Some Changes for the New Year

I got a smart phone.  Yes.  Thanks to my sibling and his son, who were upgrading theirs, my Mom and I both got smart phones.  Now she texts me good morning and good night, and maybe one during the day, and it seems very good.

A couple of months ago, I was talking to a friend who teaches stringed instruments here, and she was talking about teaching using the Suzuki method, and how people can learn to hear by training their ear and such.  The thing is, I've been wanting to do something creative, and something new, and something that involves learning.  And, I started mulling.  So I asked her, and I think I'm going to be taking violin lessons when she returns from break. 

Well, assuming I have a violin.  My Mom brought me my Dad's violin to use, and my friend, Strings, let's call her, suggested I get the bow checked because it probably needs new horsehair.  She suggested a place in town to ask, but said they usually charge more than they should, but for the new horsehair, it wouldn't be too outrageous.  They looked at the bow and the violin, and said the bow's got a crack, and so does the violin, and on and on.  They gave me an estimate, and I took the violin and bow home, and emailed Strings to ask her about the estimate, and if she trusted them to do the work.

Strings said the estimate sounded way too much, and gave me the name and number of her instrument person in the big city a couple hours away.  I'll call on Monday, and if possible, go see him with the violin, and see what can be done.  She said he's super, and she trusts him with her instrument.

But I'm excited, and a little daunted, all at once.

I've got a huge to-do list for the break, but I'm having trouble getting stuff done.  I think when I have some free time, I somehow think there will be plenty of it, and of course there never really is.

I just got James Shapiro's The Year of Lear in the mail, and I'm looking forward to it.  I really enjoyed 1599, and I'm guessing it's the same basic idea, a really deep exploration of the year and Shakespeare's work.  But there's so much else I should be reading in preparation for SAA and my classes!