some praise for Australia Post...

AUSTRALIA POST - Some praise... Posted a Christmas present from my Mornington Peninsula, Victoria to my son in Adelaide, South Australia last Monday 14th December. It was sent regular post. The present arrived safe and sound TODAY. Wow! 2 days not 6! Thanks, Australia Post. 🙏

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

Beethoven's 250th birthday today...

BEETHOVEN'S 250TH BIRTHDAY! b.16th Dec.1770. No composer left a mark on music quite like Ludwig van Beethoven. He took the popular forms of his time — symphony, string quartet, piano sonata, opera — and stretched them to their breaking points.https://t.co/xIfmNXxDdo

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)struggled with mental+physical issues. He was abused by his alcoholic father+contemplated suicide due to loss of hearing. Beethoven first noticed hearing difficulties c. 1798, when he was about 26. By the time he was 44 or 45, he was totally deaf. pic.twitter.com/wE4RLJyZLn

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

ODD BEETHOVEN FACTS: Beethoven’s father pulled him out of school when he was 10 years old, hoping his talent would translate into profit. As a teenager, Beethoven supported his family. Beethoven’s handwriting is so bad that musicologists struggle to authenticate his signature. pic.twitter.com/6gDwLPQdHl

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

Could this be true? Beethoven poured icy water over his head to promote creative thinking? pic.twitter.com/f5lS32U9Vb

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

Beethoven, challenged to an improvisation duel, turns his competitor's music upside down and plays? But wait...There's more... pic.twitter.com/VtIJzW5fps

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

Beethoven was devastated by deafness, but he didn't let it beat him. Some of his greatest works were written after he became deaf... pic.twitter.com/4P8K0W3u1s

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

book surprise...

BOOKS OFFER ENDLESS SURPRISES! Love finding the quirky... This one MUST rank high on the list...
Enlarge the photo to get the full effect and enjoy what unfolds... pic.twitter.com/oeLO3bXmxQ

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

 

the year of the mask...

uninvited change
questions float in suspension
the year of the mask #haiku https://t.co/faRDrO95st

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 16, 2020

hide and seek...

morning fog
my verandah doves
indulge in
hide and seek
love games #tanka pic.twitter.com/3nF9udK7iC

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 15, 2020

Christmas cleaning frenzy...

PASSING THOUGHT: Part of my usual Christmas drama is a cleaning frenzy...Anything + everything gets a dose of my undivided attention...especially items neglected since last Christmas...Once I start, I grow increasingly horrified at what I've overlooked for a whole year... Onward! pic.twitter.com/bDvd8N7enG

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) December 15, 2020