Making music. My housemates and neighbors may disagree.
My free classes ended last Thursday. It was fun having a Zoom class making progress through elementary music.
I am a music major so I can read music, no problem. Well, except for the eyes that have problems seeing. But recorder music is only one line. As opposed to four or more in piano music. So recorder is easier.
Without the black and white keys I have had to learn finger positions. Seems easy enough. Except fingers, my fingers are short and have a hard time reaching.
Maintaining breath while hitting the notes and trying to keep time present challenges.
Any of you who had to take recorder classes in school might remember the screeching noises of the soprano recorder.
So I am attempting to learn the alto, too. I love it’s rich smooth sounds. But my hands hurt after more than few minutes playing.
All the music time cuts my knitting time. So the socks are just two inches from being done. Maybe this week they’ll be complete.
The mustachioed sky is nothing like a pistachioed sky which sounds more delicious. Instead it seemed the sky didn’t want us to relax with clouds. More than 22 lightning strikes were counted. Though it sounds like all were taken care of quickly. The day was cooler with spits of rain so I can’t complain. Even Kali was happy to go outside as the mist was so light she could barely feel it. Oh, and that fresh clean smell that brings such peace. But can it be trusted?
Thank you, Linda G. Hill. Here’s her prompt instructions:
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “the last photo you took.” Take the last photo you snapped. What’s the first word that comes to mind when you look at it? That word is your prompt. Enjoy!
Today on my Zoom, I was told it was my dad’s birthday. Now I don’t know how I could have Zoomed my dad. Even in the days when we share the family home, he couldn’t understand the internet or computers. He hasn’t been with us for over a decade. Wonder if they have Zoom in Heaven? If so, I have a bunch of folk I’d love to chat with. Starting with the others in this 4 generation both ways picture.
Being the oldest cousin on one side and third oldest on the other, I was lucky. I remember both great-grandmothers on both sides. There is a lot of love and laughter I feel when I absorb this picture in my heart.
Happy birthday, Dad. And Mom, though a couple weeks late.
As I meandered my thoughts about today, I found my eclectic stroll even more so.
My current binge is The Walking Dead, again. My son has all ten seasons. I like watching the old way because there are extra bits like ‘the making of’ or interviews. The show parts I can let slide by as I have committed a lot to memory.
I was watching Outlander again. But it won’t have a new season until next year some time. I’d love to read another book or two, but I’m caught up there, too.
One thing I found in common between these two shows is the music. Guess what? Same musician in both. Bear McCreary is amazing!
Today was my last Beginning Recorder class with Jennifer Carpenter of the American Recorder Society. They were free. As soon as I can, I plan to join. There are more lessons coming up in September. I’m loving learning on my alto and soprano recorders.
Meanwhile, I have a lot of Kindle and paper books to keep up the education.
And there are lessons on YouTube like those of Sarah Jeffery and Team Recorder. She is so much fun.
For those who think Recorder is for grade school take a listen:
That beginning photo at the top of my post? I stepped outside with the dog. The wind was hitting me in the face and the sky looked like it disguised itself with a mustache. It felt so grand to feel such a cool breeze coming from the north. That meant a lot less smoke for us today. I’m thankful for that!
Maybe soon I can start taking walks!? I did learn at the doctor’s appointment on Monday that I have lost over 23 pounds now. Lots still to go but hey, it’s working.
No. I didn’t play Tetris. I needed to do more rearranging in my ‘studio.’
My daughter is deeply in a move. So much so that they are living with no furniture for two weeks. Everything has already moved or has been given away.
Which brings me to my new acquisitions from her. Two folding tables and a cubicle shelf for hobbies and books.
That meant moving the smaller bookshelf full of music books to another location.
End of the piano facing the livingroom.
That left the window area for the cubicle shelving for art, crafts, more books.
The yellow bag has drawing goods. The Avatar bag crayons and colored pens and coloring books. Soon each will leave the bag for new cubes.
Now I’ve opened the smaller table for all kinds of fun.
Right across from the piano.
Meanwhile, we actually had a tiny bit of rain today. Not enough to put out fires but it cooled things down a bit.
Three more Marvel films moved me on the timeline. Captain America: the Winter Soldier, and both Guardians of the Galaxy. I did like G of G. They were more my kind of movie. And Grood is the coolest!
Okay, time to make some noise or music accordingly.
I got up way later that I hoped. Still it wasn’t too hot so Kali and I walked our mile. She was so slow. I don’t know what was up. She usually loves her walks. So it was way slower than usual. My app didn’t record it. I listened to a podcast that my daughter introduced me to. It kept my mind busy so the walk was painless.
My friends and I have challenged each other to watch all of Marvel Universe in timeline order. My husband has joined. We are now on Ironman 3. I think this is my favorite of the Ironmen. By the way, you can find this order on Disney +.
I seem more tired since getting back. I had to take a nap. I usually do well on a 20 minuter. But I went far over. I was 1/2 hour late for my recorder class.
Luckily, I have a few lessons on my own before finding the class so it was review. I’m sure my advance will fade in the next two lessons. It was fun to be in a class with second graders to folks my age. I think that is the best kind of class. Be on the level of learning not peer groups.
Within a 1/2 hour of the end of recorder class was my writers group. I love the people in that group. Such a creative bunch. There are published authors to challenge all of us.
Yesterday (actually today but I plan to schedule this for tomorrow) my daughter drove me home. It was so nice to spend the extra time together. We listened to these podcasts:
Sorry for the bad quality shot but I felt that would be the easiest way to look up the podcasts. Type the second line in the Google.
The following is as we entered the heavy smoke of the Bootleg Fire. Sorry about the chatter and podcasts in the background.
I feel badly that my daughter has to drive home alone and go back through that smoke. But then there are people who live there some of my writers group live there. Send prayers and healthy thoughts.
No, I won’t share my truly least favorite word. This is kid-friendly zone. For the most part. But there is a word I hear people say. Maybe it is a local thing? Impordant. I even hear highly educated folks say this. I probably say things I learned from my parents and grandparents. I have tried not to say worsh.
I think it is important to wash our hands a lot.
I mean… <– How many people start their whole conversation with that phrase? Seems to me that it should be used to clarify your soliloquy, but start with the clarification seems pointless.
If you use the above words or phrase. I still love you. And I hope to learn the whys and wherefore of these Colloquialisms.
I’m still on vacation so I’m working on my phone. I’ll fill in the parts I’ve left out over the next few days. It had been fun. I am so fortunate to have friends and family so dear! But since I’m scheduling this up on Friday night, I can say I’m being traveled back home, tear in eye. Hand to heart.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “least-favorite word.” Use your least-favorite word in your post. If you can’t decide on one, use a word that just really bugs you. Enjoy!
In spite of threatening fires and a bit of sadness about my daughter and her SO moving to Wisconsin, there has been fun.
First, I realize that offspring need their wings. And as far apart as we live right now, we don’t see each other more than a couple of times a year. Meanwhile, we chat on the phone, IM, or Zoom a couple times a month.
So this visit has been a bit strange. She works from home during the day. The couple have been packing to the point of being close to the actual move. That means I’m at loose ends during the day. My other guys here in town are also working so day visits are out with them, too.
Luckily I have a couple retired friends here to keep the fun moving. Unfortunately, one caught a cold just before I came so we’ve only got to talk on IMs. I hope she’ll be well enough before I have to go home.
My other friend who drove up to see me is the one who drove me down here. She’s been carting me around during the day as we look for inexpensive pastimes. We met at a BookCrossing group that also was a board game group. And we were a part of a writing group. So you can see we have a lot in common. She even loom knits!
Anyway, seems I’m taking the long way around to tell you, these hot days kept us inside to stay cool. One day she brought out her Blockbuster Video game. You know how excited I was to see it!
This game should be played with three to six players. There are several ways to play it. With only two of us we had to be creative. We played it similarly to Apples to Apples. In case you’ve never played that I’ll go grab a YouTube of that at the bottom. We didn’t know half the movies presented so we got creative. It was fun. I can see it would be more fun with more people. By the way, ours was the smaller set so it didn’t have a buzzer.
Another day my friend brought out Primordial Soup game. She and I had played it a couple of years ago together. As like then, it is a game for more than two that we got creative and made it work for us. I wish I could play this one more often. I think the more you play the more strategy you can employ. It is a lot of fun. Imagine these two old ladies sitting taylor style on the floor like a couple of kids!
Here’s the Apples to Apples game. Though the game is fun, I think this host needs to take a chill pill. Calm down!
Board games aren’t for everyone. Only my daughter and I like them in my family. The males don’t like them at all. But with daughter so busy we didn’t get to pull out a game.
Instead, we pulled out Disney plus and watched Little Mermaid. It was a favorite of hers growing up.
Then I shared with her Mickey Mouse Club.
Then her boyfriend and she settled on Loki. I didn’t think I would like it. But I do!
Do you have board games you like? What is a memory movie that brings you home?
Working on my series: Haven.
Doodler (zendoodle.com)
Music major: voice and piano
Mom of four great adults
Reiki II practitioner
I have been on disability/retired for 10 years now from depression, anxiety and fibromyalgia.
Books, games, music, and life — filtered through the mind of a writer, drummer, and philosopher who thinks too deeply about all of it. If it moves something in your chest, I'm interested.
Darswords 
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