Hilary Weeks

I love peaches!  I remember the first time I had a fresh peach, right off the tree.  It was at my Mom’s cousin’s house in Lehi, Utah.  My mom and I were visiting from Alaska (no peach trees in Alaska…)and I was 18 years old.  We pulled the peaches off of the tree and while everyone else enjoyed a little cream on top - mine didn’t need a thing - I ate my peaches plain.  I remember which spot I sat in at the table and what the small kitchen looked like.  Funny how certain things stand out in our memories.  I really do love peaches…

When we moved to Lehi five years ago, I knew I wanted a peach tree.  We planted a peach tree that very first year and now, a few years later, we have delicious, beautiful peaches.  Today, I picked two bowls full.  And then I made peach pie.  Gone of are the years of passing on the cream…I loaded my plate with pie and lots of vanilla ice cream.  I thought you might enjoy the recipe.  And if you don’t have a peach tree in your back yard, I’m sure your grocery store has a can of peaches they wouldn’t mind selling you.

PEACH PIE

8-10 peaches, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup sugar

2 T butter

2 T flour

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1 T. lemon juice

1/4 c. water

2 pie crusts (top and bottom) I used pre-made.

cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saucepan, mix together sugar, flour, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.  Add water and cook, stirring contantly, over medium heat until mixture becomes thick and bubbly.  Add butter and lemon juice.  When butter is melted, pour mixture over peaches.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.  Line pie dish with pie shell.  Fill.  Cover with top pie shell.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Cut slits in top.  Bake for 40 mintes until golden brown.  (I covered the edges of the crust with tin foil and then removed the foil with about 15 minutes to go.)  Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Blog to you soon,

Hilary

The CD is finished!  What a great (and a little sad) feeling!  Scott, Tyler and I worked hard all day Friday and then again for some time on Saturday.  I just couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.  The process has been a remarkable testimony to me of how very much Heavenly Father is aware of us and orchestrates every detail of our lives.  Here is a picture of Scott and I on Saturday - I had just come from Provo Canyon where our youth tubed the Provo River.  Notice the Olympics going on behind us - we watched while we mixed the songs.  (Mixing is when you get all the levels right - making sure the vocals aren’t too loud or the guitars too soft, etc.  Scott is brilliant at this.)

This is Tyler totally acting like he’s concentrating on the lyric sheet.  He was actually looking at a menu from Brick Oven.

There is one song “casualty” to report.   Friday afternoon I was singing through “If That’s Not a Miracle” and after running it down a few times, we decided that it just wasn’t a fit for this CD.  It’s a great song - maybe it’ll pop up on a CD some where down the road.

All and all creating this CD was an amazing experience.  I’m listening to the final product right now…and don’t worry, sooner than you think…you will be too!

From my heart, thank you for your support.

Blog to you soon,

Hilary

We have certainly had more than ten days of recording going on…Tyler and Scott spend a lot of time working in the studio when I’m not there.  They work with other musicians recording background vocals, guitars, strings, drums, etc.  Tyler and Scott are pretty much the dream team and I feel so lucky to be doing this project with them.

Day nine (Monday, I think - it’s all a blur now) was an important day because we recorded the title cut of the CD - “If I Only Had Today.”  It turned out great and I’m very excited about it.  Jenny Jordan Frogley (AMAZING vocalist!) sang back ground vocals on it this morning but I haven’t heard them yet because Tyler and I were at a different studio recording strings - violins, violas, cellos and bass strings.  The strings are so inspiring to watch - I got choked up listening to them earlier today.  This is going to be great stuff!

In about half an hour I’ll head to the studio again and record our last vocal - “If That’s Not a Miracle.”  Then all of the lead vocals will have been sung!  I’m excited about how things are sounding, but I am a little sad that it will be over soon.  However, the good news is when recording is over, then the music can be in your hands!  That truly will be the best part - I can’t wait to share this music with you!

After I record tonight I’m headed to a YM/YW overnighter.  Any of the youth in our ward who read the Book of Mormon this year and memorized Mosiah 5:15 get to go.  It should be fun!

Have a wonderful weekend! Blog to you soon,

Hilary

You know, like a garage sale, but on a blog, so it’s a blog sale.  I’m looking for a new home for 6 wrought iron and wood barstools with swivel microfiber seats.  $39.00 each.  They are about two years old.

Also for sale…Decorations to complete a darling room for a little girl.   Includes magnet board, 5 pillows, 5 picture frames, 2 pillow cases, “Dress Up” hooks, lamp and a shelf for $129.00.  Maybe you or someone you know is interested.  You know where to find me!

Our recording schedule has been a bit sporadic lately - Tyler, Scott and I have each been out of town.  But we have been able to squeeze in a few days here and there. 

Day 6, which I like to refer to as “Black Monday,” was not my best day so far.  I started singing “Tender Behind the Mercy” but it just didn’t sound good, so Tyler suggested we sing “Take Me There.”  Unfortunately, I didn’t sound good on that song either, so we called it quits.  Thus the name “Black Monday.”  I think I was just too darn tired after traveling to Wyoming for Grandma Reilly’s funeral - which was beautiful.  Anyway that was last Monday and we didn’t record at all that week.  It worked out well since I had my brother Mike and his family in town.  We had a great time with them, as always!!

Day 7 was this Monday.  I sang the vocals for “Take Me There” and it turned out great. 

Last night was the concert for the LDS Booksellers Convention.  It was at the Salt Lake Tabernacle.  I have only sung there twice - each time it has been a privilege to be there.  I sang “If I Only Had Today,” the title cut from this CD.  This morning, at the convention, I signed copies of my new book “Believe in What You’re Doing, Believe in Who You Are.”  Yes!  I wrote a book!   I know, it surprised me too.  Last fall Jana Erickson from Deseret Book called and asked if I would write a book for the Time Out for Women Classics series.  This is the fourth book to be written for the series and they are all small books - about 60 pages long.  I told Jana, “I don’t write books, I write songs…” But she asked me to think about it.  I decided to give it a try and told her I could do it if the book was in devotional form.  Meaning, each chapter is a story with a principle - like a mini devotional.  I wasn’t sure I could write a book on a single topic.  She agreed and I had so much fun writing it.  It is a really short book - it should maybe even be called a pamphlet - and if you sit down to read it without taking any potty breaks, you could probably finish it in about 15 minutes.

Anyway, I just found out today that the book is featured on the cover of the fall Deseret Book catalog.  I think that is pretty exciting and that we should all go to ice cream to celebrate!  So, everybody, have a bowl of ice cream tonight - or two bowls, depending on how excited you are. 

Day 8 (today) - I sang the vocals for “He Loves Me.”  They turned out really cool.  Mike Greene engineered our session today and last Monday because Scott is out of town.  Mike has engineered most of my albums and so it has been awesome to work with him again.  He is super talented!

I don’t record again until Saturday - time to do some laundry! 

Blog to you soon,

Hilary

Hello again.  Well, we got some tough news last night… Tim’s grandma passed away.  She was ninety years old.  She is from Wyoming but traveled here a couple of weeks ago to stay with Tim’s mom, Jo.  (Jo is her daughter.)  Grandma Reilly needed 24 hour care, so each of Jo’s sons and their families took shifts staying with Jo and Rich to help.  Our shift was first and it was such a wonderful experience to serve her and take care of her.  I will always be grateful for those memories.  While my sister-in-law Jennica was there she took some amazing pictures of Grandma Reilly.  If you are interested you can see them on her blog - www.jennicaweeks.blogspot.com

We drove to Jo’s last night and arrived about 10:30 - just a half hour after she had passed away.  My cousin, Kurt, is a mortician in the area - they own Jenkins Soffe Mortuary - so he came and assisted.  Kurt was so gracious and kind.  My other sister-in-law’s dad is a doctor.  He also came and assisted and was there when grandma passed away.  We most certainly felt the hand of the Lord and His many tender mercies.

We arrived back home about 1:00 in the morning.  I didn’t have to be to the studio until the afternoon, so that was a blessing.  At the studio today, we worked on a song called “Faultless” and another called “When You Least Expect It.”  There are stories behind those songs, and I’ll share them in the next couple of days when I feel more energized. 

Sharon and Joe, dear family friends, stopped by with Tim and listened for a while today.  It was great to have them there.

Have a wonderful weekend!  Blog to you soon,

Hilary

A good night’s sleep is just what I needed to start the day off on the right foot…or voice.  The day began with me singing “You Give” - the song Tyler and Stacie wrote.  AMAZING song, simply amazing.  I feel so blessed to be able to include it on this Cd.  The singing went well and I felt plenty of energy, which I was grateful for.  Tim joined us a little later in the morning.  It was his first visit to the studio this week.  It was good to have him there.  He definitely could win the Supportive Husband of the Year Award.

Then we took a little lunch break and ate at a great pizza place in Orem.  I think it was called Pizzaria 712 - or something like that.   The food was great and we had a lot of good laughs. 

This is a picture of the control board that Scott uses as we record.  How would you like to keep track of that many buttons…

In the afternoon we worked on a song called, “Now” and recorded vocals for a song called “Faultess.”  We didn’t quite finish, but we’ll get back to it tomorrow when I’m in full voice.  I sort of ran out of gas in the afternoon.  Finally, I thought you might like to see a sneak peak of what the cover of the Cd might (MIGHT) look like.  Tyler received this email from the designer today.  Feel free to weigh in with your opinion, that is, if you can see it from the pictures I took onTyler’s computer.  (There is some “scroll-y” stuff on the right side of the cover that is too dark to see in this pic.  But you get the general idea.)

Blog to you soon,

Hilary

Another great day in the studio!  I drove to Sandy this morning to drop my girls off at Grandma Jo’s house - she was nice enough to watch them for me.  Today is my nine-year old’s birthday and Grandma Jo suprised her with a birthday party!  She invited all the aunts and cousins.  Calli was totally thrilled.  I had to leave pretty quick in order to get to the studio in Provo, and I haven’t seen Calli yet, so I’ll be anxious to hear about the birthday party.

We started about 10:30 this morning with Pat Campbell on the drums.  This is the first time I have met him.  I was impressed with his playing and enjoyed his personality and what he added to the session.  He played on “When You Least Expect It” and “You Give.” 

An important element in the studio is the chow, the treats, the grub…you know…the CANDY!  As you can see, the candy bowl was a little empty and low on choices.

I mean cinnamon and butterscotch candies are fine and all, but they are not going to get a gal through a long session.  Tyler went on a munchie run and filled the bowl to the brim.  He was also nice enough to bring a couple of nutritious choices.  (Not sure who is going to eat them, but they are there…)

In the afternoon we recorded the vocals on the song, “Now.”  I think it will be a great addition to the Cd.  Paul Jacobson played the guitar on that tune last night.  It has a very different feel from any of the songs I’ve done in the past.  It will be nice to add a fresh sound.

We will celebrate Calli’s birthday tonight and then it’s early to bed for me.  I need to rest up so I can give it my very best!  Love to you all and thank you for your encouraging comments.  (P.S.  Don’t let my sister Heather, “Heytar” fool you - she got just as much musical talent as I did.  And on top of that she can run circles around me - she’s a marathon runner.)

Blog to you soon,

Hilary

Day two has been an emotional one.  My Aunt Annetta Mortenson passed away and her funeral was today.  She was a wonderful aunt - I loved her sense of humor.  And she was incredibly supportive of my music.  She would show up wherever I was performing - even when I hadn’t told her I was going to be there.  Pretty soon I wasn’t surprised by her appearances.  I had come to count on her support.  I sang the closing song at her service - “All My Days.”  It is a song that suited her because she and her husband Don were continually in the service of our Heavenly Father - serving in many capacities including members of the temple presidency in Washington D.C.  The service was a beautiful testimony of God’s hand and miracles in our lives.  I’ll miss her.

I showed up at the studio around 2:30.  Tyler said, “You look tired.”  I think it was because I had cried off all of my make-up.  And just by luck, I forgot to put my charged camera battery back in my camera and so…no pictures from today.  It’s better that way.  I did look tired.  We recorded until about 8:30 and then I went home to spend time with my relatives who were in town for the funeral.  I love them - it was so good to spend time together.

Today we recorded “Just Let Me Cry.”  This song was inspired by a poem I received from a family who lost their 8 year-old daughter to cancer.  This is the poem:

Please, don’t ask us if we’re over “it” yet.

We’ll never be over it.

Please, don’t tell us they’re in a better place.

They aren’t with us.

Please don’t say, “At least they aren’t suffering.”

We haven’t come to terms with why they had to suffer at all.

Please, don’t tell us you know how we feel unless you have lost a child.

Please, don’t ask us if we feel better.

Bereavement isn’t a condition that clears up.

Please don’t tell us, “At least you had them for a time.”

What year would you choose for you child to die?

Please, don’t tell us, “God never gives you more than you can bear.”

Please, just tell us you are sorry.

Please, just say you remember our children, if you do.

Please, just let us talk about our children.

Please, mention our children’s names.

Please just let us cry.

 When I read the last line of that poem, I knew a song had to be written.  Sometimes when we are going through something difficult, something heart-breaking, nothing anyone says or does is going to make it better.  We simply need to mourn.  We just need to cry.  It doesn’t mean we don’t have faith.  It doesn’t mean we don’t believe in the Atonement or Christ’s ability to heal our hearts.  It is just part of the healing process.  And it has to happen.  We have to let ourselves cry sometimes. 

So, today we recorded that song.  Tyler played the piano again.  And once again, it was magic.  Then I sang the vocal.  It was a hard one to sing - but I think we got it.  I’ll listen to it over the next few days to decide if there is any tweaking that needs to be done.  I want it to be perfect.  It needs to be perfect if there is a chance that someone might need to listen to it when they cry.

Blog to you soon,

Hilary

Recording time is finally here!  It definitely feels like Christmas!  This is my favorite part of the Cd creation process.  The writing is done and we begin to reap the fruits of our labors!  It is thrilling to witness the songs take flight on the wings of the arrangements.  The instrumentation is added and the magic begins. 

I wish you could be there, but since we wouldn’t all fit in the studio, I’m going to bring the studio to you!  Each day, I will blog about the songs we are working on.  I hope it helps you to feel a part of the project and enjoy the music even more when it is finally in your hands!

We had a great first day!  We started at about 10:30 this morning and talked about the arrangments for three songs - “Now,” “Come Praise Him,” and “When You Least Expect It.”  Scott Wiley, the studio engineer, is arranging those songs.  This is my first time to work with Scott and after one day, I can already say he is going to be fantastic to work with and will add so much to this project.  Here is Scott at the board, ready to record!

The first song recorded today was written by Carolyn Arrends.  It is called “Reaching.”  I fell in love with it the second I heard it and knew it needed to be on the Cd.  It is a beautiful song and describes how I imagine many of us feel at times.   Here is Tyler getting ready to record the piano.  The sheet music was several pages long, so Tyler got creative and rigged himself up a music stand using paper towel.  

Tyler Castleton will be producing and arranging for the Cd.  He also wrote for the project.  He and Staci Peters wrote a song called “You Give” that I can’t wait to sing - it is incredible!  Tyler is so talented in so many ways - and to no one’s suprise he played beautifully and perfectly on “Reaching.”  Then it was my turn to sing.  I just loved singing this song.  And I’m pleased with how the vocal turned out. 

The day was a success and we are off to a great start!

Blog to you soon,

Hilary