DREAMING IS FREE or Monster Mash
A Meandering Blog Post
Blog #8
Jan. 23, 2021
By Emily Stehle
You could live your entire life in song. Like in La La Land. All day long, snippets of lyrics and melodies pop into my head. And sometimes, I have to get to my PC or iPad to look for the song, find uke chords. Then I search for a music sheet I can follow.
Music is on my brain! I’ve stopped playing Words with Friends (sorry, Peter, Pam, Katherine and Elaine) as it was getting addictive. I wasn’t getting much else done but learned a lot of two letter words that I’d never utter in public. There’s also now a debate if word games (particularly crosswords) really help an aging, faulty memory.
The simple diversion of a lyric turns into an hour-long mission to find the right key, the right chords and a discussion in my head: Hey, this might be something to play for an open mic…or maybe we can sing this at a gig! I dream of songs. After all, dreaming is free.
A lot has happened to the world in a week. An inauguration, a pending Senate impeachment hearing, a possible third vaccine…
So much happened in one day that just about blew me away. I couldn’t function…mesmerized in front of our TV watching the inauguration of our 46th president Joe Biden and our vice president Kamala Harris. The hope and joy of the day and a new beginning after four trying and anxious years transcended beyond the screen. I’m sure many felt it (as my Facebook newsfeed confirmed later that night). I did nothing that day but watch the tube and eat.
I planned to shop for supplies (wood dowels, white paint, fishing line) and go to the copy center to print out my music sheets for the Covid-19 baskets. But I chickened out; too many warnings about the Covid numbers kept me home.
YOU GOT ME HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE
Every morning we’ve been getting up calling a phone number and checking a website. Yep, Mike and I are trying to get a Covid-19 vaccine appointment. We are of “the required age.” Should I admit it? Seniors! Today, my friend Carolyn called and told me her sad saga. She and her husband were on their separate phones for two hours straight the other day, starting their calls at 6am. They finally hit the jack pot and secured appointments: Hers in West Palm Beach (somewhere on the east coast) while his is in Pensacola! We laughed heartily. At least they got appointments. Will they go?
LET’S GET SERIOUS
This week I wrote a bunch of “To Do” lists.
I wove a lot of bookmarks. Don’t know why. Therapeutic mindless weaving is relaxing. Maybe I needed to do this, procrastinate a little, before I tackle the “blue monster,” my nickname for the first triptych weaving.
I am somewhat intimidated by the idea of making a big piece. Gabriel says: Make a smaller piece, maybe 1 x 2 ft., and then add it in.
I should follow his advice as he’s been there before, done that. Tomorrow.
Thinking of lighting…Add strings of lights (never used from two Christmases ago) with Covid-19 comfort baskets or triptych monsters? Or tea lights that light the path? Counting what I might need. You can never have enough Dollar Tree 2-for-$1 tea lights.
SILLY ME
I sorted out my boxes of rack cards and paper into three piles: red, black and whatever else there is.
The red and black monsters are hulking around in boxes in the garage. They will have to wait! One monster at a time.
