Nursing Home:
Many Buses.
Many Bananas.
Much Coleslaw.
Cigarettes for Jean.
And maybe I smuggled in some alcohol.
Maybe.
I'm just saying.
I drive now most of the time, but occasionally use a bus pass that expires Jan 8. My Greatneck (Long Island, NY) cousin Debbie will visit here for about 10 days and I'll lend her my car.
She'll stay with my friend Anthony because my house is
... not as ready as his
...which isn't ready either.
She knows Anthony...and in fact...I once posted a photo of her with Anthony and his son Antonio.
I hardly need the car since becoming a hermit.
I've allowed my musical ambition to take over and I spend hours and hours at a computer.
I put together a collection of photos to nerdily explain what takes me so long:
Using a program called Finale, I put in one note at a time, transcribing from a piano score that I own. It would be easier/faster to put in full chords at a time. My problem with this is that the program then categorizes them as being in the same "voice" or "layer", inseparable (without even MORE work).
Because I intend to eventually orchestrate, I want separate control of melody and different parts of the harmony. THAT's why I put in one note at a time. You can see notes on a staff that play simultaneously but are in separate "layers", indicated by colors below (black, red, green, and blue).
SADLY - the program is not very friendly about formatting different layers to look very nice. Here goes a detailed explanation of what I do:
1. Below is a cropped screen-shot of a fresh layer put into the top and bottom staves.
I accidentally put top staff into "Layer 2" (red), but that's easily changed.
(btw: every one of the jpegs to be shown here mistakenly identify this measure of music as being "Bar 35". It is measure 35 from "Limoges", which is one of the pieces from Mussorgsky's Picture's at an Exhibition.
2. The red (Layer 2) was changed to black (layer 1). And 3 notes were sort of changed. Comparing to the picture above, the very first note was a "G flat". Now it's an "F sharp". That's the same note. I barely get why a musician cares how it is written. I'm simply being authentic to the music that I'm stealing.
8. The solution is to REVERSE noteheads. In this case, in the top staff, the first three red noteheads were reversed. They can now share stems with the black notes, without noteheads overlapping. This swapping also changed the way the beams were - a typical (frustrating) quirky part of the program. In this case, beams were not aligned yet, so not important. I've learned to look for all notehead reversals early on.
9. There's a new problem since the noteheads were reversed. It's the red beams attached to them. The problem is visible in the last picture, but I moved them in the next picture, just to make it more evident. The short red beam needs to be ABOVE the long red beam (analogous to the long and short black beams.)
+stems+extended+for+clarity.jpg)
10. Before correcting the short beam problem, I aligned the two long beams:
+long+beam+aligned+w+Voice+1.jpg)
11. I also want to point out that the two short beams are not quite parallel. Sometimes it's more obvious. In the picture below, I've purposely exaggerated the problem, just to be sure you understand what I mean.
12. Below, the short red beam in the top staff is properly angled and aligned with the black beam. Some other adjustments were made. But there's more.
13. Below, dynamic markings have been inserted, indicating loud, soft, and attack (how the note is struck). The program is capable of interpreting these symbols when it plays the music.
In addition, I can alter the volume of any note, group of notes, or set a range for increasing or decreasing volume over some portion of music.
I regret that I still fail to understand why sometimes it does NOT interpret the dynamic markings. There are MANY variables that could cause this.
14. More articulations have been added: staccato (dots) and slurs.
So.... All this is the EASY stuff. It requires lots of knowledge but no imagination, no originality. I have actually now finished piano scoring of Pictures... and have begun adding vocal lines above it. Sometimes for more than one voice (usual suspects: Adam, Eve, God, Serpent, animals, Angel).
At THIS point, I begin to edit music some.
I adjust tempo to fit the lyrics.
I edit notes sometimes.
I occasionally insert or delete entire measures or sections.
I am already pleased that I chose to enter top notes of the piano score in its own layer; they easily transferred to become the vocal line.
I've also chosen instruments to fill in for the singer's voices. For example, Adam is a "Solo Cello".
If I ever finish the vocals, I will begin orchestrations.
I wonder if learning Mandarin Chinese might be easier.
I have no training in this.
I STILL have done NONE of Mussorgsky's "A Night on Bald Mountain". That will be a task.
And then of course...I don't know sh_ _ about who, what, where this thing might ever be produced! I've always believed a school with a good music program....because there are lots of "extras" in the cast: animals that dance; some sing.
And of course the light show (how 60's). Creation!
So now you know how I'm spending hours and hours every day with a computer.
Thank goodness my mom is in a nursing home...it makes me leave the house at least ONCE a day, and often...due to proximity...I also make it to the gym.
It still feels like handcuffs bind my left wrist. There is VERY SLOW improvement. The doctor agrees I should expect such a long recovery.
Curiously, after I commented to him that I was now learning how insurance pays for things (or not), he followed me to the front desk after the exam and he "zeroed" my bill!!
Next day I found out that his favorite charity is a local one "Place of Hope". I sent them $100, crediting him for my generosity.
Browsing TedTalks I came upon a segment called
"What Makes Things Funny"
It presented a serious analysis of what makes humor, with some funny examples. I'm not HIGHLY recommending it. But I captured this screen shot from it for my...
For me, funnier on the internet are some silly comic magicians. So silly. I love it.
Funniest Magic Show
When I was in the 9th grade, Ms. Laura Watson - a very proper English teacher - marked a low grade on a creative piece of mine and included the comment: "If ever in doubt as too good taste, don't"
Obviously it affected me. I still remember the quote!
I often debate this issue with myself, especially if I'm committing to writing. I'm having a hard time right now with the Sam Joke. I assembled it two months ago, continuing where Sam and Al were in Rome with the pope.
The dark force has won me over this round, and so with apologies I present...
*********************************************************
Many Bananas.
Much Coleslaw.
Cigarettes for Jean.
And maybe I smuggled in some alcohol.
Maybe.
I'm just saying.
I drive now most of the time, but occasionally use a bus pass that expires Jan 8. My Greatneck (Long Island, NY) cousin Debbie will visit here for about 10 days and I'll lend her my car.
She'll stay with my friend Anthony because my house is... not as ready as his
...which isn't ready either.
She knows Anthony...and in fact...I once posted a photo of her with Anthony and his son Antonio.
I hardly need the car since becoming a hermit.
I've allowed my musical ambition to take over and I spend hours and hours at a computer.
I put together a collection of photos to nerdily explain what takes me so long:
Using a program called Finale, I put in one note at a time, transcribing from a piano score that I own. It would be easier/faster to put in full chords at a time. My problem with this is that the program then categorizes them as being in the same "voice" or "layer", inseparable (without even MORE work).
Because I intend to eventually orchestrate, I want separate control of melody and different parts of the harmony. THAT's why I put in one note at a time. You can see notes on a staff that play simultaneously but are in separate "layers", indicated by colors below (black, red, green, and blue).
SADLY - the program is not very friendly about formatting different layers to look very nice. Here goes a detailed explanation of what I do:
1. Below is a cropped screen-shot of a fresh layer put into the top and bottom staves.
I accidentally put top staff into "Layer 2" (red), but that's easily changed.
(btw: every one of the jpegs to be shown here mistakenly identify this measure of music as being "Bar 35". It is measure 35 from "Limoges", which is one of the pieces from Mussorgsky's Picture's at an Exhibition.
2. The red (Layer 2) was changed to black (layer 1). And 3 notes were sort of changed. Comparing to the picture above, the very first note was a "G flat". Now it's an "F sharp". That's the same note. I barely get why a musician cares how it is written. I'm simply being authentic to the music that I'm stealing.
3. Notes of layer 2 (red) have been added.
4. Look above at the bottom staff, left side. The stem and beam of the red notes will now be flipped:
5. Look above at the bottom staff, left side. The 4 heavy horizontal beams would lead a musician to believe she should be playing 64th notes! By hand, the program allows me to drag the heavy horizontal "beam lines" so that the red and black ones are aligned, leaving the correct appearance of 16th notes.
6. Look above at the bottom staff, right side. The very last (red) note should not be joined to the other two red ones. The "beam" will be broken.
7. Look above at the TOP staff, to the right of middle. The red and black stems, beams, and hopefully the noteheads need to line up better. In the bottom staff, stems and noteheads lined up nicely all by themselves. The problem here: the notes are too close together, tonically, i.e. - an F and G for the first pair, and C and D for the next two pairs.
Below is my VAIN ATTEMPT to line them up. I knew it would not work, but I wanted you to see the problem. In the top staff, three red and black notes overlap when lined up.
8. The solution is to REVERSE noteheads. In this case, in the top staff, the first three red noteheads were reversed. They can now share stems with the black notes, without noteheads overlapping. This swapping also changed the way the beams were - a typical (frustrating) quirky part of the program. In this case, beams were not aligned yet, so not important. I've learned to look for all notehead reversals early on.
9. There's a new problem since the noteheads were reversed. It's the red beams attached to them. The problem is visible in the last picture, but I moved them in the next picture, just to make it more evident. The short red beam needs to be ABOVE the long red beam (analogous to the long and short black beams.)
10. Before correcting the short beam problem, I aligned the two long beams:
11. I also want to point out that the two short beams are not quite parallel. Sometimes it's more obvious. In the picture below, I've purposely exaggerated the problem, just to be sure you understand what I mean.
12. Below, the short red beam in the top staff is properly angled and aligned with the black beam. Some other adjustments were made. But there's more.
13. Below, dynamic markings have been inserted, indicating loud, soft, and attack (how the note is struck). The program is capable of interpreting these symbols when it plays the music.
In addition, I can alter the volume of any note, group of notes, or set a range for increasing or decreasing volume over some portion of music.
I regret that I still fail to understand why sometimes it does NOT interpret the dynamic markings. There are MANY variables that could cause this.
14. More articulations have been added: staccato (dots) and slurs.
Here - for kicks and giggles - is a screen shot of some scoring I've done.
So.... All this is the EASY stuff. It requires lots of knowledge but no imagination, no originality. I have actually now finished piano scoring of Pictures... and have begun adding vocal lines above it. Sometimes for more than one voice (usual suspects: Adam, Eve, God, Serpent, animals, Angel).
At THIS point, I begin to edit music some.
I adjust tempo to fit the lyrics.
I edit notes sometimes.
I occasionally insert or delete entire measures or sections.
I am already pleased that I chose to enter top notes of the piano score in its own layer; they easily transferred to become the vocal line.
I've also chosen instruments to fill in for the singer's voices. For example, Adam is a "Solo Cello".
If I ever finish the vocals, I will begin orchestrations.
I wonder if learning Mandarin Chinese might be easier.
I have no training in this.
I STILL have done NONE of Mussorgsky's "A Night on Bald Mountain". That will be a task.
And then of course...I don't know sh_ _ about who, what, where this thing might ever be produced! I've always believed a school with a good music program....because there are lots of "extras" in the cast: animals that dance; some sing.
And of course the light show (how 60's). Creation!
So now you know how I'm spending hours and hours every day with a computer.
Thank goodness my mom is in a nursing home...it makes me leave the house at least ONCE a day, and often...due to proximity...I also make it to the gym.
It still feels like handcuffs bind my left wrist. There is VERY SLOW improvement. The doctor agrees I should expect such a long recovery.
Curiously, after I commented to him that I was now learning how insurance pays for things (or not), he followed me to the front desk after the exam and he "zeroed" my bill!!
Next day I found out that his favorite charity is a local one "Place of Hope". I sent them $100, crediting him for my generosity.
Browsing TedTalks I came upon a segment called
"What Makes Things Funny"
It presented a serious analysis of what makes humor, with some funny examples. I'm not HIGHLY recommending it. But I captured this screen shot from it for my...
*********************************************************
... Random Internet Photo #9
... Random Internet Photo #9
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
For me, funnier on the internet are some silly comic magicians. So silly. I love it.
Funniest Magic Show
When I was in the 9th grade, Ms. Laura Watson - a very proper English teacher - marked a low grade on a creative piece of mine and included the comment: "If ever in doubt as too good taste, don't"
Obviously it affected me. I still remember the quote!
I often debate this issue with myself, especially if I'm committing to writing. I'm having a hard time right now with the Sam Joke. I assembled it two months ago, continuing where Sam and Al were in Rome with the pope.
The dark force has won me over this round, and so with apologies I present...
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
Sam Joke #9
Sam was still awed that his friend Al knew the pope. “What do you say when you see him?”
“Oh, the usual,” grinned Al. “‘Good Yom Tov, Pontiff.
Vas iz neias, Pious?”
[Both of these Jewish lines rhyme.
"Good yom tov" means "good day".
"Vas iz neias" means "What's new?"
Both lines were learned from my mother]
“You really joke with the pope?” inquired Sam.
“'Joke with the Pope.' Should be a radio show,” Al replied. "Sure. He liked jokes."
Then he turned a bit reflective. “Maybe sometimes I go too far.” And Al gave Sam this account:
Awhile back - when it was a different pope - I started telling him this joke: “A German, a Frenchman and a Polish man walk into a bar, and the bartender says …. “
The pope interrupts me. He says “Al, I thought you knew this. I happen to be Polish.”
I’m quick on my feet and I tell him, “Oh, I beg your pardon. A….. German…...a….. Frenchman ….. and… a….. Polish…. man…..walk….. into….a…..bar…..”
He didn’t invite me back for a long time. I think His Holiness wanted to excommunicate me. Of course, later, I reminded him he couldn’t do that to a Jew. He winked and said maybe he would send the Mafia after me. I tell him, “And I could send the Jewish Mafia after you!”
“A Jewish Mafia?” he inquired.
“Of course. The Kosher Nostra.”
[Thanks, Mom]
I guess I realized I wouldn't be visiting the Vatican again soon anyway, so I left him with this:
A doctor starts dating a nurse at a hospital, and sure enough, she becomes pregnant. They don’t know what they want to do.
Months slip by. Finally, with the ninth month approaching, the doctor tells the nurse …”I have a plan. There’s a priest who needs a large tumor removed. Right after the baby’s born, I’ll schedule his surgery. When he comes out of anesthesia I’ll present the baby to him and tell him it’s his.”
“That’s ridiculous,” says the nurse. “That can never work.”
“Well, that’s what I’m doing,” replies the doctor.
And so it went.
“What’s this?” questions the priest on being handed the new-born infant.
“This is your baby. You gave birth to this boy,” informs the doctor.
“But that’s impossible! I don’t think such a thing can happen.” protests the priest.
“Listen,” says the doctor. “Only God understands how all things happen. All I know is, I’m a doctor. I was there at your surgery. This child was removed from your body.”
So the priest accepts the baby boy and raises him.
When the boy is about 15 years old, the priest thinks to himself, I must tell my son the truth. “Come sit down, son,” he beckons. “I have something important to tell you.”
The boy sits.
“I’m not your father,” the priest begins.
The child is confused. “What? What do you mean you’re not my father?”.
“I’m not your father, I’m your mother.”
The priest pauses for that to sink in.
Then he explains “The arch-bishop is your father.”
*********************************************************
At LA Fitness I have now run into Joe Ceravolo and his wife a few times. Also - near my Mom's nursing home - I saw them walking into Denny's. Joe looks and sounds great. He was pretty active with the weights.
(Joe was a respected basketball coach and a chemistry teacher "back in the day". He left Twin Lakes High to successfully build a basketball program at the local "Junior College" - now called Palm Beach State College)
It DOES face the trains coming into the station. Maybe it's for the train conductor.
I SWEAR I JUST came up with this (see what talking out a problem will do!) "No Whistle."
Huh? Huh? Y'think?
Hmmmm. How about, No dumping water?
They sell bags of those cute little red, yellow, and orange peppers now. My mom used to put peanut butter on celery or peppers to make a healthy snack.
After cutting off the ends of these "baby" peppers, I realized they look like finger puppets, and might be a way to encourage kids to eat vegetables.
What kid doesn't want to show people how he can bite off his finger? Or bite off people's heads.
The finger reminded me of something else Mom did. Some of you might find an opportunity to try this on a little one:
They have to be shirtless. You ask them "Do you know how you got your belly button?"
And with your thumb and next two fingers approaching, ready to twist a tiny umbilical you explain..."When God was done making everybody, he said, [cute voice:] 'You're done' "
And you feign a little twist.
I'm flattered that a few people have complimented my ramblings. My standard reply is having too much time on my hands.
That had to be the case when I was finally fed up enough to write an email to "On Stage Stands", from whom I had ordered a keyboard stand.
You can't tell from this picture, but, following their instructions, I got this step wrong.
It's arguable who was to blame. I made a 2nd error - should have known better, but instructions didn't even discuss the possibility.
Then near the end, instructions said to do something that would actually prevent the final step. I was finally inspired to complain...knowing all too well... these things are made in China, and no one really cares about my assembling woes.
I waswong wrong. I had spent over an hour clearly describing my objections, and suggesting alternate phrasings for instructions.
The reply was that I had initialized a review of all instructions and that Mr Hennessey, the owner of the family business in Connecticut, extends his personal thanks and invites me to browse the company catalog and choose a gift for myself.
The company sells mostly professional stage accessories for music. Music stands, lights, microphones, violin cases and covers, etc. Frankly, most of it little needed by me.
I would not accept anything crazy expensive. A $30 cover for a keyboard intrigued me.
I replied that I was humbled, and felt a bit mercenary. I finally submitted that I feel blessed with enough "stuff" and would prefer Mr. Hennessey donate something on my behalf to a needy, working musician. Or even toss extra money in a street musician's cup.
"Will do" was their word to me.
Meanwhile, now I can consider myself to be a professional writer. I mean, I WAS offered payment for my writings!
Coincidentally, the same week our local newspaper, PB Post, printed my letter to the editor where I poked fun of Cal Thomas for offering his 1979 salary of $25,000 per year as evidence of his having to pull himself up from the ranks of the poor. I'll spare you details, but $25,000 annually wasn't poor then.
At therapy, there was a 30-something in a wheelchair, usually with surfing shirts. Almost no motion, nor facial expression. A stroke, I think.
The therapist told me that one day she gave him a calculator and he responded well to adding some numbers. He used to manage a home supply store.
I brought her the abacus that Mr. Rockwell gave to me. I provided instructions and a bunch of sample problems.
Apparently it went well. The abacus requires new learning, and physical dexterity. Challenges, but not intimidating challenges.
So thanks Mr. Rockwell.
I didn't think I'd pull this off - another blog.
Happy, healthy New Year to all.
Sandy
Sam was still awed that his friend Al knew the pope. “What do you say when you see him?”
“Oh, the usual,” grinned Al. “‘Good Yom Tov, Pontiff.
Vas iz neias, Pious?”
[Both of these Jewish lines rhyme.
"Good yom tov" means "good day".
"Vas iz neias" means "What's new?"
Both lines were learned from my mother]
“You really joke with the pope?” inquired Sam.
“'Joke with the Pope.' Should be a radio show,” Al replied. "Sure. He liked jokes."
Then he turned a bit reflective. “Maybe sometimes I go too far.” And Al gave Sam this account:
Awhile back - when it was a different pope - I started telling him this joke: “A German, a Frenchman and a Polish man walk into a bar, and the bartender says …. “
The pope interrupts me. He says “Al, I thought you knew this. I happen to be Polish.”
I’m quick on my feet and I tell him, “Oh, I beg your pardon. A….. German…...a….. Frenchman ….. and… a….. Polish…. man…..walk….. into….a…..bar…..”
He didn’t invite me back for a long time. I think His Holiness wanted to excommunicate me. Of course, later, I reminded him he couldn’t do that to a Jew. He winked and said maybe he would send the Mafia after me. I tell him, “And I could send the Jewish Mafia after you!”
“A Jewish Mafia?” he inquired.
“Of course. The Kosher Nostra.”
[Thanks, Mom]
I guess I realized I wouldn't be visiting the Vatican again soon anyway, so I left him with this:
A doctor starts dating a nurse at a hospital, and sure enough, she becomes pregnant. They don’t know what they want to do.
Months slip by. Finally, with the ninth month approaching, the doctor tells the nurse …”I have a plan. There’s a priest who needs a large tumor removed. Right after the baby’s born, I’ll schedule his surgery. When he comes out of anesthesia I’ll present the baby to him and tell him it’s his.”
“That’s ridiculous,” says the nurse. “That can never work.”
“Well, that’s what I’m doing,” replies the doctor.
And so it went.
“What’s this?” questions the priest on being handed the new-born infant.
“This is your baby. You gave birth to this boy,” informs the doctor.
“But that’s impossible! I don’t think such a thing can happen.” protests the priest.
“Listen,” says the doctor. “Only God understands how all things happen. All I know is, I’m a doctor. I was there at your surgery. This child was removed from your body.”
So the priest accepts the baby boy and raises him.
When the boy is about 15 years old, the priest thinks to himself, I must tell my son the truth. “Come sit down, son,” he beckons. “I have something important to tell you.”
The boy sits.
“I’m not your father,” the priest begins.
The child is confused. “What? What do you mean you’re not my father?”.
“I’m not your father, I’m your mother.”
The priest pauses for that to sink in.
Then he explains “The arch-bishop is your father.”
*********************************************************
*********************************************************
I'm doing seven "Hail Mary's" right now.
À propos nothing...around Thanksgiving time I actually had an original thought!
(Thanksgiving for me was at Betty and Larry's house. Betty - Linda's mom - cooked for 17 people! What energy! And great food. Linda is my sister-in-law. )
Around that time, while walking to a bus, I started thinking about "political correctness", and eventually came around to a recent revival of objections to sports teams taking on "Indian" names. And of course... that word, "Indian".
I can understand people being offended by being called something they're NOT. Of course, the mistaken name of "Indians" is really a reflection of Western European incompetence. Those early explorers thought they had made it to India!
Thus, it's Europeans who are being slandered every time a "Native American" is called an "Indian."
I mean... it's not like "Indian" is a slur, is it? Do native Americans look down on Indians?
For many years, "American Indian" was applied to prevent misunderstanding.
That wasn't good enough.
Okay. People should get some choice into what they will be called.
And the winner is....."Native Americans"
But consider this: After all that fuss, how the hell does an aboriginal society on this continent CHOOSE to name itself after an Italian mapmaker!!!!
Couldn't they come up with their OWN word?
"KeeChewHanna"
"Souixpache"
Something actually INDIAN! [Excuse me. AMERICAN Indian]
And that's my original thought.
Blast from the past for the Twin Lakes people reading this blog.
At LA Fitness I have now run into Joe Ceravolo and his wife a few times. Also - near my Mom's nursing home - I saw them walking into Denny's. Joe looks and sounds great. He was pretty active with the weights.(Joe was a respected basketball coach and a chemistry teacher "back in the day". He left Twin Lakes High to successfully build a basketball program at the local "Junior College" - now called Palm Beach State College)
A Puzzle:
Crossing the railroad tracks near the bus station, there is this sign...which faces on-coming trains.
I'm trying to figure... is it an abandoned political sign, speaking against a former president?
More likely it's to stop pedestrians walking ALONG SIDE the tracks at this particular spot, because at the station, the platform and a fence prevent easy escape from a train.
The sign endeared itself to me because the first meaning to pop into my head was "No wake!" (commonly posted on waterways).
I laughed at myself for that thought, trying to imagine - could a train somehow create a wake.
I really was not keen on "No Walking", because it is so...English! Instead of "W", shouldn't there be a picture of a person walking? I mean...if I had so much trouble, what about a non-native speaker?
OR....OR...OR....maybe it's not for regular people at all!!
I SWEAR I JUST came up with this (see what talking out a problem will do!) "No Whistle."
Huh? Huh? Y'think?
Hmmmm. How about, No dumping water?
They sell bags of those cute little red, yellow, and orange peppers now. My mom used to put peanut butter on celery or peppers to make a healthy snack.
What kid doesn't want to show people how he can bite off his finger? Or bite off people's heads.
The finger reminded me of something else Mom did. Some of you might find an opportunity to try this on a little one:
They have to be shirtless. You ask them "Do you know how you got your belly button?"
And with your thumb and next two fingers approaching, ready to twist a tiny umbilical you explain..."When God was done making everybody, he said, [cute voice:] 'You're done' "
And you feign a little twist.
I'm flattered that a few people have complimented my ramblings. My standard reply is having too much time on my hands.
That had to be the case when I was finally fed up enough to write an email to "On Stage Stands", from whom I had ordered a keyboard stand. You can't tell from this picture, but, following their instructions, I got this step wrong.
It's arguable who was to blame. I made a 2nd error - should have known better, but instructions didn't even discuss the possibility.
Then near the end, instructions said to do something that would actually prevent the final step. I was finally inspired to complain...knowing all too well... these things are made in China, and no one really cares about my assembling woes.
I was
The reply was that I had initialized a review of all instructions and that Mr Hennessey, the owner of the family business in Connecticut, extends his personal thanks and invites me to browse the company catalog and choose a gift for myself.
The company sells mostly professional stage accessories for music. Music stands, lights, microphones, violin cases and covers, etc. Frankly, most of it little needed by me.
I would not accept anything crazy expensive. A $30 cover for a keyboard intrigued me.
I replied that I was humbled, and felt a bit mercenary. I finally submitted that I feel blessed with enough "stuff" and would prefer Mr. Hennessey donate something on my behalf to a needy, working musician. Or even toss extra money in a street musician's cup.
"Will do" was their word to me.
Meanwhile, now I can consider myself to be a professional writer. I mean, I WAS offered payment for my writings!
Coincidentally, the same week our local newspaper, PB Post, printed my letter to the editor where I poked fun of Cal Thomas for offering his 1979 salary of $25,000 per year as evidence of his having to pull himself up from the ranks of the poor. I'll spare you details, but $25,000 annually wasn't poor then.
At therapy, there was a 30-something in a wheelchair, usually with surfing shirts. Almost no motion, nor facial expression. A stroke, I think.
The therapist told me that one day she gave him a calculator and he responded well to adding some numbers. He used to manage a home supply store.
I brought her the abacus that Mr. Rockwell gave to me. I provided instructions and a bunch of sample problems.
Apparently it went well. The abacus requires new learning, and physical dexterity. Challenges, but not intimidating challenges.
So thanks Mr. Rockwell.
I didn't think I'd pull this off - another blog.
Happy, healthy New Year to all.
Sandy
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