Thank you Chopin for a wonderful melody. It is a huge privilege playing the melody using chords. Thank you for listening.
John – January 2021 during Covid lock-down.
Etude Improvisation Using Chords
Mystery Picture Answer
It is a photo of a light shining through delicious jelly! Some of the jelly scooped out.
Mystery pictures
Below are two pictures of the same thing. What is it? Can you guess? The answer will be in a post tomorrow.
Guessed yet?
Change How and What You Read – Forever
“…life is too short for reading poor books” – Rolf Dobelli (Swiss author and thinker).
Click here to see why Dobelli says this and what advice he has to offer. It may change your reading habits forever.
Cooking Pots, Guns and Kitchen Safety
What do guns and cooking pots have in common when it comes to kitchen safety? As it turns out, plenty. Growing up half a century ago as a young boy in a beautiful country in Africa, it was drummed into me by my amazing hunting grandmother that you never point a gun at a person even if the gun is not loaded. Break that rule, get the unloaded assumption wrong. and you are heading for tragedy.
I think the rule should apply to toy guns as well.
The same rule applies to cooking pots. Always put cooking pots on genuine heat resistant surfaces, even when the pots are cold. It is a good habit to get into. Never assume that the pot is not hot . Have a look at the picture to see what happens if you get the assumption wrong!
See? Guns and cooking pots have plenty to teach us.
John
Sandwich Toaster Cleaning Tip
This really works. Tear off two sheets of kitchen paper toweling. Fold it double. Saturate it with water. As soon as you take the toasted sandwich out of the snackwich maker, put in the saturated towel. Shut the lid. There will be all sorts of hissing and steaming noises. A short while later when you remove the paper, it will leave the snackwich maker very clean/
John
Toasted Cheese Sandwich Tip
The secret is to start with toast. Toast two pieces of bread. Cover 100% of one side of both pieces of toast with butter. Cover the unbuttered side of one piece of toast with plenty of chutney. On top of the chutney put a generous amount of grated cheese. Place the other piece of toast, unbuttered side down, on top of the cheese. The sandwich is ready to go into the hot sandwich toaster. Remember, the butter is on the outside – top and bottom. Toast the sandwich and enjoy.
Why does it taste so good? If you like fried bread I don’t have to tell you why!
John
Patricia’s Mouth Watering Crisp, Crunchy “Roast” Potatoes
On your phone? Scroll down. There are 3 photos. Thanks.
Here is how my wife made crisp, crunchy “roast” potatoes for our 2021 New Year’s Day roast lamb lunch.
First she peeled some potatoes, cut them in half and par boiled them in salt water (Don’t let them get too soft). Next she poured the potatoes into a colander and let them stand for a few minutes. Then, she lightly scuffed the potatoes with a fork so that they were not too smooth and sprinkled coarse sea salt over the potatoes. (Scuffing the potatoes makes them come out really crisp and crunchy!). Finally, she fried the potatoes in a pan. She used Canola oil. Quite deep.
Look at the results. No need to say more!
The George Cross and Covid19
Perhaps Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, might consider awarding the George Cross to the gallant health and caring services as a whole, for their acts of great heroism and conspicuous courage in serving others during the extreme danger of Covid19.
With respect, the award could be made now. Remember that the award of the George Cross to Malta was made in April 1942, during the Second World War.
Thank you.
If you agree with this idea please pass it on.
John Bartels, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 31 December 2020
Learn from Plato: Rein in the Emotions
Look at the picture. Plato says we can learn about ourselves from a two horse chariot.
The two horses are our emotions which can be good or bad. The reins are our will. The person in the chariot is our intellect.
Common sense tells us that if the two horses are allowed to run wild there will be an almighty crash. The same goes for our emotions. If we do not keep our emotions in check there will be big trouble.
Back to the two horses. The driver must keep them in check – this is the job of the reins. It is the same with us. Our will is our reins. We must use our will to keep our emotions in check.
Last, an obvious point. If the driver of the chariot does not know where he is going he will not know where to guide the chariot. This is where the driver’s intellect comes in. He must think first before he rushes off in his chariot. It is the same with us. We must think things through before we act. If we do not, our emotional horses may bolt dragging us into all sorts of big trouble. The saying “look before you leap” sums it up!
Clever chap, Plato!
Keep safe
John
