Hello Friend,
The wind is picking up and I think it might rain again. Thank you for taking the time to drop in today. Come on in.
Have you ever noticed that just before a rain, when the sky gets dark, the grass and flowers and trees all seem more vibrant? It’s like they’re singing out their colours with all they’ve got before they lose sight of us. From the diaphragm! as all voice teachers are wont to bellow when they want you to belt it to the man in the last row.
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Come, stand by the front window. The graceful tulips are done, as you can see, but the daffodils are still bright and happy. When I sit here to play the piano, their faces are turned to me. I’m often apprehensive to play for an audience, but the daffodils listen attentively, nodding their heads in a kind and appreciative way, and I don’t mind playing for them at all.
Please have a seat, while I pour. Help yourself to cream and sugar.
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I wanted to serve something light and fluffy for tea this week. So, I typed “light and fluffy cake” in my browser and this Light and Fluffy Yellow Cake came up.
You’ve probably noticed that I don’t go for fussy kinds of recipes. Short in preparation and easy in execution, that’s my modus operandi. But this time I decided to take on the fuss and I have to say, it was worth it. They suggested serving with chocolate icing but the lovely cake alone, with maybe a dollop of whipped cream (short and easy) is quite nice enough on its own, don’t you think?
It got me to thinking that it takes some work to get to light and fluffy. It takes some work to make something difficult look easy.
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When I watch professional pianists perform, I’m always enthralled by how easy they make it look. But I know from experience how many hours and hours of practice it takes to get to even the smallest degree of accomplishment.
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Many years ago, when I was preparing for a piano ARCT exam (Associate Royal Conservatory Teacher’s), I spent four to five hours a day practicing. A week before my exam, my piano instructor recorded my 60-minute performance. Now, when I listen to that recording, I’m quite amazed I could play like that. I can’t anymore. But I don’t spend hours in daily practice either.
Yes, it takes some work to make something difficult look light and fluffy.
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Last week our province moved into Stage Two of our relaunch. Restaurants are open, personal services like manicures, and wellness services like massage have been opened. Even churches, gyms, and theatres have permission to reopen. All of this comes with certain restrictions, of course: wear masks when in close contact, keep socially distanced when possible, no singing, etc.
But on the weekend, the cases of Covid-19 rose rather alarmingly in our city.
It’s still a dance, this pandemic, and we don’t know all the right steps. For three months now we’ve been faithfully taking dance classes to learn the steps. We have mastered some of them but before we’re able to catch on to all of them, we’re plunged into a new dance with all new moves.
Sometimes it feels like the dance instructor is making up moves as we go along. We’re confused and slightly skittish. We’re apprehensive in front of an audience. Nobody wants to make a mistake out on the stage but we’re thrown out there anyway before the dance is completely mastered. Before we have the expertise to make something difficult look light and fluffy.
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The thing is, we’re going to make mistakes. That’s just part of being human. We know what we know and we learn as we go.
When I listen to the recording my piano instructor made for me all those years ago, I’m delighted to hear myself play so well, but I can still pick out the mistakes. They’re there. Most of them would be unnoticeable to anyone else, but I hear them.
So, keep practicing. We’ll get there. Hard work, hyper awareness, staying alert and up to date. Carrying on.
And so it goes.
I’ve enjoyed our teatimes together. Thank you so much for coming.
Remember to stay alert, and stay safe out there. Bye for now.
Joy
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Featured Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
So very true, Joy. We don’t quite know this dance, do we? But we have to keep dancing, even when the music changes. Thanks, Joy. You phrase it all so beautifully. <3
Thanks, Kathy. Yes, we have to keep dancing. I wonder if we’ll ever completely learn it. Meanwhile, we do what we know. 🙂
I am always inspired by the photos you choose, Joy. They make the day brightener, and I can imagine myself in many of them. Often, the scene itself looks light and airy, yet one knows it took effort to make something minimal so beautiful and inviting. Of course, the Lord’s handiwork makes our job easier. Your way with words is also very artistic and seemingly easy. Perhaps it is easy to one well-practised in the art of words, but to most of us it is a challenge. Thanks for sharing such a delightful piece, Joy!
Oh yes, the photos. I love to imagine myself in them too. And beautiful photography is definitely something that takes a lot of work. Thank you so much for your encouraging words, Nancy.