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Saturday, February 7, 2026

Reviewing National Guitar Day

February 11 is known as National Guitar Day, a day to honor that iconic and versatile instrument known as the guitar.

The guitar is a widely appreciated instrument, valued by beginners learning their first chords and professionals performing on stage. Its pleasant sound is enjoyed by many fans of guitar music.

The History of the Guitar

Dating back over 4,000 years to Mesopotamia and Egypt, the guitar evolved into its modern form in Spain and later gained worldwide popularity. Whether it's a classical, electric, or bass guitar, its influence spans a wide range of musical genres, including folk, rock, jazz, blues, and pop.

The Basic Guitar

Basic guitars have six steel or nylon strings that create different sounds.

Experts recommend beginners start with an acoustic guitar, which produces sound via string vibration and helps build finger strength, while electric guitars are often preferred by more advanced players

My Love of the Guitar

I entered college in the the Fall of 1959, which was a time of the popularity of Folk Music performed by such iconic groups as The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, and dozens more. All of these groups had at least one member playing the guitar. Having attended a Kingston Trio concert at my college in the Fall of 1959, I became an instant fan of both Folk Music and the guitar. My roommates and I played the recordings of these groups, particularly of the Kingston Trio, over and over, singing along until we knew all the words to each song!

By the next semester, I had met the guitar-playing, folk-music-loving guy that I ended up marrying. While in college, he played the guitar and sang folk songs, along with two fraternity brothers, all over campus. Over the years, he continued to play the guitar and sing, occasionally with friends, but mostly to me. Naturally, I loved it. :)

As the years went by, hubby’s musical talent showed up in our youngest son, who played 3 instruments before settling on the guitar as his main musical outlet. Son had his own band for a bit, before life and family obligations took up the time. Now, one of his sons, who is proficient on the violin, is currently teaching himself how to play the guitar. From hubby, to son to grandson, the guitar has played a part in our family’s lives. It truly is an instrument we all have enjoyed, either playing or listening.

Summary

So, on February 11th, get out your guitar and play, or simply listen to some good guitar music as a way to celebrate this musical holiday.

*This review of National Guitar Day has been written by Wednesday Elf

+Images in this article are from Pixabay and personal photos of Wednesday Elf

Guitars and related products.....

Fender Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar - Natural Bundle with Gig Bag, Tuner, Strings, Picks, and Austin Bazaar Instructional DVD

EASTROCK Guitar Stand - Guitar Stands Floor Adjustable Folding Guitar Stand for Acoustic Electric Bass Guitar Banjo Mandolin, Black Tripod with Foam Padding & Non-Slip Feet (1PACK)

Alfred's Easy Guitar Songs -- Rock & Pop: 50 Hits from Across the Decades

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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Friday, February 6, 2026

Godiva Chocolate Reviewed

My husband has been giving me Godiva Chocolate for Valentine's Day and Christmas for decades.

We first discovered this brand while shopping in a mall and seeing the Godiva store. Back then, they boxed their candy in beautiful tin collectible boxes. In recent years, they started using decorative boxes covered in fabric, some have even had lovely embroidered designs. I keep the tins and decorative boxes and use them in my craft room. The boxes alone have been gifts, but the chocolate is divine.

Over the years, I started getting headaches when eating chocolate. Some of my favorite things like chocolate ice cream or candy bars have become a thing of the past for me. However, Godiva chocolate stands out as the one chocolate candy I can still enjoy. For some reason, perhaps the type of cocoa they use, Godiva chocolate does not give me headaches. That is pretty fantastic! It is a way for me to still delve into the world of chocolate without paying a painful price.

Now, don't tell my husband, but I saw the package of Godiva chocolate for Valentine's Day delivered yesterday. I left the box on the porch and acted totally ignorant. Our Ring doorbell doesn't really allow me to be ignorant, but we can pretend.

Godiva Chocolate for Valentine's Day

We have to purchase Godiva Chocolate online these days. The store in the mall shut down years ago. As of 2021, there are no Godiva brick and mortar stores. Fortunately, the candy is still available online. They still have a few tins available, but most of the larger boxes of candy now come in a gold box with a decorative ribbon.

No matter how the chocolate is packaged, the candy is delicious!

Godiva Masterpiece Heart Chocolate Gift Tin, Assorted Milk & Dark Chocolate with Ganache & Caramel, Valentine’s Day Keepsake Gift for Her, 20pcCheck Price Godiva Red Ribbon Gold Assorted Chocolate Gift Box, Belgian Dark and Milk Chocolates with Pralinés, Ganaches & Caramels, Gourmet Valentine's Day GiftCheck Price Godiva Masterpiece Heart Chocolate Gift Tin, Assorted Milk & Dark Chocolate with Ganache, Valentine’s Day Keepsake Gift for Her, 7pcCheck Price

If you want the tins, you may find them on Ebay, without the candy, of course.

Thursday, February 5, 2026

All in One Course, for Piano, Review

Decades ago, when I first took piano lessons, I was instructed to purchase individual books on theory, and some other books as well. There were three or four books that I had purchased. It is what was available at the time, and I got the books my teacher recommended.

When I had gone for quite awhile without playing, sans piano, I decided to get some books to help me relearn piano.

What I found was a book that has Lesson, Theory, and Solo, all in one book. I already worked through Book 1, and have recently started with Book 2.

I like this approach much butter, you learn a bit of theory along with explanations, and practice songs to reinforce the theory and technique, all in one book.

It's so much nicer having the various steps of learning, all in one place, in an easy understandable order, without having to go to one book from another; it's all sequential. It's much easier for one to follow and know what to do next, especially if they don't have a piano teacher.

When I started working in Book 2 of the All in One Course, Lesson, Theory, Solo, I was able to jump in and play the presented song from beginning to end, (They are short."), without much hesitation. I am pleasantly making progress. I know it helps that I had piano lessons many years ago, but overall, I think this method is much more enjoyable than the earlier method was, and easier too.

It is so nice having the lessons flow from one aspect to the next, in a sequential order, all in one book. If you are interested in checking out this book on Amazon, you can check it out here: All in One Course. There are other books in this series for different levels.

Cheryl Paton

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Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Final Orbit ~ A Book Review

Final Orbit is a novel that you just won't be able to put down. Chris Hadfield is a master at putting together a story that is full of facts and yet manages to weave in some fiction into the story plot as well. He is much loved Canadian Astronaut, author, musician and writer. This reviewer has read his books and loved each one. But let's get into the Final Orbit!

The 1970's space race had everyone interested in what was out there. There was much political, international and general interest in all of the exploration of the moon, the space station and the possibilities of future travels in space.

In 1975 the space race took on a whole new focus as Apollo and the Russian Soyuz were to jointly dock with the now abandoned Space Station. It was a time of hope for the whole world that the two super powers could in fact come together to benefit all of mankind with cooperation and not with suspicions.

But unknown to both the US and Russia, China has been secretly trying to enter into the space race as well. Deep in remote location, China secretly launches it's first manned spaceship. No one knows what their purpose is and even though the Russians and Americans are working together, they are never totally above being suspicious of each other too.

This space mission is full of many triumphs and many mistakes as well, not just in the heavens but here on earth as well. Three of the six astronauts die during a decompression error. One of the Soviet's and two American astronauts are no longer part of the mission as it was supposed to happen. That leaves two Soviet's and one American aboard the Apollo capsule to figure out what needs to be done and how to do it. Just to add to the astronauts stress, there is the language barrier to work through and teaching the Cosmonauts how the Apollo works, compared to their Soyuz craft. And then there is that pesky Chinese astronaut out there too.

It doesn't take too much imagination to put yourself right into that Apollo capsule along side these three space travellers. That's what makes this book so intriguing.

If you are an astronaut wannabe or get excited about the possibilities of outer space travel, this book is for you!

If you lived through the 1960's and beyond, the Space Race and all of the missions Apollo made, you will relive some history that was happening on earth during that time as well. The Cold War, Patty Hearst. civil unrests and more are all part of what happened during this mission.

Once you open the book, Final Orbit, will be glued to your hands until you finish the last page. and then you will want to go back to the start and read it all over again.

Well done Chris Hadfield, well done indeed!

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Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Reviewing Liquid Level Indicators For People With Sight Loss.

A Liquid level indicator is not something I had heard of until my husband was diagnosed with severe sight loss-blind.

It is surprising all the little things you take for granted when you are sighted and how much you need to relearn or adapt with sight loss.

Simply making a hot drink, a tea, a coffee had become some thing just a little more difficult for my husband. We did not know what he was supposed to do to know how high the hot water was. Did he just put his finger at the top of the mug and risk being burned, or did he give up making hot drinks altogether?

Even cold drinks were an issue as unless made over the sink we could have many spills to clear up.

Making a hot drink became a real challenge. We worried that he would burn himself or spill hot or cold liquids over the worktops and floor, it then itself becoming a safety hazard, or put his hand in hot liquids. Suddenly something that most adults take for granted became an issue and a lack of independence.

We went to an information session soon after he was diagnosed. It was all a little overwhelming but we noticed that the drinks were being made by a blind person and we kept hearing these little bleeps and I noticed a small device hung over the mugs. It wasn't long before the session began and drinks were handed out. So I asked what is that device you used and he started to explain.

In this article we will be using the terms severe sight impaired, blind, low vision, partially sighted and sight loss as these are the current acceptable terms in my country for people with sight loss. This may change over time and be different in different countries. No offence is intended by any of these terms.

What Is a Liquid Level Indicator And How Does It Work?

It is a small device that clips or hangs onto the edge of a cup, mug, soup mug or glass.

1. Place it so that the metal prongs are on the inside of the container. Often there are two levels of prongs one for a general alert - this is when you should stop pouring. However, If you carry on pouring there is often an emergency alert when you must stop pouring.

2.Then you simply pour the liquid as usual from the kettle, tap or jug.

3. As the level of the liquid rises the liquid touches the metal prongs and device uses sound or vibration to let you know when the mug, glass, jug or whatever is nearly full.

4. These alerts give you enough time to stop pouring before the liquid reaches the top.

5. Then you stop and take the device off the mug or glass. Simple as that !

There are different models to choose from but that is the essentials of every Liquid level indicator. It then all depends what you are wanting and what is most helpful to a person individually.

Most have an alert when the liquid nearly reaches the top.
Many have two alert levels, one when the mug or glass is nearly full and one emergency alert when it is nearly to the top.
Some have bleeping and vibration when liquid is reaching the top.
Some advanced models differentiate between hot and cold liquids, offering stronger alerts for hot drinks to enhance safety. We don't have that one, but may consider it for the future.
I have also heard of "smart" models which link to a smartphone but these are not common and I have not experienced one.

My husband is happy with our quite straightforward model which bleeps and vibrates when the liquid is close to the top. It is clear, simple and effective.

It takes only a very little time to get used to using it and to remember to use it, but it is not a steep learning curve. There are no courses to go on or skills you need to know. It is just practice and habit.

My husband said it is very easy for him to use. It is a good idea to start with a cold drink and then progress to hot drinks once you feel confident.

Why Does Being Able To Make A Simple Drink Matter?

For many people with severe sight loss, pouring drinks is a significant and frequent challenging task throughout the day. Think about how many times you make a drink in a typical day !

Especially when making hot drinks, it becomes a safety issue and can carry a real risk of burns. Not being able to make a drink safely robs a person of autonomy and independence.

A liquid level indicator helps

Preventing burns from overfilled hot drinks, or feeling the need to stick a finger in the cup to test how far the liquid has reached, which is a significant safety risk.
Reducing spills and cleaning them up.
Reducing the risk of slipping on wet floors
Supporting independence and confidence in normal, everyday tasks
Supports a person with sight loss still being able to make drinks for themselves and friends and family.
For people who live alone it is essential to be able to make a drink safely.
Even if living with other people or at work, the ability to make a drink for yourself and others is a small but significant sign of independence. My husband now loves to make me a hot drink of coffee in the morning and it is a lovely start the day !
Although primarily used by people who are diagnosed severe sight impaired or partially sighted, this device can also be useful to people who have tremors or motor impairments and people who may have declining vision, macular degeneration, cataracts or other sight issues.

Features To Consider In A Liquid Level Indicator

Audible alerts, look for clear, loud beeps
Vibration mode is useful if the person also has hearing loss or just prefers a vibration rather than a noise. The vibration should be strong enough to feel through the hand holding the container.
Some have both audible and vibration alerts which can be useful in busy, noisy places.
Magnetic can be useful. We love ours as it sticks the fridge freezer so takes up no room on worktops and is vey easy for my husband to find.
Lightweight and easy to carry so it can be taken when travelling and visiting friends and family, to hotels etc.
Heat resistant as clearly it needs to be safe to use with very hot drinks.
A good battery and/or rechargeable battery
A good price, many are not expensive, it all depends how sophisticated you would like it to be, but a basic model works well. Some organisations and sight loss charities provide them at a reduced cost.

So a liquid level indicator is another example of a low tech, reasonably priced and simple device that can make a huge difference to independence, confidence, dignity and safety for a person with sight loss. It is now just a part of our kitchen devices and appliances and we would not be without it.