Hot and Spicy

I had a lovely day in town with my sister-in-law, a fabulous hot and spicy lunch and I picked up some good deals as well. I needed a memory card for my camera and got a 2 GB SD card for $9.96. I bought two. I purchased my 512 MB card for $25.00 on sale a couple of years ago. Amazing, eh? I also wanted a camera bag. All the bags I was seeing were too expensive for what I was getting so I decided not to get one. Later I was in the dollar store and picked up a nifty little bag for $1.oo. It will work perfectly well for the time being.

We had rain overnight and it was 6 degrees today. Perfect snowman snow. If I'd been home I might have made one. A friend and I made a woman a couple of years ago that lasted most of the winter. She was pretty special.

Every once in a while I have a song that really moves me, becomes a favorite and I play it a whole lot. About three of four years ago it was Lucinda Williams' song Joy but the fabulous version by Bettye Lavette. Well, another Bettye LaVette song has got me by the heart again and I'm happy to share. Maybe it won't do anything for you but I find her delivery so compelling. I think she is just the greatest and wish she were more well known. She's been performing since the 60's but didn't become a household name like Aretha, Diana Ross, and a host of other 60's soul/r&b women. She's still very active and I would really love to see her sometime. The song that I am now enthralled with is Talking Old Soldiers.

Another woman I'd most like to see live is Lila Downs. Though she's half American, she dresses in traditional Oaxacan folk costume. She always has a fabulous band too as I've seen a lot of her on YouTube. I think it's only a few days ago I had Lila here but what the heck, it's a new year. What I've chosen, Pa Todo El Ano, is a live recording and easily shows why I want to hear her.

Soul and Soul Again - Bettye LaVette

Click to Play:
Choices - Bettye LaVette
Little Sparrow - Bettye LaVette
Joy - Bettye LaVette
Down to Zero - Bettye LaVette
I Can't Stop - Bettye LaVette

Mojo

We've had a really lovely day today, partly pearly clouds, partly blue skies. I went walking and it was marvelous, filling me with a great energy but tiring me at the same time. I swear walking is like medicine.

The photo is of the pond today. Three weeks ago it was a huge solid sheet of skating ice. Here it is from that day. Today there are two pairs of ducks in it, happy to have some water to swim in. The pond is different every day of the year and that's why I love it so. The sky is like that too, though it can change by the moment.

One of the really, really essential songs is the version of Joy by Bettye LaVette. It was my favorite song of '05 or '06, whenever it came out. Lucinda Williams' version is still there and so is Ruthie Fosters' though it is a different song, same name. Since I get another how about Got My Mojo Workin' by Clarence Gatemouth Brown.

It's very strange. I am on song 100 on Page One today after it being 500 songs for so long. At least it's all (kind of) still working. It's the only reason I'm here.

Colourful Memories

Autumn has begun. There were record breaking high temperatures all over the Maritimes on Wednesday and the whole month has been warmer than usual. Today it is cloudy and nineteen degrees. That is probably warmer than usual but it's not summer-like. I've really been enjoying it. The cold can stay away as long as possible, as far as I'm concerned.

I have the most beautiful fall mum plant. It is pictured above but when there were more buds than blooms. It is now more blooms than buds. The golds, oranges and rusts are my favorite colours for flowers though I love reds too. Last year's mum was of the red tones and was beautiful too. This year's is huge. You could buy them everywhere for $7.99 but this one was $9.99 and I think the huge size made it worth the extra two dollars. To be sure, every season has it's beauty.

Even though I'm back to work and regular life, I keep going over my little vacation in my head. It was so wonderful! Ruthie Foster, who I love so much, has a couple of songs that take me back to to both the good parts and the bad parts of the week. One is Home and the other is Joy. Both these songs are from Ruthie's album Runaway Soul. Joy helps me think that my sister-in-law is now reunited with my brother. I think that was the thought of everyone at the ceremony on Wednesday who knew them both. They were so very much in love.

Joy in a Beautiful World

I'm still putting flowers in vases. I went walking and when I came back went for another walk, this time with scissors. Lupin season is upon us and I needed a couple more vases done. I got some yesterday when I was driving and came upon a really nice field of them. Here are some photos of last year's: I always do a vase for outside. They are so pretty up close. I also cut some wild carrot, columbine and more lily of the valley for more vases. There now isn't a bare spot in the house to place another vase.

I wanted to save today's photo to show one of the same view as yesterday's but later in the day. Thunderstorms continued all around and didn't touch us. The sky was incredible all day and I got some pretty awesome photos. It's cloudy today but warm. The sun has come out since I sat here.

Music: If you've read this blog for a while you know I love Bettye Lavette's version of the song Joy. Here is Lucinda Williams'. It seems like a good song for today with endorphins flowing from walking and flower arranging. Beautiful World by Colin Hay is a good choice for today for those same reasons.

Lovin' the Music

We have a dusting of snow and we're going to minus 5 this afternoon....probably just enough weather to cause icy roads. I followed the salt thuck home last night. I have no idea why they were spreading salt. I didn't find the roads slippery once I passed it. A mystery.

I still do not have glaucoma and that is very good news. My grandmother had it and was blind because of it as there were no treatments. They found one more early sign or risk factor in yesterday's exam. The test I mentioned yesterday is next week but does not require the dreaded drops in the eyes.

Music: Bettye LaVette is still turning my crank. I didn't know her in the sixties but I sure like her now. I'm not the biggest fan of her 50's music but have been able to find lots of great cuts from later. If you liked her version of Joy, here's a couple more good songs. I love her slow ballads best, of course, but I also like the Joy-type, soulful songs like, How Am I Different. Here's a slow, sexy ballad, Thinkin' About You. Whew!

Helping Her Pack

I was hurrying to finish a post yesterday when we had a power outage. It was a nice nostalgic look at my daughter who is leaving the nest in just a few days. It's starting to hit me. I want her to go and have a life away from home but I will miss her terribly. She, more than anyone I know, has a great joie de vivre that makes her a huge presence in any room.

Music: I can think of so many songs for her; songs she likes, songs that remind me of her, songs with a message. I'm her mother so I definitely have to get a message in there. Way Out West (isn't that ironic) has a message in Don't Forget Me and Joy by Bettye LaVette says it all for my girl who brings joy. I just have to think of rainbows rather than the rain when I think of her being so far away so today's link I will visit often...rainbows.