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Besides finishing The End of Alzheimer’s (see previous post) these are things I’m working on this week.
Musically, I’m beginning to recognize The Dexter Theme. It has been hard as how it’s written is a little hard to interpret. After I get the basics I may rewrite it to the way I hear it on the show.
Succession, title song from the show. I didn’t much like the show, but I loved the music. I’ve finally played all the way to the end. It’s certainly not ready for anyone’s ears. Still it’s fun as I get to play the whole piano, less than an octave from either end. It’s cool!
Since the smoke causes my throat to hurt a bit I haven’t been playing the recorders, just in case it’s more than smoke irritation.
Enya, my ukulele, is getting easier. The B flat minor has been the toughie. But it sounded fine a couple times this week. I’m beginning to pay faster and smoother and having fun.
Violin! Whoa, what a challenge! I’ve barely gotten beyond tuning and putting resin on the bow. But I can finally say I’ve played Twinkle, Twinkle a few times now. My eyes get tired looking up the strings to my fingers. But I think that is good for my lazy eye and tracking issues. So I’ll take my time and learn.
I rarely report on my Duolingo, but it is such habit for me to pick up my phone and do a Duolingo 5 minutes here or there. In fact, it has joined me as I ride the stationary bike. It works when I’m just riding slowly but I have to put my phone down to get cardio.
Our weather is getting chilly. Though we get smoke from other places we’ve had huge rains lately that seem to help clear the air a bit. As of next Monday we will have a low in the upper 30s. I think we will welcome an early Fall.
The End of Alzheimer’s: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale E. Bredesen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When I was in my forties, both of my grandmothers died of Alzheimer’s. As you can imagine, I am working hard to avoid what has been assumed to be my fate. Genetically, I seem to favor the heavier side of the family, so when 2020 warned us to lose weight or get hospitalized with COVID, I went on a fasting diet. After losing 30 pounds, I have kind of plateaued. Even still, in my 18/6 or sometimes 20/4 fast, I am trying to eat as healthy as I can: veggies and a little fruit. I don’t like meat, but I do eat salmon in my daily salad and minimize anything processed. Lots of water or tea. One or two cups of coffee. I have increased my exercise and am trying to get cardio and weights. I’m still not optimum on any of it. I try to get better and better.
Meanwhile I have increased learning a lot of new things. I have 11 languages I’m playing with on Duolingo. There’s a lot of knitting and diamond painting. And I am bringing back my piano playing, learning new songs while awakening old ones I had forgotten. I’ve since started playing recorders, soprano, alto, and tenor. Then I took up the ukulele, and now adding violin. I feel learning new things helps my brain. I work at my sleep hygiene aiming for 7 or 8 hours.
Imagine my surprise to see that I am doing a lot that Dale E. Bredesen recommends in his book. I was able to get the Kindle version through Libby. But now I have ordered the audiobook and my own copy of the paperback. The text-to-speech helped me read the book but I felt I could use a knowledgeable voice to read the technical terminology. And there are charts of the supplements and other aids that I want to be able to follow more closely. So, even after I return the library versions, I will have my own copy to refer to regularly.
I highly recommend this book. It’s quite user-friendly, not too sciency but you can follow the science if you like (I like).
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Can I give this book 20 stars? This was amazing! So many levels and people and places and stories to immerse in!
Abraham Verghese (Author/Narrator) is breathtaking. His writing, knowledge, and ability to voice all the characters so believably from an Indian accent to a Scottish accent, and for a man, his women were varied and respectable, all just astounded me.
I think I saw this recommended on a television show. I was able to pick it up on Libby. I’m so glad I did. But I loved this huge book so much that even though it took me days to read (listen to), I felt at a loss to bid my new friends goodbye. This goes on my wishlist for paperback, Kindle, and Audible versions.
It is a hefty book. But if you plug away at it, you will have lived through several generations and lands. How many books give you that kind of experience?
Please, if you get the chance, read or listen to this one. I doubt you will regret it.
*I’ve mentioned how I’m a talker. My grandmother called me Chatty Cathy.
I learned finger spelling so I could talk to my fellow soprano in the church choir. For those that are fingerspelling challenged it says: Inhale the future; Exhale the past.
What is chatting but exhaling with consonants?
Voice-Over Voice Actor: The Extended Edition by Yuri Lowenthal
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The thought of podcasting and/or narrating books has run through my mind a few times, um, a day, for quite a while. I’ve done research and have played with ideas for a while. This book was fun and informative about it all. And the voice-over industry I hadn’t thought of.
The narrating tag team authors, Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt kept the information hopping and interesting. If one can read cartoons, that’s what it felt like at times, as the team has a population of voices between them.
Now, if only I can conquer the stagefright that silences me with distractions and anti-schedules to keep it organized.
I think this is a lot more that can be gleaned from the wisdom these two grant us in this book. And though I have the audiobook, I feel I need the paper copy to visualize much of the information.
THE ADHD ARTIST: STAY FOCUSED, CREATE MORE, LIVE ABUNDANTLY by Earth West
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I don’t know if it was the way the text sounds in text-to-speech as opposed to having narration or if, after a go-getter of a book about the same, this one was dull. Or could it just be that I had overloaded on the subject matter? But I couldn’t get into this book, and much of the information was a repeat of what I’d heard before.
But to give it a good chance I will try to find it on Audible and see if I like it better. I feel that, being a bit of a musician who enjoys artwork, I need more specific information about distraction and hyperfocus within those realms.
Still, I don’t want to discourage others from reading this. It may be just what you need. Or what I may need at another time.
If shipping is free then why can’t I get another cruise?
That was a fun unexpected adventure. I would have never known how much fun a cold place could be. A wish I never knew would be my wish. Until we went. I didn’t sleep. I enjoyed every moment of that June summer week.
This picture always reminds me of my favorite saying “But how do you know what you want and you get what you want and you see if you like it?” Cinderella, Into the Woods, Sondheim.
Anyway that trip was spent with my soon to be husband and his friends from high school. Another surprise for me. I was scared of meeting these old friends. What if I didn’t measure up? What if I couldn’t relate? But I had a ball with my new friends. Aren’t friendships the greatest?
That relationship has far outlasted my other marriage and his previous marriages. I think we grow more in real love as we learn how all that is supposed to work. Being there for each other.
While dreaming impossible dreams, I wish I could live on a cruise ship. I love the water. And I’d love to take all my family and friends. A relation ship.
I had to get peg drops for my violin 🎻. I’m learning basics like tuning and putting rosin on the bow. Finally making notes sound halfway like notes. So much so that I’ve managed the first line of Twinkle, Twinkle.
I’ve nearly memorized Imagine on the uke.
With smoke the recorders aren’t getting attention because deep breaths and scratchy throat make this a bad choice for now.
With smoke and heat the only exercise I get is on the stationary bike.
It is getting cooler. And September seems closer. Let’s pray we all make it. Fires on our coast, floods to the east. I hope we all make it to Fall.
Darswords 
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