What I Believe

I started this post over two hours ago. Got a Sunday visitor, always welcome here in the country. I had just returned from the rink. I was on ice for the first time since my shoulder dislocation/broken arm two years ago. It did not go well. Putting all my weight in a gliding motion was too irritating to my wonky hip. Kind of an Eeeekkk pain which was too sharp to ignore. We don't have enough snow yet but I hope that when we do, I will still be able to snowshoe. To lose two of my favorite winter sports in one winter would be too much to bear. I'll tell you, getting older is not easy. How can your heart feel so young and your body so old?

I'm glad cre8ivity is not something that wanes with age. Happily it doesn't sag or droop either though, of course, a few wrinkles can appear from time to time. I was thinking about this yesterday after discussing a glass project with another drop-in friend and possibly, client. I actually pointed him in the direction of a DIY routine, with a bit of a course/tutorial, for his project. I don't think he can afford what he really wants with me doing it for him. Anyway about cre8ivity, I believe it blooms with age. You begin to know your way through roadblocks when you have them and with age comes experience in your various artistic leaning. I believe the old adage of 'practice makes perfect' comes to really mean something now. It is an advantage finally, to be older.

A friend of mine turned 65 this week and I asked him at a dinner on Friday night if his employer required mandatory retirement. Luckily for him it does not but another of his employers requires full time staff to be under 65. He is a session prof thus part time in that job. I feel better every day that I get older in regards to cre8ivity and I hope you can too.

I made a wonderful CD this week in time for Friday night's dinner party. It was entitled Girlfriends and is kind of special. The dinner was not restricted to girlfriends but it was a definite theme with a good number of the attendees. Ha! I just looked back to a misspelling alert and had written Girlfiends. Too funny!

I'll share a couple of the songs from this CD. These two songs may not seem to go together but they fit quite well into the context of the whole. Yep, age has it's benefits in that I'll say "Respect your elders," if you don't agree. Here's All Grown Up by Holly Golightly and Company of Friends by Danny Schmidt. The latter is one of my favorite songs of the decade and had been featured here more than one time. I believe the words in this song. It is about what you believe.

Town Birds

I had a wonderful day in town with friends. I was taking one friend to a 'birthday lunch' and another friend called just as I was leaving. He suggested a meeting of all concerned and several suggestions for a wonderful afternoon. The birthday girl had some appointments so the other friend and I went to a Home Show, a commercial spring ritual around these parts. There we met different friends and it was a fun spring afternoon. Yes, spring. Spring is here at last. It is wonderful. We lost our promise of sunshine today but it was still warm, T shirt weather for many.

I'm feeling a bit under the weather. My son was sick on the weekend with a mild flu and I have been headachy, a bit nauseous, and exhausted feeling the last couple of days. I'd say I got a mild version of his malady. Just not up to top form. I never get headaches and this one has been mildly present for several days. I'm sure I'll swing right out of it as usual.

Music, music. I just got home and haven't listened to any today to remind me of anything. Perhaps I'll be lazy since it's late and draw from the bank of songs already up here. I love the song, Company of Friends, by Danny Schmidt so much as I've said before, so to play it again is a pleasure. Dear, dear. Putfile has been reorganizing and recently some songs have been available and some have not. I like the song so much that I'll put it up on the new space too. Another of his fabulous songs fits right in to today as well. He talks about health: This Too Shall Pass. I really like him so will put that up again too.

Mushroom Hunting

The beach will have to wait. There was a cold north wind all day and my beach which faces north would not have been the nicest place to be. I went instead, to the woods. In search of the mighty fine chanterelle mushroom. The hunt was very successful and I got a half grocery bag full. I walked two and a half km. in, making it a five km. walk. I sauntered and picked on my way in and walked very quickly on the way out, stopping only to take off my outerwear after the first fast km. My pack was heavier than usual as I was carrying raingear as I wasn't sure that it wouldn't rain.

Because of the rain the chanterelles have grown differently than in most years. They are very frilled. The photo, though it isn't the clearest, shows this quite well. The top usually flutes much more evenly and smoothly. They grew very close to the ground and are like are like curly chanterelles. They are going to be delicious tonight no matter the shape. I will keep a quantity fresh and freeze some tonight. I have to go start cleaning them which with their twisty condition is going to be more difficult than usual.

I've had two friends come by to visit so far and one I don't see often is about to drop in so if I get stopped (it's 5:06 now), I'll be back. This friend may share my supper that is to include chanterelles. You never know.

I have to play this. I don't know if I've mentioned this here or only in person. I have a favorite song most of the time. It usually stays in this position for a month or two. Right now it's The Company of Friends by Danny Schmidt. I think it's the most awesome song and I relate to it in a big way. Another of Danny's songs, Sad Song Walking deserves a play today in honour of my walk in the woods. There was nothing about sadness out there but I like this guy and his Company of Friends song may remain my favorite song for another six months. Have you played it yet? A livelier song by Danny Schmidt and that includes a nice harmony singer is Sunny Days. My sunny day will have to wait till tomorrow when I'm back to work but you can get a taste now.

All Over and Back

The house is filled with new vases of flowers. It's corners have also been vacuumed, it's surfaces cleaned, it's corners shined, and good odors are wafting throughout. It's my day off! I'm loving it. I had one friend's visit for a couple of hours and am expecting another any time now. I'm not getting as much done as I intended but that's ok. Tomorrow brings a short trip to town but I can get everything else done then too.

Rain was forecast but we're not getting any. We're getting a bit of a wind (a nice breeze) from a tropical storm passing up the Atlantic but the rain stopped yesterday. The sun peeked through only a few times but it's a lovely summer day to be outside. My friend and I sat outside on the deck and it was wonderful. My flowerpots are beautiful. I took photos but they're in the camera. Another day or so and I'll have uncovered the photos.

I made a cd for my daughter the end of April called Daughter's Day. I usually make a copy for myself too, of all cd's I've made. I play this a lot and here are a couple of the reasons why:

• It starts with this song.
• It has this:How Am I Different - Bettye LaVette
  Company of Friends - Danny Schmidt
  Black Mountain Blues - Nick Drake
  Is You Is Or Is You Ain't - Diana Krall
  Don't Forget to Miss Me - Harry Manx
  Baby Please Don't Go - Dutch Mason
  Woman King - Iron & Wine
  I Love You So Much It Hurts - John Prine
  Eyes On The Prize - Mavis Staples
  Sun Dirt Water - The Waifs
  Will You Still Love Me - Amy Winehouse
  Happy - Martin Sexton
  Country From The Domecar - Brook Miller
  A Song For You - Leon Russell
  The Beach Is Free - Billy Bragg
  
• Changes - Better In the End
• La Meme Histoire - Feist in the middle
  
• It ends with this.
  

I'll pick away and link more songs when I have the time.

Drawing Board

Well, Ralph, I'll say this right away. Today's first song is for you. I just read you comment on yesterday's post and the last thing you said was 'this too shall pass'. I opened my music player and the first song is This Too Shall Pass by Danny Schmidt. It's worth a listen too. I was just looking at what else I have by Schmidt and there's something very appropriate in the folder, Drawing Board. I've been drawing, painting and varnishing all day so it fits right in and makes the search for the right music easy today.

Some days are harder than others. In my profile under music it says I am a collector of songs. I am certainly that. My problem is that I can't usually remember who did the song and it is very hard to find versions I want as everything is filed to the performer's name.

I had planned to put up rain songs, until I opened the music player and found This Too... It has been raining all day and we're forecast to get wet snow tonight. I canceled a morning dental appointment but will keep tomorrow afternoon's physio appointment. I don't think it will amount to much and it's not a dental emergency I'm canceling. Maybe if I don't play music about rain or snow.....

Update: At 5:03 there is a snow/rain combination. This does not look good. It wasn't supposed to start till tonight.