POLL: music lessons

I'm learning Peeler's Jacket and Red-Haired Lass this week, plus reviewing tunes I've already learned. I'm starting to spend part of each penny whistle lesson learning a new tune by ear.

This is a new experience for me; I'm used to the security of learning from sheet music. After a successful learning session with Dave Clement before FKO where he taught me Paige's Polka (St. Mary's Polka) by ear, however, I'm encouraged. Learning by ear is more difficult for me, but I find I retain the tunes more solidly. I learned The Butterfly this way, a slip jig (in 9/8 time) in E minor, and last night Karen taught me Tripping Up The Stairs (jig in D).

I'm learning a great deal from Karen, not just what she explicitly teaches me but also from observation: watching how she plays, especially tunes she's re-remembering or trying for the first time, how she adds ornaments. A great deal of the lesson is sometimes discussion about tunes in general, session player etiquette, origin and tradition of tune-playing, etc.

Another thing I'm learning quickly is that playing WITH someone is a very different experience from playing on one's own. Since sessions at the Tranzac only happen twice a month (and sometimes I have to miss one, or even two in a row), having the chance to go through tunes with an experienced whistle-player like Karen has been helping a great deal.

Taking music lessons as an adult is a contrast to taking them as a child. I've been on both sides as a teacher and a student; when I was teaching piano, my oldest student was in her 60s. Some differences:

- Adults tend to take their lessons more seriously because they're paying for them themselves.

- Adults tend to be more self-conscious about making mistakes.

- Adults are often more motivated to practice BUT they also have less time because of everything else going on in their lives.

A poll question: Did you ever take music lessons? What type? Did you enjoy them? Are you taking any lessons now?

Wrote 850 words yesterday for my novel. Sent out a query for a non-fiction article and did some research for some reprint article markets.

Today we have our second of two official visits to the new house. This time we're bringing our contractor, an insurance appraiser, and someone to measure for carpets.

8 days until we get our house.

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Internet and productivity

Collab entry for Illustration Friday. This week's topic: "Nutrition"
(What can I say? I felt like drawing a robot. :-) )

Thanks so much to Walter for pointing me to various maps of Toronto Parks and Trails as well as the Discovery Walks in response to yesterday's Blathering. And thanks to Kate for explaining how to get to Edwards Gardens from our new house via the trails; I realize now where I took a wrong turn.

Made Gingered Shrimp with Soba last night, a recipe from one of the Moosewood Cookbooks. Turned out pretty well; so far I have yet to try a Moosewood recipe I haven't liked. I found the recipe online, if anyone's interested.

I recently posted a poll asking how people with constant Internet access stayed productive and minimized their time online. I've been experimenting with a 5-minute timer, and so far it's been working well. Whenever I take a break to check e-mail or "just check a fact", the timer keeps me aware of how much time is passing.

Anyway, here are some of the responses to my poll:

walks and solitude and creativity

Spent a few hours Sunday afternoon in what will be our new neighbourhood, exploring the park system. I definitely need to take a compass with me, and find a Toronto parks/trails map; I was trying to find a route up to Edwards Gardens but kept getting sidetracked...too many interesting trails to explore. Ended up walking about 25 km (over 15 miles) over hilly terrain.



While I love walking with Jeff or with friends, it's a different experience to go out walking alone. I'm starting to opt to leave my iPod behind, not just for safety reasons but also because I find I enjoy the experience more that way.

Listening to what's going on around me, for example. In downtown Toronto, this was mainly the sound of traffic. But on my walk, I could hear...BIRDS! And the sound of the creek nearby. The rustling of leaves. Those of you who already live within easy reach of this kind of area may be jaded about this sort of thing, but I was astounded and delighted by the fact that we're going to be living a 20 minute walk away from this kind of forested area.

And instead of inhaling exhaust fumes from the traffic from the Gardiner Expressway, I'll be able to do my running and walking smelling GREEN things. It's going to be quite the change for me. My lungs are probably going to go into shock.



Another reason I'm starting to not bring my iPod on walks: it gives me room to think. Sounds odd, I know, but I'm enjoying the chance to reflect, to think about what I've done and what I want to do next (both little and big). I also get all kinds of inspiration for my writing during these walks; the space to think, physical activity and the change of scenery make all the difference.

I also find I value my solitude more and more over time. While I greatly enjoying hanging out with friends and family, I find that if I don't get enough time by myself on a regular basis, I start getting restless, bitchy.

Then my writing suffers.

So does Jeff. :-)

When I was much younger, I used to seek out company all the time; the bigger the crowd, the better. Why on earth should I want to spend time alone when I could do it with friends?

I feel differently now. Not exactly sure why. Could have something to do with life experience and age, could be because I'm more self-confident, more comfortable with who I am. I'll still seek out other people's company and enjoy it, but it's because it's my choice, not because there's "nothing better to do."

Fortunately Jeff is of a similar mindset, and we don't get insulted when one of us sometimes wants to do something or go somewhere without the other person; we've never been one of those couples who always seem to be joined at the hip. I recently had a conversation with a friend who said that this was one of the main reasons his relationship has stayed strong over all that time.

Considering his marriage has lasted nearly 30 years, I figure this piece of marital advice is worth paying attention to.

Fun link:

20 Questions (thanks, Jeff): Pretty impressive. We played this last night with my nieces, who thought up objects like "fence post" and "piece of chalk". In both cases, the program guessed the correct answer in less than 20 questions.

ELEVEN DAYS.

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the dilemma of choice

After choosing and ordering a tub, taps, and a sink, Jeff and I went to World Mosaic for another time and finally decided on bathroom tiles as well. I found it a somewhat agonizing process, somewhat like having to choose from a gigantic menu of a zillion items in a restaurant.

Except a lot more money's involved and you can't eat what you've chosen.

World Mosaic Stone & Tile

I also don't tend to care as much as Jeff (our master bathroom will look nice because of Jeff, not me) so tend to lose patience early in each "shopping" session. I tend to focus on the practical aspect: Does it work? Is it easy to clean? Let's get it! ... Not always a good attitude when we're going to have to live with the choices we make for (hopefully) many years to come.

As Jeff took our choice into the office to figure out payment, I felt like rejoicing. No more agonizing over tile colours! Texture and glazing! Limestone or porcelain! 18" or 12"!

Mike from World Mosaic helping us find matching grout.

Partway through the paperwork, Mike turned to us and asked, "So what about grout colour?"

AAUUGGHH.

Grout colour? Who thinks about GROUT colour? Apparently a great many people, because Mike proceeded to pull out a number of different choices. A BIG number of different choices.

Which brings me to a dilemma which seems to face all of us more and more often, it seems: the dilemma of choice.

Grout colours!

You walk into a restaurant, for example, and are handed a menu. Do you prefer a single piece of paper with five choices? Or do you like to luxuriate over a thickly-bound menu offering a wealth of different dishes?

In recent years, I find myself leaning towards the former. Too much choice saps some of the joy out of the luxury of many options. I find myself craving simplicity in all things. Is this just because I'm getting older, or because we've been inundated with all the bells and whistles for so long? Maybe a combination of both.

More grout colours!

Jeff and I have tickets to Lord of the Rings: The Musical! We're taking Sara and Annie to see it next February. We're all hyped. :-)

We got take-out chirashi last night and watched October Sky, really enjoyed it.

I also rented Van Helsing, which I'm not enjoying nearly as much but feel compelled to watch because of my soft spot for Hugh Jackman. Still, not nearly as bad as Real Life, which still wins my vote as the Worst Movie I've Ever Seen.

Can't believe it's only TWELVE MORE DAYS until we get possession of our new house.

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new nephew!

I have a new nephew! Jeff and I got the call from my mom-in-law yesterday morning and went to the hospital. While Jeff and his dad went to pick up my niece from school, I stood on the other side of the curtain in Larkin's delivery room and listened to my nephew being born.

It doesn't matter how many times I've heard it; the first cry of a newborn is unforgettable.

Larkin & Rick are doing fine. Jeff and I now have four nephews and four nieces!

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Just finished reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon, quite enjoyed it. Thanks to my friend Ray for the loan.

THIRTEEN DAYS until we get possession of our new house!

Thanks to Keith Vaugh for his help with the following strip, which was inspired by a brief exchange he and I had in Flickr after I posted my last comic.

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