400289.htm I absolutely love this song.

When I Grow Up

Rejoice in the Lord Always

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band In Anaheim

This weekend I flew to Anaheim, CA to produce a concert for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at the Anaheim Convention Center. I was covering for one of our other Gary Musick producers, Curt.

The band was incredible...and great guys. Very easy to work with and a huge, HUGE hit. Their hits range through five different decades from "Mr. Bojangles" to "Fishin' in the Dark" to "Broken Road" (made popular by Rascal Flatts but written by NGDB members).

Friday night I begged Peter and Lindsey and baby Brayden to drive up and have dinner with me. We had just left Cabo together earlier in the week but I was having withdrawals. Brayden is such a cutie. Thanks for driving up, Pete and Linds! Always enough laughter to make me sore the next day. Love that about good friends!

This morning I took a few pictures around the convention center...

The Anaheim Convention Center has a lot of rich history...including Elvis back in the 70's

Inside the convention center getting ready for load-in

Sound check

The show...for Commodity Classic

The musicianship of these guys...just incredible! Thank you to all the NGDB guys for a fun show and always doing a great job!

And, I want to add that the 1500 or so people at this conference were overall such genuinely nice people. They are the farmers (proper term is "growers") divided into 4 groups... corn, whet, sorghum, and soybean. These business owners care about making our country a better place. They are salt of the earth people whom I respect a great deal. Thank you to Peggy Findley, Bruce Hobbs, Dave Dupree from McCune Sound and Lights and to all the PSAV tech guys. You made it happen. Great job! Thanks for allowing me to cover for you, Curt. I had a great time.