Good News, Bad News!
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
First the “Bad”, only as it recaps the Lenten Season activities, with Easter, not yet here, as being the most popular, at least to the secular readers, and they have come and gone. Recent Genesee Valley Chorus (GVC) activities included the GVC Lenten concert on March 22nd at theTrinity Lutheran Church in Wellsville, and the mixed chorus presentation with the Mosaic Women’s Chorus, directed by Norene Ferris in Obi, NY on March 29th, the following Sunday. Next on the docket for GVC, so far, is the anticipation of the GVC 50th year celebration scheduled for June 4th, 2026. What is double great is that our (GVC) 50th, having commenced activities in 1976 under the baton of John Molinari, long time notable music director in Wellsville, NY, will coincide with this year also being our nation’s 250th celebration as well.
All GVC chorus members have been asked to suggest musical numbers from the past to be combined into the 50th presentation. I have submitted a couple. I hope at least one makes the list as I am one of only two others that were active in 1976, the first year, and now again in the 50th. Upon exiting GVC practice this past Tuesday I commented to a fellow singer that I wasn’t overly pleased with a couple of the numbers readying to be prepared. As he is a “fairly new” (out of the 50 years of existence of the chorus) to me I commented about my disfavor. He pointed out to me that not all the songs we sing are simple and/or easy to sing. Some of these certainly weren’t easy for me given my relatively weak musical background. I appreciate his expertise #1 and our fairly recently found, shared, musical opportunities #2, and hold him in high regard. Thanks Dave Toot!
From a strictly musical sense and given the experience of other’s personal musical talents and experience, I agree. From my personal involvement in music going all the way back to my 12-year-old’s playing the/a drum with the Allegany Ridge Runners, the significant part of my musical tastes lean toward a slightly less sophisticated level. I am a “quick” study as to learning the tune “in my head” so my musical note reading lack of training can be overcome somewhat as I follow the “intervals” of the noted music which compensates for my lack of knowledge, (or recall) regarding the mechanics. I have the musical tone of two notes Bass clef “D” and “Middle C” in my head and when I read a new piece (or old piece) of music I sound out which ever of those notes is the closest to the one written and then go up, or down, the scale in my head. Musical sharps and flats are somewhat self-explanatory, and I can handle a “half tone” modification to my perceived recollection or “tuning up.”
I sing and play music, much, much more, for the relaxation and personal enjoyment or fulfillment of performing a relaxing form of music. If I come away from a rehearsal, frustrated, confused and disappointed, then the enjoyment level dips easily into the low range of personal satisfaction.
As a side note I might add a new Wrambling Math Moment, by mentioning that for those who might have difficulty subtracting numbers where the active vertical pair requires adding an increased value from a neighboring number to allow subtraction of that pair. Needing to do that once in a calculation is pretty much “handleable” but having to then go back to another number in the top row pair requires doing it again. Wiser’s Word of Wisdom for today is that of suggesting that one does, as I have done, by then adding instead of subtracting the new numbers.
It’s easier to add than subtract, to make sure the resulting number was correct. If that number matches. 2026 – 1776 = 250. Checking then…250 + 1776 = 2026. Correct! Not very wrevealing to most but perhaps a good wreminder to some.
Grammar Primer: I had to fall back to Grandma’s Grammar lessons to recall the name that I wanted to affix to my following notes. I know there’s another term that comes close to the same as that just used but for now, I will rely on that term Primer, as pronounced with a soft “I” sound so that it doesn’t imply that I am approaching my “Prime” writing career. “The most accurate English term for an early textbook or introductory learning material is a primer. It is a small book designed for teaching beginners, often used for reading or basic knowledge of a subject.
I find that one of the most significant complaints that I have about or against “autodetect”, and “autocorrect” is its effect on what I have dubbed “Conversational Grammar,” as opposed to “efficiently, engineered” words. Above somewhere I typed the word “Strictly” and Autodefect kept trying to change it into the shortened word “Strict.” I have noted before that, I write what sounds more correct, despite not being 100% “efficient”, “succinct” and a “professional grammarist.” That word, just now made up, is only acceptable in Wiser’s Wramblings as the grammar gods don’t like my version. Actually, my form is more “economically correct” in that it shortens “Grammaticist,” (Not shown in either “Word” suggestion “highlights.”). I would also use the word “Grammatarionism” to describe the activity or category into which the description of the word Grammaticist would be a more understandable form and modification of the words.
I distracted myself so here is my Google Grammar Primer list of words and suffixes used by me, that “Auto…something” doesn’t like. “The suffix “-ly” is most commonly known as an adverbial suffix used to turn adjectives into adverbs (e.g., quick to quickly). When applied to nouns, it acts as an adjectival suffix to form adjectives meaning “in the manner of” or “having the quality of” (e.g., friend to friendly). Adverb Formation: Adds to adjectives to indicate how, or how often, something is done (e.g., slowly, happily). Adjective Formation: Adds to nouns to create adjectives (e.g., brotherly, costly). BTW…Spell check thinks “Googol” is acceptable when mis-spelt.
MyChart, which I use as a University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) means of conversing with or checking records via, etc. is, and has been, somewhat problematic. Their options often don’t present a way for me to effectively communicate with or to URMC. I had scheduled (directly through the doctor’s office) and appointment for yesterday. When the heavy, and long-lasting storm weather affected a good portion of roads between here and Rochester I went onto MyChart and tried to tentatively cancel my planned trip to the Rochester facility. I needed to do so as I had input the cancellation information on a Sunday when their offices were closed. Yesterday (Wednesday) the weather had subsided sufficiently for me to make the trip to Rochester, albeit via the longer Belvidere-Alfred-Hornell-Dansville route to rte. 390. To avoid potential road problems that may have been in existence on my normal Short Tract route. I attempted to call URMC in the morning, and despite it being well into their officially noted opening times, I was only able to access their answering app, not able to receive human contact.
I did leave a message and attempted to change or update the MyChart appointment information, therein. Fortunately, I had noted the name of my contact and provided that information.
Upon making the trip to Rochester for my formerly established appointment, assuming that they had received either my most recent call and subsequent message, or the updating of the MyChart app, under the Appointments, menu choice. I, and apparently their information, didn’t match. My 1:00 PM Appointment had been stricken from their records despite my input of changes to my earlier notification. They had not paid heed to my multiple communications of that morning and so they were not expecting me. They did manage to squeeze me in, and I subsequently received the Occipital Nerve Block at about my originally scheduled time. The injection took effect immediately and I had no problems driving myself home, despite their earlier pronouncement that I Had to have driver with me. I had given them the option of keeping me there for a couple of hours to make sure there were no immediate after-effects, or they could admit me for an overnight stay at the URMC oriented Motel a little south, and to which I could get shuttle rides to and from URMC. BTW, I have gone that method route in the past when I wasn’t allowed to drive myself to-and-fro, and even that was not to their preferred “driver” status concern.
On to Wreal Wramblings. April brings a couple of significant Birthdays into my fondest connections. April 1st was the Birthdate of my oldest (most likely chronologically, and figuratively) friend John Clark, or as his mother used to, and I still do in her honor, address him as “Johnny Pete. He was, nor is, anyone’s “April Fool, as he departed from New York State and his Nile home, in the 60’s. for schooling to become a minister He is now (or was if retired) an excellent minister of God’s word. He has lived a much more meaningful life than me by providing blessings and support to and from literally tens of thousands of people.
A 2nd distinguishable April Birthday is for Dennis (Dennie to most, Den to me) Miles, my stepbrother by marriage but a real time brother in our growing up days, that I never had biologically. I need not further identify Dennie, as he is not only multi-State famous both as a former high school athletic standout, and then a distinguished Athletic coach in Allegany County and then as a coach/administrator covering the entire state, and beyond. He is indeed a storied honor recipient but is also, to me, an honored recipient of my affection and utmost respect.
I guess if irony is applicable anywhere, it is so here. Dennie signed (autographed I guess) my 1963 Friendship Central School yearbook with the note that he wished he could “Grow up to be just like you.” If I could go back several decades now, I would now amend that phrase to something like “I hope now that you are grownup, I wish that I was more like you.” Congratulations to all your previous awards and distinction, and the story isn’t over yet as you “keep on keeping on.” Happy early Birthday to you on, or soon to be here, April 5th. 💕As a birthday gift, or recognition to others born in April, I share with you now a poem that was previously written and read at my sister’s funeral, who passed away way too early in her life on her 70th Birthday.
If you have any comments, questions, cares or concerns please reach out to me via email at IM.Wiserdad@gmail.com. Thank you to all whom already have! You know who you are 💕
