I’ve been tutoring my littlest neighbor (we’ll call her M.) since late September, and strangely enough, that includes lessons on the recorder.
How that happened: My sister Mandy, who plays the oboe, was visiting, and M. was absolutely enchanted by her first real exposure to classical music. To be fair, I think she was also enchanted by my sister. (Totally understandable.) Before her next visit, Mandy procured a recorder and a basic instruction booklet.
We’ve only learned two notes so far, A and B, plus a few basic rhythms. But I had no idea there was that much laughter hidden in the music.
Recently, M. learned the concept of a musical rest.
“What would happen if we just kept playing forever, without stopping?” I asked innocently, after having let her play quarter notes for far too long.
M. pantomimed a graceful, fainting collapse, melting into her chair with her mouth lolling open, eyes closed.
“Exactly right,” I said. “That’s why we need rests.”
M. opened one inquisitive eye then. “Did anyone ever die when they kept playing too long?”
I assured her no one had, but that people got sick, all the time, from not taking their rests in the right places.
M. is now very good at observing her rests. She almost never misses one.
But now, just a little while later, I’ve got the flu, and I get to take the rests that I probably ought to have taken in a different spot in life’s music. It’s frustrating to have to take them all at the same time like this.
It’s frustrating because I want to do so many things just now. It’s frustrating because I caught the bug right before NaNoWriMo began, and I’m sure my lack of energy is translating into lackluster prose. It’s frustrating because my sis is coming for another visit and a tiny attempt to clean the bathroom sent me right back to bed, coughing and wheezing. It’s frustrating because I accidentally began blogging again (see previous post) and want to write some stellar posts, and get back out there again with the camera, and visit all your lovely blogs again, and share my gratitude for the warm welcome back.
And it’s frustrating because six days in a row stuck in the house watching the leaves turn gold and scarlet and russet and tangerine and burgundy against a gorgeous blue sky and not being able to go outside in it is driving me absolutely bonkers.
Maybe next time I’ll make sure I learn what I’m teaching.
Y’all be sure and take your rests wherever they occur in the music, okay?
PDF 
You know what else helps? Trying to enjoy your rests, instead of chafing at the bit to get out again
I know it’s frustrating, but wishing you were better doesn’t make it go faster 
Sit at the window with a book and enjoy those leaves. I’m sure your sister will forgive you if the house isn’t perfect. Sip warm tea and scribble aimlessly in a notebook.
In other words, actually rest
I took your advice, Merrilee. It is difficult to actually rest when one is “chafing at the bit,” as you say. But your words were rise and right on the money.
Take your time Meredith, the sky, leaves and your readers will rest along with you
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Susan Tiner´s last blog ..Castilian Spanish It Is!
Thank you, dear Susan. You’re right that even the season itself is encouraging a rest!
Oh, Meredith! I did not see your last post . . . will go back to read it. Welcome Back! I have thought of you often and miss your lovely posts filled with magic and wise thoughts. I just got over a cold . . . give your rests whole notes and feel better soon. ;>)
Carolflowerhillfarm´s last blog ..Autumns Grand Finale on Flower Hill and Hills Beyond
Carol, you’re so sweet. I am so glad to be back — well, sort of back.
Hope your cold is gone for good and that you’re fully restored!
Get your rest. Then you’ll have plenty of time to write and the energy to do so.
You’re right, of course, Renee.
M. sounds fun – it sounds as if you are having fun together. I hope you feel better soon and get those rests.
Lynn´s last blog ..Standing in line- representation and earthy
M. is very fun. She’s like a teensy drama queen. At first I was surprised that she wanted to come back to our lessons so much, as I feel I must be the slowest, calmest, most boring adult she’s ever met — comparatively speaking. But maybe opposites attract?
Hi Meredith,
It’s great to see you posting again but I’m so sorry to hear you have the flu. Here is an old remedy I came by in recent months – Dice one onion (or two), place in a jar and sprinkle one (or two) heaped tablespoon/s of sugar over it. Screw on lid and place jar inside your pantry cupboard. It will take two to three hours for enough syrup to form for your first dose of ‘medicine’. Take 1 – 2 tablespoons of the syrup, two to three times a day. My sister-in-law and her family swear that it helps them when they get sick. Just make it up as required. I’m not sure how much you actually get out of one or two onions as I’ve only just started a batch for my son, Reece, who is also sick with the flu.
How nice that you are teaching your neighbour to play music on her recorder. It sounds like you both have an enjoyable experience at the same time.
Take care and rest up ~ xo
Serena, I’m definitely going to try that remedy next time. When I saw it here, I was already far past the stage of having energy to make home remedies, but it sounds like just the thing. Onions and garlic are supposed to be magic for fighting illnesses.
You are such a sweetheart. Thanks!
I’m so glad that you’re back so I can check in on you!
That’s a lot going on and rough when you’re sick on top of it all! yes, resting sure is important. I used to push through everything and at a certain point, things deteriorate to the point where it’s hard to recover.
I did (and won) nanowrimo a couple years ago – it was quite a feat. My biggest lesson learned – I suck at writing. ha haha! Actually, I havne’t had the nerve to read what I’ve written yet. Maybe one day. Good luck and have fun!
Wendy´s last blog ..Happy Halloween 2010
Wendy, I am not typically a push-push-push person. Yet when I’d been stuck inside, listless and drained of energy, for so many days running, I became driven to get up and do things again. Every time I did, though, the next day I was forced back to bed, doing nothing. You’d think I’d have gotten the point, but I did this a few times before it sank in properly.
I don’t think I’ll make it to winning Nano this year. Even when sick at first I managed almost 10,000 words, but I quit posting updates because my computer died, and then I got so sick I didn’t manage to write anymore. Today was the first day I tried to work on the manuscript again since then, and I just don’t see how I’ll get to the requisite total of words by month’s end now. Too bad.
I will simply say “amen” to Merrilee’s comment.
Merrilee did hit the nail on the head; didn’t she? Thanks for stopping by, Carolyn.
I too will echo the first comment from Merrilee! Rest. Really rest, with intention.
Welcome back.
Laurrie´s last blog ..The Gift
Thanks for the well-wishes & welcome, Laurrie. I think you’re right: intention may be the key.
well now Merrilee is a sage – listen to her Mer – I think we all need to listen to her….
you have my love, as always.
carrie´s last blog ..Hello lovelies
Carrie, you’re a doll. Thanks for the kind words and good thoughts.
Rest – - definitely rest… tea, sleep, and taking care of yoruself do wonders. Feel better soon and… welcome back!
Thanks for the welcome, well-wishes, and good advice! It’s good to be back.
I started out with the recorder, it’s a great way to learn an instrument, and read music. After that I moved on to classical guitar, so who knows where it may lead for M.
I’m a big proponent of taking the requisite rests. I’ve only had one cold in three years, and have friends around me who seem sick all the time, and I often tell them they need to take time out for themselves. I hope this unscheduled rest helps to restore you back to full health very soon.
Curbstone Valley Farm´s last blog ..Syrphid Flies
M. says she wants to play violin, but I can’t imagine her family coming up with the money to study that instrument. I try not to worry about where it will lead just yet. She’s young and at that age where what she wants to do with her life changes about every third day. It’s all just a wide-open field of possibility at this point. (Sometimes I’m envious of that.)
I was one of those children who got sick every two weeks, but grew up into an adult who rarely succumbs. This is the worst flu I’ve had in years and years — which might be why I’ve devolved into such an impatient patient.
Your way sounds very wise, Clare.
Oh, and a p.s.: I adore classical guitar. That and classical piano and harp are my favorite choices for listening. So beautiful!
Yes, definitely rest while you have an excuse to do so! Occasionally when I’m overwhelmed, I wish I would get sick so that I’d have an excuse to lie in bed and read and watch trashy TV. Then I actually got the flu a couple of years ago and felt too awful to read (still could watch the trashy TV though) and quite quickly grew tired of my bedroom. I’ll try to take your advice to heart and rest before I reach the point of illness. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Kathy´s last blog ..A Typical Sunday Morning
Kathy, you make me smile.
Although I know trash t.v. would not be restful for me, because I’m not used to it now. F. recently had to replace my computer screen & we found a hi-definition television on sale for less than a monitor. He said, uncertainly, well, we have t.v. in the house now, and I said, let’s switch it on and see. It’s been almost two years for us without a t.v., and we couldn’t take the noise for more than a couple of minutes! Maybe we’ll gradually build a tolerance…
Thanks for your well-wishes, hon.
(It is ‘allowed’ to Twinkle twinkle little star, before Halley’s comet comes flying back ;>)
Elephant’s Eye´s last blog ..Dona nobis pacem
Aw, thanks, Diana.
I love your pretty fall photo! What a wonderful clear, bLuE sky! Hope you get to feeling better.
Amy/goawayimgardening!´s last blog ..Walk Through Garden
I’m so glad you like it, Amy. We’re having those gorgeous autumn skies, when the summer smog from the big metropolis to the south clears away and leaves that amazing blue behind.
Meredith – so nice to see the posts from you again. I’ve become a closet blogger I think, don’t really feel like I have much to say lately but lurking through the blogs saying to myself, I really need to write a new one. The inspiration will come some day… Funny about getting sick, I think our bodies know something we don’t consciously that makes us slow down and take time for ourselves. I just taught a workshop on Herbal Winter Health last week and one of the participants called me yesterday to say she had a terrible cold. I told her the point of the class wasn’t to go home and get sick
But she says now she knows what to do, which is nice. Take care of yourself and be gentle, and hope you feel better soon, Linda
I’m sorry to hear that, Linda. I think it’s going to take a little effort for me to get back into the swing of things. I almost can’t believe I used to post every day. Now I take days to think of a topic.
I think I need to take your workshop sometime. I’m intrigued merely by the title!
((((((((Meredith))))))) See, I’ll give you a hug (albeit a virtual one) even when you are ill!
You’ll soon be back at full strength once you give in to that rest and let it work its magic
Heidi (GippyGardener)´s last blog ..Ladybird Love
Sweet Heidi, thank you for that lovely hug. Hugs have been rather thin on the ground. (I keep pushing F. away, afraid he’ll catch this stuff, and he keeps insisting that if he were going to get it, he’d have done so by now.
)
Your kind words are magic, in and of themselves.
Hi Meredith, I just found your site and see you’re a neighbor! I’m also in Upstate SC, close to Spartanburg. Your photography is lovely, and I hope you are feeling better soon so you can go out and capture the beautiful fall colors. Look forward to reading more soon!
Julie
Julie´s last blog ..The battle
Julie, how lovely to meet a neighbor in this space! I appreciate the compliment and kind wishes. We’re having a gorgeous fall; don’t you think? It rather surprised me (pleasantly so!) as with the drought I’d assumed the fall color would be pitiful this year.
I hope you’ll stop by again soon.
They say you teach what you most need to learn.
Funny .. I moan and groan and try to do anything but through my rests and wind up needing more rest because of it. And do I learn? Not yet.
Welcome back. Take care of yourself please!
Elizabeth´s last blog ..leaves beneath your feet
Elizabeth, I think they are right when they say that. A friend of mine recently was complimenting a particular “teaching” on my blog, and I responded with shock, “Oh, gosh, I’m not teaching anything, and especially not that, as I’ve not got it down myself yet.” She laughed and assured me she was learning a lot from it anyway. Humbling thought!
Thank you so much for your kind, commiserating words.
Take great care of yourself…get your rests in too!
I am just finished working a paying gig, which helped children, by reading and evaluating how grants were used to stop violence, alcohol problems, address parent learning, high school drop outs…and more problems. These volunteer boards did an amazing job…( well one took the money and gave it to the wealthy kids and ignored the needy families/ then tried to hide – I really had harsh words for them) I have not been around so many folks for so long and so many were coughing and blowing their noses…aargh! I am trying to stay slow today and drink tea and regroup my energies, but I do feel a throat tickle playing with me…and the fatigue…
I need my rest….again welcome back …I missed you
Patricia´s last blog ..Fanciful Quotation Marks
Thank you, Patricia, for your kind words and warm welcome back. So sweet.
I do hope you were not ill after coming into contact with so many potentially contagious people. Any contact with children in this season seems to be a bit suspect, and all the teachers I know seem to be coming down with something or just getting over something. Stay healthy and take that rest!
Hi Meredith – you know I’m a counselor right? I just have to share this story with you. The other day I was talking to a kid whose friend was pissed off at her b/c she’s dedicating all her time to studying and dissing her friend (the big picture and where’s she’s headed – the obsession and shutting off from life is not a good thing). She was telling me about how she had to do this and that and would not make time to hang out wit her friend. I asked her if she played and instrument and sure enough, she played the flute. I passed along your message about taking a rest and the analogy was so fitting, I think she really got it. It was great.
Wendy, I did know that you were a counselor, somewhere deep in the recesses of my “Wendy” file.
I’m thrilled to know the analogy helped your message get through! How funny. We never know where our blog posts will have an influence; do we?
Thanks so much for passing that story along. Awesome.