Guitar awakes. Great joy!

I guess this isn't even a monthly blog since I missed November.   What can I say, that my thoughts stays mainly in my brain?  Pen to paper, must do.

Meanwhile, I found the book Zen Guitar ( by Philip Toshio Sudo) for one dollar at one of my favorite thrift stores in San Rafael -Hospice Hodgepodge.  It's been the most significant find in years for me.   I read a new chaper every day before practicing.  One "misstep" he talks about is speed, important for me since I have a tendency to rush. Sudo talks about hyoshi, the feeling of natural rhythmn and that a song has a true tempo and within that is pacing (how we play within the tempo), timing (a sense of the moment) and quickness (thought and action happen simultaneously).   Awesome.  

January promises to be a month of many appearances at open mics, going more public with my singer-songwriter self.  Will report back about this.  I appreciate the Bay Area Open Mic Calendar and Joe Rizzo's Musical Open Mics in the San Francisco Bay Area.    Also I may rejoin the West Coast Songwriters' Association, I got some really helpful feedback from the industry judges when performing at their Song Competition nights.

The daycare business is still stalled.   I think now that I will start by being a babysitter and take one family's children in at a time during school holidays.  Then I can keep plugging away with the work needed to pass an inspection and get the license.   Eventually will want to do the Aunt Sarah's Sleepover idea with small groups of kids.   Was on the wonderful Berkeley Parents Network website looking at what nannies charge for keeping children overnight.   Interesting.  I think I will need to get a bit more systemmatic with goal setting to keep this one moving forward.    Retirement has fueled the procrastination tendencies in me.

Now going over to Alameda to the Frank Bette Center for the Arts to look for a piece of jewelry for my sister for Christmas.   Big gift shop there this time of year of the work of local artists and craftspeople.   

Staring at toys and guitar

My living room now looks somewhat like a daycare center, my secret life as doll house lover in the open for all to see.  For $7 at one of my favorite thift stores, I got a big bin of cardboard building blocks.  Been thinking about those kindergartners and before/afterschool.    Next week am going to a volunteer orientation for the Berkeley Schools. I imagine that a few hours a week with 5 year olds will confirm my interest or send me screaming from the room.    Found out State Farm' rental insurance (for $38/month) will cover daycare insurance.  So you have to spend money to make money?     Bought $70 worth of bleach, batteries for smoke alarm, latex gloves, first aid kit and various safety stuff so that I can pass inspection when Alameda County comes to check me out.    Slowly but surely..

And as for the guitar, I continue to stare.   I do understand the need for practicing scales, I really do.  But the strumming folk songs persona is strong within me.   For now, need to pick a couple of songs for SAGA on Saturday. 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Back from Guitar Lesson

Seems I have a lot to learn about the frets of a guitar.  Who knew?  Found a book at Moe's about scale and chord theory for the guitar and puzzled over it before finding out the author Joe Livoti
lives in the Bay Area.  So now I have to practice scales along with my folk song strumming in the key of D guitar playing method.    Will I embrace the concept of discipline, my sweet Martin?   Whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step half step on frets.   And I promised myself I would go to a couple of open mics in September...

Meanwhile I've moved toys into the living room.  Just completed 15 hours of training about what could go wrong with the kids in your care (burns, falls, infectious diseases).  I need to get the image of the pencil stuck in the ear out of my mind (tell it like it is American Red Cross).  Can't remember how old you have to be before you stop putting things in your mouth...or can chew the carrot instead of choke on it. That's the age I want to watch and like a hawk I would watch over them.  Maybe a little tiny group of preschoolers.  Maybe a baby or two.  Or maybe afterschool second graders. I am supposed to decide, probably.  I have to figure out insurance, but I am sure  Bananas has a handout, they are all about handouts.  Boy is their website yellow.

So there you have it.    Be back when I'm back.  Yours truly,  Sarah D.