Autumn Acts

I seem to be doing the same thing I was doing the last time I was here. I'm cleaning up after having guests for the Thanksgiving long weekend. Last week was from a different family celebration.

This weekend I was responsible for the food but received quality help from my daughter and her boyfriend. My daughter wanted to learn to make pumpkin pie from scratch. We did that and also made two kinds of pumpkin soup, both of which were delicious. She likes cooking and is ready to learn more complicated methods and recipes. She uses recipes and I rarely do so it's a learning experience for both of us. I also encouraged her to be cre8ive by having her make a blueberry crunch cake substituting blueberries for apples. It turned out so good that she won't be intimidated at making a change like that again.

We had eight for a traditional turkey dinner with stuffing, many, many vegetables dishes and condiments, all home made, some even from my garden. I met two very nice young people, my daughter's boyfriend's sister and his best friend, who were both alone for the holiday. I think it was my favorite weekend in a long time.

I have been taking a weekly painting class and after the class today managed to get in a much needed walk. My walking partner and I have different schedules and then there's the weather factor. We hadn't walked since last Tuesday! We both enjoy it immensely and it's hard when we can't get out. I just finished my homework for the painting class so after tomorrow's rain and no one expected for the weekend, it should be clear sailing. It's so beautiful out there these days.

'Tis Autumn by Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass seems like a good choice for today because there's no getting past it. It is definitely upon us. I always hope summer will last forever but of course, it never does. Autumn Leaves is my other song choice for today. I love this Stephane Grappelli version and hope you do to. I hope you can get for a walk wherever you are and enjoy the autumn because A Change Is Gonna Come.

Getting Through Summer

I've had an upset in my life that requires that I take some time for myself. I won't be posting here for a while but will continue photos on my other blogs that are listed at the right. I will be photographing and am doing some very cre8ive things in the studio. I'm enjoying it and will come back here and possibly show you when I'm ready. Check out:

• Just Picture It
  
• An Island Walk
• Pictures and Pursuits
• Photos and Pursuits
• Keep The Coffee Coming
• The Guardian
• Play Time
• When Is Your Blue Hour?
• Nelly's Garden

I'll add more and swap some from time to time. I'm perfectly ok. My life is just going through some changes. Music? Of course. A Change is Gonna Come is a favorite of mine. I have many covers of the song but will feature it's creator, Sam Cooke. One of my favorites is this live Al Green cut. I so would love to see this man live. I've heard other cuts of his concerts and he has great audience rapport and is just so fine. This is a fine example .

February's Winding Down

It's plus 5 degrees Celcius (41F) now at 4:15. Earlier today when I was walking it was probably plus 1 or 2 and it was melting. I give you photographic proof. A chickadee also gave a spring call today, so spring is giving us a little nudge. The days are noticeably getting lighter and longer and the sun is warmer. I would have loved to take a chair outside onto the deck for a bit of sun but I've been depending on young son to keep it shoveled so it's not done except for a path. The next few days are to be warm so I am going to enjoy it. February is turning to March in just a few days too so this is more proof that spring is on it's way.

I bought a huge bouquet of flowers on Feb. 16th that were half price after Valentine's Day. I made three lovely big bouquets out of the one large one and have had to cull only one flower, two stems of greenery and a couple of leaves since then. The rest are still in top form and absolutely lovely. The local tulips are in all the stores too and they bring such cheer. Spring, spring, spring.... I'm feeling it everywhere.

Jana Mashonee is the vocalist on this extraordinary cover of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come. That is the song to glorify the spring weather. The song to wish my sister a happy birthday is Cath by Ben Gibbard. Happy Birthday, Cath!!!!!!

A Change Will Come

I forgot to post yesterday, not being accustomed to blogging in the morning. I remembered after I got to work.

Last week my boss asked me what days I'd like off. I told her I'd like the sunny days. She gave me Tuesday and Wednesday instead. Yesterday the forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday was rain. She phoned and asked if it would be possible to change my days off to Thursday and Friday. I had just checked the long range forecast and those days were to be sunny. Of course I said yes! Imagine my surprise this morning (Tuesday) , when I woke to the sun is shining brightly. It's going to cloud over this afternoon and rain tomorrow. Right now though, it's beautiful. Yesterday it looked like it was clearing so I put sheets on the clothesline and went to work. It rained all afternoon. I do have faith that this weather will change, summer weather will arrive and I will enjoy it.

If you've been reading here for a time you know I collect certain songs that I love. Sam Cook's wonderful, wonderful, A Change is Gonna Come is one of them. You also know that a couple hundred of the songs were removed from my pages because I don't own the copyright to them. I'm slowly trying to replace the essential ones. I have twenty versions of A Change Is Gonna Come and one I really consider essential is the one by Sam Cook himself. Here are some others: Terence Trent D'Arby, a great live version by Al Green, one from the Queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, the American Idol audition by Taylor Hicks and added for today - the orchestra accompanied, essential Sam Cook and a neat version by Ben Sollee. It is reggae influenced and has a violin as a primary instrument.

Spring a Ling

For two days in a row we've had a large yellow thing in our sky that hasn't been seen in so long we almost forgot what it was. Sunshine!!! It is the same temperature today as yesterday - ten, but there isn't a cold north wind blowing so it is glorious. I wanted to go for a walk but have been waiting the whole day for a repairman which is one of the most frustrating things one must do.

I discovered I still had another version of A Change Is Gonna Come in the music pages. It is the Idol audition by Taylor Hicks. Randy and Paula love him but Simon says he'll never make it. Was he ever wrong!

You know I have to have spring songs for today. Spring Is Just Around the Corner by Sasha Dobson is about perfect to begin with. The John Butler Trio, the label mates of The Waifs, and Richard Shindell both have songs entitled Spring and Spring and All by Greg Brown will fit that bill. I'm feelin' so good about this weather that I want to say just that. Levon Helm will help and so will Nina Simone. They both have completely different songs with the same name - Feelin' Good.

Seasonal Changes

It is ten degrees (about fifty for the Americans) today and what a welcome change that is. The sun is shining brightly and if it wasn't for a northern breeze it would be even warmer. Bella, the fair weather cat, was the first out the door this morning followed by me, then Kenz.

I did a bit of gardening this afternoon but it exhausted me. I'm not quite sure how or why this is after surgery. Does healing take so much energy that a person is left spent very easily and quickly after normal chores? I'm trying not to push it but spring is here. I have gardening to do. The daffodils are a couple of inches high and will take off if it continues to warm....without my help.

I brought a chair onto the deck and sat a bit. It feels so good to have the sun on your face. Crows and ravens are building nests and fighting already over choice sticks and nesting places. The biggest raven in the neighbourhood was being scolded and harassed by three smaller fellows. I kept wondering just what it was that he had done.

This weather begs for today's musical selection. One of my favorite songs is Sam Cooke's, A Change is Going To Come. I have thirteen versions and there are many more out there. Of the six I had already uploaded, all are gone except for the one by Terence Trent D'Arby. Here's a couple more and I might as well start with the A's. This Al Green version is one of my favorites as Al is live, and in any live music I've heard of his, he always talks and sings to the audience. I'd love to see him on stage. I've been listening to Aretha all day so she's a perfect choice for the next version. God, what a voice!

A Change Has Got To Come

When describing my recent bad luck in an e-mail to a New York friend the other day, this is what she said - It's been Mercury retrograde, which ends on Monday. Hopefully, they'll be able to figure it out then. This is what I predicted a former friend would have said. Anyway, someone should tell Mercury that Monday has passed and it's ok to give up the retrograde.

Last night I put my mower blades right through the mower deck and bent the deck all to heck. It is fixed but not without a great deal of anxiety on my part, thinking that I may have another expensive repair bill. The guy didn't charge me but a beer - he's a good guy.

We had a hot humid day yesterday then rain for the morning today. Now it's sunny and cloudy, windy and we're expecting thunderstorms. Rain till noon tomorrow then sun and clouds....a repeat of today. I'm taking the day off so I'll do all the chores in the morning and go to the beach for the afternoon.

I just got this song today but it's title is certainly appropriate for this post. Mercury by Kathleen Edwards is to be a prayer to Mercury to change things around for me. I have many, many versions of A Change is Gonna Come up on the music pages but I have many more not up. Here's one more by Terence Trent D'Arby. I need some cheering up.

No Time Left

Thought about going to the beach for the daily walk today....until I got outside. Its very cold and windy, not beach weather at all! Was trying on clothing yesterday and have gained weight already since stopping work so I may be having two or three walks per day. I'm sure as heck not giving up eating. It weird having been thin my whole life to have my whole body change after giving up smoking ten months ago. Healthier, I guess.....

Music: Another of my thirteen versions of A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke who I believe is the writer of the song but I'm not positive of that. It's a great song whomever wrote it. Another song that I have a lot of versions of is Baby It's Cold Outside, a song appropriate for today. Here's a version by James Taylor and I believe, Natalie Cole. I'll check that fact out and also who wrote A Change is Gonna Come.

No time for a link today. The phone hasn't stopped since I started this post.