Yesterday Jacque got us to consider what we may have forgotten.
Now we’ll reclaim some of what was lost.
Today’s guest blog is by Barbara in Robbinsdale.
On MLK Day when Dale asked for our favorite “freedom” music, I dove back into the far reaches of my closet and found my beloved guitar songbooks, which gave me titles to the songs rattling around in my brain. It was like finding gold.
Not only were there songbooks, but there was My Guitar. Oh my! Hauled the case out, opened it to find only two strings missing. In my wisdom in some former life, I had bought a full set of strings, so for the next hour or so I tried to remember how to restring the thing. Did a messy job, but got it strung. I play by ear, so tuning is still, happily, not a problem. I was set to go.
Opened my homemade book to Hey Nellie Nellie – a Civil War song from a Judy Collins album – and tried out the C chord. Woops, that wasn’t a C chord. I’d forgotten how to play a C chord! You get the picture. It wasn’t pretty, and by the end of the next hour my fingertips were very sore (and the nails of my left hand clipped), but I could play, s-l-o-w-l-y, a C, G, D, F, A and A minor (Am), Em… I went to bed with aching hand, but determined heart.
Back in my twenties I learned from peers how to play by chording, hardly ever delving into anything complex. Guitars are like that – if you know six (6) basic chords, (especially if you can hear where they belong) and a couple of pick patterns, you can play 90% of the music you like. I got good enough to, say, lead small groups of singers (and primary school children are particularly forgiving). And I once got brave enough to sing a couple of songs with a friend at an Open Mike night at the Mirimar Beach Inn.
So this is a bit like riding a bike… it is coming back. In the couple of weeks that have passed, I’ve been trying to play a little every day. I bought a stand to hold my beautiful little Gibson when it’s not in its case, which means it’s visible and I remember to play. I have visions of learning lots of “new” songs I’ve absorbed over the years from The Morning and Dale Connelly Shows, teaching myself some new chords, maybe even taking lessons, which I’ve never done.
What kind of lessons (or classes) would you take if you had the all the time and resources needed?
Trail Baboon 
Morning all! Nice piece BiR, love that you’ve reclaimed your guitarship!
I’ll try not to go on all day, but taking classes and learning stuff is my favorite thing. If money weren’t an object, the full time job would be gone and I’d be a full time student! So, I’ll try to keep the list to a minimum.
Batiking (I have gone so far as to check out books from library)
Cross-country skiing
How to make cheese (was signed up for a class at Cooks on Crocus, but it was cancelled)
How to play the steel drum
I could go on all day!
LikeLike
what kind of cheese, VS?
LikeLike
Well, really any kind of cheese. I’ve read that soft cheeses are the easiest and good to start with. The class was a mozzarella class, I believe.
LikeLike
If you ever decide to take up batiking, check out the classes at the Textile Center. One of my good friends has been taking shibori classes there, and she loves it!
LikeLike
Thanks!
LikeLike
ill bet steel drum lessons are available on utube. the stuff available for guitar, tuba vioin etc is incredible. steeldrums are available on line too. go girl
LikeLike
Good morning to all,
BiR, good for you. I’ve tried to learn to play a musical instrument, and didn’t get it done. Maybe I will still manage to learn to play my autoharp now that there is a person in my family who can keep it tuned for me.
My biggest wish would be to learn to speak spanish. I’m told older people, like me, have a lot of trouble learning a new language and I am slow when it comes to learning this kind of thing. I haven’t given up on learning spanish and still think if I make a little better effort I can do it.
LikeLike
Lots to think about, Barbara, thanks.
Mostly I think about revisiting old interests…lessons taken long ago — painting in oils and water colors, riding — dressage and jumping–horses…but currently eager to have lessons in Norwegian. Jim, if I can learn a language at my (tender) age, you can as well. I was never good at learning language either — I got Bs in Spanish in high school — then flunked an intermediate class in college. Was so humiliated that I decided to go into elementary education so I wouldn’t have a language requirement.
But five months in German speaking Switzerland, I learned enough to get around…so felt less humiliated and intimidated. A few years ago, while doing genealogy research, then a visit to Norway and Sweden, I braved a community ed class, Concordia Language camp for adults and various self-directed instruction books. I long to spend a month or more in Norway to be “immersed” as they say, to hear the language more…that’s what I would do if I had the time and freedom to do…and hope to do eventually. More classes coming up in March, then Skog Fjorden in April…slowly but surely.
Jim, if I can do it, so can you! I recommend Concordia, but perhaps there are Spanish teachers closer to Clarks Grove?
LikeLike
Some times, when I traveled, I was able to learn some very basic phases of the language of the country I was visiting. You really get a good response from most people when you try to use their language. I will probably never be real good at speaking a second language, but I’m sure I can learn enough to get by in another language if I try.
LikeLike
try the library berlitz course. its not too bad.
LikeLike
thanks, BiR – i think this will be a busy day. i’d be surprised if this congress weren’t full of eager learners!
things i should learn about but don’t want to: medicare, financial stuff, taxes, cleaning, facebook, cellular phones.
things i want to learn about:
there are some two-day cheesemaking classes out in Massachusetts http://www.cheesemaking.com/JimW.html
and i’d love a carpentry course – how to build things that last
and a good food preservation course
we already sign up for every phenology class we can (with naturalist friend Larry Weber) at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet
soapmaking
i’d like to learn to build a lawnchair out of willow (there is a course at North House Folk School in Grand Marais)
in fact almost any class that NHFS offers
LikeLike
Well, yes, first there would be the long-term residency at NHFS-I can only pick up their catalog (which I sometimes happen upon around St Paul) and look at it when I am in a very up mood. Otherwise, it is just an exercise in pure frustration.
LikeLike
NHFS?
LikeLike
North House Folks School in Grand Marais – not cheap, but lots of fun!
LikeLike
Thanks, I think I’ve read about that place, sounds wonderful.
LikeLike
There are some cheese making classes closer to home as well. There’s a really nice looking weekend bed & breakfast kind of thing in western Wisconsin that is out of my price range, but there are a few more smaller endeavors, so I’m actually hoping to get signed up for something (after gymnastics season!).
LikeLike
http://www.shepherdswayfarms.com/ourproducts/classes/
short classes, not as expensive and closer to home – they use sheeps’ milk –
i think Green Pastures dairy MAY begin some classes also – our Goat Ladies Club got to make a gouda with our goats’ milk last summer and i think they were thinking about classes sometime in the future (their usual URL takes me to a pinball page – some problems there, i guess)
VS, if you want to talk about this more, send me a “comment” thru Steve’s blog (click on my name above) and send me your email. we’ll not post your comment, keep it private so i can contact you.
LikeLike
VS, if you want a good online source on cheese making go to http://www.sfa-mn.org and you will find a forum on cheese making. However, I’m sure BiB can tell any thing you want to know or knows where to find it. My Dad was raised in cheese factories where my Grandfather made cheese, bu I don’t know very much about cheese making.
LikeLike
Jim – i saw that a year ago or so – checked it out eagerly and found almost NO discussion. questions posted but no answers. 4 posted in 2009 and one reply but not an answer. it has great potential….. people get busy, i guess.
i am NOT an expert – just beginning with only three years, lots of books, a couple short classes. lots to learn!
LikeLike
barb, tried to buy goat cheese in Sonoma Valley surrounded by goats. Nope.
LikeLike
Clyde – are you close to Pescadero?? http://www.harleyfarms.com
LikeLike
BiB – Have you been to this place? Love their map! I almost moved to Pescadero from Half Moon Bay back in the day…
LikeLike
Okay BiB. Good to get your feed back on the SFA forum on cheese making.
LikeLike
BiR – nah, never been to Harley Farms, but some of us in the Goat Ladies’ Club do fantasize about having a big, wonderful place like that – with barn dinners (or pasture dinners), tours, a farmstead cheesery, etc.
Jim in CG – i’m not complaining, just saying that one could wait awhile if one had a question. one of the farmers at the Shepherds Way (Jodi) i think is the one that runs the forum. maybe just need to get the word out more?? you’re trying to!
LikeLike
thanks, BiR – i think this will be a busy day. i’d be surprised if this congress weren’t full of eager learners!
things i should learn about but don’t want to: medicare, financial stuff, taxes, cleaning, facebook, cellular phones.
things i want to learn about:
there are some two-day cheesemaking classes out in Massachusetts http://www.cheesemaking.com/JimW.html
and i’d love a carpentry course – how to build things that last
and a good food preservation course
we already sign up for every phenology class we can (with naturalist friend Larry Weber) at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet
soapmaking
i’d like to learn to build a lawnchair out of willow (there is a course at North House Folk School in Grand Marais)
in fact almost any class that NHFS offers
a gracious, good, and stimulating morning to You All!
LikeLike
oops – sorry
LikeLike
Besides the residency at NHFS, there would be:
Kayaking, cordwood house building, stone wall building, snow shoeing, cross-country skiing, fleece goat raising, spinning, weaving, tatting, off the grid housing, sustainable gardening, cabinet making, folk harp, pastry making, the above mentioned cheese making, wine and beer making, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Hindi.
Then there are all the things I know how to do, but can’t find the time to get better at or even do at all, and all the things I would like to learn about by reading more.
As it is, just getting the house to any sort of level of domestic bliss seems beyond my grasp, but hope springs eternal-all of which sent me looking for this:
LikeLike
very apropos
and how does one create these links? that’s another thing i should learn…
LikeLike
ah, there I can help you.
Under the video, click the button that says “Share”. That will give you a whole bunch of buttons, but what you want is the “link”, which is the web address that has a sort of side-ways 8 that with imagination could be thought of as 3 “links” in a chain (very clever). Copy that web address, paste it in your comments. Done and done.
LikeLike
thanks, MIG! i’ll try it sometime soon
LikeLike
Those who managed me as a child determined at a very early age that I was musically handicapped. So . . . no wasted money on lessons. Not until I was in grad school did I question that. I heard the 12 string guitar music of Leo Kottke, and suddenly life would not be complete unless I could make a similar noise. Years of painfully slow progress finally enabled me to play well enough to impress a few girls who were already smitten with me or those who were on something.
One day I listened carefully to a recording in which I played a tune I liked by John Fahey. Suddenly I saw how badly I was playing, and my disgust was so overwhelming I closed my guitar case for three years.
Then, because I wanted to give my daughter a CD of my guitar playing (with all the missed notes because it had to sound like ME), I took the instrument up again. It took two years of hard work to get back to the level of incompetence I had attained before quitting. I made that CD for the Christmas of 2003, and since then I have taken a pledge to quit abusing innocent guitars. I recently sold my guitar.
It would be a joy to play guitar again, especially with a good teacher. Like others, I could happily take almost any course at the NHFS. An old friend teaches boat-making there. In an ideal world, I’d sit down with a pennywhistle and a bottle of Tullamore Dew with someone with great patience and mastery of that instrument. It would be a thrill to study photography with someone truly gifted.
Nice topic, BiR! I hope the nursing isn’t wearing you down.
LikeLike
Husband is more independent every day, recovering at a pace I can hardly comprehend! Eventually I’m going to become redundant.
LikeLike
never
LikeLike
hooray
LikeLike
Good news! That’s wonderful to hear, Barbara. Keep playing your guitar and practicing. The world needs more music!
LikeLike
My awful little parochial school was able to offer music lessons for one year, when I was in 6th grade. I wanted to play drums, but the only boy in band was given the drums (hyperactive, so he was terrible!) and I got stuck with flute. I’ve had a couple of workshops on hand drumming, so with enough time and money I’d learn the doumbek. There are a half-dozen languages I’d like to learn, of course. Then I’d like to study Tai Chi, become an expert at Hardangersom, learn chip carving, become a great vegan cook, sew (fitted!) clothing, build furniture, get good enough at cross stitching and embroidery to design my own patterns…I know there’s more, but that’s all I can think of at the moment.
LikeLike
Oh, and how could I have forgotten–learn to sing!
LikeLike
Is Hardangersom a sort of needlework, CG?
LikeLike
The U of M used to offer a tailoring class through Extension on the St. Paul campus. It was part of their apparel design program – so more about “real” clothes and not costuming (like you might get through the theater department). Started you with basics, took you through making a “sloper,” and really packed a lot into one course. You will learn how to properly fit clothes (and why, no matter how much you dream, some clothes will just never fit properly on you). If they still offer it, I’d recommend it.
LikeLike
I believe both the Textile Center and Treadle Yard Goods on Grand in St Paul also offer classes in patterning and sewing garments.
LikeLike
I would like to learn trumpet, Hardanger fiddle, accordion and possibly the ukulele (the last I might be able to teach myself with a little help from a neighbor). I would like to speak Norwegian and Italian (so I can, in the former case, speak with my Norwegian cousins in their native language, and the latter so I can understand opera without the supertitles). Also wood carving and turning, faux paint finishes, and how to rebuild an engine (or maybe even the whole car). Taping and drywall might be useful too (the right way). And more piano lessons; I’d love to learn stride piano (once I can get a piano again).
Mostly, though, I’d like to learn how to manage my time better so I could carve out an extra 30-60 minutes in the day, without giving up sleep, for writing. This may require patience on my part – I may just have to wait until Daughter is a little older and a little more self-sufficient (and may have to get better about not feeling guilty telling Husband, “go away – you can tell me about that thing you heard on Midday in half an hour”).
LikeLike
I would like to learn to weave and do Hardanger embroidery. There is a needlework shop in Fargo called The Nordic Needle and I drool when I see the patterns for that embroidery.
LikeLike
There is a free, online course in hardangar embroidery here:
http://www.needlework-tips-and-techniques.com/hardanger-embroidery.html
Also has a section on designing needlework for Crow Girl!
LikeLike
Thanks so much!
LikeLike
It occurs to me that this group could form a teaching collective for some of these, as there are already a lot of skills, and as BiB noted, plenty of eager learners.
Guitar revival was interrupted, but Gibson has been patient and it may be the day to bring her out again. I should probably name her at this point. Any ideas?
LikeLike
Freja perhaps? Gudrid (the “Far Traveler” in the Norse Sagas)? Bob (short and easy to remember)?
LikeLike
I knew a guy with an upright bass named Bob. It was a good name.
LikeLike
if Alba has a doeling in March, she will be name Freja! good name for a goat, good name for a guitar!
LikeLike
ya but what was his bass’s name?
LikeLike
Off Topic/Side track: Anna, I was able to convince our bookclub to read Far Traveler! And since I’ve already read it, I’m headed for the Sagas. :-))
LikeLike
“Far Traveler” made me want to read the sagas, too – I’ve got them by my bed, but haven’t gotten into that part of the stack yet.
LikeLike
How about naming the guitar Elizabeth, after Elizabeth Cotten?
She played guitar from an early age, but gave it up after she married and had a child. Then later in life she took it up again and made a name for herself.
According to Wikipedia, she named her guitar Stella.
LikeLike
Clogging
Harsichord
LikeLike
tap-dancing!
LikeLike
Ohhh…. and belly dancing!
LikeLike
If you really want to take tap-dancing, a number of the local dance schools teach adult tap. I took for a few years at a studio on 44th and France – the studio has changed hands, but they may still teach tap. It’s great fun.
LikeLike
Morning–
Good for you BiR! But tell me this; do you have it next to your bed so you can jump out of bed and immediately play guitar? That’s the recommended spot for it I’ve heard…
It would be fun to play guitar… I’ve got the banjo out and I’m slowly plucking away at that.. piano would be fun too. I would like to know more about weather and clouds…
And how to paint better… and how to take a car engine apart, (actually I’ve got the ‘Apart’ thing down… it’s the putting back together properly part I need to learn),
I’d like to learn how to program higher end lighting consoles and its ‘Reverse Polish Notation’ language…
And more about spices and cooking. And and and……………..
LikeLike
When you learn the “back together” part of the engine stuff, lemme know. I’ve gotten a carburetor apart and back together, but those are smaller and have fewer parts. An engine seems like much more of an accomplishment.
LikeLike
I can do brakes; the older drum brakes are kinda fun with all their springs and clips… not so much fun laying in the snow… but inside on a lift in a heated garage- yeah. Fun!
LikeLike
the trick is take good pictures as you go so you do not have to rely on memory when reassembling. you are an expert the second time. one time i did a vw bus and the guy i was working with messed up a part that wrapped around the cranckshaft in the deepest darkest part of the engine well it only took until banff for the engine to blow so i had to take it apart and get those parts redone and put it back together but because i had just done it 1500 mile ago it took less than a day in the middle of the winter to get it done . afternoon to take it out drive to town and wait for the parts to get reworked and put it back together that night back in the car first thing in the morning. bet it would take a little longer today. ben i admire your rear brake ability. i got the camera out to take the pictures but chickened out and paid the mechanic who laughed and called me a scardy cat.
LikeLike
I’ve always thought restoring a classic car would be a fine mother and son project….
LikeLike
My mechanic almost had me talked into buying some flavor of early 70s vintage convertible on the theory that he could help me work on it (his theory was that a car of that vintage would be relatively easy to work on, and at the time could have been gotten pretty cheaply). I think he wanted the excuse to play with another car…but it does seem like it might be fun.
LikeLike
…. uh Anna, sounds to me like he just wanted to hang out with ANNA!
Did you read yesterdays poem in ‘The Writers Almanac’? It was titled ‘Daily I Fall in Love with Mechanics’.
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2011/02/08
LikeLike
Possible, Ben, possible – but knowing this guy, it really was about having another car to play around with (that he wouldn’t have to explain to his wife…). He is a soft-spoken gear-head, and a gear-heads gear-head at that. Also, a good Explainer of Things Mechanical – a lot of what I know about cars is from learning about what has been fixed on my cars.
Thanks for the link to the poem – I liked it lots.
LikeLike
motorcycle repair
indian cooking
trumpet
chinese
breadmaking
italian
painting
carving
build a sauna is in the summers plans,
LikeLike
Speaking of Italian paintings…or Italians painting…Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting at the MIA, through the first of May.
LikeLike
Indian cooking is a breeze, and liing where you do you have access to the more esoteric ingredients that you would need. We do a lot of indiant cooking and I find it so tasty and healthful.
LikeLike
Do you have a favorite book?
LikeLike
I have two-Classsic Indian Cooking by Julie Sahni, and 1000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra. The latter book is interesting since she uses the pressure cooker a lot when doing dal, and has lots of vegetarian recipes. The first book is smaller but has wonderful recipes all the same.
LikeLike
I have been frustrated. If there is an Indian cookbook with recipes tuned up for simplicity, I haven’t seen it. As much as I love Indian recipes, the number of ingredients is usually intimidatingly long. Chinese cuisine has been adapted for faster preparation, but I haven’t seen that with Indian recipes yet.
LikeLike
Steve… try to find some of Bal Arneson’s cookbooks (I know the Mpls library system has a couple). They are pretty easy recipes to follow. She’s got a show on the new Cooking Channel called Spice Goddess and the teenager and I have made a couple of her recipes. Not too difficult and very yummy!
LikeLike
I love taking classes – I’d do it more often, but it does run into money. And there’s a time investment, too, of course. I’ve taken tennis and cross country ski lessons, a basic auto repair class, a photography class, jazz dance, and a course in native plant propagation. Still have a lot of things on the wish list – kayaking, bike repair, window repair, mosaic, Spanish, harmonica, folk dance. Just to name a few.
LikeLike
Oh, and I also do tax training every year for VITA certification from the IRS. So BiB, if you have tax questions, I could probably help. Unless it’s a S-corporation or something.
LikeLike
Linda in WSP – want to learn to milk a goat in trade for tax help?? ha, ha! thanks for the offer; i am doing my Mom’s taxes for 2010 – not a problem – but for 2011 (she lived 13 days into 2011) i’m wondering what i need to do. but that can wait until next year 🙂
LikeLike
I didn’t realize you were dealing with the death of your mother; I’m sorry to hear it. I know she had been in decline for a long time, but it’s still not a happy time, even when there is a sense of release.
Filing the taxes isn’t hard, or no harder than it would be if she were still living. For tax purposes, for a person who lived 13 days during a year, 13 days is a full year. I know from experience that you can’t file for a property tax refund for an estate, but I don’t imagine she was in a position to receive one anyway.
LikeLike
thanks! looks like i need to file next year also. woof. oh well. not a biggie, really. thanks for your kind thoughts.
LikeLike
a good way to learn is to just ask someone who knows if they will show you, let you do, or whatever and barter one of your skills in payment. i like this. if i need cash, i’ll say it but often if someone wants to pay for a breeding to T or something they will say “what do i have that you would like?”
i learned how to milk goats by taking care of someone’s animals while they were on vacation (well, there aren’t many classes offered in that area anyway =:-)
LikeLike
There’s a new article by Dale at http://www.thelinemedia.com . I very interesting story about an interesting Twin Cities furniture maker.
LikeLike
Great topic today, Barbara! I don’t know how you can get it all done! I’m glad to hear your husband is improving and that you have pulled out your old guitar (try “Gisela”).
Yes, I agree that this is a group of lifetime learners. Apparently we have similar interests.
If I had all the time and resources needed, I would finally finish my degree. My most recent goal in that regard is to return to the U of M and take the Classical Civilization program in Classical and Near Eastern Studies. As a part of that, I’d like to learn Latin. Past goals have included Music, Philosophy, Religion, English Literature or Environmental Studies. I studied music, philosophy and religion (of course!) at St. Olaf.
Like MIG, I’d like a residency at NHFS. I’ve taken a few classes there already and there are many more I’d like to take. As a matter of fact, I’d like to move there. I’d also like to learn kayaking, Spanish, weaving, spinning, felting, knitting, timber frame or cord wood construction, and new applications for solar power. And, even though I already know how to play mandolin, I wouldn’t mind some formal lessons.
What a world it could be if life-long learning was culturally as valuable as life-long work! What if we were all highly educated and multilingual? Maybe we could learn from our communal past and know better than to repeat our mistakes. Maybe we could understand our differences better and be progressive rather than reactive. There I go again. Wishful thinking and rose-colored glasses…
LikeLike
Pass me a set of those rose-colored glasses!
LikeLike
In my imagination, where all things are possible, I figure out how to take something I know how to teach and parley it into a gig at NHFS or some other such place. Need to find the time to package and plan that deal……
Wish there were a way we could all form a pact to devote at least a scrap of time every day to our chosen pursuits, like having an exercise buddy.
LikeLike
I managed this for awhile with a friend who also wanted to carve out time for writing. We met at coffee shops as time and schedules permitted, but sent each other at least one written “something” every week on a specified day. It was good exercise of the brain and creativity.
LikeLike
I agree! Sometimes I just don’t have time for everything I’d like to do in a day. When I posted my entry earlier I was interrupted almost constantly. Some days, by the time I read the blog all the way through and am ready to post a comment, everyone has already said everything I wanted to say only BETTER. I like to do a good job at what I do and these things take TIME. And I’d like an exercise buddy too – Pippin likes walks but they’re all about Pippin peein’ an’ pooin’ 🙂
OT: I have returned to work, declined on the nursing job in Corrections and I now have a nice new work space with a window! I felt happy for the first time in months this morning.
LikeLike
Congrats on the decision, Krista, and the Window. 🙂
LikeLike
mig – Yes, maybe a new place under Blogroll at the top, talk to Dale when he’s back — a Pursuits Place or something.
LikeLike
I could probably put something up on the BBC for Pursuits Place – either as a regular post that folks could comment on or I could fiddle around with some of the “forms” options and see what I can do…gimme a couple of days, and I’ll let you know what I figure out.
LikeLike
And, I second BiR’s “congratulations” on the window and the job decision. Good on you!
LikeLike
Gixsela–my genius (not kidding) girlfriend at the U of Chi. I recommend the name. Or try her last name Fohlmiester.
LikeLike
BiB – My condolences about your mom, I hadn’t realized that either.
LikeLike
thanks, BiR – it was time
LikeLike
Improve my cooking, play cowbell, grow a decent tomato plant, learn more swear words.
LikeLike
Try Spanish – I understand they have a rich vocabulary of good swear words.
LikeLike
But you won’t find out what they are reading “For Whom The Bell Tolls.” 😉
LikeLike
Today is the day I began to tune and replace strings on the 17 school guitars that I will be using to teach my 4th and 5th graders to play. Em and G to start. Leatherwing Bat. Playing music is so good for you… especially in February.
LikeLike
Holly, as a person who can’t even tune one guitar I am impressed. Thanks for sharing the gift of music!
LikeLike
I love Leatherwing Bat. I can’t even begin to tell you how in awe I am of you who can string and tune 17 guitars, let alone teach the chords to 4th and 5th graders. Where do you teach, Holly? (I’ve probably asked you this before – see yesterday…)
LikeLike
Writing enthusiasts, I recommend participating in NaNoWri Mo (National Novel Writing Month), the idea of which is just to get you writing at all, without pre-judging what you do. Here is more, if you are interested: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/hownanoworks
BiR, thanks for an inspiring post-it makes me want to find at least 15 minutes a day to learn about something on my long list! Thanks for the fine update on Husband-sometimes it is good to be made redundant.
LikeLike
Need to learn how to survive the next 7 weeks–get home, find a place to live, move, keep my wife healthy, manage the finances and all the legal hoops, etc. Phew!!
LikeLike