What made you smile today?

[glitterball]

I had an extensive eye exam today. Everything is the same as a year ago and it's all good My degeneration of my nerves hasn't gotten any worse and I passed the glaucoma test 100%

Yay that's great news!

Today I collected a belated Christmas present for me (I had saved up money etc to go towards it) and yesterday, after searching online, I found a company who actually had it in stock in the UK... AND would do next day delivery... done, collected, played with! 

It's a very handsome electric guitar, not an expensive one but I wanted something "new" and lovely as a treat (my other ones are old, second-hand and a bit well-loved). For any geeks out there, it is a Fender Squier Stratocaster in Arctic white,  dark fretboard & "skunk stripe" neck,  hard-tailed bridge (an attempt to keep it in tune longer!) with HSS pickups. Just what I needed to compliment my lockdown playing (and to compare the feel with my old SSS strats with tremolo bridges). I am hoping to be able to jam with my little girl when she gets more confident with her playing!

I would have preferred to have bought from any of my local indie music instrument shops but neither had any in stock  awaiting new stock from abroad.

So, I haz me a big ol' smile today! 

p.s. I think is cost less than what a decent Mountain Boy pony goes for, nowadays! 

[LadyAmalthea]

I had an extensive eye exam today. Everything is the same as a year ago and it's all good My degeneration of my nerves hasn't gotten any worse and I passed the glaucoma test 100%

Yay that's great news!

Today I collected a belated Christmas present for me (I had saved up money etc to go towards it) and yesterday, after searching online, I found a company who actually had it in stock in the UK... AND would do next day delivery... done, collected, played with! 

It's a very handsome electric guitar, not an expensive one but I wanted something "new" and lovely as a treat (my other ones are old, second-hand and a bit well-loved). For any geeks out there, it is a Fender Squier Stratocaster in Arctic white,  dark fretboard & "skunk stripe" neck,  hard-tailed bridge (an attempt to keep it in tune longer!) with HSS pickups. Just what I needed to compliment my lockdown playing (and to compare the feel with my old SSS strats with tremolo bridges). I am hoping to be able to jam with my little girl when she gets more confident with her playing!

I would have preferred to have bought from any of my local indie music instrument shops but neither had any in stock  awaiting new stock from abroad.

So, I haz me a big ol' smile today! 

p.s. I think is cost less than what a decent Mountain Boy pony goes for, nowadays! 

Congrats on your belated present! I'd love to see pics if you have them! It gave me a nostalgia kick just to read about it (can that be my 'what made me smile' thing for the day?)...I bought myself a Fender Squire Stratocaster, brand new, waaaaay back in my early 20's (as a frazzled mom of 3 under 6, I now can't imagine the indulgence nowadays, haha) with the intent to teach myself how to play it. It was candy apple red and so beautiful. In retrospect, an electric was probably not an ideal choice to learn on. I never got much beyond a few basic chords, but I put in a valiant effort. It's still on my 'someday' list.

[glitterball]

Thanks, LadyAmalthea! here is a link:

Spoiler

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Squier-Bullet-Stratocaster-HSS-Hard-Tail-Arctic-White/2C2D

I got my first one in the 90s while my good friend got a tattoo! Ah the craziness of youth.... I only learned chords and had a Beatles song book that I devoured. Left my guitar at my parents' house after I moved out...

But now I am learning new things like scales, string bending (fingers hurt!! Skin too soft!), and getting the confidence to (one day) do ad-lib solo-ing (whilst staying in the correct key) there are some amazing free tutorials on youtube and once I get in the groove I can sit for ages practising (in between home schooling). Snatching 5 minutes here & there, it all adds up to help with muscle memory if I cannot get a solid half-hour to myself. Got all the 5 pentatonic shapes learnt in December by doing this bit-by-bit. Go find your candy apple and have a play!! 


Smiling as it is late in the evening & my husband has rescued a big bunch of over-ripe bananas & baked something that smells really good!

[LadyAmalthea]

Glitterball, it's gorgeous! Looks about the same as mine,other than the color, even almost 20 years later...the one thing above all that I liked about it when I was choosing one was the way the fingerboard fit in my hand; no other one I tried seemed anywhere near as comfortable. It's funny, after reading your post about it earlier, I stumbled upon mine while looking for something else in my son's closet, I didn't pull it out, but I really should. Back when I was learning there was no YouTube to look stuff up, maybe it would be easier now than learning from a book.

I'm impressed you can fit in the time to practice along with home schooling...my efforts to homeschool last spring when everything was shut down were a complete failure! But it's encouraging, too...if you can make progress by fitting in 5 minutes here and there, maybe I can as well.

Smiling because I was able to make my son happy today by drawing him a character from his school reading program, cutting it out and laminating it. He loves it, and I promised to eventually do it for all of the other characters when I have time.

[glitterball]

LadyAmalthea, thanks!  My original one was black, then I recently got a pink one for my kid - both second hand & fun but I have really wanted a shiny, pristine-in-box new one all to myself. Being the least expensive "branded Fender" version on the website I should feel less precious about it, should it get scratched or dinged in the future. I cannot justify (yet) spending hundreds on an instrument that I am only now beginning to learn "properly". If I get good then maybe an upgrade would be in order!

Been scanning the "used" section of our local music store websites, so many folks have bought guitars during lockdown. Even the pawn shops are having a guitar drought!!

SO PLEASED you found yours! 
Look! You made me smile! 

Yes, get tuned-up (I have a free app on my phone that helps me tune my strings!) & fire up You-tube! I am learning new things all the time, it really makes a difference watching (& pausing & re-watching) someone demonstrate a technique rather than trying to work it out from a book.

Now think of your kids - how cool that mama rocks!!!
Here is a Youtube link that really helped me:

Spoiler

This guy explained it ALL to me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuraAIKyPiQ&list=LL&index=90

From him, I then looked at other vids to learn the other scale "box" patterns and then how to travel across the fretboard using bits of each box that link together. A lot to take in but suddenly you see the connection and you are up and away!

In these current times, we all need something to make us smile & distract us, sneaking out in the early morning when there are fewer people about to get some exercise, re-visiting an old hobby or challenging ourselves with something new.

As I sit here in bed with my laptop, my husband has just brought me a freshly brewed coffee, my kid is snoozing in her bed, the house is warm and I am counting my blessings! 

[LadyAmalthea]

I never thought about using an app for tuning...that's a great idea! That was my first thought when I  contemplated getting the guitar out again...where on earth is my tuner? I haven't seen that in years, and we've moved several times since. I watched the video, I think I'm going to give it a go! Thanks for posting it! The pentatonic scales are interesting, and seem really versatile if I can master it.

Sounds like you paid a pretty good price...and I think you're about spot-on with your Mountain Boy assessment! It's also really cool that it's something you can share with your child, I hope at least one of mine turns out to be musical!

Happy today because my laundry is caught up and I have plenty of food stocked up for the week while my husband is out of town. Not saying I won't cop out and grab Little Caesar's on one of my son's late therapy nights, but good to know I don't have to haul all 3 kids in a grocery store.

[Beth3346]

We officially have new leadership here in the U.S. Hopefully now we'll get some coherent plans on getting Covid under control here.

Also we have our first female and POC Vice President

And dogs are back in the White House!

[LordBlumiere]

My lungs are totally healed from my brush with Covid! My doctor told me that physically I'm completely back to normal and I more than likely won't have to worry about any serious complications.

[Beth3346]

My lungs are totally healed from my brush with Covid! My doctor told me that physically I'm completely back to normal and I more than likely won't have to worry about any serious complications.

I'm glad you're feeling better

[Aflame]

Ding dong the trump is gone!!! Yay!  🥳

[Harmonie]

Indeed, Trump being gone is such a huge breath of relief. There has not been a single moment in the last four years where I have been able to relax in regards to our leadership.

@LordBlumiere: Not to distract from your recovery from COVID. I'm happy that you have recovered well. =)

[starrynights]

Trump is finally gone!
 

[LordBlumiere]

Finally got out to go shopping and I picked up a LOL Surprise OMG doll I'd been looking for! She was the last one there, too

[Taffeta]

Congrats LordBlumiere! Great news

We had snow today

[glitterball]

Woke up to snow falling gently in large, soft clumps. Kid made a snowman in the garden. We had mulled wine flavoured fruit tea afterwards!

Husband ordered Indian curry tonight. Now I am sleepy!