Tag: ukulele

I Now Know My Name

I came across this video the other day and have now listened to this girl about five times. I weep as soon as she opens her mouth. Some of you will totally understand why I cry and why it touches me. Some will not. And that is OK if you fall into the “not” category.

I will try and explain. Some of us wonderful humans came into this world quietly. We’ve sat in shadows and listened to others and let them talk. We have even been invisible, in a sense. These types are usually bent on the creative side of life. Not always but many are.

I fall into that category. I never minded being in the background. I like the quietness and sometimes the solitude. However, I also like the visibility at times. Especially as I got older and found out more of who I am and what makes me tick. I like me. I like others like me. I like this twelve year old girl named Grace. I feel the words of her song. I feel her heart.

Having married someone of the opposite spectrum has been good – for both of us. Sometimes though, I feel very invisible and have actually been snubbed and mis-judged. It is OK but sometimes quite aggravating. My spouse knows that I complete him. I know that he completes me. It’s those others that can’t see that. Sad for them.

This girl and this song speaks to me of these feelings. And guess what? I do know my name even if no one else does. I do keep trying and I tend not to play by the rules of the game.

This post isn’t for you to understand me. It’s for you to understand others and for those who are like me and this girl named Grace. “I’m lost, trying to get found in an ocean of people”.

Like I said before, I like me. I like Grace. I like people who find themselves in an ocean of people. I know you will like us too. Even if you never understand. You need people like us. 😉 We all need others to complete us. To see more of the puzzle of life. None of us can do this thing called life alone. None of us.

So try, just as we have had to try you try to see beyond you and drop those religious ideas and narrow minded thinking. There is a whole big puzzle out there waiting to be put together and it takes all kinds of pieces, called people, to put it together. It takes a lifetime.

Love ya, Enjoy! Listen to her heart sing…..

cate b

Sit Down For A Cuppa

Welcome New Year – 2016.  Welcome Friends.

Come and sit with me and let me pour you a cup of coffee.  I didn’t make a double chocolate chai pie with real whipped cream for you today……perhaps next time.

Today, I have lovely slices of homemade bread.  Warm.  With butter and/or some local Amish Blackberry Jam.  Help your self.  Eat as much as you want.

As we sit here together let’s chat. I want to tell you how excited I am over the arrival of a new year. I’ve made no resolutions, never do, but I have decided to make my own bread as opposed to buying well-preserved breads in the stores.

I have also decided to get busy.  As some of your know, I care for my grand girls five days a week while my son and his wife attend University.  I’ve done this for about two plus years.  I would do it again in a heartbeat, but it has been a sacrifice in many ways. But I see no greater gift that I could give than to be a part of raising these girls. They have taught me so much and my heart has grown in love.

This year, I decided to write more.  Even help my husband to write the books he needs to along with the one I need to finish. I need to play my ukulele more often – it brings me such joy.

There are other creative and practical things I need to do that will come out along the way.  One thing I know is that I need to do the things that were planted in my heart to do by my best Friend, Jesus.

You see, Life is short.  We’ve all heard that before. But we truly do not know our days. I’ve said goodbye to a dear friend just after Thanksgiving.  I see the news rattling off numbers of deaths in various world events.  All ages.  The anniversary of the loss of our dear daughter is coming up.  You can’t help but reflect on your own life.  The things I’ve put off and just refused to do.  The dreams that I have forgotten.

Here, have another slice of bread and a warm up your coffee……

You see, some dreams may change over the years or even be put on a shelf for a while. Some may be lost on the shelves or in a box in the attack or basement. How about we take them down and dust them off.  How about we search out those that were lost and thought forgotten.

Let’s take them and sit with our God and our friends who believe in us and look them over, shine them up, tweak them here and there and most of all…… Pursue them!   Yes.  Let’s do it.

And that is what my new year is looking like. Pursuit.  How about yours?  Those dreams and ideas are still there.  Those ideas for a business are still there.  Find friends who only encourage and love you enough to help you go forward. Find others who need your encouragement and help in finding and going for their dreams.

I’m cheering for you. Maybe next time I will make that chocolate chai pie for you.

Thanks for stopping by.  In case you want it, here is the bread recipe:

I mixed mine in a Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook.

Multi-Grain Bread

1 pkg. active dry yeast – or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup butter – cut up

1/4 cup organic raw cane sugar

1/4 cup Molasses

2 tsp. salt

2 cups boiling water

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour – 1 cup Cornmeal – 1 cup Oats

Enough Unbleached Flour to make a sticky dough – approx. 4 cups

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.

In a smaller bowl I put the butter, sugar, molasses and salt with the boiling water.  Let butter melt and let it cool down so as not to be too hot for the yeast.  I test that by holding my finger in it for a few seconds – if I have to yank my finger out then it is too hot.

Add liquid to yeast along with the WW Flour, cornmeal and oats.  Then mix in White Flour and use that dough hook until all is incorporated.  A good 3-4 minutes of mixing is good.  If dough is too sticky – meaning you cannot pick it up in one ball – then slowly beat in more white flour until right consistency.

Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean cloth for about 1 and 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down and form into any shapes you like.  Pace on greased baking sheet or greased loaf pans. I chose this:

1003243_10153131639452820_3797718183456318986_n I cut slices in them with kitchen shears.

Cover these with the cloth again and let rise for about 40-45 minutes.

Bake  in a preheated 350 degree F oven for about 40-50 minutes.  Cool out of the pan and you better cut an end off while hot and smother it with butter and eat it!

12400506_10153131639472820_6126526402291979353_n

Enjoy!

Cate B

Motivation, Where Art Thou???

Today in the mid-west, the Kansas City area to be precise, it is humid and cloudy and spring rain showers upon us now and then.  It reminds me of the Jersey Shore (the geographical location – not to be confused with any TV shows).

Do you know what that means?  It means I have totally acclimated to The Middle – I now feel the humidity.  I love it to some degree.  It reminds me of summer mornings and daydreaming.  Hoping it will clear enough to go to the beach…….. Wake up!  No beach here.  The lake beach won’t be open this early in May.

I’m suppose to be blogging.  I did the dishes and took a shower and perused Facebook at least three times – nothing new that I can see.  I listened to Lesson One of my French Audio Lessons – still don’t have it down – Spanish keeps popping in the way.  I crack myself up.

Yes, I'm Trying
Yes, I’m Trying

I started another post about four days ago and it is saved in drafts.  I began and saved yet another prior to washing the dishes.  I want to remain true to my reasons for blogging, meaning the subject matter I love, but sometimes that can be hard – my mind starts questioning every idea I get, every word I type.

Sigh, so on this very humid, very lazy, very questioning day in The Middle of the USA, I sit and I type while I listen to Iz sing Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Perhaps I’ll blog tomorrow………

Aloha!

Ukulele Lady
Ukulele Lady

cate b

 

More Happy Ukulele Players!

Here we go again.  This tiny little guitar-like instrument has got to be the happiest little happiness bringer I’ve ever seen.  Not only does it bring joy to the audiences but the players are by the jolliest!

I dare you to watch any of these clips and not smile…. go ahead!


And lastly….. no words for this young man…..

Enjoy!

cate b

Ukulele Fun

It’s been about six weeks since I picked up the ukulele for the first time.  I am so amazed how it makes me smile.  A simple four stringed instrument and some mediocre strumming and I’m happy.  So, I printed out several songs with the chords to learn …….. one is King of the Road of Roger Miller fame.  I have always loved that song.  I remember when he would sing it on the old black and white TV.  I learned the words quickly and have song it for the last, well, say several decades.  Never forgot it.

So on the ukulele I strum it and get a kick out of it …… old stogies I have found, short but not too big around…. Hahaha.

I hope you enjoy it as much or more than I do!  Someday – MAYBE – I will record myself on the uke………

http://youtu.be/OmOe27SJ3Yc

Enjoy!

cate b

Cool As a Uke

To continue my love of the Ukulele……… my friend and I went to Guitar Center – http://www.guitarcenter.com/ and took the free Ukulele lesson they offered this month.

Let me backtrack a little.  Last week I went into our local Guitar Center to see if they had a gig bag for my ukulele.  In the parking lot I took a deep breath and quickly got into character.  You see, I’m sixty-one years old and if you have ever been in this chain store you know it is full of guitars and drums and amps and guys with long hair and probably REAL musicians.  I just wanted a gig bag for my Uke.  I was a bit intimidated.

I should not be intimidated because I have been playing the guitar since 1970 and can bang out some chords on a piano or keyboard and even played a little violin in my day – very little.  My brother played in bands and music filled our house often.  My four children are musicians – that I gave birth to.  I’m from New Jersey for crying out loud!  Bruce Springsteen territory!  But here I was in the parking lot of The Guitar Center where giant posters of – whoever they are – people like Steven Tyler and other dudes like him filling the window.  And in walks mom – or grandma.

Well, this young salesman comes up to me and asked if I needed help.  I stated I wanted a gig-bag for my ukulele.  You would have thought I was his best friend.  Not only did he have gig-bags but he played the Uke and loves it!  The stress melted off of me right there and we became fast friends.  So that is how I found out about the free ukulele lessons in the month of June.

Here we were in this class of about ten people of all ages surrounded by Peavy amps and an instructor full of fun and happiness.It was a beginner class and my friend and I were a bit more advanced – especially her.  I could at least tune my Uke to the iPhone app Ukulele tuner and I owned my own Uke.  This was forty-five minutes of fun and encouragement.  I recommend everyone who wants to play check with your local Guitar Center for upcoming lessons.

For your Saturday enjoyment ………

http://youtu.be/wCpDfB0xhIk

Enjoy!

cate b

Happiness is a Warm Ukulele

I love to write about things that make people happy.  That bring a smile and a hope and joy. I hope this makes you happy as it has me.

I have a ukulele!  I type that phrase with a big smile on my face.  I can play guitar and chords on a piano or keyboard.  I can play around on a Native American Flute.  I’m not considered an accomplished musician and I’m not excellent on any one thing.  I just love music and I love to try new things.  So recently I got it in my head that I wanted to play the ukulele.  It just looks and sounds like fun!

So, while on a family vacation last month I picked one up from a local music store.  It was a gift.  I held it and walked out of there with a smile on my face very much like a child holding a bag of candy sticks from the local General Store.  I scored big time I thought.

I took it back to the house and googled what strings they were.  I had no idea.  I searched my iPhone for a ukulele tuner and chord chart.  Found one for free.  I tuned it and I played The Boat Song by JJ Heller and Sloop John B.  Such fun.

Now I pick it up when I sit on the couch and just strum and sometimes sing along.  It is a very happy instrument.  It does wonder for me when I get down.

So glad that a little instrument with just four little strings can bring such a contentment to a troubled soul.

IMG_3429 I’m not ready to video tape me singing along.  In time.

Find your little instrument in life to bring peace to your soul and happiness to your life.  We all get those dark times.  For some it will be music for some art work.  For some gardening.  But do it.  It is healthy and the outcome is great.

 

 

 

ukulele moon Next goal is to learn to play Over The Rainbow – Iz style.

http://youtu.be/V1bFr2SWP1I

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

cate b

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