Category - Friday Finds

A new month has arrived and with it, blades of green grass are popping through.

Earth is ready to rejuvenate itself as the season propels forward. Our lives may not feel the same as we sit in limbo, but we can allow the new season and fresh air to energize that which may feel stagnant, and brighten that which may feel dark.

It’s Thursday – four days into online lessons and here’s the range of emotions I’ve experienced in the last 4 days:

Monday and Tuesday…I love online lessons! This is actually not bad at all. Hmm… maybe I should consider moving my studio online full time!

Wednesday…Get me out of here now! I still have two more students. I can’t do this! 7 hours on Zoom and my throat hurt and I wanted to crawl out of my office.

Thursday morning…Anxiety attack. On the verge of tears but I manage to hold them back. I can’t do this again, I can’t go through this day if it’s anything like yesterday.

An hour later…OK, the internet is better today. Maybe it will be OK after all. Breathe, Amy.

Three hours later…Oh, look at that beautiful blue sky – so thankful for the small joys like this. Life isn’t so bad. I’m keepin’ it positive!

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling a little bi-polar this week. This too shall pass.

It all comes down to…internet connection. If it’s bad, online lessons suck the life out of you. If it’s good, it feels like the coolest thing in the world.

Breathe in – I can do this. Breathe out – we’re all in it together. 

Breathe in – I can do this. Breathe out – we’re all in it together.

May this list serve as a little part of your week that helps emote a sense of consistency and routine. Take what you need for this week and think nothing of the rest.

 

1

Back in October, Natalie Weber wrote a blog post announcing a new pilates program she had joined and was loving. Last month I decided I needed a new workout routine so I dug up her affiliate link and joined.

She highlighted it again this past week along with some other great resources:

Taking Care of Your Health as a Piano Teacher with Virtual Resources (Natalie Weber | Music Matters Blog)

 

2

10 Products to Make Your Online Teaching More Comfortable (Amy Chaplin | Piano Pantry)

 

3

Piano student care packages. The best. (Rebekah Maxner)

 

4

How to listen to podcasts: A 101 Primer (Tsh Oxenreider | The Art of Simple)

 

5

Three Activities for Online Music Lessons (Lauren Lewandowski | Piano with Lauren)

 

6

Online Piano Lesson Games and Activities Part 1 (Whitney Hawker | 4-D Piano Teaching)

 

7

Jonathan Roberts on Virtual Recitals for Students (Joy Morin | Color in My Piano)

 

8

Wash the Next Dish (Chris Wheeler | The Rabbit Room)

 

9

The Calm Place (The New York Times)

 

10

The Side Effects of Social Distancing (Freakonomics Podcast)

 

11

Do-Re-Mi COVID-19 Style

 

12

Don’t forget to follow my new Instagram account (@food.fun.with.amy). It’s my new outlet for sharing my passion for food and the journey with food photography!

 

I’m torn, you guys.

Do I make this week’s finds all about resources to deal with our current situation, do I keep it light and fun for the sake of our sanity and brain overload, or do I do a little of both? A little of this and a little of that.

*Theme to Jeopardy plays while I think….*

A little of this and a little of that feels right. We can’t ignore life but we can’t let our present situation drive our entire being.

Hey, I think I just gave a little life lesson! Boom!

In the post I shared yesterday on keeping a positive perspective, I shared a little about my grandmother and her disposition.

Today I want to tell you that my grandfather was well known for his bear hugs – guaranteed to be accompanied by a verbal and warm grunting sound. (The word grunting doesn’t seem to do the sound justice but I can’t think of another way to describe it. Rest assured it was a good sound 🙂 )

So, here’s me sending you a big virtual bear hug if you need it accompanied by a warm and enveloping grunting sound! *Squeeze*

 

1

The first thing I am dying to tell you is that I finally started an Instagram account sharing my passion for food and journey with food photography! My husband used to be a photographer and he bought me a small photography light for Christmas. It’s all just for fun!

Follow me here: @food.fun.with.amy

 

2

Is Homemaking the New Wellness?

I love everything about this. My mom and both grandmothers were both homemakers and all before them. I have to admit that I love home-keeping. I love my job but I honestly think I could also be happy as a full-time household manager. Cooking, cleaning, organizing…

 

3

Helping Special Needs Students Adjust to Online Lessons (Rosemarie Penner | The Unfinished Lesson)

 

4

A free 1-minute video improvisation you can send to students to play along with! (Christina Whitlock)

 

5

N.C. Sheriffs Find 18,000 Pounds of Toilet Paper and Other Products in Stolen Truck (NPR)

 

6

7 Funny Cartoons About Coronavirus Hoarding (The Week)

 

7

Podcasts I’m somehow just now discovering but really excited about:

The Bulletpoof Musician (Noa Kageyama)

Everyday Musicality (Heather Shouldice)

The Literate Musician (Andy Mullen)

 

8

Musings on Keeping a Positive Perspective During the Covid-19 Pandemic

A Simple (and Free) Video Supplement to Support Your Online Teaching (Amy Chaplin | Piano Pantry)

 

9

Looking to change up your egg routine? This Seven-Minute Egg is absolutely delicious!

 

10

This time in Friday Finds History:

2019 – Friday Finds #126
2018 – Friday Finds: Easter Week
2017 – Friday Finds: Colors
2016 – Friday Finds 03.25.2016 (The pilot!)

 

11

This is killing me. Thanks, Starkey Comics for the laugh!

 

 

How are you feeling, my friends?

I’m guessing there’s a good chance one side of you is sick and tired of hearing about all of this and another side is wanting to stay abreast of the news.

I do hope if anything, we all continue to do our part no matter how big or small that may seem. Stay informed, make good decisions, keep calm, and enjoy the sense of community in all of this as we all live through a (likely and hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime type of pandemic.

On the bright side? Yesterday was the first day of Spring (the earliest in 124 years apparently)!

Let’s use the new season as an opportunity to a deep breath of fresh Spring air and look at all we can in a positive light.

 

 

 #1

 

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Sweet!

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If you’re a member of Music Teacher’s National Association, you’re about to be in for a big treat! The 2020 conference in Chicago that was supposed to go on next starting tomorrow is going to be made available online FREE to all members online over the coming weeks!

 

#2

 

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Well, that was easy!

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When it comes to going online, I agree with Joy about keeping it simple. Facetime is my #1 platform and Zoom my #2. Make sure you have either a copy of their book or screenshots you can view of their music.

 

#3

 

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Preach

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From Seth Godin:

“You have a chance to reinvent the default, to make it better. Or we can maintain the status quo. Which way will you contribute?

Rather than doing what we’ve always done in real-life (but online, and not as well), what if we did something better instead?”

Read the full post here: The Conversation.

 

#4

 

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Generosity

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One of my teacher-friends who used to live in Indiana moved a few years ago and took her studio with her – online! She’s been sharing a lot of great tips for online teaching via Facebook groups. You may have already caught some of her videos but if not, here is a link to Melissa Willis’s YouTube Channel.

 

#5

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Making music

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Bono found inspiration in the times to write a new tune.

 

#6

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You now have time to make things like…

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Homemade Chicken Stock (Homemade Chicken Stock)

Homemade Vanilla Extract (Joy the Baker)

Homemade (and easy!) Sprouted Wheat bread (Jenny Can Cook)

Homemade Whole-Grain Banana Bread (King Arthur Flour)

 

#7

 

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Grace

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I know this is a little old news but if you didn’t hear about it – movers dropped Angela Hewitt’s rare concert piano… Eek!

 

#8

 

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Celebrate

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Time Magazine’s 100 Women of the Year.

 

#9

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Just Because

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Inside the Cutthroat World of Royal Gossips

“They jet off to Fiji with Harry and Meghan, hike the Himalayas with William and Kate, and hit the South of France with Charles and Camilla. But the life of the royal correspondent isn’t all glamour…”

 

Toilet paper.

It’s all gone.

For real. Apparently, our town of 9,000 has been bought-out of toilet paper.

Our local Achievement in Music Festival has been canceled with the hopes of rescheduling in May.

Universities around us are moving to online learning for extended weeks and even the rest of the semester.

The Music Teachers National Association Conference in Chicago has been canceled. (Luckily this was the first year in a while I was NOT planning to go!)

Hopefully, we’ll all look back someday and sigh a breath of relief that precautions were taken and that COVID-19 didn’t get out of control.

For just this moment, let’s close our eyes, take a deep breath and rest in a few good things as we end this week.

 

1

If you’re not already having students wash their hands before their lesson and wiping down the keyboard between students, now is the time. It certainly can’t hurt anything and is a good practice regardless of what germs are circulating our globe.

As a piano teacher you may want to check out:

The new Facebook group: Piano Teachers with Coronavirus Concerns

A well-written letter from a piano teacher to his studio families setting them up for the potential option of online lessons in future weeks if they so choose. (Daniel Light | Light Piano Studio)

Coronavirus and Piano Lessons (Dr. Sally Cathcart | The Curious Piano Teachers)

 

 

2

It’s taken years, but I’ve finally been experimenting with Irina Gorin’s “Tales of a Musical Journey” piano method this year. I’ve been pleased so far. If you’re interested in more training with Irina, you may want to first read Joy Morin’s review of Irina’s online course. (Joy Morin | Color in My Piano)

 

3

Thanks to the “This Old House” magazine that still makes it to our mailbox, I found a good source for recycling batteries! Check out the website Call2Recycle.com to find local places near you.

Unfortunately, while many Lowe’s stores do, ours only takes rechargeable batteries. Luckily I discovered from a friend a hardware store that will take them. Do some research and ask around!

 

4

This is kind of fun: 17 Maps of the United States that Made Us Say “Whoa” (Tucker DeSaulnier | Ranker.com)

 

5

Calling all Trader Joe’s Fans! Did you know they have a podcast? Inside Trader Joe’s

Are you lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s near you? I’ve been hoping for one to come to Fort Wayne (40-minute drive). The closest one currently is in Indianapolis (90-minute drive) so I only get to go twice a year.

News broke that one may be coming our way! Yea for us!

 

6

Here is the Correct Way to Serve Grapes (Christine Gallary | The Kitchn)

It makes sense to me!

 

7

This past week I discovered an amazing bread recipe!

Quick & Easy Sprouted Wheat Bread (Jenny can Cook)

I used Organic Sprouted Spelt Flour and bread flour as my combination.

 

8

Besides this bread, for the last two weeks, I have been struggling to feel motivated to cook anything but am determined to do better!

My grocery cart filled up this morning to make these easy and tasty meals:

Authentic Greek Salad (Gimme Some Oven)

Egg Roll Skillet (The Kitchn)

Spinach and Feta Frittata (The Kitchn)

Quick and Easy Egg Drop Soup (Simply Recipes)

Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad (Greens & Chocolate)

Spicy Chicken Tacos (Rachel Ray)

The Seven-Minute Egg (Saveur)

 

 

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Please note that items in the post may link to Amazon and that Piano Pantry is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Simply put, being an associate allows me to make a small percentage from Amazon on items to which I link at no extra cost to you.

It’s a new month and a new Friday Finds color! Just for fun, I was looking up what holidays there were in March (beside St. Patrick’s Day). Apparently there’s a lot! Today alone is:

1. National Day of Unplugging
2. National Dentist’s Day
3. National Dress Day
4. National Oreo Cookie Day (the best one of all, of course!)

No wonder we’re all so stressed. How are we supposed to do anything and celebrate four “national holidays.” LOL.

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The last one has me wondering…what’s your favorite kind of Oreo?

Original? Double Stuf? (Yes, it’s spelled with 1 “f”) Mint? White cookie? Holiday? Or maybe you don’t like them at all? Continue the conversation in the comments! (I’ll tell you mine at the end of the post. See if you can guess…

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1

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that this week I finally put out a sign asking students to go wash their hands before their lesson. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for years but never put it into action. Now seemed appropriate.

Coronavirus and Piano Lessons (Dr. Sally Cathcart | The Curious Piano Teachers)

 

2

Many of you may have been following our dear colleague Leila Viss’s journey with her son’s boating accident since Thanksgiving. Not surprisingly, she put her journey to music in a piano solo: Angel 94.

 

3

Do you sponsor a child with Compassion, World Vision or perhaps through another agency? Do you know someone who has been a sponsored child? This is a heart-touching story of how a mailman who was formally sponsored through Compassion encourages other sponsors during his day-to-day work life. (Compassion)

 

4

We’re still slowly unpacking boxes from the move into our new house. The boxes were in our garage and barn. This week I unpacked all the books and sorted them. This article on minimalism and books is helpful when you have a lot! I’m celebrating the fact that I got rid of five books. It’s a start!

A Book Lover’s Guide to Reading More While Owning Less (M.C. Starbuck | Becoming Minimalist)

 

5

7 Things Pro Decorators Say Aren’t Worth Splurging On (Sarah Lyon | The Kitchn)

Yep. Except, what in the heck is #7? Coffee Table Tchotchkes? Never hear of it.

 

6

Thanks to a fellow teacher who shared this on Facebook:

Hedgehog Inadvertently Plays A Respectable Measure of Jazz Just By Walking Across the Piano Keys (Laughing Squid)

 

7

Micro-Generation Born Between 1977-1983 Given New Name (Jorrie Varney | Sammiches & Psych Meds MockMom)

 

8

This week has been an off-week for cooking. Every night I’ve been super tired. Monday was all good – I did manage a healthy soup lunch and an easy casserole for dinner.

Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and Chickpeas) – The New York Times

Marsala Chicken and Mushroom Casserole – Rachel Ray

 

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That’s all for this week! Don’t forget…

What’s your favorite kind of Oreo?

Mine? Double Stuf! Also, Oreos must be accompanied with milk or they’re not worth it! Do you agree?

This morning I tackled one of those tasks that for years I’ve known needed to be done but it was never urgent nor really important.

Yeah, you know the kind of task I’m talking about. Stephen Covey would say that type of task should be forgotten because it’s not important or urgent, but it got out of control so it finally became important.

I cleaned up my contacts!

Google is my thing. I love Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. I started using Google Contacts a little a few years ago, mostly to create a studio email list but was hesitant to take the time to mess moving entirely to it which would include merging iCloud contacts, yadda, yadda, yadda. I just didn’t want to think about it even though I was probably making it harder in my mind than it was.

The clean-up included:

1. Importing all my iCloud contacts into Google Contacts.
2. Deleting those contacts out of iCloud and making sure I had “contacts” turned off in my iCloud and turned on through my Google account on my phone.
3. Letting Google Contacts help me go through the automated process of merging any duplicate contacts.
4. Deleting old contacts such as students from 12 years ago when I taught in another location, people who have passed away, and even some contacts I couldn’t even remember who they were…Eek!

There were 1,150 contacts when I started and 450 when I finished. That’s a 60% reduction! Wow. I feel lighter.

 

1

Our oven will be baking Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers (Sheela Prakash | The Kitchn) for dinner tonight. It sounds like a quick, easy, and tasty meal. Fingers crossed!

 

2

If you live within a couple of hour drive of Indianapolis, Irina Gorin is giving a free workshop on March 17th, 2020 from 10am-2:30 pm with a short lunch break (bring it yourself) at Piano Solutions.

 

3

Whatever side you lean toward, I found this article interesting: Why Can’t Moderates Win the White House? (Ibram X. Kendi | The Atlantic)

 

4

Gif or Jif? They’re finally helping us out! Jiff Peanut Butter Teamed Up with Giphy to FINALLY Settle How You Pronounce GIF (Maybe?) (Isadora Baum | The Kitchn)

 

5

This is a fun post idea! 5 Changes for a More Eco-Friendly Teaching Studio (Nicola Cantan | Colourful Keys)

 

6

Two VERY short and I mean VERY short but pithy posts from Seth Godin.

Just Getting Through the Day

Wasting It

 

7

Cut off the tops of your rubber kitchen gloves before throwing them away and use them for jar openers! It works! (Ashley Abramson | The Kitchn)

 

8

Of Mice and Magic: In Praise of Animal Stories (Maria Bonvissuto | The Rabbit Room)

 

9

High School Puts on “Adulting Day” For Students, Teaches Them How to Pay Bills, Change Tires, Cook (Rob Fox | Rare)

 

It’s kind of weird how being sick for two days can make you feel crazy-alive when you do feel better.

Today it may only be 25 degrees (Fahrenheit) outside, but I feel like Spring is in the air. My cold is subsiding, the annoying dry cough is letting up, my hoarse voice is slowly coming back, and I decided to wear flip-flops around the house today.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’m in the midst of planning and finalizing an Alaska vacation for July (our first big vacation in six years) or because I’m planning a short Spring-break getaway to Asheville, North Carolina and Biltmore Estates (sorry MTNA Chicago, I’ll miss you this year!), or maybe I just got enough sleep last night (ha!), I don’t know!

Today I feel alive and awake and I hope that I can transfer some of that to you. It’s the end of the week and sometimes that brings fatigue and sometimes it brings energy. May this week’s list and these words spark a spring in your step, if even for a moment.

 

1

Learning how to preserve joy in the same way we preserve food. The Art of Preserving (Gina Sutphin | The Rabbit Room)

 

2

The first day of spring may be exactly a month away, but the stores are already full of bright spring things.

Rev yourself up…spring cleaning is just around the corner! The Hidden Benefits of Spring Cleaning [Video] (Laura Calder | The Inviting Life)

 

3

A new video resource for quality recordings of duet piano repertoire! (Spring Seals | 4D Piano Teaching)

 

4

These storage bags are wonderful (Amazon). I bought them with the intent to store square outdoor furniture cushions and they fit perfectly. They would be great storage for lots of other things as well!

 

5

7 Pieces of Financial Advice That Changed My Life Forever [Video] (Joshua Becker | Becoming Minimalist)

 

6

We’re about 3/4 of the way through the school year. In the next month or so we may start experiencing some sluggishness not only in our students but in ourselves as well. As the end of the school year becomes busy, we can become tired and perhaps more easily frustrated.

Remembering how difficult it really is to play one’s instrument might be a pretty great empathy hack when we’re struggling with patience.

A Simple Technique That Could Help Boost Your Effectiveness With a Struggling Student (Noa Kageyama | The Bulletproof Musician)

 

7

What’s been in my Amazon cart?

First, a little something to brighten up my studio.

Second, a little something to spice up the classics. They sound really fun!

 

 

The Sebastian Sessions

The Chopin Sessions

The Beethoven Sessions

The Amadeus Anthems

 

8

Why Smartphones are Terrible for a Little Bit of Zoning Out (Ed Cyzewski)

 

9

Yes, yes, and yes!!! 10  Reasons Why Teens Have So Much Anxiety Today (Amy Morin | Psychology Today)

 

10

There are just a few more weeks to live the winter-soup life. Add this to your meal plan for this week:

Favorite chili: The Best, Easy Slow Cooker Chili (The Kitchn)

Favorite soups with kale:
Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup (Giada at Home)
5-Ingredient Sausage, Kale, and Sweet Potato Soup (The Kitchn)
Whole 30 Zuppa Toscana – Dairy-Free Potato Soup (Farmstead Chic)

Favorite chicken soup: The Best Soup You’ll Ever Eat (Ambitious Kitchen)

Another good soup: Pork and Napa Cabbage Soup (Nom Nom Paleo)

 

 

P.S. By the end of writing this post, my toes have been in flip-flops for 4 hours this morning and they now remember that it is still winter. Grr. Four more weeks.

See you next week! With warm feet this time…

~Amy

 

Has it hit you yet?

Sickness, that is.

It hit me this week. For two days all I did was sleep.

Luckily this week was a group class week rather than a regular lesson schedule week – which always seems easier to make up. My policy is that if I cancel, I will do my best to make-up but there are no guarantees and I can cancel one lesson during the year without making it up.

Luckily we’re talking head-cold here, not the flu so my best friend has been DayQuil and Kleenex.

Cool Touch and Vick’s are my fav.

Catch more of my cold-care and studio germ-busting tips here.

I’ve been so caught up in being sick that I practically forgot today is Valentine’s day, happy Valentine’s my friends!

 

1

Meet the $50 Strawberries That NYC’s High-End Chefs Are Fawning Over

The “Omakase berry,” grown at an indoor farm in Jersey, is popping up at Michelin-starred restaurants like Sushi Ginza Onodera and Atomix (Eater New York)

 

2

Strawberries and Eels (Hugh Sung | Pianist. Foodie. Techie.)

 

3

Three of my favorite strawberry recipes:

Balsamic Strawberries with Ricotta Cream (Ellie Krieger | Food Network)

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar (Ina Garten | Food Network)

Almond Butter Toast with Strawberries

 

4

Kitchn writer Elizabeth Licata wrote an article on how she ate like a member of the royal family for a week. One of the items mentioned was the Queen’s favorite strawberry jam.

You can get it on Amazon so OF COURSE, I had to try it, right? Totally yum, but I wouldn’t pay $12 on a regular basis for a jar of jam.

My nephews were here one night so we had breakfast for dinner including toast with the Queen’s jam. Fun! 🙂

 

5

My Favorite Books on Piano Teaching (Lauren Lewandowski | Piano with Lauren)

Books for Piano Teachers: Including My Top 3 Recommendations (Amy Chaplin | Piano Pantry)

 

6

How to Set Up and Use Playlists for Students on YouTube (Tim Topham | TopMusic.co)

 

7

This time in Piano Pantry history

1 year ago – Free Printable: My Hands Watch Them Grow
3 years ago – The Varsity Musician’s Playbook: Part 1 – Studio Interdependence

 

8

Prepare for Spring: Gardening could be the hobby that helps you live to 100

 

9

6 Beautiful Homes on the National Register (The Week)

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends. Eat something yummy tonight – like strawberries! 🙂

From my screen to yours, from my heart to yours, from my mind to yours. May you find something in this week’s list that inspires your mind, invites better living, and encourages your personal and teaching life.

 

1

“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Let them be your only diet drink and botanical medicines.”

-Henry David Thoreau

 

2

Oh, these are awesome. Printable Valentines for Food Lovers (Williams Sonoma).

 

3

Change up your normal listening routine for the next week with this Valentine’s Playlist (Amy Chaplin | Spotify)

 

4

There are two sources of news I’ve been enjoying using lately. (I shared the first one a couple of weeks ago: The Week: 5 things you need to know now.)

The second is The Morning Briefing email newsletters from The New York Times.

 

5

Congratulations to Sheryl Welles on launching her music resources site: Birds of a Feather!

 

6

Forward-thinking at it’s best:  Vienna Will Reward People Who Forego Cars By Giving Them Free Concert Tickets

 

7

I’ve been on the search for a better way of holding cookbooks. My large books were the issue.

This one, recommended by ATK, was perfect not only because it holds heavy cookbooks, but it has a protective cover! I’ve been using it a couple of months now and couldn’t be happier!

Deluxe Original Cookbook Holder on Amazon for $37.

8

Take a “slow food day” while it’s still winter.

 

9

Whole-Grain Banana Bread. (King Arthur Flour)

Softbatch Cookie Butter Brown Sugar Cookies (Averie Sunshine | Avery Cooks)

 

10

This time in Piano Pantry history:

1 Year Ago – A Visual Guide for Formula Pattern Scales
2 Years Ago – Friday Finds: Lots of Good Stuff