Keep your mind challenged

Just in case you think the only reason to discuss things, argue and research for a blog or Facebook is to change someone's mind,  keep in mind we’re fighting dementia! It's good for us.  Each time you shut down an idea you don't agree with or say "Oh, let's talk about something more pleasant," you might be depriving yourself of a brain boost.

College is protective by about a decade, but lifelong intellectual activities such as playing music or reading keeps the mind fit as people age and also delayed Alzheimer’s by years for those at risk of the disease who weren’t college educated or worked at challenging jobs. http://archneur.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1883334 This is a free access article. 

 

Since I read it to my husband about 2 years ago, he has taken up guitar. Had zero musical training so also had to learn to read music.

 

At our cottage in Lakeside where we attend lectures and concerts daily.

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Guitar; an American life

About 25 years ago I thought I'd get a jump on my mid-life crisis by doing something different, deciding to take an aerobics dance class, pierce my ears (I have no discernable ear lobes and don't wear earrings), and learn to play the guitar. I did take the exercise dance class, liked it even though it meant sweating and over about 6 months I lost 20 pounds and went to work for one of my instructors. A story I wrote about it was published in the Columbus Dispatch. But poke holes in my dainty, tiny ears? No way. I did actually borrow a guitar for awhile from our friend John who told me he'd give me lessons, but memories of the trombone and piano failures came back to haunt me, and I don't think I ever even went plunkity plunk.

Yesterday at the library I was looking for an interesting, non-fiction audiobook to listen to while I walk and discovered "Guitar; an American Life," by Tim Brookes, a British ex-pat who lives in Vermont and is a commentator on NPR and writes for various magazines. I just had no idea that the history of the guitar would be so interesting. And when you start with almost no knowledge on a topic, you are soon 1000% smarter than you were a day ago! 24 hours ago I would have thought "luthier" was a misspelling of Luther, but it is someone who makes guitars. Here's a nice review by ricklibrarian with bibliographic details about the book and the audiobook.

Here's Brookes' list of 100 guitarists who weren't on Rolling Stones list.