Not Weather For Gardenias

Just came in from shoveling. The cats are still out there and it's almost dark. I have to keep checking. In the winter of '99 -'00, it snowed almost every day. It was the largest yearly snowfall in a long time. That much snow can create problems. My trash cans are surrounded already and the bottom snow is ice; impossible to shovel. Thankfully they are not full and can wait till the next pick up.

Come on, Kitties. They're in though not happy about it.

A couple of weeks ago this website was featured on Blogger's Blogs of Note. The Daily Coyote is photos and the story of a rescued coyote who lives with the author and her cat in a one-room log cabin in Wyoming. I find it fascinating and the photography is fabulous. The time line is six months past but that's ok. Not everything has to be live and now.

For music, more from the essentials list. Dos Gardenias is my favorite song from Buena Vista Social Club's first groundbreaking album, Buena Vista Social Club. I'm not fluent in Spanish but can get by after a few days of immersion. I can usually figure out the written word even easier.

This song I loved so much, but just couldn't figure out. It didn't make sense. These were the days before I knew about Babelfish. Turned out I had it figured out correctly. A few years later, in Mexico, I asked a friend for a translation and the jist is this: A man gives his lover two gardenias. If they die it means she is cheating on him and does not love him. Of course, being flowers, they did what flowers do, and died.

Ok, so what I love about this song is not the story but the melody. I listen to both versions a lot because they are the kind of slow Latin ballads that I love so much. I love the Rita Maria Mariano version for the music and the Buena Vista Social Club version for the vocals. Both are excellent and I'm happy to put them up again.

Dancing as Fast as I Can

What is the world coming to? Just looking at this British luncheon meat, I can tell already, I'm allergic. I wouldn't eat that for a hundred dollars. It will be fed to kids though...hopefully not my grandchildren.

Anybody want to work for a couple of weeks? I desperately need a break. I think I've become run down; an ear infection last week, a cold now and I'm exhausted. The 70 mile yard sale was even busier than expected with people waiting an hour for a table....were they crazy? I had even made seating for twenty more for the weekend. We ran out of food and the cook brought home a huge pot and bought ingredients to make chili to get us through Sunday. God bless her because I couldn't have done that on Saturday night. She didn't put the miles on her feet that I did though, so was able to. I had a quick bite to eat when I got home, called my Dad to wish him a happy 75th birthday and went to bed at 8:30. I didn't even have enough energy to call my brother who's birthday is the same day as my Dad's. I've never needed a day off as badly as I do today.

Music: Dos Gardenias by Maria Rita Mariano is a nice version of my favorite slow dance song from my well-played Buena Vista Social Club album. I have a bit of Spanish and could never quite figure this song out. I asked a Mexican friend of mine of the lowdown and it was what I had been getting all along. The man gives his woman two gardenias and if they die that means the woman is cheating on him. I couldn't believe this was actually what the song was saying but it is. Oh well, poetic license. I hope that equasion is never faced by anyone I know. Song number two, Tango Cancion by Gotan Project, good music if you want to tango. I'm a little tired for tangoing myself but I'd highly recommend it if you have some energy. For song number 250, keeping with the Latin theme, and this time, a more energetic dance, try on Mambo by Lila Down's band from her album Trazos.