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Madrigals

 

Madrigals

I loved to sing.  It was my “thing” in high school.  I looked forward to being in the elite choir, Madrigals.  You could try out at the end of your sophomore year to be part of the group in your junior year, but most people didn’t get in until their senior year.  I had tried out for all-state choir in my sophomore year and was so happy when I got in.  It gave me courage and hope to try out for Madrigals.  I auditioned in front of the teacher and the madrigal officers.  I did really well.  I knew I had done really well.

A few days later, Mrs. Schmidt called me into the Madrigal room.  She told me I was very qualified to be in the group, but that there wasn’t room for another alto in the group, so I wouldn’t be in.  I was devastated.  Right there, in front of her, I burst into tears.  I was so sad.  She felt horrible.  She said I was qualified and that she would talk to the rest of the committee and let me in.  I wasn’t trying to manipulate her.  I honestly was just sad and so cried. I was so happy.  But then, the next day she called me in again.  She handed me a tissue and said she had talked to the others and they said no.  I didn’t cry that time.  I just told her thank you for trying and left with a heavy heart. 

It was a long year to wait until I could try out again at the end of my junior year.  This time I made it.  Being in Madrigals was such a joy in my life and worth the wait.  I made many friends and really loved singing with the group.  It was during that senior year in Madrigals that I discovered that I was really a soprano.  My teacher listened to me sing.  He then gave me a soprano solo in a Carpenters song, “Crescent Noon. “The words I sang: “Green September burned to October brown.  Bare November led to December’s frozen ground. “I remember while I was singing it at rehearsal one day, he said, “Just listen to those high tones.” (It was written in a higher key in our SATB arrangement.)  I have never forgotten the joy of him saying those words.  They built my confidence so much.  Our words are powerful and can make a big difference in someone’s life. 

We performed often in Madrigals.  People would hire us to sing at their private parties, so we went in homes and halls and restaurants.  It was such a fun year.  I loved every minute of it.  It gave me a love for what I do now with the Keynotes.   Being in Madrigals was truly one of the joys of my life.

My sister, Patty, is a mover and shaker.  In 1997, she organized a Madrigal reunion.  We all gathered and practiced songs for a couple of days, directed by our directors through the years.  It was so fun to be together and to, again, join our voices in song.  It was so fun to see old friends and sing with them again.  I am so grateful for the experience of being in Caldwell High School Madrigals.

The program from the Madrigal reunion

 

 

 

 

 

Move!

 

Seeking Persephone

 

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Christian Romance Audiobook
This is a very popular story right now as a movie was recently released. It was a sweet, clean story of two people falling in love AFTER they were married. I enjoyed it.


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Temple Worship Brings Miracles

 

Direction is More Imprtant than Speed

 

Update on Hadley Hawk

Hadley the Hawk is pretty much a member of the family during the summer.  She usually comes and sits in the bird bath in the afternoon when the temperature reaches around 100 degrees.  This year we have had flycatchers nesting nearby.  They divebomb her while she's trying to rest in the water.  So she sometimes moves to a limb in the nearby tree where they can't dive bomb her.

A robin also does not enjoy her presence and chirps and chirps her alarm call.  It can go on for hours.   We often have bird drama in the backyard, thanks to Hadley.

Grandma's Job

 

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kipps

 

The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip by Sara Brunsvold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Christian Fiction Physical book
Though a good story, this Christian fiction novel fell flat with me. I just didn’t feel a connection with or between the characters. That connection that needed to be there to elicit the emotion it should just wasn’t there.


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Ken's Callings

 Ken was recently released from his calling in the Elder's quorum presidency.  He has served in that calling since 2018 when                  the church combined the elders and high priests (except for 1 1/2 years.)  He served for two years before that (from 2016-2018) as a counselor in the high priests quorum presidency.  He was also released as the ward temple and family history leader.  He has served well and faithfully.  As you can see, he had quite a long list of callings.  He still has all of the others listed. Ken is a faithful and loving servant.

Reading is Pleasure

Wisdom from one of my all-time favorite authors:

 

A Great Book Review

 

Our granddaughter, Gabbi is an excellent writer.  She is an avid reader and reviews books on Goodreads.  I thought this was such a great review of the book Outliers  A Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell I wanted to share it here:

"oh dear. i fear i just read a nonfiction book. FOR FUN. who have i become, a middle aged language arts teacher?
besides that tho, i actually did find this book fascinating and engaging. i was expecting some pump up "you can do it with hard work" novel, but it was the opposite. 😂 it made some really good points, but i liked how it kept it in a relatively objective attitude and didn't feel pessimistic. overall, it was really interesting and i would recommend it!"

Your Enemy

 

Alex the Missionary

You may remember Nathan's friend Alex.  When they lived in Colorado, Nathan baptized him.  For months before that Alex spent much time in the Mackrory home.  He came to dinner and family home evening and just hung out.  Two years after his baptism, Alex has decided to serve a mission.  We are so happy for him!

 

This is Alex on his baptism day.

We kind of feel like his surrogate grandparents. We attended his "farewell" via Zoom.  It was wonderful.  He has grown so much and has such a strong testimony.  He will be a great missionary.  We will be following Alex in his weekly emails.  

Artist Audrey

 Our granddaughter Audrey is a great artist.  Here is the picture she drew for her dad for Father's Day.

An assignment was to redesign the cover a favorite book.  Here is hers:

Nathan's Talk

Kristen received a text from a ward member in Ohio where Nathan is serving.  She kindly shared it with us:  

"Sister Mackrory,  Elder Mackrory spoke today in our ward. In the 50 plus years I've been in the church, it is best talk I've heard from a missionary.  Bar none!  So well prepared, written and speaking.  So impressed with your son.  It will be interesting to see what he does in the church.  "

 

A Favorite Scripture

 This has long been one of my favorite scriptures: 

Prepared Meal at Costco: Braised Beef and Mashed Potatoes

 Okay.  This is the best one so far:  Braised Beef and Mashed Potatoes.  Over the past couple of years we have tried prepared meals at Costco from time to time.  I have reviewed them on here.This one is really, really good.  But it's also very expensive.  But for us, a couple, it served us four good meals.  We'll keep trying these, but I think this is our favorite so far. For other meals that we've tried and reviewed click on the tab on the side that says "Prepared Meals at Costco."

Hinton Family Reunion Favorites- 2026

After we parted ways and we were driving home, everyone shared their favorites from the reunion.  Here is the list.
 


Blake: Park Day and playing the "Oven light game" with Grandpa(* see below)

Shonna; Square dancing, temple, and refit

Hannah: Park day, temple, Gaga ball, the cup game and square dancing

Caleb: Food, water park, Gaga ball (playing with Jared), and park day

Lily: Square dancing and water park

Gabe: Playing monkey game with Sam and Kenny, Gaga ball, Playing dragons with Lisi, William, Sammy and Kenny, doing Pokeman with Sammy and Jacob, Talent show, Square dancing, water park, Fireworks, Food and Park Day

William: Square dancing, Water park

Kenny: Fireworks, Water park, Gaga Ball

Jaron: Fireworks, the food, Gaga Ball

Gabbi: Fireworks, late night walk with cousins, Park day

Michelle; Devotionals, Refit, Games, Park Day

Brian: Meals together

Lisi; Playing dragons with Gabe, William Sam and Kenny, swimming with Gabe and cousins, Square Dancing with Grandpa, Park day

Sam; Monkey game with Kenny and Gabe, Gaga ball, and park day

Audrey; Park day, all things at the church on Saturday, spending time with Brielle.

Jake: Park day with all the cousins

Brielle: Lazy river, Park day, talent show

Kristen: devotionals, Dancing (introducing my family to my Refit community, and Square dancing, all the activities at the church on Saturday

Grandma:  Everything!  It was a perfect reunion.  But that's a copout.  I loved being in the temple with my grandkids, sons-in-law, Shonna and husband for baptisms, then with all the couples plus Brielle for sealings.  So wonderful. I loved playing a game called the 5 second rule I think.  All the adults played.  It was so fun!  We laughed so hard! (What three things not to do at a funeral: bury the dead in their intramural BYU championship t-shirt, turn the dead body on a rotisserie  so everyone can see the back of the t-shirt, too, laugh.- good answer Brian!- You would have to have been there.)  I too loved the activities at the church on Saturday (games, square dancing, talent show, Grandma and Grandpa stories.  Everything was so fun.)  I also loved going to Refit and seeing what Kristen has created there.  I LOVED watching our three girls up there dancing together.  It was SO fun.  I loved all four devotional  They were all SO good.

Grandpa: Also said everything.  But I think he would agree with what I said.

* Blake was making yogurt during the reunion.  He would leave the oven light on which gave just enough heat to grow the culture.  He would come back and the light would be off.  So he would turn it back on.  Then it would happen again.  It happened several times before he asked, "Who keeps turning the oven light off?" It was Grandpa.  It is SO Grandpa!!

Hinton Family Reunion 2026- Sunday

 We got up Sunday morning and went to church.  We then went to a park near Kristen's house and had our family pictures taken.  A cute neighbor of Kristen's came and took them.  I love the potato field behind us.

 

We then took indiviual pictures with grandkids back at home. But I don't think we got them all. Things were crazy making lunches and packing up cars to leave.

William

Gabbi

Gabbi

Oh this is William at breakfast.

Brian taught an excellent closing devotional.  Our sons-in-law are excellent teachers.

Lisi

Brielle

el

Samuel

Jake

Kristen

Jake

Brielle

Audrey

Samuel

Lisi

Kristen

We all then went our separate ways.
This was what I would call a perfect reunion.  Every detail was perfect and thought-out.  It was spiritual, uplifting, bonding, and so fun.  We love our family!!  Thank you, Kristen and Jared, for the perfect reunion.