Music - Because Someone Sent Me Something Online and I'm Passing it On

It's still cold, Trump is still trying to manhandle my state (and isn't getting very far with it), and a friend sent me a lovely clip of Mozart's Requiem from the movie. That really made my morning! I hadn't listen to the Requiem for quite a long time. It was wondrous to hear, even in the small clip from the film. It totally lifted my heart from the mundane and the cold into the hope that stunning music can bring. 

Mozart's "Requiem" is one of the great pieces of music. It's 
rarely performed - it requires a LOT of people - vocal as well 
as symphonic. Plus, it's funeral music - people don't always 
respond well to funeral music. But, given my feelings today 
and the fact that this was in my in-box and really struck a 
chord with me, today you get marvelous sound. 

I'm not often a Mozart fan - I acknowledge his immense talent and ability, but Mozart generally needs to be played with a lightness. I was a cellist - light comes harder on a larger string instrument like that as opposed to a violin or even a viola. I was always being scolded for not being "light" enough on Mozart pieces. I suppose, for my style of playing, Beethoven was the better choice. 

Classical music is a huge genre of its' own, just as 
popular or rock or country musical styles are. I've been 
a classical music junkie for most of my life, and also 
love rock so, I guess I'm versatile. 

But there is something magical about Mozart - the undeniable and incredible talent, the tones that blend together to carry you past the years and into a different dimension. That's what good music will do, and good music - truly good music - will still be played decades or millenia after it's original composition. Great music will cross the centuries, good music will cross the decades, pop music will last for a year, maybe five if it's really catchy. 

Classical music was what I was exposed to - opera, chamber 
orchestras and quartets, and full symphonies. It runs in my 
blood. I might listen to rock in the car, but my heart will 
always belong to Beethoven. 

Where do we put nursery rhymes into this? "Mary Had a Little Lamb" has been sung to children for a long time. It's a catchy, if somewhat boring tune, but I bet every one of you now has that running through your head. I wouldn't call it classic, I can't put it into the same boat as the great compositions, but still ... it holds on to a specific age group - the parents and their small children, who eventually outgrow the nursery songs and move on to the symphonies. So, I guess we all started our musical journeys with those songs that our mothers or caregivers sang or hummed to us to get us settled at night or during the day. Thank goodness for these people showing us the power of music before we could even speak. Have a glorious day and treat yourself to some exceptional music today. And thanks for the Mozart film link - it was a fabulous way to start my day. Slava Ukraini. 

Looking For a Space Might Be More Challenging Than I'd Hoped

Yesterday was just as busy as I thought it would be, with a few twists and turns in there just to make my life more interesting. *sigh* My car appointment went well - I dropped Minnion off and they had a new CX-5 waiting for me to drive off in - no charge. I liked it once I figured out how to work the CRT sound system and got it set to a general radio station that I could live with for a few hours. (I chose Minnesota Public Radio's Classical station - that's me in a nutshell - heavy metal in general, but a grounding in classical that I turn to as an 'always welcome' sound). I headed off to find my warehouse. 

I generally listen to Sirius XM's "Turbo" station in my car and 
on my phone. That's hard rock and it gets me moving on the 
treadmill and in general. But ... I couldn't access Sirius on 
the rental (without a lot of bother), so I went with an old 
favorite - public radio's classical music station. That's me in a 
nutshell - classical/hard rock. LOL

After getting lost in the warehouse district and using Google to get back to where I needed to be (which was actually REALLY easy to find *sigh*, I met with Mike. I explained what I was looking for, and that I had 48 metal shelving units alone that would need space, not counting any of my merchandise or standard displays. He said he didn't have anything large enough, but we walked to vies his largest unit - 2600 square feet. Yup. Not nearly large enough for my needs. He then passed along a card of a guy in Minneapolis who might be able to help. 

WareSpace was perfect in many ways, just not large 
enough. Their largest unit is 2500 square feet and I need 
more than that. They took a complex, completely revamped 
it, and made a lot of individual units for start-up businesses 
in it. It's a great concept and in many ways it worked 
for us, but not in size. *sigh* Back to hunting for that 
perfect space. 

My car was finished, so I drove the rental back and switched out a newly spark-plugged and fluid filled Minnion, happily waiting for me. She's purring now - LOL. On my way back home I decided to drop by Har Mar Mall. It's a mall that's actually in between work and my home. It was one of the first (if not the actual first) enclosed mall built in the state of Minnesota. But it's mostly vacant now. The larger tenants have moved to other locations in the area, and Marshall's is moving to their new space in our general area within a week or so. So there's LOTS of vacant space in the mall - perfect for a short-term lease and perfect situation for people in and out of our sale. 

Har Mar Mall, a strip mall located between the shop and my 
home, is basically a dead mall for interior shops now. Those 
stores with a strong exterior entrance - Michaels Arts and 
Crafts, Barnes & Nobel, Burlington Coat Factory, and some 
smaller restaurants, are doing great. They have regular 
business. But they don't have their back doors unlocked 
to access the larger Mall. It seems the Mall itself is mostly 
used by walkers these days, and there's nothing much 
sadder than a place that had been lively and active declining 
into old people walking their laps. 

Unfortunately, speaking with the property manager on-site, the mall isn't accepting any tenants at all right now - long or short term (I'd be looking at about 8 weeks for the rental contract). They're trying to get all of the permits in line to begin demolishing the mall next year. The City is fighting them on the grounds of a "historic" site, but I suspect the mall will win and will knock it down and rebuild something they think will work better in that space. That will cause Barnes & Nobel to have to move or close for a few months, which will make me very sad. But ... back to me (because of course, it's all about me - LOL), that doesn't solve my very real dilemma of finding approximately 4400 square feet of usable space in which to hold my clearance sale. I'll have to continue my hunt. 

I'm not counting anything out at this point in the process, 
but I do need to get something lined up in a reasonable 
period of time. It's too early to bounce this off DH just 
yet. He's stressed about cash flow and inventory. 

I did speak with the other guy - the Minneapolis property guy - who might be able to help. I'm hoping that might work through. I'd love to stay in my general area, but I also don't want to do anything farther south because we have a large problem with homeless and addicted people a bit south of our store's location and I don't need to be running a "Store Closing" sale in that environment. It's a pickle, to be sure. But at least I've started looking. Positive thoughts, as always, would be appreciated. I'm sure everything will fall into place, but I don't really need any additional anxiety in my life - LOL. So, I'm off to swim away some of this angst. Have an excellent Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini. 

The Times They Are A-Changin' and Historical Perspective

I have a dental checkup on Monday and yesterday they sent me an emailed form that I need to fill out for them. They need it ASAP (of course), and I was hopping with customers all day while DH was down in the warehouse dealing with rewiring the light fixtures (which took him all day, quite literally. He was putting the final plates back into position when I was locking up.) So I didn't get a chance to fill the forms out. BUT, I also probably don't have all of the information readily at hand any more. So, I'm tempted to do the best I can today and tell them to look up the previous forms for the details I'm missing. Can you tell I'm just a little crabby today? LOL

This kid looks wonderfully crabby. What 
a great expression! LOL

All of these extra hoops we have to jump through these days to get our health care is more than annoying, and it all is placed totally on the threshold of COVID. Before the epidemic we were actually able to get access to our physicians without running through the gamut of a billion questions and more people. We were able to get into our dentists (with whom, in this instance, we've been patients for more than 30 years), without having to try and remember when we had our immunization and booster shots. We were able to travel on public transportation without wearing a mask. All of that seems like a distant memory, now. 

This is a VERY young Bob Dylan. The album was 
released in 1964 and was a standard for those 
already protesting the war. (That escalated and 
crested in 1968-1972.) 

When I was a young hippie, there was a song by Bob Dylan called "The Times They Are A-Changin'". (Here's a link to the original song on You Tube as sung by Bob Dylan.) It was a protest song - an early Bob Dylan in the times of Joan Baez and others becoming the popular music. We sang it loud and proud, happy to be that generation - the one that would change everything for the better. And we tried, and then we aged and the younger generation picked up the torch, changed the path's directions, and we were off again, and again, and yet again. Now it is my generation who are "behind the times" and "standing in the way" and the younger generation who seem to be looking for conservative security, new causes and a rash of new demigods to be thrown down by their own children in another 10-20 years. 

Every generation gets an opportunity to carry the 
torch for a short time, and then must pass it on to 
the next generation waiting in the wings. Although 
each generation starts out with great intentions, 
more often than not, they fall flat and fail because of 
the weight of what needs to be changed, and the 
intransigence they butt up against. 

The times have a-changed. When historians look back at these days from the far future, what will they see? What will the tinted glass of time smooth over in their analysis, and what will stick out clearly? What will be that rock in the middle of the raging river of time that was pivotal to all except those of us living through it.? I wonder what the generations of 100 years from now will think about us. That's a massive gap of time. Think back to 1922 - the end of World War I (the war to end all wars ... the joke was on us). The flu epidemic was winding down, the economy was going great guns for another seven years and industrialization was starting to grip the nation's factories, but we were a bit less than a decade away from the Great Depression. Isn't it interesting how history can bring perspective? 

Historical perspective has always been of interest to 
me, since history is usually written by the victors of 
any battle. Those battles don't just have to be in war, 
they can also be in economy, culture, religion or 
other things that impact multitudes of people. 

On that note, I'm out of here. I guess I'd better try to fill that silly form out and send it on it's electronic way. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Monday. 

Bells, Chimes and a Bit More - A Photo Blog for Earth Day

Today I'm going with a photo blog. A few days ago I had discussed wind chimes, and I had said that I had chimes and bells throughout my house. I thought I'd take photos of what I have and share them with you today. So here we go - a quick look at my varied indoor chimes and bells. 

Starting in the kitchen, here's my largest 
set of chimes, set between a kitchen 
cabinet on the right, and the spice cabinet 
DH made for me years ago on the 
right. You also get to see one of the 
baskets that I've collected over the 
years sharing the chimes' hook. This 
set rings out whenever that cabinet door 
is opened. It's quite lovely, and fairly loud. 

Moving from the kitchen to the short hallway. 
To my right is this lovely three-bell chime 
situated on the wall next to the upper yard 
doorway. It's got a sweet sound to it. Because 
it's in an out-of-the-way location, I rarely 
get to listen to it. 

In the front entryway is this lovely 
Spanish-style bell that I inherited 
from my Mother. The needlepoint 
below it is also one of her pieces. Mom 
had this bell in several homes - she loved 
the Spanish style a great deal and 
decorated our newer Aspen house 
totally in Spanish-style custom 
furniture and fixtures. The bell and 
two candle sticks, along with wonderful 
memories are all I've got of
that house. 

Looking ahead in the living room area, my lovely 
dragons are attention hogs and couldn't resist 
being included. So here we have Scatha, my 
hand-made hammered copper lamp, in front of 
my glass shelving that holds my 50 collectible 
dragons. I do love them and they look wonderful 
on their pedestals. But, like I said, they're 
attention hogs. They're also not chimes or bells. LOL

Moving down to the den in the lower level,
here we have another small bell. This
one is positioned next to the door that leads to
the outdoor patio. Again, it's a sweet sound,
but not very loud. I think I actually inherited this
bell from my in-laws. 

A bit farther along the same wall is my personal 
wall space. Here I have artwork that I've had 
made for me or given to me, and two musical 
instruments - a thumb harp and an atonal 
perfectly tuned striking keyboard that I purchased 
in Taos, New Mexico many years ago. On the 
upper left is an enamel piece I made years ago 
to accompany a fanfiction piece written by a 
friend. At that time I was doing a lot of illustration 
of fanfics, but this was the only enamel one I 
ever did. 

And finally, in the computer room is the 
wind chime that started all of this several 
days ago when it suddenly chimed one 
clear note in a room that gets no air 
movement, at least at that time of the day 
and in the cold time of the year.  
It's got a lovely clear sound, but I 
shouldn't have heard it at all. Ghosts! LOL

So, there you have it. A small look into my house chimes and bells with a little bit extra thrown in. There's actually one more small bell handing to my immediate right attached to my computer desk's superstructure, but I forgot to take a photo of it. I also have a large bell that's really made for the outdoors. I haven't found a good place to put it yet, but I'm going to find the right place, maybe this year. Right now it's in a box in the corner of my breakfast nook. 

I hope you have a wonderful Friday. It's a "day off" for me, and I suspect I'll be quite busy because that's usually the norm for my days off. Still, it's all good. I'll be back tomorrow. Peace - Slava Ukraini. 

Housecleaning, Vintage Clothing and Super Bowl LVI - Thoughts and Actions

We had a lovely Sunday. I had agreed to assist DH in cleaning up the basement level. We still had boxes around that we had rescued from the basement storage space when we had the toilet tank crack in late August. He's been going through them, but with Jack (our plumber) coming on Thursday, and his possible need to get equipment into that room and our craft room, it was necessary to step up our efforts. There were several boxes of mine that he had set aside, and I dove in. 

You certainly don't need to see my junk, but this lovely 
cat seemed like the perfect accompanying photo. Of 
course, we all know that cats love boxes of all types. 
I suppose I'm grateful that I have no cats to claw 
at the vintage clothing. 

A lot of it was knick knacks, items that we had purchased during trips, or even some things I had loved from when I was a child. Although I did toss quite a bit, there is a box that I will need to assign new homes to. I'll try to get to that on Friday. We ended up with three boxes of books to take to Half Price Books. None of the books have any value, and some are quite old (relatively), but Half Price will recycle them for no charge, so I prefer my books to be taken there instead of dumping them into the recycling bin at work (which always fills up with cardboard very quickly with four businesses using it). If I can get to Half Price when they open at 10:00 am on Wednesday, it won't take very long for them to be sorted and me to be on my way. 

A lot of the dresses are quite similar to this 
one - strapless or thin straps, a fitted bodice 
and a flared skirt. I remember wearing a 
scarlet one to a costume party early in my 
grad school days, so I was still able to fit 
into them then. I shouldn't have any problem 
at all fitting into them now. There are between 
five and ten of these vintage dresses, and 
I want them carefully cleaned. 

Towards the end of our session, before he hung two paintings in the hallway, he came out with a large armful of clothing. I caught my breath. It was the frocks from an old trunk of my mother's that I had kept for decades. These dresses were formal and party wear from the late 40's into the mid-50's. I had worn some of them over the years, but then couldn't fit into them any more (the bodices are quite fitted). I know I can fit into them again now, and they're beautiful. I'm going to take my dressmaker's form and put each gown onto it for a photograph, then I'll take them all to a dry cleaner that I trust to deal appropriately with vintage clothing. I want them cleaned and protected. Mother made most of these, and she was an extremely talented seamstress. I'll share photos, if they turn out well. 

I'm really looking forward to the half-time show of 
Super Bowl LVI. Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg and 
Eminen (above) along with Kendrick Lamar and 
Dr Dre will be performing a 12-minute show. I happen 
to love all of their music, so I'm a happy person 
for a change. Most of the time the half-time shows 
leave me cold. 

After finishing with our cleaning and breaking down what seemed like 50 boxes (probably closer to 25), we settled down and watched football. Bravo for two really excellent games. I'm delighted that Cincinnati won over Kansas City, and couldn't be happier than having LA prevail over San Francisco in a nail-biting game. Both games were decided with only a three-point spread, so they were very hard-fought and could have gone either way. 

Superbowl will be held in two weeks in Los Angeles, giving 
the LA Rams the home field advantage. Considering Cleveland 
beat Kansas City at Arrowhead Stadium, I'd say they have 
a good chance of making this circus a stellar game. I have 
no horse in this race, but since I have an online friend 
from Cincinnati, I'll probably cheer for the Bengals. 

We had Chinese food for dinner, so of course I put on a pound, but that's not a big deal. I have a four pound spread that I vary between, and I'll be back to the lower part of that spectrum by mid-week. I'm going to wrap this up and have a quick breakfast before heading over to the shop. Have an excellent Monday, be kind, and I'll be back tomorrow. (BTW, I'm giving up on DW and LJ cross posting, so I'm just going to cut, copy and paste to both and disable the cross-posting request.) 

An Unsatisfactory Run but A Wonderful Trial Run - Winning and Losing

Today's morning run was unsatisfactory, but not all exercise sessions are winners. My left hip was bothering me a bit, so I kicked down the intensity level and cut down on the mileage. At least I got some exercise in, but all in all, I'm not very happy. 

I fully admit the Finis Duo headset looks a bit dorky when 
worn, but if I does what it claims to do, I'll be extremely 
happy with it. The drawback with this one, and the reason 
I broke down to buy the second brand, is the limitation for 
MP3 files only. That limits it to music. I like music when 
I'm swimming, but I can lose myself in a book, and rarely 
lose myself in a play list. When I'm trying to get my laps in, 
losing myself in my sound can be a make or break plus. 

Yesterday's trials for Monday's swim, however, were quite successful. My new suit fits really well (I can't believe I fit into it - a year ago that wouldn't have been possible). I got my goggles adjusted and the smaller nose piece attached (with some difficulty), and I mounted, adjusted, and did a quick trial of the bone induction earphones I want to wear and that worked out really well too. I have a new swim cap out of the box ready to go, I did a quick trial of my mold-able silicone ear plugs, and my swim bag is partially packed. I still need to actually get the rest of my stuff together - my kick board, leg pull buoy, definitely a towel, etc. I'm also running through my "revised" schedule in my head to make sure I'll actually be at the pool on time, and still have time for my morning meditation and getting dressed, before heading to the gym and jumping into the water. 

As you can tell, the AfterShokz Xtrainerz bone 
conduction headphones are quite a different look 
from the Finis set I already have. They're sleek 
and are independent of a goggle strap. That makes 
them applicable to more than just the water. If I'm 
successful in downloading my Audible audio 
books onto them, it'll be a total win/win for me. 

I'm anxiously awaiting the new AfterShokz bone conduction headphone set I ordered. If it works anything like the string of positive reviews state, I should be comfortable wearing this one both in and out of the pool. The one I'll be currently using actually attaches to my goggles, so wearing it in the pool is the only option. The new one, however, is a full headband worn behind the head at the base of the skull, and customers are wearing it to do everything from working in their yards, for running, and for swimming. Irrespective of activity, it seemed to get quite positive reviews, so I'm really looking forward to it. 

I'm a bit surprised by the diagnosis of an 
neuroendochrine tumor in Claire's 
stomach. Everything I'm seeing about 
this type of tumor, points to the pancreas 
or intestine, not the stomach. It could be 
a secondary cluster, I suppose, but it just 
rings wrong to me. 

Chickie's mother wasn't feeling well, so she went in to her doctor's for some preliminary tests. Unfortunately, one came back as a possible neuroendocrine tumor in the stomach. Apparently the doctor wants more blood work, and then a more aggressive biopsy done at the hospital. Of course both Claire and Chickie are frightened now, and Chickie's vacation schedule for the next month will be far more up in the air than originally planned. We'll just have to be flexible. DH is already complaining that he has to work "almost full time" over the next two weeks because he has to work one extra day. *sigh*. He normally only works Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so my sympathies are limited. He won't die adding a couple of Tuesdays to his workload. 

Oh the PAIN!!! DH may have to actually work a couple of 
weeks of four-days! I can hear the screech from here! 
Don't you just love melodrama? LOL *le sigh*

So, I'm out of here. I'm reminding you that Monday's schedule will be all topsy/turvy, but we'll manage to work it out. I can hear the swimming pool calling my name, and I'll work the small bumps out as they come up. It'll be wonderful to be back in the water once again. Talk to you Monday, have a great weekend. 

Things Giving Me Joy and a Garage Door Malfunction

Had a lovely update from my sister Starlet in Pine Ridge, South Dakota this morning. Her laptop had been broken, but is repaired once again and she sent a quick update on the family and what's been going on back on the Reservation. It really made my morning hearing from her again, and I sent her an immediate reply, catching her up on what's been going on here in the Cities. Hopefully we can get a bit better at staying in touch. Having her with a laptop helps a lot, since her phone is ancient and doesn't text well. 

I always love watching this video of Beethoven's "Ode 
to Joy" from his Ninth Symphony. It's such fun, and 
always leaves me moved because it's one of my absolute 
favorite pieces of music. I've put the link below in 
the paragraph in case you'd also like some Joy in 
your life today. 

An online friend sent me a link to a flash-mob performance of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" just to spread some happiness. (Want to see it too? Here's the YouTube URL https://youtu.be/kbJcQYVtZMo ) I've seen it before, of course. Many times. But I always watch it completely through because I absolutely love it, and the music always makes me weep tears of happiness. There's nothing like Beethoven to make me transcend the small worries and embrace the greater view. I was addicted to Beethoven in my youth (and still am, to be honest), especially the 9th Symphony. I still count him among my top 10 at all times. 

Dusty Hill (on the left) was the bass player in 
the long-time Texas trio "ZZ Top". Best known 
for "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed Man", they 
were a force in music for decades. 

Yesterday I heard that the bass player from ZZ Top died earlier this week, age 72. That's not too many years from where I am now. I have every intention of living until age 85 or longer, but it's still a bit scary when the ages of people passing get closer and closer to your own age. I loved ZZ Top - their music always made me smile. I'll play "Sharp-Dressed Man" today in his honor. 

I probably have at least one set of all of the above 
earphone/earbud styles. I really want a set of 
wireless earbuds that will settle down into my 
ears well and stay through activity. It may be an 
impossible dream, but I'll dream it anyway. I added 
a set of bone conduction transmitters for swimming 
coming in my latest Amazon order. I listen to audio 
books while in the water, and it's annoying when I 
can't hear well. I also like tunes every now and then. 

Apparently today is a day for music. I guess I'll fire up Spotify and listen when I can. I have a new set of earbuds coming, but the several sets I already have will work for the time being. I have weird ear canals, it's really difficult for earphones to fit properly, and it just doesn't make any sense to wear wireless ones when one or the other is always falling out. I have too many sets of earplugs I had high hopes for sitting in their boxes below my computer desk. It's not that they don't work, it's that they don't work for my anatomy. *sigh* But I live in hope, and I hope the new sets I've got coming will work better. 

This is NOT my garage door, but it's one that has a 
similar problem to mine. Our door is very old and 
very heavy. Mark (my garage door guy) has warned 
us that we'll have to replace it at some point, but 
we're trying to push that off as long as possible. 

On the home front, one of two cables that help raise and lower our garage door broke last night as I was closing the door after I got home. I immediately called Mark at our garage door repair company and he'll be here at 8:00 am (or slightly before) to get things fixed. I might have to go into work for a short time until DH and Mark are finished with the repair, but we'll at least need to get the door opened long enough for one (or both) of the vehicles to get out of there. Just one more thing! 

I'm out of here. Have an excellent day, enjoy yourself and spread some happiness if you possibly can. I'll be back tomorrow. 

After Books Comes Music - Held Equally High in My Heart

Yesterday I mentioned my life-long affection for books in all their various forms and formats. Today it occurs to me that the other major love of my life is music. I did have a few people mention that they didn't listen to audio books (for a variety of reasons), but listened to music. I adore music. For years I played the cello in orchestras throughout the Denver Metro area. I still listen to music every day, but I don't listen to music while I exercise. Why not? 

I love music. I have Sirius in my car and Spotify on my phone 
and computers and iPods filled with tunes on my desk. I have 
a cabinet with old vinyl, tons of CD's and lots of cassette 
tapes. I have music every day of my life. After books, music 
is as essential to my life as breathing. 

Several years ago, I discovered that I loved listening to something while swimming. I homed in on music because if I didn't get a great signal, or if I missed listening to one thing or another, the music just kept going. And I used music successfully for several years (swimming laps isn't the most enthralling action of the known universe - it's repetitive and a bit mind-numbing). I stopped listening to music and switched over to listening to books when I analyzed my body's reaction to the tunes. 

Does anyone remember the original Apple iPod 
commercials? I actually think I still have my original 
iPod in a drawer somewhere. It was a remarkable 
invention and took the world by storm. Now we 
can get so much more through our phones, but 
then, it was groundbreaking (and the only 
Apple product line I've EVER owned - iPods 
spoke to me, but Apple never did). 

Every musical rendition has a rhythm - an underlying beat, whether it's an actual drum, or just the intertwining of the notes of assorted instruments. This beat varies from song to song. I had been careful to choose my playlist so that the beats of the music would be within a standard range to keep my heart rate up and my strokes somewhat consistent, but I found my pace changing from song to song throughout the playlist and it started to bother me. I decided to try an audio book instead and that resolved the issue. I was then paying attention to plot and characters, not the beat, and I could keep a more consistent rhythm through the water. 

I adore swimming. My mother taught me to swim at 
the Denver YMCA when I was about as old as this 
baby is. I've been a water rat ever since. When I rejoined 
the YMCA many years ago, one of the first things 
I did was get into the water. It took some work, but 
eventually I was able to start swimming laps, and finally 
worked up to swimming a mile a day. A good workout. 

Admittedly, I haven't been in a pool for more than a year now. (Well, to be honest, I swam for a single day after the YMCA re-opened, but just one time.) So it's been quite a while for me, and I'm still staying away from it for a while longer. I need that "herd immunity" before I return to the gym. I miss the pool, but I'm OK with my daily treadmill, and in some ways that's better for my basic schedule. I've adapted, as we've all had to adapt, to the pandemic restrictions, and the gentle easing that's happening as vaccinations increase. I'll probably return to the pool again, but I doubt I'll be there every day. I'll try for three days a week. I think that might work out best. 

I adore my Underwater Audio waterproof iPods. They 
have switched over to MP3 players now, but I owned 
several of these over the years and they're dependable 
and excellent. Even though I'll have to upgrade
one of these days, I'm happy with my iPods. 

In any case, I have my two Underwater iPods - one loaded with my current audio book, one loaded with tunes. Whichever way I decide to go, I'm ready. On that note, it's time to get out of here and get on with my day. I hope you have a fabulous day and I'll be back tomorrow. 

First Call for Holiday Cards, and Sharing Some Music and Videos

I'm going to start this out by my FIRST CALL FOR HOLIDAY CARDS.  That means (although most of you already know) that I'm gathering my list of names and addresses for this year's holiday card, which I'm working on now. No major bells and whistles this year - it's a year of broken dreams and disruption, but the Solstice and beginning of a new year must still be acknowledged. So ... here's what you do. 

Let's start with a beautiful Russian Orthodox chant 
entitled "Let My Prayer Arise". I love liturgical chanting 
and these four blend beautifully. You don't have to be 
a believer to enjoy their chant. Here's the YouTube 
link. 
https://youtu.be/nG5gEzymh5c

1) If you decide you would like one of my holiday cards, you need to message me or send me an email which confirms your current address. Of course I have your address from prior years if I sent one to you in the past, ... BUT ... computer files can be corrupted and people do move. So PLEASE give me your mailing address once again. 

I adore Taiko drumming, and when it's a great group of 
musicians and drums, it stirs the soul. While watching 
this one by Eitetsu Hayashi, I couldn't help but think 
about my long-time friend Aearwyn who used to play the 
Taiko drums. This is a long video (more than ten minutes) 
but I never got bored. Here's the link. 
https://youtu.be/ZagsLrNzg3I

2) If you don't want one but have received one in the past, I'll probably message you at some point, but DON'T count on it. Just spend the short time to send me a "YES" or "NO" response with address (if yes is your decision) to make sure you are on the list. 

I adore Metallica, and "Nothing Else Matters" is a classic 
in their list of excellent tunes. Here, Bardcore takes on 
this classic with Renaissance instruments and impeccable 
mastery. 
https://youtu.be/wCUx9nOt9u8

3) As a reminder, I make these cards because I dearly love making them. My joy is derived from the activity of designing and making them, as well as the knowledge that they go out to my friends all over the world to brighten people's days. That is my joy. By saying YES, you help me to be happier, so even if you live in the highest peaks or deepest desert, please don't hesitate to say "Yes". 

A long, long time ago, there was a perfect album released 
featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Here's 
"Summertime" from that album, to show all of us what 
music can do to the soul, and brighten our day. 
https://youtu.be/MIDOEsQL7lA

4) I'll send out at least one more CALL FOR CARDS, but this is the main one, so reply now and you won't have to wonder about whether or not you responded. It's easy and it makes me very happy. 

My first year of college I lived in the college dorms, as 
all Freshmen were required to do. I was on the third floor 
of a large X-shaped multi-floored dormitory and one 
starry fall night I heard magical music filling the dark night, 
coming from one of the wings across from me. I took 
time the next day to go door-to-door trying to find out what had 
been playing. It was this album, and I was in love. What 
a master! I had the opportunity to see him in person a 
year or two later and I've had the album in my "must have" 
list ever since. 
https://youtu.be/iR64lF2agbM

I've populated this call out with some YouTube videos that I've loved. Just wanted to share some amazing music and wonderful videos with all of you. As always, be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow. 

Top Songs and Memories - A Journey of Recollection

I notice, from entry notifications, that many of you looked up the top songs for years you graduated and posted them. I've been enjoying reading through the lists and there are some great songs on there. I'll look in-depth when I read and respond to your posts, but thanks for taking the ball and rolling with it. 

I decided to look up the top songs for the 
year my parents were married - 1932. 
Of course, they were in Europe, not the 
USA, but in America, the top song was 
"Brother Can You Spare A Dime" by 
the immortal Bing Crosby. Curious about 
the song? Follow the link to a you-tube. 

The idea of songs and memory strikes my post today because memory is a funny thing, triggered by so many events. A scent can bring back a memory - cookies or bread baking, the sweet smell of a candy store, or even the exhaust from an old car. All of those things can spark a memory that had been long buried. 

One of my favorite songs while in High School was 
"Windy" by The Association. I remember listening 
to my radio until they announced the top song of the 
year, and this was the one. Want to listen? Follow the link. 

Sometimes a specific feel to a day can bring back a memory. Early, bright blue mornings in the cold of an 8:00 am mountain breeze brings back memories of my childhood, one particular summer day, when I was playing on the driveway in front of the plum trees that were leafed out but not bearing yet. The birds were singing and the day seemed so full of promise and excitement. I've never forgotten that small slice of time. I have no idea if the day fulfilled its' promise, but it inspires me now, almost 60 years later. 

I'm a big fan of Bette Midler, and another friend's 
list of songs had "The Rose" by the Fabulous Ms M. 
It was a song, it was a movie, it was wonderful. 
Can't remember the song? Just follow the link. 

A taste can bring back memories - the sharp tint of lemon in a tart, the first taste of a good coffee on the tongue, or the sweet burst of flavor in an early autumn apple, all of these things can spark memory. So if so many things can bring back memories - good or bad - why is it so difficult to understand and pin down memory for science? 

Memory can be a maze through which we wander. As 
long as we can escape the maze and rejoin the world 
at large, all is good. I suspect people with Alzheimer's 
have just gotten stuck in their maze and can't find 
their way back out again. 

I think that everyone thinks about memories differently. To some people memories are like leaves in a book, other people have film strips. I have corridors - bricked and comfortable, but behind some of the bricks are memories I don't want to think about, whereas others memories just lurk in spotlights on the walls, around the corner, or flashing onto the corridor flooring. I wander through different pathways, never worrying about where I'm going, only amazed by what I recall. 

Do you picture your memories in any special way? Are they points on a wooded pathway? Are they lights in an internal sky? Share with me, and find one excellent memory to share too because we all need positives these days and sharing virtually is what we do within our journals. Have an truly wonderful day and I'll be back tomorrow.