Moonlight Sonata

Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" was published on this date in 1802. The real name is the unromantic sounding "Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor, Opus 27, No. 2."

Beethoven attributed the emotion of the piece to the experience of sitting at the bedside of a dying young friend.  Much later, a German critic compared the sonata to the effect of moonlight shining on Lake Lucerne, and the piece became universally known as the "Moonlight Sonata."

That guy makes it look easy to play on the uke.  It isn't. 

It's been too cold and miserable to work outside, so I've been dinking around a lot with yarn. Joanne's Fabric Store loves me.  I have a whole stack of granny squares to join into a homely table runner, or something.

Crocheting is fun although it cuts into my ukulele practice time. There are only so many idle hours in the day, but we need some hobbies that are distracting and somewhat meditative.

Speaking of meditative, I'm going to another "Day of Mindfulness" retreat this weekend. I was apprehensive, but enjoyed the last one more than I thought.  This one is offered by the Seattle Mindfulness Center, and it goes from 9-4 pm on Saturday.  That doesn't sound very challenging, until you actually spend a day sitting motionless in silence.  Well, there's also some "walking meditation" and easy yoga.

More on that later.  Have a great weekend, dear friends and family.