If Challenge (8/8)

Question: If you were instantly able to play one musical instrument perfectly that you never have played before what would it be?

Answer: Part of me would love to be able to play the piano without any issues, but I've had piano lessons in the past so that is ruled out. I have also played both the flute and the bassoon and a mean air guitar and drums, so all of those are ruled out.

I then started thinking about some of the music that I love and what instruments are prominent (and a little quirky) in that music. I opted to research Bluegrass music because it is an interesting, unique, and beautiful musical genre. I would probably want to be able to play the fiddle first, because I could cross over into classical music and call it a violin, if need be:

Then, once I knew how to play the fiddle, I could move onto the mandolin:

The banjo:

And then to REALLY step out of the box, the hurdy-gurdy:

Of course, I might decide that I need to channel my inner Lara and learn to play the balalaika:

And if I still have time and strength, I think it would be amazing to play the bagpipes (although that would probably drive the poor dog insane):

 

If Challenge (8/7)

Question: If you could be sculpted by any artist in history, who would you choose?

Answer: My original thought was that I would want to be sculpted by Michelangelo or Botticelli or Rodin or one of the other classic sculptors of the past as I knew they would make me beautiful and tragic and cold in marble, like this beautiful sculpture by Rafael:

But, then I reconsidered and started thinking about some of the more modern artists. Maybe an action sculpture by Remington done in bronze...oh wait, I'm not really much of the western-theme type. There are really SOOO many different sculptors out there that it is hard to decide on a single one. Instead, I think I would rather put my sculpture into the hands of a realistic artist who would find the truth in me, however, unbecoming it might be. I think being done by the likes of Duane Hanson.

 

Funny story....the Museum of Modern Art in Fort Worth had a Duane Hanson exhibit in 1994 that I went to with my parents. Throughout the exhibit are all of these life size, realistic sculptures. At the end of the exhibit, mom and I were in the gift shop (because we cannot go to a museum without stopping in the shop) and dad went to wait by the window. As mom and I finished up, we were looking for dad and completely missed him because he seemed to just blend in with the other sculptures that were around. Okay, maybe it isn't funny to the rest of you, but mom and I get a good laugh out of it.

There is another amazing sculpture that I think would be great to sit for as well, Ron Mueck:

 

And then there is Madam Tussauds...

 

If Challenge (8/6)

Question: If you could inherit a comfortable home in any city in the world that you could use but not sell, where would you want it to be?

Answer: This is a tough one. I first thought that I would go for San Francisco because I really do love that city. But then I thought, of all the cities in the world...there is so much variety and choice and options. Maybe I'd like to have a house in Paris or London and then I'd be right there at the jumping off points to see visit all of Europe. Maybe Rome or Florence with easy access to amazing Italian food and great architecture and culture. But, if I went to one of the wonderful European cities, I would only have the house provided for me...I would still have to figure out job and make friends (and we all know how bad I am at that) and I would see incrementally less of my family and friends (although they would have a reason to visit and place to stay). But, I don't know if I could really live as an ex-pat. Therefore, I think I should stay in the US. Maybe, a house in Hawaii...then I'd have access to beaches and a completely laid back lifestyle...but I'd miss out on some things that just wouldn't be available on an island, plus, I don't know if I could really deal with having sunny weather all the time. Therefore, I think I would have to circle back to my first option, which would be San Francisco. If I could have afforded to have a house there, I'm not certain if I would have moved away in the first place.

 

If Challenge (8/5)

Many, many moons ago, I purchased a book called The Big Book of If...

In this book, there are pages and pages of "If" questions that are to be used to spark conversation.  Since I have been incredibly inconsistent with my blogging, I decided that I needed to go to my big book and just start pulling questions out of there to respond to. Therefore, I'm going to attempt, whenever I have nothing else to blog about, to respond to a question from this book.

Question: If you could permanently alter one thing about your physical appearance, what would you change?

Answer: Okay, maybe this is a soft pitch for my first one, but this is a really easy one....I would make my body smaller, permanently. I struggle constantly with losing weight and it just keeps on creeping up. If I could permanently get rid of the jiggle and jelly from around the waist, and the double chin, and the bat-wing arms, and the lumpy legs, and Oh My Goodness...the cancles....I would be really happy. And I know that I could do at least some of it if I just really, REALLY made myself work at it...but I am weak, but I keep picking myself up and trying again.