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.

Springing In on Friday, 20 March

Here is a photo of my finished window. There are objects behind it like a candle holder and box behind the blue and a piece of yellow glass in a holder behind the tree. The barn on the right in the hills is barely visible.

Kat, at Keep the Coffee Coming, spent her first morning of spring on the beach. I thought it was a marvelous idea. My walk to the beach was thwarted though, by dogs. I am terrified of dogs and there are several in residence on the road to the beach. I got just so far when every dog on the road smelled my fear and started to bark. I turned around. I think I will drive past the dogs tomorrow and then go to the beach.

It certainly is nice to see spring. My daffodils are about an inch out of the ground in my warm flower bed but there is still two feet of snow in my other flower garden. It is nice that way as I always have flowers from one bed earlier than the other. My Shutterchance blog is based in Britain and many Europeans have had fresh daffodil photos for a couple weeks now.

Hair trials are continuing. I used a different mousse today and more of it and the curls held longer. I believe the amount of mouse is important as is how long you hold the curling iron.

You probably don't have to guess about the music. I want to celebrate spring. Here is Ella Fitzgerald to help us do that with Spring , Greg Brown with Spring and All and Primavera (Spring in Spanish and Portuguese) by Mariza. Hello Spring! Glad you came.

Though there is much more snow than in the above example (from a late winter storm) our fierce blizzard today is forming some pretty neat snow sculptures. Ones that were there this morning have long been covered over and new ones, differently shaped, have appeared. There is no snow at all on the main part of my deck but my door is completely buried under a snowdrift. My son will have to shovel to come in. I can exit through another door in an emergency.

Luckily our power is still on. I got up early to turn on the heat thinking that if the power did go out at least the house would be warm. Plows have not been out on the Island yet. That's how extreme this blizzard that began overnight is today. I've plenty to eat and drink, electricity and a telephone. It's all I need today.

Those who've been reading here for a while know that one of my all-time favorite songs is Don't Fence Me In. Here's my favorite version, by Ella. In honour of the snow barring in my back door today, you get to hear another version or two or three. Here's Roy Rogers and The Sons of the Pioneers and one by Louis Armstrong and Velma Middleton, my second favorite. It has that humourous, fun-singing that certain jazz singers did in those days which I love so much. When you need a more country mood Willie Nelson and Leon Russell can't be beat. Love that song!

Happy New Year again. I guess I said it a little prematurely yesterday.

Anticipation is Sweet - Or Not

I've only a little time this morning so will get some music up here instead of talking about my aches and pains.

All that is on my mind these days is my kids flying home next week. Saturday is the magic day. My daughter is not good at keeping secrets so has told me something that she is bringing me. Well aware of my love for Ella Fitzgerald, she found the boxed set, Ella Fitzgerald's - The Decca Years and bought it for her dear old Mom. I can't wait to play the whole thing.

Ella has some perfect songs for today. Too Darn Hot describes the weather we've been experiencing lately. I'm not at all complaining but many people are. It was over 30 yesterday and I'm fine with it. Winter will be here soon enough. Flying Home is the other perfect song. I can always find what I'm looking for with Ella. I probably have only 30 or so songs of hers on the computer but many, many cd's, cassettes, and albums in the collection. She has the perfect voice, in my opinion.

Putfile was having problems early this morning and apparently is again. I can upload but the songs are nowhere to be found on my page so I' can only apologize and I'll try again later after 10 pm when I get home from work.

Love Day

Made a mistake the other day
saying it is two years on the 20th that I started this blog
when it is actually three.

Click to Play:
Two of the finest vocalists to ever walk the earth
and four fabulous love songs.
Fever - kd lang
Love is Everything - kd lang
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered - Ella Fitzgerald
My Funny Valentine - Ella Fitzgerald

Don't Fence Me In

It's been snowing since I woke up. I just had a look at the long range forecast and there is snow or flurries expected for every day till at least Friday. There's a pretty good snowmobile track around the neighbourhood and I'm wondering if I might attempt to go on it with snowshoes. What do you think Brother A? I may never get an answer now that he has dial-up.

Poor Kenz can't figure out why I won't pick her up anymore. Cats, more than any living thing, live by ritual. Kenz has certain habits that fit into ritual. One is to have me to pick her up and hold her for three or four minutes over my left shoulder. I can still do part two but can't pick her up off the floor. I try to get her to jump on my lap first but that's part of another ritual and she's not wanting to mess things up. She keeps looking up with this really sad expression and quietly meowing. What can I do?

An essential for today: Don't Fence Me In has been one of my all time favorite songs since I was a little kid watching western movies on tv. I wish I knew what movie I first heard it in. My guess is that it's from a Roy Rogers/Dale Evans movie because Roy does a version with The Sons of the Pioneers. Why don't I put up that version along with the one I first intended, the best of all them, Ella Fitzgerald's. You can imagine I've been feeling a bit fenced in lately. This is my form of complaint about that.

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.