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The chore of the night:

Relearn how to crochet after a two year break and practice/get started on a couple Christmas presents.

My grandmother (on my mom's side) taught me how to crochet many years ago, when I was about 10 or younger. After she passed away, I didn't think about it or attempt to continue for years. All of a sudden, while I was in college, I got the itch to pick it up again. It's not like riding a bike and that you can never forget how to do it...I definitely forgot. I looked online a lot and got a few starter "learn to crochet" books and started making progress. When I was in Duluth I actually made my brother and sister-in-law stocking caps for Christmas. Who would have thought. Since then, life got busy and I let it go on the way side. Not anymore. As you've probably guessed by the lasts posts, I'm trying to bring back many of my lost talents. I decided I'm going to keep practicing and even make Christmas presents. It's not long now so I gotta get started. This was my first night back at it in about two years. After re-reading the instructions, I picked up on it pretty quick. Hopefully these are projects I can finish now =)

What's That Your Picking???

So here is my new challenge, and that's exactly what it is...a challenge. One day, not sure what really sparked it, I decided I was going to play the fiddle or the banjo (two instruments I've always wanted to learn, but never got the get-up-and-go to actually do it). We one day in August, I apparently got it...I called up my Auntie Mary and asked her which would be easier. She said her daughter Kate always complained about the fiddle being loud in her ear and her arm getting tired. That was enough for me, I chose the banjo. Just my luck, she had an extra banjo (5-string, which she doesn't know how to play) that she was willing to hand over.

Hm, I knew playing banjo would be difficult, however, this is also coming from a non-musical person. I played the flute for a brief time in school (parents said be in vocal or band...I tried band, then went for vocal). Wow, string instruments - not easy! Each hand is doing something completely different, and not either position is normal.

I'm very slowly learning what each hand does - but I haven't quite gotten it down to doing both hands at the same time. I can strum and do the chords, or work on the picking but only in G. Each week I go to my Auntie's band practice so I can hear the chords, which has helped a lot...but it also shows me how slowly I am making progress. That may be to the lack of practice. Sometimes, when things come hard, it's harder to pick them up and try, or it can be that much more of a reason to try it more...it varies by day.

Tonight, I had more fun taking pictures of the banjo than playing, but did get some practicing in as well. What is the first song I want to learn???? Dueling Banjos from the movie Deliverance. Ha, nothing like picking the hardest song to learn, but I figure if I can learn that, I can learn any.

I have my self-set deadline of Father's Day weekend. Therefore, say some prayers for me =)

Disclaimer: Please disregard the awesome gray sweatsuit I'm wearing. They are the sweats from Northwestern College (my freshman year) that none of the wrestlers could fit into, so I got them. Not the prettiest things, but definately some of the most comfortable clothes that I own. I also didn't mean to match them up - I don't usually do that =)