Dictionary day again.  My finger fell on the word “concerted.”  I thought you beaudy, as I was thinking in terms of making a real effort, as in, “they made a concerted effort to finish the task.”
But no this was the musical definition. “arranged in several parts of equal importance.”  I did not even know it had such a meaning.  It does make sense to me that it does, as it is a word from the “concert” family.  I can also see how it has come to mean what it does when I look at even a “concerted effort” being an effort done by more than one working together to achieve the desired result.  In music there are several parts working together in the one piece, while in industry or whatever there are several working together on one piece.
Apparently it first started to be used around 1700.  It has found its way into our usage mostly as the non-musical definition.  According to one site I visited “concerted” has four meanings but I did not explore them as I needed to acquire a subscription to access the rest of the site.
I did go elsewhere and found four definitions: 1 A concerted action is done by several people or groups working together; 2 If you make a concerted effort to do something, you try very hard to do it; 3 mutually contrived, planned, or arranged; combined (esp in the phrases concerted action, concerted effort); 4 arranged in parts for a group of singers or players.
Some of those meanings are to me very close to one another.  My takeaway from it all though is a “working together in harmony to achieve a desired result.”  There is one definition that relates to an individual achieving but the other three (75%) relate to groups of people.  It does not seem to matter if it is in music or in a task at hand the important thing is working together to get something done.
Who would have thought?  That word was not on my radar.  But I need to use the individual definition right now and make a concerted effort to prepare for the air conditioner guy coming.

It has been over a year since Merril and I did our Western trip.  I was reminded of it this morning as someone told me they were moving to Winton.  Winton to me is like the ends of the earth.  Merril and I went there as we wanted to take in the dinosaur trails.  I had been to Winton before and really had felt it was a long drive for not much at all.  It was like a one street town. 
This time it felt different.  It really felt loved.  It felt like the people took pride in the place.  And I loved the sense of humour on display.  Winton was the last place we expected to see a sign saying, “Winton Surf Lifesaving Club”  (but I am just weird.  The place is probably long gone but I remember a chicken joint called “Captain Chook.”  I loved that name.)
Atmospheres to me are interesting.  We had visited another outback town, and I really felt like I could have been lining up for a ride on the Gold Coast.  Although promoting the outback history it felt very commercial.  In fact, the town itself felt like it was in it for the dollar.  The place we had stayed was a real let down and was really a case of misleading advertising.
But other places felt genuine.  I will never forget going through one place where nothing was open.  Someone had set up a bbq and was making hamburgers and coffees.  So many weary travellers stopped, had a rest and availed themselves of what was on offer.
Fair dinkum it saddens me that so many forgo the opportunity of working in small towns.  I guess career prospects are not good.  To me small towns are the place to be.  The sense of community is great, and people tend to look out for each other in good times and bad.  Like anywhere on earth there are problems, but I love a sense of “we are in this together.”
It really does seem to me most people feel the same way.  When disaster strikes or difficulties arise it appears there is a sense of putting in to help out.  Many want battlers to succeed.
Anyway it is over a year since we went out west but there were many great people met and places visited.

I am so musical I have a set of drums in my ears.
Music has played a big part in life for me.  Less so since the tumour and stroke though.  I warble now rather than sing.  That is ok though.  Music had taken more of a back seat for me in recent years anyway.
Not so much listening to music.  I still do a lot of that and love it.  It is thee playing of music I do less of.  I did play the guitar and the piano.  I wrote and recorded some of my own songs.
These days that does seem easier than it was.  I used band in a box and loved that I could load a program and be a bass player while playing notes on the piano.  Any way I put together some things.  But these days individuals can sound like a whole band and the backing is seamless.  We had advantages our forbears did not have and people today have advantages we did not have.  I guess it is a bit like Merril said when having trouble with some technology.  “I need a 12 year old to show me.”
I used to organize people to perform quarterly at the church I attended.  We had food and music and guest artists.  I would always make a point of asking second tier people.  Those that were not necessarily seen as the best but were incredible good but lacked opportunity.  They were the ones I would give opportunity to and they were great.
I do remember performing one of my songs and having a band back me who had never seen or played the song before.  They were great.  I did preface my performance with “if I am going down you are going down with me.”  We did not go down and they were great.
It’s funny but they were a bluegrass band.  I had seen a busker in town say something I thought I would use.  He said “I don’t care what you give as long as you fold it neatly.”  I loved that line and as I used to take a donation for any performers I used it.  That was the best we ever received.
I do not play much these days but I do have piano, guitars, bass, tambourines at home at the ready for anyone who wants to play.
I am constantly listening to music and enjoy a lot of both new and old.