Friday Five & Music

01. Homemade curry for dinner. Delish.
02. Cleaning, cleaning and cleaning. The flat is looking sparkly.
03. New seeds planted, hopefully they grow and it warms up so I can move my little greenhouse operation outside.
04. Invitation mock up looking great. I am excited that we decided to do these ourselves.
05. Great workout this A.M., despite the gym opening late for Good Friday. I can run for 13 minutes now!!


Music this week: The Avett Brothers (Emotionalism); Mumford & Sons; The Cinematic Orchestra (To Make a Home)

Friday's back, back again.

This has been a productive week. I have felt good all week, minus the lovely cold virus clogging up my sinuses.

Maybe it's because the weather's changing. Or because I had an epiphany last week. Or because I am more committed to the gym than ever. (Yes, I did go to the gym with a cold. I washed my hands prior to working out and used alcogel. Also, I wipe down the machines I've used, unlike all my gym comrades.)

Whatever the reason that this week was good, I hope it continues. I will keep on with the gym and trying to stay organised in the hope that it will keep me from feeling like the week has passed without accomplishment.

This week's five:

1. New music coming to me. (What Amazon addiction?! Who? Me?) Any other suggestions?
2. Hannah's pancakes. Om nom nom.
3. Tidy flat. Mostly. (If only the piles of clean laundry would sort, fold and hang themselves.)
4. Flexible-ish work schedule.
5. Thank you cards/notes for the little things. So nice.

Listening to: Avett Brothers, Be Good Tanyas, The Middle East, The Everybodyfields, Jack Savoretti and Xavier Rudd

It's true, I like depressing music.

I play music almost constantly. You can tell when I am not happy, do not have myself together or if I am depressed because music will not be playing, and I do not want to hear anyone else's music either.

I have been told several times over my life that I listen to depressing music. And I'm finally admitting that it's true. I do listen to depressing music. It reminds me how far I have come and how far I have to go. It makes me think that the things I have experienced have a voice. That those experiences may have been bad or unpleasant or just sad but I have survived. Just as others have. I do not feel so alone when I have my music.

This is currently one of the songs in my rotation of music.(I wanted to embed the song in the post, but it was not working! If anyone has any insight, I would love it.)

Who are your favourite bands or artists? What draws you to a particular song or style of music?

American Pie

There has always been music in my life. And I think I can safely say that there will always be music in my life. I didn't grow up listening to 'kid' music. Sure, my brother and I had some Raffi tapes and we all know and love Baby Beluga.

I remember being about six years old, in the ski lift with my dad at Wisp Ski Resort in Deep Creek, Maryland. The lift was stopped and we were suspended in mid-air above the snow covered mountain (pretty sure it's a big hill, if I'm being honest). To keep me occupied and pass the time, Dad started singing. At first it was a bunch of songs I knew, 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall, The Ants Go Marching, etc. But then my dad started singing a song that I'd heard before not knowing the words. It was a sad song, one my dad loved and probably still loves. I love it, too, just because of this memory.

A long, long time ago / I can still remember / how that music used to make me smile / and I knew if I had my chance / that I could make those people dance / and maybe they'd be happy for awhile...

On that ski lift I learned the words to American Pie by Don McLean. And when my dad was finished singing, I asked him what the song was about. I can't remember what his response was* but I remember feeling very sad and cold. Maybe the cold was more about dangling in mid-air in winter weather. I digress.

But February made me shiver / with every paper I delivered / the bad news on the doorstep / I couldn't take one more step / I can't remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride / but something touched me deep inside / the day the music died.

And until I moved to England, whenever my dad and I would go skiing, if we were stuck on the ski lift, we began to sing this song.

So bye bye miss American pie / drove my Chevy to the levee / but the levee was dry / and them good ol' boys were drinking whiskey and rye / singing this'll be the day that I die / this'll be the day that I die

I haven't been skiing for four years. I have seen my dad probably a dozen times since I moved and we have never sang American Pie or any other songs during any of those visits. Nor have we gone skiing.

Hopefully I can change that when I see my dad next week. Think it's too early for skiing?



*in the years since I asked what the song was about, I have learned. If you're curious, see the Wikipedia article here.

Good Evening.

I think I need to do a bit of planning for these posts. Right now, I am totally 'winging' it. Almost afraid I wouldn't be able to post today, we went to a gig in London. Clutch would have been totally worth missing a day of NaBloPoMo for, since they are one of the best bands. Very loud and quite catchy, if I do say so.

Shameless promotion of a fine rock band from Maryland, USA: www.pro-rock.com



What kinds of music do you like? Recommend some music? Tell me about it in the comments!

In other news, today was a better day at work. Also, I am going to see my mom in 3 weeks!