In the community band world, December isn't quite as strenuous on any one day as Fourth of July, but it's busy all month. This past week, for example, our schedule has looked like this:
Last Tuesday - played concert at a retirement village
Wednesday - rehearsal
Thursday - we had tickets to attend a Baltimore Symphony concert
Friday - no music, so we went to an art museum :D
Saturday - TubaChristmas in Baltimore (my spouse plays tuba)
Sunday - played concert at a senior citizens' recreation center
Monday - skipped rehearsal to go down to Washington and see the Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophonist) exhibit at the Library of Congress and do some research in the Music Reading Room.
Tuesday - played concert at another retirement village.
This Wednesday is another rehearsal, Sunday the 10th is a concert at a community center, next Tuesday is a concert at a hospital, next Wednesday is a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in one town and a concert at a shopping mall in another town...

The piece of music I wrote, "Jingle Bells Hora" was played at last Sunday's concert and will be played at next Sunday's as well. I know several of you are in the Washington DC area; if you're interested, the concert is at 2:30 at the Lake Marion Community Center in Montgomery Village. I would love to have you hear my music and to meet you!

It's tough to think of any really cheery spin on water getting in the basement when it rains. Well, we are looking into getting it fixed. Ah, here's a positive lining: it will FORCE us to unpack more stuff, and to move the giant desk around.

My dad was in the hospital and got a stent put in one of the arteries - one of the ones that he got in his quintuple bypass last autumn was fully blocked up again, after a year. Actually, several were, but not all, and the stent in one plus the two that are OK on their own should hold him for a while. He's home from the hospital and doing well. He was so cheerful while in the hospital - he's really my inspiration for stuff like that. Everyone in the place treats him well, and smiles when someone asks for him. It's good to keep that in mind - perhaps we all deserve equal treatment, but human nature being what it is, smiling and being nice will get you nicer treatment than otherwise.

And now, back to crocheting, interspersed with occasional attacks by small fuzzy animals.

It was a nice day - cards from scattered relatives, gift of t-shirts from my spouse, including one which says "Can't we all just worship the golden rule?"

We went to a symphony concert, and there was Brahms. I love Brahms. It's difficult to think of a single movement in all of his symphonies which doesn't have a gorgeous, soaring melody in it.

I am crocheting crazy purple shawls and stoles, to sell at a crafts fair. I will have to take pictures. I hadn't known what I was going to do with it, when I made the first purple shawl, out of yarn leftovers, doing it because I can't stand for my hands to be idle and so they MUST crochet something if I am sitting in a car or watching TV. But then it occurred to me, there's all those Red Hat ladies out there. They *need* purple shawls. So there we go. I would be making them anyway, but now I have a reason. And any that don't sell at the crafts fair, get sent to my friend Bill in Ottawa, to hand out to shivering people there - it's a LOT colder in Ottawa than here, and every year for the last several years, I have wound up knitting and crocheting more hats and scarves than I can sell or give to relatives, so I have been spreading the good karma by sending them to Bill and letting him give them away.

I am glad I got that piece of music done before my birthday; I tend to make birthday resolutions rather than New Year's resolutions, and managing to keep one is satisfying. I haven't quite decided on the next resolution yet, though I suspect it will involve something mundane such as being more creative with the yarn I already have and spending less purchasing new yarn.

And a good weekend to all; if you're in leaf-peeping territory, don't forget to peep some leaves! (More fun than smelling roses, I think.)

I finished writing/arranging a piece of music! It is an adaptation of a song traditionally used at Christmas, which I have changed up a bit, making a novelty arrangement (translation: it will make people laugh when they hear it) suitable for Jewish holidays as well as Christmas - or any other winter holiday, for that matter - arranged for concert band. And, the Montgomery Village Community Band, which I play in, was so kind as to read through it at rehearsal last week, and the conductor thinks it's hilarious, as do the trumpets and flutes and clarinets, so it's a go! I need to make a few proofreading changes and one small change in the final measure, reprint the parts and score, and: we'll be playing it for at least two holiday concerts, right out there live and in public!! My song!! Yes!!

Goal 4 - score!

(P.S. For those of you wondering exactly what it is, I will be more specific once I finish doing the formal copyright stuff, on top of the informal copyright process of just labeling it copyright. And, for those of you in the Maryland/Washington, D.C. area, concert in Montgomery Village, December 10, 2:30 p.m., free but bring a toy for the Toys for Tots program. I'll post a reminder of it closer to the date.)

One of the features here is being able to list one's goals, and to see what the most popular goals among all Zaadsters are. But it bugs me when I look at the list, because many of those things aren't goals. Goals should be something you can work toward and eventually achieve; otherwise, they're just wishes, or hopes, or dreams. Which are nice to have, but aren't the same thing as goals.

I said, in my previous post, that one of the things on the to-do list every day was to accomplish some step, however small, toward achieving one of my goals. This requires having goals that can be achieved in steps - that can be achieved at all! That I can tell when I'm doing something that promotes that goal, as differentiated from things that have nothing to do with that goal.

Many of the "goals" stated on Zaadz are things that aren't really goals. Take these, for example, from the list of popular goals:

 - Redefine the Universe 
 - Change the world. 
 - Make a Difference
 - be an inspiration to others,
 - Participate in Planetary Evolution

Some of those are impossible to measure, some are so ill-defined that no one could tell whether they are being achieved. What does "redefine the universe" mean? What is planetary evolution? And, while "make a difference" is more concrete, what difference? How would you tell whether you have achieved it? And is it necessarily a good difference? Likewise, while "be an inspiration to others" is nice, how could you tell? What kind of inspiration? Serving as a bad example would actually meet that definition, too. So goals have to be more specific - not "Change the world" but  "Make the world a better place" and then, more specifically, what does "better" mean - include that definition of better in the goal. Make the world a more peaceful place. Make the world a place where every person has enough food. Make the world a more spiritual place, if that's your thing. Likewise, instead of "be an inspiration to others" which is a vague dream, a goal could be "serve as a good example to others through my art" or "inspire others by example to do more toward renewing the earth's resources" and so on. Something that can be measured, that you can actually take specific steps to do, and can tell when you're getting closer - and can tell when something hurts your goal, too!

Here's some others that sound a little more concrete at first, but are still too ambiguous to be real goals:
 - leave a legacy of love and empowerment
 - Create something much much bigger than myself

Again - are these things clearly enough stated that you could make a plan toward doing them? That you could tell when you're achieving them? Nope. These are hopes and dreams, not goals.

On the other hand, these are goals:
 - Feature My Art for the Public to See!
 - Help make ZaadZ a household name
 - To become financially independent for the benefit of all beings
 - drink more water
Each of these is something where you can take steps toward it, and can tell when you've accomplished something.

If I were formulating a set of "rules for goals" I'd say they should be:
*Measurable, if not exactly quantifiable.
*Specific enough to be able to tell when things are headed toward them, and when they're headed away.
*Things that can be achieved by a set of actions, at least partly under your control. (No point in setting as one of your goals something that you have no influence whatsoever over.)
*And then, if you've stated such a goal, make a plan of steps toward achieving it, and make each of those steps a goal as well.

So, to use as an example one of my own goals, "Make my house greener" I'd say that I can measure this - I can tell whether we are using less electricity, sending less waste water down the drain, putting out less for garbage and more for recycling; when we make repairs, using materials that are more sustainable/require less industrial processing than whatever they are replacing. And you can see how each of those things can be a goal in itself. And I can name specific steps that I can take toward each of them, too. We recently replaced our refrigerator with a far more energy-efficient one; doing so required doing research on various brands of refrigerators, and on what the energy-efficiency standards mean- that was a step in the plan. And also checking out frequency-of-repair data for different brands, since something that needs fewer repairs will be greener. We've put flourescent bulbs in every single light fixture in the house; it took some searching to find appropriate bulbs for all of them. The house we bought has vinyl siding - we didn't have much choice in that, and the stuff lasts forever, so we probably won't ever get a chance to do anything about it. But we can do a little research just in case. We are slowly ripping up the carpet to expose the hardwood floors underneath - hardwood floors can be kept clean with a broom and once in a while a mop, instead of having to run a vacuum cleaner (using electricity) over the carpet. Also, hardwood doesn't collect allergens the way carpet does - it will help reduce our use of the air conditioner. Other steps we haven't taken yet, but that are on the plan, include: replacing the washer and dryer that came with the house with more energy-efficient ones; planting more trees around the house; when the deck requires repairs, using materials that aren't treated with toxic substances the way the lumber that's currently in the deck was; you get the idea. And those steps have smaller steps that lead toward them, such as: saving up money toward buying the replacement appliances. Learning more about new deck materials, both wood and some of the synthetic wood products that may help avoid cutting down so many trees. In other words, we can take action toward this goal every day, and we can tell when we're achieving something. And we can tell other people about it in terms clear enough so that they can do the same, if they wish - that's part of how I'd define "inspiration" were someone to ask...

I've always thought that "live every day as if it were your last" was profoundly bad advice. Trying to do that would leave me absolutely full of anxiety about all the things I haven't accomplished - things I couldn't possibly accomplish or finish in one remaining day. Anyone who has any long-term goals at all would have to feel the same, right? I suppose that in a fuzzy way, people who say this just mean that you should be "without sin" - whatever that means - so that you are prepared to face your maker/god/afterlife - whoever or whatever that might be - without shame, but if that's what they mean, "live every day as if it were your last" is a poor way to say it.

Marcus Aurelius and the Stoics felt that as long as every day, you did your duty to your family, your community/nation, and your god(s), then you would always be prepared to meet your maker. The Stoic school of thought has much to recommend it, and many virtues that I do try to emulate, but it disregards, or even specifically dismisses, such things as love, strong emotions, and the pursuit of happiness. Most people these days wouldn't be willing to live without some allowances for love and happiness. Also, back in Aurelius' day, duties were more clearly defined, so it was a lot easier to determine whether you were doing yours. There weren't as many choices, nor as many possible roles. And both your local community and your nation would have been a lot smaller back then, again, making it much easier to "do your duty." So nowadays, merely completing the acts required of a person in your role and station in life is not enough to make most people feel that they can die satisfied.

Now, mind you, I'm not saying you shouldn't expect to die. We're all gonna die sometime, and living as if you didn't expect to would be a really stupid thing to do. But what I propose is, though not as catchy and succint a phrase as "live every day as if it were your last," is this:
Live every day so as to maximize the probability that it is NOT your last.

Think about that. As I see it, it means that every day's to-do list starts off with two things:
1. Do something, however small, toward achieving one of your goals/things you hope to to do before you die. You know you won't achieve it all today, but do some piece of it today, and assume that you will be around tomorrow to do another piece of it, and that achievement is built on such increments. (This, of course, assumes you have long-term goals and hopes, and that you can tell whether you're getting any closer to them; that's the subject of a slightly different paragraph.)
2. Do those things necessary to make it likely that you'll stay alive through to tomorrow. This would include eating properly, exercise, giving up life-threatening habits, going to work so you have enough money to pay for food and shelter to keep you alive, or alternatively working to build and maintain your own shelter and grow your own food. It also includes some less-obvious things, such as making friends. That is, act toward other people in such a way that no one wants to kill you, for starters, and then, in such a way that people like you enough that they will help you out if you are in a life-threatening situation. So, being nice to other people, participating in social interactions, and doing good things for your friends and family, are among the things that will maximize your chances of staying alive.

After those two items on the to-do list, the time left over is yours to do anything - working toward your less likely or less practical goals, sitting around doing nothing/watching TV, etc.
Doesn't that sound like more fun than worrying that at any minute, you may die with things undone, hopes unfulfilled?

Well, as expected, the famous surgeon did not get that third lead from the pacemaker into the right spot, any better than any of the previous tries. But the ICD and regular pacemaker parts are all properly hooked up and functioning (the ICD has already fired at least once already, whew!) and everything is healing up nicely. Of course, the incision itches like all get out as it heals; I am using lots of aloe vera gel! And placing a folded-up washcloth over the incision and device makes playing the saxophone comfortable. For anyone else who is facing this surgery, let me warn you of one thing: forget about wearing t-shirts or any other pull-over-your-head garment for a couple of weeks. (And, if you're female, invest in front-hook bras; you won't be able to reach in back with that arm for a while.)

But never mind all that. It's fall! At least here in the northern hemisphere; and if some of you are in the southern hemisphere, it's spring! Which is also fun! Fall is my favorite season. The temperatures get crisper, and to me, it feels like my neurons are firing faster, my whole brain is working better. I get great ideas! And the cooler temperatures make it easier to work on large knitting or crochet projects. And fall food! All the great pears and specialty apples, not to mention pumpkins and all the other winter squashes, and cranberries. In fact, I think I am going to try my cobbler recipe using apples and cranberries, instead of peaches and cherries. I will let you know how that turns out. I wonder whether one could make pumpkin cobbler? Would it still be cobbler? Hmmm.

I have nothing profound to say today. I'm just happy it's autumn, and we've got lots of band concerts lined up, with lots of good music, and I've got lots of knitting ideas. Who needs philosophy when you're already happy?

more details in a few days.

As in, whee, I have surgery tomorrow. I am getting a new ICD/pacemaker put in. Why my old one got removed is a long story. And why I am still somewhat skeptical of the chances of the new one doing what I want is also a long story. But the doctor has promised not to go all macho and insist on struggling with the third lead for bi-ventricular pacing; if it doesn't go in promptly on a normal try at it, he will just do the rest of the device as usual, leave the third lead alone, and sew it up, rather than keeping it open for hours to keep trying. This reassures me. Normal pacemaker implantation is outpatient surgery these days, but because of my history, they'll keep me just over one night for observation; I'll be home by Tuesday lunchtime. However, I won't be online right away; since the incision for pacemakers is just below the clavicle, it leaves the shoulder and arm a bit sore for several days, making typing less comfortable than it normally would be. I'll try to post a quick sentence just to prove I'm alive, but nothing long and profound for a week or so. Y'all be good while I'm absent!

We spent Labor Day weekend in Pittsburgh, visiting friends, attending a Mensa event, and visiting other friends. On the trip home, we did indeed pass many traffic accidents. Luckily, the rain kept many people off their boats and personal watercraft, though I'm sure that tomorrow's newspaper will contain the weekend's statistics and someone will still have managed to do something stupid in the water. Unfortunately, the rain kept us from taking the bikes to Pittsburgh. The trip home was gorgeous weather, and we would have made MUCH better time had we been on the bikes. On the other hand, we would have had trouble with carrying home the couple dozen books we purchased. I think there's probably an "on the other hand" for almost any positive OR negative I can think of, until I have to turn to tentacles like Cthulhu's instead of mere fingers.

Pittsburgh is a gorgeous city - hills, trees, bridges, rivers, lots of pre-WW2 architecture, lots of parks. Alas, our friends who moved there are not happy - R loves his job (the reason they moved from Austin to Pittsburgh) but hates Pittsburgh, or so he says; F loves Pittsburgh but hasn't been able to find a job. And the two of them are not dealing with those negatives in a productive way. One can't offer too much advice without sounding tedious and nagging, but one hates to see friends make avoidable mistakes in dealing with a situation. I had distinct moments of wanting to shake them and shriek, "Enjoy what you've got around you! Get the hell away from the computer and the computer games, get out there, meet people, go to all the free concerts, sit in the park!!!" We even dragged them out to some events and made them meet people, and they enjoyed it, but will they repeat that on their own? Probably not.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a satisficer. I believe that the way to get something done is to begin to do it, and then make it better as you go along, not to wait until conditions are perfect before starting anything. Part of F's problem is wanting things to be perfect before taking any chances, which is keeping her from submitting her writing to anywhere. She has stacks of short stories, and a couple of readable, if not perfect, novels, sitting on her hard disk (and backed up, of course) - but hasn't submitted a one of them to a magazine or book publisher yet. Do it, already! And R is upset that he doesn't know anybody - but won't go to meetings of any organizations until he knows whether he'll like the people there, which gives an obvious paradox. Just do it!!  But no, I do not actually shriek at them that way. The best thing I can do, I suppose, is try to show by example. Still. I want to string up a temporary sign somewhere within their line of vision:
The only way to get over your fear that things will not be perfect is to get out there and fail and then discover that you are still alive to try again.

I am sure that there are other people who can make a good case for caution, rather than rushing into things. But I believe in getting started - on anything - as soon as you have any idea of a general direction, and then making course corrections as you roll along. You can merge into traffic better if you're already rolling, to coin a phrase. Hmmm. That's modern enough sounding not to be as trite as some proverbs; perhaps I can embroider that and hang it in a picture frame and send it to them...