MY FAVORITE QUOTES
My Current WoW
The Unexpected Sting of Generosity
As the warm glow of the restaurant's lights bathed our table, laughter and the clinking...
My Drug of Choice
As a nine-year-old, I received a Roy Rogers guitar for Christmas, complete with an instruction...
Burnt Toast
   As I sat in my favorite chair in our sunroom, I was mesmerized by the...
Awakening to Life’s Pivotable Moments
Awakening to Life's Pivotal Moments Life has a way of presenting us with crucial crossroads,...
A Journey Through Pages
 A Journey Through Pages: From Coal Camp Comics to Audiobook Adventures Picture this: a young...
A Selfless Act of Friendship
One holiday weekend, a dear friend found herself stranded with a flat tire, facing a...
Knowing Your X-Factor
Emily Dickinson said, “Hope is that thing with feathers,” and I agreed with her. I...
🎵 The Magic of Music 🎵
Recently, I stumbled upon an article about the "Magic of Music," and let me tell...
🎋Embracing the Golden Years-A Humorous Reflection🎋
I haven't worried about Monday mornings on Sunday evenings for eighteen glorious years. That's how...
🎋Cherishing The Little Things🎋
🔱I have been guilty of ignoring “the little things” in life. That does not include,...
Guest Missives
Remember Me 2.0… by JoAnn
With the holidays over and a new year born, I have been in a reflective...
I Love Chocolate… by JoAnn
Anyone who knows me well, knows I have a huge sweet tooth. With that being...
Smile Anyway!… by JoAnn
When you wake To the new day dawning With clouds of gray And storms looming...
Lost in The 50s… by David Miller
As a youth, I spent some of my spare time at the Vansant Drive-In theater....
Lessons From Andy… by JoAnn
On my top five list of all-time favorite television shows, The Andy Griffith Show remains...
Silver Bells… by JoAnn
As I sit here on my couch, three days after Thanksgiving, I decided to turn...
Slow Down Young Man!… by JoAnn
Every Wednesday morning, I pick up my two granddaughters from home and drop them off...
Just Because… by JoAnn
A few days ago I received a surprise phone call. It was from a florist...
Grocery Day… by JoAnn
When I was growing up in the 70s, my family did a lot of simple...
Green Bean… by JoAnn
For a few years now, I have been driving a 2004 Chevy Aveo. It's a rather...
AS MY WORLD TURNS
My Drug of Choice
As a nine-year-old, I received a Roy Rogers guitar for Christmas, complete with an instruction book. Despite my initial excitement and daily practice, I struggled to make progress. Living in a small coal mining camp of about 50 people, I had no one to turn to for guidance. My school teacher played piano, and my uncle played the fiddle, but neither could help with the guitar. Eventually, the instrument was relegated to the closet, forgotten over time.
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Fast forward 45 years, and I was in my mid-fifties, divorced, and with ample free time. An article about dementia prevention caught my attention, suggesting that playing a musical instrument could help reduce the risk. That sparked my motivation to visit local thrift shops, acquire a used guitar, and seek out a teacher.
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Learning to Play
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Being a self-proclaimed hillbilly, I naturally gravitated towards country music and made this preference clear to my new instructor. For about 18 months, I took lessons, often joking that I had to slide the check under the door before being allowed in. Despite my teacher's apparent need for earmuffs, I persevered and was pleased with my progress. Eventually, I moved to a new city and continued practicing independently.
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Guitar Collection
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My passion for guitars grew, and at one point, I owned four instruments simultaneously. That led to tension with my wife, who questioned the necessity of multiple guitars. My witty retort comparing guitars to kitchen dishes did not smooth things over. To appease her, I gave my least favorite guitar to a relative interested in learning. However, my wife remained skeptical about my need for more than one instrument.
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Electric vs. Acoustic
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My favorite guitar is electric, much to my wife's chagrin. She complains about the noise, but I personally enjoy the volume. It may seem counterintuitive for someone my age to prefer loud music, but it is a passion I cannot deny.
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The Joy of Music
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While my practice schedule has become less consistent, I hope never to quit playing entirely. Music brings immense joy to my life, and I firmly believe that a life without music is like a life without sunshine. The guitar has become more than just an instrument; it is a source of happiness and a way to keep my mind sharp as I age. It is indeed, my drug of choice!
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