Slackening The Tightened Tendons

Capricorn
A loose energy takes over today, slackening the tightened tendons in your neck and making you feel a lot more relaxed. This is an appropriate day for sleeping in, slowing down and asking yourself, 'what's the rush?' Everyone else may be on a tight schedule, but you know you've got plenty of wiggle room, so why not use it? Take a long afternoon nap -- it will refresh you for the rest of the evening, and fill your mind with inspiring, amusing dreams.

Sounds good to me.................it's cold and windy and not a nice day to play outside.

I will take the time to choose some music: Mary Black with Lay Down Your Burden and Nate Farrar with Let Me Down. Very different songs from each other.

No Crowing

Ooh, those fruits, cheeses and herb crackers! I'm making a habit of it. Company does it; makes you bring out the goodies and treats.

I just had a very serious fire warning. A friend who was visiting was just leaving and a smoke alarm went off in my house. Apon investigating we found a charred mantlepiece in the room where we had, just a half hour ago, been dancing and having a wonderful visit. A Mexican "lacey" pottery candle shelter was the culprit. The heat inside got too intense and charcoal was forming. It gave me a good scare since it is only six months ago that I got this smoke alarm functional after having none for a year or two. A good warning.

Music: "Rude awakening, guess it's time we all woke up," are the lyrics from this Ron Sexsmith song, And Now The Day Is Done and Tango Till They're Sore from Tom Waits' 2000 - Live In Seattle album. Both those songs are figuring into my night.

Frosty Window

It's been a day of music, painting, and photography. I've enjoyed all three. Had work related phone calls and e-mails to deal with but it's all necessary.

The temp has moderated this afternoon and we're expecting snow, then rain tomorrow. I may be cancelling my eye appointment. Winter is here. You usually think it happens gradually but with this sharp turn, you know that that is not always the case.

Music: Made a cd for a friend today. The songs for today are on it. C'mon A My House by Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks and Never Letting Go by Phoebe Snow. Both were very big with me in the seventies. I still play a lot of the music from then in all my playlists. Soul, gospel, Joni, Van, Leonard, The Bob, Neil, and on and on and on. Anyway it's music that sticks with you. Good on a cold winter day.

I'm unsure of what to do about the music page. Five hundred songs is just around the corner. It's hard to look after now because I often have to go through lists to see if something has been uploaded. Some have been twice. I'm still pleaing for a computer geek friend who could advise me.

Oh my! The said playlist just reached the climax of this song and then moved into this, then this ........bonus tracks. See the work I go to....LOL. That actually took a lot of time.

Half Stormstayed

It was sunny and cold today (minus 17) and quite windy. Everything on the Island shut down. In a normal year this wouldn't happen but everyone needed a storm day. We, of course, shut down for major storms but this was basically blowing and drifting snow which made a fairly high windchill factor, terrible driving, and the real need......a day off.

Storm days are part of the Canadian culture. We love them! I laughed at one of the radio's public service announcements. They announced that all government offices in Souris were closing and said, "This also means the liquor store." Folks in Souris were disappointed I'm sure, because many a good party has begun from being stormstayed.

I must say I didn't venture outside. I had no reason to and was warm and cozy. I would have liked to get some photos though. Since it was sunny there were some cool shadows in the snow photos waiting out there.

Music: From a Griffin and a Griffiths. Stangely, I have relatives with both names. I found this puzzling when I was a little kid. Pattie Griffin with Top of The World and Nancy Griffiths and Friends with Wasn't That A Mighty Storm.

Hunkering Down

Put on a lovely big pot of beef soup for tonight's dinner, had an early lunch and was back out playing in the snow before noon. The wind had begun to rise by then so my ears were colder than they had been before. I didn't wear the right hat for a windy day.

Oh, but what a glorious walk! I didn't take many photos. It was snowing so I had the camera in an inconvenient backpack. The snow wasn't deep and there was lots of stubble. I could have made the walk without snowshoes but oh well, I got the extra legwork. Only saw one set of tracks and lacking skills in that department, I couldn't identify them.

We've had flurries most of the day and I guess tonight we are headed for the big deep freeze. I say bring it on. I can't imagine I'll get as much pleasure out of the first cold spell as the second snow but maybe I will.

Music: I said a few days ago that I'd put up some newer music that I'd discovered. One is really, really funny to me because I have a little brother with the same name as this song and amazingly it is about a little brother. Here's Alfie by Lily Allen. I like this guy's sound. I've had his songs for a couple of months but never put any up. He's Brett Dennon and this song is called There Is So Much More.

Snow Update

I'm known to appreciate the simple things of life but really am surprised at how much I am appreciating this snowfall.

We didn't get a lot of snow and it's light and fluffy so easy to shovel. Good thing too because my plow person did not clean out in front of the car as is usually done. It had to be shoveled along with the deck and path to the car. Now that the chores are done the way is free to go out to play. The favorite ex is already out there. Hopefully she will want to come out again later or I'll go solo - no matter. She has others to help with shovelling chores.

Kenz really appreciated the snow too and was the first one out.

Back later with today's music.

Anticipating Weather

The above photo will never go on a photo blog but will go on this blog. It's how I found the girls when I went to bed last night. I went back downstairs to get the camera but kept the light off when I came back to take the photo. They're quite the girls!

Don't you just love the flavour of brie cheese and rosemary crackers? I'll be having a late supper tonight because of a fairly extensive visit/snack just now but that's ok. This flavour on my tongue will see me through.

I was out visiting earlier today and made plans to go hiking next week on some brand new trails which promise to be a photographer's delight.

I love my friends. Two today have made me feel sooooo good. I appreciate my good friendships more every day. To accept one person for who they are and be accepted for who you are are just the basics. I celebrate my friends today and every day. We're there for one another and that is to be celebrated.

We are expecting "some weather" but the newscasters are being a little over-dramatic. I heard one say this afternoon that we were in for a "big system", in very dramatic fashion. The forecast is for 15 cm (6 inches, Carol) and winds gusting up to 50 km/hr. Nothing really big but since it's only our second taste of winter it's all feeling very exciting.

We love our storm days. They are an excuse to take the day off - a mental health day. After all the drama has passed I want to snow shoe. My favorite ex (sister-in-law, sometime I'll get a cuidadopedia) wants to cross country ski so we've decided on a field where we can do it together.

Music: Canadian, Ron Sexsmith, clever and likable in God Loves Everyone and an old favorite from 1970 or '69, also Canadian, is Melanie and Beautiful People.

Housekeeping 2

Was just looking something up in my archives and discovered that on March 28th (in a post entitled Housekeeping), I planned to put up a couple of songs that somehow never made it. There were lots of problems getting on Putfile in the past or I could very well have forgotten. Here's the description copied over so I don't have to type it again.

Today features a super version of Tracey Chapman's Down to Zero by Bettye LaVette.

Also, I've put up a song that I've loved since these boys wrote it for prom a few years back. It features Robbie, one of the Chucky Danger Band, Eric, my nephew, Miles, a neighbour and I think Colin, who is also from Chucky. Robbie gave me permission long ago to spread it around. He can't actually remember how the song goes even though he wrote it and sings and plays piano on the piece. I don't know which is the band name vs. the song name. Here's Changes - Better In The End.

I've been getting lots of new music lately and have been having a great time listening, grooving and dancing. The weather has not been conducive to walking the last couple of days but the dancing is always available. I'll share some of the new, as always, but wanted to get these old ones up. Changes - Better In The End has never been released anywhere so it's very rare stuff. It was written for a prom and forgotten about except by me.

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!

A Day To Celebrate - For Me

It's one year today since I quit smoking. Up until this year I was a pro at quitting as well as a pro at starting again. The difference this time was that I decided not to smoke any more. Not party smoke, not a drag here or there, not out-of-the-province smoking. Sort of like the anti-drug slogan of a few years ago......I just say no. Making the decision actually makes it easier because you don't ever have to choose whether you will or won't when you're out at a party. You've already made the decision.

I was thinking about it this morning. My first attenpt to quit was in '74. Then '75, '76, '77 and so on and on and on. It's about time I got it. People say that I didn't want to quit before or they say that you have to want to quit. I don't think it's that simple as I know I truly wanted to quit every other time. The difference is making the decision to quit. It may not seem so but it's very different.

I've been craving recently and it's because I had a couple of drags a month ago. I "fed the dragon." I didn't think it would hurt because I knew that I would not start again. I've certainly learned from that. There will be no more drags because I won't again get the nicotine into my body where it tells the brain, "Just one more."

My niece quit many years ago and has had a couple of incidents over the years of craving out of the blue. Here's her latest tale. The fourth paragraph tells about it.

Music: The Temptations (ha ha ha ah ha) with Just My Imagination and All or Nothing by Casey Dienel. I love the lyrics in this. She's not talking about cigarettes but I can relate the words to them....I barely remember your name, I'm going to be just fine, etc.

Hurrah for me!!!

Music Makes The Day Go Round

Let Me In!

The best thing about not having to go to work each day is that you don't have to stick to scripted out days. You can do something entirely different than you had planned. For instance, I had planned to put the beads away and start painting. The beads beckoned me again while I was packing them up so I said the heck with it and sat down and made a ton of earrings today. Maybe tomorrow I'll put them away. Maybe not.

I find out tomorrow the status of my glaucoma. I have to undergo a visual field test where drops are put in my eyes and a baseline measurement is taken. Fun, fun. I guess I won't change that plan and go with the flow like I can with beads and paint.

I listened to cds today while into the beads, not my own playlists. It was fun playing albums that bring back a time or incident. I listened to The Waifs, Joni, Diana Krall, Mana and Stan Rogers. Nothing similar in any of it but all good; all excellent to me, actually.

I have only one Stan song on my computer, one Mana song and a small number of the Waifs, Joni or Diana compared to the number of albums I have of each. The British woman I talked about the other day, Corinne Bailey Rae, has a song about "your records" that is appropriate to the feelings you get playing those records. Have a listen to Put Your Records On. I sure do like her sound. One from the above mentioned group should go up today too so here's Service Fee by The Waifs, my favorite Waifs song. It's a very serious song and should. be. listened. to. in. a. serious. way.

January's Music Stats - Songs 399 and 400

Photo taken a while back (since there's no snow) by my brother.

Songs 399 and 400 are accompanying this month's music stats - a day early. It's been a busy month with only a few surprises. Because Halleluja has been a popular choice I'll put a couple more versions up because it is a Halleluja moment to get 400 songs up and take care of them. Here are versions by Damien Rice and Alison Moorer. Damien's is live.

I think the stats are defintely showing patterns. The same favorites keep popping up every month. Here's December, November and October. You can go back further. They're usually posted on the 11th.

• There are quite a few with zero plays this month. Kate Rusby's, Lonesome Road, People Get Ready by the Blind Boys of Alabama, Come Rain or Come Shine by Dr. John, Breathe by Sia, Nervous Tic by Andrew Bird, and Celebrate by Rare Earth.
• With 20 plays there are a large number: Hard Times by Dutch Mason, Llave de Paso - Negra Luca, Haircut by the Waifs, Fairytale From New York by the Pogues, Sonny's Dream by The Wonderful Grand Band, The Body Breaks by Devendra Banheart, Climb by Ryan Auffenburg, Tom Wait's The Briar and the Rose, and An Occasional Man by Jeri Southern.
• Tonight Will Be Fine by Teddy Thompson received 21 hits.
  
• Leonard Cohen's Dance Me To The End of Love was popular again this month with 22 plays. Also with 22 was S'wonderful by Diana Krall, Hands by Jewel, Halleluja by Jeff Buckley, and my personal favorite find of 2006, Joy by Bettye LaVette.
• I Shall be Released by Neil Young, Sarah McLachlan and Phish got played 23 times.
• With 24 is Que Ondo Guero by Beck, Old Fashioned Morphine by Jolie Holland, Not Dark Yet by Greg Brown (I've probably played it that many times as well), and Rufus Wainwright's version of Halleluja.
• Lyle Lovett's Church getting 26 plays was a surprise because it hadn't received over 20 on any other month. Buena Sera by Louis Prima got 26 as well. It placed somewhere up there the last couple of months
  
• Leonard's own version of Halleluja got 28 hits as did Sunshine on a Rainy Day by Zoe and Alright Okay by Peggy Lee.
• No surprises here as these two are popular month after month. Quisas, Quisas, Quisas by Lila Downs and La Larona by Chevala Vargas each were played 34 times.
• Have you been waiting for it? Black Eyed Peas' Don't Lie got 166 hits.
  

Old Friends

On a perfect day for a long walk, I spent the day driving. I took my 91 year old friend, Billy, out for the day. I told him it was all on me, the drive to anywhere he'd like - to visit friends or sight see, then lunch and a bit of shopping for him. We had a great day and did it all. It was sunny and warm; heck, we both were in sweaters. We drove all over Eastern PEI and truly enjoyed each other's company and the scenic views.

It was the first time I've seen him alone since he got a room mate in his nursing home. I wanted to get the scoop and find out how he was getting along. He's not had a great history with room mates and can be a bit difficult at times. He's quite a character and I've certainly had my share of troubles with him over the years. He is happy with his living situation for now so I'm pretty happy about that.

Music: An old timey song I picked up last summer was Out On Penny's Farm by The Bentley Boys and a short, live number by from the Old Crow Medicine Show, Tell It To Me.

I'll walk tomorrow, and varnish, and basecoat, and put away beads, and vacuum ( I fixed my machine), and clean J's room. There's time.

Getting On With It - A New Year

We had snow earlier today but rain took over by mid afternoon. We will be left with slush after the temperature rises as is forecasted. It looked pretty while it lasted. The photo above is from last year and is an animal track I saw on my way to the beach during a mid-winter walk. I like the deep shadow.

I've been surrounded by good friends who love me. I just pass it on. I've had a long list of phone calls to make to celebrate the new year with friends from all over the world. I've been making at least one of these phone calls per day; sometimes more. They are all similar in that the person is glad to hear from me and we catch up on a year's activities in each of our lives. There has been a lot of laughter, a few tears, always acceptance and compassion for each other's situations and most of all, love that has spanned the years. What more can a person ask for?

I heard today that Oprah is having a concert one day soon of Mary J Blige, Carly Simon and Corinne Baily Rae, who I mentioned last week is new to me. I'll definitely be tuning in.

The new year has begun in earnest. I made quite a few pairs of earrings today and have several paintings from last year prepared to varnish tomorrow. I feel like painting, at this point, so will start some base-coating tomorrow. I find it therapeutic and look forward to it.

Music: I really like Mary J. Blige and really like this song, About You featuring Will-I-Am, that has samples of Nina Simone in it. Also up is Not Gon' Cry (good advice) by Mary as well. She's been a wonderful example of finding joy in dark places.

Friends

I was invited out to dinner today and have declined the invitation. I find it so easy to just stay home. I spent yesterday out visiting and really enjoy spending time with my friends but today was one of those days to hunker down. It's windy and the temperature dropped to one this afternoon. It is supposed to be zero and there's weather such as freezing drizzle and snow in tomorrow's forecast. Another day to hunker down?

A friend gave me a bottle of rum for a birthday gift. I'm having a Bloody Mary with said rum and have a bottle of Clamato juice in the cupboard too. Today's music is for friends. When you have them, you know it. All of My Friends is by Amos Lee. When you don't have them, you also know it. Walk Away is by Ben Harper.

Tomorrow really means my New Year has begun. Time to get started on some projects. I think I'll just hunker down and get at them. I spend way to much time on-line. I enjoy it so much but things doen't get done by themselves.

Goodbye Big Guy

My son goes off tomorrow, back to university for his last term. He graduates in the spring. Time has just flown by but probably not in his eyes. He works very hard and gets good marks. Back to all that hard work.

It's been raining for a couple of days and the temps are about 12. The ground is completely saturated and the weather is all everyone is talking about. Two big ski resorts have closed in Ontario in the winter for the first time in their 65 year history. Golf courses are booked solid instead. Very disturbing really. It was showing on the news that people have been finding live grasshoppers on their lawns.

Music today: From Tom Waits' Unreleased Studio Recordings, I'm Crazy About My Baby for my son. From Tom Waits', 1992's Bone Machine, here's, Little Rain.

Nothing to Thaw

Our temperatures today are in the double digits and there is light rain. Certainly unusual but there is snow in the forecast for Monday.

What a busy birthday! I truly had no time to blog. I had visitors all afternoon right till supper time and the phone never stopped all day or evening. It's nice to feel loved.

I got a couple of new cd's for a gift. JJ Cale and Eric Clapton put out a new album recently. I love the title, Road to Escondido, as I'm always "on the road to Escondido." The other was Colin James' new album, Colin James and the Little Big Band 3. Both are good and when I get them onto the computer I will share them.

I promised new music for today. It may not be brand new but it's new to me. I just discovered British singer, Corinne Baily Rae and I love her old soul sound. This song, Season's Change reminds me of so many old songs and was released in June. She has a female Stevie Wonder sound. I don't know anything about her so maybe she is the female version of Stevie. Others compare her to Bill Withers, Zero 7, and Alicia Keys.

Something a bit newer is from a Canadian Band, Patrick Watson. I put up their song Giver a while back when it was first released and today I give you Luscious Life.

Yikes! There are now 390 songs on the music page for your listening (and now downloading) pleasure.

Old and New

The weather is soooo great. I'm not sure what the temperature is since my thermometer is broken but I am able to go walking without a hat or gloves....in January. The temps are predicted to go up and up all week.....in January. Walking today was really fabulous. I know I talk about the endorphens released when walking but wow, they make you feel glad to be alive.

Things happen in threes they say and I've seen this happen. Yesterday someone hit into my car. Today I've discovered that my vacuum cleaner sucks. It actually doesn't suck thus it really sucks. Do you get vacuum cleaners repaired or buy new ones?

I've been having these bad luck cycles in the last month. What's the saying? "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all." They pass, I guess.

Old music for the end of an old year. I kind of consider my birthday on the fourth to be more of a new year for me than the first. Today's music is from another era, the grandparents of our modern music. I love both of these cuts. This one, You've Got To Move by Mississippi Fred McDowell is already up by yesterday's choice, Greg Brown (here's the link to compare) and sticking with Mississippi....here's Mississippi John Hurt doing Since I Laid My Burden Down. I like listening to this old roots music then to other versions.

I guess tomorrow should be new music. Hmmmmm.

Weather Woes

I stayed in town last night. After dinner at a friend's house, I went to leave and there was a half inch of ice covering my car. I wouldn't have attempted to drive in freezing rain. My son overshot the driveway when he came home and I heard the roads were terrible.

One time I was visiting these same friends. They live on a fairly narrow street and when I came out the mirror had been knocked off the car. This morning I found that the signal/park light housing had been hit and is just hanging. The fender is also scraped. Nothing I can do really but pay to have it fixed.

My son is taking me to dinner tomorrow night for my birthday. That will be very nice as I've not spent much time with him over the holidays. He worked every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day, and Sundays.

Music: I'm still into that deep Greg Brown voice. Here's Treat Each Other Right and Brand New Dodge and for Greg Brown with Bill Morrissey here's the link to, He Was A Friend of Mine.

Happy New Year

My aunt became a grandmother for the first time around when my dad, her brother just two years older than her, became a great-grandfather. She waited a long time. She does a sketch of her grandchildren every year for her annual Christmas card. Above is this year's.

I cleaned off all the photos from my fridge today and put up new photos that I got for Christmas and some old ones. Seemed like a New Years Day type of thing to do.

Music: I'm busy burning cd's today for birthday presents. Most of what I'm burning is already up on my music page but here's As Long As I'm Movin' from Ruth Brown , who died in November and Suddenly by Carmen MacRae.

Turning Over A Leaf

I turned over the pretty leaf on the road one day when taking a walk. The back was not coloured at all. All of the leaves from that tree were the same with the back of the leaf being whitish grey and the front colourful. Some people want the perfect leaf only to find when it's turned over, it's not what they expect. It's just dull and colourless but it's still the same leaf.

My daughter leaves again today. I'll miss her lively presence. Things will be quieter and quieter.

Music for today: New Years Eve by The Walkmen, a link to Take Me As I Am by the October Project, and Just My Soul Responding by Smokey Robinson.

Titles Are Hard

There's ice on the pond. We had below freezing temps overnight and finally some ice is forming. Not all that long ago, when the kids were young, we would be skating on the pond during Christmas vacation. It's proof to me that the weather has changed a lot because I've not been able to skate on the pond since Feb. or March 2003. Even then, there was a large open area. It would not have been suitable for children.

Lots of visitors have been around. It's great but I haven't done my promised visits to others. I find it very easy to stay home. Tomorrow night is a friend's annual Eve Eve Party. We'll definately be making an appearance at that. It's big and crowded and the dance floor is always packed and we have a blast. We're tired of leftovers so we're eating out first. Not turkey or ham or lobster....anything else is fair game.

A couple of songs for the music page. Just random favorites......I've been listening to latin all day but these are not. The first is a song I love. I have the Blind Boys of Alabama version up already but this one I love the best. It's People Get Ready by Phoebe Snow and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison was a lways a favorite of mine. When I first heard A Night in San Fransisco and heard this version with Brian Kennedy beginning and Van coming in, I almost melted. It's SUCH a great version! Enjoy!

Generations

Playing With Toys

We have a baby in the house for the night. My daughter's friend and her six month old are here. The baby's very sweet. My daughter was going to take him for the night but I'm glad Mama came along. The wee one hasn't been well so best to be near his mom.

My friend from the Arctic was here for a great visit this afternoon and helped me install and use an external hard drive. I can now stop making cd's to save the music collection. I may put the music and photos on dvds as well.

You'd think I was really embracing the techno age with the external hard drive but what is amazing is that I bought and set up an mp3 player yesterday. It's the last straw. People will now be subjected to me singing off key to the music playing on earbuds in my ears. The world is not ready but I can't help but sing....and dance.....no, the world is not ready for me with an mp3 player.

Music: From I'm Your Man, the tribute to Leonard Cohen, is Teddy Thompson's version of Tonight Will Be Fine. Another great cover is of Carole King's Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
by Amy Winehouse. I love the percussion in it and both fine songs are worth a listen. I keep finding I've already uploaded songs that I recommend so I just link them...easier for you.

It is twenty thrree years today I lost my brother to the side effects of a bone marrow transplant. A song for him too...

James Brown

Could there be a worse Christmas for soul and blues lovers with, after Dutchie Mason's passing, we hear the news of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown? I couldn't believe it, really. I truly wanted to name my firstborn after him but got reasoned out of it.

Today's music, of course, is all from James. One I'd never heard him do, Your Cheatin Heart, is already up. Here's the link. The other two......well let's say I've danced to these tunes tons of times and still when I have serious house-cleaning to do, they're first in the cd selection. This version of Sex Machine is pretty darn good and Get Up Offa That Thing is such a classic. I knew heaven was going to be special this weekend.

Oh the food in this house! Turkey, ham, lobster, potato salad, leftover mashed potatoes and veggies, fruit, desserts, drinks, candies and chocolate and nuts and on and on and on.....I'll feel guilty later but for right now, I'm enjoying it. My kids just arrived with their biggest friend and made a dent in the turkey and bread but only a dent.

My grandson is three today. The alien age, I think.

Prime Minister of the Blues, Dutch Mason

I wish I could enlarge the above image that I picked up off the internet. I don't know how I forgot to put in a paragraph about Prime Minister Dutch Mason in my post earlier today.

I woke this morning to hear the news that my Maritime hero, Dutch Mason, had died. I was shocked. Even though he had been ill for years, to hear such news surprised and saddened me. I've been a Dutch Mason fan since the early 70's years in my Saint John years where he played often. I have most of his albums and lots of great memories of his always wonderful and unique performances.

Once, in the early 80's, I was working evenings and Dutch was booked to play a week at a Charlottetown nightclub. I took a week's vacation and went every night and was so glad I did. He was remarkable.

The last time he played in PEI, a lot of my friends were in various places in the club on a hot summer night. No one was dancing and I wasn't about to be the one to begin. Everyone headed outdoors during the intermission and I arranged that everyone (my friends) get up on the first beat of the first song after intermission and head to the dance floor. We all did and the party began. We had a real blast. I got an autograph from Dutch that night and saw the really devastated appearance of his hands. He was no longer playing at that time in the early 90's.

The last time I saw/heard Dutch was in Nova Scotia. About four years ago, S and I went on a little overnight camping trip to Joggins and Parrsboro to satisfy my fossil jonesing. Turned out that Dutch was playing at the Ships Theater in Parsboro that night. We were too late to get tickets but the Ships Theater is an old boat with a tarp for a roof. We sat out on the deck on that hot summer night and drank beer and listened to the master. While everyone was inside sitting in their seats, we were outside, inches from Dutch sitting in his wheelchair, waiting to be introduced. I kept my cool and didn't fawn or bug the man.

He was truly a master and was aptly named the Prime Minister of the Blues by BB King. I want to have my old albums preserved digitally or on cd somehow. They've always been considered treasures of mine as there really aren't a lot of those old albums around.

You'll certainly be missed Dutch Mason, but you'll get to join your old friend Rick up there and I can well imagine Heaven's going to be filled with the blues tonight.

For Dutchie fans here's a link back to Hard Times on my music page and I'm uploading Nine Below Zero, Walkin Blues and Baby Please Don't Go for today. I've also included them on my Christmas Eve playlist that I make every year tha I'm about to burn so we can all hear it tonight. I wish I could have a copy of Dutch's version of Alright, OK on my computer. He does a better job of that song than anyone, in my opinion.

CBC's Worst Segment Ever

I was subjected to the worst radio segment I've ever heard on CBC this morning. Michael Enright had voice coaches attempt but not succeed to teach him to sing and it was truly awful. I was in the bathtub and momentarily thought of hauling the radio in to stop the pain. Luckily I couldn't reach that radio. That we Canadians paid for this CBC piece and were subjected to this crap was beyond belief. Thankfully the music for the rest of the program was good, preventing Michael Enright of having had the absolute worst program of the year, just segment. Heather Bambrick saved Michael's butt; she was fabulous!

I have a favorite Christmas song version and I can't find it. I usually hear Tom Jackson's version at least once during the season on CBC, but not this year. Crash Test Dummies has a pretty good version. Here's The Huron Carol. For a Christmas present, a great version of Besame Mucho from the vaults. My Christmas collection may be exhausted, but never versions of this great song. Here's Nana Mouskouri.

A young people's party here tonight. They can party here late into the night because nothing wakes me but the smell of smoke, so they smoke outside, and thumping which has stopped now that the boys aren't 14 and 15 and wrestling anymore. I'll have a great time until 10 or so then turn in and dream of sugarplums. All sounds good to me.....a Merry Christmas!

The Twenty Third of December

It has been a very quiet day today but things will pick up tomorrow. The kids are partying with their dad's family tonight. I had a nap, ate chocolate, visited a senior's home and plain old relaxed. This is such a change for me but not unwelcome. I needed some easier time and I'm getting what I wished for.

I'm not into Christmas music but have a bit that could qualify. The Pogues, Fairytale of New York is a good example. It's not really a traditional Christmas song but is popular this time of year. Sarah MacLaughlan's version of Joni Mitchell's River will never match Joni's raw emotion but is worth a listen. It's good at any time of year but is more popular during the winter. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the traditional and this version by Christine Aguilara is pretty nice.

Tomorrow the kids are here and are having friends in in the evening. It will be nice to have some noise.

Helpful Hints

I had to pass on these helpful hints from ny friend Mrs. Dash. We can all use help during this busy holiday season. Seem like I can't change the colour of the following text so it must be highlighted to read.

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto! The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink.

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget all about the toothache.

8. Sometimes, we just need to remember what the rules of life really are: You only need two tools - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

9. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

10. Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

The Fifties

The fridge is full, the presents are finished and Christmas can now happen.

Our dinner party with old friends of thirty years was wonderful. In the early 80's we had a series of 50's parties. We looked at the photos from those parties last night and oh, they were great! Two of our friends are no longer with us and to see photos of those two having fun and looking like they'd live forever was awakening in itself. Out last party was "The Prom" and we had photos taken under the 1950 sign. I was pregnant at the time so I looked like the pregnant high school girl at the prom. Too funny!

I suggested that now we're all in our 50's we should resume the 50's parties but with the 50's meaning something different all together. No, we won't be discussing menopause or our aches and pains.

I don't have 50's jive music in my collection but have a couple of songs from that era that bring back my childhood. Catch A Falling Star by Perry Como and Que Sera Sera by Doris Day.

Togetherness

My darling daughter has made it home from Calgary. They left Saturday morning and arrived yesterday morning. She's all in one piece - not even road weary, just glad to be home.

I actually have to cook and feed people for the next week seeing that I have two children home so I have to get some groceries today. The cupboards have been pretty bare. I have a dinner party in town this evening so will go in early and get final preps for Christmas and food. A rarity these days is that the dinner party is not a potluck. I am not supposed to bring anything except something to drink because they're serving wine, which I am allergic to. It will be great not to cook for once.

I've made a cd of dinner music for tonight and while going through some music I found some I'd forgotten about. It's not dinner music but one cut for today is God's Gonna Cut You Down by Johnny Cash. It reminds me of Dylan's, Gotta Serve Somebody. Another cut is an old one that I always liked. Some would consider it cheesy but I like it....One Less Bell To Answer by The Fifth Dimension.

Free at Last

Kenz At Night

I'm officially unemployed. My feet and legs are very happy and plan to thank me next week when it will no longer hurt to walk. Now, I have to get ready for Christmas. A bit of baking, a trip to the attic for decorations, cleaning and shopping should do it. I'm attending a dinner party tomorrow so will go in early and take care of the groceries and shopping and the rest, I just have to get at it. Time is drawing near.

We blew second round in trivia last night after placing first in the first round. It goes without saying though, that we had lots of fun. We are not going next week even though there is trivia. We'll all be busy eating leftover turkey.

Music: Let Me Down Easy by Bettye LaVette and Bruce Springsteen's Long Time Comin'

Halleluja

It's finally here...the last party of the year at my work. I have a finish up day for the year next week and then that's it. Whew! It's been a siege to say the least. S. is coming out to volunteer and have a free dinner and then we're coming back here to have a drink or two and celebrate another year finished. Did I say Whew!?

I heard from my daughter last night. They were close to entering Manitoba, making good time and there was not a blizzard. It was snowing but not too bad. Our weather is warm and sunny. People are complaining about the lack of a white Christmas. Bah!

On the radio right now is kd lang's version of Leonard Cohen's song, Halleluja. The song before that was Ray Charles', Halleluja, I Love Her So. The segment is a kind of special on the word Halleluja. I have lots of versions of Halleluja and a few up on the music page. I also have Ray's song up already. Here are a few more Hallelujas in honour of the last Christmas party. To add to Allison Crowe, kd, Jeff Buckley's versions are a powerful one by Rufus Wainwright and the original by Leonard Cohen himself.

Worry Mode Approaching

Three more days of party hosting then I'm free.....!!!! Free at last.......!!!!

My daughter is leaving on Saturday to drive across the country....in winter. I will be a mess until she arrives home. She could have flown but wants the adventure of driving across the country with her friends. I asked her why she didn't choose the summer to do that. It's a long ride in cold, snowy weather. We've not had the snow or cold in the east but western and central Canada has. We're back up to 8 degrees - very springlike and much appreciated by me.

Music today: It Takes a Worried (Wo)Man from my favorite Friday album, The Skiffle Sessions and You Are Always on My Mind by Willie Nelson.

A Freeze on Aging

Taffy, another dog friend at his freezing pond.
Mine is not freezing yet and I wanted ice photos.

Having those few days off was really necessary for me and brought my bad week to a great end. I will be finished work on Sunday with maybe a day to get things sorted out and put away till spring. It's been intense to say the least.

We didn't do very well at trivia last night. We crossed out lots of correct answers after our discussions....but what do you do? It was S's birthday yesterday and mine is in three weeks. I don't like them so much any more. My friend who shares my birthday; day and year, had her head on my shoulder kind of wimpering about it too. Maybe next week I'll suggest we cancel aging this year.

Music: Young Man's Blues, a short ditty from Mose Allison and Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think) by Louis Prima.

Music Stats Again

Not the one I'm thinking of, Xenmate. I think I deleted it.

It's music stat day, interesting as usual but no big surprises as there have been in the past.

• Three songs received no plays this month. One was My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas. One other month it received none and then the next month it was 22, then 2, now zero again. Al Green's version of A Change Is Gonna Come was another. I have lots of versions of the song up there and the rest received plays but NOT AL GREEN???? The third was the lively, Mirada Latina by Vilma Diaz y la Senora
  
• Those receiving 20 hits were: Shirley Hornes version of There's A Boat That's Leavin' Soon For New York, Harpo's Blues by Phoebe Snow, Baila Moreno by Mana and Zuchero, Old Fashioned Morphine by Jolie Holland, Heartbeat by Jose Gonzales, Llave de Paso by Negra Luca, both The Haircut and Lies by The Waifs, and Music by Leela James.
  
• Heart Attack and Vine by Tom Waits received 22 hits
• With 24 hits were S'Wonderful by Diana Krall, Buona Sera by Louis Prima, Alison Crowe's version of Halleluja, Sunshine on a Rainy Day by Zoe, and God Planned It by Billy Preston.
• Back Home To Me by Sophie Millman got 26 hits this month as did Leonard's own version of Dance Me To the End of Love. Back Home to Me was up here last month as well, with 32 hits.
  
• Lila Down's, Quisas, Quisas, Quisas is on the list again with 28 plays; down a bit from last month's 30. It is the only song that has been consistantly played more than 20 times per month, every month.
• With 30 hits is the powerful Llorona by the powerful Chevala Vargas.
• Sonny's Dream by the Wonderful Grand Band received 34 plays. I can contribute those to my two sons, according to their comments about the song but now that they can be downloaded and one of the son's did download it, it will most likely be down next month.
• The biggies this month were The Pussycat Song by th Asylum Street Spankers which got 60 plays and the long time favorite of someone, Don't Lie by The Black Eyed Peas. It is way down this month though receiving 84 hits after it's record breaking 410 hits last month and over 200 the month before.

Music for today: Something that you don't get often from me....music from a country singer. Bells Are Ringing by Mary Chapin Carpenter is very nice I think, so is up today. In keeping with bells is a song by Our lady of Bells. It's hard to choose one but here's Adeline.

Home At Last

The photo is of a sunset this week. It was really spectacular and a photo does not do it justice.

S and I had fun yesterday with lunch, shopping, trivia, dinner and a short visit with a friend. A great day! We won at trivia so this is three wins in a row for our team. We each had gift certificates for lunch and the trivia win so we could afford to go out for supper.

I'm ready to send all the long distance Christmas gifts off to make the Canada Post deadline. I received some in the mail yesterday from my aunt and uncle. I've finished four cd's for them and want to do one more today to get them in the mail tomorrow. With cleaning and laundry, I'm going to have a busy day. It is such a treat to have a Sunday at home.

Music: Bells Are Ringing by Mary Chapin Carpenter and New Religion by Alice Smith.

Almost Over, Thank Goodness!

This has been the weirdest week I've ever had. I've had two falls, I hit my head three times yesterday, my keys locked themselves in the car, I had two days of allergy attacks to I don't even know what, my favorite skirt got burned from embers jumping from the fireplace, and even the fact that I have two prime days off in the Christmas party season....just overall weird. I find it weird that I've been accident prone. I'm very stable on my feet and don't normally fall down. I'm a Capricorn after all and Cuidado means careful. With that combination and me falling it's just plain weird. Yesterday at the bank about five people in line and a bunch of bank staff came running to help me up. I was so embarassed. They said they would put a mat down.

Luckily, due to my wonderful organizing abilities ha, ha, there hasn't been a hitch at work, other than me walking around with bumps and bruises and red eyes from the allergies. The party- goers called all the staff in last night to give us a standing ovation and booked for next year on the spot. At least something is going well.

I'm going to town today and S. and I are going out to play. We'll do some shopping too. I have gifts to get off in the mail by Monday.

For music some old blues today. Fats Waller doing Your Feets Too Big and Rolled and Tumbled Blues by Rosa Hemphill and Mississippi Fred McDowell.

Hoping I can stay upright this weekend and that I get some much needed rest and recouperation, I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Busyness

Busy, busy busy.....almost like a squirrel at a birdfeeder. Work is all consuming but I have the weekend off so I'll recouperate and relax. Much needed and much desired because I'm feeling a bit burned out. I fell on ice last night and need some body mending too. My elbow has a big egg on it, and I hurt my hip and wrists. Thank goodness for ibuprophen.

Music? A rocky Ben Harper with Burn to Shine and by the wonderful Nina Simone, Ain't Got No.

A Tuesday Change

We got snow last night. You can see how much from the photo. Winter is here for a day or two then Thursday is going to be eight degrees. Snow makes driving a pain but it is very pretty. .

I'm not going to trivia tonight. Being the dedicated, responsible employee that I am, I decided not to leave the veggies and liquor in the car overnight at minus eight degrees. I hauled 50 pound bags of turnips and carrots in and carried numerous cases of beer and bags of groceries in and I'm now too exhausted to go back to town. The trivia master has my contribution of a week's trivia questions for some week I'm not there. Here's her chance to use them.

I'm All Right by Madeleine Peyroux and To Go Home by M. Ward are the musical picks for today. I'm All Right To Go Home but I'd rather be going to trivia.....just too tired.

It's not been a great day. Weird things kept happening. My keys locked themselves in the car. Toyota rescued me and says it happens from time to time. My keys were on the seat and I heard the click, which is not supposed to happen by itself. Weird things like that. I think it's a good thing to stay home when weird things are happening.

A Day Fit For Dogs

Ulu, Another Dog Friend

We're having our first snow. It started late this afternoon and there have already been fender benders between here an Ch'town. My favorite ex (sister-in-law) was just here and her sister and nephew had a near miss avoiding a big truck that ended up in the ditch. The snow season always starts this way and continues until people slow down, realizing that it's winter. I have an appointment for Friday to have my tires changed over, being like the herd and waiting till the last minute. I have an excuse of course. The only day I go to town is Tuesday and my car is full from work related stuff so I can't fit tires in the car and I don't want to go in any other day so I am .......joining the herd and waiting till the last minute.

I've actually started Christmas things. I am right now working on my fourth cd for my aunt and uncle. They like and appreciate the music I burn for them and I have fun getting songs together just for them. They like jazz and latin and there's a whole lot I have and like that they don't like at all so it's a challenge too. Last year they said, "No more Ray Charles." OK!

Music: Something from CD1 and 3 for my aunt and uncle, jazz then latin. Diana Krall's version of A Case of You is the extra track from the great album, Live in Paris, that they gave me for Christmas a few years ago. They will love Chevala Vargas. I've sent them some over the years and more now....Piensa En Mi. I love the beginning of this song as I always think it's Besame Mucho. It sounds so much like it at the start.....then there's her laugh.

Happy Birthday O and J

Blogger wasn't allowing photo uploads yesterday and what's a post without a photo. Here's one of Kenz on the beach.

Our weather has changed dramatically, as we all knew it would. We didn't get the snow that was predicted but we got very cold and windy weather and now they say tomorrow it will snow. There's no use complaining about it so I won't but I feel like it a lot because I really don't like winter.

Work is going very well with everyone happy about their parties and staff happy making some money. Good combination.

My two youngest are having their birthdays today. My son is having a milestone birthday at twenty-one and my daughter is twenty-three. This is the first year they haven't been together for their birthday and will be feeling that sadness. I miss them both and am sending out a big Happy Birthday.

Music: For the weather and for missing my kids, Al Jarreau and Mark Knoffler's version of Ain't No Sunshine. My kids have grown up hearing the many versions of this song that I collect, so here's a version of Baby It's Cold Outside. This one is very interesting - Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel. I love Leon's voice.

Get Me Through December

Inky was yesterday. My friends have three live kitties and these three as well.

Last night's first Christmas party of the year went very well. I had two new waitresses and one volunteer was one hour late but it all worked very well and the forty people had a great time. The first one of the year is always a bit stressful because nothing is routine yet and I was afraid of forgetting something but I didn't. Phew!

We are expecting our first snow tonight. I don't have snowtires on yet and a steep driveway so I may be in trouble. Perhaps I'll get a ride with the cook. Or call my tire place at 8 to see if I could possibly get an appointment. They will probably just laugh.

Music: I've waited a long time to put this up. Get Me Through December by Alison Krauss with Natalie MacMaster is one of the nicest songs ever. I was born without Christmas spirit and that's what I ask for year after year. Just get me through December. In honour of the Christmas perty season, here's One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer, this version by Snooks Eaglin.

No links anymore due to lack of interest.