Not when the brain is frozen!
But we are grateful for power, warm clothing, laughter, a great family. Spring will come.
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In Gad We Trust: A Tell-Some by Josh Gad
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
First of all, is there a connection between wishing for snow, singing to my husband, ‘Do you want to build a snowman?’ He and I laughed and and ‘pht-no’ And cold temps and snow that lasted more than a week so far, and listening to Josh Gad narrate his book? Okay, probably no connection. Still…
This was a fun book. I felt maybe one of the best autobiographies I’ve read. For a young man I feel Josh has the wisdom of an old soul. His sense of humor keeps it light even when discussing less than best times.
I highly recommend Josh’s book, especially the audiobook.
Spellbound Box Set, Books 1-10: Paranormal Cozy Mysteries by Annabel Chase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This boxed set has probably been on my ‘currently reading’ shelf for quite a while. Library books always take preference due to due dates. I think it was at the 85th position. I am trying to read the earliest between the newest and borrowed books. It’s a work in progress.
This set is so fun. Each book could hold its own, but I think it is more fun to binge-read them all. Think of it as a long book. Still, it didn’t take me long to get through.
I think the best part of these books is the characters. A ghost vampire, an owl familiar, a fallen angel, and a witch who didn’t know she was a magical being. But there are others, like her gorgan receptionist.
By the way, this is free with Kindle Unlimited. Text-to-speech works well with this set. We all need a little levity. Here’s a fun adventure to lift the mood.
I dare you not to laugh, or at least grin.
Happy Sunday!
I needed that. With -7 wake up, our window looks (even now, at 7 PM).
Throughout the bulk of this day, I’ve tried to figure out what to write on this prompt.
All that came to me was a beautiful health food store that my kids and I loved to shop in when they were young.
I can smell the wonderful aroma, fresh herbs, etc. We’d buy a healthy shake to sip as I picked up bread-making goodies, and that fun licorice that has a panda on the box. It was delightful. And sometimes we’d walk next door and have Chinese food for dinner.
The one thing I wouldn’t buy were the flours sold in bulk. Someone told me she found a fingernail in one of the bins. I gag, even now, thinking about that.
So, I only buy prepackaged bulk, like water, which we drink here because the well water of the area tastes of sulfur.
Anyway, thanks for the memory stroll. That health food store smells, mmm.
I’m nearly finished with a couple books. I’ll share the reviews in a couple of days.
Meanwhile, I’ve started
I still haven’t touched the violin or ukulele while my hands heal. I miss them and the learning process. Piano will have to keep my passions. Today not so much. Ever have days when you are so tired you just want to stay in bed? Those are rare for me, but today. Ugh. But hey, I still did a little of my routine. A little progress is still progress.
So, I’m grateful, I guess, that a dog hasn’t found it’s way to my lap yet. I can’t imagine trying to walk a little dog in this without at least working up to this level. I’m exercising on my bike, with yoga, but since COVID I haven’t had that kind of energy. It’s there. I’ll get there. And somewhere a pup is waiting for me.
As much as I hate the ending, I needed some Game of Thrones in the background as I knitted, colored, researched, etc. I’d forgotten how much I love the music.
Hopefully, we remain warm and don’t have to dig our way out. My son reminded me of the stories of such digs in Little House on the Prairie books that I read to my kids when they were young. Cozy snows are best.
Popular 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.
Darswords 
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