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Showing posts with label songs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label songs. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Take It Easy


Image from HERE.

My mantra when I remember to remember it. It makes life simpler and more peaceful, although I will likely never, ever be a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona.  

"Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy." 

Eat your breakfast. Savor your coffee. Take your vitamin. Keep your appointments. Do your work. Brush your hair. Water your flowering plants. Believe in yourself. Pray to let worries go. Allow peace to enter. Listen to people. Listen to yourself. Comb on black mascara, thread the wired Tory earrings through the tiny holes in your ear lobes. Love yourself. Love your family. Be kind. Be calm. Make your maiden batch of Marcella Hazan's famous tomato sauce with San Marzano tomatoes, butter, salt and an onion cut in half. Even if you get the onion at 8 p.m. in the supermarket on a Wednesday night in November and eat a bowl of pasta at 9:30 p.m. Do your best. Take it easy. Ask Dan to pack some pasta, sauce and fresh mozzarella for Spice's school lunch tomorrow. 

"We may lose and we may winThough we will never be here again."

Good night.

"Take It Easy," Eagles, 1972

Written by Glenn Lewis Frey and Jackson Browne

Well, I'm a-runnin' down the road tryna loosen my loadI've got seven women on my mindFour that wanna own me, two that wanna stone meOne says she's a friend of mine
Take it easy, take it easyDon't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazyLighten up while you still canDon't even try to understandJust find a place to make your standTake it easy
Well, I'm a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, ArizonaSuch a fine sight to seeIt's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed FordSlowin' down to take a look at me
Come on, baby, don't say maybeI gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save meWe may lose and we may winThough we will never be here againSo open up, I'm climbin' inSo take it easy
Well, I'm a-runnin' down the road tryna loosen my loadGot a world of trouble on my mindLookin' for a lover who won't blow my coverShe's so hard to find
Take it easy, take it easyDon't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazyCome on, baby, don't say maybeI gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me
Ooh, oohOoh, oohOoh, oohOoh, oohOoh, oohOh, we got it easyWe oughta take it easy

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

"Standing By Peaceful Waters"



This pretty little book was published in 1973. I picked it up and put it back a few times over the years in the Cape Cod gift shop--I can't remember if it was at the National Seashore Visitor Center or the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. I've known their book inventories pretty well, with all that compounded vacation time to browse by peaceful waters. The colorful illustrated cover and the title called out to me, even if I never in my life make Beach Plum Jelly. I finally bought the soft cover one year and just rediscovered it on the bookshelves in my home office. 

With quiet time alone this week, I've been reading it. Wonderful work by Elizabeth Post Mirel (who had three young children at the time, including a baby) with graceful illustrations by Betty Fraser. I do want the kind of calm where I make a pocket of time to read Plum Crazy, because it evokes a place and a passion. Our long-time Cape Cod friends Rite and Bob picked beach plums. I don't know if I ever learned to recognize the fruit until now, but there may be some nearby here in Connecticut.

Sis flew to the Southwest (New Mexico) to travel with her Peace Corps friend and family and called on me to dog-sit her enchanting pup, Galena, for more than a week. I walk that girly at least three times a day, and never sleep past 8, because she doesn't.

I'm loving it. Sis still gets The New York Times paper edition delivered daily. I sat on the sofa drinking in the Sunday Styles section. I met my friend/magazine colleague Mary Kate, who lives nearby, for a lovely catch-up breakfast in Cos Cob (part of Greenwich). I went to Mass in Stamford, and then asked Google to find the nearest Whole Foods, so ended up in high-end Darien midday Sunday, where I felt like a fish out of moneyed water. Two striking blonde women (not together) wore little immaculate white pleated tennis skirts, in perfect contrast to their golden tans. They were coming from or going to the courts. Eyewear was on trend, as were baby carriers and the handsome young dads wearing them for weekend duty. Some branded local products (cacao pudding and whipped bath scrub) were tempting but both went the way of beautiful Ice Cream Tulip bulbs, named for their double ice-cream-cone like blooms, but over my budget. The children, for the most part, seemed well-mannered. The place was packed. Though the store was mostly stocked with the same products our Montclair Whole Foods carries, I felt an imbalance, shall we say, which I never feel in my diverse hometown.

Behold luscious Ice Cream Tulips. I want to add some to our spring garden. 
You can also find Strawberry Ice Cream Tulips (red) 
and Banana Ice Cream Tulips (yellow). 
If I revisit Darien Whole Foods, I will buy a bag of bulbs.

Galena and I have been marina-gazing here in Shippan Point, turning our faces to the birds flying over the harbor and crossing paths with baby deer and other dogs (Pluto, Milo, Bo, etc.). We went to a small beach and walked out on the fishing pier, which has evenly spaced holes in the railings to rest poles while prepping bait or waiting for a bite.

When we go out back on the short boardwalk path by tall feathery grass and a snow egret, Galena and I stop by the plaque that commemorates the trade between two chiefs of Onax Tribe No. 41, International Order of Red Men, and a white British captain in 1640 and memorialized for the city of Stamford in 1916. The original owners swapped this beauty for some coats, glasses, knives, kettles, wampum and a few other things. Read more about that here (excellent report by Chase Wright).

Harbors are calm, harbors are good, whether our paths are charted or uncharted. Which brings me to these beautiful lyrics from "Lake Marie," by John Prine, released in 1995:

We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters.....

SPOKEN: Many years ago along the Illinois-Wisconsin Border
There was this Indian tribe
They found two babies in the woods
White babies
One of them was named Elizabeth
She was the fairer of the two
While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie
Having never seen white girls before
And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes
They named the larger and more beautiful Lake, Lake Elizabeth
And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway
Became known forever as Lake Marie...














Onward now...

Correction: When I wrote this post on the fourth floor of the Shops at Hudson Yards in NYC yesterday, I put the wrong date for the tribal trade. It was 1640, not 1612. The plaque commemorates the original July 1, 1640 sale by American Indian Chiefs Ponus and Wascussue to British Capt. Nathaniel Turner, an agent for the New Haven Colony.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Thanks, Dad--Good to See You

Lana Del Rey “Blue Velvet” image from HERE.

I saw and heard Dad today--in Lana Del Rey’s cover of “Blue Velvet,” which Lex played on a CD in our car--and in the cotton-tail bunny I saw scampering on the green grass.

Sis and I say Dad is in the bunnies we see.

One of us will say to the other,

“I saw Papa today,” and we know what it means.

The bunnies show up at hard times, as a comfort, or sometimes, after Sis comes to visit, a day Dad would be happy to see. 

I associate the song “Blue Velvet” with him. I guess my parents had the record. They had a lot of records, and I love that. I seem to remember listening to the song with Dad.

Figgy also played Lana Del Rey so much. Today, when I listened with Skippy, I loved the song. So rich. The violins in the beginning, the full-bodied vocals. Wow.

Per Wikipedia

"Blue Velvet" is a popular song written and composed in 1950 by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. A top 20 hit for Tony Bennett in its original 1951 version, the song has since been re-recordedmany times, with a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reaching No. 1.

Inspiration/ Composition[edit]

Songwriter Bernie Wayne was inspired to begin writing "Blue Velvet" on a 1951 visit to Richmond, Virginia where he stayed at the Jefferson Hotel: at a party at the hotel Wayne continually caught sight of a female guest dressed in blue velvet with whom he would have a holiday romance.[


Lyrics:

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet was the night
Softer than satin was the light
From the stars

She wore blue velvet
Bluer than velvet were her eyes
Warmer than may her tender sighs
Love was ours

Ours, a love I held tightly
Feeling the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow

Of blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm, a memory
Through the years
And we still can see blue velvet
Through our tears

Ours, a love I held tightly
Feel the rapture grow
Like a flame burning brightly
But when she left, gone was the glow

Of blue velvet
But in my heart there'll always be
Precious and warm, a memory
Through the years
And we still can see blue velvet
Through our tears

I might write a Medium story about this, but too tired now.

Good night.

Friday, July 10, 2020

Good Morning

Once again, I didn't post even two words last night.

Dan and I watched the old movie "Reversal of Fortune"--the Sunny von Bülow story--starring Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons and Ron Silver. We had an old video that Will and Kelly brought up to the Cape Cod house, and Figgy had watched it there, but we hadn't.

It was very good, and Mr. Irons won an Oscar for Best Actor. I love him, especially when he voiced Scar in "The Lion King" [1994]. I had that soundtrack for years and now will add to my Spotify, as I've missed it. This is sooooo rich....watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0WjHJjYBYI

Now that I checked Wikipedia--click that link, he is so handsome--I see that he played the twin gynecologists in David Cronenberg's psychological thriller Dead Ringers (1988). Sis and I saw that with a guy she was dating--we went to a movie theater in Times Square after work--and it was gripping and scary. Unforgettable. [Her date chose the film.]

I spent a fair amount of money yesterday and will update later. I have an article to write today for ASPIRE. How long has it been since you heard me say those words? I've been been doing essays more.... I thought I would be on staff where I was freelancing full-time, and told my editor I could only do a couple of pieces for the quarterly magazine. And also, Covid. Everything changed during Covid, espeically magazine production--even Vogue did one issue for June/July instead of its usual two.

It feels good to be back writing a style article.

TTYL.

Yesterday TCOY
  1. Blueberries at breakfast.
  2. Went to dr. appt and to CVS. Dr. suggested Omega 3/fish oil capsules to bring down triglycerides, so I got some. Dan wrote a book about the dangers of the unregulated supplement market, so over the years, he has balked if I tried to bring supplements in. So far, I'm in this time. I have to take a big dose. Two 1,000 mg capsules twice a day. I got the odorless ones. But please check with your doctor before trying this.
  3. Nice shampoo.
  4. Chelsea Square, a store that has been in Montclair for about 40 years [under three different owners, the first and second for a long time] , is closing. It carries Kiehl's and a lot of other good brands; I've found a lot of beauty secrets there. Everything is 50 percent off, and I got some great TCOY items for face, legs, body--plus bath bubbles and a rose candle from Paris.
  5. Lit candle and washed face--owning the products does not guarantee using them.
  6. Dan made salad for our movie dinner.
  7. Gardened.







Monday, June 22, 2020

Thank You, God, for Power + Grace

Punch started the support program today. So far, so good. It is online because of the pandemic, but there's a chance that could change.

I am very impressed with the skilled staff. I am going to draw support and smarts and empathy from this program, too. So will Dan and Figgy. I trust and pray that we will all emerge with more tools for dealing with life's challenges and stresses. I will stop blogging about this now, because it is personal to this young lady's life path. Just know it looks helpful. Very.

To be sure she wasn't being left behind at a milestone moment, Sugar came into the sunroom and pooed on the floor while we were in the early appointment. Remember, her nickname in this house is "Baby Nurse" because she always ran up to the crib with me when a coo or cry came over Punchy's baby monitor.

I am thankful for clarity, power and grace.

TCOY
  1. Listened to the most beautiful song: "Be More Kind" by Frank Turner [above]. Go ahead, enlarge to full screen.
  2. Wearing my small "watermelon slice" tourmaline pendant from artisan silversmith and friend Andrea Schettino, from my hometown. Like a talisman for a scary day. I love it. Last night was awful. We were all up past 1 am, discord.
  3. Homemade oatmeal w banana, sliced almonds, cacao nibs and a little PB. Yum.
  4. Plan to walk at least around the block later.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
  • Uber from home to dr office in Montclair for routine bloodwork, $13.36 and back home, $25.07. I was surprised by how much the rate went up between 3:42 pm and 4:27 pm. Guess it was because it was closer to end of workday and dinnertime. $38.43.
  • Sunday, biked to Kings for groceries. Biggest splurges: Vogue June/July [combined!!!!] issue, $7.99, yikes; Lily's dark chocolate no-sugar baking chips, $7.99; fancy Father's Day card, $7.95. Other items included half-gallon organic milk; half-gallon oat milk; six-pack brioche burger rolls, buy one, get one free; sliced mozzarella; raspberry preserves; blueberries, raspberries, local buttermilk, butter, sliced almonds, sugar and cream to make individual Father's Day berry shortcakes [with biscuits]; thin-sliced bread; mushrooms; 1 lb. flounder; creamy cucumber/dill sauce and a lemon to have with it; 2 half-pound packs sliced roast turkey from deli; head of lettuce; 1 pack cookies for Punch; scented votive candle; 3/4 lb. grass-fed ground beef; 3 oz. 88 percent dark chocolate bar; huge can of coffee; 3 lb. bag of clementines; and a second Father's Day card, $153.
  • Rented Bill Cunningham documentary online, $4.99.
  • 3 Lilly Pulitzer masks [the limit was 3], shipping from Anchored in Pink in Newport, Rhode Island, free shipping, $45.
total spend: $241.42.
ongoing monthly spend as of June 23: $2,367.04.
avg daily spend: $102.91.

Keep an eye on/compare to previous months:

April 2020: Total monthly spend: $2,143.19.

Avg daily spend: $71.44.

March 2020--the effect of coronavirus quarantine and not working in NYC for now
Total monthly spend as of March 31: $1,916.15.
Avg daily spend: $61.81.

February 2020
Total monthly spend as of Feb. 29: $2,480.34.
Avg daily spend: $85.53.

TOTAL SPEND FOR MAY 2019: $2,348.24.
MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR APRIL 2019: $3,634.28.
APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.







Monday, December 9, 2019

Monday, Monday

RANDOM PHOTOS OF SUGAR AND FIGGY FROM DAN'S COMPUTER. SUG IS 15 NOW!


Fig and Sug in 2017.
Neighbor Kiana (left) and Figgy up on Cape Cod in the snow with
 their matching snowy white dogs years ago.
Punch and I have been saying Hey Google, play John Lennon to our kitchen speaker yesterday and today in honor of John's December 8 death. Love his songs. Such a tragic ending.

A lot left to do on this busy Monday at home, so just a short post. Still want to Woolite [new verb] my tights for work.

TCOY
  1. Caught up with Rach for coffee and steamed milk.
  2. Private Benjamin appt. 
  3. Doctor checkup, including routine bloodwork and urine sample.
  4. Finally mailed Patsy's bday gift [early November]...on its way via slow mule  to Colorado now.....seems that way....
  5. Started Christmas list, will retool it now.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET [and this doesn't count cost for therapy/"Private Benjamin" and specialist co-pay at doctor]
  • Whole Foods, two fresh green holiday plant gifts to deliver, 1 lb. smoked salmon, bag of organic lemons, bag of Haas avocados, wedge of expensive cheese, 4 yogurts in little jars, large container mixed marinated olives from olive bar, $75.95.
  • U.S. Post Office, padded mailing envelope and postage to mail bday gift to Pats, $15.69.
  • CVS, 2 holiday gifts [buy one, get second half off, something Punch loves], large bag shelled pistachios on sale, $17.02.
  • Bank fees, $6.10.
  • Montclair parking meter, 35 cents.
  • Grove Deli, lunch, 50-cent bag chips and 3 special gifts for my sibs [imported from Italy], plus $1 tip, $31.66. It's a treat our grandma Rosie brought us when we were children.
  • 2 small dark chocolates, $1.26.
Money spent out of pocket: $148.03.
Ongoing monthly spend as of Dec. 9: $1,789.18.
Avg daily spend: $198.80. I am off to fine-tune my Christmas list.

_____________________________________________________
COMPARE TO 4 PRIOR MONTHS:
Total spend for November (30 days): $2,979.03. ⬆️
Average daily spend: $99.30. ⬆️
__________________________________________________________________
TOTAL SPEND FOR OCTOBER (31 DAYS): $2,495.36.🍎 ⬆️
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $80.49.🍎 ⬆️
_____________________________________________________________________
TOTAL SPEND FOR SEPTEMBER (30 DAYS): $2,214.43.🍎⬇️
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $73.81.🍎⬇️
___________________________________________________________________________
TOTAL SPEND FOR AUGUST (31 DAYS): $2,895.06. ⬆️
AUGUST AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $93.39.  ⬆️

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Hard Times Come Again No More

Feeling worried about two important women in my life...
and what they are bravely facing....Do you know this song?
It is so very lovely. I first heard it at a dance show at
Figgy's middle school....it brought tears to my eyes.
On Pandora or Spotify or iTunes, search the version
by Yo-Yo Ma and Mr. James Taylor. I highlighted 2
lines that really reach me.

Hard Times Come Again No More
Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
'Tis the song, the sign of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay
There are frail forms fainting at the door
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
'Tis the song, the sign of the weary
Hard times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door
Oh hard times, come again no more.
There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away
With a worn heart, whose better days are o'er
Though her voice it would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: James Vernon Taylor / Mark Lorenn O'connor / EDGAR A MEYER / TRADITIONAL (PD)
Hard Times Come Again No More lyrics © S.I.A.E. Direzione Generale, Atlantic Music Corp., Gray Mouser Music, Mark O'Connor Musik International, ALFRED PUB CO. OBO STUDIO P/R, PEBBLE CREEK MUSIC
TCOY
List formatting off, so: green beans, good dental care, bubble bath and walk to brook 
with Sug + Dan.

$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET Whole Foods, 2 Petitpot Organic French Pudding in jars [Dark Chocolate, on sale plus $1 coupon], whole milk, vanilla soy milk, pasta, cookies and 4 bananas, $14.97.
TOTAL DAILY SPEND: $14.97.
TOTAL MONTHLY SPEND AS OF AUGUST 29 [now added all other days on]: $2,767.24.
AVERAGE DAILY SPEND FOR MONTH SO FAR: $95.94.



TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF MAY: $2,348.24.
MAY AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $75.75. 

TOTAL SPEND FOR MONTH OF APRIL: $3,634.28.
APRIL AVERAGE DAILY SPEND: $121.14.