“I can never read all the books I want; I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself on all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones and variations of mental and physical experience possible in my life. And I am horribly limited.”
–Sylvia Plath, “The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath”
Caption: Woman in black shirt smiling and standing.)
There is an App for the visually impaired where you can take a photo of anything you are in need of describing and send it away and, within seconds, an answer is given by someone somewhere who has viewed it and explained it to the best of their ability. Well, that’s the first reply given when I asked what the above photo showed. The second I used for the title of this week’s TToT because I thought it strangely eerie.
🙂
Have you heard of “shadow bowing”?
That is what I am doing. Supposedly, (as YouTube is a totally reliable source on this), I’m quite sure – if you want to practice moving your violin’s bow in a perfectly straight line, you take an empty toilet paper roll and work at moving the bow through it, over and over again. Well, let’s just say, I thought it worth a try, yet highly amusing at the same time.
The week started out badly. It wasn’t a great week at all, to be frank, but I still think I can come up with 10 things to be thankful for. Come along with me and let’s see if I can.
🙂
I made a decision, as February and its extra day came and went and March began, that I will cut back from the daily blogging I’ve been doing since the start of 2016, and will cut back to only weekends and these blogging hops and link ups I so enjoy.
I will use my weekdays to focus on my violin and writing for other places, specifically the memoir I’ve wanted to write since I was fourteen years old.
For rare disease awareness.
I shared, back when it first came out, an article I wrote which was published on The Mighty:
Rare Disease Day, 2016: Even Rarer Than A Leap Year
Well, the official day of recognition was on a leap year this time round, making it extra special.
For a song that inspires me.
Scars – Emmanuel Jal Feat. Nelly Furtado
I was shown this one by a friend, but although I could tell just by listening that there was depth and significance in the words, the music, and in the visuals, I could not see what was taking place in the video for the song.
Well, my friend explained what happens throughout. I could tell it was important, with the sound of the train at the beginning, but I now listen to this every night before I go to bed. It reminds me that we all have our struggles and our burdens to shoulder. I want to write my story, to tell of my particular tale, while this song plays on repeat in the background in my head.
Check it out if you have a moment. It’s beautiful.
For books and their creators.
As the quote at the start of this post shows, I love books for so many things. I will never be all the things I want to be, but books get me a lot closer.
This week was World Book Day.
I found myself in my nephew’s room, one day in the middle of the week, and my mom began reading “What Pet Should I Get?”, unaware that its author was celebrating a birthday on that exact same day. I celebrate Dr. Seuss and the genus he was with words.
He was highly skilled with them, words that is. He was able to stand out, reach children, and as I would love to write a children’s book someday, I try to study his brilliance, hoping always that something of it may rub off on me.
For a much needed laugh or two to brighten up a rough week. I love the coming together of a child’s imagination and the acting talents to bring it to my screen.
I did not watch anything surrounding Academy Awards mania, but I think this is better than any of the movies that actually got nominated for a trophy.
🙂
I was riveted by both these performances.
Kid Theater with Tom Hanks (Bridge of Spies)
Hanks deserves the award for that, don’t you agree? Possibly even Jimmy. If you need to smile, watch only this one Oscar performance.
For a hot shower to help with head and limb pain.
For another chance to share my writing, as part of a wonderfully important blogger series:
I was glad to get some of my feelings out and on the page in a supportive environment like Hasty’s blog.
For new car smell.
I don’t know exactly what that fragrance consists of, so feel free to enlighten me, but I know it is in the materials of a newish car and it doesn’t last forever – just like most things in life.
🙂
Whatever it emanates from, it brings back nostalgic feelings that are indefinable, but warmly welcome.
For my first actual violin recital.
Not playing. Oh hell no!
🙂
Just attending, but it was highly inspiring and motivating.
I write about the experience here:
For the chance to work creatively with my musically talented brother.
Caption: Smiling man playing violin.
🙂
This was the explanation we received for the photo of my brother holding my violin.
He is a guitar player mainly. He and I decided we would try to write a song together. He has written the music and now I am faced with the new challenge of listening to it, letting the music move through me, and feeling the words and letting them come to me.
I try to lighten the mood because I have written lots of things, but never song lyrics. It’s a bit like poetry and I always doubted my skill with that. I hope it is something I can do. The challenge to myself is a tough one. I just think it would be neat to do that with him.
For beautiful pieces of writing, from such creative and talented bloggers and writers. This lovely memoir post I just had to share.
Several months back I came across multiple beautifully written blog posts and shared them here, stating my intention to share a couple that were particularly influential on me, here on the TToT every week.
Well, I didn’t follow through, but better to do it when inspiration strikes.
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And you are the one who’ll decide where to go.”
–Dr. Seuss, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!”
Her Headache 
I love that quote from Oh The Places You’ll Go. Each year at the Preschool we celebrated rhyming, Doctor Seuss’s books, and Green Eggs and Ham. There are so many good things in our post. That app for picture captioning sounds helpful and wonderful. I watched the video that goes with the song. Your explanation of meaning in life is insightful. Have a good week.
Great to teach children with rhymes.
🙂
It’s a natural love and learning tool.
Yes, as apps go it is rather handy.
Thank you. Same to you.
Hi kerry; great post. You have inspired me to try a similar post for my own site very soon. I wonder how many people can find ten things to be positive or happy about. I wonder if many can even find three. I remember being in group counseling sessions where we had to finish by going around the room and finding even one good thing to say about the person next to us. 🙂 I love how you say you decided to find ten things to be happy about. So often that’s what it comes down to deciding to be happy when it would be much easier to be sad or even depressed. thanks so much for your example my friend. looking forward to your memoir. xoxo max
You should give it a try one weekend. If you do it on a weekend you could even link up with us.
Reading other people and what they are thankful for is almost better than what you can come up with yourself.
Thank you. I’m going to really give it a shot, but I remember you saying you did research and most publishers said they were sick of reading one more memoir. Well, I don’t write how to stuff. I write more memoir and literary writing, so I am probably looking at self pub.
Hi Kerry, I am so happy for you to try out song lyrics something I want to do for a while too. Can’t wait to hear you song :-). I didn’t know that Emmanuel Jal worked with Nelly Furtado. A few years back I found his “We want peace” video. I’m not sure if you’ve seen it. It is full of celebrities, but I believe it’s message it’s just too important for all of us and especially today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ZEJWVSiEI I find him really impressive. It must be hard work to get over the trauma of being a child soldier, but it is also a huge talent to change all these experiences into wonderful music and art. Thanks for reminding me. I am also glad that you decided on writing your memoir. Some things just need to be done no matter what. Take good care of yourself
Hey Kerry, will there be a video of smiling woman in black playing violin? I met Dr.Seuss at a book signing in San Diego…. I suspect he would say “so what,” as he did that day. I really love his writing and even more so now that i realize he was a bit of a curmudgeon…
There may be one in the not so distant future.
I heard that about him. Love that you say that.
🙂
I’ve seen your posts on Facebook about your violin and I think it’s wonderful you are learning to play. I love the story behind the first photo’s caption too!
And thank you so much for your kind words about my post and for sharing it here!
It is an exciting new challenge for me. Thank you.
No problem. It was lovely and I had to share it.