tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post643281312100768922..comments2023-09-26T03:53:17.142-04:00Comments on Pentimento: Quick Takes: Walking DistancePentimentohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-77647510730157604732012-01-27T09:31:55.553-05:002012-01-27T09:31:55.553-05:00You flatter me. We'll see where the chips fall...You flatter me. We'll see where the chips fall today. : )Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-12797570338541605172012-01-27T09:29:49.127-05:002012-01-27T09:29:49.127-05:00Aw, Pentimento, you're a good driver. I'd ...Aw, Pentimento, you're a good driver. I'd rather ride with you than with my mom. :)MrsDarwinhttp://darwincatholic.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-14750572592911688902012-01-26T17:47:15.678-05:002012-01-26T17:47:15.678-05:00Nathaniel can walk quite long distances, and he...Nathaniel can walk quite long distances, and he's four. Of course, as soon as I found out I was pregnant I kicked him off the... the board thingy on the back of the stroller (brain melt), and as soon as I found out it was twins he definitely had to walk everywhere, so he's pretty trained, now.<br /><br />Mrs. Darwin, we share a computer and always leave ourselves logged in, and we're always saying, "Hey, this isn't MY gmail account!" just before hitting send.<br /><br />Running board. It's called a running board. Pregnancy brain.lissla lissarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05354424704358588553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-43269152213854445452012-01-26T14:44:35.171-05:002012-01-26T14:44:35.171-05:00I clicked through from Google reader to tell you w...I clicked through from Google reader to tell you what a nice breath of fresh air this post was. Evidently I'm not the only one who felt that way. <br /><br />I miss being a pedestrian. For the first two years that I lived in Salem I didn't have a car. I walked and took public transportation everywhere. It took almost two hours to get from my house in Salem to Boston College and involved a brisk minute walk to the commuter train, changing to the Green line in Boston followed by another brisk walk across campus. I miss the afternoons when I would linger in Boston on the way home, visit the Public Library or Boston Common, stroll down the city streets.... Having a car is nice; but it does mean that I tend to drive even where I might be able to walk. We're only a mile from the library but we never walk there. I worry about Bella being able to do the whole walk; but that just shows how little she is accustomed to walking.Melanie Bettinellihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12557248434888642114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-37281023095539542072012-01-26T13:31:02.624-05:002012-01-26T13:31:02.624-05:00Thanks for the love, all, and back atcha.
Mrs. Da...Thanks for the love, all, and back atcha.<br /><br />Mrs. Darwin has politely neglected to mention that she has actually ridden as a passenger in a car that I was driving. : )Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-90323261199519577732012-01-26T13:21:03.874-05:002012-01-26T13:21:03.874-05:00I learned viola from the Suzuki books, but never f...I learned viola from the Suzuki books, but never followed the method -- I was 16 when I started viola, and had been playing piano for ages. I think my teacher just used them because they were (in the pre-internet days) easy to acquire. One forgets, now that it's so easy to order something on Amazon, the kind of searching around you had to do if you couldn't get to the big sheet music store way up north or the great violin shop out west. <br /><br />Lissla, I'm so glad someone else accidentally posts under her husband's account. I feel like I'm always doing that. We share a computer and a password.<br /><br />Pentimento, I agree with everyone. These are wonderful Takes.MrsDarwinhttp://darwincatholic.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-30059224132787155992012-01-26T12:39:43.147-05:002012-01-26T12:39:43.147-05:00All the Suzuki detractors are coming out of the wo...All the Suzuki detractors are coming out of the woodwork!<br /><br />Honestly, I had never heard any criticism of Suzuki until my son's violin lesson the other night. I just knew is wasn't right *for him*, and I also recalled my miserable experiences with it, which nonetheless did not put me off music forever either, or otherwise deter my going into it as a profession somehow.<br /><br />But I am really starting to wonder about how it gained such a foothold here, and am really starting to doubt its efficacy as a pedagogy across the board.Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-6639944362769126312012-01-26T12:33:31.691-05:002012-01-26T12:33:31.691-05:00I'm coming out of nowhere here, interested in ...I'm coming out of nowhere here, interested in the commentary on Suzuki. (Been reading and enjoying your blog for a while.) My daughter did Suzuki violin for a short time when she was about six. Before long, it was evident that she pretty much hated it, and after making her stick with it a while, I conceded and let her quit. <br /><br />I recall vividly the day: it was time to go to her lesson. As we left the house for the car, she was resisting again, and I finally decided, "fine, we're done with this." <br /><br />The afternoon paper had arrived. On the way back into the house, I opened it up, and saw the article announcing the death of Shinichi Suzuki. Forgive me, but my sense of black humor kicked right in. "Oh, great. We've just killed Suzuki." <br /><br />Huh - curious about when exactly that happened, I just looked it up. He died on Jan. 26, 1998 - 14 years ago today. <br /><br />My daughter is now in college, majoring in vocal performance, and has won a couple awards for her piano playing along the way. I guess being a Suzuki quitter didn't exactly ruin her for music forever. :)Marcienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-60692857605395677762012-01-26T11:05:36.964-05:002012-01-26T11:05:36.964-05:00I agree with Charming Disarray.
Wonderful Quick T...I agree with Charming Disarray.<br /><br />Wonderful Quick Takes.entropynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-85755792606977675632012-01-26T09:30:56.068-05:002012-01-26T09:30:56.068-05:00I knew it was you, no worries!I knew it was you, no worries!Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-1885445826393757232012-01-26T09:26:57.024-05:002012-01-26T09:26:57.024-05:00Oh, bother. That was Geoff's account, logged i...Oh, bother. That was Geoff's account, logged in. It's still me.lissla lissarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05354424704358588553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-38571767513303376392012-01-26T05:44:26.179-05:002012-01-26T05:44:26.179-05:00That is beyond awesome, Lissla and Geoff! Congratu...That is beyond awesome, Lissla and Geoff! Congratulations!<br /><br />And Rosie, as you know, We Are Happy to Serve You!Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-39752250754566133132012-01-25T21:25:59.233-05:002012-01-25T21:25:59.233-05:00I think you just made my day.I think you just made my day.Really Rosienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-1392973293707066532012-01-25T21:17:19.335-05:002012-01-25T21:17:19.335-05:00Oooh, then I get to spring the BIG news- we're...Oooh, then I get to spring the BIG news- we're having twins! Identical twin girls- Geoff is cycling between ecstasy and terror at having to tell them apart.<br /><br />We're having blood pressure problems, and hoping to hold on for another two weeks, when they'll be 35 weeks and have developed their lungs a bit more.<br /><br />And we'll have four under five. Heaven help us....Geoff Busbridgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03041186309851403667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-67645601365077311972012-01-25T17:20:34.367-05:002012-01-25T17:20:34.367-05:00Lissla, please forgive me for not knowing you were...Lissla, please forgive me for not knowing you were pregnant with #3! I don't allow myself to read blogs anymore because I have a big writing project that I have to finish by a set time. Please accept my tardy congratulations!<br /><br />Charming Disarray, thank you! As the take-out coffee cup from my lamented home town says, "We are happy to serve you." : )Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-6951519065505638962012-01-25T17:02:03.796-05:002012-01-25T17:02:03.796-05:00This is really lovely. I don't think I've ...This is really lovely. I don't think I've read another "Quick Takes" post that I enjoyed so much.Charming Disarrayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15481799867576915560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-70074874655327587142012-01-25T16:00:18.732-05:002012-01-25T16:00:18.732-05:00We also walk everywhere, but it's pretty commo...We also walk everywhere, but it's pretty common here not to have a car, what with our decent transit system.<br /><br />Right now I'm not supposed to walk, and have just gotten to the level of third-trimester tiredness which makes it less appealing, but I am desperately looking forward to May and the re-opening of the farmer's markets, so we can do our set market-library-park-home walk twice a week.<br /><br />Also, last year I was too morning sick to appreciate fresh vegetables. I'm hoping this year I won't be too tired to think of cooking, when local produce season arrives.lissla lissarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05354424704358588553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-53792363680979596172012-01-25T15:38:59.411-05:002012-01-25T15:38:59.411-05:00Ha! As far as Bach goes, I know I was supposed to ...Ha! As far as Bach goes, I know I was supposed to be flattered when a musicologist I know told me recently that I had the personality of a Bach singer, but I was actually annoyed.<br /><br />You know, I had never considered what I now realize is the unwholesomeness of Suzuki. My son was kicked out of his first violin teacher's studio after just three lessons -- she was a Suzuki teacher -- because of his wild behavior. When I realized he could read music, I knew that being kicked out had actually been felicitous.<br /><br />And now I finally understand why I failed so miserably at Suzuki violin myself. Violin was my second instrument (after piano), and I'm not exactly what you would call an inherently unmusical person. And yet, my grade-school Suzuki teacher, a real bully and tormenter, it must be said, kept me in the first book for three years. I wouldn't practice because I was so miserable. Finally, one day she put the second book in front of me, and told me to sightread the first piece. But she had never told me the names of the notes I was playing with my fingers on the pieces of tape! Still, looking at that piece, I realized in a sort of flash of enlightenment that F# was one finger on the E string, etc. I played that lesson, then never went back.Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-48296286261257621832012-01-25T15:29:33.120-05:002012-01-25T15:29:33.120-05:00I am always so happy to hear violin teachers diss ...I am always so happy to hear violin teachers diss Suzuki. I find it cultishly creepy, not to mention kind of a racket. My daughter really loathed what exposure she had to the "method," and finding teachers who would consent to ditch it in favor of letting her read the music, which she could do already, was a challenge. She began the violin relatively late, at 8, and hated being stuck with, as she put it, robotic Twinkle-Twinkle midgets. <br /><br />Her last teacher/youth-orchestra conductor used the Suzuki books some for exercise books, and when we went to buy one from the violin store we got a stern lecture from the man behind the counter about how we were probably screwing up my 17-year-old's playing forever by not using only as directed. Sheesh. Entirely coincidentally, I'm sure, his wife's a Suzuki strings teacher . . . <br /><br />My daughter told her teacher this; he rolled his eyes and said, "I'm not a fan. Here. Play this Bizet." <br /><br />He also diagnosed her as a German Romantic type, which is about right. She's not a Bach personality at all. You and she would probably get on well.Sally Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05014351173194941624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-51618644560125129712012-01-25T13:59:41.976-05:002012-01-25T13:59:41.976-05:00That's kind of awesome. That's one of thos...That's kind of awesome. That's one of those conversation openers that seems to be ordained by God.I hope you see him again, and I hope it will start working out for him. <br /><br />I also snorted with laughter when I saw the Bukowski sticker.Pentimentohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161146891505294679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5554498168264477884.post-22875398611266769932012-01-25T13:52:49.058-05:002012-01-25T13:52:49.058-05:00The Charles Bukowski bumper sticker made me LOL.
...The Charles Bukowski bumper sticker made me LOL.<br /><br />I walk a lot too. I walk my daughter to school and then continue (with dog) on a longer route. The other day, I was approaching an elderly man and he stopped and I thought, oh shit he wants to talk. So he goes, "I see you at mass sometimes, how's it working out for you, because it isn't working out for me at all". I didn't know what to say so I started to laugh and agreed with him. Then we chatted about the dog and he took off.JMBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02542004362101344466noreply@blogger.com