Proud Mary Is On The Market

Proud Mary (my Trek 1200 Alpha Series Road Bike) is officially on the market--see Craig's List . I thought I would keep her to ride on the trainer during the winter, but two seasons later, she's only been gathering dust since I bought my Orbea Dama.

I've been piddling around with the notion of selling her, but now that I have my own personal musical revival to fund, I figure I better get off the stick.

"Guitar or Bust!" or "What Gives?"

In order to learn to play the guitar, it is best to have one to practice on. Off I went yesterday to find one at the Pawn shop where I figured I could get something used. Sure enough, there were a few to choose from. My brother-in-law gave me some pointers on what to look for, and that (even though I fell in love with the sound of it immediately) a 12 string would be a better second instrument than a first. So, I bought the Oscar Schmidt Washburn 6 string.

I also went ahead and bought my 2nd instrument--the 12 string (Ventura Bruno CW-160) is mine now too! Love it!!

Clearly, the next thing I needed was a set of instructions, like what notes are the strings supposed to be tuned to? Staying with the theme of second hand purchase, I went to the ARC thrift store and found a few beginning guitar books. Also found a piano worth checking out more thoroughly--to be continued later.

24 hours later, both guitars tuned once anyway, and my fingers sore from practicing the exercises in the book dutifully on the 6 string--I look at the instruments side-by-side a little more closely. Hmmm. The 12 string is strung opposite from the 6. I must need more information on how to tune it! So I looked it up online, and sure enough, it was tuned right. Dang it, the strings are strung for a leftie! I sit down to figure out how to flip them. Whoops. The grooves in the nut for strings are clearly cut for the way it is strung right now. What the heck gives?!?!?! Totally scratching my head here. I go back to my gently used beginner guitar book and study the diagrams a little more closely. Turns out, the 12 string is strung right. So is the 6 string. However, the 6 string is actually a LEFTY guitar! Go figure.

In the end, I'm glad I bought the 12 string Ventura...at least I have something to practice on until I sell the lefty and buy a right right righty 6 string. Goes to show that even a simple trip to the pawn shop for a guitar can provide days worth of adventure and entertainment!

Want to Know More About Yourself?

Feeling like I needed to understand more about myself and how my brain works, I just went through some testing. The Johnson O'Connor Foundation has been administering aptitude tests, researching, and compiling results since 1922...and that is where I went to find some answers.

The results were fascinating, overwhelming, surprising, and there were some real duh-George's in there too. The most important thing that they stress is that where you have an aptitude, you must find ways to exercise it or you will be unhappy/unfulfilled, and it ignoring it will only be a source of grief and/or frustration.

What I learned about myself, for the most part, can be addressed by tweaking my work situation and by learning to be more aware of opportunities to exercise my aptitudes. The kicker? Music aptitudes. And that is a part of my life I have virtually ignored for a solid 10 years (except for singing to the radio). Talk about bottling up.

So, I got my flute out for the first time in 1.5 years (prior to that, it had been 3 years) and played for an hour until my lips were nice and numb. And I've decided to try a new approach--dig in and learn a new instrument that I can be more interactive and entertaining with people while I'm playing. What better than a little pick'in and grin'in! :)

Thought For The Day

During tough times, the value of true friends and the strength of family become very clear...and I am grateful that I have both.

Thanks!

Better Off Single?

A friend sent this link to me today: "Better Off Single"

...if you are one of my single friends, you're going to love it. If you're married, well...I'm sure that one could also prove the opposite, somehow... :)

3 Blocks from Pikes Peak Trailhead

Many of you have heard me say that my new place is literally 3 blocks from the Cog Railway and Pikes Peak trailhead (Barr Trail).

There is also a trail there called "The Incline" that is what is left of another Cog railway--just the ties. I think it covers 1000 feet in elevation in about a mile if you go straight up. I like to go up halfway and then catch the Barr Trail for a trail run down. Photo below is the view down from halfway up--eek!

"X" marks the spot where I live.

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The Name

Why FloweringW? Silly girl that I am, "Flower" is a nickname bestowed upon me by my brother and sister when I was a frosh in college.

Yes, I'm the little one tugging on my underpants.

So Anne and Brad and I were having a bite at Braum's (best ice cream & burger in the midwest) in OKC the summer of '88. Our parents had just moved back from CA, I was starting college in Iowa, and Anne & Brad were helping with the move. I figured it was the perfect opportunity for me to introduce myself in Iowa with a new nickname--makes sense right?

Margaret can be a long name, and everyone likes to shorten it to something (Madge, Marg, Peg, Maggie, Marge, Margie, Meg, NutMeg--you get the picture). So I asked them what they thought. Silence. And then--FLOWER! There was much laughter (I didn't think it was so funny at the time), and that was it. Flower is a silly little nickname that is used, by them, on the occasion that I've crossed over into a world that doesn't have as much to do with reality as it does with my own imagination.

Otherwise, my family calls me Meg. Funny thing, that's what my new friends in Iowa ended up calling me too.

Anne says "Well, the way I remember the naming was that we were moving TO California and were sitting around talking about what was to become of you since you would now be attending high school there. One of us said that you would probably turn into some crazy hippy chick named Flower...I think if I was going to name you something before you moved to Iowa it would have been Corny or Daisy.

Brad says: "The way I remember it is that there was a stampeding herd of rhinoceroseseses and we sought shelter in a nearby cave which happened to be full of bats. As we munched on deep-fried bats (I had my Fry Daddy and a long extension cord) we discussed Meg's pending move to Iowa for college, where she would be a California girl amongst the corn-fed Iowaians - and that she would be some kind of granola-eating kook in their eyes and that they would call her "Flower." ...The rhino part may not be right - perhaps hippopotomausussesess? But I'm sticking by the rest."

FloweringW - The Official Launch

This spring I did a lot of 'gardening' at my new place. Dumped out 2 half-barrel planters that were here; bought, painted, hung and filled baskets for the deck railing; made off with a full barrel planter that a friend wanted to get rid of--and then put in new soil, planted seeds, planted bulbs, and planted a few live plants. Wildflowers, Zinnia, Marigold, Calla Lily, Canna Lily, Sweet Potato Vine, Vinca Major, Geranium, Trailing Verbena and more. Turns out my thumb is pretty green! Violia--the new and improved
FloweringW deck. It is my favorite place to be night or day.
Calla Lily


My zeal carried over into the beds on the way up the stairs to my doorstep. They were actually one bed before I attacked. It was basically a catchall for trash and leaves that swirled up and down the stairway--but now--it is terraced and planted mostly with perennials that will come up years after I've moved. Elephant Ears, Caladium, Coleus, Hasta (well, these haven't come up yet), Corsican Mint, Impatiens, Wishbone Flower, Shamrocks, and Dwarf Bugleweed. My landlord has got to love that--but will it be enough to get screen doors installed on the front & back door?

As if that wasn't enough, my upstairs neighbor and I cleared the yard of the thistle that had taken over. It was an ugly sight from our decks. Next time I get ambitious in the garden, vegetables and herbs are on the list. We shall see, we shall
see!

This is the pile of thistle that was left--who knew there was a lilac bush down there?

PS These photos were taken about a month ago, the wildflowers in baskets are 2 feet tall, and barrel has vines that hang a foot below the deck now!