I’m writing this post a bit early this morning and would like to keep it short to save some time. My 82 year piano old student is working on Fauré’s Theme and Variations, Opus 73. It’s a difficult work. I promised him I would put several measures of variation 6 into Finale. It involves some cross rhythms that are well within his abilities but the notation is kind of cramped. Easy enough to make a little practice version for him. I would like to do that this morning before we leave on our pipe organ road trip.

Not too much to report this morning except that I continue to be amazed at how busy I am despite the fact it is summer and I have no ballet classes and less duties at church.

I started the day yesterday moving my electric piano, amp and electric guitar back and forth from home to the library. Eileen was giving a presentation about electric musical instruments to a group of 4 and 5 year olds. I was the talent. The doing of it was easy. The hard part was moving the equipment.

I also had to do the book thing for my Mom. About once a week I take ten or so books back to the library for her and then pick out more. I keep a list of everything she has had in her hands. This is an easy but time consuming process. She basically likes Christian romances (!). Also they need to be large print. Most of my efforts to get her to read better written books fail. I find myself searching the web for hints for more writers to take to her. If she doesn’t like a book I’ve chosen I encourage her to just put aside and try another in the pile. She doesn’t really need this kind of encouragement judging from the disdain she sometimes expresses about some of the books I take to her.

I also am very suspicious that she actually reads as many of the books as she claims to have read. I have so far resisted the temptation to bring her the same books over and over again and see if she notices.

While I’m talking about Mom I should point out that she seems to be in a bit of an upswing in mood and coherence. These things happen. She insisted on coming over to my house after her pain doctor appointment on Wednesday. She has a standing invitation to do stuff like that but she rarely does much without some encouragement. And she usually is really out of commission after the pain doctor visit since the main (only?) thing he does is give her a shot of strong pain meds.

So it was actually a pleasant surprise that she wanted to come over and see our new bathroom and kitchen walls.

Also she left a message for me yesterday inviting Eileen and me to join her for supper at the nursing home. They were having their annual fish boil. I took a rain check on this invite (it was date night after all). In the message she left on the phone she actually said “Love you.” Which is the way my fam sometimes says “I love you.” I was charmed.

I’m going to quit and do some other stuff. No pics today. That’s what can get time consuming: google image searching or trying to upload pics I have taken.