Long time no see. Still processing. Lots of book reviews coming. But for now other things are being processed. And a couple of finished projects.
Tag Archive: duolingo
It worked! By the way, the little balls on either side of the mouse was how much I had to waste until they matched.
I do my Duo while on my stationary bike during the afternoon news.
Well, there’s the hobby progress. Now if I could figure out how to do more on the weekends.
The first thing this morning, before I saw the prompt, my husband came into the room grabbed this and started on an itch in the middle of his back. I should have snapped that picture, oh, well.
Our bingeing Saturday began with Jurassic Park 2 and 3. That gave me the chance to scratch my language itch. I did a few units of Latin. I like oft-watched shows while I learn. Who hasn’t memorized our dino shows?
Latin was my first language class of high school. Mrs. Young set us up with ‘A’s and if we turned in our homework every day we’d end with an ‘A’. She was so informative with the arts and sciences of ancient Rome
The text book from the class had interesting and fun stories to translate.
Recently, a word came up on Duolingo, ‘laetus’. I remembered the story of the Ant and the Grasshopper. Translating that story had been so much fun, with cartoons in my head.
A while ago I picked this textbook up at a second hand-store or used book store.
So far it isn’t as fun as my old textbook, but it is filling in cracks of information that Duo doesn’t supply.
We moved to our Will Trent binge.
Newer stuff means I work less intensely. I started on Italian as it isn’t as hard. It is fun for me. It scratches that linguaphile itch.
I’m finding myself at loose ends. Yet editing happened in the morning. One hour of Christmas pianoing happened. I finished the balloon diamond painting. Duolingo gave me ad-free time so I spent a lot of time on French, Spanish, and German.
Did NaNo drive me so hard? maybe knitting will settle me down.
Or should I aim to keep writing like a mad person?
Five sock projects going on six.
Does anyone else get like this? I want to try so many things?
I loved my week with loved ones and traveling. But I’m finding my equilibrium and energy levels blown to pieces. Bike and treadmill shame me this week. The weather is getting colder, less stable. I’m so glad my family members are safe and we can face the bad stuff from our homes.
Not to mention NaNo prep and character development is far from my focus right now
I’ll find my way back while teaching myself new passion.
Here is where I keep myself accountable to me for progress on projects of my passions. But yesterday I got behind and then ahead on this episode.
Sometimes I feel I make other people feel inferior through my checklist. Please don’t. I feel inferior to everyone else in that I’m sure they’re getting other stuff done that they don’t even need to report because they are so good at getting their adulting jobs done that I feel guilty not getting done or just overlook, like dishes and shampooing. The same 24 hours is all we get and we make choices of what we can do. What we need to do. And what we can’t wait to do, leaving other necessities hanging with futile hopes.
And since this blog is attached to ‘Warts and All’ I’ll start with what hasn’t gotten done. My husband asked me today why I haven’t been playing the uke, recorder, or violin. Well, I thank Mrs. Skinner for this sidetrack path straightener.
When I got sick of practicing piano and ready to quit lessons, she came up with this bait and switch. Forced practice came from Mom. But I adore my teacher. She sent me home with her ukulele. It helped so much in bringing me back to the piano.
So in hopes of keeping my music alive I tried the recorders and strings. And sure enough it worked.
When my dad was in the rest home over a decade ago, the lady in the room next to his played her piano all the time. I decided I wanted to grow up to be her, or Huge Lauri of House fame. He would sit down and just play, no sheet music just music.
I’ve been stuck with eye music since I was 5 years old. My goal this time is to learn to improvise and play. Still, there is so much to learn to get to that stage of free-playing. The other instruments help with learning chords and meandering melodies. And a change of positions. So I need to get back to them sometimes.
Duo still rides my stationary bike managing a few lessons for the half-hour 4-5 miles on #3 grade. So… There’s that.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “jumble.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
When you love languages and take 11 or more on Duolingo, there will be a jumble of problems.
Sure, vocabulary can be tough, but the worst, for me, is sentence structure. I finally understand the adjective follows the noun in Spanish, Italian, French, and other romantic languages, but, German! Back in English order, but verbs get split up and land oddly to my eyes.
And then there are weeks when my brain just wants to deal with one language exclusively. Then I get hungry for as many languages as possible.
Italian has been my go to for a while. It seems easiest right now. I wish I could live in Italy for a year and absorb the words, culture, food, life.
Suddenly, today, I missed German. It makes a lot of sense, then the sentence jumble makes me miss every question. I can’t afford SuperDuo, so if I’m on a roll I have to watch, and listen to stupid ads just to regain the chance at the lesson. For those with learning disabilities like ADHD this makes retaining the new skill nearly impossible. Since languages are part of my passion skill, I put up with it. But this is proof of how those with money can learn and those without…
Are a part of the jumble jungle.
Just following my passions. Book reviews coming soon.
I’m still slowly coming around. I’m still doing little bits of everything. What I’m learning in my old age is how even little bits get the job done. What am I on some kind of race? Just with myself. I just need to be patient.
While we’re watching local news I use the stationary bike while working on Duolingo. It’s interesting how the exercise my legs helps my brain.
When I move to my Dabbling Den, Chris hops on the bike. He’s working very hard lately. He went from five minutes to 30 minutes for 5 miles (like I do). We are neck to neck in this gentle race.
From around 10:30 Shiloh and Sammie gather in my Den. Shiloh will walk on the piano keys to let me know what I’m supposed to do. I’ve begun to call her ‘Mom’ as she gets insistent about my practice time. Sammie just sleeps in a little bed under my diamond painting table.
What a busy but good week.
My new air plants found pinecones for homes.
Some things like the bike are hard to show progress. But my feelings about the tasks should be the quantifiable attainment. The gold star sticker is the happy accomplished feeling.
I’ve been working on “Shilo” on the piano in honor of
I keep a practice journal and some pieces shine with my own praise of how well it went, others I actually draw faces sticking out the tongue in raspberries. I keep promising another ‘warts and all’ session. Stagefright keeps stopping me. Soon.
Duolingo is still fun for me. I do it while on the bike as the 11AM local news plays. I think movement while learning helps.
Well here’s to the weekend!😁
Darswords 
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