Because I don't have enough hobbies already . . .

In the early aughts when we lived in Grand Rapids my husband suggested I learn how to play the bass guitar for our more contemporary praise songs in church (I use the word "contemporary" very loosely here). His sister had been playing bass for choruses, but she and her family had moved on to a different church so I gamely said I would try.

Zach played bass in two bands in high school and college and is very good at it. In fact he owns two acoustic guitars, one electric, one backpacker guitar, and the bass guitar. I never actually got very good, but I could generally play extremely simple bass lines. I never practiced during the week and we didn't use the guitars in church every week, so much of the time when we ran through songs before the service I could be heard asking Zach, "Wait, what's D? Is this a B flat?"

Still, I did enjoy it. Once we moved to Lansing I would occasionally play bass for church, but since there was a high school guy learning bass I thought it would be much nicer to have him play. And then I got pregnant and a big pregnant belly does not allow for playing bass. At this point, I don't remember any notes.

But I've always loved guitar (especially acoustic classical guitar) and there have been a number of occasions where it would have convenient and fun to be able to play guitar myself, as an accompaniment to my singing for special music for church, instead of adding yet another thing for my husband/pastor to do on Sunday mornings.

Then last weekend I got the pamphlet for Michigan State University's Evening College courses for this semester. Guitar for Beginners. Why not?

I signed up this afternoon.