scattering tunes: in foreign languages

I saw this video over at Today's Letters, and just can't get it out of my head.

The beat is classic and fresh all swirled into one-- even though I have very little idea what she's saying!
(Which reminds me, I have about 5 weeks until I have to face my 2011 Resolution: Learn a foreign language.)

I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving,
full in belly, house, and spirit.
See you after!

pieces of a quick getaway

No doubt about it, some areas of the world get more attention than others. The world loves Tuscany, Maine, New York City, and Paris-- as do we. But moving once a year like we’ve done during the course of our 3-year marriage (we’re on our fourth state!), we’ve been awed by the little gems just waiting to be found in the most unexpected places.

We just returned from a rendition of Paradise. Well, we actually returned on Sunday night but immediately had to pick up the pace with new friends, work, laundering, and grad studies, as life demands. So I’m just now sharing our Paradisaical stumbling with you.

We spent the weekend at our neighbors' Blue Ridge cabin, located in a rustic, private compound beyond this interesting gate. See the blue haze of the enchanted forest beyond?

We took a lot of books, a pound of pumpkin-spiced coffee, a block of white cheddar cheese, and turned off our cell phones to enjoy this view of a clear, freshwater lake shaded by gradually changing trees.

The lake has a tiny "beach" where Ghengis Khan made friends

And showed off his latest tricks.

And wondered why no one else was enjoying the freezing water as much as he was.

The banks were covered and (literally) crawling with Grandaddy Long Legs.

Which made for a creepy prequel to the pending dusk of October 31.

About 2 miles up the road is a lovely little winery where we sampled and dined...

In the Tuscan-gone-Blue-Ridge ambiance.

(More about THIS image later....)

All that being said, I just discovered Pandora. I know I’m a day late and a dollar short on this one—I’ve certainly been hearing “Pandora this, Pandora that” for quite a while. It’s just that I finally responded. If you aren’t yet registered, I highly recommend it! Right now I’m listening to a playlist they created for me. All I did was type in: Chopin, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Secret Garden, Yo Yo Ma. And they subsequently created a phenomenal instrumental playlist for me.
Next time I think I’ll type in: Ray LaMontagne, Blind Pilot, Jewel, Keb Mo, Regina Spektor, Sarah Vaughan, Shawn Mullins, The Cranberries... and see what they create for me!

no wonder she's in all the good magazines...

In the last three years, I have seen features on Anna Maria Horner in Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, Southern Living, and over 20 others.

And it's no wonder. She essentially takes old-fashioned, boring crafts and makes them not only aesthetically-pleasing but also trendy and fun-- all while managing a house full of children ranging from 18 to toddler. Talk about amazing balance and ingenuity.

Her latest brainstorm is a sewing commercial made to a Regina Spektor song. The combined talent and funk of these two unique artists will get those creative juices flowing just in time for the weekend:

What's more, Regina Spektor has a very interesting, extraordinary life story and climb to fame. Read some of it here. To see why this commercial was made go here.

our independence weekend...

It sounded like a second Revolution around here Sunday night. The fireworks were triumphant and spell-binding, and we were right under them for the official city show. Then, our neighbors kept their own privately-funded show going until the wee hours of the morning. It was quite festive.

To prepare ourselves for the festivities, Husband cooked a secret family recipe on Saturday night. They call it "Shields White Sauce Chicken," and it's so rich and delicious we only allow ourselves to indulge in it once a year... always in the summertime.

And we ate it on the coffee table (which is actually an overturned crate I finagled from my brother who finagled it from my aunt) in front of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which was as weird and creepy as one would expect. I loved it. It was brilliantly imagined and skillfully executed. Not to mention the phenomenal costumes, sets, and acting.

On the Fourth, we took Khan to the city festival.

(This post is a little out of order. Notice I am taking you from July 4th to July 3rd back to July 4th? Don't get dizzy!)

The "live music" on the river turned out to be a very talented swing band made up of soldiers.

I overheard someone comment, "This is the kind of music I picture the soldiers playing in the World War II camps for entertainment." It did seem like they came straight out of the Swing Era, still in uniform. Can you see the drummer in the middle on the stage? He was performing a drum solo, and once it was finished the trumpeters wasted no time picking up the beat.

We watched them until nightfall, and they played up until 5 minutes before the fireworks began. It was so symbolic, as if they were playing on base as victory was sought and wrought.

And as with every Fourth of July, I was struck by the last verse of "Oh Say Can You See," which it seems I only hear sung by soldiers and church congregations:

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, whether or not you were celebrating the United State's Independence Day!

More to come...

this weekend....

We took a drive in the Blue Ridges,

I worked on my first paper for grad school,

Caught Khan posing for a glamour shot,


And we went to two different gatherings featuring bluegrass bands and BBQ (apparently it is the season for bluegrass in the Carolinas :)



One of the parties had this display on the fence, which I thought was a festive and simple reminder.

How was yours?

a few things to stop and enjoy...

I'm really enjoying this song today:

I think the common, not-so-typically-"pretty" images coupled with the uplifting message and relaxing rhythm are absolutely refreshing.

I also loved looking at this school's field trip to Key West! Can you imagine chaperoning a junior high field trip to Key West? Can you just imagine what memories they made and how much they learned? I think it's wonderful the way so many schools are branching out these days on their field trips, as far as funds will allow. There's truly something to learn and experience everywhere.

rhythm and moves

Thank you all for your sweet comments on Monday!

We're getting settled and adjusting to the fact that we are yet again residents of a NEW state.

We realized while packing that I have lived in 6 states in the last 4 years (Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, and now South Carolina)

And Husband has lived in 5 states (all of the above except Georgia).

And we have loved them all!

This guy has been helping me move in.

Doesn't he just look like he has some serious rhythm in those bones? (Just to clarify: he hasn't been physically helping me-- he's on my iPod that my wonderful in-laws gave me for Christmas!)

Some of my favorites are:

Life is Beautiful

She Just Wants to Dance

Let Your Light Shine

Keep It Simple

More Than One Way Home (video)

It Hurts Me Too (video)

Listen to more here.

And I like this video he did of America the Beautiful.

water music revealed... and a few other tidbits

(1)

Husband's Dog-loo was still standing as of yesterday afternoon.

It's turned to a structure of solid ice. We now see why this was considered a formidable-enough structure for Eskimos' dwellings.

(2)

I found the MOST AMAZING website. Very helpful indeed.

You can search most personal and household care products and find not only customer reviews BUT ALSO environmental and health ratings. It will tell you what, if any, harmful ingredients lurk in your favorite products. For example, I discovered that my daytime moisturizer (which doubles as my "makeup") contains a cancer-causing agent-- oh and and I am really struggling. I love my moisturizer and it's taken me years to find one that I love. So now I am trying to decide if I should risk developing cancer or launch my search for the perfect moisturizer yet again. It's a toss-up, I tell ya.

I also discovered that my environmentally safe dish detergent is not altogether environmentally safe, due to the fact that the company who manufactures it is terrible at water and energy conservation. Good to know. So, the search continues in that department as well.

It's a good site to search your products' ratings, for whichever fields concern you most.

(3)

Do you have any subscriptions to magazines that actually require you to sit down and read informative, in-depth articles rather than merely flip through and admire lovely photos and tab tasty recipes?

We do. We like to subscribe to one of those kind per year. This year, it's the Smithsonian. It seems they show up in our mailbox before we're half-way through the previous issue. It's a rat race to keep up.

In catching up on my December Smithsonian reading, I read an article about Handel's music and learned that, "He wrote The Water Music [...] for George I, to be performed for the monarch as His Majesty's barge navigated through a London canal on a summer evening."

Like this or this:

"Ah-ha!" thought I when reading this and considering how I've always wondered at that lovely title: The Water Music. That explains it!

the perfect song for christmas night

I love this version because it seems that Jewel doesn't usually sing to her full potential like she does here. She gives it her all in O Holy Night, too.

The reason I like that?

She seems to be saving her greatest gift for The Greatest Gift.

How fitting.

it feels like christmas

I wanted to share the The Muppet's Christmas Carol version of this song... but alas, technology wanted the Harry Potter version. And technology usually wins its duels with me.

Regardless, I guarantee this happy little tune will be stuck in your head and have you dancing all day. Husband and I get it stuck in our heads every Christmas and sing it till New Year's.

commercial-isms

I hardly ever watch TV--except the nights when I go to the gym.

That's where I saw this commercial:

I don't like Wendy's, and this commercial did not change my mind about that. But I appreciate the light, quick tempo, and the witty little scenes. Previews and Commercials have always been two of my favorite parts about TV entertainment.

I think it's because they only require a short attention span, yet you can still ponder the message they're sending.

This one sends a good message: People, for the most part, appreciate what's REAL.

What messages do you get from it?

Speaking of what's "real" and what's not, did everyone read the 4-Bushel FarmGal's thoughtful post on reality TV shows? It was a good one!

(and just so y'all know what's REAL-ly going on behind the blog, I completely cracked myself up with the title to this post!)

With No Reference to Tatoos

I don't generally get into celebrities, but every now and then I must admit that my blasted human nature gets the better of me and a few celebs catch my fancy.

Like the ones who can make MuSiC

AND act

while appearing to be walking, talking pieces of-- for lack of a better term-- human artwork. In a sense, I guess they could be categorized as "human artwork" because that's what their producers and managers are doing with their entire image: creating it.

So, I like Zooey Deschanel for her style. I don't know what charities she gives to or if she recycles or volunteers her free time for the Good of humanity. I don't really know anything about her other than this: she has a classy yet vintage-trendy style that I really like...

And she can do this:

Watch out. It's loud!

(There's a better clip of the same scene here.)

She can even do a Cotton commercial that makes you tap your feet and sway:

(See more on this clever ad campaign here.)

Are you tapping your foot? Did these make you smile? Are you going out to sign up for voice and ballroom dancing now?

See some other great performances with this gal's Duo Band dubbed

"She and Him" here and here and here.

Be Careful What You Blog For

My gift from my parents for helping with the party was:

I can't deny that I blogged about it two times in hopes that someone would catch on to my vision of hanging it in my future library. However, my immediate thoughts as I opened it were, Whoa. You mean that actually worked? And , I better not blog about anything I don't want to get stuck with!

But I am so happy to be stuck with you, Pottery Barn Pencil. And, at least I know my Mother reads my blog regularly...