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One Liner Wednesday


One-Liner Wednesday
What?

I forgot the pedicure!


Popular Piano Self TaughtPopular Piano Self Taught by Win Stormen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After returning to my piano, having neglected it for decades, life, you know, I went from playing five minutes to now nearly an hour most days. I only play as long as I enjoy it and stop when it feels like work.

I seemed to have gotten stuck in my decades of lessons and classes. I play what I see, mostly classical. But I have mostly wanted, all my life, to play easily without sheet music before me. Making it up like others I have known could do. That is my new goal. Obviously, this has been a goal since I was 12! I’m 75 now. I looked at how hard my teacher, Mrs. Skinner, had tried to introduce young me to pop music. She knew I wanted to sing with my playing. So she gave me pop music to play with. I have stickers from the many pop songs she taught me.

Even still, I played merely what I saw, not by ear. Recently, I tried one of the tricks she tried for me. I started playing the ukulele. It is the one instrument that lets me sing while I play. I could go rogue.

As I started going through my old books, I found this book, Popular Piano Self-Taught, with the collection still with me from long ago. What the heck? I decided to give it a try at last.

Much of the book was a review of what I’d learned in lessons or long years of college classes. But those I much I needed to remember. But the practical lessons with chords and rhythms were invaluable. I printed up much that I intend to keep practicing until it becomes natural. I have a couple of modern pieces I was playing with that became easier once I learned from this book. I can’t judge how well the book was based on my progress; I need a lot of work. But I think it will be a great book for others to try to gain more musical abilities at the piano.

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Monday Musings


Me. Except now I also have thousands of Kindle and Audiobooks. (Found on Facebook)

The Inherited Mind: A Story of Family, Hope, and the Genetics of Mental IllnessThe Inherited Mind: A Story of Family, Hope, and the Genetics of Mental Illness by James Longman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I rarely give autobiographies five stars. Not because I don’t like them, but because I feel weird saying that a life in writing is the best or worst. It seems like a judgment of the person and not the writing. But in this case, the science and research make this review easy to praise. James Longman’s life was tough, but this book searches for answers about his father and how that applies not only to his own life but to all of us who have had mental illness touch our lives.

Mr. Longman’s courage to attack long-held beliefs about schizophrenia, bipolar, depression and other mental illnesses and owning his own issues in the process make this a marvelous read, worth owning. I did pick up the audible version and felt the author narrated quite well. Now I am thinking about getting the paper version so I can see charts or research more easily.

I highly recommend this book.

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What do you see, Sammie?

Over two inches overnight and still coming down. So pretty!


Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “spoonful.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

I was just reading about the benefits of a spoonful of olive oil before bed. Anyone follow this regimen?

I remember my mom giving us Vicks vaporub in a spoon with sugar for coughs. Ugh! I don’t think it worked.

But! A spoonful of peanut butter can stave off blood sugar lows. Still, the sugar is what we leave behind.

I suppose in the day of Mary Poppins when everyone was supposed to take a spoonful of Castor Oil daily for the vitamin D benefits, would need something. That stuff tastes disgusting! There are some who still hold to this routine. Nowadays Castor Oil comes flavored.

Nope. Not ice cream. Time for my two spoonfuls of yogurt. This health thing can disappoint.

Your prompt for JusJoJan January 31st, 2025 is “fini.” Find a word that has “fini” in it and use that as your prompt word. Have fun!

Well, that’s easy! It is Finishing Friday! A great way to keep track of hobbies and passions. A way to see progress when, at times, it seems the end is as far as infinity. Row at a time, an inch at a time, a chord played right, or a rhythm that stays where it belongs is fun to keep track of. Many keep track of grievances or pain. I have. I probably will again and again. But I feel more fulfilled if I can see good and beautiful things done from the same place as the bird’s song. It feels right. It gives me pleasure. Not because I am looking for praise. I thank you for that, but it is more for me to feel like I am moving forward.

This felt good as it hit. Some days I do a lot of lessons. For others, I just do the one to get the points. I love languages, so it is fun for me.

The last two hats were for smaller heads. So I decided to make one a little bigger. I just finished the ribbing and started on the basket weave part. It is easier on my hands than crocheting or knitting, so while I am feeling the arthritis, I’m being gentle on the fingers.

My brother’s socks are coming along. Less than an inch to the end of the arch ribbing. Then, an inch to the beginning of the heel. I feel I am at the beginning of the end of this pair.

The middle section of the ‘smiling turtle’ diamond painting is almost done. It is a fun project. I love all the colors.

I have, in all essence, finished this book. Most of it was a review of things I’ve learned all my life, especially as a music major. But toward the end, it started meeting my needs. It has a lot of ways to improvise. I still find myself trying to play every single note rather than play, but I’m seeing ways to do it. I’ll be doing the review for this book soon. Mostly, at this point, I am in love with the last song presented. It’s called Coming Home.

So my favorite songs to play right now are Baby Elephant Walk, Just the Way You Are, God Bless the Child, and Coming Home. They drive me to the piano. I actually spent an hour there today. Remember in the summer or fall when I stated I could barely get five minutes in before pain or boredom pulled me away. Now, I have the joy of actually hearing and feeling the earworms that crawl through my head the rest of the day. My own music!

My ukulele, violin, and recorders sit sadly, waiting for my hands to feel better. I miss the learning process with them.

Well, that’s my Friday report. Fini!


Thank you, Wendy! Please visit Wendy’s blog to read her posts and say hello. And follow her while you’re there if you’re not already.
Your prompt for JusJoJan January 30th, 2025 is “hesitation.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!

It is said that he who hesitates is lost. But I am here to say hesitation is important. A wise decision needs a moment. Sometimes, the moment taken to crawl back down the high-dive ladder is important to build the courage needed to try again.

But sometimes, when the Kim Chi, tasty though it was, wants to escape, hesitation can leave you to rue the day. Sorry. Must go!


How many years does January take?

This seems to be the longest month in history!

And not because of JJiJ. That was the fun part.

And, sorry, this one-liner is staying with the longest-month theme!

Thank you, Linda, for Just Jot It January!

Courageous (Afterlife, #4)Courageous by Willow Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a satisfying ending to a semi-completed boxed set. I found the whole story a bit confusing until I let go of my preconceived notions of what the afterlife should be and accepted this as the author’s young adult fantasy.

The whole story is fun and a little different. Give it a try if you need an escape from the confusion of the real world.

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Per Linda: Hello! I’m here with our twenty-eighth prompt for Just Jot it January 2025. Today, our prompt is courtesy of our dearest Dan. Thank you, Dan! Please visit Dan’s blog to read his posts and say hello. And follow him while you’re there if you’re not already.
Your prompt for JusJoJan January 28th, 2025 is “confusion.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!

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