寒かったのでホットカーペットを買いました。カーペットというか、フローリングみたいに木目調で、拭き掃除も簡単にできるやつ。

気むずかしいカメラですがときどき上手に光を捉えてくれます

I have attuned myself to my piano which was re-worked by a piano tuner
a few days ago. The touch became a bit heavy, but the dynamic range
has been widened because it can be controlled easier than before. I
need to adjust to the reworked piano, however. The keys were very
light, like feather, enabling me to push keys very lightly. My piano
is now normal and I have to adjust my finger and body to the new
touch.

I started to test the new setting by playing JSB’s some pieces of
well-tempered clavier book I. JSB’s compositions help me to search for
exact touches and the best balance among keys from low to high. Some
part of my brain was irritated by the new touch. My body has gradually
adopted itself to the new reaction.

Today, I played some sonata by Beethoven and several pieces by
Ravel. I found that its tone is improved when I open the lid. I played
a piece by Schubert, too. The chords sounded well, leaving a
well-balanced echo. In the evening, I played through all nocturnes by
Faure. 12th nocturne was particularly difficult to play. They were
okay otherwise.

I did not play Rachmaninoff today probably because it was fine. You
have to be depressed a bit to go into his music. I prefer playing
Ravel in daytime and Faure at night when my feel is neutral. These
composers were influenced by Listz, but I cannot be sympathetic to his
music with somw exceptions. Pieces written in his late years are
okay by me, but…

I wanna a grand because the up-light piano is a bit slow in responding
to my fingers. Pieces by Ravel particularly require very quick finger
movements, which are often difficult to perform on the up-light. Well,
who knows? I had better find a studio in which a well maintained
instrument is available. I should concentrate on a few pieces for
enhanced expression, rather than playing through every repertoire
spending several weeks for a cycle completed.

We spotted a donut shop. Sunrise Donuts sells tasty donuts made of soya beans. It is one of branches located in Nonoichi. The place is near canal. Highly recommended.

We dropped in a city library which was recently opened. The building looks interesting with lots of holes on its surface. These holes are windows, allowing the light to radiate in to the building. Its inside looked like a cheese. Not bad, interesting, but many schoolchildren studied there bringing his or her own textbook. I do not really like the custom that schoolchildren use library as study. But, I understand their needs.

After shopping, we visited a bookshop. There were not many interesting books unfortunately. The night falled as early as half past four PM. We bought some breads on our way back home. Peaceful day, it was.

Sunrise Donuts @ nonoichi is highly recommended

Sunrise donuts is near canal

A city library recently opened

Inside the library looks like a cheese

the bookshop is supposed to look like a bean

A junction captured with a fish-eye lens

one of my favorite bakeries

I drove out to sort out several things. The weather was changing rapidly. It is fine sometimes, rains, icy rains, windy, cloudy, etc., everything you can expect of bad weather.

I dropped in an antique shop on my way back to find a cute pendant light. The shopkeeper, who is also the owner, explained of the item. It came from U.S. about 100 years ago, bought by a rich, local merchant, who built his wealth through trade in Japan Sea. He had a mansion in Mikuni, a small town 70km way from our home, into which he installed the pendant light. I was fascinated by its arrangement; it is capped with a taft of strings so that it fits with a tatami room. I took it home.

The pendant light was made by Holophane, one of the oldest company selling lighting-related products. I could find some other lights similar to the one I’ve got today. The page containing the photo shows an amazing price. No, it does not cost you so much.

the direction to Hakusan mountain

the Holophane pendant lamp

Thunder continued rumbling from the midnight up to morning. It was a hailstorm. Ices hit the roof, making a noise. The temperature dropped to 4C in the evening and we had the first snow this winter.

I was waken up with noises by ices