http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html Keith Andrew Grim: WEB LOG Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:35:35 -0800 http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/remembering_joe_paterno
I think the death of Joe Paterno has stirred up a lot of emotions. I've been a fan of Penn State football as long as I can remember and JoePA has been the only head coach since I started rooting for them.

Growing up in the early 1970's there were not all the sports cable stations there are now. To see a Penn State football game, if it was not a big national game, we had to wait until Sunday to watch a highlight show and replay of the game.

I remember watching those games after church as I got ready to play midget football games for the Dallastown Cougars. I wanted play for Penn State.

Well, I did not play for Penn State. In fact I went to West Chester University in West Chester, PA. I earned a degree in Health and PE at WCU. I didn't play college football, so I had no springboard to the pros, but oh well....

Although I never met Joe Paterno personally, I do know a couple of guys who played for him and one guy who was a student athletic trainer for the football team. But I did have a couple of encounters with him.

I was a junior high assistant football coach at West York in the late 1980's and early 1990's. One year we went to a coaches clinic at Penn State. I was the receivers coach and defensive backs coach for the team. I was most interested in learning how Penn State coached these positions.

I was standing on the sidelines while JoePa was running a drill with the wide receivers and defensive backs. One of the tight ends on the team did something stupid and was caught by Joe. Joe made him do push ups. As he did them he was doing them halfheartedly, I thought "I can't believe he is doing push ups like that with JoePa as his coach."

Suddenly Joe turned around and barked out, "What kind of push ups are those? I can do better push ups than that and I am an old man!" This was about 22 years ago when he was in his early 60's.

In the same practice they were running a practice drill with the receivers and defensive backs. A defensive back was guarding the receiver and pushed off to intercept the ball. Joe came running down the sideline yelling out, "You can't push off of the receiver! That's a 15 yard penalty! Why did you do that?" Then he looked at the DB coach and said in the same voice, "Why'd you let him do that? Don't let him do that! That's a 15 yard penalty!"

The second encounter I had with him was at a game against Minnesota in a 6 inch snow storm in mid October in 2009. We got to game and were able to stand where the buses bring the players to Beaver Stadium. As Joe got off the bus we were able to say good luck today! He kindly waved back to the crowd and said thanks! Penn State did win the game!

It is a shame Joe Paterno's career had to end the way it did, but I hope people remember him for the good things he did. He will be missed by fans, players, and those involved with Penn State. Rest In Peace, Joe!]]> http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/remembering_joe_paterno Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:30:18 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/80s_flashback http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/80s_flashback Sun, 29 Jan 2012 19:59:16 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/its_snowing_outside_click_here_to_hear_vaughn_monroe_singing_let_it_snow
]]> http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/its_snowing_outside_click_here_to_hear_vaughn_monroe_singing_let_it_snow Sat, 21 Jan 2012 06:03:30 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/penn_state_new_football_coach
The current players seem really excited about their new coach, Bill O'Brien, so let's give him a chance! He just may be the breath of fresh air Penn State football needs!

Sincerely, Keith]]> http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/penn_state_new_football_coach Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:52:07 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/happy_new_year__2012 http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/happy_new_year__2012 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:56:36 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/interesting_week http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/interesting_week Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:42:36 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/musical_highlights_2011
Last winter we started attending Otterbein UMC of Spry in York, PA. The pastor asked me if I wanted to be a part of the new praise team the church was starting. I said yes, and have been playing with them, when I don't have solo gigs, since May. We are now members of this church.

The next highlight was playing the Passion Play Guitar Cantatas. I only played two this year, but they were still fun. I already have 6 scheduled for 2012. I will soon be working on updating the program for 2012.

I also sang in my first ever voice recital. My voice teacher, Sommer Garner, organizes a recital for her students each year. My daughter Nikki also sang in the recital. And as a Christmas present this year, I bought my wife a gift certificate for two voice lessons. Pretty soon we will be called the Grim Family Singers!

Over the summer months I played at various churches, music festivals, and art shows. These events were a lot of fun as well!

The best concert I attended this year was one by Phil Keaggy in Sellersville, PA in July. It was a lot of fun watching him play guitar, sing, and entertain the audience all with the Christian message of hope and love.

The weekend after the concert, we headed to Nashville, TN. I attended a music conference for Christian musicians called Indie Ignite. I learned a lot of stuff about music and what it takes to have a successful career as a Christian musician.

That same weekend, I also worked with Amy Wolter from Tom Jackson Productions. She video taped a concert of me playing to an audience of just Nikki and her. We watched the tape and she helped me with things to do on stage that would help my performance. The next day I played special music for 3 church services in Nashville, TN.

The fall months are usually a lighter schedule for me musically. But the Christmas season picked up pretty well. I played at several churches and at Rocky Ridge park in York, PA two times.

The revamped Christmas Story Guitar Cantata went a lot smoother than 2010's version. People seemed to enjoy the concerts and I heard a lot of nice compliments about the concerts.

My 2011 concerts took me to many places: In Pennsylvania I traveled to: York, Dallastown, Glen Rock, Felton, Wrightsville, Hatboro, Lancaster, Mechanicsburg, Red Lion, Mount Joy, Mifflintown, and Lewisberry. In Maryland: Halethorpe, Baltimore, Bel Air, and Parkton. In New Jersey, Hamiltonm Square and in Tennesse, Nashville.

In many ways, even though I am 50 years old and I started a solo music ministry in 1990, I feel like my music ministry is just now starting. I think some things re ignited my music ministry in 2011 and I believe more good things are in store for 2012!

Happy New Year!]]> http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/musical_highlights_2011 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:11:04 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/im_dreaming_of_a_white_new_year http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/im_dreaming_of_a_white_new_year Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:37:21 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/its_snowing http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/its_snowing Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:00:27 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/gig_cancellation Hope they find a replacement!]]> http://keithandrewgrim.com/blog.html/gig_cancellation Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:44:19 -0800 Keith Andrew Grim Official Web Site! - Keith Andrew Grim - WEB LOG