This book is a very good read if you love music and Nashville. As I read, it gave me more insight into My Lady, her visionary husband and her very talented daughter.

My daughter was also part of the history involved from 1994 through 1999. She was part of the Blair Music Scholarships that were available for Pre-College high school students. My Kid auditioned and received the Blair Myra Jackson and Potter Scholarships her four years of high school. She was in the Nashville Repertory Orchestra and the Nashville Youth Symphony. Cassie found her at a Nashville Symphony clinic for middle school children when my Kid was in the 7th grade. Her instrument was the clarinet and Cassandra Lee, Nashville Symphony clarinetist, asked to teach her personally. Cassie told me she was really impressed with my Kid because she knew how to "tongue" which was a scary thought for this Mom.

Her senior high school year, My Kid won generous Vanderbilt Scholarships for four years to go to Blair School of Music or Vanderbilt. She had already been on this campus for 5 years learning music, but had a desire to be a doctor. I knew it was time to move on to another university. We bartered using Blair's offer and as a result, my Kid went to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA with 5 Scholarships and Grants when Carnegie matched and surpassed what Blair had offered. To her success she minored in Music Performance in the School of Arts and majored in Biology in the School of Science--working both two separate degrees at the same time which Carnegie Mellon University welcomed.

My Funeral Instructions...for the record!

In 3 hours I will be 66 and expect to cause trouble into my 80's; but I got this list of questions recently and decided to type them out tonight FOR THE RECORD!
This was a good suggestion in the Tennessean to discuss death and funerals:
I hope you use these suggestions so that you know how I’d like my Memorial (funeral) handled:

• Full name Sylvia Jeanne Westrup

• Date and place of birth: May 12, 1944 San Antonio, Texas, USA
• Parents’ names: Henry de los Santos Westrup and Agnes Quinones Westrup
• Preferred funeral home: Christian
• Whether you want to be cremated and if so what you want to be done with your ashes: Cremated and put in a large gum container and buried secretly at night in Shelby Park. Then it will be Mom's Park! ha!(Maybe next to Jerry the bird.)
• Where you want to have your funeral service: Wherever I die...
• Where you would like to be buried..in Shelby Park or a park where I live.
• What readings you would like to have included: Bible: The return of Christ where we all will be raised to meet Jesus in the air.
• What songs or hymns you would like: Tis so Sweet to Trust in Jesus, again and again and again. Hum it at first, then sing it softly, and then have everyone join in...sounds like fun.
• What you would like to wear: cremated first, buried, then the Memorial. Bright colors for those attending! A joyous occasion!
• What, if anything you want to be buried with you: a small rock, of course.
• What you would like to have on your grave marker: No grave marker, Kiddo
• What kind of flowers you prefer: Give money in lieu of flowers (for the cremation).
• Any other special instructions: Make it a celebration because I will be watching and don't want to be bored...ha! I could use a Banner written in English Text at front table that says,"The shell has been cremated, the Nut has gone to be with Jesus." I always loved that thought!!!
• Suggested pallbearers: None needed.
• People who should be notified at the time of death and their contact information: Whoever is alive who would care.

If I am in an accident, let the relatives know that I loved them dearly. My dream death is being found dead with earphones on listening to my favorite music. If I am old and die a natural death, let anyone know that it was about time...ja!

Just remember that I am with Jesus so this should NOT be hard. Keep Him first in your life. Remember that death is just the doorway to be with Jesus, then you should be happy! I am now and I will be when it happens. I love you and today I am 66 and waiting for those Kids you, Jen, will have so that I can spoil them.

The Nashville Flood. May 2, 2010.

Yes, Nashville has had a devastating flood but it did not receive much media news because there was no looting, no violence, and people were helpful to each other to save lives in the flood. As you see, it did not match the criteria for news media today. However, there is 1.5 billion dollars worth of repairs not counting the millions of dollars for the Opryland Hotel and conference center which will be out 300,000 visitors for the next 6 months.
However, Nashville is back! Electricity is back on and soon our second sewer processing plant will be up and running so I can wash my car. ha. Seems little compared to the thousands of people who have been affected in Middle Tennessee. God is Good! Only lost about 11 people due to the flood.
Check out the video The Nashville Flood. May 2, 2010 on You Tube.
The cow pictured that ended up on the roof as the waters subsided, reportedly fell off and is doing well as you can see. Ha. Reminds me of a story my Mom told me about when she was a little girl and San Antonio, Texas flooded. Her family had to escape, but when they all returned to the house after the water subsided, Mom says that they went inside the house and found their dog on top of an armoire (clothing closet furniture before closets were built in) waiting to be rescued. ha.
I was little when I heard that story, but it impressed me. She tried to explain how it happened, but I never got it until I saw this cow on this roof...then I remembered the story. The Lord permits us to keep things in the back of our heads. Hopefully it is for our good and not anger or regret that will surface when you least expect it. I guess that it why it is always good not to go to bed Angry...that stuff will surface...when you least expect it. Click on: The Nashville Flood. May 2, 2010.

Nashville Under Water 5/1/2010

Opryland Hotel suffered serious rain damage in Nashville. It will take 6 months for the Hotel and Conference Center to be brought up to working again.



After 2 days and 13 inches of rain, Nashville was flooded last week. It has taken a week to dry out. Schools are still closed. The Cumberland River flooded downtown which the mayor says is about a billion dollars damage.

Silent Knight is what it says...

Well, this is a new experience for me. The Silent Knight is a pill crusher. In the Nursing Home, the nurse puts a pill in the little bag, ties it with a rubber band and places it behind the black part of the metal. He or she then proceeds to push down on the handle again and again and again to pulverize the dickens out of the poor little pill. (I have seen chimpanzees on nature shows get the same results with a large rock.)
This process can be for administering something as simple as Tylonol. After doing this, the pulverized Tylonol will then be placed in a spoon full of flavored sugar-free yogurt in a 2oz. cup. It will be thoroughly mixed and be given to the resident on a disposable spoon followed with a chaser of cold water through a flexible straw. This goes on all the time.
The "Silent" part of Silent Knight is a joke. The nurses are heard and seen slamming it down to break up a variety of obstinate little pills. The noise is heard by the residents in their rooms down the hall and are known to say "Come In!" repeatedly.
BTW: McDonald straws do not bend.