Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Computer Woes

A short post today as I'm using my son's laptop for only a moment. My computer is in the hospital. She acquired an infection this morning. One of my regular stops when going through the blogroll is a site aggregator and it listed a site that immediately sent a virus when I entered it. The virus program announced it right away but it still infected everything. She's in hospital for at least a day as she's having some other minor surgery. Get well cards are unnecessary but a prayer or two to the computer gods would be appreciated. I can't afford a new one. My car started making a funny noise this morning and that is downright scary to the pocketbook.

Needless to say, I don't have a photo or music for you, but will be back with them when I can.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Love and Happiness


I'm enjoying a bit of a lazy day. I had no outside obligations so decided to extend that to home. I didn't walk, didn't dance, puttered at various small jobs but did nothing major. I must say I've enjoyed that. I've been online most of the day. I still will cook a delicious dinner for the boy and me though he probably won't be home till eight or nine. Good food is a must. I am having a pork, peppers and peanut sauce dish, black rice and salad.

The cd I'm making today is called Love and Happiness, something that's always good for a theme. The music is old soul music based but contains new music and covers of some of the old songs. If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys is a perfect example of a new soul song. I would have loved it if it had been around in the 70's. Thinkin' Bout You, from Bettye LaVette's 2003 album A Woman Like Me, was on my music pages before and has disappeared and is one that should be returned. I love her style with this slow, sexy ballad. An example of a cover is Al Green's Love and Happiness by Marc Broussard. It has disappeared from the pages too, I just discovered, so you get three songs today.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Swirling and Sauteing


One aspect of the internet that I appreciate the most is the ability to instantaneously retrieve a recipe or learn how to do something. I have a large shelf of cookbooks but if I want to know how to prepare something or find a recipe, it's to the net I go, not the bookshelf.

Today it was cream of potato-leek soup that I was looking for. It's a soup I love but have never made. I bought the leeks the other day and now have everything prepared and ready to cook.
I'm sure it will be very good as it is very simple and basic soup. I made beef stew yesterday. It's the season we want these hearty but basic foods. I think our bodies are programmed to eat in season but with the availability of foods from around the world, we can eat everything and anything whenever we want. Even though my body is craving soups and stews it is also delighted with the pineapple I have in the fridge.

I made four cds today, actually two copies each of two new cds. One is called Citified and there is another dance cd which I called Swirling and Twirling. There is one more to do tomorrow. I take forever making them as I want the right songs to fall in the right sequence. With the dance cd's that is really important as I use them for aerobic dancing for an hour and twenty minutes and rthe pacing is important. Here are a couple of songs from Citified - I Own the City by Saint Bernadette and Passing Stranger by Scott Matthews.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

October Perfection



I wish I could tell you in words how much I enjoyed my day. I went hiking and did a lot of driving through the countryside. It was only a week or so ago that I was saying the leaves weren't yet at their peak of colour but I'd say the peak is happening now or it may have already passed. With all the wind we've had this autumn the leaves are blown off as soon as they are loose enough. There are more bare branches than is usual for this far into the display. The display is awesome, nonetheless and won't be here much longer. I'm going to enjoy the beauty as often as I can in the next week.

I did an hour hike but it took me an hour and a half because I was photographing as well. I got a good sweat on several times. I went to other sights too but no other long hikes. I think it is exactly what I'm going to do tomorrow as well. Soon it will be cold and dressing is more difficult as you have to dress for winter but get too hot. It's easier to control now.

I had a funny friend for dinner last night and it I have sore muscles it won't be from hiking. The laugh muscles are sore. A few people dropped in last evening. A good time was had by all.

Music for today is hiking music. I was humming either this song, Akua Tuta by Kashtin or I'm Saying Hello by Dan Hicks that I put up earlier in the week. Still Water by Daniel Lanois is perfect for the day. I hiked around two large ponds and there was lots of lovely water views. There are Putfile problems again so today I'm using the other site I sometimes use.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Work for Happiness


Yesterday's skies were lovely all day.... hence the photo.

Got a short walk in today and it was wonderful. Met up with another walker who has just moved to the neighbourhood. She is afraid of dogs too and lives between here and the beach. I gave her my number and said that I'm available most of the time at the drop of the hat. Yeah to the life of the unemployed.

I've been thinking a lot of a friend who passed away recently. He and his partner, both friends of mine, had four kids, all grown now. They stayed together for the kids and shouldn't have. They lived very unhappy lives together, became ill with different cancers and have both died in their early and mid fifties. It makes you see the mind-body connection first hand. Be happy. However it can come to you, find it. Whatever you may need to do to achieve it, just do it.

I've got a couple of short but great Ray Charles songs for today, I Want to Know and Don't You Know . Think of the mind body spirit connection and those titles. I know that I want to know what I don't know. It's constant work just to be - let alone being happy all the time but it's work I will do.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I'm Saying Hello


I love this time of year after the tourists leave and the countryside is quiet again. This day was so, so beautiful. I've been sitting outside and the only sounds I hear are male mallards chatting in the pond, the occasional mioux from Bella and otherwise there is silence. Occasionally a car goes by and not strings of them.

I've been busy. I was an official for Elections Canada yesterday during our Federal Election. I was given paperwork to complete if I had to arrest anyone. Wasn't that awesome power! I didn't have to arrest anyone but there were some incidents. It was a busy job and an almost fifteen hour day.

I now feel like I'm off work, finally. I had the Elections Canada work pending and training for the position so now my slate is clear for a couple of weeks and I can relax a bit. I will stay busy with walking or dancing, photography, annual fall chores, visiting, painting, having dinner parties and readying for the next great adventure. Florida is just over a month away. My hosts e-mailed today about menus, wondering about allergies, my likes and dislikes, etc. It's going to be great.

Ramble...ramble....ramble. Here's some music for the day. Gulf Coast Blues by Eric Von Schmidt will hit the spot as will I'm Saying Hello by Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. This song has low volume on the mp3 but is a great song nonetheless. It comes from Last Train to Hicksville, the Dan Hicks album I first fell in love with. Do a little search upon the upper left for more Dan Hicks.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Thankful for Turkey Dinner


The turkey is cooked and settling. There are some veggies in the oven and soon I'll put the stove top veggies on. I have to make gravy yet and slice the turkey. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving but we're having dinner today as a lot of folks do. Sunday is a better day for most families, I'd say.

I asked my son to invite back a friend who visited the other night. He'd brought a four or five week old kitten last time and I nearly kept him. The friend actually gave him to me and left him but I had him come back for it. Look how tiny he is and how cute. My son thinks I should take him as he will be relegated to the barn with their herd of barn cats. I don't need three cats when I'm about to go away for a trip. also the girls get their noses out of joint . I've hoisted two other cats with them in the past. Billy Bin Laden, the Holy Terror, was a disaster. Clarke worked out well. Who wouldn't love Clarke?! Even the cats loved him.


The veggies are on the stove and I have to run soon. That leaves music. I am sure I have a song called Thanks For the Giving but I can't find it. Here is Thanksgiving by the wonderful Loudon Wainwright III. More perfect though is Brett Dennen's Blessed. That's how I feel this year.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Indian Summer!


What a wonderful "Indian Summer" day it's been! I did a whole lot of gardening and outdoor chores. Friends dropped by unexpectedly and we had a grand time. We had refreshments on the deck as it was wonderfully warm and sunny. We took a drive to the beach and encountered two hang gliders playing in the breeze. They steered themselves up and down the coast. A couple in leathers, on one motorcycle, were there too. They had seen them as they were driving along and knew they were about to glide along the beach so took the first road that looked like it was going to the shore. Turned out my son was at the next beach up so was under them too.

I got two of the lilies planted finally but am waiting on one as it still has three buds that are going to bloom. I want to keep it on the porch to bring it in on heavy frost nights. I don't have enough knowledge about lilies to know if I am giving it the correct treatment.

If you like scat singing I have a link for you. I found this fabulous YouTube video of Sarah Vaughan and just love it. The control that woman had and the rich voice. I just love Sarah Vaughan. I haven't had any of her up in a while and I think she has some autumn songs....

I haven't featured any Madeleine Peyroux for a while. I heard she has a new album coming out. My aunt and uncle had taped an evening's concert of Madeleine and her band for me to see when I was visiting them in the spring. It was fabulous. She has a kind of peculiar phrasing but it's what sets her apart. Here's This Is Heaven To Me and I'll Look Around. She always has a great band which in itself is worth a listen.

The above paragraph is from a July '07 post and that has the perfect music for today's hang glider post. If the links above don't work go there through this link. Here are a couple more that have already been featured on the blog. Nothing new today. Comin' In on a Wing and a Prayer by Ry Cooder and Try Your Wings by Blossom Dearie. That will have to do tonight. I want to continue this wonderful day.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

In These Walls



I chose a random photo today. Closed my eyes, chose a file then chose a photo - eyes closed; A sunny beach at almost sunset time.

I experienced a strange dream sequence last night. I had two dreams in a row about people with strong political ties and ties to each other politically and personally. There were two entirely separate dreams where I was actively participating in both. The coincidence part is that while I was still in dream two, my son woke me to ask information about their colleague, a friend of both people I had been dreaming about. It wasn't anything political but important that my son get this information before he went to work. Too weird! I truly thought for a split second that this was a third dream with a very strong political message.

Last thing I'd ever discuss anywhere is politics and certainly not here. It's all about listening to music in my little spot on the web. I made a couple of cd's for my daughter today. She moved recently and wants house-warming presents that include music. I made some today and will make a couple more before I send off a package. I made cds with moving as the themes. One was moving house and one was moving body. As I said yesterday I need new dance playlists. Made one today for my girl's cd. It can be added to for the mp3 player. Here is one song from each: Emergency Exit from Beck and Cumbia Maya by Lila Downs. The second was once on the music pages under it's different name, Hanal Weech.

I must point out that I usually provide a link to a performer. First time is usually directly to their website. Second is usually the Wikipedia article and the third goes further down the Google search page. Beck's and Lila's today is to their myspace pages. I'm sure most of you are quite capable of searching on your own as well, any of the performers featured here.

I've time for some bonuses today, songs from the above mentioned cds that are already housed in these walls: C'mon a My House - Dan Hicks, Only Then Will Your House Be Blessed - Harry Manx and Eyes on the Prize - Mavis Staples.

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

La Vie En Pomme


Today feels like my first day off. Monday was filled with cleaning and awaiting visitors. Tuesday was filled with cooking, then potlucking. (Is potlucking a verb?) Today the only thing I truly had to do was wash my hair. I've also cleaned and cooked but nothing or no one was making me do it. I have an apple crisp in the oven and some prep for supper done but could stop right now if I wanted to.

It feels glorious! I had planned to spend a good part of today outdoors but it was cold and windy and I decided to put if off another day. If it's nice tomorrow I will do some fall work on the gardens. I have planting to do and it's October already! We've had strong winds for close to a week now. Wind bothers me more than rain as I get earaches being in the wind, even when it's warm.

I have never seen my trees so full of apples. There are no worms in them at all this year. My guess is that the blossoms were too advanced when the insects, who make the apple wormy, finally emerged due to our cold wet spring. I don't really know why but love the results in any case. Anyone In PEI want some apples?

Music, music, music.......makes my world go round. I'm loving the little mp3 player I've been plugging into my ears after finally taking steps to change the earbuds after a year and a half. No, I never procrastinate. I did a bit of dancing today but not enough to break a sweat, which is needed to meet my daily fitness goal. I have to make specific playlists for that. Too many romantic, slow ballads are mixed in on the playlist I have on the player now. I'll make a new one and include a few songs from this artist, Thalia. Moving to her will definitely work up a sweat. Here's Salsa Mujer Latina, with a merengue beat and something a bit slower, her version of La Vie En Rose.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Seaside Sitting


I am one stuffed woman. We had a potluck staff party this afternoon and let me tell you, the food was fantastic. I feel like I won't have to eat for a week. It's neat how it all works out at potlucks. No one discussed what they were bringing but everyone brought something different and all courses were covered. I brought appetizers. We had ribs, lasagna, a rice dish, cheesy scalloped potatoes, a taco salad and three desserts. We had drinks too so I feel like having a nap.

The party was held at a summer cottage but it was rainy and windy so not a day to walk outside on the beach. I ran down to the edge to snap a photo of the three colourful chairs facing the bay.
The temperature is supposed to improve by the end of the week with 20 predicted for Friday. I had to add a blanket to the bed last night.

Here is today's music. The title, This is the Life by Amy MacDonald is how I feel about having some down time that I sorely need and House by the Sea by Iron and Wine is for the beautiful cottage I visited today.

Monday, October 06, 2008

Halleluja


I am so upset. My friends from Australia and Summerside, PEI were here for a visit this afternoon and I didn't get a photo. Two of the women were taking photos and I was being photographed but forgot to pick up my own camera. I'm thinking of calling the house where they are having dinner and arranging to meet for a late night photo. I can easily drop in and make it happen. There were five of us women all chatting at once and time got away so quickly.

They had a tour of my studio which currently is set up for painting, and had a look at my glass portfolio. One of the women was new to me. She is from Colorado and met the other three here after their vacation in Provence. We had tea and a nice visit. I've been home, a working girl. The other four have been traveling the world.

I had my last shift at work yesterday and I'm a free woman for the time being. That's what I want to celebrate, with music. It can only be done with this song. Two more versions of Halleluja. Here is a 'Live at Glastonbury' song from Rufus and Martha Wainwright. I really mean I want a celebration so here's another version from Allison Crowe. You can Bloggersearch on the top left for other versions on the blog.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Bright Out of Dark


I had the best time yesterday. Besides company with friends and a great dinner, I got an awesome walk in the woods. The autumn colours are just beginning their display and it was a gorgeous crisp, sunny day. We came out of the woods at almost dark. While in the woods it actually did seem dark as the sun was pretty well cut out from the thick, high trees. We were in pretty deep woods. Awesome!!!!!

I got my granddaughter's birthday gift off today. Whew! It was to the wire as to arriving on time for her birthday but I had wanted to include other things. I'm going to price couriers for Christmas parcels as Canada Post's prices have become so outrageous.

One of the songs still needing to be replaced on the music pages is Johnny Cash's version of Long Black Veil. I've mentioned how I love that old song and he does a fine version of it. While I was in the Cash file I noticed he does a version of Sea of Heartbreak which was a popular song of the sixties. I don't remember who did it back then but we had the 45.