Nicolas de Angelis - Easy Listening

For those of you who have my blog on your "feed" you will think that Blogger has been messing up again. But actually this was my fault. I was trying to post a video from You Tube - tried three times and couldn't get it to work.

Quite some time ago someone sent me a link to this piece by Nicolas de Angelis, called La Parfum de Eglises-Jalouse. I think it's beautiful.. If you, like me, have never heard of him this is what Wikipedia has to say about him:

Born in Saint-Cloud, a west Parisian suburb along the shores of the Seine River, de Angelis studied guitar at the Paris Academy from the age of ten. De Angelis started the guitar with a teacher from the Paris Academy who first inspired his great love of the instrument.

At sixteen he belonged to a small group of very talented French musicians, among them Michel Berger. From the age of eighteen, he lent his talent to many pop starts such as Julien Clerc, Sylvie Vartan and Fabienne Thibault, and soon became one of the most requested session musicians. (Wikipedia)

He is known as a 'romantic' guitarist.

Sorry I couldn't get it to post here, but if you follow this link, you will find this piece and many others to enjoy.

The Untagged Tag

So there is this really strange version of a tag making its rounds without actually tagging anyone

(see snafu, AJ and Weaver)

If I'd been tagged, I probably wouldn't do it (just rebellious), but since it's voluntary, here goes:

What would I do if I won the lottery?  Well, it wouldn't happen since I don't play, but if I inherited a large sum of money, I would share some with family (but not too much - don't want to spoil them), and then give most of the rest to a wonderful home that exists for orphans, street and abandoned children, on the outskirts of Bucharest, Romania - so that they could take in even more needy kids.

Where would I like to holiday this year?  Believe it or not, the UK, the country of my birth. I only lived there for 18 years and there is so much I've still not seen. I would love for my children and grandchildren to come with me. We would travel the length and breadth, and I would show them the multitude of homes (nine of them!) I lived in during those 18 years. That would be the perfect holiday!

What would be at the top of my bucket list?  The only thing I would like to do before I actually kick it would be to meet all my living British relatives, on both sides of the family. On my father's side we have no contact whatsoever, and I don't know why but they don't seem to be interested.

What was the last book I read?   I  usually have a few on the go, but did just finish Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli. It's the story of a young orphan boy living on the streets of Warsaw during the Nazi era. Very moving.

What is my earliest memory?  I was in the pram, so must have been very young, in the kitchen of a house we were temporarily staying in, in Primrose Valley, Filey (are there still houses in Primrose Valley?). I remember looking up at a huge (to me, anyway) brass bed-warming pan hanging on the wall

What is my favourite film?  Well, some may be horrified at my two choices: The Terminal, and The Truman Show...and, from the ridiculous to the sublime - I also love Fiddler on the Roof

Would I like to change my name? Well, I started out as Kathleen at school, got called Kay by my family and then became Kathy because my husband didn't like Kay...so, no thanks. I will answer to any of the above

Did I enjoy school? Never!  But now I wish I could do it all over again!

What would I be if I could be anything?  I am pretty happy, at this stage of my life, just being me

What's my favourite smell?  The baking of cookies emanating from a local bakery as I drive past...mmmm

City vs country?  I have the best of both worlds here. We have a home in the city, but are close enough to the suburbs to make it feel like country - especially with a big back garden surrounded by trees.

EVERY INCHIE MONDAY - MARCH 26, 2012

This week's theme:

Dance

So funny the comment my sister made, here

Great minds think alike, but she chose to be unique!

It's never too late to join us in the Inchie challenge. Just click on the Inchie icon to the right.

Ten Resolutions for Mental Health

Ten Resolutions for Mental Health

By Dr. Clyde Kilby 

1. At least once every day I shall look steadily up at the sky and remember that I, a consciousness with a conscience, am on a planet traveling in space with wonderfully mysterious things above and about me.

2. Instead of the accustomed idea of a mindless and endless evolutionary change to which we can neither add nor subtract, I shall suppose the universe guided by an Intelligence which, as Aristotle said of Greek drama, requires a beginning, a middle, and an end. I think this will save me from the cynicism expressed by Bertrand Russell before his death when he said: "There is darkness without, and when I die there will be darkness within. There is no splendor, no vastness anywhere, only triviality for a moment, and then nothing."

3. I shall not fall into the falsehood that this day, or any day, is merely another ambiguous and plodding twenty-four hours, but rather a unique event, filled, if I so wish, with worthy potentialities. I shall not be fool enough to suppose that trouble and pain are wholly evil parentheses in my existence, but just as likely ladders to be climbed toward moral and spiritual manhood.

4. I shall not turn my life into a thin, straight line which prefers abstractions to reality. I shall know what I am doing when I abstract, which of course I shall often have to do.

5. I shall not demean my own uniqueness by envy of others. I shall stop boring into myself to discover what psychological or social categories I might belong to. Mostly I shall simply forget about myself and do my work.

6. I shall open my eyes and ears. Once every day I shall simply stare at a tree, a flower, a cloud, or a person. I shall not then be concerned at all to ask what they are but simply be glad that they are. I shall joyfully allow them the mystery of what Lewis calls their "divine, magical, terrifying and ecstatic" existence.

7. I shall sometimes look back at the freshness of vision I had in childhood and try, at least for a little while, to be, in the words of Lewis Carroll, the "child of the pure unclouded brow, and dreaming eyes of wonder."

8. I shall follow Darwin's advice and turn frequently to imaginative things such as good literature and good music, preferably, as Lewis suggests, an old book and timeless music.

9. I shall not allow the devilish onrush of this century to usurp all my energies but will instead, as Charles Williams suggested, "fulfill the moment as the moment." I shall try to live well just now because the only time that exists is now.

10. Even if I turn out to be wrong, I shall bet my life on the assumption that this world is not idiotic, neither run by an absentee landlord, but that today, this very day, some stroke is being added to the cosmic canvas that in due course I shall understand with joy as a stroke made by the architect who calls himself Alpha and Omega.

You can read more about Dr. Clyde Kilby here

EVERY INCHIE MONDAY - MARCH 19, 2012

 A perfect theme for Every Inchie Monday,

considering the most amazingly beautiful weather we are having!

Garden

Next week's theme is Dance. Why don't you join us?

Just click on the Inchie icon to the right to see more creative Garden expressions.

So, speaking of gardens, although it's only March, there's a lot going on out there!

 Beautiful blue skies, and 20 degrees today!

 Crocuses sprouting up through the lawn!

And other things that don't usually show themselves this early!

The robins are moving too fast for me to capture them on camera,

gathering materials for their nests which will no doubt end up in the most unusual places! One year they nested under the patio canopy, in the mechanism used to open and retract the clothesline!

Suddenly there are more dog-walkers than I have ever seen in our neighbourhood before - they had better be scooping after the pooping, or else!

I'm really hoping this isn't just a teaser of spring, but it was only last week that we narrowly missed getting hit by huge storms filled with thunder, lightning and hailstones...

but we did get hit with terrifyingly powerful winds that swept through our area....

...powerful enough to knock over the barbecue, which is heavy enough that it took both TGS (The GrandSon) and me to lift it back up!

 I see that many US TV stations now have a nightly insert in their weather forecasts called,

"Extreme Weather"

I have a feeling this is going to be a year of extremes.

ALL THINGS SPORTS

The school March Break is always a great opportunity for grandma to spend some time with TGS (The Grandson).

As TGS moves up in his teenage years (15 in a few months), it becomes more of a challenge to keep him busy (meaning keeping him occupied without technology ie: video games, Iphone, computer, TV etc.,)

Fortunately, TGS is excited about all things sports, and since they don't yet have a Basketball Hall of Fame in Toronto (he wants to be a professional basketball player), a sure bet to fill a few hours is a visit to The Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto.

We set off early, and it was great that the downtown traffic was light - normally it's no fun driving down there

We set out early intentionally because the first 300 people in line were to get a photo personally autographed by two of the Toronto Marlies team. The Toronto Marlies is a Canadian professional ice hockey team currently playing in the American Hockey League. The better known Toronto Maple Leafs play in the National Hockey League. Didn't matter to TGS - we HAD to be in the lineup as part of the 300 to get those autographs. Looks like we got there a little TOO early - a trial to his patience!

The signing wasn't until 2:30pm but there was plenty to do in the meantime, once the doors opened.
Here TGS has a hands-on opportunity to beat the automated goalie...

Yay!  It's a goal! (he's pretty good, TGS, I mean!)

Next an opportunity to BE a goalie...

The pucks come flying through those little oblong holes - got to have a good eye!

Nice save!

Finally - the long awaited moment!

A look of pride - wow!

But TGS is never too proud to help out a little guy - an up and coming Toronto Marlie or Maple Leaf, maybe??

One last stop, to spend some pocket money....

.. on a Toronto Maple Leaf cap.

TGS could have waited here for ever to be bronzed - guess he'll have to make the team, first!

EVERY INCHIE MONDAY MARCH 12, 2012

Wow -- where did THAT week go!

Time for another Inchie.

This week's topic is 'step'

"One small step for the skinny;

One giant step for the overweight!"

If you would like to view the creativity of other Inchie producers, just click on the Inchie sidebar, to the right. Better yet, why not join?  It is SO much fun!!



Every Monday Inchie - March 5, 2012

I am absolutely loving this Inchie challenge! 

(find out more about inchies, and how you can join, here)

I don't have a lot of time to be creative, these days (although creativity can take many forms, and I am 'creating' in other ways!!) but working on this little, tiny art form is so inspiring, and a lot of fun. I am learning so much from others, too, with regard to expressions of creativity.

Hmmm... having said that, I have just looked at next Monday's theme, it is "step"

...that may be more of a challenge than I bargained for!

Today's theme is "friends" 

I fell in love with this little girl and her friend, found on a piece of wrapping paper. Added some back and foreground materials for effect.