A Journey Nonetheless

Continuing with the documentation of the window process that I'm on I will ask you for a favor. If I can figure out how to make a poll, it would be swell to ask you a question at the end. For some reason the photo above is presenting vertically even though my file is horizontal.

I marked pattern pieces onto glass today on large sheets of glass. I cut the large sheets into smaller pieces. It took longer than it did in the past just because I have to ensure that I've done everything correctly in terms of the geometry of possibility for cutting, economical usage of glass, artistic integrity, and all those other things that were on automatic at one time.




I had to think harder and check and recheck things. I had to make an oil blend for the cutter and get the cutting table cleaned off. The aim of these old cutting hands veered off a couple of times but I think that's because I'm shorter. Some of these pieces of glass are big! The photo above is of all the glass I have to cut tomorrow, not much compared to what it looked like earlier.


Now about the sun. I have red iridescent glass that could be used for the sun. It would change the piece from realism to something else. I think the sun would stand out and at night it would be completely visible and apparent inside the room. The glass above is the red iridescent and the photo below is the sky colour. The poll is on the sidebar.


Is there still room for music? Any requests out there? Here are some possibilities. George Jackson has Aretha, Gillian Welsh with Elvis Presley Blues. Even Ry Cooder has a request with Johnny Cash.

Change Is Apon Us?

What a difference a day makes. We've had a huge thaw, going from - 20's to +4 overnight. I've been busy inside all day and did not get out for photos but the ice that formed last week is completely gone.

My Sis-in-law just left. We solved the world's problems, discussed what we're having for dinner and that's pretty good for a Monday. I'm so excited about my aunt coming this week. Her room is made up, fresh and comfy, and I'm calling her tonight or tomorrow for the grocery list. What is her favorite juice, etc? I love them all so would be happy to get her favorite. Same with everything else on the grocery list from meat and seafood to vegetables and pastas. What are her favorites? I'm very easy to please and will eat anything but bananas. I will even eat them, on occasion.

I urge you back to a past post (with a recipe you must try, Ralph, in the spring) with some songs I'd recommend for this post. Since I can't have those, here's two more. Yes these are the songs, I'd choose.

On January 16th, just a few days ago, I had Bruce Springsteen's, Streets of Philadelphia, saying it was the best version of his song. The movie, Streets of Philadelphia, had two great songs on it's soundtrack. I heard at the time that the reason they had two hit songs with almost the same title, was that they could not turn one of them away. They were both incredible songs. Still are. Here's Neil Young with Philadelphia.

My other song choice is to draw attention to the big event happening in another American city for our American friends tomorrow. This Aretha album was my favorite album for about two years in the early seventies. Nothing could take it's place. The song of the same name is my tribute for Barack Obama and his promise of change in the American people. If the American people change so will we, their Canadian neighbours and the world. Here's Aretha with, Young, Gifted and Black. Good Luck, Obama. You'll need it.

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.

Weather Perfection

Oh, the aroma in this house! There's a pork loin slow roasting in the oven and wow, it smells spectacular. It's a hot day (nineteen degrees Celcius, sixty-six point two American) to have the oven going but it let me spend the day outside. I'm a bit exhausted right now and need to get out of the sun and to have a break. Yes, it seems blogging is a break. I had planned to walk to the beach but the day got away on me. It was a pleasure to be here though; birds are singing and busy, frogs are singing and busy and what was I? Singing and busy as well.

I know I say this quite often but I've been listening to some great music these days. I have a regular music blogroll, three are daily and the other thirty something are once a week or whenever I get around to it. Sometimes a week will bring nothing. This week was great. I don't really want to put recent finds up and copy someone's posts so you'll just have to believe me. Some may end up here eventually.

Absolutely nothing new in the music I'm posting today. Old and familiar - essentials. Aretha with Spanish Harlem and Dylan with Spanish Harlem Incident, what can be more familiar? Here are a couple more for today: Dorado with Working Sunday, which, I'll be doing outside the home next week and something I love kd lang's vesion of, Love is Everything.

Back to the deck......

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!

Alone Again Or

I've just come from a little Sunday afternoon rest. It was supposed to be a nap but the phone kept ringing. It's a perfect day to curl up. The wind is howling. We had a couple of inches of snow overnight and its cool enough that it didn't melt off today. The photo is of my sister exploring around the pond yesterday. We'd had some fresh fallen snow that made everything pretty again but the afternoon temps and sunshine made it all melt off.

My sister is gone - back to her own life. I was so sorry for her to go. She kept me in line. Not once did I move heavy furniture or carry rocks. That was a harder job than it sounds. I carry mountains of rocks and say that's what's kept me in shape for all these years. I will also have the task of trying to pay as much attention to Bella as my sister did. Bella is a cat with constant needs and my sister fulfilled them leaving no meow unheeded. Those are big shoes to fill and I'm sure that in this matter I will fail. There will be a lot of meowing around here for a while.

Twice in the last while I had to change a gender word in a song title to make it fit. Today it's Who's Going To Help Brother Get Further by Allen Toussaint and Elvis Costello. I want to change Brother to Sister. It is a given that Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves would be a selection today. So is Alone Again Or by Calexico.

Let's Eat Cake

It is my sister-in-laws birthday today and my sister's was two days ago. My sister-in-law is like a sister and I think that it's neat that their birthday is two days apart with the way our family has multiples on birthdays so often. I gave them each two cd's that were very personal from me to them. I find it very satisfying to do this. Music can say my feelings so much better than I can with words. Sis-in-law has been incredible to help me so much this winter, cheerfully driving me places and keeping my spirits up. My sister is coming for two weeks to take care of me after I return from hospital. I want to celebrate their love and kindness.

My oldest son has his flight booked to come while I have my surgery. About an hour after he sent an itinerary, I had a message from the OR booking department saying to call them as they had a booking change. All was well as they were only changing the time and date for my pre-surgery clinic as I had requested a consult with an anaesthetist. Gave me a bit of a scare though as I kept dialing their number and getting busy signal after busy signal. My daughter may be coming from Alberta this weekend and my other son returns from Boston on Sunday. It's going to be a busy household again.

I did not include this song on any of the four cds I made for my sisters because they are not dancers. I include it on every dance cd I make though as I spent the late eighties dancing to this great song. I made tapes then and made them often for women's events that we invariably ended with dancing. Just playing it now has me groovin' Here is Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves by Aretha and Annie Lennox - such a classic! Sticking with Aretha, I also have today, a song that I've been looking for on mp3 for years. I have it on cassette but wanted to be able to add it to playlists. Ralph, a new blogger friend, was pleased when I sent him some songs and asked if there was anything I was looking for. I certainly was and said so in a about a second. He quickly supplied it and I was thrilled to finally have a copy of Kind of Man. The song has nothing to do with sisters or birthdays but it's Aretha, which is fabulous in itself, and it is a fantastic ballad.