Mozart's Bassoon Concerto

At lunch today, a couple of residents who sat down at my table started talking about their favorite music, sort of singing a bit of a song they liked.  But they both looked rather blank when I said my favorite is Mozart's Bassoon Concerto.  (Click on the labels below, if you want to hear a version of it that I have shared before about bassoons and Mozart.)  I'm not sure my two friends even know what a bassoon is, but it's what I used to play years ago  When I came back to my apartment, I called my friend Ginny in Tallahassee.  We played together in high school, and she now plays clarinet in the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra.

Let's have a little pun ~ I mean, FUN

*** The cutest executive officer is for my friend Ginny.

A Christmas tree and a poem for 2022

And a very Meow-y Christmas to you, too!

I wish you a Meow-y Christmas,

I wish you a Meow-y Christmas,

I wish you a Meow-y Christmas,

and a Happy New Year!

from

Clawdia and Bonnie

Two more books by Joan Uda — plus two others

At the Water's Edge: God's Grace in Everyday Life ~ by Joan Uda, 2012, devotional essays

An inspirational book of short essays with a gentle tone.  It probes deeply into life's important matters, celebrates life through telling real-life stories and hopes to bring readers more in touch with the all-loving force in the universe that the author calls God.  It has broad appeal to religious and spiritual people, providing only the author's own answers to life's great questions while assisting readers to consider their own answers.  Written with simple and compelling honesty, it is easy to read and can provide a basis for personal meditation, group study, and even sermons.

At the Water's Edge: God's Grace in Everyday Life II ~ by Joan Uda, 2012, devotional essays

This is Vol. 2 of At the Water's Edge: God's Grace in Everyday Life, in which Joan Uda offers a new collection of simply-written stories showing how God moves in her life and the lives of people she knows.  Joan's goal is to show how exploring one's own experiences opens the heart to receive God's grace ever more abundantly.  She writes of love-based faith and overcoming fears by learning to trust in God.

I added both of these books to my Kindle last week and have started reading the first one already.

Two more books arrived

I got two copies of this book for Gail and Debbie, who want me to teach them to play the piano. The books were on the delivery table when I went down last night to get my mail and see if any deliveries had arrived.  These came in separate packages, one from Lexington, Kentucky, and one from North Las Vegas, Nevada.  One was supposed to arrive today and one tomorrow, but both showed up today.

I had talked to my friend Ginny, a music teacher, because I was not happy with the book the two had gotten, as I mentioned early last week.  So we'll use these instead.  I'm a lot happier with this version, which does teach the left hand to play the bass clef, as opposed to chords only for the left hand.

Belwin Complete Adult Keyboard Course ~ by Sandy Feldstein, 1991, 1996

A practical, enjoyable approach to learning to play all keyboard instruments.  This exceptional beginning method has sound teaching philosophies, music of all styles, strong visual reinforcements and modern technology components.  Well-suited for either class or individual instruction, the method includes familiar folk songs, well-known classical themes and popular favorites.  It includes theory workbook pages and writing assignments that reinforce student lessons.

Thursday thoughts ~ at the end of the day

ACTIVITIES

You’re in lockdown.  The only items you have to survive on are foods starting with the letters of your first name.  What is keeping you alive?

• Bananas / Bologna / Broccoli / Bread
• Olives / Onions / Oatmeal / Oreos
• Nutty granola bars / Noodle soup
• Navy beans / Nectarines / Nachos
• Ice cream / Iceberg lettuce / Iced tea
• Edam cheese / Eggnog / Eclairs

The rules don't say only ONE kind of food for each letter, so I stocked up for the long haul.  Donna put hers on Jean's Facebook post (thanks for the fun, Jean), and I see Donna and I have Navy beans in common:  Drinking water; Oranges; Nuts; Navy beans; Apricot preserves.  Now it's YOUR turn.  Go for it.

EXERCISING

The sun was shining and the temperature reached 73°F, so I took Clawdia outside for a walk in the grass.  She visited Donna through the window, while I stayed six feet away (see the long leash?).

Continuing our stroll, Clawdia discovered the Crown Center bus, parked with the back of it over the grass where she was walking.  I drew the line (and the leash) when she wanted us to go under the bus.

CONNECTING

While we were outside, a couple walking on the Greenway waved at me; it was Lauree and her husband Ron.  She told me that her mother Tiny is doing fine.  We saw several people while out and about, including Emma at the Crown Center greenhouse.  I chatted with Ginny in Tallahassee by using Facebook's private messages.  Connecting with folks far and near.

The Rear View Review 2018

Tiny and her daughter Lauree (see July)

This look back at 2018 was done by excerpting a short portion of one post from each month last year.  You can click on the name of the month to find these twelve posts.  I took this idea from Colleen at Loose Leaf Notes and soon realized it works best when I'm quoting something personal I wrote, rather than my posts about books and what some random author wrote.

January ~ I don't remember WHY we did it, but I do remember borrowing an accordian and learning to play it, so Ada and I could go onstage in front of the whole school to sing "Sisters, Sisters."  Yes, once I was able to play and sing at the same time!  I think we were in 8th grade when we sang.  After graduating, we went on to Chattanooga High School, where we once again played in band and orchestra together.  Here's a high school photo of me holding my bassoon.

February ~ What a fascinating book! I could imagine a forest of trees "leaning" on one another, "talking" to each other via their roots, and sending out "scent" signals to warn other trees of dangers such as insects nibbling on leaves or beetles boring into their trunks.

March ~ I often find myself pondering strange ideas, like the odd fact that 39 years ago when I was 39 years old, I did something foolish on St. Patrick's Day.  That was half my lifetime ago!  So today, I'll let it go and be happy that it was something that I could (and did) un-do.  I'm just glad it was St. Patrick's Day and not April Fool's Day!

April ~ Clawdia looks like an ornamental decoration herself, sitting on the little corner table.  By the way, Clawdia knows I don't always see her, as she slips past me like a shadow.  When I'm coming near her, she actually chirps, a little "meowp" sound, to let me know she's there.  Is this cat smart, or what?

May ~ When I started talking about women needing to have a voice and men doing the talking about #MeToo, a man near me interrupted me (!!!).  So I stood up and continued to talk ABOVE him.  We women had come to discuss the #MeToo situation, not to have it "man-splained" to us, though I didn't use that word. A woman came up to me afterwards to thank me for speaking up.

June ~ My friend Ginny visited me at the end of May, bringing along her sister Bunny.  Although she lives in Florida, Ginny figured out how to come through St. Louis on her way to Pennsylvania.  Makes sense, doesn't it, driving from Florida to Missouri to get to Pennsylvania?

July ~ Last night, Tiny knocked on our door with two bowls of vanilla ice cream in her hands.  That's vanilla covered with chocolate syrup.  And she didn't know it was Vanilla Ice Cream Day.  How funny is that!  (Tiny, who'd never done that before, is pictured at the top with her daughter.)

August ~ Gumption

Don’t call me pretty or say that I'm beautiful.
That's not what matters to girls who have spunk.

Tell me I'm smart or I show such compassion.
Say I have spirit or always seem savvy.

Tell me I'm witty or clever or funny,
and point out whenever I'm loving and kind.

Looks are not all that a girl should consider,
so tell me I've got what it takes to succeed.

― Bonnie Setliffe Jacobs, August 2, 2018

September ~ Today I will ponder "a road crossing a forest" as opposed to our human assumption that the deer is crossing one of OUR roads.  From the deer's point of view, that road came through the forest, making a mess of things, causing problems, making life difficult and extremely dangerous.   Oh, to see the world ― and life ― as others see it.

October ~ I first noticed the tree's reflection in the water, full of leaves.  Only then did I see the "actual" tree had no leaves.

November ~ I guess what I'm saying is that my happy place is where I can enjoy green growing things.  Hmm, and at this point in my life, I think my happy place is living here at the Crown Center.

December ~ I try not to put my foot in my mouth, not that I could literally do such a thing at my age.
_____________________________________________________________

I posted something similar to this six years ago:  2012 in first lines.  The idea was to "use the first lines of each month on your blog, to give an overview of your blogging year."

Thursday Thirteen ~ my current interests

1.  Here's Milton reading in the lobby yesterday.  I took a large-print Readers' Digest to leave on the table in the lobby, and he reached for it.  We both like to read the jokes and cartoons.  "Get caught reading" month is about to end today, so I snapped his photo.

2.  Some of us have too many interests to keep up with.  Besides blogging, I attend meetings and read books and discuss issues with friends.  Here are some of them, starting with books:

3.  I'm interested in racism, much in the news right now.  Yesterday, I posted about Katie Ganshert's 2018 novel No One Ever Asked.  Loss of accreditation meant black students were integrated into a nearby white school.

4.  Jodi Picoult’s 2016 novel Small Great Things also explores racial prejudice.  I read today that a teacher asked Jodi if she could donate a few books so the teacher could use this book to teach her students.  Jodi sent the request to the publisher, and they sent books to the teacher.  The story is no longer online, but it reminded me I had read the book in October 2016 and rated it a 10 of 10.

Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years’ experience.  During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she’s been reassigned to another patient.  The parents are white supremacists and don’t want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child.  The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery.  Does she obey orders or does she intervene?

5.  I'm interested in the #MeToo movement and how many women can say, "Me, too."  When I attended a recent panel discussion, I counted 31 of us in the room.  Only nine were men, but every one of them (except the silent young man who accompanied a woman on the panel) spoke up, some repeatedly.  One was a last-minute replacement for a woman who was supposed to be on the panel and couldn't be there.  I noticed the men would jump into the conversation without waiting for the moderator (a woman) to call on them, while women were raising their hands and waiting to be called on.  Fewer than half the women spoke at all.  Finally, I'd had enough.  I waited patiently, with my hand up, until the moderator called on me.  When I started talking about women needing to have a voice and men doing the talking about #MeToo, a man near me interrupted me (!!!).  So I stood up and continued to talk ABOVE him.  We women had come to discuss the #MeToo situation, not to have it "man-splained" to us, though I didn't use that word.  A woman came up to me afterwards to thank me for speaking up.

6.  I got three more library books today.

• Don't Tell Me You Are Afraid ~ by Giuseppe Catozzella, translated by Anne Milano Appel, 2014 (translation 2016), fiction ~ what a Somali woman would do to be able to compete in the Olympics.
• When Breath Becomes Air ~ by Paul Kalanithi, 2016, memoir ~ a young doctor is dying of lung cancer.
• In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History ~ by Mitch Landrieu, 2018, history ~ racism again, and taking down Confederate monuments.

 

7.  Last Friday, Donna and I went to hear Jon Meacham talk about his latest book The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels.  I snapped this as he returned her book after signing it.  A second later she told him I'm also from Chattanooga (his hometown, too), and he turned to smile at me.  We don't know each other, but I knew of him.

8.  Tomorrow evening, Donna and I will be attending a seminar called Building a Bigger Table with John Pavlovitz.

How can we extend unconditional welcome and acceptance in a world increasingly marked by bigotry, fear, and exclusion?  How can we create spiritual communities that are big enough for everyone?  What is the path forward in days that seem more hostile to diversity?

On Saturday morning, his class will be Rebounding from Compassion Fatigue.

To be compassionate is to bleed, to feel deeply for the damage around you and to be moved to respond.  This is a beautiful and invaluable instinct, but it is costly, too.  There is a toll the trauma of the world takes on us when we seek to step into that dangerous space and to work for healing and justice.  In days when so much need is at our doorsteps and on our news feeds, how do we attend to it all without becoming overwhelmed and consumed by it?  How do we avoid becoming martyrs of our own hearts?

Pavlovitz is the author of the 2017 book A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community.  I also keep up with his blog Stuff That Needs To Be Said.

9.  I have already quoted from Barbara Ehrenreich's excellent 2018 book Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer, which I rated 9 of 10.  (Click here to read those three quotes.)  My friend Joylynn posted a link to an article about the book:  "Why I'm Giving Up On Preventive Care."

10.  As I left my doctor's office after an appointment, I was asked to sign papers saying I'd pay for the test my doctor was referring me to, if Medicare didn't.  I asked how much, was told $455, and refused to sign the papers.  I didn't want the test in the first place and never followed up.  (So I don't know if Medicare would have paid or not.)  Now my online MyChart says I'm "overdue" for that test, but there's no compelling reason for me to NEED the test.  She had told me the test could show a problem "up to 20 years early."  I pointed out that I'm almost 80 and don't expect to LIVE another 20 more years!


11.  The Crown Center for Senior Living, where I live, has a new promo video.  How many people do you recognize?

12.  The video ends with this:

"Crown Center, a place where people are personally invited, made to feel welcome, enjoy the company of others, and expand their minds.  We hope to see you here soon."

13.  I think I've already been doing what today's suggestion on the Meaningful May calendar says:

"What do you want to change in the world?  Do something today."

The only rule for Thursday Thirteen is to write about 13 things. The New Thursday 13 is hosted by Country Dew @ Blue Country Magic and Colleen @ Loose Leaf Notes. If you want to read lists by other people or play along yourself, here's the linky for this week.

Sunday Salon ~ friends, bookshops, and books

Old Friends

My friend Ginny sent me a card for my recent birthday that says, "We're much too young to be this old."  I think Snoopy would like it ... I mean, Joe Cool would like it.  Just for the record, Ginny is older than I am, by a few months, anyway.  We've been good friends since the summer before I started high school in 1955.  Marching band practice started in August, with Ginny on clarinet and me on glockenspiel.  Wow!  That's 63 years!

New Friends

Sheila, Donna (behind), and Bonnie walking the Labyrinth

Yesterday was World Labyrinth Day, and four of us walked the nearby labyrinth together at First Presbyterian Church on Delmar:  Sheila, Donna, Bonnie, and Juleta.  These three are "newer" friends than Ginny, though Donna's been my best friend for two decades.

Donna and Juleta continued on after Sheila elected to walk over the inlaid bricks delineating the "paths" of the labyrinth to sit down for awhile.  We spent an hour at the labyrinth, walking and talking while my friends got to know each other.  It was a very good day.

On my Kindle ~ favorite quote

The Bookshop Book ~ by Jen Campbell, 2014, travel, 8/10

"One day at the bookshop I got a call from a lady who had spied a collection of nature tales on our online inventory.  She used to have the book when she was younger, she said, but her mother had sold her copy at a jumble sale forty years ago without her permission, and recently she'd been hoping to track down a copy to read to her grandchildren.  She'd never forgotten the beautiful colour plates ... She was thrilled to find we had a copy.  I packaged the book up and posted it to her.  The next day she called me back.  I quickly realised she was in tears, and I worried that the book might have got damaged in the mail. ... But it turned out that the book I had posted to her was her book:  the actual copy, with the inscription in the front from her great aunt, and one of the corners bumped from where she'd dropped it down the stairs when she was seven.  Forty years ago, some 200 miles away, her mother had sold the book, and somehow we'd come across it and somehow she'd come across us, and there she was, reunited with her very own book.  It's moments like this that make bookselling one of the best jobs in the world" (loc. 1412).

Library Loot

Living with a Wild God: A Nonbeliever's Search for the Truth about Everything ~ by Barbara Ehrenreich, 2014, memoir, 8/10

This book will change the way you see the world.  Barbara Ehrenreich, one of the most important thinkers of our time, was educated as a scientist.  She's an author, journalist, activist, and advocate for social justice.   From childhood, she set out to find "the Truth" about the universe and everything else:  What's really going on?  Why are we here?   In middle age, she rediscovered the journal she had kept during her tumultuous adolescence, which records an event so strange, so cataclysmic, that she had never, in all the intervening years, written or spoken about it to anyone.   It was the kind of event that people call a "mystical experience" — and, to a steadfast atheist and rationalist, nothing less than shattering.

I've been skimming back through this book that I first read in December of 2014.

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