Dreamer’s World October 12, 2018 – After The Storm

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Autumn has arrived with a vengeance. Last night we had some strong winds, but nothing major around here. There was a cold front pushing through that steered the remnants of Hurricane Michael well to the south of us. The biggest impact of the wind last night has been the arrival of the SUN in the sky today, as well as a noticeable drop in temperatures and humidity. Actually, the weather today is glorious!

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As you can see, some of the trees have already begun shedding their leaves, another sure sign that Autumn is here at last. There isn’t anything worrying about the change in seasons other than allergies, but they will pass quickly.

On the bright side, I finally secured a covered parking space for the Lime Green Fiesta yesterday afternoon. I had the good fortune to visit the apartment office and asked about availabilities of the spots. One near our apartment had opened up the day before and I immediately said that I wanted it. Since my name was already on the waiting list, there was no problem getting it and I parked the car under cover before the winds hit last night.

 

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Dreamer’s WOrld October 11, 2018 – Guitar And Self-Discipline

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Every once in a while I have to stop what I am doing, evaluate things, and decide if I am on the right track or not. Today is one of those days. My guitar practice has hit a rut. My attempts to teach myself have hit a wall and I need to figure out a new approach.

Thank goodness for the internet, where I can find a quick solution to all of life’s little problems. Some research really drove home the point that I needed to make a change in my routine, I need to re-evaluate and set some more realistic goals for myself. I felt a sense of disappointment because I hate to admit when I have made a mistake, but I am mature enough to know when to start over.

Talking with some friends who have played guitar for many years gave me the insight that I so desperately needed. I am certain that they secretly laughed at me as I pushed ahead with my faulty approach to learning guitar, but I was too proud to ask for help at that time. Now I reach out to them and they are willing to help.

I need to establish a routine for my practicing. I need to instill a sense of self-discipline as well. The overwhelming suggestion is to start keeping a practice log and maintaining it every day so I can identify what obstacles I need to focus on, and then overcome them through more practice. I have been guilty of hitting the wall in one area and then moving on to another without ever correcting the first problem.

Chord changes are kicking my ass. I need to focus on mastering chords first and then working slowly through progressions and changes. All my friends say that keeping a logbook will help get me through this.

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