Category: Success

We did OK with No Mow May!

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment
Plants and weeds run riot

So we decided to do No Mow May, a movement to help pollinators as they come out of hibernation.

Our intentions were good. Nevertheless, there are rules in town. By the latter part of May we wound up mowing our front lawn to avoid a fine.

The backyard is a different story.

Yesterday we started cutting the grass in the backyard

I could hardly believe how quickly grass grows!

The grass and weeds seemed to take over at such a pace! It was wild!

The rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks just loved it!

When grass grows too long it is quite a chore to try and cut it down.

Using grass as mulch for the apple trees

We will continue to trim our backyard grass and weeds.

We do not spray our plants or lawn with pesticides nor do we harm the ecological environment with noxious chemicals to keep the bugs at bay.

It was good to do No Mow May for a couple of reasons.

We gave the pollinators a break so they could enjoy the long grasses, and we didn’t mow the backyard for a month!

I’ve seen some bumble bees in our garden.

That’s another good sign that we did OK with No Mow May!

P.S. We saw a hummingbird bird in our backyard for the 1st time. Even though we don’t put out hummingbird feeders we have flowers for them!

Pops of color, pops of joy!

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment
Fresh flowers

Flowers give me such joy. I just love them so much!

The colors, the scents, the freshness and the beauty are as romantic today as it was when I was in New York City decades ago.

I saw an eager gentleman give his lady love two dozen beautiful red roses at Grand Central Station.

It was a sight to behold! It seemed straight out of the pages of a Harlequin romance!

Flowers not only say, “I love you,” they say, “I love me too!”

Buy yourself or your sweetie a flower or a bunch and make your world a happier place today!

Lift yourself up

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment
“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” -Booker T. Washington

There are many truisms all over the Internet. You can read them on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and lots of places online.

I love motivational and inspirational quotes.

This one really struck me when I was feeling blue and lonely.

If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else!

Giving is living, and that’s the reality for all people!

Head-shot day

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment

We change through the years.

High school dropout

Yes I quit school at 16. Mental depression and ADHD. I did not fit in.

Singer-songwriter

On to University after getting my GED, I graduated and began teaching and performing.

I was in my forties by the time I graduated college. Being a non-traditional student was hard.

In the nineties, I was mistreated and rudely shunned by most of the other students. Some bullied me, and called me a “re-tread.”

The professors were a bit kinder.

Happily, I was a college radio broadcaster and wrote for the campus newspaper.

I lived off campus, and that helped.

Keeping busy kept me happy.

College graduate in May 2003

By 43, I started my own music teaching business. My college degree was in Music Education.

My music teaching business ran from 2004 until the pandemic in 2020.

Me now

Now I am just getting back to writing songs and stories and recovering from the fallout of the pandemic. My duo, Molly and Sonny Boy have some upcoming gigs, and more original songs to record

Enjoy this song we recorded before the pandemic.

https://youtu.be/AVFYEzeWRmU

I still work in radio and audio production. Each Sunday at 4:08pm Central on AM 860/97.3 FM and at http://KNUJ.net I produce and broadcast a show called, “Music from Germany.”

Germanic roots

Music from Germany – May 1

Morning Potatoes

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment
Pan-fried Potatoes and more!

I own the popular Aroma steamer. I like to steam a big batch of chopped Golden Yukon potatoes and then fry them in a cast-iron pan with a medley of vegetables and soy bacon.

French roast drip coffee is the best!

Homemade is hard, but it is the price you pay for tasty food that will most likely be eaten quickly! 😋

A Tantalizing World

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment
Fresh delicious Apple Pie

Everywhere we look, people look for happiness.

They seek it online and in person. They are full of dissatisfaction.

They can’t get very much done because they are distracted.

Life is meant to be fun.

Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Here is a story I never heard of before, but it is the origin of the word tantalize.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantalus

If you ever feel like you are missing out on all the fun, you are not alone.

Most people feel that way and that’s why many seek temptations and escape from the drudge of work.

Nevertheless, if you want to be a better person, the key is to plan your work and work your plan. The joys are hidden behind and in between your efforts in the daily service of others.

Yet, you need to also take time for yourself and live with balance and gratitude.

Studying Commitment

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment
Bookish

I have a lot of books. Many times I scoop them up at library book sales, or just aquire them at book stalls.

Later on I discover them in the house, sometimes many years after I brought them home.

Sometimes the books are found not so neatly on a bookshelf, and sometimes I find them in a bag or a box stacked on a table or the floor.

I’ve started studying a book I found in a bag underneath a desk. It’s called “Commit to win,” by Heidi Reeder, PhD.

Get committed

It’s about how to harness the four elements of commitment to reach your goals.

She elaborates on the 4 areas of commitment that I never heard of.

They are: treasures, troubles, contributions and choices. Basically the 4 ingredients that go into any commitment.

It’s food for thought if you plan on making a commitment and plan on succeeding in fulfilling it.

I have 3 areas I am trying to get committed to doing.

I. I need to drop some excess fat; 35 lbs. exactly.

2. I need to get rid of a lot of old junk in my living space, so as to upgrade my style and feel happier at home. Yes, I have a lot of stuff.

3. Lastly, I need to get my music business organized.

That means finding, labeling, and organizing eveything from books to instruments, to recording units, and sound equipment not just for insurance purposes either.

There are also the intangibles of my band Molly and Sonny Boy that need attention like websites and digital photos, contacts and financial files

I would like to get all 3 commitments fulfilled in the next 5 months. However, there is a difference between deciding to do something and actually getting started. I will keep you posted!

Worried about everything

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment

Growing up in a big city was very stressful.

City girl in a scary world!

My mother put a good fright in us.

We had to be wary of everyone and everything.

There were people who tried to abduct me in stairwells and city parks.

Happily, I always had someone near me to protect little me.

When I moved to the country I was still very frightened.

I would always lock my doors and I would never talk to strangers.

If I look back I think I did everything right.

In this day and age you can never be too careful.

As I’ve often heard it said here in the Midwest, trust in God but lock your car!

My job

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment

I am a radio dj

I am working today at the radio station 🚉

You can hear my show here

Music from Germany – Apr. 3
My perch

I’ve been in radio since 1993. It’s a job match made in heaven.

I have the gift of gab and my degree is in music!

Cool radio dj

More people, More cameras

Published on by Zents Music StudioLeave a comment

By Amy Zents

I believe that our generation will be the most well-documented generation of all time.
Everywhere you go, you see people with cell phones taking pictures.

People take pictures of everything, not to mention video. It’s amazing how everyone now aspires to being a movie star.

The Me Generation.

It’s not bad to be self-conscious. Like it or not, you will be in somebody’s photo whether you want to be or not. It’s just dumb how people indiscriminately take photos of everything.

There’s very little that is secret nowadays with cameras and video.

If you would like to see inside the Vatican or you would like to see inside somebody’s garage, you could probably find a way.

Signs that say no video photography or no camera photography are ignored.

From movie theaters, to the live theaters on Broadway, to the great concert halls around the world, people in charge have a hard time preventing audience members or others from taking photos or video.

Documentation for representation.

The paper trail is getting smaller. They have stopped automatically giving paper receipts at the liquor store or at the grocery store in my town. Everything is going electronic, at least that’s the way it seems nowadays. Even plastic, aka credit cards instead of currency is becoming more common. I saw someone pull out his checkbook this morning and I thought, Dark Ages! LOL!