Lottery and Retirement Wishes

Another day of not being at work has helped my spirits and I have a new medication that is supposed to help my body. Tell me anyone, what is your experience with Celebrex? I've developed arthritis and after using ibuprofen for the last year, have today received an upgrade in medication. I haven't taken one yet and am a little nervous. I don't like medications and have tried not to need them. Oh the joys of aging.

The photo above is not meant to be in focus. It is showing the lovely breeze we've been having. It's been cloudy my days off and there's been a comfortable breeze both days. Lovely, really.

I've enjoyed my days off immensely. I'm going to be working a very long stretch in order to get four days off in a row when my kids are here. I'll have one day off in the interim. I'm not sure how much blogging I'll get done. I'll post if I can and if I am too tired to write maybe I can get some music up at least. My doctor said, "I wish you'd win the lottery and be able to retire." No one has ever wished anything like that for me that I know so it prompted me to buy a lottery ticket today - something I rarely, rarely do.

Actually, I won something recently. I sometimes enter Judith HeartSong's Artsy Essay Contest. I won for the month of June and received my prize in the mail yesterday. I received a lovely painting of a seashell. I believe it was a study for a later painting. It is beautiful and will hang happily, I think, and proudly.

I've got two 'feelin' good' songs for today. One by Levon Helm is entitled just that, Feelin' Good, and Get Up, Get Ready is supposed to be blues but the melody makes me feel good. There's something about Maria Muldaur singing this song... She's accompanied by Eric Bibb and Rory Block from the album Sisters and Brothers.

Levon's song was already there so I get to add one more. Since someone wished a lottery win for me, I purchased a ticket and will wish the same and maybe you can too. Here's Three Wishes by The Pierces.

Living Spring

Just returned from a great little trip to the beach though we were not there long. There's quite a cool northern breeze ablow and my friend wasn't dressed for it's effects. I got a few pebbles and two nice pieces of driftwood. The tide was high too so not a great day for a beach stroll. Pretty though as the blue skies make those red cliffs stand out beautifully.

My friend helped me with some light gardening as well. He rotated the garden claw while I picked weeds and I transplanted a bit of garlic and planted a few seeds. It was funny to be planting the world's tiniest little garden when I once had and cared for huge gardens here in the not so distant past. A job that ate me alive necessitated me to stop mine while I had created extensive ones there for a display, restaurant, flower, shurb and herb gardens. I planned to get it back to normal in mine this spring and have decided not to at this time. I'm healing instead.

Mavis Staples is on my mind today. I was playing a cd earlier and was groovin' to Mavis. Here she is with and she does Well, Well, Well with Maria Muldaur. Here's On My Way, Eyes On The Prize and another duet with John Mayall, Wake Up Call, The song I was groovin' too - Turn Me Around.

Blues In The Night

Click to Play:
Midnight At the Oasis - Renee Olstead
Midnight At the Oasis - Maria Muldaur
Mood Indigo - Nina Simone
Blues in the Night - Katie Melua
Blues in the Night - Dr. John

Snows and Woes

We are having our first wintery weather. It snowed an inch, turned to rain and it seems to have stopped with a half inch still on the ground. It was supposed to turn to freezing rain but we may have missed that step in the bad weather.

I went on a short walk today and not my usual Tuesday hike. I am having car problems once again and the car had to be taken to the shop. I had to get a ride home with a friend before the forecast freezing rain. The walk was to a lovely spot. It is a bird sanctuary with a series of pretty ponds and a dam. Very nice except that it was snowing quite hard so visibility was not great.

The car is probably going to be expensive as the mechanic thinks it is the starter and there's something specific about Toyota starters that make them so. Oh, dear! Everything is starting to break down in this car but what can you do? You Roll With the Punches. That's what Randy Newman says. You could also buy a new car. Geoff and Maria Muldaur say to get a Chevrolet but I kind of like my Toyota. Funny that I sent you to a website yesterday to hear Geoff and Maria Muldaur not knowing I would be playing them today.

Leisurely Day

A day off has been just what the doctor ordered. I've had a great time. The only chores I did were folding a basket of laundry, washing dishes, paying bills, and making a seafood chowder for dinner. Easy! Coincidentally, I had a chat on the phone with a friend and she was going to be making seafood chowder for dinner too.

I made a seven hour playlist on the theme of Loneliness. Who knew there were so many songs with lonely or missing in the title. I started out making an October playlist and the first three songs had lonely or loneliness in the title. It grew from there.

It's cloudy and cooler today - ten degrees, and it's the first day that it's truly felt like autumn. It had to come sooner or later and it's not bad weather or anything; it's seasonable.

With over seven hours of songs chosen for the Lonely Days playlist, I should have no trouble coming up with a couple of songs. First let me refer you to the post of 07 April '07 as it features "lonely" songs too. Since I've never put up a song by the wonderful songstress, Maria Muldaur, here's, You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go. Also there's Dr. John with an appropriate song, Those Lonely Lonely Nights.