The last time I had ongoing piano lessons, I think I was 12. When I started Grade 7 and began having flute instruction, I had to say bye-bye to piano lessons. While I was in college, I enrolled in piano class briefly, but when I discovered that the fees weren’t included in my regular tuition amount, I had to withdraw. I’ve played from time to time over the years and I’ve long wished to have a mentor, someone to be accountable to, someone who would help fill in the gaps in my music theory understanding, someone who’d help me grow as a musician.

So, I was excited when I found out that Laura (a new member of the Joyful Noise Orchestra and also a music therapist) would be willing to trade piano lessons for both me and my son in exchange for my designing a website for the music therapy company she co-owns.

I’m not dreaming of playing in Carnegie Hall — well, I’d love to play in Carnegie Hall, as long as there weren’t any people out in the seats listening. :o) And who better to have as a teacher than a music therapist. Someone who’s a skilled pianist and also has the special ability to make you feel at ease, encouraging you to enjoy the process. Awesome. Just the kind of teacher I’ve been hoping for.

We began this past Wednesday. It was wonderful watching her work with my son. And I have my own assignments to play with. A few things are at last coming together in my little world.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

We had White Caps rehearsal this morning — no rock ‘n roll today, just stayed strictly to the patriotic songs we’ll be playing at the school in Cayucos on Friday. Lots of laughs as usual.

A quick aside — there’s something particularly fun about being part of a band that includes a gentleman in his nineties who can belt out the bass line of Smoke on the Water on the bassoon. :o)

My fellows had two seats reserved this evening for a special library presentation, “Destination Mars and Jupiter!” My son was quite excited about it. The announcement read as follows:

“Atascadero resident and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory volunteer, Solar System Ambassador, Walter Reil, will share with the audience two of NASA’s new missions in progress in our solar system: the Mars Science Laboratory “Curiosity” lander on its way to our favorite “Red Planet,” Mars, and the Juno orbiter on its way to the “Mother of all Planets,” Jupiter.
“Learn about these fascinating planets and how challenging it is to visit them. Learn about spacecraft design and science missions and view their thundering launches from Florida’s Cape Canaveral. Learn about how we communicate with the spacecraft . . . Experience space exploration at its finest.”

The event was set to begin at 6p, but they decided to stop at other points of interest along the way. As well, they’d planned to gather our weekly provisions from Trader Joe’s and New Frontiers. So, that happily meant I had nearly an entire afternoon and evening to myself. A great time to tackle my projects left over from Thursday.

Once they were on their way, I clipped my iPod to my pocket, donned my jacket, and headed out the door, enveloped in the sounds of Colbie Caillat singing Oxygen.

One of my favourite moments of my walk was watching the Brandt geese surfing in the miniature waves kicked up by today’s sponsor, a strong NW wind. And, here’s a photo of a newly opening calla I came across in the Back Bay Inn’s garden.

After I got home, I warmed up with a latté and started into downloading and installing MySQL so I could begin working through the ebooks from SitePoint we’ve had since just before Christmas. My first volume to conquer is Build Your Own Database Driven Web Site Using PHP & MySQL, by Kevin Yank. I successfully completed assignment #1 — my laptop is now set up to be a local web server so I can test out the PHP scripts I’ll be writing.

I took a break, made my dinner, a low maintenance meal consisting of a TJs vegetarian burrito (yum) and broccoli slaw salad, and then launched Inkscape, delving into my first tutorial — How to create a Japanese style Kokeshi doll.

We use Adobe Creative Suite on our iMac for our design/photography work, but my laptop is running Mac OSX Lion and I’m not able to use the version we have (CS2). So, another option was needed for me to be able to create vector illustrations on my computer.

Some months ago, we’d looked into open source alternatives and Inkscape came up as a highly recommended choice. I’m liking it already. It’s quite a powerful program and there are great tutorials available at http://inkscapetutorials.wordpress.com/suggest-a-tutorial/tutorial-list/. I’m quite sure it can handle the work I want to be able to do.

And some good news. We received a letter today from the niece of a dear friend in Calgary — he’s more like family, really, like an adopted grandfather. Last June, we made the trip to Canada so we could be at his 80th birthday celebration. A few days after we returned home, we learned that he’d had a major stroke and was in hospital. Up until shortly before Christmas, we’d been able to keep in touch with him, but sometime around then, he was moved to a different facility. We had called and left messages for him, but hadn’t heard back. We were getting kind of concerned. The thought had also occurred, though, that perhaps his cell service didn’t extend outside of Canada, and his niece’s letter confirmed it. So, that mystery is solved.

It was a lovely present to read her letter today. She’d enclosed a photo of Tony from Christmastime, looking quite well, wearing a paper crown. :o) I’m thankful to know he’s doing so much better, and now that we have his current address, we’re able to mail him his Christmas present and start sending letters again.

Overall, I’m encouraged by what I was able to accomplish today. I can go to sleep having made good progress on my goals, and enjoying the peace of mind of knowing that Tony’s doing better than okay and we’re reconnected.

Listening to him play was 100% pure ear candy. I’d fortuitously dropped my camera in my purse, so I was able to snap a photo of him — Fernie’s on the right, next to my husband.

Afterwards, we had just enough time to come home, have a bite to eat, and change, before heading over to the Bayside Care Center to play in a Joyful Noise concert.

A pretty busy day, but I was still able to have a leisurely walk later this afternoon and watch the next tutorial on my Five Pencil Method Core Exercises DVD, while my fellows went into town (San Luis Obispo) to the music store for some new reeds and a clarinet stand (for the leetle fellow).

One of my challenges for tomorrow is drawing a sphere using all 5 pencils (4H, 2H, HB, 2B, and 4B) to create smooth, 3-dimensional contours. No tortillon, no burnishing, only layers of pencil strokes. When I have one I like well enough, I’ll post it.

In the meantime, here are some photos from my walk this afternoon . . .

The Journey

Listening
Yearning
Believing
Learn

Following
Breathing
Trusting
Know

Sifting
Releasing
Embracing
Heal

Lingering
Playing
Expressing
Be

~ SLD

We hung out at the Morro Bay library for a while. I attempted to finish reading a book that I needed to return that afternoon — Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home, by David Shipley. I did make some progress, though I didn’t make it all the way through. I checked on its status in hopes of stopping by the Los Osos library tomorrow to pick it up again, however, someone’s already signed it out. Ah well, it’d be a great book to add to our home reference library, so I think I’ll make an internet shopping stop at Alibris.com to buy a good used copy.

We left the library uncharacteristically empty-handed, due to my library card being in my husband’s possession. He had kindly picked up a hold request for me on Tuesday evening when he and our son were there, but I’d forgotten to get my card back from him. C’est la vie. Mais, il y a toujours demain!

Afterwards, we went over to the Cloisters park and walked the pathway to the dunes and beach. It was an absolutely beautiful day. Clear skies, a warm breeze. Perfect.

I’d worn my running shoes, but my son had on his rubber boots and he was making the most of it. No longer mere puddle jumpers, they were transformed into wave jumpers . . .  and then . . . buckets. Every once in a while he’d stop, empty a quart or two of water out of each boot and carry on his merry way, skipping stones, collecting rocks to toss (or keep) until his pockets bulged to the limit of their capacity, and splashing as he ran to avoid being caught by any of the bigger waves.

A squishing, sloshing sound accompanied us all the way back to the car. Even as we drove, it was mysteriously present. :o)

It occurred to me the other day that someone might wonder why we don’t just take off our shoes and go barefoot. That’s a good question.

Well, the water is quite cold. As well, my son hasn’t ever been keen on the barefoot idea. He prefers to have his toes insulated — even if the insulation gets a tad (or very) soggy. For my part, I like the feel of the sand and sea. The only thing is, I’d rather not need to keep track of where we left my shoes or have to carry them in my hand. I like to keep my hands free and I prefer to travel light, but I could sling a tote bag over my shoulder and bravely defend it from being filled with a quarry’s worth of stones and things. I usually end up carrying something anyway. On Wednesday, it was our jackets, a large, surprisingly unbroken sand dollar, and a medium-sized rectangular stone that I’d skipped and that my son had triumphantly rescued from the incoming waves, holding it up like a trophy, exclaiming as he ran towards me, “Let’s keep it!”  Gotta love his enthusiasm.

It was a wonderful afternoon of laughing together, gathering a few interesting stones and shells, and collecting some precious memories.

• Have a pair of rubber boots, preferably a bright colour, and wear them to walk through puddles.

• Keep from stepping on any lines — stay in the squares, so you won’t attract the attention of the bears. (see “Lines and Squares” in The World of Christopher Robin, by A.A. Milne)

• Always include the following among your New Year’s resolutions: I will become 10 years younger this year.

• Have cake for breakfast on your birthday.

• Realize that “growing up” isn’t essential: learning to genuinely love is. Seeing responsibilities as burdens will age a person just about faster than anything else.

• Pick an age you enjoyed and stick with it.

• Always remember that “childlike” is different than “childish.” And, “innocence” isn’t the same as “ignorance.” The word innocence comes from the Latin word innocentia, meaning ‘not harming’ (based on nocere, which means ‘injure’).

• Practice finding beauty in tiny things.

• Smile when you see something you like, even if there’s no one else around.

• Keep learning new things — on purpose.

• Remember the things you loved when you were a child and have some of those in your life now.

• Fall asleep holding onto a teddy bear — or a penguin.

• Let yourself be still and quiet for a little while each day and listen. What do you hear?

• Sift through your opinions/beliefs. Which ones are truly yours? Let go of the ones that belong to others, and then see which ones of your own are worthwhile keeping.

• Take your vitamins.

• If you think you need to weigh less, first find out what’s a truly healthy weight for you. Then, don’t try to lose weight. Accept that it’s part of you for a reason, and then, allow yourself to let the extra go. Who likes to lose? And, isn’t losing things something we are naturally afraid of? I think it creates an automatic hold-back when we approach it that way. Maybe it’s also why we tend to find it again. So, don’t lose it . . . losing carries so many negative connotations and it’s rarely on purpose. Instead, try giving yourself permission to let it go, making the process less like a fight and more like a move towards freedom.

• Read Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, by Dr. Amen. And especially watch out for those ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts).

• Check out Dr. Amen’s online program at TheAmenSolution.com, set up your own subscription and make the most of it.

• Walk for 1/2 hour a day. Look around and try to notice something new.

• Skip stones.

• Own a clown nose.

• Believe that you can be ageless.

• Begin/Continue creating your own personal list of “hows” . . .

I think it’s a good day when I’ve done all three.  And, today’s been a good day.

On Wednesday, I received a couple of DVDs I ordered from MusicWorks — Al Gilbert’s Tap Technique Syllabuses for Levels 4 & 5. I still have my original records (those old-fashioned vinyl LPs) from when I started taking classes with McDonald Wilson Dance Academy and then transferred to Allan Cozzubbo Academy of Dance. I’ve made pretty good use of them over the last few years, remembering basically everything for the first 3 levels, but as I’m going through the level 4 exercises, there are a few steps that aren’t so fresh and clear in my mind. It’s very helpful to have a visual reference, along with the written instructions.

I think it’s going to be particularly useful when I’m ready to do Tap 5 again, because I was only able to attend classes for the first year of the two-year program. Up to that point, each level had been covered in a single year. For each level, we were required to pass the oral and performance exam before advancing to the next. The dance exams were multi-school, multi-discipline, area-wide, annual events, with a panel of examiners that included Al Gilbert.

As I’m writing about the exams, it brings back memories of being in the classroom, both nervous and rather awed that I was standing in front of Al Gilbert, the “Pied Piper of Dance” himself, answering his questions about step definitions and going through the full syllabus — which meant performing all the barre and center floor exercises from that year. It was a pretty big deal. A really great experience and an encouraging memory. Still have my report cards, too, with his comments and signature. Very special to me.

Returning to the topic of today and the 3 Ds . . . I spent some time in my home dance studio (aka the kitchen/dining room) running through my Tap 4 barre exercises this afternoon. Afterwards, I went upstairs to my table to draw. I’ve been learning the Five Pencil Method, taught by artist/illustrator Darrel Tank. His images are incredibly dimensional and engaging. I would love to be able to capture that level of emotion and detail in my drawings.

This afternoon I immersed myself in the process of creating a consistent tapered stroke, the key/foundational element of his style, and his “patches” exercise. It’s coming, and with some more practice, I think I just might get it.

And then to dream, exercising the courage to envision, to clarify heart’s desires, to seek ways around obstacles — real and fabricated, to move beyond wishing, wanting and waiting. To see if there’s something(s) I can/need to do to help make it happen. To cherish the dream, however small, outlandish, silly, or unlikely it may appear to be at the moment. To accept that others may not be able to see the possibilities, the value, right away (or ever) and to choose to move forward even in the face of unconscious or purposeful sabotage. To remember that I have my own personal preferences, likes/dislikes, and to allow, even encourage, others to enjoy the same freedom.

I haven’t liked or appreciated every single painting, song, flavour, or person, for that matter, that I’ve come across in my life — why should everyone have to like everything about me, my art, my cooking, my writing, my whatever, in order for me to experience joy, hope, contentment, love, confidence, and the sweetness of desire accomplished? Is it reasonable? No, of course not. It’s not fair, it’s not respectful of others, it’s not respectful of myself, it’s too demanding, and there’s so much fear wrapped up in it.

To dream is to dare to love, to be vulnerable, to dwell in the truth, to be honest. It’s always a good day when we’re willing to do that.

*a latté from Lazy Acres has the following advantages – it means a trip to Santa Barbara, it’s made for me by one of their skilled baristas, and I usually sip it while we’re enjoying the beautiful view from Butterfly Beach

Today we sat and read for a while and then went over to the Cloisters park. There’s a pathway that leads from the park to the beach, travelling past some lovely houses, and running behind the high school before it ends up at the dunes. We walked that way this afternoon and when we reached the beach, we spent the first few minutes gathering likely stones for skipping. It’s interesting to skip stones in the ocean. It was a challenging maneuver to keep out of the surf (we hadn’t worn our rubber boots, though my son was pretending that he had his on — shoes, socks and jeans are all still drying), while trying to time each toss when the water was deep enough. For one of mine, I counted at least 8 skips. My son had some great tosses, too, and then he moved on to finding stones that would make BIG splashes. Pure fun.

While we were there, I was wishing I’d had my camera. The moment special, the lighting and reflections beautiful. But, I know the memory of this afternoon will stay with me for a very long time.