Trying Something Different
It's encouraging to see that there are so many free activities available online. Quite a few are a speedy response to the global crisis and most likely the others have always been there and I just wasn't aware of them, but it's an opportunity to do something different! I've chosen a couple of things to start with ... a free Open University online course, and a series of genealogy talks. Of course I've completed online courses and attended genealogy talks before so the 'something different' aspect is the actual subject matter.
The OU courses I'm considering are provided by their mathematics department: I've narrowed my choice down to either 'Introduction to algebra' or 'Geometry' and will make my decision this week. I was okay with maths at school but didn't really excel at it. Whether this was down to my preference for the arts subjects, so I didn't really push myself, or whether I peaked at 16 years old which is the last time I had a maths lesson, I will soon find out. I haven't chosen maths for any particular reason but do have a reason for undertaking a free course - I want to see if I have the self discipline to study properly with a view to completing a fee paid course once life gets back to normal.
As for the genealogy talks, I've made a lot of progress with my family tree but I am self taught and this seems to be a good opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the research material available and pick up some tips on how to interpret the information contained in the more obscure documents. Ancestry, the FamilySearch Learning Centre, and YouTube will be my starting points.
Back to yesterday and I didn't tune in to Joe Wicks' PE sessions yesterday morning. I got rather side tracked and ended up following an exercise video specifically designed for seniors. I've chosen one where I am seated for the exercises until my knee is stronger and alongside that I will also continue with the Dr Jo series of knee exercises I've been doing to work on sorting out my dodgy knee.
I sorted through the garage freezer and started on the meal planning so finishing that off is my first job for today. Once that's done I want to finish moving the decluttered items out of the dining room so I can get back to some resemblance of a cleaning routine.
As for the virtual choir practice ... it was brilliant!
The OU courses I'm considering are provided by their mathematics department: I've narrowed my choice down to either 'Introduction to algebra' or 'Geometry' and will make my decision this week. I was okay with maths at school but didn't really excel at it. Whether this was down to my preference for the arts subjects, so I didn't really push myself, or whether I peaked at 16 years old which is the last time I had a maths lesson, I will soon find out. I haven't chosen maths for any particular reason but do have a reason for undertaking a free course - I want to see if I have the self discipline to study properly with a view to completing a fee paid course once life gets back to normal.
As for the genealogy talks, I've made a lot of progress with my family tree but I am self taught and this seems to be a good opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the research material available and pick up some tips on how to interpret the information contained in the more obscure documents. Ancestry, the FamilySearch Learning Centre, and YouTube will be my starting points.
Back to yesterday and I didn't tune in to Joe Wicks' PE sessions yesterday morning. I got rather side tracked and ended up following an exercise video specifically designed for seniors. I've chosen one where I am seated for the exercises until my knee is stronger and alongside that I will also continue with the Dr Jo series of knee exercises I've been doing to work on sorting out my dodgy knee.
I sorted through the garage freezer and started on the meal planning so finishing that off is my first job for today. Once that's done I want to finish moving the decluttered items out of the dining room so I can get back to some resemblance of a cleaning routine.
As for the virtual choir practice ... it was brilliant!
It's wonderful that you are so willing to try something different, Eileen. I'm so glad the virtual choir practice worked out so well. :)
ReplyDeleteAfter the initial confusion it settled down to be a good practice ... not quite the same as in our usual meeting room but a good second best. I couldn't sing properly to start with, from tightness due to stress, but could feel myself relaxing as the session progressed so this weekly singing will also be a form of therapy as well as a good laugh!
DeleteAt least you are not being phased by having to stay at home and are organising good things to occupy your time at home.
ReplyDeleteWhen I did my family history I relied solely on information I could find myself and didn't bother with Ancestry etc. It was amazing where my research took me and I wrote to people and organizations who cropped up in my research. They all were willing to help and I received a lot of information that Ancestry wouldn't have had. Okay, I may have been able to get back a bit further with an on-line organisation, but i wanted flesh to cover those old bones again, which I did get for a few. It is a fascinating hobby/interest. Good luck with your research.
I started out by recording family stories and then linked that with my later online research. I'm back to 1590s on one line and there is a surprising amount of information available to add flesh to the bones even that far back. That's why I want to look into the older, more unusual documents to see what other information I can glean.
DeleteThat's good news to hear that the virtual choir was successful. In school I was never good at the main stream maths, but any of the business maths I could figure out; teacher, pupil or interest? I admire that spirit of let's try this. I'm finding that the Yoga classes are helping me move but also tackling my anxiety levels.
ReplyDeleteI can remember enjoying geometry and algebra though I'm not sure that I have retained enough information to follow either of these courses without considerable effort on my part. It's worth a try though as my investment will be time and effort rather than financial.
DeleteGlad to hear that you are benefiting from the yoga. The online choir helped me in the same way.