You know what I love most about my guitar lessons? It's not the playing, although obviously I love that, and after two lessons I have already picked up some tips that have improved my technique. It's learning about music. The language and structure of music. Learning how chords are built, and the structure they take on. Learning the notes that are in each key. I've been a singer all my life, and I know how to read music, but I never learned to understand it. I never took instrument lessons and therefore was never forced to practice scales and build each chord one note at a time. That's why I've never been able to advance beyond "beginner" at piano or guitar. I'm going back to do this now, and I'm so excited to be doing it. Learning is fun.
I'm enjoying a nice, if quiet, week. Lots of time at school - tomorrow I will spend the morning doing experiments and observations with cranberries with Aaron's first grade class (and I can't wait!). Lots of time thinking about next week - the menu is pretty much set although I want to ask Kevin his opinion on a couple sides. Lots of time reading, exercising, cleaning, errands, and doing all the other tasks that make up a lot of my days. I find I am content with this little life of mine.
Here are a few other things I've run across this week...
One of the best ads I've ever seen. I never go into Toys 'R Us. I did once, many years ago, and I was so saddened by the "pink" aisle and the "everything else" aisles. I will never go back.
Are you right-brained or left-brained? A quick and interesting quiz. I'm not sure I agree with the results, though. It says I'm right-brained, and I've always thought of myself as more of a left-brained person. (Even though we all know that's a bunch of crap anyway.)
Yet another of my favorite classic albums turns 20. This time, it's Belly's Star. This is an interview with Tanya Donelly, who remains a fave.
The busy trap. Another good article reminding us that it's more important to experience and ruminate about life than it is to stay busy all the time.
A great holiday dessert recipe - spiced pumpkin pie with candied hazelnuts and eggnog cream. I keep shaking my head…how have I never made eggnog whipped cream before? It sounds fabulous!
As a mom of a little girl, I really hate the pink aisle, and the more I try to keep Emma away from that kind of stuff, the more interest she takes in it! (this is mostly thanks to her grandma. ugh.) I've resorted to reverse psychology and I don't try to steer her away from it anymore, but I do try to make sure her toy collection is eclectic, even if it means buying her something she wouldn't choose for herself, and wouldn't you know she loves her legos more than her barbies!
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing wrong with playing with dolls, of course - it's wonderful imaginative play, and actually Aaron used to love playing with the baby dolls at day care. And shhh don't tell anybody, but he's been sleeping with the Nathan's Belle doll - he likes to brush her hair and put her to bed. But that's just it - it shouldn't be so segregated between girls and boys. Boys can like pink, and dolls, and arts & crafts… Just as girls can like building stuff!
Deletegreat post! all of it. you know i am loving the goldiblox thing! love it! that said, i am proof that girls who grew up playing doll babies can still be mechanical engineers. i also love your thoughts on studying music. i don't have musical ambitions, but i can totally relate. i am 8 months into my weekly dutch classes and my fave part of all of it is the way it makes my brain feel. it feels like going to the gym and working a muscle that you didn't even know you had...it hurts, it burns...but it feels so good. the dutch language will probably not be much use to me in the long run, but i think (hope) the brain stretching will. of course it feels good to be making the effort - i live here afterall. is this the longest comment ever? not yet. stephmodo is amazing...that pie looks so pretty. ok, wrapping it up. i am soooooo busy ;). xo
ReplyDeleteYes! That's exactly what I mean - just the process of learning something new, stretching your brain a bit and flexing those muscles. It feels so good! I actually love listening to Aaron's spanish lessons too, hoping some of it will rub off on me. That's so cool you're learning Dutch - in the long run, you may not use it, but you'll remember just enough to be able to pull out in conversations and remember your time there.
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