Saturday, September 30, 2006

Excitement Building


We are open for regular business ONE MORE DAY!!!!! I have another week of work after that and then a much needed break.

I'll walk, blog, play music, burn cds, dance, pick apples, cook but not bake, go visit my family in the next province, sit outside with my kitties, visit friends, say goodbye to my travelling daughter, send a birthday card to my one year old grand-daughter, miss S., trivialze, clean and shine my house, call friends who I have little time to call during the summer, visit some friends in a seniors home and rest up for the Christmas onslaught of really hard work.

Music: Something for my brother. I have the old Buckingham Nicks album from '73 on vinyl. My brother always loved it. I picked up one song from it the other day on a music blog that I read. I did a search and more is available but I have this one for now. S. tells me her friend has the means to copy all the vinyl to disc. Oh, what a treat that would be! I love my vinyl....just have no way to play it because someone "adjusted" my turntable a couple of years ago. Enjoy Crying in the Night by Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks before they were Fleetwood Mac.

Also, I am a huge fan of Blossom Dearie. I have lots of her music but not much of her up on the music page so here's a couple of versions of the old standard Peel Me a Grape, one with Lyle Lovett. She has such a unique voice, sounding like a little girl but singing adult songs. I love her sense of time and rhythm. She is one of a kind and still performing today. I'd love to see her live.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Promises

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I hardly watch TV though I'm going to on Thursday nights.....ER and Grey's Anatomy. When work is finished for a month I'll be watching Oprah. I love that show!

The autumn weather is so beautiful here in PEI. It's warm but crispness is nearing, the light is vivid but shortening by the day and color is enveloping our landscapes with more richness. I have a month off soon and I've decided to walk to the beach or in the woods every day. If I don't I'll probably put on weight and brisk walking can release endorphins. I can use a few.

Music: One of These Days - Mose Allison and Van Morrison and the honey sounds of Eva Cassidy with Oh, Had I A Golden Thread.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Rainbows


The view that we see during trivia was just a little prettier than usual last night. We had a downpour then a rainbow. One end was over the church and the other end was over the Delta Hotel.

We've placed third for three weeks in a row now. Lost by a point last night, three quarters of a point last week. Quite frustrating to say the least! Still fun though, with our wild and diverse group. It was down to five last night from eight or nine last week.

I don't have a cold after all. I believe I was just exhausted. I still think I just truly need a break and will get one soon enough, I guess.

Music for today: Harmonica player, Toots Thielman's version of Over the Rainbow and a link to Zoe doing Sunshine on a Rainy Day which I've found is already up there.

Monday, September 25, 2006

Dancing as Fast as I Can


What is the world coming to? Just looking at this British luncheon meat, I can tell already, I'm allergic. I wouldn't eat that for a hundred dollars. It will be fed to kids though...hopefully not my grandchildren.

Anybody want to work for a couple of weeks? I desperately need a break. I think I've become run down; an ear infection last week, a cold now and I'm exhausted. The 70 mile yard sale was even busier than expected with people waiting an hour for a table....were they crazy? I had even made seating for twenty more for the weekend. We ran out of food and the cook brought home a huge pot and bought ingredients to make chili to get us through Sunday. God bless her because I couldn't have done that on Saturday night. She didn't put the miles on her feet that I did though, so was able to. I had a quick bite to eat when I got home, called my Dad to wish him a happy 75th birthday and went to bed at 8:30. I didn't even have enough energy to call my brother who's birthday is the same day as my Dad's. I've never needed a day off as badly as I do today.

Music: Dos Gardenias by Maria Rita Mariano is a nice version of my favorite slow dance song from my well-played Buena Vista Social Club album. I have a bit of Spanish and could never quite figure this song out. I asked a Mexican friend of mine of the lowdown and it was what I had been getting all along. The man gives his woman two gardenias and if they die that means the woman is cheating on him. I couldn't believe this was actually what the song was saying but it is. Oh well, poetic license. I hope that equasion is never faced by anyone I know. Song number two, Tango Cancion by Gotan Project, good music if you want to tango. I'm a little tired for tangoing myself but I'd highly recommend it if you have some energy. For song number 250, keeping with the Latin theme, and this time, a more energetic dance, try on Mambo by Lila Down's band from her album Trazos.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Van Fanning - It's My Job


The weather has changed drastically. We had rain a few days ago that brought a cold front and it's been cool and windy ever since. I actually closed my bedroom window last night. This morning at 5:30 when I brought the green bin up to the road it was pretty chilly but the temp says 10; warmer than it felt with the north wind. The stars were brilliant in the clear, cool sky though. There's always a silver lining.

Bigggggg news. My little 2 and 3/4 year old grandson called me last night, very excited. He'd pooped in the potty for the first time. As I said, big news! I have such an exciting life!

I've been looking at clips on Youtube and have found it a great way to listen to music and see bands. I'd looked at several before and of course funny ones that we always receive as links in our e-mails. Now I'm using the search button and finding ones I want to see. It's my new hobby!
I'm a huge Van Fan, only saw him live once but yearn to see him again. This one I'm pretty positive is from A Night in San Fransisco, though it doesn't say so. It's Van and John Lee Hooker doing Gloria and this one is Van doing This Weight. Here's another version of Van and Brian Kennedy doing Tupelo Honey like they do in A Night in San Fransisco but from another concert. This one melds to Why Must I Always Explain. Brian also sings with Van on This Weight. He's got such a great voice.....so sweet and clear, a good contrast to Van who is far from sweet and clear.

You just know that today's music has to be Van. One of his most favorite and famous bootlegs is live from Montreaux 1990. Here's a couple of cuts from it: Baby, Please Don't Go and Caravan. The Window's file system has put the album in alphabetical order so kind of ruined the feel of the whole live concert. I've got tons of Van music but like all music that I have, only a bit of it gets put on the Music Page. Any requests? I actually won a Van and John Lee bootleg on the day John Lee died.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

First Day of Autumn?


I've been bugged all day about why I couldn't upload on this blog. The other two blogs are having no problem. Well, all seems to be working now.

Weird day. I was trying to make apple jelly and the amount of apples was supposed to give me seven cups of juice. I got three. My cook told me that her mother said that this is the norm for the year...things are less juicy. Is that not odd? I should be out there picking more now but am wiped from the antibiotics and will do it in the morning.

We are getting ready for the 70 Mile Yard Sale that happens in Eastern PEI this weekend.....our busiest days of the year and we don't even have a yard sale. We have bathrooms and excellent food specials and there are 10's of thousands of people on the roads. One year S. and I were out grabbing the deals and were almost in accidents three times in 15 minutes. People are just thinking about the next stop on the map and pull out on the highway without even looking behind them. Defensive driving skills have never been as important as during PEI's 70 Mile Yard Sale.

Music today: An easy listening Brazilian beat though I don't know if the singer or band is Brazillian. It just reminds me of Brazilllian music. O Bonde Do Dom by Marisa Monte. With all the activity around I need relaxing. One of my favorite singers, Susana Baca, from Peru, has some relaxing music. Today's upload is La Macorina. A favorite from her is Maria Lando, not relaxing, but one of my favorite songs of the decade. It's a song about work....working alone. It's been listened to quite a bit on the music page. When I opened it to get the link, I see twenty-five hits. It should have double that because it is such a great song but again I say, it's all a matter of taste.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Hey Blogger, Where Is The Photo Going?

New changes to Blogger again. The photo keeps disappearing so the changes may not be improvements.

I've had a twingey ear for the last couple of weeks. On Monday night, it developed into a full blown ear infection. I'm on antibiotics for ten days. Bummer. Only a few more weeks of regular work schedule but I still have to work getting cleaned up from this season and preparing for Christmas, believe it or not.

Where the heck are the photos going?

Music today: I Feel A Little Spaced Out by Os Mutants and Every Little Bit Hurts by Ellis Hall.

Monday, September 18, 2006

Live and Not Live - Would That Be Dead?


This is the photo of my brother's that I meant to upload last week. Another one he'd sent got up there instead.

It's been a great day off. No napping unless you call going back to bed at six am napping. I slept till nine. I had another step in letting go of Clarke today. He left a muddy footprint on the kitchen window the day after I last cleaned it. I washed it off today. I still call for him every day and have not given up hope that he'll be back but I do have to let him go in case he doesn't. Clarkie!!!!

I made a vegetarian chili today to use up some chanterelles and some tomatoes a friend gave me. S came out for supper and brought some nice bread and some new Reeses chocolate bars for dessert. Yumm. A good day off when it ends with chocolate!

A couple of Tom Waits selections for the music page. His very cute, live version of Better Off Without a Wife where he takes himself out on a date and takes advantage of himself. More appropriate to today, Chocolate Jesus from Mule Variations. I also have his live version from Live in Seattle. It's two whole minutes longer but it too is fun. I'd like to see Tom live because his live albums are always fun.

Napping Predicted



Been awake since 3:45, a pain to be sure, but I'm not stressing about it today because......it's my day off and when I get tired I can go have a nap. I don't know what's up with the new wake time. Five thirty has always been my time and I'm fine with that but three forty-five and four are just a little tooooo early.

The weather has been fantastic - sunny with temps 22 - 24. On Saturday the forecast was that the trend would continue through Monday but on Sunday, Monday's forecast changed to cloudy and showers. I'll nap through the showers. Ha!

I have several versions of September Song that I was going to upload this month but here it is half way through and I've not put one up yet. Today, I'll put up two and leave it at that unless some day in the next few weeks I can't come up with anything more interesting. This is not likely though because I have lots and lots of more interesting music than September Song. These versions I've picked because of the contrast......James Brown and Nat King Cole. They are so far apart on the musical scale and their versions of the song show just how far. A couple more today are Warm Bed by Jamie Fox though at this stage I prefer a cool bed with the window open wide and wind blowing a gale into the room. A fun little number by Bettye LaVette is Sleep to Dream. I've got a couple of numbers by her and like her Macy Gray type voice. She sounds more fun than Macy though. I will put her version of Down to Zero up someday. It's great!

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Quietness


I love Sunday for the anticipation all day that tomorrow is my day off. I wish I didn't love it so much that I wake up at four am though. I work till about eight-thirty tonight and it makes for a rather long day.

My daughter is off to Atlanta to work for a few days so it is very quiet around here. When she's here the house is always filled with her friends and there's a great liveliness about the place. She's moving away in less than a month so I'm in for a lot of quiet.

Music today: Amo Tanto La Vida which translates to I So Love the Life by Ismael Serrano, a nice quiet, moody piece. After You've Gone by Loudon Wainwright III is a fun tune that makes me want to dance and sway and will probably be in my head all day. Yesterday, Blues In The Night (several different versions) was stuck in my head the entire day. I hope that link back to a specific song on the music page works. It would be more convenient than saying a certain song is "back there" somewhere on the page which I've done a few times.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Blurry


It's Friday night. It's late and I've had my fill. My friend Serge is here doing the Friday night Happy Hour thing that is mostly defunct but is still happening on many levels. We just played "Serge", one of my playlists from last year and found Baby Please Don't Go by Mississippi Fred MacDowell that I'd put on a playlist for him last year. It's definitely worth a listen. We found it quite funny that I'd put up another version just today. It's from Greg Brown & Bill Morrissey.

We've been dancing and now it's time to slow down. It's way past my bedtime and I have to work in the morning. We're good that way...my friends are all accommodating to each others work schedules and moods.....we're mature now. It's time to slow down the dancing.....another one from the "Serge" playlist...La Vie En Rose but this time by Edith Piaf. I swear we're coming full circle tonight. Didn't I post this song by another person yesterday? Edith's version is the standard for all others isn't it. It's not my favorite but it does set the standard....the first one I ever heard and definitely a favorite of the multitudes. I think sometimes that I have too many versions of too many songs....but....that thought is only fleeting when you're a collector of songs.

Wishin' and Hopin'

The photo today is from my brother. He loves taking photos of sunsets and has hundreds of them. He lost a few lately that weren't transferred to disc when he lost his hard drive. I have none on disc and none of my music. Just no time with the long work week. This fall during my month's break, I plan to remedy that. Until that, I'm walking on wood, have my fingers crossed behind my back and am Wishin' and Hopin'. Ani DeFranco's version of that song is back on the music page a bit.

Another Ani to put up today - Untouchable Face - A live version with Greg Brown. Warning - profanity in that song but totally appropriate to the message. I was going to put up a Greg Brown too but remembered I put his Dylan cover up yesterday. But another duet with Greg Brown and Bill Morrissey - Baby Please Don't Go.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Covered Up

Last night on the way home from trivia I heard a cut from a new Madeleine Peyroux album. I can't wait to get some of that! I love her work. She sounds like she's been around forever. She reminds me of so many women of the past and does covers of songs from the past.

Speaking of covers, that's the theme for today's uploads. Besides La Vie En Rose by Madeleine Peyroux, listen to Greg Brown's cover of Dylan's Not Dark Yet. I love moody music and Greg's voice is always moody. He does a great job on this favorite one of Dylan's. I have it on my September playlist so play it almost every day. Another that's received a fair amount of playtime here on my computer is Johnny Cash and Nick Cave's version of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

We came third last night by three quarters of a point. What hurts is that both S and I had some correct answers but were talked out of them by the rest of the team. If we'd insisted we would have come second or maybe first. I'm not sure what the spread was. We had fun though, as always and gave some of our free beer away. All of the regular teams seem to pass swag back and forth each week like that. It's fun.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Harvest Time






Went to visit a friend yesterday with amazing gardens. I came home with enough tomatoes to last a lifetime, enough cucumbers for my own pickling and pickling for work and enough carrots for several meals with the invitation to come back for more of any of the above whenever I want.

We've had heavy frost here the last two mornings. I hope I haven't lost all of my green tomatoes at work because the cook and I are starting a week of pickling on Wednesday.

I didn't realize that Phoebe Snow's version of There's a Boat... was already up. Now that I've uploaded it again, it has moved to the top. The same thing happened when I reloaded Kate Rusby's, Our Town on Sept 1st. It's difficult keeping it all straight as there are over 200 songs now.

Today: My only other piece by Ryan Auffenburg - Climb and a Ray Charles/Van Morrison combination - Crazy Love.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Counting On You

The sun is shining and I am not working today. All is good with my world. I almost wrote the world but that would be wishful thinking.

I did the monthly check on my music page, clicking each song so that it stays up. I love what I find each month. The big winner with most clicks this month is one of my favorites too. My uncle told me that he loves the song so much that he stays up till the middle of the night to watch a British TV show because Quisas is the theme song.
  • Quisas, Quisas, Quisas, or Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Lila Downs - 62 more clicks
  • A Song for You by Ray Charles got 32 more hits
  • Under the Bright Lights by Ryan Auffenburg - 28 hits
  • Our Town by Kate Rusby an additional 26 hits
  • Rufus Wainwright's version of Across the Universe -22 plays
  • There's a Boat that's Leaving Soon by Shirley Horne and Buona Sera by Louis Prima got 20 more plays.
  • If Tomorrow Never Comes by Ronan Keating, an additional 18
  • Sonny's Dream, The Haircut, and Sunshine on a Rainy Day and These Flowers each got 16
This makes me want to put up some other versions of some of some these songs for your comparison. A Song For You was written by Leon Russell. I'll put that up today and have a few other versions that will go up eventually. The Gershwin's, There's a Boat That's Leavin' Soon's absolute best, best, best version is by Phoebe Snow. Up it goes today. Iris Dement wrote Our Town. I'll put that up today but I like Kate's version way more though country lovers would probably like Iris's. She's accompanied by John Prine in this version. It's all personal taste.

Soon I'll put up some more Lila Downs, Ray Charles, Ryan Auffenburg, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Louis Prima, and The Waifs.

I love putting the music up and I'm glad someone listens to it. I have no idea who does other than my daughter occasionally, because everyone I ask says they don't listen to it. It's still a mystery.

No photo because Blogger won't let me today.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

September 10th - An Auspicious Day


The Bride and her Brother

Friends



The Card in Dispute

Another week of work finished and another day off tomorrow. Yeah! Nothing special is planned for the day off other than a search for more chanterelles. I'm going to visit some friends too but that's about it other that the usual house cleaning.

Got hoodwinked into attending a wedding reception yesterday. My son and I were invited as a couple but I had declined the reception. The bride insisted I go and my daughter was part of the wedding party so I went. I didn't stay late at all and was in bed at my usual time after having just one dance.

I'm very cynical about weddings and really should not attend any aspect of then. My daughter was upset about the card I gave the couple. I put a quote about marriage on it and wrote, "Good Luck With That." Click photo to enlarge. Oh well, it's how I feel and the bride knew this....and still wanted me to come.

Music for today: A really different version of Your Cheatin' Heart.........was I talking about being cynical about marriage? This is by, believe it or not, James Brown. It's my oldest son's 29th birthday today so for him, I Want You to Know I Love You by his hero, Bob Dylan.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Check Them Out

Strange thing.... I uploaded the Camera Obscura song that I've had since July. I just went onto their website and the song is being released as a single on Monday. How is it possible that I've had it this long and it's never been released. The Bob Dylan song that was around before the new album was released was just around for a few days and was probably planned as a promo to get everyone buzzed but I've had thic CO song since July. Hmmmm.

Simple


I don't have Photoshop. What you see in my photos is from my bottom of the line Canon Power Shot 520 set to Auto. I turn the flash off or on and turn macro off or on and that's it. I downloaded Picassa, a Google product, which allows me to crop photos and use some special effects. I played around with it last night and got this. It feels like cheating though. Photoshopped photo are definitely cheating to me though my best friend and a trillion other people use it. I'm just a simple girl.

Music today: Camera Obscura doing their Lets Get out of This Country and Aretha - Natural Woman .

I'm only home for an hour and have to go back to work for a board meeting. I'm kind of bummed about it because a group of women who I worked with for years organizing a yearly women's event is meeting at the same time to plan our Swan Song Event. I passed in some comments and suggestions through S. but would rather be there because we have so much fun when we get together. But, duty calls and the job comes before a fun group of women as much as that hurts.


Thursday, September 07, 2006

Mowving on


A quick post then out to mow. This has been the best grass growing season ever. We've had just the right amount of sun and rain. My daughter is a bridesmaid this weekend. The groom offered to mow today but I guess he didn't so I will. I put mowing at the near bottom of jobs that I like to do. The worst parts are gas fumes and jiggling up and down. I could try to kidnap the rabbit that hangs around work all the time to help out with the mowing but would we call that bunnynapping?

Music today: The Briar and the Rose by Tom Waits and I Don't Want to Play in Your Yard by Peggy Lee.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Who's Mind is on Vacation


A quick post today. Got lost following links this morning and the time just flew. I've been linked this week and last week on Grow a Brain's blog. I've linked him since June and he put that post up this morning. Last week he asked for photos of his blog on a computer in exchange for a mention. He gets thousands of hits a day. Cool!

We placed second at trivia after being in the lead after round one. The trivia master was a fill in who we've had before. His questions are not the type where you can discuss and maybe deduce an answer but are ones where you know the answer or you don't. Lots of pop culture type questions in which we suck.

The above photo is the view I get when looking out the window at trivia.

I begin a crazy month at work today where there are only two of us to work. It can get CRAZY!

Music: Crazy by Patsy Cline and Your Mind is on Vacation by Mose Allison

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Changes

School is back today. My youngest is entering his last year at University and will graduate in the not too distant spring. Spring....it seems only yesterday that I took the above photo of unfurling maple leaves.

Winter always seems to be the longest season on PEI but until that hits us we have the glorious autumn. S and I are avid hikers and spend every spare moment in the woods. She will be traveling in October (she's in love) but we already have specific hikes planned.

The weather has cooled and I love the cold air blowing into my bedroom at night. Everyone else is walking around freezing but I'm lovin' it.

Music: I have 13 versions of A Change is Gonna Come, one of my favorite songs. I have 5 uploaded already. Here is a 6th by Aretha. I promised more Latin so here is another by the great Chavela Vargas - Encadenados.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Cross Eyed with Fun


My little party was very good. Laughter with friends; who can beat that? David and S. above are showing their true colours....we all need crazy, funny friends. One friend at the party had a son who moved to Calgary that day. Thirty years from now, I hope he is celebrating a life he loves with friends who make him laugh.

My niece bought me the new Bob Dylan cd as a gift for letting her stay here this summer. How cool is that? I've listened to it once but was on the phone through some of it. On first half-assed listen, I'd say it's good but with more country sounding songs (two for sure) than I'd like.

Music for today: He Was a Friend of Mine by Bill Morrissey & Greg Brown. People Gonna Talk by James Hunter is a sparce, completely unplugged song that reminds me of Sam Cooke.

Friday, September 01, 2006

Thirty Years!!!!!!




Ok, I'll wait for you. I need help celebrating and of course, have chosen music as my means of celebrating. Press the music link to the right. It opens to a new window. Play today's musical selections (or just one or as many as you want) then read the blog. I've uploaded more than my usual two.

It is thirty years today that I moved to Prince Edward Island. Shelter by Xavier Rudd and it's happy, positive style is my favorite song to begin this celebration. With it's lyrics of oceans, birds, and discovery of shelter and dreams, it's a number one pick. An old song by Rare Earth, I Just Want to Celebrate is a must in this case, too.

I had a party celebrating twenty years. A friend made up a certificate entitled, You're an Islander Now. It listed all the reasons that I'm an Islander and it was signed by everyone at the party. I'm calling a few people to come over tonight and my brother is coming over for the weekend to pick up my niece so we many have a little party but nothing like the twenty year bash.

It's hard to believe that it's not already been uploaded but my favorite version of Iris Dement's classic, Our Town is by Kate Rusby. Such a moody version might not be appropriate for a celebration but everyone who has received a cd from me in the last five years has this version.

PEI is truly a paradise for me. When I bought my land in West Cape in January '74, I fell in love with the Island and worked very hard to buy a house and move here permanantly. It took almost three years and I've never looked back. I knew I would live here forever. This is not to say I don't like to get away. Traveling is really great because I get to come home again.

I've been in my current house for 22 years. I love this house (and Love This Town by Maritimer, Joel Plaskett) and the land but the house is too big for just me so I am going to sell it. There is no other part of me except that practical, not wanting to waste money part of me that wants to leave this house but I'll never leave this Island.

Yes I'm happy on my Acre of Land by Ray LaMontagne and hope I'm still around in another thirty years. All of the music that I put up earlier in the week, when I went to West Cape is appropriate today, especially Feelin' Good by Nina Simone and I Love the Life I Live by Mose Allison. There is some further back too. Take Me Home by Tom Waits and That's my Home by kd lang and Tony Bennett. The only song I'm missing is Home by Michael Buble. I must have deleted it somewhere along the way but it would have been appropriate today too.

Anyway, I'm celebrating today, celebrating my chosen home and life and hope you'll join me.