Mama Diaries

Monday, March 7, 2016

Mi Casa es Su Casa and Question of the Month


It's time for the Question of the month hosted by Michael D'Agostino.  The question is, "Have you ever met the person you admire greatly and who is your roll model/ idol? And if so, how did it go?"

There are a few people who have served as inspirations/roll models in my life. I have only met one in person. That person was Josef Gingold. He was a famous violin teacher/performer, who happened to be my teacher's teacher. I met him through her. Not only was he a wonderful teacher, but he was a wonderful human being who served as a paternal figure for many of his students. When I met him, I was struck by his warmth and kindness. He is someone I strive to emulate, both in my teaching, and in the way I conduct myself.

Here's a recording of him playing the violin:


Here's a short interview with him:  (I loved the sound of his voice!)


The other two people who serve as inspirations  are violinist, Itzhak Perlman (who I've seen perform in person, but never actually met him), and Mother Theresa (who I think was an amazing woman).


Now for the story:

This past weekend, I came downstairs and found two teenaged boys in my kitchen. They were not my kids. My kids were nowhere to be seen. These two boys were busy making cookies. I was a little surprised, but since I knew these kids, I wasn't alarmed.

"Hello," I said. "What's up?"

They looked at me and smiled. "Hi, Mrs. Ellis. We're baking cookies."

I nodded. "I see. Where are my kids?"

They shrugged. "I don't know. Bubba was here and let us in. Now he's gone."

Okay. I watched them mix the batter.

"Does this look right?" one of the boys asked.

I nodded. "Yes. Perfect."

"Now what do we do?" the other asked.

"You'll have to heat the oven and put the batter on cookie sheets."

"How do we do that?"

I showed them how. "Have you ever baked cookies before?" I asked.

"No. But we've always wanted to."

All right, then. I really didn't think I'd be teaching the neighborhood kids how to bake cookies. And I really didn't think I'd find neighborhood kids in my kitchen attempting to bake cookies. But I guess they know where the fun house is!

We baked the cookies together, and they turned out great!

56 comments:

  1. I loved listening to that violin this morning. So lovely.

    Of course, I had a great chuckle over your cookie story. You do have a reputation for having a "fun" place to be.

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    1. Mr. Gingold had a very distinctive sound. I could listen to him play all day!

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  2. Consider them your cookie elves.
    Cool that you were able to meet such a master - and that he was a good inspiration to boot.

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    1. At least I didn't have to bake them this week. It was nice to have a little help.

      Mr. Gingold was definitely a master!

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  3. Hi, Sherry!

    Josef plays the violin beautifully and I also enjoyed listening to the interview. You were fortunate to have the opportunity to meet one of your idols.

    I found your story about discovering teenagers in your kitchen making cookies rather disturbing. Why aren't they standing on a street corner somewhere getting into trouble like normal teenagers? :)

    You wrote:

    << We baked the cookies together, and they turned out great! >>

    I have a feeling those young people are gonna turn out great, too.

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    1. They know it's way more fun to bake cookies than to stand on the corner getting in trouble! They're all good kids.

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  4. You met your teacher's teacher? That is so neat!

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    1. Especially since he is considered one of the best violin pedagogues of all time!

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  5. Josef Gingold plays beautifully. Enjoyed the music and the interview. As for the cookie bakers...you have got to be the BEST Mom ever. Most mothers won't have been so calm and helpful. Those kids will remember that forever.

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    1. I thought it was kind of funny to see those teenaged boys in my kitchen. Usually it's teenaged girls!

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  6. It's great to meet someone you admire, thanks for sharing your question of the Month.
    Loved the cookie story, can always guarentee a chuckle reading your posts.
    Yvonne.

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    1. Always something interesting going on at my pad. Glad you enjoyed the question of the month answer.

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  7. Enjoyed it all--the music, interview, and unexpected cookie-baking company. :)

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  8. Great you were able to meet him. I guess you just have the cookie making house.

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    1. My house is definitely the cookie-making house! I bake cookies every week.

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  9. How awesome that you got to meet him.

    Yours sound the fun house in your neighborhood!

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    1. My house is definitely the fun house. It didn't take long for all the kids to figure that out! ;-)

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  10. That is the house you want to be as a parent. Ours was the that place when our kids were teenagers.

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    1. It's good to have all the friends at my place. That way I get to know them, and make sure they're staying out of trouble.

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  11. It's awesome that you were able to meet someone who means so much to your musical career AND that it was a great experience.

    You know, if my neighbors showed up in my house randomly and baked cookies for me... well, I could get used to that.

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    1. Haha. Yes. Having kids randomly come over and bake cookies was a pretty good deal. :-)

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  12. Hi Sherry, I too admired Mother Teresa. And you emulated her by letting the teenager boys bake cookies. Now that's showing love to your neighbors. :-)

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    1. Mother Teresa was a wonderful person. She exemplified love. Definitely someone to emulate!

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  13. I hope you found Bubba. Mi casa es me casa, y la casa do los perros.

    Love,
    Janie

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    1. Bubba was playing video games. He was easy to locate. I'm sure your doggies love your house, because you're such a good mommy to them!

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  14. All of my role models have been people I knew IRL. My mama, my Aunt Billie, a couple of women I have worked with. Life & Faith in Caneyhead

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    1. It's great that you've had close people who have served as role models.

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  15. I listened to the musical track, it was beautiful. It's good to know you come from a good lineage ;)

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    1. I feel very fortunate! But I have a lot to live up to!

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  16. I'd like to find out the beginning of that story. Why did they come over to your house? Why wasn't Bubba with them? But good for you in helping them out.

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    1. They wanted to hang with Bubba, but Bubba wanted to play video games. So, he got out the stuff to make cookies and told them to make them. They obliged.

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  17. When I was in middle school in Northern Indiana I took violin lessons from a guy who was kind of a local celebrity. He was well known in the area because he was the strolling violinist in a smorgasbord restaurant. My family ate there a few times. My teacher was good on the violin, but I was more impressed by the food on the buffet. There was an immense wheel of blue cheese and I loved blue cheese. Besides I saw my teacher every week at my lesson and I thought he was kind of mean. I don't think he liked teaching music that much.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Tossing It Out

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    1. It's too bad when great violinists aren't great teachers. There are quite a few like that. They'd rather be playing. Sorry your experience was not a good one. The smorgasbord restaurant sounded like a pretty good place to eat!

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  18. I think it's wonderful that your neighborhood teenagers felt your house was a good one to bake cookies in. A safe place. A place where cookies were made. A home with a mom who would let anyone in to make cookies. I would be proud to be so honored!

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    1. They certainly do feel at home at my place. I'm really glad of that!

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  19. How cool that you were able to meet one of your inspirations! Josef sounds like such a wonderful person, for sure...

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    1. He most certainly was! I wish he was still alive so I could learn more from him!

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  20. Your house does seem fun after reading all these stories. :) It's wonderful seeing a glimpse into your inspirations.

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  21. It's so wonderful to have someone to look up to and then to meet them only deepens the respect.

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    1. It's great when someone you look up to turns out to be an awesome person!

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  22. He did have an amazing voice. So nice that you got to meet him.

    Kids were always welcome in our house too, but none ever stepped up and baked me cookies. I'm going to have to have a talk with some boys. LOL

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    1. Maybe if you put the ingredients out on the counter and give them a hint, they'll start baking. ;-)

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  23. Music is brilliant !
    A very beautiful post :)

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  24. Lovely post. I really enjoyed it. Thanks.

    Greetings from London.

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  25. What lovely music! And I laughed at that story. When growing up, all us neighborhood kids went into each other's homes freely. No one had a locked door, but I never baked cookies in anyone's house!

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    1. I found it a bit surprising. If I was the kid, I would've asked the parent before I started baking. I guess times have changed.

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  26. I like this "I met someone I admire" story. I like classical music, but admit that I don't invest in it the way I should.
    Cute kid story. Sounds about right when you have kids. That was my house when I was growing up.

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    1. There are always lots of kids running around at my place.

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  27. Hehehehe I wonder how the "let's bake cookies at Bubba's" idea came to be.

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    1. I'm quite certain Bubba was the mastermind. He probably wanted cookies and convinced his friends to come over and make them.

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  28. Absolutely, my nan is one of them actually. She's a warrior and so strong with her health problems that I definitely admire her strength and courage.

    Raindrops of Sapphire

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  29. I don't have anyone that I admire that I endeavor to meet... I think it is great the people are able to meet people that they admire...

    I don't know how I would react to finding someone in my kitchen baking cookies... that didn't live here... lol... I guess my house isn't the fun house. It was really nice that you taught them how to bake the cookies xox

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