Hobbies

Thanks to an issue with my right eye, I struggle to read an actual book. As problems go, it’s a tiny one. It’s also solvable. I read newspapers and magazines on a tablet. For books, I rely on my trusty Kindle. With both devices, I can adjust the font size…

Today we turn back to p.69-70, to play Molly Malone (also known as Cockles and Mussels). We initially skipped it because it has some tricky rhythms, and I wanted you to advance a bit further before taking them on! Mid-February is a great time to start…

I have always loved to write. Should you give it a try? The answer depends on what you want to do – and be. Many people think that this is a glamorous activity, but I can assure you that it is not. You sit at home on your own, in your own world…

Whether you’ve just started playing guitar or you’ve been at it for years, you probably want to get the most out of each practice session. The power of preparation can’t be overestimated! Start setting the stage for success by creating a physical space…

To shed some light on this question, let me offer the story of my good friend, Claire Duchesneau, a hearing-impaired singer. When she was a young woman, Claire was able to hear normally. She played the guitar. She wrote and sang songs…

Johann Sebastian Bach was one of our most prolific and celebrated composers, having written over a thousand intricate and innovative pieces in his lifetime. His second wife, Anna Magdalena, was a famous, accomplished and beautiful soprano singer…

As I write this blog, snow is whirling around my high-rise – our first real storm of the season. Our high temperature by Saturday will be zero. What a fun time to settle in your comfortable chair with an enjoyable read…

When I was young, I couldn’t draw so I didn’t consider myself “artistic.” Now that I’m over 60, I know there are many ways one can express oneself creatively. Yet overcoming the idea that I was a no-talent presented a high hurdle – especially since…

It is not unusual for folks of retirement age to complete a bucket list visit to one’s ancestral home. My husband initiated this practice even before he knew me. In those days before the internet, on a trip to Scotland, he relied on the common phonebook…

We read a book, the news or our partner’s mind. What if we started reading our home’s story, the message between the lines and pages of its history, between the nooks and crannies of walls, furniture and other „stuff“ that surrounds us every day…