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Sunday, March 23, 2014

Learning Techie Things

A cello shoot that I had the privilege to participate in
Although I'm
horrible at
electronic stuff,
I embrace
it with my
heart and
soul.  The
mechanics of
it comes
hard for me.
Jeez, even
my older
grandchildren
didn't grow
up with
computers.  So where does that leave ME? You haven't heard
much from me lately because I'm on my "tunnel vision kick" to
learn the mechanics of my new computer. Things haven't changed
much from my old Mac but there is just enough change to confuse
 and leave me yearning to improve my videos.

The picture above was from a cello shoot, I had been envited to
tag along on because the musician had borrowed a Flamenco
costume of mine for one of her settings. I did absorb tons of
knowledge from these young professionals and I also learned
that some settings take physical stamina and courage.

I especially wanted to watch the shoot where she wore my
dress which took place atop one of the highest Bozeman
mountains, that meant a long climb carrying camera
equipment. I think they looked at my wrinkles and gave me
an easy out, saying it was a hard climb and would I rather wait
for them below.  No, I was determined not to let "age" get in 
my way.  

I even carried a portion of the precious camera equipment but
when we reached the top, my knees were jello.  What a gorgeous
view this spot presented but I couldn't even get my camera out.
What were these young people, Mountain Goats or just native
Montanans who lived for sports in these mountains?

No, I haven't been climbing any more mountains during my
absence but I'm doing a lot of studying and expermenting.

I'm always amused at people's reactions when they see
I live in a studio.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These 2 pictures are of what most people would have for a living room 

59 comments:

  1. Hi Manzanita .. so pleased you were able to join in - and good for you for stretching yourself .. it must have been an amazing day - and such fun.

    Your place - looks quite delightful .. we need the basics if we allow ourselves to wind right down .. you've done that - kudos to you .. cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hilary
      I do enjoy my different lifestyle. Everything that I need is always at my finger tips. I've made some great strides in ridding myself of the surplus ut still have a bit more to do this summer.
      Thanks and see you at A-Z time.

      Delete
  2. How cool that they borrowed your Flamenco dress... and better yet that you showed them you may have a couple of wrinkles, but you are not a big wuss.
    I am loving those beautiful wood floors of yours. Love you!! Haven't talked in ages...

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    Replies
    1. Dear Terry
      I knew you must be busy and I was back to my old "list" habit or I forget something during the day. I notice how much faster I can type with the new puter. I didn't realize quite how bad the old one was. Yes, I did show them but honestly, it was a struggle. Haha Love to you

      Delete
  3. That's cool that you're keeping up with technology. I've fallen behind a bit myself but that's because I can't afford all the new gadgets that I would love to have. Also cool, that you climbed the mountain with the youngsters.
    I also live in a studio but unlike your beautiful studio which I imagine is for dancing and creating, mine is simply for eating and sleeping and staring out the window. That's how I stay in such good shape. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rubye
      I see, you live in a studio apartment. Well, you could say I turned my house into one as everything is mixed altogether. I'm about to leave the house for my walk and I bet you and Oliver have or are in the middle of doing the same thing. Take care....

      Delete
  4. Hard to keep up with all the crap no matter who you are. But then when you are used to it, it does come easy at ones sand bar. Congrats on making the climb and jello knees too. No mountain would stop you. Orlin wouldn't let that studio stand, he'd think knocking everything down was grand. haha

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    Replies
    1. Pat,
      I bet Orlin would prob knock over the stuff that is left from Puss. I didn't realize at the time but Puss is in the picture of the backdrop. Her dish is behind the curtain and she always wants food. Making up for lost time from when she was a bag of bones, I guess.

      I am trying to learn some fun videos again. I did do them years ago but I've forgotten everything I knew. I was also doing the posts for the A-Z......unlike some people who have their posts 3 months ahead. ahhemmm

      Delete
  5. Lovely Manzanita!
    We have so much in common I think.
    I love that place.
    Keep up the good work. It is very inspiring.

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    Replies
    1. Julia
      Thank you for your gracious words again. You always seem to know just the right thing that comforts. Do you mean you are a fish out of water too, becaise that is what I've been most of my life. My homes have never been very conventional but I tend to surround myself with my interests and that seems to produce a very eclectic lifestyle. Thanks, Julia

      Delete
  6. Without my daughter and her partner I wouldn't be on line at all, if I have a problem they help me still.
    I like your home it has good bones and lots of light.
    Merle.................

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    Replies
    1. Merle
      I like the way you put that... good bones and lots of light. Yes, I need a lot of light in my life. The windows in this old house are situated so that there is always sunlight streaming in the windows. I think that is why I keep coming back here.

      I would rather not have all that radiation from the electronic gadgets but I have the protective shields and devises all over the house. There was a time when I tried to resist computers but I really love all the information available at my finger tips. So much faster and more extensive than going to the library like we used to do. You are lucky that you have a computer guru right in your family. My kids all certainly have computers too but they were not raised with them either and they are not the whizz that the young kids are today.

      Delete
  7. Ah, you have true grit lady. I'd have not had jello legs but you would have heard me sucking air for miles.
    I too am learning a new system, from XP to 7 and am not enjoying. it. Good luck to us both.

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    Replies
    1. Patti
      And ditto to both of us. Amen. If I had learned these thing properly at the beginning I'd have a foundation but I kinda taught myself by the seat of my pants and even with good books, I now get confused.
      We'll both hang in there. Ha

      Delete
  8. I recently tried to learn windows 8, it takes a lot of doing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Holy Ghost
      But it sounds like you accomplished it and that is the important goal. Good for you.

      Delete
  9. You have my greatest admiration for climbing that mountain!
    Interesting that you live in a studio, I thought you had a house.
    Your place is probably similar to mine in size then, but mine is three definite rooms.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. River
      Thanks but it's the last time I try to take on a steep mountain of that magnitude. Ha We drove as far as we could but had to hike up the last very steep part. Oh I see what you mean..... it is a house but a very old funky house. Actually there is a log cabin under the outer walls of the house .... they just built over the cabin but it serves well as insulation. This old house (cabin, really) was built not too long after gold was disovered in Helena. That was 1865.... same time as civil was going on out east. The house was part of most of the land in and around Helena. The house next door was the bunk house. Of course they remodeled and greatly improved the 2 houses..... the one next door being finished by professionals and mine was done by people who didn't know what they were doing and just trying to save a buck. The house hasn't been improved throughout the years and if I were younger, I would bulldoze the thing to the ground and start over. When I said studio, I mean, I've made the living room into a dance studio and also where I used to do most of the videos for the students. Now I teach just a few gals Flamenco abut I still love to piddle around with the videos. And videos are such a great boon to teaching dance. No one ever remembers when first taught a dance but it so much help when you have a video at home to remind you.
      This house is just 3 rooms down stairs too.... kitchen, BR and a longish lliving room. There is an upstairs with real deep steps, like in the old farm houses. I use the upstairs for storage mostly.
      Have a great week.

      Delete
  10. Lovely Manzanita! You are above all an artiste of the highest and most amazing calibre! Of COURSE you live in a studio!! And of course you show these young up and coming things how it's done! :-) Ok, they may have the techie know how but by golly you have THE DRESS!! Yay!

    Take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Old Kitty
      Thanks for giving me a new thought. Of course I have the DRESS. (and the red shoes too) Haha Just like Dorathy. But once up on the mountain side, they did show me. They must have had magnuts on their shoes as I kept sliding down the steep mountain. The Cello artiste gal carried her own cello all the way because she didn't trust it to anyone else. She even changed into the dress ON TOP of the mountain. God, I would have gone down the mountain all tangled up in the dress. Haha

      Delete
  11. Just as I start feeling comfortable with my computer, they change the version. Amazing when you consider I first started by learning Windows 3.1 and then thought Windows 95 was fantastic.

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  12. Al
    I'm happy to hear that others find it a bit of a challenge to move to a new computer. I'm happy when I learn something and I would like it to stay that way forever. Fooey with new progress ....although once I learn it, I always like the new one better. Haha

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  13. I love that they borrowed your costume, and hurrah to you for climbing up there to watch it. I might have taken the offer to wait...hahhaa #ClimbingWearsMeOut :)

    The shoot looks like it turned out nice too. I love to hear the cello played.

    I think it's cool that you live in a studio. Our homes should make us happy. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosey
      Thanks. You could have made the climb a lot easier than I do, though. Half way during that climb, I too, wished I had taken the easy way out. Later I talked to a gal who was a student of mine but also a modern dance teacher and really fit.... plus MUCH younger than I am. She said she climbed up there only once and was more scared coming down and delibertly came down on her fanny. I never cared much for conventional homes as I'm not a decorator.

      Delete
  14. Dear Manzanita, you are one intrepid woman! Peace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dee
      Thanks but I mostly keep forgetting numbers .... namely age.

      Delete
  15. Hi Manzi. We've missed you! I too love those lovely wooden flowers. I imagine you living in the great northwoods, miles from anywhere, and chopping your logs!! hA hA! Its great that you are keeping up to date with all this technology. See! An inspiration you are! How wonderful that they borrowed your flamenco costume. I hope the dancer did it justice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thisisme
      That is really my dance floor. There is an old dirt cellar under the house so there is space under the floor. That is like a sprung dance floor that has "give" to it. That kind of floor is always easy on the knees and that I one reason I keep returning to that old house.

      I think you remember when I was going to live at the ranch which was a bed and breakfast. That was remote but my kids were having a fit and wanted me to move into town. So last year I moved 3 times. What a drag.
      The artist was a cello player and she was doing a publicity shoot playing 3 songs representing different countries and one was Spain, Flamenco so she wore my Flamenco dress for that.

      Delete
  16. That should have read wooden FLOORS!! DUH!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like wooden flowers too. You don't have to water them. Haha

      Delete
  17. Manzie: I had a great response to this post, but I had trouble getting my computer to accept it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JJ
      uummm.... wonder why. Do you think it's my computer? I'm almost ready to give up on computers.

      Delete
  18. I am not sure that I would have done much better with that climb. Very proud of for getting out there and making it happen. And how cool to see your costumes "repurposed."

    I didn't realize you were that big into photography. That is a photography studio, isn't it????

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Robin
      You would have done a lot better. Trust me. Hs
      I'm not really big into photography but I've always taken videos of the dance classes. Videos are the greatest learning tool for dancers. It's hard to remember dance instruction but videos are such a wonderful boon to learning body movement. I wish they had been around when I was learning. We'd waste so much time if we forgot, we'd have to wait until the next lesson because we'd be afraid to practice it wrong.

      The video making on the new computer is different and that was what i was trying to accomplish.

      Delete
  19. It doesn't matter what the calendar says; you're still young in spirit and determination. Climbing that mountain with the youngsters? Even if your legs WERE jello, you DID it! Tackling a new computer and new technology? It may not come easily, but you don't give up, and keep at it until you succeed. Good for you. I have a tremendous amount of admiration for you.

    LOVE your home, too. It suits you. (And that's all that matters, right?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan
      Thanks for the kind words but I try a lot of things that afterwards I wished I'd taken the easy way.

      I like my interests close at hand. I've never felt comfortable in a designer type home. Plus, I've never gotten the hang of decorating..

      Delete
  20. Hi Manzanita,
    wow...I really amused not by your studio, but the energy you have plenty! Thanks for kind words on Pat's blog. I'm trying to join your site, no luck today maybe later...Best fun week for you!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Humbird
    I tried to do all of the comments today and i got so mixed up. I put one to you on another person's. Gave me a good laugh. This reminds me of an ice show I filled in for at the last minute and I had never seen the routine at all. I was going one way when the others were going the opposite. I was like the comedy relief. Hahaha

    I wonder why there seems to be trouble with my blog. I wonder if it's my computer that I just started using. Someone else said they could not get a comment to enter.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow, that cello shoot much have been great fun....once you got up there, that is! And ha, there is always something new to learn on a computer...but seems to me you are doing just fine. Visiting from Pat's site. (And thank YOU for the visit.)

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    1. Mary
      I see your profile picture of the adorable dog and I noticed the others in your blog. Pat's blog is funand brings people together. Thanks for dropping by.

      Delete
  23. New things are always scary for me. Happy belated Birthday!!!

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    1. Brian
      Thank you for the birthday wish..... but you have nine lives. Lucky cat.

      Delete
  24. Loredana
    Change will always happen and especially with technology. You stop to tie your shoelace and it's passed you by.
    Nice to see you at my blog.

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  25. My mind has a hard time with electronics, too. I've mastered my laptop pretty well but can't work the TV remote! haha.

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    1. Betsy
      Haha TV remotes can present a problem too..... usually I can't find mine. Thanks for stopping by/

      Delete
  26. The cello shoot sounds amazing and the view must have been beautiful. Thanks for visiting my site.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Truedessa
      It was a fun Birthady Party for Pat again. I was completely tied up that day but tried to finish it the next.
      See ya a Pats.

      Delete
  27. Hi Manzanita! I think it's awesome that you live in a studio! And I love that you made it up to the top of that mountain! I'm not letting age get in my way either, although I'm a little younger than you. Very belated birthday greetings to you! I struggle with computers all the time ~ arrggghhhh!!!!! (I think I replied to your comment on my blog in the wrong place.) But I'm going to master them eventually. It's so nice to finally meet you.

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    1. Fundy Blue
      Thanks for coming by and thank you for the birthday greeting. Sorry to hear you struggle with computers too. I love em but they are also a pain. I just get to the point where I 'm a little comfortable with my laptop and then everything gets changed. I understand what what mean.
      It is my pleasure to meet you too.

      Delete
  28. Technology always baffles me. It's amazing how quickly today's youth can catch on though.

    That's fabulous that you made it up the mountain. I work out regularly and think I am in decent shape, but even the thought of climbing a mountain leaves me feeling breathless!

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    1. Theresa
      Thanks for dropping by. I'm surprised at the number of people who are also in the dark (somewhat) about technology. I usually feel that I'm the only one. Haha

      Delete
  29. That strikes me as a perfect studio! I am also in the electronics/tech dark hole.

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    1. Susan
      I think you may have to be born into the technology time period. It's always too much all at once for me.

      Delete
  30. I try to get around and visit everyone who stops by my place. Sometimes it takes me a while.

    I read this post and thought how much I love Bozeman (MT in general). When I was in the business of raising quarter horses in Idaho we would travel to Bozeman often. I know the mountains around there and thought I would be hard pressed to climb one today - THEN I scrolled down a ways to learn a little bit more about you and found your birthday post - HOLY CARP! You are my hero.

    I also love it that you live in a dance studio and still teach. How wonderful to live with and follow your passions.

    Nice to meet you. I'll try to get back often.

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    1. Farawayeyes
      Thanks for the visit. So you are a "fan of horses." Me..... not so much. Horses take up a lot of time and when I'm not teaching, I'm gardening. But a great many of my friends are into showing horses.
      See you at Pat's or the challenge.

      Delete
  31. I am passing from the A to Z as I am visiting many many blogs in a rather random and leap about way. I am not a fan of technology these days as it moves faster than me. This would be fine normally except I am paid to do clever things using technology, the steam powered spy satellite has raised a few suspicions in head office so I am hiding.

    I wish you well on your journey through the alphabet and will visit again to see how you are getting on. . . . .

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    Replies
    1. Rob
      Thanks for dropping by and leaving the nice comment. I will be by to visit your blog shortly.
      Have fun on the challenge.

      Delete
  32. What a surprise- I didn't realize that you would be living with your home arranged as a studio. But then again, why not? You love dance to a degree that makes having it in every aspect of your life a necessity.

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  33. Jasmine
    This old house was first a dance studio (by me) so I just moved into it because I love the yard so much. I judge houses by their outdoors . I've never been a decorator.

    ReplyDelete