Did someone mention a Toga Party? Where!?

reading a newspaper

Round at mine

Playing my lovely new guitar, and posting on carol's facebook (not quite simultaneously)

none of this is my fault

reading a newspaper

Looking through holiday photos from the past week!

Importing some recordings (we made earlier) into Windows Media Player and sorting out a play list.

Oh yeah. You just keep repeating that to yourself...

I can't help it if you're young and impressionable...

You really should use your maturity and charisma for good, not evil.

I seriously actually laughed out loud at that!
I can go either way - depends what mood I'm in...

There's a reply to that... But I'm trying to keep it clean.

And very well you are doing, too

practising scales

Listening to Reality Check, a discussion programme on Radio 4. This week's topic was dealing with testing in schools.

Link here

The discussion was interesting, although I felt that the compere interrupted too much, especially given the calibre of the panel.


I completed the three 'numerical' puzzles (Sudoku etc) published in today's Guardian newspaper, while I was listening.

walking

Looking up how to cook asparagus (going to go with roasting it and then drizzling with lemon juice and olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese) to go with my sunday dinner - It's not a veg I usually eat .... will I be converted???

was on lunch

If you're doing it this way, make sure you put some olive and lemon on before you cook it. Are you going to put it in foil? Completely closed, or open?

I prefer it a little open cause the edges crisp and brown, but I think it's a matter of tasted whether you'll enjoy it this way or not.

Having an INCREDIBLY lazy day!

Visited Pa, with Bagpuss, this morning...then treated myself to an M&S chicken and bacon roll and their wonderful crisps while watching Carry on Constable.

Bliss.

relaxing

Watching Top Gear

Working on revising/pruning the piano part for a Christmas Carol that I composed last November.

Fortunately, it didn't receive an airing at our Christmas Concert. I say that, because the piano part is too busy and needs paring down to be both more effective and perhaps more importantly, not to detract unnecessarily from the words (which I also wrote).

Whilst it does feel odd working on such subject matter five months out, I'd rather have it completed to my satisfaction now, than have a mad dash to make alterations when the Head of Music calls for rehearsals to begin with the choir, in the second half of the Autumn Term.

The piano writing suffered from the old problem of too many LH arpeggios, when often just a a chord, perhaps syncopated, will provide sufficient accompaniment. It's a learning process.

Ideally I would like her to programme three of my carols, but I should think at least one will be included, since I specifically wrote it for her, to coincide with the birth of her first child.

Having a lovely lunch with my lovely friend. Catching up a bit, as we've both had such unbelievably busy terms at work, we haven't even had time to have coffee together in ages!

Buying a new laptop for my companion - and telling myself as I wrote the cheque it was OK because we are not going on holiday this year. Actually I can't remember the last time we did since everyone comes to us for their holidays.

Packing. Going to house-sit for a friend for a few days and trying to imagine it as a little holiday.

Watching silly videos on YouTube-complete time waste, but hey, it's only once!

Working on learning an accompaniment... coming along nicely

Having a bottle glass of wine

Watching last Sunday's episode of Sherlock, on iplayer. Escapist tosh, but good at that.

housework

Trying, unsuccessfully, to write.

Horrible housework.

Me too! Been left a lovely long list of jobs to do before mother gets home....

emailing my piano teacher, setting out my aspirations for the pieces that I want to learn within the next ten weeks!

(I have allowed him a get-out clause, in case he believes any of them to be ridiculous or merely totally unfeasible within the given time-constraint! )

Finding out the age of my piano. It's apparently 70 this year

You didn't have to resort to dendrochronology did you?

Hanging my Grade 1 Piano certificate on the wall


Yes I know it's only Grade 1, but it's MY Grade 1 and I'm dead chuffed about it

Noooooo!! Sorry that's made me feel quite sick. She looks much better than I will at 70, that's for certain lol

Dear Skylark,

It is very important!

I still haven't done anything with my Grade 1 & 3 certificates... They're sitting neglected in the brown envelope. Maybe when I've redecorated I'll hang them up!

Congratulations

Walking the two and a half miles back from my piano lesson, in reasonable sunshine, in my head running through the pieces in the programme I'm working on.

Having a wonderful afternoon with 2 other great pianists on a lovely Steinway C

Oh excellent! Looking forward to hearing you play again - I've been so impressed with your progress

Without wanting to sound like I'm blowing my own trumpet, I'm quite pleased at how I'm doing too, now! I've got out of the rut!

Ditto! (To what Sol said about playing piano with two great pianists!)

Yes, agree with your progress too Sol!

*Is it possible to be in love with a piano? If so, then I am with that Steinway C!*

It's gorgeous, I'm proposing next week!

Where would the engagement ring go?