无用之用 ☯️ 🐋 ⚧️ 
My new blog post:
Following the random list of things I hate, here's a list of silly little things that bring me joy.
A random list of silly things I love
https://giuliabrazzale.eu/2026/03/31/a-random-list-of-silly-things-i-love/
BecIt's coming up to three months of learning trumpet (about two months of lessons). The book my teacher gave me six weeks ago is supposed to last a full school year and we're nearly finished it – this sounds more impressive than it is because the book is for beginner musicians, not just beginner trumpet players. So there's lots of 'this is a minim/crotchet/rest/key signature' which I don't need to learn.
Biggest challenge continues to be lip strength. But also I find it hard to be thinking of everything at once when I'm playing something new. There's finger positions, intonation, pressure, pitch, so I find myself gripping the trumpet harder than I should, and getting a sore hand afterwards!
I spoke about that with my teacher and he reassured me that there's so much to think of, no wonder I sometimes find it hard. It will be fine with time. He is a good and patient teacher and we're doing more and more duets – this, I love, because you have to keep up and keep playing, no matter the mistakes!
I can play almost 30 minutes at a stretch now, which is making practice sessions more enjoyable. So the short version of this post should read: Trumpet. Still loving it. Music is so fun. The end (or actually still very much the beginning).
Joe B. WallI love intentionality as much as I love happenstance.
Trumpet update: I've now had three lessons, and yesterday my teacher also gave me the book he used to use for beginners, and it's super. I can play whole notes from the A below middle-C and up to the C above middle-C.
Yesterday I learnt B-flat.
Teacher: So now you know your first flat!
Me: Yes! And it's B-flat, which is my favourite flat.
Teacher: ...is it?
It then occurred to me that not everyone has favourite flats? Surely that's not the case!
Rachel WrightThere is no such thing as an excess of books. Books are a comfortable tapestry of companionship, an invitation to exploration and contemplation, access to the thought and imagination of the past, the undemanding company of old friends, as well as the challenge to growth.
Some gardening joy:
... the apples (that I don't really like) are ripening beautifully. I'm waiting a few more days to pick that one closest to the camera but the rest of them I'll leave for the birds
... yesterday evening and this morning I spent a couple of hours pulling up the grass and the dying nasturtiums. I've done about two thirds of it – it's not easy work, as the ground is quite dry (you might be able to see that in the second shot) but once it's done, I'll mulch the area and dump a heap of calls lilies along the side next to the fence. Yes, they're basically a weed but they're a much more manageable weed than the kikuyu, which I am removing with extreme prejudice wherever it may be
... while pulling up the undergrowth, I unearthed not only a legless lizard (I was expecting to see at least one, so it was with delight that I watched it wriggle away, rather than the momentary panic I've had before when I've mistaken them for snakes) but also the raspberry canes I planted a few years ago! They're a bit worse for wear due to being smothered somewhat by the nasturtiums and its evil kikuyu friend, as well as suffering from the glyphosate my neighbours use (sob) but they are still alive! I received three raspberry plants for Christmas from Dad/Kid2/Kid2's boyfriend and so I'll dig up these canes and plant all the canes together (in another part of the garden to reduce the impact of the Roundup)
... while I was out there, it rained gently for a few minutes, which was so welcome, and I also snacked on a few strawberries from the garden. This is the life, truly
Eloise LonobileThere's nothing better than a one-on-one, personalized lesson with an expert masseuse to learn how to massage the people you love! 😊❤️🥰
#massage #massages #learning #lifelonglearning #professionalmassages #goodmoments #thingsilove
#massage #massages #learning #lifelonglearning #professionalmassages #goodmoments #thingsilove
Well, Dad is currently back home and some relatives are staying with him but he and I have spent the last two days going back and forth from the hospital, and are still no closer to really knowing what's wrong. That's distressing. He's feeling better for now so we'll see what the specialist has to say – he may have to go to Perth but at least my sister is there.
However! Apart from all that, today was kind of great? I took Kid1 to work and Kid3 came too, then we went to the market where we got sugar loaf cabbage and some strawberries, then I picked up the library book I had on reserve, and we went to take Dad shopping. That's when we had to detour to the hospital for a couple of hours but then we brought him home, and when I took the compost out, I spotted a blue tongue lizard for the first time in years (and also the skink that lives near the old pond, who is equally gorgeous but whom I do see most times I visit).
Then we picked a bunch of roses from the garden and when my rellies arrived, we left Dad with them and went and did the shopping for him (since he missed out earlier).
Finally on the way back home, we drove to check if the Thai food van was still at its usual spot outside Officeworks, and it was, hurray! So I ordered a late lunch and when 3 and I picked it up, the business owner said she'd accidentally overcharged us so she'd given us something extra. I didn't catch what she'd said but when we got home, we discovered it was sticky rice with mango and coconut cream. It was superb.
Got to take Kid2 to and from a party later but otherwise zero obligations for the rest of the day. Thank goodness. Also there's still one serving left of mango sticky rice. Reckon I'll have it for tea 🥰
+ Jarrah continues to have seizure-free days. If we get to Thursday next week without another one, we can start transitioning to another long term medication...
+ Dad had to go to hospital in the ambulance but is on the mend. I knew he was feeling better when he gave a hearty chuckle after I told him that he was apparently dead (they'd not hooked him up to the monitor after his scan and so he was 'flatlining')
+ Long weekend yaaaaay. It's been such a week.