My Secret Treaty!

 What do President Obama and Frederic Chopin

 have in common ?

November 6th, last Tuesday, I had a secret treaty. I promised if Obama wins again that I will sign up for piano lessons.

In 2008 I took my OATH to become an American so I could vote in the most important election of a century. I also was inspired by the fitness of his wife. My 50's birthday was upon me. An article in the S.F. Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/ had inspired me to change everything I wanted to change before I turned  50 because, it read, that after that point, you might never change. 

I progressed from yoga, 
to bicycling, 
to extended walks, 
to hikes,
 to speed-hikes, 
to bootcamp, 
to extreme speed trekking,
 to jogging,
 to running 
and to racing. 

In June I ran and completed the DipSea and the Double- DipSea, http://www.dipsea.org/. 

 Back to my secret treaty! Last Sunday I heard a 12 year old boy play the piano, during a concert "From Beethoven to the Buena Vista Social Club", his name was KIKO. After the performance, in the Finnish Hall of Berkeley I asked him about his piano practice. He simply said: "I take one lesson a week and practice 2 hours a day. That I have done for the past four years."

 According to the young boy if I were to commit to a 30 minute lesson a week and practice 45 minutes a day I will be able to play Chopin in 7 years. 

My first lesson will be tomorrow at 4 PM.

Photo of Martina Konietzny by Kevin Thomas Pope in the Arc Dom Wilderness, NV 10/2012

Rites of Passage

My daughter had a Rites of Passage Party. We all got dressed in pinks, oranges and reds then we had her ears pierced and she was welcomed into womanhood.