Guitar Lessons At MY AGE????

There have to be other senior citizen types who want to learn to play the guitar. It can't be just for teen and pre-teen creatures who want to see how loud the amp and speakers can reach to break the sound barrier.

I will start my official guitar lessons next week. I might have a little teentsy weentsy advantage in that my teacher is the hubby who just happens to be the best guitar player ever except for maybe Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck.

So I 1) don't have to pay for the lessons and 2) won't have to drive somewhere to be on exhibit in front of other students (those teen and pre-teen creatures) and 3) I don't have to buy a guitar because he gave me his Strat that he had when I met him almost 4 years ago (that is the actual photo in this post). I'm not being smug about all this though, because I do know that if I want to truly learn to play anything that sounds like music I will have to do some work. And practice till my fingers hurt and then rest the fingers and then practice more.

So hubby bought me a small amp so I can use the headphones and practice, practice, practice and it won't disturb anyone. Wonder what he meant by that?

Walking For Good Health

The American Heart Association talks about walking and exercise all the time. In this article the benefits of walking at a more moderate pace for a longer time are discussed.

I find myself avoiding things that put stress on me, even if I am the one putting the pressure on myself. It isn't complicated. The human body needs exercise. I get it. Most discussions about how much exercise is necessary seem to be written by a health guru obsessed with how many hours a day they can run, swim, bicycle, or spend on an elliptical or tread machine. Someone like that telling someone like me how wonderful I will feel if I live like that is absurd.

That is why I found the AHA article interesting and non-intimidating.

"Study highlights:

* Walking longer at a slower pace improved heart health much more effectively than standard cardiac rehabilitation of walking a shorter distance at a brisker pace in overweight patients with coronary heart disease.
* In this study, moderate-pace walking for 45–60 minutes on five to six days was considered high-calorie-burning exercise.
* Researchers said it’s necessary to modify traditional rehabilitation because more heart patients are overweight."

..."In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers randomized 74 overweight cardiac rehabilitation patients (average age 64, 20 percent women) to either a high-caloric expenditure exercise regimen intended to burn 3,000 to 3,500 calories a week or a standard rehab therapy burning 700 to 800 calories weekly."

..."The study’s message is “walk often and walk far.”"

Often for me would be 5 days a week. Far would be one hour.

Thank You, Farrah Fawcett

Someone I admired is no longer in pain.

Farrah Fawcett was officially one of the "Charlie's Angels" for only one season; however, she is remembered as one of the Angels in most things written about her.
The fact that she chose to leave the popular television show after only one year was a choice she made. Some of her later roles showed the depth of her acting ability that would not have been prominent if she had remained in "Charlie's Angels".

I have never had the type of hair that could resemble or duplicate Farrah's amazing look, much to my regret. Instead of being jealous of her natural beauty and sex symbol status, it felt like we women were in a club celebrating our female humanness. There was something about Farrah that made me feel she didn't have her nose in the air; she was one of us.

Goodbye, Farrah, till we meet again in a better place.

There is a really nice article about Farrah on CNN News.

The Power In Holding Hands

In our other blog I wrote one of my first posts.

It was this quote:

" Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. "
~Dinah Craik, A Life for a Life, 1859

That post is dated 9/23/06.

We are still holding hands. Sometimes just to hold each other up. Sometimes when we laugh. Sometimes when we cry. We haven't been writing in that other blog this past year, but like the rest of our healing, we will return to the sweetness and affection generated in that other blog.

This quote actually means more to me now than it did 3 years ago. The comfort of knowing someone intimately and walking through the fiery destruction, only to rebuild a stronger support BECAUSE WE CHOOSE TO. We choose to keep what is worth keeping: Our mutual understanding; our worthiness; our individual recoveries that spill over into our still strong relationship. And then we kindly blow away the lingering pain and disappointment as we set our own private standards for our unique marriage. It may not be a conventional union but only we can hear the quiet tick that operates the clock of our existence.

Shhh, listen to the tick, tick, tick.

Shall We Dance?

There is an interesting article in BBC News about dancing.

According to this article, "Ballroom and Latin dancing classes can improve pupils' behaviour as well as their fitness, research suggests."

..."Roehampton University's Dr Jeanne Keay, who conducted the research, said the response to the programme in the 29 primary and secondary schools involved was overwhelmingly positive.

He said communication and co-operation improved between boys and girls, who worked together as dance partners.

And that behaviour had improved because of the "disciplined and structured nature of ballroom and Latin dance". "

The article also mentions that the dance program helps shy children become involved and that the program has the potential to positively effect social interaction within families and in local communities.

My son was such a shy little boy that when he was ages 3 to 6 if one of the neighborhood children would ring the bell and ask if my son could come out to play, he would be found hiding behind the drapes in the living room. He was quiet and didn't speak much. He was the kind of kid that when he did have something to say, it was something worth listening to, not just yak yak rambling. He rarely had something to say so I felt like I should be right there ready to write what he was saying when he did speak.

Maybe he was quiet because he was sandwiched between his two sisters in age and their constant talking was our little family's entertainment. Perhaps a young peoples dance program might have helped him be less reserved when he was a small lad. He was allowed to enter the world of sports at a young age precisely because of his shy nature and because it was such a surprise that this quiet, shy boy was so insistent that he wanted to play football. He was always happy to play alone that it was unexpected when he was so sure he wanted to play a team sport.

So instead of dancing he was running back and forth across the football field. That didn't help his social skills but it did teach him discipline and team spirit. Continuing to play was always his choice. He would not miss a practice. The girls and I were watching every practice. He continued with football and added basketball and wrestling along the way. He is a grown man now and still somewhat reserved albiet a polished businessman. I think I will ask him if he dances much.

Is the Grunting Necessary?

BBC News article: "What A Racket".

"A quiet revolution is engulfing tennis, as spectators and players say enough is enough to grunting. As Wimbledon begins, why is it that players are making so much noise?"

Personally, I like the noise. There needs to be some sort of sound to hold my interest for any length of time. I personally don't watch TV, don't have TV, don't miss TV the past 4 years. But when I did watch it, I enjoyed hearing the struggle and effort when the athletes performed. It is a performance after all. Why else would there be people in the stands and on the TV glued to the back and forth ball and the strains and pains of the players?

Is the grunting necessary? Not really. Does it make it more interesting? In my opinion, yes it does.

Happy Birthday Dear Brother Bill

Today is my OLDER brother's birthday. He is my only brother but when we started getting up in the senior citizen hemisphere, I started teasing him about his being older.

He may be older but he is definitely more active and young at heart than I am. He has a wonderful wife and after being married about a trillion years they were astonished to learn they were expecting a baby last year. In March they were blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby boy. Not that I am partial to this little nephew, but this is truly a good looking and smart baby.

Their little family is in the process of a rather substantial move back to the mainland.
For most of our adult lives we have lived in different states, both of us moving from time to time to still other states. But we haven't missed each others birthdays, either a call or a card.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRO!!! I love you.

The Four Commandments

Skilled and accomplished people attract me. Throw interesting and zany into the mix and I'm a fan. When I found Les Becker's blog, it was as if I found myself in a love-in from the sixties (and I had never been to one back then).

This blog is so much fun, and boy do I need fun these days. I wonder how does she find the time to write a post so often and how does she keep her funny bone from cracking? This blogger has wit and charm and CAN SPELL, even if some of the words are spelled in Canadianese.

Les' ex-landlady, Ruby, is credited with relaying some fascinating and sometimes funny stories. Because I am a recent convert to this blog, there are posts-a-plenty in my future to read because I plan on reading every post from the beginning of this blog. I am already feeling related to Ruby and Les, so I may end up a cousin when I am finished with the catch-up.

The four commandments as Ruby sees them are:

Trust your instincts.
Walk your own path.
Play fair.
Mind your own business.

My perception of that is:
Trust your instincts. Listen to your gut feeling. Pay attention to your inner wisdom.

Walk your own path. Decide your course. Plot your own direction. Travel your own way.

Play fair. Play according to the rules. Don't cheat. Engage all with highest standards.

Mind your own business. Mind your own friggin business. Keep an extraordinarily high degree of refrain from interfering in everyone else' sphere.

I will be doing a post on each one of these "commandments" in the near future.
And I will be visiting Les Becker's blog often. Maybe I can learn some things from her about sharing daily struggles and experiences with humor and an open heart.

The Alzheimer's Coffee Pot

My coffee pot was a three dollar discovery at a thrift store last year. I didn't look closely at it and there wasn't a user's manual provided so my expectations were pretty straightforward. I would put in the water, filter, and coffee and the coffee machine would do its part by brewing and maintaining a temperature that would keep the coffee hot.

The first time I used it I discovered by accident that this darling coffee machine turns off if it does not get attention after a half hour. Not that I have this in common with my coffee machine. The first few times this happened, it was annoying. But I have come to appreciate the convenience of having something I do not have to remember.

I irreverently alluded to Alzheimer's in this post, not as a criticism of anyone suffering from this disease, but as one more thing that could be in my own future.
My coffee machine has a nickname. Al.

My plants have nicknames too and so do other things around here, but that is a post for another day.

Ray Charles-September 23, 1930 - June 10, 2004

This post is in memory of Ray Charles. There is a wealth of information in the biography on the Ray Charles blog here.

I was especially interested in his success as I followed his career many years ago.
As a young bride, my then husband and I were fortunate to hear Ray sing and play at a favorite place in Hollywood, California.

I will be watching my DVD of Ray today.

The Down Side

I think there are lots and lots of people like me in my age group and older who live on fixed incomes. It is actually a satisfactory way to live. I used to think it wasn't, but out here in the mid-west in this environment it is okay. We are older folks wanting a peaceful life. Perspective on life on the down side of the life mountain isn't looking downward as I imagined it would be. It is more of a graceful descent to the inevitable and a different kind of adventure.

The other side of the life mountain, the young years, is much harder, struggling to get ahead, working and saving for a future that may or may not turn out as planned. Some people are so focused on this side of the life mountain that they pressure family and friends around them to have the same goals and ambitions. As a younger woman, I was persuaded that my value as a human being depended on how much money I made and what position I attained in society.

I'm not quite into the "Golden Years", but I hear them knocking on my door. In this time of my life I see clearly and listen attentively with an authority to discern my own fate and my preferred lifestyle. The simple things in life are not free as in the old expression. The things I hold dear are not luxurious or self-indulgent but there is a cost. My time. My effort. And in some instances, my heart. I give willingly and lovingly of myself and my resources to maintain my wholesome lifestyle.

Wheeee, this is a glorious ride on the down side. For the next 20, 30 or maybe even 40 years of my life I want to remain hopeful and functional and valuable.

The Sound of Music And The Sight of Rhythm

This video in on several blogs. What a fun and invigorating event!!

Drummers Doing Their Thing

Musica para 6 baterias y 1 apartamento

Found this at Don't Forget Your Sunscreen.

Muffled Noises Transforming The World

Broken Promises
Mistrust
Children of Divorce
Dying Alone
Deaf Ears
Stagnant Assurances
Discarded Hearts
Empty Stomachs
Uninspired Words
The Promise of Peace
Forest Fires
Boiling Revenge
Wasted Energy
Misplaced Loyalty
Silent Cry
Missing A Moment of Truth
Denying Responsibility
A Fallen Tree
An Unshed tear
Baby Steps
A Yearly Calendar
Delusions
Dishonesty

Home on the Range

Have you ever met a real cowboy? Recently I had an opportunity to talk with a cowpuncher genuine cowboy kinda guy and his wife. After reading the zillions of books I have absorbed over the years, it was so much fun to talk to someone who lived the life of a rancher/cowboy.

They told me about the times he had to pack a few horses with supplies to mend fences and travel through rough mountain terrain on horseback pulling along the supply horses. Then upon arrival at the distant location, he would work on miles of fence repair and camp in the evenings until his supplies needed replenishing.

He lived in various bunkhouses and small shacks as he worked his way through diverse locations and bosses throughout his life.

Nice to meet ya, buckaroo.

Choosing The Right Road For Me

As I continue to learn about myself, I find I have had choices as an adult. Making an unwise choice wasn't something I dreaded; being aware and present was the worse apprehension. Stumbling along in a semi-conscious state was the survival mechanism that kept the deep rooted anger and distrust concealed.

50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

The fiftieth year of the tragic ending to a short career in a cornfield in Iowa is being acknowledged worldwide on February 3, 2009.

We recently watched the DVD "The Buddy Holley Story" and then proceeded to read everything we could find on the subject of Buddy Holley and of the Crickets. The movie was excellent; the acting and music and photography kept us settled on the couch for the entire viewing. No potty breaks either.

I would like to pay tribute to the young man who believed in the music he heard and wanted to share with the world. Unfortunately, the plane crash ended that dream and changed music forever. Thank you, Buddy, for believing in those sounds and putting them to music.

Greetings Mighty Groundhog

Tradition dictates that if a groundhog sees its shadow on February 2nd, there will be six more weeks of winter.

Six more weeks wouldn't bother me. This has been a beautiful winter in the midwest.
So bring it on!

According to an article at National Geographic, "the groundhog, or woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots. These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost, they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring, drawing their sustenance from body fat. While hibernating, the animal's heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much warmer than the temperature inside its burrow."

Some of the cartoon graphics are much cuter than the actual photos of the little critter. Not implying that the groundhog is not very photogenic. There are hundreds of great photos available.

I have a specific connection to the groundhog; my birthday is February 2nd, so I have been the recipient of friendly teasing about that. Now that I live around squirrels, I am pleased to have that association with the largest member of the squirrel family.

Celebrating All Women

In honor of women's history month and in memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer:


IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck?
(written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later.? ? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' and More 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.look at it and really see it...... live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us!

Note: A dear friend forwarded this email to me this week. Thanks, Nan!!!!

Spinning Up, Down, Sideways

For some reason I have heard the phrase downward spiral more often than upward spiral. Maybe that is because for most of my life I settled for the downer.

First of all, I have to be facing toward the front to move forward. And I do want that. Living in the present entails being in acceptance of current situations as they pertain to me.

My husband is bipolar. He was working so hard to complete a dream of composing music and playing guitar and putting out a CD. I watched him spiral into a manic state to a place that he was unable to completely finish the music and he is now is a mental health facility. I believe he was taking his meds but he would not seek professional help while he was still able to. Since I don't have bipolar disorder, I can't judge or criticize at all. It is so painful to see someone self destruct and remain powerless to help.

The peaceful life we moved 1500 miles to attain has slipped through our fingers. We did have a short time to enjoy it.

The near future is unknown as well as any long term events. Getting through each day one at a time right now is all we can do.