Snow Day

I am watching our first snowfall. We had wet flurries one day that did not accumulate but this is real snow. It is covering the tree branches and grasses and everything else in the landscape and is oh, so beautiful. I'll see if I can dig out a photo from another time for the spot above. We are expecting fifteen cm.

I've been lucky all these years to have a studio which gives a wide look apon the natural world. In winter, to see a variety of wildlife through these windows while I summarize a daily weather report can be magical. Today reminds me to add birdseed to the town list. I painted all morning and intend to go back after lunch. Yesterday was very dark and natural light for painting was not so good. Today is excellent. The days are noticeably getting shorter with less afternoon time. That will change shortly though with the equinox, much to my pleasure.

I am still thinking about a way I could be working on at least two of my art forms at the same time. I cut out little models of all the furniture in this second studio room and have been moving them in various locations around a drawn-to-scale room with windows and doors. I have two large windows in the room and the challenge is to have each table looking out the window while I do my things.I have become resigned to the fact that my computer will occupy a much smaller table but it must allow me to look out the window at my beautiful landscapes.



I could not find a photo of my view with a first snow except for a first snow with the pond frozen which it is not at this time. The photo above is my friend's little shed a few days after a fairly heavy first snow. It does show how pretty it is at the first of the year. There will be a time soon enough that I'm tired of the whole thing. I will enjoy it's beauty for today.

I always play this song at this time of year. I am not a big fan of Christmas and sometimes can barely tolerate it. This year has not been so bad but this song is often how I ground myself during December. Our talented and beautiful Maritimer, Natalie MacMaster plays fiddle so wonderfully in this song by the talented and beautiful as well, Alison Krauss: Get Me Through December. One of the songs I 'collect' is Baby, It's Cold Outside. Though it's not that cold it's wintry (See poll on right for another day or two or read last post) out there. I was making a Christmas CD for my jazz-loving aunt and uncle last night and added this version of it by Liza Minnelli and Alan Cumming. For some reason this song doesn't seem to be uploading. I will try one more time but may have to come back. This happens quite often.

Growing Grass

I'm expecting visitors any minute so this may be in parts. We've had rain since afternoon and it's a bit welcome actually. It's keeping me indoors. I'm still finishing up on some projects. Normally my studio is an active place but with all of the events of this winter it has become a catch all that must be cleaned out. I sure can put off things.

My son can too. I've asked him to take over lawn mowing this year. The grass is ready to be mowed but now we're getting a couple of days rain which will make it grow like crazy. The photo above is from last evening. Everything is green or yellow in my yard. Amazing how fast things grow and take over.

Louis Jordon is bringing the music today. My favorite of his songs, Is You Is Or Is You My Baby is popular here with 235 plays already. Then there's The Green Grass Grows All Around, and Baby It's Cold Outside, For today there's Five Guys Named Moe and Louis Jordan with Louis Armstrong with Life Is So Peculiar.

Yes, It's Cold

It's cold today. It was windy but sunny, meaning we missed the piles of snow that were forecast. Fine with me. We have enough. It was so sunny that it looked very inviting for walking. I went out and shoveled and after a short while, knew I'd not be walking. Too cold.

I'm going away for a few days. My daughter is flying into another airport than our own and needs to be picked up. I'm going to go a couple of days early and visit an old friend. Then my daughter and I are going to visit my dad for a few days. My daughter wants to make stew for him. I don't like traveling at this time of year but don't have much choice.

Essential music again and a song that's fitting for today in that it's cold and I'm thinking of my daughter. I still have one version on Page One that is one of the fifty-eight out of five hundred that was not removed. It's one of the best too and probably the most well known. The song is Baby, It's Cold Outside. It's my daughter's favorite version. The version still on Page One is from Betty Carter and Ray Charles. I'm not going to replace removed versions but add two that have not been posted here before. One is from Rod Stewart and Dolly Parton. The other is from Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordon.

I just realized I am missing a really great version on my computer that I consider essential. I have it on cd but not on the computer. It's Ella and Sarah Vaughan's version with Sarah doing the 'man's' part as there would have to be a man in the forties. There couldn't be two woman. I have nine versions on the computer so I will be happy with that for now.

Page two is 400 songs as of today so I will be skipping back to Page One and be re-starting there with song 59. I know it's confusing but it's not how it was planned. I didn't know that Putfile would be removing over 500 songs. I still am never sure if a song is going to be there. It will all work out.

Happy Birthday O and J

Blogger wasn't allowing photo uploads yesterday and what's a post without a photo. Here's one of Kenz on the beach.

Our weather has changed dramatically, as we all knew it would. We didn't get the snow that was predicted but we got very cold and windy weather and now they say tomorrow it will snow. There's no use complaining about it so I won't but I feel like it a lot because I really don't like winter.

Work is going very well with everyone happy about their parties and staff happy making some money. Good combination.

My two youngest are having their birthdays today. My son is having a milestone birthday at twenty-one and my daughter is twenty-three. This is the first year they haven't been together for their birthday and will be feeling that sadness. I miss them both and am sending out a big Happy Birthday.

Music: For the weather and for missing my kids, Al Jarreau and Mark Knoffler's version of Ain't No Sunshine. My kids have grown up hearing the many versions of this song that I collect, so here's a version of Baby It's Cold Outside. This one is very interesting - Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel. I love Leon's voice.

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.