Reliving Special Moments

Posted on August 21, 2026 by Evesophia

I ran into a question…”if you could relive a day in your life what would it be?” Well it would be the day I gave my Graduate Recital in 1993 to obtain my Masters in Applied Music Pedagogy (private teaching). That was a great and rewarding day.

I went to Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, the old Chicago Teachers College. My late, long-time voice teacher was the Chair of the Voice Dept. at that time. It was great! I was able to audition for the music faculty every semester and obtain a tuition waiver for each one. So I basically got through graduate school with very little financial stress. Don’t get me wrong…I was still a poor musician but at least I had my Masters Degree. Haha!

However, the semester after I finished my course work, I had brain surgery. I’m fine. I’m still crazy but that’s for other reasons I’m sure. Hah! It was a shock to the system but my brain was ok as well as my voice and musical abilities. I just had to get myself back on track and head toward recital day. It took 18 months but I did it.

This is probably why my recital is such an important point in my life besides getting the degree I wanted. I worked like a dog in the school arena and then had to work like a dog in the health arena to get myself back to where I was as a singer. And when you are after this type of life accomplishment you have worked so hard for, there is absolutely nothing that will get in your way. You WILL make it to the end and get the prize. I promise you…you WILL!

So getting back into voice lessons, I resumed the path to recital. Set the program…songs and a couple of arias by Carl Maria von Weber and Antonin Dvorak. The university’s accompanist, an unbelievable pianist, accompanied me. I had a guest classical guitarist who accompanied a couple of things by Weber, and a guest soprano who sang a few duets by Dvorak with me. Degree recitals are big deals like this. You invite other musicians to perform a few things with you, and also send out formal invitations to family and friends.

And some comical moments…I was in the dressing room getting ready that evening. All of a sudden an overwhelming feeling of fear engulfed me and I became soooo nervous. And just as quickly it seemed like something slapped that out of my mind and I calmed down. I remember thinking “Oh no…you’ve worked too hard for this. Nothing is going to ruin it now!” I almost got angry. But I had such resolve to nail this moment in time. And…I did!

My guest guitarist played beautifully. He was an undergrad student. He later told me he felt honored to have been part of my recital. Also, me and my guest soprano sang our duets beautifully. The final song cycle by Dvorak that I sang, “The Gypsy Songs,” was a perfect finish for the recital. The songs get more and more wild with the last one being the best. The accompanist is “wiping the walls” with the piano by that time. And mine surely did! Wow!

At the reception the guests applauded as I came in. I was just so thrilled. But you know, it wasn’t just because I finished this milestone in my life, it was also because I had to pause and go through a major surgery that could very well have ruined some if not all of my musical abilities. I do remember the brain surgeon being concerned about that but reassuring me all of that would gradually recover as I recovered. I was so “taken” by that surgeon’s concern.

And as I sit here blogging about this I almost have tears in my eyes. Everything I’ve started in life I’ve finished. It doesn’t matter if I’m famous or rich or whatever. I started a process that I dearly wanted and finished the entirety of it. And the more I think about these moments in life the more proud I get of what I did accomplish, and continue to accomplish. It sinks in eventually.

So that is my story about a day in my life I would relive if it was possible. But I don’t really have to. I have those great memories. Especially the hug my Mom gave me after the recital. Wow! And of course, the Masters Degree. This one meant so much more than anything else since it took a different path, shall we say, to get there.

Now it’s your turn. Think about it. What special moment in your life would you love to revisit if given the chance. Especially if it lead to a great future you love. Do it! And of course, pie. That’s the ultimate reward for moments like these. There’s always room for pie.

Cheers!

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Realistic Learning

Posted on August 11, 2026 by Evesophia

Now what’s she talking about? Hahaha! Being realistic about learning whatever it is you want to learn. I am gearing this towards music because I’m a professional musician. But the advice in this blog can be applied to any personal achievement career, which is what I call careers where you are your business.

Recently I’ve seen advertisements for learning piano apps. What could possibly go wrong with that I wondered. Well, these apps promote learning piano off the app, which will guide you through beginning piano through intermediate, suggesting music that you can keep learning to advance your knowledge and skills.

I researched this subject a bit. They can help you with the robotic stuff like learning notes, counting, basic rhythm, etc. But what do thy miss? Personal feedback from a professional musician for starters. They also miss more detailed instruction…more personalized approach that only a physical human can give you. And what about music history? If you learn a piece by Bach will you be taught about the Baroque period of music during which he lived? What was the style of playing during that time? How does it differ from a piece by Beethoven that you might learn, which is from the Classical or Romantic period of music? How fun would it also be to learn about that composer’s life? Enter physical music teacher.

Do you think that chefs in restaurants learn from online apps? I’ll bet NO! They work with master chefs in their field. That personal touch is priceless in these personal achievement careers. And that’s the same thing with music.

What is also interesting is that no 2 students are alike. Do these online apps take that into consideration? I can realistically assume they don’t. Probably very much AI generated by music teachers who can create a reasonable teaching app but not the personal touch they themselves offer in their own studios. I always say that if I have 10 students either piano or voice, I have to teach the same lesson 10 different ways. People are completely individual. They learn the same thing a bit differently than the next person. And after teaching almost 40 years, I can tell you that you learn to read students and how they learn, and when they actually “get it!” You also watch the student become a more consummate musician. The kid learning to play piano starts molding into a budding pianist with his/her own style. The kid learning to sing starts molding into a budding singer using their breath and vocal production more efficiently and even artistically.

And if the issue is pricing, there is still a monthly fee for the online apps, which can really take you only so far. The human teacher is more money, yes, but they can give you a more consummate approach to learning and take you further down the music road. One size does not fit all. Learning a musical instrument is as individual as your DNA, your own voice, and your fingerprints. And an online app, which might be very good, still can’t give you the individuality you ultimately need.

So here we are. I always vote for in-person training for most skills. Maybe changing a lightbulb in the kitchen you can learn online. Haha! Well…time for pie. Enjoy!

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Living in the Past

Posted on August 3, 2026 by Evesophia

I saw a question online the other day. It was “what is your favorite quote?” I thought about a meme I saw online about a person asking a Hindu monk…and this is not a direct quote…”how do I deal with the past?” The monk responded by saying to leave it in the past. It’s ended. The only real time is the present. And the reason we get upset by the past is that we keep replaying it in our minds. I also researched this a bit more and found these monks teach that dwelling on the past creates needless pain, while understanding it helps free the mind for the present moment.

Welp…I can sure attest to that! How many times have I thought about the past and what I wanted to have happen at what stage in my life, and of course those moments either happened at another stage in my life or not at all. I also studied holistic medicine for about 20 years on and off. I read books on Ayurveda, the East Indian holistic way of life about 5,000 years ago. And one of the big things I digested from those readings is that the only real time is the present. Even 5 minutes ago is in the past. So if you think back to your childhood, which is a long time ago if you’re a senior citizen, there isn’t a lot you can do about that period of time or the path that your life took up until the present moment.

Sometimes it’s just hard to not review your life when you’re alone thinking about stuff. You think back 30 years or more and wonder how you made it to where you are. And in my case I started blogging about stuff that happened along the way and even contemplating writing a book on that stuff.

It’s also interesting to follow your life path. You start following your dreams, you realize them but often a bit different than how you originally thought they might turn out, and then you move on to other areas that perhaps grew out of the path your dreams have taken, then branch out more into other categories that can promote who you are as the result of pursuing your dreams, and so on and so forth. It’s this trail that you could never have predicted but…here it is.

The past teaches us lessons such as “don’t do that again!” or “what was I thinking?” Haha! But it’s always said that you learn from the past so as to not repeat the things that didn’t work for you or stuff you just goofed up. But the past also reminds us of some remarkable moments that we cherish forever, and accomplishments that we’re proud of and have moved us forward in life.

What’s also immensely interesting is that when we do look into our past lives, we see this path over the years that most of us probably never thought we would travel. I started out as an opera singer and quite a good pianist. Well, the first local opera group I sang with was directed by a major organist who loved opera and wanted to work with good singers. My best friend was also a major organist. Because of them I went on to meet big-shot organists throughout my entire life. Why? I’m an opera singer! But now I’m a rather good modest organist as well. Learning organ just seemed to fall into place as the years went by. And, I do enjoy it. Who would have thought?

I was also a Polish Roman Catholic my entire life until my 50th birthday. When I had moved from Chicago to Boston to teach music with my best music bud who was Russian Orthodox, he introduced me to a Greek Orthodox priest he was very friendly with and suggested I become the organist/choirmaster at his church. I nearly fainted on site! I knew nothing about this church or their music. Surprisingly they hired me. O Bozhe moi! Well, I learned the Liturgy and basic music in about 4 months. I went on to study more of the Byzantine music in the Greek Church…music began in Byzantium. About 3 years later I became Orthodox and now belong to a Greek Orthodox Church. It ended up being the right thing to do for me.

I look back at my past and sometimes wonder…”what on Earth?!” But I do feel fulfilled by what I did and continue to do in music, my church and my life. And also interesting, the really tough parts of your life don’t seem to make that much of an appearance. Granted, I didn’t have horrific moments which I’m sure would be more prevalent when thinking back, but I did have several very uncomfortable situations I survived just fine plus a few surgeries I have also survived well.

So there. Don’t be afraid to look into the past. I’m sure you do. But don’t dwell on it. It’s in the past and that’s where it is. Done. We’ve all survived and hopefully for the better. When they say life is a trip, it really is!!!! And again, don’t forget to add pie. It really helps when you take that journey into the past. Pie. Cheers!

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Sentimental

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Evesophia

Here’s a question. How long should one hold on to sentimental stuff? Maybe things your parents left you or things from the past like school awards etc., or little doo-dads you bought years ago that are soooo cute but now? Gifts from your birthday or Christmas that just aren’t you. How about furniture?

I have a small cache of things I’m giving to our current YiaYia’s Attic. A real cute purse I bought from HSN several years ago that I just can’t fit everything into. It looked good on TV though. I’ve never really worn it and that’s in about 8 years. Then there’s the little one-person cooker from a famous chef on HSN. It’s for a single meal so you don’t have to cook in a huge pot etc. But, I always cook more than for a single meal hence I use a large pot. Ha! Used the thing twice about 6 years ago. Then I looked through my jewelry box at some nice pins for Christmas etc. and bracelets as well. Haven’t worn those it about 10 years. So there’s a baggie with some of those things in it. Time to go!

When I moved into my condo I had 2 nice chairs from my parents. They were restaurant chairs from the infamous Stockyard Inn in Chicago. The place closed and had a furniture sale…first-come-first-served. Dad was able to get a few chairs and some other stuff. Those chairs were nice and comfortable but didn’t match anything in my place. Although it took me a bit to sell them because of “parental guilt” or whatever it is, I did and to another YiaYia’s Attic. It’s interesting how you feel when you sell or otherwise dispose of stuff from your family. But once you do it’s sort of liberating in a way.

My Dad loved glassware. I did take a number of things when we cleaned out our parents house. I have beautiful wine glasses, brandy snifters, etc. I do use 1 or 2 of them somewhat regularly, at least during holidays. I also find myself wanting to have fine bone china as in Royal Albert tea cups etc. Those are great to have especially for holidays. But most of the time I don’t use the glassware. My Mom loved her silver tea set. Just beautiful. But none of us kids were going to use it so it was sold at a realtor run estate sale. People don’t don’t seem to have those types of things anymore.

Dad built some furniture. I have his secretary…a desk with 4 drawers and a pull-down writing area…like a desktop. He also built a grandfather clock for him and Mom and us 3 kids. Grandfather clocks are great but they aren’t my favorite. I love Cuckoo clocks which I do have. I also love mantel clocks with the spinning balls at the bottom which is what runs the clock. They have a glass covering. I actually bought one at YiaYia’s attic! So what happens with the Grandfather clock? How do I handle this? Do I keep it out of “Dad made it for me” guilt or try to find a buyer who really loves this stuff and can spiff it up and enjoy it!

Then of course you buy your own stuff. Cute little glassware of your own and decorative plates for your coffee table. Don’t forget some little antique glassware from the antique store nearby. And I have to say I bought a painting of flowers in a vase from my own church’s YiaYia’s Attic a few years ago. I put it in my living room. Who knew it would give that room a much needed boost especially when I practice piano and stare right at it. What a huge difference it made. I can hardly believe it! I also have a Geisha doll, a set of Russian nesting dolls, and a couple of Polish dancer dolls. I really love that stuff!

And I suppose the ultimate sentimental duo is my Chickering piano I’ve had since childhood, and the painting above it as well. It pictures a lady playing piano and a lady playing cello. I always thought somehow it was my sister and me.

So now we have collected our own sentimental stuff. Who’s going to want it when we’re gone you wonder. Maybe it doesn’t matter in the long run. Maybe all that matters is that it speaks to us now. How else would I have figured out a number of things about my parents if I didn’t have a few things of theirs to show me what was close to their hearts.

Ahhh yes, being sentimental. That brings me to pie. That’s a real sentimental entity from childhood! It never gets old or out of style. And it’s always good. Yum!

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People and Safe Spaces

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Evesophia

So as a professional musician I have been teaching privately for almost 40 years. I’ve also worked other jobs (have to pay the mortgage you know) in insurance and a couple of other areas but the longest has been running a church office…23 years. And guess what…another People Business job! I guess I’m supposed to work with people. Ya think?

Where am I going with this? It’s the biggest education you will get in life after going through college etc. You work 1-on-1 with students young or adult teaching them a skill…singing, playing piano, singing in a group (choir) whilst watching a director. You learn to read that individual student in order to give them the individual instruction that will work for them. One size does not fit all in private teaching.

Working for church? A different kind of people business. There are some wonderful parishioners who support the church so well and happily volunteer for many roles. There are fellow staff members who are amazing! Then there are those parishioners who are “automatic” with attendance, stewardship etc. And then…there is the small group of parishioners who complain about literally everything. And the last group…the handful of parishioners who dump all of their problems on you and blame you for them, and then get angry at you because you can’t solve their problems. Hah!

I always joke that after spending literally my entire adult life in the people business, I have earned my psychiatrist license by now. You have to take a step back from all of this, separate yourself out, and watch the “human show.” Some people tax your fortitude to the limits! You have to be gracious but secretly you’d like to slug them. I probably shouldn’t say that out loud.

But when I’ve looked at the situation several times, I think that church family means exactly that. Think about your own family at home. What good times, atrocities, you-name-it have you endured? How about raising teenagers? No drama there! And how do we handle all of this? We just do. We love our families and will undergo great feats of strength to keep them safe and keep the family whole. We endure numerous issues with children all in the name of helping them grow from child to adult.

Same thing in church. We handle all the parishioners as real people whether they’re bouncing around helping to keep us running or yelping at us because they didn’t like the spanakopita at the annual Festival this year.

And there’s one common denominator between home family and church family…we don’t throw anyone out. We may endure some extremely difficult times but we work to solve the issues. And for those people “acting out” I have always assumed they feel safe. The kids feel safe acting out at home because they know the parents will still be there when the kids are done having an epic drama! There’s still someone to lean on. Same thing in church. The parishioner feels safe knowing that the priest and fellow parishioners will still accept them and their issues, and the church will still be there for them in the future.

One thing this whole scenario has taught me is that just like our home life is “life,” so also is our church life. Religion is life. It’s not just going to church and having Liturgy, praying, receiving communion, going to coffee hour. It’s real life. It’s doing all of the above plus accepting the people for who they are, including the drama they bring with them. Church is life. It’s a safe space. You feel safe because of the presence of God but also because the church family accepts you for who you are.

And I might add that being in the music studio has to feel like a safe place for the students as well. They’re trying to learn a skill. They’re not being perfect. They know the teacher and their parents are looking for progress. But the teacher has to make the studio feel safe for all kinds of issues learning to be a musician. That’s a personal achievement undertaking and that’s a tough one.

How many areas of your life do you feel this safe in? Do you feel this safe in any of them? Hopefully most people reading this feel safe at home with loved ones. That’s more important than being perfect, which none of us are. It’s more important than the fact you actually are having issues! One needs to feel safe to be human. And that includes all of us!

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Pets

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Evesophia

It seems like most people have a pet nowadays. Do you? I have had 2 in my life.

When I was a little kid in Chicago we had a dog, Penny. She was a Springer Spaniel. Those are beautiful dogs. Medium build and lively. We just loved her. So fun to play with. Gosh. What a sweetie! When she died we all cried so much. I remember my brother who was in high school at that time, coming home and standing there crying. Men didn’t cry a lot when I was a kid…it wasn’t “manly” so to speak. But there he was…sobbing.

Fast forward several years and I’m on my own, in my own apartment. My neighbor, who happened to be the director of the local opera company I sang with at that time, had a cat who gave birth to a few kittens. So when they were born he asked me if I wanted one. Yes! So I went over by him and had to look under the bed to see Mom and her little tiny kittens. I saw my future pet a couple of hours after she was born.

I ended up getting a calico cat with a real snarky personality…I guess like her new owner. Hahaha! A calico cat has multiple colors…black and white and a little gray. She was so cute! She was so little that at night she would sneak up on my bed and sleep on the corner of my pillow. I would wake up in the morning and see a cat right above my head. Adorable!

I named her Pushenka. I didn’t realize what it meant until a few years later, when someone told me it meant “soft and fluffy.” She was! But she was also a real character. And like most cats, she ruled the apartment. I thought I actually did but I was wrong. And the only other person whose lap she would sit on was my Mom. She pretty much avoided everyone else I had over.

This was also the time in my life I realized I was allergic to pets. Hmmm. Well since I met her right after she was born I couldn’t give her up. Instead I got allergy shots from my doctor. He recommended several times that I give up the cat but you know, I just couldn’t. So I sneezed a lot at that time. The shots helped.

She liked to sleep on the bed but that was not allowed due to my allergies. She had her own nice area…bed, eating arrangement, litter box, toys…her own “cat apartment” within my apartment. But numerous times I would wake up in the morning and see her sleeping at the foot of my bed in the exact position in which I was sleeping. And yet another morning I woke up and could see into the kitchen, and she was looking back at me from the kitchen sink. Why was she sitting in the sink? She was soooo funny!

Then I had brain surgery. I was in the hospital 17 days. My brother and little nephew went to my apartment to feed her and see what she needed. She survived. Then I came home. She literally screamed at me non-stop until I screamed back at her to shut up! I guess she was mad I wasn’t around for a little over 3 weeks and I didn’t tell her.

However, 6 weeks after I came home and was doing quite well, she died. Pushenka was 17 1/2 years old. I cried on top of her to the point where she was soaking wet by the time my Mom got me to stop crying. Mom cared for me every day for almost 6 weeks after I came home from the hospital. So Mom was there, and my sister, to help me out with this new pain.

So, I cleaned out “cat apartment” and moved on. I still don’t have another pet to this day because of allergies. And really, when you’ve had a couple of real sweet and adorable (and snarky) pets in your life, how do you keep getting another one when the current pet dies? I was attached to Pushenka for a long time. It’s not that easy. But I do enjoy other people’s pets.

One thing about pets I tend to not agree with is the fact that people bring their pets almost everywhere. Yes there are plenty of times to take them with you but trips to the grocery store, other shopping, errands in general, I just don’t see the point. And weather is an issue too. A nice cool spring day is fine. But hot summer days, leaving the pet in the car with the a/c on in hot weather is not something I agree with. Same with cold winter weather…leaving the pet in the car with the heat on. Leave the pet at home. They need their space too, including being away from us. Then they’re over-the-top happy to see us when we get home! Who doesn’t love that?!

So this is the story of pets in my life. Now I talk to stuffed animals. I’ve already written about that. It’s interesting what we do for comfort in our lives. Pets, stuffed animals, pie…if it brings you comfort and joy, just do it!

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Doing Nothing

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Evesophia

Have you ever just decided to stay home and do nothing? Of course it has to be more than likely on a weekend or while you’re on vacation from work etc. I am doing that today, a very hot day (90+ degrees), and I don’t really have to go anywhere. So what does one do on a day like this?

First of all, if you’re like me you have to stop feeling guilty or like a slug because you’re not out there accomplishing great world-renowned things! That’s a big one with me. Ha! But I also haven’t had a “nothing” day in a very long time. I haven’t just relaxed and done nothing in about 25 years!!!! Recovering from surgery doesn’t qualify.

So what did I actually do? I wrote this blog post. I hung a picture. Sold some Avon over the phone. My usual musical practice. Worked on a personal project. Watched TV. I actually felt pretty good too! And the big one…I didn’t really care! Ha!!!! It’s taken me many many years to do this without feeling guilty about doing nothing. We get so engrossed in our lives and being so efficient that the mere thought of not being all of the above for a day is just terrifying! And…I was happy. Imagine that.

These kinds of moments make you think as well. Since I’ve gotten out of the full-time job scenario I’ve focused more on doing my own thing, which as a musician is a lot of what you do. And I’ve also thought more about writing etc. Hence this blog lives on. And even a book as well! I’ve looked at my small but very cute condo and realized I do like it. I am spending more time in it now that I have more time. It’s not just a run-in-and-run-out place to eat and sleep like when you are working a 40+ hour regular job.

These moments also make you look around your desk at the stuff you keep for whatever reason. Organizations you belong to, restaurant mailing menus, Final Wishes Planning from the local funeral home, a couple of books you’ve been meaning to finish reading, dust on some furniture you probably should take care of now, etc. I also spent time on my Avon website looking around and thinking about what products I can push in the near future.

And it’s quiet. A lot of neighbors are at work or on vacation, and the kids are out of school so they’re either on vacation with parents or at camp or doing whatever. This doing nothing thing for a day is kinda cool, ya know?

One of the best perks is that it relaxes your mind. I am busy for the rest of this week. So this “nothing day” is a good fit right where it is. Recharge for what is coming up. Just feeling more relaxed and happy for a day is great! Most of the time you don’t need to go on an exotic vacation to feel like this. Just chill in your own space.

So now that I’m comfortable it’s time to get up and do something. Haha! Have to practice (music). But I am very glad I decided to take a day and relax. It really does work. I wonder when the next one will come? I guess I should designate a couple more during this hot summer before we get back into the rat-race of life. How about you? Have you designated a couple of “nothing” days for yourself? If not, I give you permission to and to rejoice in being a slug for a day. And you know what comes next…eat pie. This is the reward. Pie. Cheers!

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Cultures

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Evesophia

When I want to watch a movie instead of the news and my favorite crime show, I always get drawn to movies/documentaries about ancient Egypt. I’m fascinated by Pharoahs, the Valley of the Kings and the Pyramids at Giza. And of course, the Nile River! You know, the great Pharoah Ramses II had red hair. Cool!

One of my favorite movies is The Ten Commandments, which is about the great Exodus of the Hebrew slaves from ancient Egypt. And of course I had to watch The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. I had even gone to one of the major museums in Chicago years ago when I still lived there, to see the King Tut (child Pharoah Tutankhamun) exhibit. This makes me wonder that if we indeed have had previous lives, that one of mine would have been in ancient Egypt.

Egypt was an advanced society in ancient times. Women had some rights, aka could own property etc. Watching these documentaries is so fascinating and educational. World renowned Egyptologists doing their thing. So much to translate through hieroglyphics, drawings of people, treasures buried with Pharoahs, etc. I wonder if they will ever be able to uncover and/or translate everything from ancient Egypt. So much stuff!

Another culture I have always been drawn to is the Renaissance period of music. Love early music and the composers. Instruments…harpsichord, lute, etc. The beauty of the simplistic melodies and the expertise needed to perform them artistically. I always wonder if the composers from the different periods of music would be awed at how expert their music sounds in this day and age. According to our knowledge of music history, orchestras were small in those days and not necessarily well disciplined. I would love to have heard Renaissance and then Baroque orchestras back in the day.

Going back in time and doing research into cultural or musical periods, or whatever you want to research from ancient times, is so fascinating. We look at life well before we were born and see how exactly people lived and what they invented. We also learn what they ate, what they wore, how they built their houses, in short, like a ginormous ancient time capsule.

And something else, especially in ancient Egypt, how many thousands of years their structures have lasted. Many are a bit of a mess but many are intact. Stone lasts!

As far as music from hundreds of years ago, it lasts to this day. Original manuscripts have been found with some interesting notation as opposed to how we write music in current times. But we can definitely see what the composer had in mind. Fascinating!

And regarding cultural looks, every country seems to have just beautiful traditional clothing! Egypt certainly did. Look at Polish costumes as well as other Eastern European countries, then Greece. How about China, India and beautiful flamenco dancers from Spain. So much traditional beauty in this world.

And then let’s talk about traditional food from around the world. Oy vey! That alone would be another blog post. Chicago has the annual “Taste of Chicago” which celebrates all the different cultural foods in the city. Italian Village, Greek Town…Mediterranean foods which are not only legendary but healthy as well.

So I do love to see cultural stuff from around the world. I also love to see family trees and old pictures from my own family heritage from Poland. Interesting stuff indeed! But it makes us think. It makes us wonder how our relatives lived and survived especially during world wars and awful governments! It also gives us, at least me, determination to keep up the way they did. Educate myself, forge my own way, survive, have faith, don’t quit or look back. Keep moving forward. Invent something too if the situation arises. How else did previous cultures get to where they did and leave their inventions for us to study and improve upon?!

Now I’m not sure they had pie years ago, haha, but they had other goodies! That should be my next research project…the beginnings of pie. Cheers!

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Pie

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Evesophia

If you have been reading my blogs for a while you realize that I have an affinity for pie. Yes. Pie. And I don’t know why. I also get snarky about it too. Haaaa!

When I was a kid in Chicago, we had a cherry tree in our back yard. Now cherry wood is not at all like oak wood regarding strength. Cherry wood is soft. And before too long, a brutal Chicago winter with tons of snow broke the cherry tree in half.

But before that we had cherries galore! Mom made cherry pies like a machine! We had them stacked on shelves in the kitchen cabinets. Hilarious! But they were so good! Natural cherries with some sugar to add a sweet touch.

Then when my mother died some years ago and I was back at work, the Rector of the church I worked for told me we needed to go out and have some pie. It would lift up my spirits. So we did. And now you see that pie has had some influence in my life, beside the fact it’s just darn good.

But beside it being good and sometimes funny, it represents something comforting. Sometimes you just need comfort food. And I tend to write about life issues, albeit funny sometimes, but nonetheless life stuff. And life stuff is always tedious whether or not it’s terribly serious.

Pie isn’t complicated. It’s pie crust and usually fruit. That’s the best kind. Home made. Add whipped cream or ice cream. That’s about as complicated as pie gets. And we usually don’t have to spend a lot of time making major decisions on how to eat it. I always love the annual Thanksgiving pie gifs showing the proper way to eat pumpkin pie…a miniscule piece of pie surrounded by a truckload of whipped cream! Fall off the chair funny! But yes, that IS the proper way to eat pumpkin pie.

So what more can I say about pie? It has a special place in my heart. And it’s fun to talk about pie! I think I’ll have some after I finish this blog. You too! Cheers to pie!

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Independence

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Evesophia

Here I am again after a month hiatus. I am in physical therapy to finally address the results of a sprained leg a year ago that just won’t go away. So…hopefully one more month and I’m good. Seriously good!

But today is the United States of America’s 250th Birthday as the free country we were founded to be in 1776. The best country in the world. Freedom for 250 years to be who you are and live your life accordingly. Freedoms other countries just don’t have.

I’m so Patriotic it’s not funny! Of course I’ve had military in my life so that helps with the pride in our country. But I am so grateful for the freedom to be me! I can choose to do what I want with my life. I have no regrets about choosing my own path. Of course I followed the dreams and talents I was born with. And I have accomplished stuff…my stuff! Sure we make mistakes. But we climb back up and move forward again, fixing our mistakes and doing better than we ever thought we could!

And yes, it takes work. Work! That’s what we humans do…we work. Even retired, we still work at something. We never stop. We love accomplishing stuff. It doesn’t matter how big or little or famous or not famous. We love doing our thing and completing tasks, making something new and improving our lives even if only a little bit. And it’s Freedom that gives us that gift to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

And Freedom to be who you are and work for what you want builds character. Many people out there are so supportive of you and others in your own pursuits because they themselves have worked hard and accomplished their own goals. “You can do it” is the phrase. I tell this to my private music students. And you CAN do it! You are free to do it and can accomplish your goals if you do the work. You become educated, gain expertise in your field, build character, and pass this on to people you work with or just know in general. We pass this advice down the ladder to those who are coming up the ladder. We share the “formula” and we’re so happy to do it! I love giving real advice to those who want it from me. And I love getting it from people who want to give it to me as well. It also shows how much we care about others.

Celebrating our country’s birthday is very special to us American citizens. It hits deep inside. It makes me feel deeply grateful for being born into this country. And I love sharing my gratefulness with others. When I see ceremonies on TV swearing in new citizens I’m the happiest person! I’m ecstatic! They emigrated here the right way, did the work, and now it pays off in their citizenship. They did it! They are the happiest people!

When you live in a free country the freedoms are endless! Freedom to learn, experiment, accomplish, build wealth, pass on your expertise to others…the list is endless. But the best is the immense feeling of gratefulness. You live in a free country and you realize the blessing of being given that chance to become who you are meant to be. This is what you give to the world…you!

So Happy 250th Birthday to my beloved country, the United States of America. I wouldn’t be who I am without you. I’m beyond grateful for being born here. I accepted the challenge to be who I was meant to be and accomplished that goal the best I could…and still improve.

And of course you know I’m going to end this blog with my shoutout to pie! American apple pie! Or whatever fruit you prefer. We have the freedom to eat pie whenever we want. Ha!

Happy 250th Birthday America! Keep it going forward!

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