I wrote my first-ever blog post on January 27, 2010. Here we are 8 years and 1,285 posts later! I can't say it enough: I am grateful for this space, allowing me to share my thoughts and experiences, sort/edit my pictures, and record the main events of the year. Even though my blogging has slowed down over the past couple of years, I can't imagine my life without it.
January 2010
January 2011
January 2012, 2013
January 2014
January 2015, 2016
January 2017
With a new year and a new blog background, why not add a new haircut? I was definitely in the mood for a change from my typical long hair! Feels great.
And let's not forget these two sweet, beautiful, quirky, hat-wearing girls -- the entire reason for this blog's existence:
On Tuesday I found out that James Hill (a master ukulele player) was going to be in Kingston on Friday for a concert! I briefly mentioned James Hill in my first ukulele blog post back in March. Needless to say his skills and enthusiasm piqued my interest in my early ukulele days. I feel very fortunate that I (randomly) found out about this show before it was too late! I invited my parents to join me for this fun night out.
The opening act was as fantastic as the main attraction; guitarist Gareth Pearson impressed us all with his speedy hand movements. I feel that learning to play a string instrument has made me more appreciative of the skills involved in playing it well.
He was quite the entertainer!
James Hill tours with his wife Anne Janelle, who plays the cello. They were a lovely duo and played beautiful music.
Turns out he plays the violin too!
The finale: all three performers together
I caught up with James Hill after the show, mostly because I was hoping he was selling (and could autograph) his book: Ukulele Duets for One. Sadly he didn't have any copies with him. But I took the opportunity to get a photo with him!
When Emily and I are awake in the morning and the rest of the house is dark and asleep, Emily often asks, "Mama, can I look at your blog?"
She loves looking at old posts, especially the pictures. She'll pick a label on the right hand side and go through all the posts with that label. Some of her favourites are Travel, Weekly Updates, and Year In Review.
How could I ever say no to her request, when it reminds me so much of myself? As a child and even as a teenager, I loved looking at old pictures. Though back in my day the pictures were all in albums... ;)
I'm glad Emily has the chance to revisit past events, remind herself of how things used to be, and get a glimpse of her earlier years. Just one of the many reasons I am thankful for my blog!
Back in December we had the pleasure of hosting a gathering for Steve's half brothers, alongside Nanny and Papa. Steve's brothers and their kids came all the way from California and the Czech Republic for the holidays! It's always nice to see everyone and catch up after so many months (oryears!) apart.
Steve and his nephew Jasha learned that they have something in common: a love of the Rubik's cube! They participated in a few races and shared tips and tricks.
The race is on!
Another big hit with the cousins was the Nintendo. Kids and their games!
Happy birthday, Ukulele! You've been a part of my life for a whole year now. And what a fun year it's been!
There have been a couple of new additions to our uke family: first I inherited Great-Grandpa Gerald's old 1956 ukulele (which his wife had once sat on and he fixed it with screws and glue). It is a work of art displayed in our kitchen/living room.
Notice the crack on the side
I also inherited Gerald's newer Mahalo ukulele. I love that his family chose to pass down the ukes to me, knowing that Gerald and I shared many moments of ukulele-ing together. The ukes are a wonderful reminder of Gerald's love and support.
A couple of weeks ago I turned the Mahalo into a low-G ukulele, by replacing the regular G string with a low-G one. Ever since I had seen Cynthia Lin's tutorials using a low-G uke (Stairway to Heaven and Landslide), I'd been interested in trying one! It's been fun hearing the difference in a few songs.
Like I mentioned in my previous Ukulele post, the past three months have been all about Christmas songs. I really enjoyed picking my song list and learning the words and chords to each one. I managed to learn 25 songs, plus a few more that I can play (but not by heart). Silent Night and Feliz Navidad are also two more songs that I had already learned in my first three months.
60. Jingle Bell Rock
61. Jingle Bells
62. Let It Snow!
63. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer
64. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
65. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
66. Last Christmas
67. Christmas Time is Here
68. Santa Baby
69. All I Want for Christmas is You
70. Sleigh Ride
71. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
72. Walking in a Winter Wonderland
73. Christmas Don't Be Late
74. Frosty the Snowman
75. Baby It's Cold Outside
76. Happy Christmas (War is Over)
77. Marshmallow World
78. Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
79. Away in a Manger
80.O Christmas Tree (Instrumental)
81. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
82. White Christmas
83. Angels We Have Heard on High (Instrumental)
84. The Christmas Song
I picked my 12 favourite songs and made a little demo video. Although everyone's probably tired of hearing Christmas music by now, I hope y'all enjoy it!
While I plan to continue playing the ukulele this year, I don't think I'll be making any more videos or blogging as regularly about it. I'll likely slow down the pace of my learning, revisit old favourites, or try new songs when the mood strikes. Thanks for all the encouragement and following me in my journey!
In the living room with Jessi (She's not feeling well)
Jessi fell asleep pretty quickly after that (not sick after all).
I was super tired and asleep before 10:00pm.
A good start to the year!
