Finally finished with the heels’ decreases. In about three inches the socks will fly in the mail.
Just a few strays and I’ll be halfway through. I usually take 3-5 pictures. The first pic with back light, circle/magnifying light, piano light, overhead light. Each light gives a different feeling. But it seems my favorite is with just the overhead. It seems to make the ‘diamonds’ sparkle. The only trouble is you can see the glare of the protective cellophane. At my next sitting, I’ll turn it upside down and work up (down?).
Journaling my many hobbies has helped a lot in a lot of ways. But some things are hard to quantify. Or know of ways to talk about. Outside of pictures my yarn crafts just grow or are frogged back. The diamond painting doesn’t reflect well in journals either.
Then there’s the boring things like stationary bike time/distances which doesn’t change much. Duolingo has its own goals and rewards so I don’t journal. Although… Maybe it’s time to take notes and keep track of new vocabulary?
The piano journal is helping a lot! If I read the notes from my last run of a piece I see the problem spots. If it’s a big problem I start there then play the song. I’m beginning to love my piano time. That’s worthy of a FINALLY!
Oh, and my violin journal is freaking out with successes. No, I’m not ready for Carnegy, but full tunes. Not feeling like hiding the instrument in the closet is PROGRESS!
That’s probably enough for now.
Oh, NaNo is started but I need to get another 800 words before bed. I have no title or know where it’s heading. Best get busy!
Yay! I’ve finished the heels. Once I get to the heel, I stick with one pair until the last stitch.
Found on Facebook. Truth. I’m not even aiming for good. I’m aiming for fun. Music.
My newest project is making copies of some of my favorite pieces from an ancient book so that I can tape them together to avoid page turning. I’m horrid at the turns. Just not fast or coordinated to do that anymore.
The beach is finished!!! Now I need to straighten, seal, and send.
My other projects are holding their own. Not much progress. I can announce that yesterday I managed my 5 miles in 30 minutes on my stationary bike. Today, though, I just managed 15 minutes. My body is still not up to par.
Peace. I know. Who thinks of COVID as peaceful? But 2020 gave us a moment of peace. Many embraced this time as a time to grow, introspect. Many learned new skills or strengthened their talents. It all fit into my favorite part of the movie, Groundhog’s Day. What if we were given time to get better? Time to embrace our passions? We had that time and many of us were surprised at what we could do.
The thing is, I’d been thinking that way since ‘fibromyalgia’ took over my life. That’s what the doctor labeled the pain I went through. The pain left no energy and was all inclusive of my life. Yet at times it would disappear. That diagnosis was over 15 years ago.
But it was during that COVID year that I needed a tooth removed. The dentist gave me a round of antibiotics before he’d do the extraction.
On extraction day, I accidentally broke my baby toe. So immediately after having the tooth pulled, I went to Urgent Care. My mask was full of blood. I looked like a sated vampire.
That doctor looked me over. Yep, the toe was broken but outside of a crazy boot, there wasn’t much more to do. But with my temp he decided to put me on another round of antibiotics.
A weird thing happened. Even though my toe hurt, I didn’t hurt all over like I would have before that second round. Any hurt used to became body wide. Like every nerve was feeling the same pain as the stubbed toe. But suddenly the ‘fibro’ had disappeared. I don’t think it was ever that. But maybe a low grade infection had been in me for YEARS maybe decades.
So now I wasn’t working. I was living in a fear that the pain would return. But it didn’t. I was free to pursue my passions and curiosities. All languages, knitting, crocheting, loom-knitting, diamond painting, etc. etc. I was given Groundhog’s Day and pain relief.
That’s why I keep track of all my fun. The bits and pieces of my peace.
In lieu of Finishing Friday I offer this stream:
Haven’t done much in these. I need about two inches before the heel starts.
About the same for my watermelon socks.
See that wad of yarn vomit? Yeah. That’s how much I had to tink back. I was well into the heel when I noticed a big mistake. Hopefully, I can get back the lost bits soon. Once I start the heel, I pretty much stay with the one pair. See, once the heel is done, there’s only a couple inches of ankle bits. Then I finish each sock on it’s own set of needles. It makes the castoff easier that way.I don’t know if I shared but this ponytail holder finished with the beginning of my case of COVID. These little projects were about all the productivity I got done during the fever parts.
My latest ponytail holder.
Somehow I managed to keep at least one lesson a day in Duolingo. And I cheated here on the blog with the slightest post of a funny daily here.
Music and diamond painting had to stop until I started having energy again. I think that was about Wednesday.
Just a piece of sky left to do.
Piano and ukulele started then but I just picked up the violin yesterday. I just barely played Twinkle and that was enough.
Same with the stationary bike. Wednesday I did 12 minutes or around a mile. By Friday I got up to 15 minutes or 2 and a half miles. So energy is returning slowly.
With health I can regain my passions piece by piece. And that gives me peace.
Well into the water now. That dark part was difficult as the symbol # and the ‘A’ look alike in dark blue. I had to use my lighted magnifying glass to figure out what was needed.
I need another color for the rest of my ponytail holders. With only 2 inches to finish, this will be done by the end of the day. This is crocheted. I think I got the pattern on Etsy. Yep. Here.
So the watermelon socks are coming along. I debated whether to add the arch-hug as I call that ribbing but I really like how it’s working out. This pair should be way farther along but I had to tink out about 2 inches. And though I now knit Continental, ribbing is still slower. The finer yarn and needles are hard for my hands. I knit these in shorts spurts.
I had started the heel on these already but realized it was too soon. So I had to tink back. Another inch of arch then I can do into the heel.
Unfortunately for my hands, even this easier pair is at the arch ribbing. I hope I can move on to the heel in at least one pair. Like I said ribbing is slower and gets old.
In the music realm, my violin is moving SO SLOW! I figured out I was over resining the bow. This is where a live teacher would have helped a lot. Getting my lessons via YouTube can be risky. But I can now squeakily play Twinkle, Twinkle (ABCD…), and Mary Had A Little Lamb, and started Jingle Bells. Nothing sounds like music. The positioning of violin and bow are still awkward. The instrument seems to hold tuning well, now that I’ve figured it out.
Isn’t it pretty? But my eyes have the hardest time focusing first to the bowing area and then figuring out where my fingers need to go. Tracking the A string, the second from the right, is where one starts. My eyes cross and things start hurting quickly. So I give this baby short spurts.
This one, my Enya Ukulele, is my favorite baby. I can sing with the songs I’ve learned. I have a couple memorized. My fingers have developed callouses. You can’t see them. But the strings no longer hurt. And a bit of cellular memory is kicking in so I’m not peeking at strings or music pages as often.
Ah, but, wrap me in plastic and kill me Dexter! This theme song that I picked up from MusicNotes has been tough!!! It looks easy. But not for me. I don’t usually have to listen to the song to get it. Thank goodness MusicNotes has a track to listen to. Even so, I couldn’t get the way it was written. I have finally memorized the beginning.
But midway, there is another section that sends me to a ‘nice cup of tea.’ Okay, let me explain. No. I can’t. Here:
Again. Short spurts. Still very slow. AND I do ‘air playing’ nearly 24/7 I find myself working on it in my sleep.
Thankfully, Succession Theme is recognizable. It’s fun to play the whole piano! Lots of ledger lines or octave lines to reach out for.
Speaking of
It’s time!
For those who think I get everything done. The laundry sat in the dryer two days and sat near me yesterday and today. The bike is yelling that I didn’t do that yet. There’s only 24 hours in a day! I still have Duolingo to do.
Sadly not many diamonds reached the beach this week. This and my piano on the south side of the house are too hot to sit for long. Succession is coming along. The first page is starting to sound like it has promise.
The scrunchie is done. Yay! Time to start a new one. It’s an easy crochet pattern I found on Etsy.
Empty needles called for more socks so toes are nearly finished.
Huggable Arch is coming along.
Ready to do heel increases.
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.
With the backlight on you can see how far I’ve been able to dot into the suds.
Without the backlight you can see how the colors paint the picture.
Yay! I caught back up to the beginning of the tinking. The rest is progress, I hope.
My daughter shared a recorder YouTube with me. It is fun and may explain my adult experience. I didn’t have a recorder in grade school. I only met the instrument when I was blessed to be part of a Renaissance/Christmas group. We played and sang at mall openings, rest homes/nursing homes, churches and caroling. We even recorded an album in an actual studio in L.A. But at that time I was better at singing; just a baby in recorders.
This YouTube reminds me of my trying out the recorder in the last couple years. I can play all the black belt songs. Yay, me! But I’d love a great teacher for moving forward. Mostly I’ve taught myself through books and a few YouTube tutorials.
Anyway, enjoy.
Oh, my Succession song is finally sounding like there’s promise. Dexter Theme still sucks.
My poor violin needs tightening in the pegs. I’m learning how to do that. No songs yet. Just learning how to hold, tune, put rosin on the bow. And possibly on the wayward peg, apparently.
Meanwhile, I’m loving the Olympics, wishing for a pool like crazy! Oh, well, pretending bike racing instead.
I’m so far from finishing anything. And I am proud to say I’m starting something new.
Next to my Enya Ukulele is what looks big enough to be a guitar. But Enya is small.
Isn’t she pretty?
Way back in my 40s I was gifted a violin that a friend found on a wall. It was a planter. She took it to a violin maker and he was able to make it perfect for a first violin.
My daughter and son wanted to join and soon we had a 1/2 for my daughter and a 3/4 violin for my son.
At the time I was teaching keyboard at a couple elementary schools. I was introduced to the violin teacher in the same schools. She kindly allowed my trio to come to her classes to learn.
I got to learn Twinkle, Twinkle before the program ended. My son didn’t seem to like violin at all (though he grew up to be in a band as a guitarist, so maybe he did like strings?). My daughter was probably too young. She would lay the violin on the floor and saw with the bow. Sadly, hers was the best of the three instruments.
Somehow the violins left our lives. I’ve been wanting to try again but never could find one at a price I could afford.
Then I saw this during Amazon’s last sale. Even $46 seemed too much but my husband said I should go ahead.
The set up per the free YouTube tutorials went okay. Then, tuning. I was sad I couldn’t tune a couple strings. More tutorials. I finally found one about loose pegs. The fix was easy.
The book that came with my Mendini by Cecilio violin instructed new students to spend time holding the fiddle, tuning, and rosening the bow every day. So I know this will be a slower learning experience than the Ukulele. But I am excited to learn my first song!
Well, that is, after I learn the holding, tuning and putting rosen on the bow properly. So I’ll just enjoy how pretty it is and the four notes I can play from the properly tuned new baby.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to memorize Imagine, Amazing Grace, Auld Lang Syne, and Edelweiss on my Enya. It might take a while.
One ponytail holder finished. The next one nearly finished. Crocheted.
Finally on the heel of these slipper socks.
See the wrap-around yarn? All tinked and ready to try again.
A few more rows until the heel.
Piano scheduling had difficulties this week but I started attacking Succession and Dexter measure by measure.
The groove still sits empty. No bike, no walk, once with recorders–maybe when I finish writing this. A couple nights with the new Enya Ukulele. No piano. Haven’t straightened or sealed Dock Diamond Painting.
New slipper socks are moving along.
I haven’t touched these. Until this moment.
Same story here. Darn if touching these and writing this isn’t making a spark of desire click in.
So maybe this blog of self-awareness is keeping me honest to myself.
ADHD plays a part here. Flitting from idea to idea gets nothing done. Before I left the obsessive side was helping to get things done. And the arthritis side kept me from getting to the point of being crippled from any one hobby.
The only obsession this week has been finishing my old Sudoku book and reaching
On the other hand, it’s been nice to hang out with my husband this week.
Okay now time for Enya.
I know. Not a Uke but Bitmoji doesn’t have one for me.
I just learned that I might get to travel to Washington for a friend’s birthday. Oops! No money what to do for a present? Heck, I have yarn! Slipper socks! But, hopefully, these will be big enough. The sizer/blocker doesn’t go far enough for the recipient’s great understanding. Winging it!
My watermelon socks are coming along.Another pair of no-show sneaker socks are nearing the heel.
Here are all the pieces I’m playing with. Embarrassingly, that Music of Today book, I think I learned in 5th or 6th grade. So many good! But my husband says he heard a lot of improvement. Just when I thought no one was listening. 😥. By the way, at the far left is Succession. I didn’t like the show so much. I watched it for the music. But I’ll have to work up to it.
I’m having a lot of fun with this book.
This is one of the easiest songs. Can’t wait to learn guitar! But first I’m conquering the uke. I’m planning on giving my $11 Memorex to my son when I upgrade to an Enya. By the way, the Memorex regardless of price, holds tune very well and despite my ineptitude still sounds nice.
In this book with my recorders, I’m teaching myself to do harmonies so I can record me playing with myself. Keep it clean! You know what I mean!
For example, see how at the bottom of the page is the alto playing melody. Above is both soprano playing melody and alto playing harmony. I’ve worked through most of the book and can finally do both recorders’ melodies. Now learning the harmony.
Just because I think they’re pretty.
The dock is coming along. Though I’m working on it upside down to make it easier on my arms and back, it’s fun to see the picture right side up.
Ah, but here’s the problem. These “hard” ones in this EASY Sudoku book aren’t fun. I need lots of penciled hints. Even then I have to cheat and look up a few. Do I keep it up and finish regardless of difficulty or move on to another book where it starts very easy. Oh, the dilemma!
My other socks took a sideline as I finished the slippers. So I’ll take pics next week.
The dock is nearly finished. It reminds me of my son-in-love and daughter’s wedding dock At his parents’ home, at a lake. It is so beautiful there.
I feel better about my piano. We have love/hate moments. I do learn a lot with each sit down. I play not practice. I do work on problem areas. I work on my concentration. I see my playing as meditation. Here’s a thought. Check. Don’t dive in. A slight thought given attention can bring about a mistake tornado. Distraction of any kind can throw off the fun.
Take for instance, today I wanted to analyze the few pieces I shared last week. By thinking about key signatures my fingers lost their groove.
I’m much happier about the ukulele now. Being able to sing while playing makes this instrument far more fun than piano or recorders.
See those post-its? I can sing and play 16 songs in this book. No, not for an audience, but for fun. Still, I stumble, but it is fun. Isn’t that what counts?
This is that songbook.
Recorders seem to be helping my breath control. Note recognition between the soprano and the alto instruments is getting better. I still have goals of playing duets with myself. I need to learn how to record like that.
That’s about it for now. Time to get to Duo, and the recorders and uke.
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.
Where ancient wisdom meets modern technology. Stories that illuminate the wonders of science, culture, and life — crafted with human creativity and a touch of AI magic.
Darswords 
You must be logged in to post a comment.