Wonderful Winter

Where does the time go! I've not been here in more than a week. I managed to fill every minute of it with work, chores, painting, making jewelry, having visits here and there, and one trip to town. It is customarily the summer season that we're most busy and when I think of all we'll add to the mix when spring and summer come along, I wonder how I will manage. I take it one day at a time though and some night's falling into bed feels better than others.

My daughter and her beast, as well as her boyfriend, are visiting this weekend. It's wonderful to see her though she is not staying here. Only one serious mishap occurred involving the pooch and it is more my fault than the dog's. I put the cat's food bowls on the large jewelry table in the studio when the dog started to eat the cat food. I forgot to put it back on the floor for the cats. One of the cats jumped on the table through the night and knocked a whole box of earrings onto the floor. They were everywhere and hopefully there are none missing.

Winter has been extraordinarily beautiful this week. The cold temperatures of the previous week were gone and we had light snow a couple of times which made the landscape really gorgeous. We had a bit of freezing rain on Friday which covered tree branches with a thin layer of ice. Heavy frosts occurred twice this week, as well, so frosted trees greeted anyone out on early morning drives to work.

Here are a couple songs to celebrate this wonderful season. It used to be I wanted to be in warmer climates in the winter. Since my 'shoulder/arm/kidney' winter two years ago, lots of things changed about me and one is my renewed enjoyment in winter. Here's David Francey with February Morning Drive and Emily Smith with Winter Song. Both sing with Scottish accents but David came to Canada years ago so we get to claim him.

I also have a song for Valentine's Day and it is an oldie but goody. Dusty Springfield was so great in her time and I love her singing The Look of Love. Enjoy the Day.

Happy Trails

Two more sleeps and I'll be in the air. Everything but my toothbrush and medication is packed and I'm raring to go. The cats know I'm leaving. They always do. I find one of them in my bag every time I go upstairs. The bag in a guest room, on a bed with things all around it and both cats have taken to sleeping in there in the daytime. We will miss each other, my kitties and I, but they will gets of love from my son who will be home soon.

I will miss music too. I play music all the time but most people don't. I questioned my aunt about it over the year and found out they rarely play music. If they do, it's country. I may bring a cd or two along with the cd of photos I made for her. I have to design a window I have a commission for and music is necessary for me when any cre8ive tasks are at hand.

I grew up with country music. It has always been my parents choice and I love a lot of it too. I'm not very familiar with modern country but the old country of Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Johnny Cash and all those, I am very familiar with. I Fall To Pieces by Patsy Cline was a favorite of my mothers. We'd all be singing that at the top of our lungs, accompanying the 33 1/2 record. My brother and I made up a game called I Fall To Pieces and we'd sing it while we played. I've got a great version of the song by Aaron Neville and Trisha Yearwood. My mom would have loved it. I actually may have played it to her years ago as I had the cassette it is from, Country-Soul. Song number two is Border Line from the lovely David Francey who I've seen in concert quite a few times.

Come Rain or Come Shine

I normally water my house plants on Sunday. I've just finished the job moments ago so please believe me when I say I'm behind and don't have a lot of time to post. I have the top part of the dishwasher emptied and have the bottom to go so music will have to suffice today.

Our weather is just plain weird. It's hot, then it's cold. It's cloudy and rainy and then the sun is brilliantly shining. I'm not talking about one week or even one day. I'm talking in the expanse of one or two hours. A friend was mowing her lawn, wearing shorts and dying of the heat. Before she finished she was freezing and wanting a jacket.

Today we have two completely different songs with the same name. Dr. John brings us the Come Rain or Come Shine we'll all recognize. David Francey brings us his own tune, Come Rain or Come Shine. I've seen him live several times and he's awesome!

Home Again

The photo is of a church in downtown Moncton the night of the storm. It was a cold and stormy night. My friend and room mate of thirty-three years ago and I walked in it for a couple of hours and almost marathon walked the next day. We both loved the exhilaration and accompanying endorphens. Also, it was wonderful catching up.

I also had fun at my home town. I won a ham playing TV bingo with my Dad's better half and her three daughters. I used the ham for a family dinner at my niece's house the next night. That was really fun. She has little kids so there's built in entertainment.

Since coming home I've had to deal first with a fried ethernet card, a driveway of pure ice, and an impending flood because of a very warm and rainy weather forecast. My brother in law helped me out with the first problem. I am heavily addicted to the net and was in withdrawal for twenty-four hours. I've got help in resolving those withdrawal symptoms by shoveling. There's been no end to it. Enough of that!

I've not played any Christmas music this season. Here's Julia Lee and her Boyfriends with Christmas Blues and David Francey with We Three Kings. That has always been my favorite Christmas song but it's not that popular. It was lovely to find a version by one of my favorite singers.