How To Tip Toe Through the Tulips: A Review of the Ukulele

There was a blank space in our Music Room, so my Sweetie decided that it was time for a Ukulele!  Let's Review this wonderful little instrument!

His music room has space for a Keyboard, a Digital set of Drums, a Guitar, a Bodhran, an Old Chord Accordian, several Tin Whistles and Recorders and our latest aquistion, the Ukulele!  For less than $100.00 he has a Ukulele, online lessons, carrying case, picks and tuner(he opted for the one in the link below).

 Important features for the Ukulele is the ability to tune the instrument.  If it doesn't have proper tuning pegs, like a guitar, you are buying a toy!  We don't want a toy, we want an instrument that will give us pleasure while we learn how to play.  This particular one is a bargain for a musical instrument!  Size is important too, this one doesn't take up much space at all.  It's easy to handle and very portable!  A bonus for him, especially when he's going out to the schools to see the kids!  Music and the Deacon, go hand in hand!  The children seem to love the music too!

                                                                  

It just so happens that today May 2nd is "Play your Ukulele" day!

Let me fill you in on a little bit about this lovely instrument.  Most people associate it with Hawaii! Hawaii's own  Israel Kamakawiwo'ole( (Oahu, 20 May 1959 - Honolulu, 26 June 1997)who played the Ukulele with style and presence. Here he is playing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and this song is still  listened to by millions of people all over the world, today!



His gentle spirit, voice, the melody and the sounds of this little instrument just seem to match perfectly.  It's hard to remain in a bad mood listening to this music.  It's partly his own sound and partly the Ukulele!  In his hands the Ukulele while a small instrument, commands a big presence, as did he!

The Ukulele actually came from Portugal, but because it has been adopted by the Hawaiian Islands, it seems to have become the instrument of these Paradise Islands. A few musicians(who aren't Hawaiin) have made it's sound their own like, Tiny Tim, with his "Tip Toe Through the Tulips".  While to my ears it wasn't a great song, it seems that it was popular enough at the time to garner lots of play time on several Radio Stations. It seems to have helped the Ukulele to become a popular musical instrument at the time too!

Ukuleles are not expensive to own!  As I have mentioned before,  good one will cost less than $100.00 and for someone who is on a budget, this is much more affordable than a good guitar.  You can learn the chords and the strumming techniques and use them on either instrument.  So while learning one, you will ultimately learn more than one instrument, without a big cash outlay at the start.  This is great for parents or grandparents who would love to see their offspring develop some musical talent.  Ukuleles are also small in size, so portability is not an issue.  Even the youngest child can handle carrying a Ukulele around without any kind of difficulty.  They would love the song Lava that features a strumming of the Ukulele with lyrics that will mean so much to every audience.  Check it out right here!


                                                   I think I Lava this song!


In writing this review I found myself looking into people who are fully into the sounds of the Ukulele and guess what?  I found several people that take the Ukulele very seriously and the sounds that come out of this instrument make me stop in my tracks to admire and enjoy the sound.  I would never have thought that this instrument was truly able to be played in such a commanding way.  If you want, you can check out this amazing and lovely lovely sound right here!  With this kind of talent and ability, who would not want to learn how to play this lovely little instrument?  I think I'll be moving into the music room now and practicing some Ukulele music!

Maybe I can figure out how to play The Mother's Day Song for Mother's day!  Just to make my mother laugh and cry at the same time!  Music is a perfect gift at anytime, but today I will use it for my Mother's Day present!  Surprise MOM!  Hope you enjoy the lyrics.....I love you!

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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First Magyc Guardians of the Path Book Reviewed

The Fight Against Good and Evil

The Magic of Music image courtesy of Pixabay.com

I would like to introduce you to a fantasy fiction series today. First Magyc is book one in the Guardians of the Path series written by Nicole Dragonbeck. A short summation would be the plot involves the age old battle between good and evil. That would be factual but doesn't come anywhere close to giving you insight as to whether you will enjoy the first book in the series or not. 

Let me start out with explaining a little of my reaction to reading First Magyc. I feel like I have to tell you that not very far into this first book, I almost stopped reading it. This is a very unusual feeling for me to experience when reading any book. It is rare that I give up on a story of any kind. Suffice it to say, I didn't put the book down. There was something in my mind that niggled at me, telling me to continue with the story. I am glad that I did. I guess what I am trying to say is you might feel the same when you begin this book but I encourage you to keep reading. I don't think you will be disappointed. I wasn't. In fact, the story took on a spiritual significance for me.

First Magyc Guardians of the Path Book One

The story begins with Ria, a twelve year old girl that I immediately related to and I think many people will. She is a troubled child; slightly broken after the loss of her mother. Her father and step-mother fight a lot. Those fights are usually about her which makes them even harder for her to listen to and cope with. Her escape is to lose herself in music. Her Ipod and earbuds drown out the angry words and sounds of the arguments most of the time. On this particular day, the fight is intense enough that she feels she needs to sneak out of the apartment to get further away from the words of battle that are being spewed by her parents.

Sitting in a grungy corner away from the other apartment doors, Ria hears a song in her head that she has never heard before and it is not one that she has on her playlist. As she concentrates on this song, a door appears where a door never was. She has a strong feeling that she should open that door even though her twelve year old mind knows that is not a safe or wise action to take. When the door opens she meets Cedar who doesn't look like anyone she has ever seen before. There are colors around him and the room that he is in that intrigue her. She knows that she should turn around and leave but yet she feels that she needs to stay. Cedar explains to her that he has been trapped in this world between worlds for a long time and that he thinks that she may be able to help him get back to his world; a place that he desperately needs to be. Cedar has to use First Magyc or Blood Magyc in order to return. (This is where I got disturbed enough that I almost quit reading. All I will say is, keep reading the book!)

So, it turns out that Cedar is one of a handful of Guardians who have been given the task of protecting the Path which is the force of life itself. Cedar and other Guardians have been battling Demons who appear from the Void trying to destroy the Path and the humans who follow it for centuries. Life has become chaotic in Cedar's world; the Path is fading to almost non-existence and the Music of Life is vanishing. Of course, Ria does not understand any of this when she arrives but she knows that somehow she wants to help.

Cedar is surprised to find out that Ria has some abilities that he was not aware of when they first met and this gives him hope but also concerns him greatly. A Demon appears to do battle with Cedar and after injuring the Guardian the Demon calls Ria by a name that she doesn't know anything about but Cedar does. Is this girl who opened the door and helped him get back the very one from the ancient prophecy?

OK, so if you have read any of my other reviews you know that I don't like to give away much of a story line. So, I am recommending that if you want to know more about the Guardians, the Demons, and Ria you need to read this book and the ones that follow.

Here is what I love about the book and I did end up loving the book! For me this is a story about our spiritual journey in life which can and really should be a magical journey through life. Isn't our faith, no matter what name it might be called, a path that we walk on? We don't see the path, we feel it. We know when we have made a wrong turn on our journey and need to get back to the warmth and glow of the path we are supposed to be on. Sometimes that means we have to slay some emotional or physical demons to get back to where we are should be. The walk isn't always easy especially if there are no spirits, angels or guardians protecting the direction we are headed.

There is also the connection between walking our journey through life and music. I love that the author more than hints at that connection! Music is spiritual and it doesn't have to be music in a religious setting to touch your soul. Actually, most times it isn't the music you hear or sing while at church that touches your soul. Is it? Certainly there are songs of a religious nature that move me and I am sure you, too. In our lives there are songs that we hear that help us get through a rough time, make us smile, bring us joy, or make our feet move. Music is emotional, it is spiritual, it is magical, life without it would be like being in a void of nothingness.

Bottom line, I love the first book in the series. I think many of you might also enjoy it. Perhaps, the message that the author hoped to convey is very different from what I came away with. Perhaps you will have a different take away, altogether. My overall reaction is that it touched my soul and that doesn't happen often when reading a book of fiction. 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Reviewing the Honeywell True HEPA Air Purifier

Honeywell is my choice for allergy and migraine relief.

Allergy season is upon us. While many people buy air purifiers to help reduce seasonal allergies, I have purchased the Honeywell True HEPA as an experiment to see if I could get some migraine relief. While the migraines have not ended, I have had some significant relief in the severity of my headaches.  I have also noted significant decreases in allergy symptoms and in unpleasant odors in the apartment. Honeywell is known for making a quality product and I'm really glad I made this purchase - whether or not it is the reason for my decreased migraines.

Honeywell True HEPA Allergen Remover HPA300

This air purifier is advertised as being able to handle up to a 465 sq ft area. It has clearly made a difference in the air quality in my apartment. I began my experiment with placing the air purifier in my living room - with plans to move it to my bedroom if I found that it didn't seem to be working well. However, I have not felt the need to move it. It seems to be clearing the air in my entire (albeit small) one bedroom apartment. 

When I decided to buy an air purifier, I asked my friend for his opinion regarding what I should look for. He works in HVAC and maintenance and I know he'd have at least one tip for me. My friend told me to be sure to choose a machine that has a "carbon pre-filter".  While that sounded like gibberish to me, I made sure to choose a machine with that feature.

The Honeywell True Hepa HPA300 uses three HEPA filters and one carbon pre-filter.  I will update this at a later date if I find that I am unhappy with having to replace that many filters. But in the meantime, that many filters seem to be what I needed.

It is advertised to be able to remove dust, pollen, gases/VOCs, some bacteria, mold, pet dander, and smoke from the air. 

It circulates the air 5xs per hour when in a 465 sq ft (or less) area.

It has different settings - including the "turbo" setting that I use for a few minutes nearly every day. This air purifier also has settings that run it for the amount of time chosen (2, 4, or 8 hours) before shutting itself off.

The filters were easy to install and once I realized that controls operated by a touch, it was easy to choose my settings. The blue light indicates which setting has been chosen.

top view: control panel

My Migraine Experiment

Without going into three decades of details, I've had severe migraines for a long time. The triggers for migraines are mysterious and hard to identify. As I have aged, my migraines were decreasing and I was hopeful about the comment from the neurologist that they should end with menopause. Yippee! Come on menopause. Imagine my disgust when my migraines had nearly ended, only to return with gusto.

During this past winter, I woke in the middle of the night suddenly thinking that the apartment was on fire. You may or may not recall that I live in a small, old, and poorly maintained apartment. I realized that some of my new neighbors smoke like coal fired steam engines. Okay, maybe that is a little dramatic. But I realized that I had resumed waking in the night with migraines around the same time as a massive turnover of neighbors in the adjacent apartments. Neighbors who smoke a lot.

Later, I realized that when I went on trips to visit my children in their homes (all non-smokers and not living next to Ceech & Chong and the Marlboro Man) I was migraine-free. Coincidence? Maybe. But people with migraines will try just about anything to find relief. I decided to try an air purifier.

So far, with the purchase of this air purifier, my migraines continue frequently, but are much easier to manage the pain level. And they end much sooner than ever before. I have not missed a day of work due to migraines since adding this Honeywell True HEPA to my home, and that is saying a lot.

I run this air purifier at least 8 hours every day. And I hit that "turbo" button when I can smell the neighbors (any type of smoke, their cooking, the exhaust fumes of the truck outside, etc).  

The reasons to run an air purifier are as individual as every individual living space. I have found that for the smoke, allergens, and pet dander I am seeing a difference in my comfort level. I'm really glad I made this purchase. And fingers crossed for continued migraine improvements.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Most People Are Good by Luke Bryan

Listen on Apple Music

When I first heard "Most People Are Good' on the radio, it reminded me of a poem I wrote nearly 20 years ago based on the same premise called, 'I See Good People'.

If you find yourself frustrated with the negative energy that seems to infect our airways and unfortunately the internet, then you'll want to listen to the bit of hope expressed in the music and lyrics of this Luke Bryan song.

Are Most People Basically Good?

The operative word here is 'most'.

One way to answer that question is through a famous quote in the James Allen (b.1864-d.1912) book, 'As a Man Thinketh':

Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

The tool of thought, and, shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills,

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

Environment is but his looking-glass

James Allen, a British Philosophical Author, is quoted as saying, "A man is literally what he thinks, his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts".

Another famous quote by Buddha says exactly the same thing, "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world".

We march through history with lists of famous souls who have repeated this same principle from century to century. I think they're trying to tell us something?

Life's Challenges Can Shade Our Hearts

No matter how much sunshine we allow in our life, there's always some darkness to overcome. However, those dark moments don't have to define us.

Luke Bryan expresses it well in this verse:

(Lyrics) I believe them streets of gold are worth the work

But I still wanna go even if they were paved in dirt

I believe that youth is spent well on the young

'Cause wisdom in your teens would be a lot less fun

I believe if you just go by the nightly news

Your faith in all mankind would be the first thing you lose

Every generation has it's struggles, and progress isn't easy, but basic goodness is something we can only control from within, and as James Allen so eloquently states in the above quote, "The tool of thought, shaping what he wills, brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills".

According to most of the great minds that came long before us, 'we are what we think'. Simple, yet hard to master.

Luke Bryan's song reminds us that it may be as simple as choosing to believe that most people, are in fact, good.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Crobots – An Amigurumi Robots Crochet Pattern Book Review

Pixabay Image w/Text by Fotojet

Robots have fascinated people for many years and are especially popular with children. No doubt the favorite robot in recent years is R2D2 from Star Wars!  The robots, androids and artificial intelligence we have seen are machines made of metal or some other hard material which are fascinating to watch and fun to look at, but not to hold. 

How about if we made playtime toy robots out of something soft, such as yarn?  If you were to crochet a yarn robot, it might be called a CROBOT. 

Crobots

Crobots: 20 Amigurumi Robots to Make

In this crochet pattern book called Crobots by Nelly Pailloux, there are instructions to create 20 tiny creatures which are cute and cuddly and adorable. 

Each Crobot pattern includes a color photo of the finished 'robot', an ingredients list showing you everything you need to match the photos in each section, along with instructions for creating them.  Each Crobot is crocheted in sections, then joined together. The instructions also include a Blueprint page showing you how the sections fit together. 

Many of these crobot creatures are decorated with beads, sequins, buttons, jewelry fasteners, and even nails & wire springs. 

Big Bot Created for an Anime Shop

This is Big Bot made using sequins for eyes and a spring nose.This version of a Crobot looks really cute if you are making it for an adult Sci-Fi, Steampunk or Anime Fan to perhaps decorate a work space or give as a unique gift.  

Thinker I call Snow Bot

But I crochet primarily for children, so my version of these crobots are finished with simple embroidery to keep them soft & safe all over. Whichever version you choose, these tiny Crobot robots are fun to make in crochet. They include a Space Mouse, a Cosmic Bear, a Dogbot, a Catbot, a Zombiebot, a Geisha Girl, a Ninjabot, an Alienbot and a dozen more.  They each take very small amount of yarn and are fun to make. 

A Few Examples of Crobots I Created from this Book

The Thinker

This quiet little doll is called THINKER in the Crobot crochet book.  I decided he looked like a Snow Bot and crocheted him in white acrylic yarn filled with soft polyfil toy stuffing. He has burgundy ears on his large Amigurumi head, and embroidered features. His spindly embroidered arms and sweet wistful face show off the fact that he is a thinker who likes to sit quietly and figure things out. He's the perfect companion for a quiet child. He'd also sit quietly on someone's desk at work to help them concentrate.

Sammy the stuffed snow bot robot doll measures just 5 inches tall. He's soft and sweet and ready-to-ship. 

Matryoshka the Housekeeping Crobot

Burgundy Babushka Robot Doll

In the Crobot pattern book, Matryoshka is described as having a babushka mother and a robot for a father, making her quite technical at heart with the rivets, dials and switches shown in the pattern.  I decided she'd make just a sweet babushka doll, so her features are embroidered.  My version is round and soft and comfortable for little hands to hold.

My cute little Babuska doll is hand-crocheted in burgundy acrylic yarn with a white face with embroidered features. She is softly stuffed with polyfil toy stuffing and measures just 4 inches tall. 

Burgundy Babuska doll will fit nicely in a pocket for a child to carry around to play with. She is very squeezable in her round shape and would fit perfectly on someone's desk at work as a cheerful presence. She could also make an excellent stress ball and wouldn't mind at all if you squeeze her. :)

Burgundy Babuska would also make a cute Valentine's Gift, stocking stuffer, or a cute gift for little girls for a birthday or anytime gift.

Geisha

Geisha Girl Amigurumi Doll

This is a Geisha Girl Amigurumi Doll who is a sweet and shy little doll dressed in Geisha Girl style. 

She measures 6 inches tall and has a sweet hand-embroidered face. 

Her elaborate hairstyle has red ties and she is wearing little sandals on her feet. 

Geisha Girl Doll is hand-crocheted in acrylic yarn in black and white with a Sunshine print Kimono. 

She is filled with new polyfil and is ready-to-ship to a toybox near you or be a friendly companion on your desktop.  

Past Examples

A few other examples of Crobots (a Baby Bot and a Sumo Robot Doll) I have made from this book are shown above.  These have sold, but can be recreated by a request through my Etsy Shop, Coastal Crochet Crafts.

Crobots Summary

Crobots Craft Book is Available on Amazon

This is a unique and interesting little crochet pattern book for crafters who like to make little dolls, especially with a Sci-Fi or Steampunk theme to them. 




(c) 2018 by Wednesday Elf

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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