First of all, I want to lead you to Barbara’s take on ‘Magnify’ as it reflects my own journey with screens and reading and tools that can help those issues. Click here.
The reason I love the acoustic piano more than my electronic keyboard is that you can express emotions on it. With signs, you can guess how hard or soft a touch you need to bring out the depth of a song.
See the less-than sign?
It means to gradually
minimize your
touch.
The greater-than sign <
<
It means
You play quietly and
Magnify your touch
I have not found the ability to do that on my electric keyboard with feeling. Nor can I do that on my recorder. I know you can with a violin. But it is most satisfying when singing with a choir, and the director and music ask you to unify as you and your fellow singers magnify the sound.
The voice magnifies so well. Sometimes you need to whisper. But there are times for an actual
Today is the day I reflect on possibilities. I don’t resolve. I have never found change in pure willfulness. Instead, I think globally, universally, and down to cellular possibilities. The things I want to delve into with thought, prayer, and desire. Some say cellular is universal. Reflecting on how the atom looks like a solar system keeps my thoughts meandering. When we think of the word ‘enthusiasm,’ we learn that it breaks down to ‘God in you.’ And that is when I draw the conclusion that if I feel excited, and if I spend the time being mindful about it, I can breathe a spark into a flame. Writing about the ideas helps me to decide if it’s worth it for me. We can’t be everything; we can’t be perfect. But we can grow in areas we feel drawn to.
Last year, in October 2024, on the advice of a friend (thanks, Yve), I found an old financial journal and turned I into a piano journal. In a few days, I will have filled all the pages. I started by sitting at the piano just long enough to enjoy the feeling. Sometimes that was to play a scale or diddy, as long as I could feel the joy. The minute it felt like work, or was in any way painful, I got up and walked away to do something else I might enjoy. But I wrote the bits I did, how long, feelings about the piece, and a bit of a grade of how well I did. Not to judge myself, but to watch for improvement and have a recording of what worked for me.
I have gained confidence and skill, going from five-minute gigs to over an hour. I even did a couple two-hours stints. I loved being deeply into the music, filling my heart with beauty. Not of my skill, but how it all works. I will be looking for a new music journal. It doesn’t need to be much, and I am sure I have an empty something with lines around here.
What I won’t use is my everything journal. My husband gave it to me for Christmas. Isn’t it gorgeous? It came with its own pen (I may replace it with an erasable, as a perfect journal will hurt me if I have a bunch of scratch-outs).
Now I need to write my first entry. Shh! No peeking! Possibilities are popping. And I must meet them with mindfulness to cultivate enthusiasm. New habits await.
Woke up to Christmas hatching out in the living room. My brother decided it was time to try and see how the furries will deal with trees and decorations.
Our John Deere Santa hanging on the room divider, with mermaid tail looking for a home.
Nutcracker trying to hide the stationary bike.
Dragon coming along.
Challenging piano solosNice easy carols, easy font to read. Fun, quick to master.
More challenging less known carols like the Wookiee one.
All 7 pages of When Christmas Comes Around (Polar Express)Probably the most challenging to me sounds the easiest, Linus and Lucy. And one I want to sing with (and my hands take all my concentration for now) Oh Holy Night.
For next year, I hope I start Christmas music before Halloween. I’d like to be more proficient by this point. And I hope I know those last few songs with very little brush up time.
Oh, in case you need to see how gentle goals help:ย
I started back to piano last October. The goal: sit and play as long as it’s fun, then move on to something else. At first, I’d only play a song, or five minutes. Today I’ve clocked an hour and a half! And it’s still fun! And I’m not hurting as much as I used to.
Ties waiting for their turn in the light.
The two frogged and reworked. Still not striping up like I’d like.
And a new writing goal: 500 words a day starting today. And work 4 scenes a day on Folie ร Plusieurs. But TrackBear is being a BEAR! So I need to find another way to keep track. I did get 637 words in a zoom sprint with Yvensong.
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?
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is โsomething you enjoyed.โ Write about something you thoroughly enjoyed. Use it any way youโd like. Have fun!
I know my life might seem boring to others, but this blog is the place where I talk about the things I enjoy.
Would I love to travel or go to amusement parks? You bet. But my life seems to be on a different path. I find my joy where I live.
Learning something new gives me joy. Bring creative expresses my joy. And also do arts like drawing and diamond painting, music, like piano and my other recent pursuits, writing the story popping up in my head brings me joy. Yarning is delightful.
My favorite is visiting with family and friends. But that doesn’t happen as often as I’d like still it’s the icing on the enjoyment cake.
Upper left purple striped socks. Just the toes. Straight down are the watermelon socks. Well into the arch ribbing. Middle row, top, lavender/pink socks, also to arch ribbing. Can barely see the white yoga socks in the middle but one sock is nearing the heel cast-off. I hate working a sock at a time. One sock syndrome is real. The bottom is new yarn from my son. I couldn’t wait to see what happens with this blue and white yarn. Upper right is the lonely yarn from my daughter. I will receive the new needles for this pair on Monday. They will be so cool!
While my daughter was here she bought black and white yarn skeins to teach herself colorwork. It looked like fun. So I pulled out contrasting colors to see if I could do it. Hey, this is fun. Now I need to try this on socks! And cabling. So I’m going to experiment on the pairs I’ve started.
My possible future young adult granddaughter had on a white sweater that inspired me. I printed up this pattern from Ravelry. But that much yarn will cost a fortune! And I’ll need needles. I like working in the round so I hope to get really long cables.
Does anyone else get like this? I want to try so many things?
Middle part in progress.
Printouts to practice from my 60s book.
One of my favorite composers. I have three volumes of his work . I’m sight-reading through these next.
Love this one. Ready to print it out and learn.
My brother found this for me. Now I need to look for John Denver songbooks
Yeah, moving right along. Italian is still my favorite.
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.
Saffron complexion, hooded mauve eye color, bob nose, nutmeg bristly bobbed hair, moon shaped face, Cupid’s bow mouth, wattles chin, apple cheeks, gangly body, stooped shoulders were the physical attributes. Other interesting bits, she loved fishing and yearned to wash, manic for water.
Then the#Inkober prompts I could use were pierce, starfish, reckless, heavy, and sweep. Thus Sunn Aisley Yellowle came into being. (The name randomly generated by WriteItNow6)
Not one just to succumb to peer pressure, Sunn woke in the hospital, her yellow skin meant that she was jaundice from liver failure. Fishing was her favorite sport–could this all be related? The IV needle pierced her skin. She passed out. When she woke, starfish covered her yellow breasts. She struck out in fear, recklessly knocking over the nurses. She realized her heavy legs had become a tail that swept the room.
Progressed to the balloon part of the diamond painting picture.
I’ve finished sight reading through
Now I’ll go through my piano journal to find my favorites to print out and practice.
ย ย
The purple stripe toes are done ready for the foot.
The last pair of Yoga socks are nearly done. Next comes the heel cast-off, then the ankle cast-on. I’m finally getting used to these Hiya-Hiya Flyers.
I’m looking forward to seeing family this next week. We only get a day but it’s better than not seeing them at all.
Playing around with the colored pencils and getting bits of story wanting to be told has been inspiring and fun.
Not so finished as midway or just getting started.
I still had enough of this yarn to make one more pair of socks. Besides I can’t stand to see naked needles. Size 2 40″ Chiaogoo needles TwoAtATime socks, Turkish cast-on done now on increasing section. I’m at 20 stitches per side and foot. I need 32 so 12 more rows to the arch.
My last pair of Yoga socks. These seem so pretty and soft. These are the size 1 Hiya-Hiya Flyers. They take some getting used to, but I’m liking the process more and more.
Watermelon socks are coming along. Size 2 40″ Chiaogoo needles TwoAtATime socks. I’m working on the arches now.
I never quite know what to call these. They are acrylic. Still, the yarn is soft and warm. Thick socks or slipper socks. Size 7 40″ Chiaogoo needles TwoAtATime socks. I need 2 more inches of arch ribbing before the start of the Fleegle Heel.
Bottom third of balloon diamond painting picture is done. I have some Halloween DPs waiting that I am anxious to start.
Well, look at that. I still enjoy Duo. I am sick of ads but I can’t afford the super or max. Still, I’m learning as much as I was way back when everything was free.
I’m still sight reading my way through this book. I am highlighting the ones I really want to work on. Those I will print out and tape together so I won’t have pages to turn.
I’ve made it through the ‘S’s. So much fun!
What I still need to do is NaNo characters and nearly two weeks of Inktober prompts. I tried today but couldn’t seem to get myself together enough. Maybe tomorrow.
Yay! Finished! I need to seal it but I’m starting another balloon diamond painting tomorrow.
I finished a Kindle book, an actual visually read book. I’ll post the review Sunday.
I love socks!
Up to the arches in this pair of Yoga socks.
Ribbing the arch on my watermelon socks.1
Almost to the arch on these slipper socks.
Future scrappy socks. Or should I frog and make yoga slipper socks? I don’t have much of my favorite yarn leftover.
Reawakening an old project. Convertible fingerless glove mittens. They are completely knitted, I just need to sew up the finger bits and attach the mitten part. I sewed one index finger. Nine more to go. Have I mentioned, I don’t like the sewing parts of knitting or crocheting? Ugh. But I feel it’s a good project for a gift or because it’s getting cold.
Look what I found in my piano bench! I’m sight-reading through the book figuring out what songs to concentrate on. Eleanor Rigby I can sing while playing. Most songs are too hard for me to do both.
I’ve skimmed through about a fourth of the book so far.Up, Up and away!
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.
Shiloh sleeps waiting for me.
Shiloh makes it hard to skip piano. So I’ll need to plug in other musical play elsewhere in my day.
Scrap socks 1 Milo refuses to look.
Scrap socks 2
Watermelon socks
Blue boho socks. Not much progress for research booklets.
Duo still rides my stationary bike managing a few lessons for the half-hour 4-5 miles on #3 grade. So… There’s that.
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.
Hi! my name is Sebastian (You can call me Seb!) ...welcome to my Blog. I'm a photographer from Worcester, Worcestershire, England. Thanks for dropping by! I hope you enjoy my work.
Books, games, music, and life โ 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 
You must be logged in to post a comment.