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Sep. 29th, 2003 08:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
catsittingstillYesterday I proofed ten more pages of the Echo's Children songbook. Other days it has been embarrassingly easy--makes me feel guilty that I hadn't done it already--but yesterday was a reminder that I found the task intimidating for a very good reason. Whuff. At least it's done. Probably today's pages will be easier.
And today is my first mandolin lesson. Yay! Actually, come to think of it, it will be my second; I had a lesson from Heather Alexander once. This is my first lesson from Roy, anyway. I'm looking foward to it so much that I'm beginning to wonder if I'm piling too much expectation on it and will of necessity find the real thing a disappointment :-).
I've been practicing the closed scale Roy taught me Thursday and am slowly getting better, but I'm not facile with it yet. The notes that require my little finger to fret the string (actually two strings close together and tuned to the same pitch) are particularly challenging; my little finger is narrow and not that strong so it's hard to get clear notes--not thumpy and not buzzy. Either sound can result from 1 not pressing the string(s) hard enough to force them all the way to the fingerboard or 2 not pressing the string(s) in quite the right place; close enough to the fret so that it stops them properly but not overlapping the fret, which will damp the sounding portion of the string. A nice clear sound is important to me--I don't want to just thump and buzz my way through things. But right now I can't get a nice clear sound without trying over and over at the same fret, which is irritating.
We spent yesterday afternoon in Knoxville, getting a haircut for Kip and some more stuff for our hermit crabs' terrarium. We took out a lot of the gravel because they didn't seem to be able to dig in it very well, and put in sand on top of the remaining gravel so they can dig themselves in if they like. Since the first thing they did after exploring their new terrain was to dig themselves in, I assume this was a good decision. We also got a hygrometer, so we can tell if it's humid enough for them, and an aquarium hood, which helps keep the humidity in and also will light the tank--once we remember to go get bulbs for it. The light should also help keep the tank warm enough in the winter. We also got a cuttlebone, recommended as a source of calcium, and a couple more extra shells for them to try on if they like (they have six extra shells now--we're going to only put a couple in the tank at a time or there will be no room for anything else) and a big water dish that they can climb into to wash themselves if they want and which will also help keep the humidity high. I hope they'll enjoy their new digs; I feel responsible for their happiness. If crabs can be said to be happy.
My back is hurting worse today. I had trouble putting on my socks and shoes. Which does make me realize how rarely I have trouble putting on socks and shoes these days. Okay, okay, I'm gratefull--now can we stop with the reminder?
(I have changed this entry--I wrote it Sunday night but posted it Monday morning, a common pattern with me, and forgot to change all the "today"s to "yesterday"s and "tomorrow"s to "today"s.)
And today is my first mandolin lesson. Yay! Actually, come to think of it, it will be my second; I had a lesson from Heather Alexander once. This is my first lesson from Roy, anyway. I'm looking foward to it so much that I'm beginning to wonder if I'm piling too much expectation on it and will of necessity find the real thing a disappointment :-).
I've been practicing the closed scale Roy taught me Thursday and am slowly getting better, but I'm not facile with it yet. The notes that require my little finger to fret the string (actually two strings close together and tuned to the same pitch) are particularly challenging; my little finger is narrow and not that strong so it's hard to get clear notes--not thumpy and not buzzy. Either sound can result from 1 not pressing the string(s) hard enough to force them all the way to the fingerboard or 2 not pressing the string(s) in quite the right place; close enough to the fret so that it stops them properly but not overlapping the fret, which will damp the sounding portion of the string. A nice clear sound is important to me--I don't want to just thump and buzz my way through things. But right now I can't get a nice clear sound without trying over and over at the same fret, which is irritating.
We spent yesterday afternoon in Knoxville, getting a haircut for Kip and some more stuff for our hermit crabs' terrarium. We took out a lot of the gravel because they didn't seem to be able to dig in it very well, and put in sand on top of the remaining gravel so they can dig themselves in if they like. Since the first thing they did after exploring their new terrain was to dig themselves in, I assume this was a good decision. We also got a hygrometer, so we can tell if it's humid enough for them, and an aquarium hood, which helps keep the humidity in and also will light the tank--once we remember to go get bulbs for it. The light should also help keep the tank warm enough in the winter. We also got a cuttlebone, recommended as a source of calcium, and a couple more extra shells for them to try on if they like (they have six extra shells now--we're going to only put a couple in the tank at a time or there will be no room for anything else) and a big water dish that they can climb into to wash themselves if they want and which will also help keep the humidity high. I hope they'll enjoy their new digs; I feel responsible for their happiness. If crabs can be said to be happy.
My back is hurting worse today. I had trouble putting on my socks and shoes. Which does make me realize how rarely I have trouble putting on socks and shoes these days. Okay, okay, I'm gratefull--now can we stop with the reminder?
(I have changed this entry--I wrote it Sunday night but posted it Monday morning, a common pattern with me, and forgot to change all the "today"s to "yesterday"s and "tomorrow"s to "today"s.)
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Date: 2003-09-29 07:15 am (UTC)no subject
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