Sunday, September 30, 2007

Changing


It's the last day of September and if you're with it at all, tomorrow is the first day of October. The colour changing of the leaves is again late this year so this will be a fantastic month for hiking. I'm going to my favorite spot tomorrow. I won't have to worry about moose or bear, just blisters. All the hiking I did when I was away was leisurely, not at all endorphen releasing and I need a good dose.

My son who was on vacation brought me a dvd from my other son of photos of his kids. I watched it when I came home from work last night. These kids are seriously cute. It made me want to see them so bad. I always wanted to be the baby-sit-on-Saturday-night kind of grandma but alas, when they're a thousand miles away..... The photo is from a while ago from my files, not really current.

Music is to celebrate the change in the calendar. September Song by Nat King Cole is for the month leaving us and Rosie Thomas is welcoming us to the new month with October.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Colourful Memories


Autumn has begun. There were record breaking high temperatures all over the Maritimes on Wednesday and the whole month has been warmer than usual. Today it is cloudy and nineteen degrees. That is probably warmer than usual but it's not summer-like. I've really been enjoying it. The cold can stay away as long as possible, as far as I'm concerned.

I have the most beautiful fall mum plant. It is pictured above but when there were more buds than blooms. It is now more blooms than buds. The golds, oranges and rusts are my favorite colours for flowers though I love reds too. Last year's mum was of the red tones and was beautiful too. This year's is huge. You could buy them everywhere for $7.99 but this one was $9.99 and I think the huge size made it worth the extra two dollars. To be sure, every season has it's beauty.

Even though I'm back to work and regular life, I keep going over my little vacation in my head. It was so wonderful! Ruthie Foster, who I love so much, has a couple of songs that take me back to to both the good parts and the bad parts of the week. One is Home and the other is Joy. Both these songs are from Ruthie's album Runaway Soul. Joy helps me think that my sister-in-law is now reunited with my brother. I think that was the thought of everyone at the ceremony on Wednesday who knew them both. They were so very much in love.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Colours


I have had quite a autumn vacation! The best and the worst has happened. The worst was that my sister-in-law who had suffered the massive stroke earlier in the week passed away. I attended her funeral yesterday on the way home. It was very sad for us all to see her children feeling so lost. It's very hard for them as their mom was everything to them.

There were several very good things that happened. I attended the 87th birthday party of the woman who was the mom next door when I was growing up. Her daughter was my best friend. It was fun seeing people who I hadn't seen for thirty plus years.

My cousin who lives next door to my dad was inducted into the country music wall of fame while I was there. I went to the big ceremony where I saw lots of relatives. The next day he had a brunch and we had a birthday party for Dad so with two parties next door to each other, we had one huge party with tons of relatives and friends. I had aunts visiting from Toronto and my cousin had aunts and cousins from away so the mixture was wonderful with lots of people seeing each other for the first time in decades. It was one of the best days I've ever had.

I was in the woods every day. With the beautiful autumn colours there was nowhere I'd rather have been. Months ago my aunt from Toronto and I had planned to spend a day in the woods and it was really nice and a special day. Supposedly there are lots of bears around as well as many moose and deer but we didn't see anything while we were out. We kept up a constant chatter and I sang to ward off bears. I knew my out-of-tune voice would come in handy some day.

For music, what else but Colours by Amos Lee. All of My Days by Alexi Murdoch is fitting on many levels of this post so that's the second choice for today

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Life's Surprises


I can't believe a repeat of the same tragedy that has recently occurred with two people I've told you about has happened once again. First was my very close friend who had an embolism the day after her surgery that nearly killed her. Then I told you about the seventeen year old girl in my community who died of an embolism one week after surgery. This time it is my sister-in-law in New Brunswick who has had a massive stroke at 57 after having had surgery on the 20th, nearly a month ago. Then, this morning I read this in a music blog that I regularly read. What is going on? When it happened to both my friend and the young girl, I heard a ton of horror stories about just that event occurring. It seems that everyone knows someone who has had a stroke or heart attack from an embolism after surgery. This is too much!!!!

My sister-in-law has gone blind with her stroke. I don't know if it's common, if sight can return or anything, really. She is completely paralyzed on one side, can not really talk and is very confused. I spoke to my niece and she doesn't have many answers, only questions. There is only she and her brother for her mom as my brother, their dad, passed away from leukemia when they were very young children. The kids are in their early twenties living their lives in separate parts of the province, not that near to their mom but she is in the hospital of the city where my niece lives. That's good, for now. This is such a tragedy.

I'm off out of province for a few days. If I hang out at my brother's, I'll post with one of his incredible photos or if I'm at my sister's I'll do the same and some of their music. With this tragedy happening Time After Time, that's what I have for music today - by Cyndi Lauper. Also, I'm Not Afraid to Die by Gillian Welsh.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Sour Grapes


Twice today there were Island-wide power outages. The first one only lasted a second but knocked out the Aliant server for half the morning. When the server came back, I restarted the computer, made a cd, printed out the playlist, and decided to uninstall a printer that my daughter had borrowed for a week but never uninstalled. It said you must restart the computer to finish the uninstall. It was restarting when the power went off again - this time for 10 - 15 minutes. Aaarrrrgggghhh! It takes a good ten minutes to restart my computer because I have Norton 2007 and it has to do it's long-lasting thing every time. So that is three times this morning which is enough to make a person very frustrated.

I made a cd for my aunt and uncle who had a gift hand delivered to me a few weeks ago. Since I am going to be seeing another aunt who will then be seeing them, I will have her hand deliver something for me. It's all easy listening latin like Pink Martini and the Gilbertos and such.

That's not the music I'm giving you today though. I'll play the association game. Sour grapes reminds me of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Here it is by the wonderful Bettye LaVette. That song reminds me, and probably you, of Gladys Knight. Here she is with If I Were Your Woman. It's an easy game that I play most days to choose the music that I put up here.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Feelin' Free


I'm having a very quiet but nice day off. I've been puttering. I had a long leisurely bath, weeded the back flower garden, filled vases with fall blooms, did the usual day-off housework chores, watched Oprah and generally recuperated from four hectic nights. I'm rather tired as I got home past my normal bedtime last night and that's hard on me. I still get up at 5:30 no matter what time I get to bed so I've had a couple of hours less sleep than I need. I'll go to bed early tonight to try to catch up. One more night of work , one more day at home, then I'm going away for a few days. I'm not sure when I'm coming back. Maybe Monday, maybe later. I love the freedom to be able to do that.

We are having fabulous weather. This is the best time to travel in the Maritimes weather-wise. A drawback though is that many businesses close on Labour Day so there aren't as many shops to visit, activities to explore or programs to attend. It's a Catch 22 situation with owners not being able to afford to stay open.

Goodness! I started this over two hours ago. A friend dropped in, had a little visit then we went off on a little adventure and I'm just getting back now. Music that I was listening to before will have to do. There's The Rest of the Day Off by Neil Finn because I know the evening is going to be good and the old folk song, Simple Song of Freedom by Tim Hardin.......just because going away is putting me in that mood - freedom!!!!!!

Monday, September 17, 2007

Mushroomy Monday


I went on a five kilometer hike this morning but not in my usual woods. I went to a new spot and I'm very glad I did. I got a couple of pounds of chanterelles. Oh, boy!!!! I thought they would be passed season by now but since it's been fairly wet the season is still apon us. I found they keep very well in the fridge whic is good because I have lots. I have cooked and frozen them in the past, as well. Yum, yum, yum!!!

The walk would have been wonderful even without the mushrooms. I get complete joy being in the woods. The ferny, mossy smell overpowers me every time. I walked very quickly on the two and half km. up the trail so the endorphens were raging. I walked more slowly on the way bach as I was having to stop to gather the mushrooms.

I usually match the music theme to the rest of the post somehow but not today. Today's music theme is 'boat' which has absolutely nothing to do with the woods, mushrooms or hiking. Yesterday when I listened to The Waterboys I also listened to their song, Strange Boat. That made me think of Lyle Lovett's, If I Had a Boat. I have that but also a version by The Holmes Brothers, which I'm putting up today. Funny thing: both songs are both 3:06 in length.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Music to Live By


The kids were driving around a golf course on a golf cart when I talked to them last night. They are staying with a friend from here who is a golf pro in Jasper. He had to work so they were hanging out with him. When I call tonight they will be on the road back to Calgary. They had a great time with the Chuckies and Girlie even got to work on time.

I've been making cd's this morning. One has the theme of Higher Ground and one has the theme of Workin' For a Living. Soul of a Man by Ollabelle is on the first. I thought I had it up already but apparently not. I like Ollabelle a lot and don't feature them enough. Since I've provided a link, check them out. You can play their music while on the site. Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys is a song from the Workin' For a Living cd. I like their sound and have provided a link to them too.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Together Again


The kids are off to Jasper for the weekend. I'll call tonight when I get home from work and get all the buzz about their night hanging out with their close friends, The Chucky Danger Band. They are happy to just be together but with the band in town they were expecting to have some serious fun the last I talked to them. It will be nice this weekend for them to sightsee and have more fun before Son leaves on the next leg of his vacation.

We've had a really beautiful week weather-wise and later today we're getting some rain so it's cloudy today. We certainly can't complain. September can be yucky but this year so far wonderful - warm days and cool nights though very windy.

I can't believe I've never put up Chucky Danger before (they dropped Band from their name recently). Two of the boys have been my daughter's boyfriend and another was my son's best friend all through high school. My nephew was their sound guy but is not on the road anymore, but doing sound in one place.

Robbie promised me one of their new cd's but since I had to cancel my plans for their last two PEI performances, I didn't get one so will share songs from their 2006 album, Colour. Here's Beautiful One and, keeping with beauty, Beautiful Mistake. If Robbie ever comes round I'll post something from the new album. Since none of the kids are here anymore, I rarely get visits from the young'ns.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Windy Weather Woes

I should be mowing but I'm taking the Mexican attitude......manana. I'd rather listen to music and read blogs. I'm going to town in a bit and that will be enough adventure for the day.

We had a wicked windstorm last night. I'm used to windiness blowing lawn chairs around the deck but last night's wind blew them off the deck. I came home at almost ten and had take a sail down. I couldn't untie the knots so cut the ropes. One corner was on a hook and it had blown off and the sail was rolled up into a tight tube between the two ends that were still attached. You can imagine the apples on the ground. With a dozen or so trees, mowing is something else altogether when you have to pick up apples first. Its windy today but not like last night. I'd say it was close to hurricane strength.

Wouldn't you love to hear some Johnny Cash? It so happens I have him singing a couple of songs written by Canadians. One is even about the wind. Four Strong Winds, written by Ian Tyson, would be that song. I had it up previously but it has disappeared. This was recorded near the end of Johnny's life when his voice was a bit shaky. I love it anyway and think it deserves another listen. Bird On A Wire is written by Leonard Cohen and sung beautifully by Johnny. You wouldn't have wanted to be a bird on a wire last night on PEI!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Al Green Rocks


I'm working late afternoons and evenings this week so this will be my new blogging time for a bit.

My son who lives here in PEI had some business in Atlanta and is now on a much deserved vacation for a couple of weeks. I knew all of his plans but it didn't occur to me that he would be flying from the USA to Canada on September 11th. My sister-in-law told me he was nervous about it but hadn't told me. Suddenly I was really worried, almost panicy. The phone rang at that instant, less than two minutes after I was told about this and it was my son to tell me he was at my daughter's apartment in Calgary. Whew!!

I have a couple of versions of a great old song today. Love and Happiness was a big hit for Al Green in the early seventies. It's been copied by Marc Broussard, who has done covers of quite a few old soul songs. I wore out a few Al Green albums back in the seventies and still listen to him a lot, especially live cuts. He's now known as the Right Reverend Al Green. I always get a kick out of that.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Stories


I'm having the best day! It's my first day home all day in a long time. Each of my days off have been filled with something somewhere. But not today. I've even enjoyed laundry and cleaning just because I'm doing it here. Cleaning and sorting are what I've done most of the day. Yesterday was a town day so there were things to put away and follow through. I've done things I kept putting off, you know.....until I have a minute. Very productive and nice.

I received a bunch of old family photo .jpgs the other day. Most weren't of my immediate family but relatives. There was one of my mother, however, and that is today's photo. She is wearing pants which my mom's cousin, Shirley, told me was very unusual for their lifestyle then. She is with her cousin, Arthur in the photo.

My mom's cousin, Shirley, and I have always kept an e-mail and phone relationship though she lives in Florida and I've seen her only once in twenty-five years. She has always told me stories of the past about her, my mom and other relatives. I have an aunt in Ontario who I have a similar relationship with, though I see her once a year or so. She also tells me stories. About a year ago I told them both that they should be talking to each other because they tell me some of the same stories. Well they got in touch and have been having at least weekly conversations for almost a year and are really enjoying the chance to rehash the old events.

I've got a bit of new music that I've been listening to and am really enjoying. I still don't have a 'real' stereo since the night of my party/thunderstorm. Just an old boombox and the computer. The music I'm enjoying the most is some new Brandi Carlile. I've sung her praises before and will do it again. Brandi Carlile is a fabulous talent. Her voice is what draws me but her songwriting keeps me enthralled. Her songs are dynamite. They are stories and here's one I had up already, The Story. Some new ones today are Turpentine and What Can I Say. Just listen to those stories.

Sunday, September 09, 2007

Time For Birthdays


I've heard about thirty people having birthdays this week with one in my own family tomorrow. I know why there are so many birthdays right now. These were people concieved Christmas/New Years week. A popular time for conceptions, it seems.

I attended my good friend's fiftieth birthday last night but left before the other celebrant (who was fifty-eight) arrived. I had to be up early for the new job so was a good girl and thought better of staying late. It was really fun though. These friends live in a beautiful beachfront home but thought the weather might be cool because of it being September so planned the party elsewhere. It turned out to be the hottest day of the summer. Sure would have been nice to be in the water yesterday but we had lots of fun anyway. It was just sweaty fun.

Music is for my son who is having one of those milestone birthdays. I just don't understand how he got to be this age. I'm not sure I'm as old as he is yet. It has to be Dylan for my boy and since he's heard it all, I'm sending along a live cut from a concert and a bootleg. Here's The Times We've Known and Heart of Mine. Happy Birthday, Darling!!!!

Friday, September 07, 2007

Facing Forward


I think my camera is broken. I thought at first that the rechargable batteries had reached the end of their lives but I now believe it is the camera. Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo. I feel lost. All photos, needless to say will be from the archives.

I finished my summer job today. Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo. I have another part time job but would like to find something full time. I know I can stay busy without working but it's the money aspect. You need money, sad as it is, to live.

I have a friend turning 50 tomorrow and a son turning 30 within a couple of days. How did THAT happen? His birthdays always affected me more than my own. Like, how could I have a son who is thirty when I feel thirty myself. Life happens when we're making other plans. Thank you, John Lennon.

For music today, artists who start with F. Why? No reason. Feist has The Limit To Your Love and The Finn Brothers has Won't Give In. No, no reason. OK, the broken camera. F........

Thursday, September 06, 2007

The Sixties?


Had a spontaneous little get together yesterday with some people dropping in after work so no blogging got done. I probably would have written about how cold and really, really windy it was. Today is beautiful butonly nineteen degrees. We are having twenty nine tomorrow and going back down to nineteen the next day. Up and down.

This evening I am going to the wake of the girl I mentioned had died on Tuesday. There will be long lines, I'm sure; much like the wake I went to a couple of months ago where the deceased was in his twenties. This is so tragic and our community is stunned about it. When you have teens, a car accident, alcohol poisining, silly pranks are always in the back of your mind which actually help prepare you if anything happens to them. Nothing prepares you for this.

I'm reading a book about the sixties, Do You Believe In Magic by Annie Gottelieb, for the second time. Here's some music from those times. Crosby Stills Nash and Young with Teach Your Children , Suzie Q from Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Moody Blues with Nights In White Satin. Those are from today. Here are a couple more....1....2...3... An aside: My mother was ok with all of my music from this era, even Frank Zappa, but she did not like The Moody Blues. She couldn't stand them and I never understood that about her.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Where We Go


I and everyone in my community is in shock. A happy, healthy seventeen year old has suddenly had an embolism a few days after knee surgery and has passed away. Her grandmother and I closely work together as she is on the board directors of the organization I work with. Her dad worked with me at our family business when this girl was born. Entering grade twelve in a day or two and was showing her brother around the highschool for his upcoming first day there. The shock runs deep. I have no words.

I went visiting a couple of people after dinner. Brought a houswarming gift to one and had a regular visit to my senior friend. Ha, he would be a great-great uncle to this girl. These things hit everybody in a community.

Music: Where I'd head to for music at a time like this is straight to Van Morrison. I could choose from so many wonderfully fitting songs. Here are two I already have up: Across the Bridge Where Angels Come, Whenever God Shines His Light, . For today, Contacting My Angel which has personal meaning for me with this child. Van and Bob Dylan get together for Knocking On Heaven's Door. Just found out that it was already up too. Not surprisingly, all three were up on a post when my friend lost her Dad in March, two days after the funeral for my other friend's Mom on the aniversay of my Mom's death. Yes, Van's where I go.

Monday, September 03, 2007

It's Not the End Of Summer


I am at my most frustrated right now. You KNOW it has to have something to do with mowing. I have the mower deck moved/stuck again and my mower guy is elsewhere. I have the lawn a quarter mowed. Is there no end to the frustrations that can be caused by mowing?

I went back to bed this morning at about five-thirty and got up close to ten. That's the latest I've stayed in bed since I was seventeen. Of course the day has just zoomed by and I'm feeling groggy or something. It was a nice change though for a holiday as it makes it feel like a holiday.

I've been outdoors or out and about all day and haven't listened to music till now. I have my blogroll of music blogs that I listen to daily and I'm hearing some cuts I like right now. For something that I like that's not new, I have Al Green with the Gibb brother's lovely song, How Do You Mend A Broken Heart. No one does it better than Mr. Green. I also have a song that could be called appropriate for the day, the Black Eyed Peas with Labour Day. It was last Labour Day that they played on PEI, I believe - a real big deal.

Blues In The Night


It's 4:30 in the morning - an hour before I usually get up and I've been up for an hour already. I've been waking around three off and on for a couple of weeks. I'm going to stay up and since it's a holiday and I have the day off, I'll have a nap this afternoon.

I've had a very busy weekend. I had a small party Saturday night. In the early evening I had a call from a friend in Halifax saying that she and three others were coming over for the weekend. They called at 12:30 or so with changed plans and didn't come. My niece and two other people arrived yesterday but didn't stay the night - just came to visit. I had to work a shift at the second job which went very well. I made three batches of pickles between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning (but not during the party). It was Labour Day weekend after all.

The weather has really cooled off. Overnight it has become really windy and cold. My bedroom window is wide open and that could be why I kept waking through the night. Too tired to get up to close it. I bet if I went up there now I'd find Bella under the covers. She was laying really close to me - crowding me out really.

A couple of versions of a fabulous song that is appropriate for the middle of the night are already up but most likely in the land of the disparu. Blues In the Night is the song and the very different versions are from Dr. John and Katie Melua. Great song!

Sorry about the terrible photo but it's now impossible to delete a photo once it's up as you could in the past. I would normally just delete the whole post but this time I was finished everything else and put the photo up last - opposite of my usual way. It is the middle of the night after all....