Summertime ~ Tuesday 4

Welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

Summer time is upon us. 

1. What special memories do you have about summer when you were younger?

I remember warmer weather because our summers were very short in the far north. We kids would play outside until midnight because it was so light outside. The sun didn't stay out all night but at midnight it still looked like twilight.

I also remember the annual trip to Bible Camp which I absolutely loved because there were lots of summer activities and lots of good food as well as good company and new friends from all around northern Alberta. I lived in British Columbia (BC) and the camp was in northern Alberta. 

See the highway (SE) from Dawson Creek to Saskatoon Island Provincial Park

Each year my Sunday School teacher and her husband would drive one of my siblings and I to camp along with two of their children. It always seemed like a long drive in the hot sun but according to google it's only about a 1.25 hours drive southeast from Dawson Creek, BC.  Camp was only a week long but it seemed much longer because we did so much in that one week.  Specifically I remember lots of outdoor sports like softball and swimming.  I loved singing around the campfire roasting marshmallows and drinking hot chocolate. We did a lot of church of course and Bible study along with crafting and other things. One summer my house mother was a missionary lady from Africa and that is when my interest in Africa began.

There was always a special church service on the last day and a nice luncheon to which the families of all the campers were invited.  Then everyone headed for home to their different locations. It was always a sad day for us young people to part with our friends and fun activities.

2. What is the highest temperature you've experienced in summer? What about so far this summer? How do you weather the heat or humidity?

I'm not entirely sure but I think it was about 43 degrees Celsius or 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit.  Some summers can be very hot here in Canada.  In those summers we usually have a lot of wildfires all over the province where I live and often in other provinces as well.  So far this summer it hasn't been too bad in BC.  The hottest day I can recall so far is about 29.2 degrees Celsius or 84.5 Fahrenheit.  Lytton, BC has been the hotspot of the province so far this year at 36.9 degrees Celsius or 98.4 Fahrenheit. Lytton is the town that burned to the ground due to heat and wildfires a few years ago. It still hasn't been rebuilt and right now there are wildfires in the area where the town is located.

When it's hot or humid I try to stay home. If I go out, it's usually late in the day. I also drink cold drinks and eat fruits like watermelon and cherries.  I keep the fans on when I feel overly hot and will sometimes put an ice pack on my neck or back.  We don't have air conditioning.

3. What's been on your menu so far this summer?

Usually in summer it's too hot to eat regular food so I keep the menu light with lots of salads and fruits like watermelon and cherries.   We have lots of corn on the cob, peaches, nectarines and apricots and wild caught salmon from the ocean.  The weather this summer has been much more bearable so far. It's almost the middle of July and our temperatures have been in the 22 - 26 Celsius range (71.6 - 78.8 Fahrenheit).  Not too hot at all. Quite comfortable in fact.  Right now (Sunday) it's overcast and has been for several days. It looks like rain but so far there is no shower in sight.  July is usually a very hot month but this year the temperatures are several degrees cooler than usual.  It seems like the very hot weather is being experienced in Eastern Canada this year and in Europe.

Given the nice temperatures we've been eating more or less the regular food we eat.  However, because it's summer I'm also making an effort to make a few summer type meals. For example, on Thursday we had a delicious vegetable salad and a Chicken Bacon pie from frozen. Today I made BBQ ribs and a Penne Pasta Salad chock full of vegetables and feta cheese.

Chicken & Bacon Pie

BBQ Ribs & Penne Salad

Penne Pasta Salad.  I was very generous with the feta cheese.

Another salad we like to have in summer is Potato and Egg and I plan to make it early in the week along with some hot dogs on buns.

4. What is on your reading list this summer... anything to recommend to us? What's on your TV this summer. Any music you're liking this summer?

There are a number of books on my reading list this summer:

I recommend Mansfield Park for Jane Austen fans.

I recommend both books. First one is set on a sheep farm in Australia, 2nd in NL., Canada.

I recommend if you like stories told through letters.

I recommend for insight into understanding how we spend money.

I recommend if you want to understand the immigrant experience.

I recommend if you like twisted mysteries.

I recommend The Hotel Nantucket if you like cosy reads set in beautiful places.

I recommend if you like spy stories where the spy is a woman.

On the television I have several streaming services and I usually select a spy movie. I just finished watching the series The Agency with a stellar cast including Michael Fassbender. I've also watched several series on Paramount Plus:  The Marshals, The Madison & The Dutton Ranch.  On Brit Box I've watched The Other Bennett Sister and I'm now watching A Woman of Substance.  The latter is a series based on the novel by the same name which I read decades ago and which has stayed with me throughout the years.  The content is perfectly captured in the title. A young woman rises from abject poverty to become extremely wealthy despite all the challenges along the way.

I also saw quite a good, long movie on my library streaming service over the weekend.  It's called Tomiris, about the Queen of the Massagetae people on the steppes east of the Caspian Sea. I've been trying to find the exact location of the area where the Massagetae people lived but since historical records are scarce there isn't accurate information.  I do believe that the people didn't actually live in Iran but in what is now Turkmenistan and in the other countries of Central Asia with the words ending in 'Stan". In the movie, Tomiris is depicted as a woman destined to protect her people and their lands from the encroachment of Cyrus the Great. Cyrus the Great hailed from Persis, an ancient region in southwestern Iran in what is now called the Fars Province. Click on the link below to enlarge the map of the Persian Empire.




If you can find it on a streaming service you use, I'd highly recommend it. Please note you'll need to turn on the subtitles. If you're in Europe I've read you can watch it on Amazon or Apple TV.



As for music, I'm not one to sit and listen to music though I really do love it.
Recently though I heard this song on Instagram and I had to look up the singer. You might like him too. 
Dusty Rivers is an 80 year old blues and soul singer. He appears to be a real person with a real discography.  It also appears that he uses AI to generate his image in the songs on his YouTube channel. Anyway I really love his voice and have listened to this song a few times. The content of the song no doubt has to do with the result of aging and no longer needing to strive so hard. Perhaps he has also a better appreciation for different things as he nears his last chapter.

 I do spend more time listening to music on occasion and when I do I love to listen to gospel, especially the old hymns, the occasional contemporary gospel song and gospel songs in other languages.  I also l love folk music and the music of the 1970s.

Music and You ~ Tuesday 4

Tuesday 4 is hosted  in memory of Toni Taddeo who started it a few years ago and I (Annie) hope you will join in with us each week. It is a great way to visit new bloggers, make friends and discover new and interesting things about your friends. The topic for this week's Tuesday 4 meme is Music.  

1. Do you play a musical instrument? 

I used to play the guitar to accompany myself in singing but haven't played in ages.

2. Have you taken music lessons? What kind. If not, is there one you might enjoy learning. It is never too late to start.  You might be surprised at how accomplished it will make you feel.

I haven't taken any music lessons but I always wanted to take piano lessons especially as a child. Perhaps I still will one day.

3. Is there music in your home as background to your day's activities or do you have music playing in your car, etc.? If so, what kind of music do you enjoy hearing?

Though I love music I seldom listen to it as background to whatever I'm doing. When I'm on the road there is usually music playing to pass the time.

What kind of music do you NOT like?

I don't like most heavy metal or rap music.

4.  Do you have a favorite composer or genre of music that you like most? Maybe you like several. Please share with us your thoughts?

My favourite genres of music are classical and Christian.  Favourite classical composers include Mozart, Bach, Handel & more.  Favourite Christian contemporary composers are Chris Tomlin,  Don Moen, Jenn Johnson & many more.  Favourite hymnal composers are Fanny Crosby, John Newton & more. 

I also like rock and roll from the 70s the era in which I grew up.  My favourite singers and songwriters include John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger & many more. 

Click the links on the names above if you'd like to hear some music samples.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm a Huge Fan

I just got two large surprises! 

My 'baby' brother who usually joins me and other family members for Christmas, has just advised me that he will be away as of Friday, December 22nd until sometime in the New Year 2024.  The trip came up very suddenly as he was at a conference recently and won the trip credits as a door prize.  He is always lucky that way when it comes to winning air credits for travel.  The same thing happened last year though it wasn't right at Christmas holidays. So it's a huge surprise.  I'll will miss his presence over the Christmas holidays and I'll also have less help eating the turkey and all the fixings.  I just bought the turkey today. Had I known he wasn't going to join us, I may have bought a chicken instead. Oh well, I bought a Butterball turkey so it ought to be tasty.

The second big surprise is my Christmas gift from him.  He wanted me to open my gift right away.  He presented me with a cute little gift box with a Santa waving on the front of the box. Inside was a handwritten note saying 1 ticket for me to attend the Rolling Stones concert when they pass through the city in July 2024.  I can't believe it!!! 

I've been a huge Rolling Stones fan since I was 16 years old. I still have very fond memories of me playing my only two (2) 8 track cassettes on a cassette track player I bought with my babysitting money.  The 2 cassette tapes were Janis Joplin (I don't remember the name of the album) and The Rolling Stones (the Jumpin' Jack Flash album). 

I would play those 2 cassette tapes all day long after school and play them loudly on constant repeat. Mom and dad were so good about it. They never, ever complained. In fact, they enjoyed the fact that I was enjoying the music.  They didn't have any concerns about my music choices because they actually liked some of it too and they knew I was a 'good kid' who didn't hang around with the wrong crowd despite the music.  My little brother who bought me the concert ticket, would have been about 5 years old during the time I was listening to these tapes.  He would have barely been out of his "Ruby Ducky" and "Country Roads" phase, lol.😂

Anyway I look forward to hearing the concern next summer Lord willing. When I first heard the Rolling Stones was stopping in Vancouver, I thought I'd like to hear them. However I'm not the kind of person who will do whatever it takes to get a ticket. I thought I wouldn't stand a chance anyway but I did happen to mention to my brother that the band was coming to town and it would be my last opportunity to see them if ever since Mick Jagger, the lead singer is now 80 years old! Keith Richards is also 80 and Ronnie Woods is 76. They are all considerably older than I am yet they still have the stamina to put on a concert every night and travel the world. 

Here is a video of the band performing Jumpin Jack Flash a few days ago in New York City.

What about you dear reader? Are you a Rolling Stones fan? Have you ever seen them live in concert?

Tuesday 4 ~ Songs

Hi Friends and welcome to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.    Are there many people who dislike music?  I doubt it, don't you?  Songs can have a lot of meaning and bring out a good helping of emotion whether happy, sad, nostalgic or funny.    Let's talk about it.

1.  Tell us 4 songs that define your life.   I know, this one is hard but it's not written in stone!  Feel free to be serious or silly as you choose.  Maybe even some songs that you would like to describe your life!

This one is hard because no songs really define me as I don't listen to music that much even though I enjoy it. I do get into the mood of listening sometimes and then I'll spend an hour or so usually listening on YouTube these days.

Songs that come to mind (songs are all linked at the titles).

Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley - I love this one because my late mom and late sister enjoyed Elvis Presley a lot.  When I was younger I used to think I might go to Las Vegas one day to see him perform but that never happened.  The song is special, not because of the meaning, but because of the word "Suspicious".  One of my nieces is autistic and her mom,  my late sister, used to sing this to her.  It would get a huge reaction out of her because she loved the 'sh' sound in the word. Whenever my mom and I would want to engage in conversation with my niece and get a good reaction from her, we too would often sing this song for her.  There were other words she liked as well and we used all of them to communicate with her.

I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor ~ Again this song is a special one because my sister used to sing it out loud to her children and they would all get into singing it together. I enjoyed it on my own as well before I knew it was a favourite of my sisters. Once, when my nephew was fully grown, I heard him belt it out and it surprised me.  I guess it became more meaningful because his mom passed away when he was still very young.  I'm happy to say, he did indeed survive, and excel through the grace of God.  He will soon to complete his Ph.D. 

Ain't No Grave (Gonna Hold My Body Down) by Janet Paschal ~ When my sister and I used to drive around on some of my visits, she would have a gospel tape in the car.  This song was on it and a favourite for her and her son to sing very loudly.  Her son was only about 2 years old at the time and he would stand on the back seat of the car and hold on to the front seat and belt this song out. It was such a cute sight and he sounded so sweet.

Go Rest High on that Mountain by Vince Gill ~ This song means a lot because we often played it or had a relative sing it at family funerals. It is a very touching song. Vince Gill began writing this song once his friend & fellow country singer Keith Whitly died.  He didn't complete it until several years later when his older brother died of a heart attack. You can't help but feel the emotions when you hear it or sing it.

2. A song or songs  that are special to you in some way

All of the songs I mention in answer to question 1 are special to me.  But another one that means a lot to me apart from any direct family connection is called Abba Father. I've searched for it online to no avail. We used to sing it in Sunday School. Here are some of the lyrics and if you know where I can find this song on line, please let me know.

Just want to tell you

That I'm thankful for all that you have done

How you picked up a sinner and made him your son

You forgave me all my sin

Placed the Holy Ghost within

Abba Father, I will be, a son indeed.

Not my will, but thine be done

That the fullness of your Son

May be within this life that I have offered thee

Until everything I do, becomes the thing that pleases you

Abba Father, I will be, a son indeed

3. A song you and your sweetheart loved, or maybe your Mom's or Dad's favorite?

A song my DH and I enjoy is called Taunet Nelel. It's song in an African language by recording artist and minister, Emme Kosgei. It means a new beginning.  I've shared it below if you'd like to listen.

4. A movie soundtrack you have enjoyed, or a theme to a TV program or commercial  you like/liked. Name as many as you like! If you have no favs, then how about ones you remember well?  Some songs just stick in your head!

I have three soundtracks which I've enjoyed very much over the years. The first is Les Miserables and the second one is The Phantom of the Opera.  The musical Cats is another masterpiece. Just locating these links and listening to the powerful, opening numbers brings back a lot of enjoyment. I hope you enjoy them too.

Music, Music, Music ~ Tuesday 4

How are you doing?  It's great to be back at Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4.

 

Music is something most people truly enjoy but some find it annoying at times.   Some listen at home, some in cars, and music is played in restaurants, shops, you name it, music provides a background for many activities.

1.  What kind of music appeals to you?  What kind can you do without?  

I love all kinds of music but my favourites are Christian music, mostly hymns and contemporary gospel, folk music/world music, some rock n roll, traditional country music and classical music. At the end of the day, I have very eclectic tastes in not only music, but also in decor, in books and foods.

I don't like heavy metal or a lot of what passes today as popular music. So much of it is vulgar, filled with cursing, degrading to women and downright nasty. But if one is a bit open minded there are good selections of music in almost any genre. I don’t actually listen to music a lot because there are so many things to fill my time.  When I do listen, it is mostly worship music I like to listen to at home.

2.  Do you consider music an important part of life? Why or why not?

Music is an important part of my life.  Gospel music lifts me up and enriches me.

When I want to enliven my physical being, I listen to some rock n roll and dance in my chair as I work on the computer. When I want to relax and enjoy some moments, I listen to any of the other music I like but mostly folk music and world music, and less often to country music and rock n roll.

Music in general is important to society. It brings people together in a good way or a bad way. It depends on the music, the lyrics, the beats. Music has a very powerful effect on people, for good or for bad. I know music can be used therapeutically with the elderly or the suffering and that’s a good thing.

3. What's on the radio as you drive or what is on at home and do you find music in restaurants and shops soothing or off putting?   

I don't tend to listen to the radio at home much. Now and then I’ll listen to a local news program or try to tune into a Christian radio station.  But when I'm on a road trip I listen to whatever my fellow travellers listen want to hear.  Usually they have a personal playlist. I don't mind music in restaurants and shops. In fact when I go to buy groceries, I will often dance in the aisles if no one is around, lol. I'm sure they get a laugh if anyone is watching the video cams.

4. Would you tell us some of your favorite songs and singers please?

I have so many gospel musicians I like:  Don Moen, The Goodmans, The Isaacs, The Hoppers, Charity Gayle, Chris Tomlin, Tara Smith, Darlene Zschech, Tasha Cobbs, Sinach (Nigeria), Emmy Kosgei (Kenya-Nigeria), Soweto Gospel Choir (South Africa),and many others. 

In the folk world my favs are: Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Buffy Ste. Marie, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Paul Simon, Johnny Clegg  (South Africa). Though it probably isn't technically correct, I classify World Music as Folk Music and I love a lot of World musicians.  I especially like the music of many groups and individual artists. Examples include: Tinariwen, Ali Farka Toure, Sona Jobarteh, Fatoumata Diawara, Mdou Moctar, Bombino and many others. I often research the artists that come to town and though I don't usually go to their concerts I'll check out their music on You Tube videos.

Most of these World artists are men and women from many different countries in Africa and they are all absolutely incredible. Finding them and listening to them here and there, makes me feel a kinship with people all around the world and gives me joy to know that they are passionate about their music.  I like some oldies but goodies in rock n roll.  Too many to count really. I seldom listen but I do enjoy from time to time: Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles and many others I can’t remember off the top of my head because I so seldom listen. When I do want to listen to some rock n roll, I simply google “70s hits” and rediscover the music of the decade and other decades. 

I almost forgot that I also like a lot of country music artists. I had to come back here and update the post when I realized that.  But again I so seldom listen. I mostly get to hear the artists on award shows when they perform. I enjoy the country performers of old and newer artists who perform the old style: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris, Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris to name a few. I saw Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard and Alan Jackson in concert over the years and they were all incredible. Oh my, I almost forgot too that I also love classical music. I find it very relaxing.  I usually listen when I go to the symphony or opera but I haven't been for a long time. I enjoy Mozart best in terms of classical pieces and Giuseppe Verdi for the opera music. I will often listen to classical music on You Tube, especially in the Fall and around the Christmas season.

I close with two videos of my favourite gospel singers from the African continent. I hope you enjoy them.

Sinach sings WayMaker

Emmy Kosgei sings in her Kalenjin language

Be blessed.

💗💗💗

Tuesday 4 ~ Memories of Days Gone By

This is Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo.

 

1. What was life like for you as a child of elementary school age? Friends, games, TV, music, food, interests?  Tell us about it won't you?

Life was active for me as a child.

I had a few close friends but in those days we didn't play together at one another's houses so often. I lived the farthest from school and sometimes my friends would ask me to stop at their houses on the way home from school.  I don't remember a lot of what we did except we usually had a snack and would then retreat to the bedroom where we would gab as girls like to do. 

On the occasions my friends would come to my home, my mother would often invite my friends to join us for a meal and then she would chat them up too. I remember one Italian girlfriend in particular. My mother made spaghetti just or my friend and I and served us on a table outside on a lovely summer day.  She gave us water to drink and while we ate she convinced my friend that she was part-Italian by speaking a few words of Italian. It was funny because my friend really bought into her prank and on the sidelines I was splitting a gut laughing.  It was all in good fun and mother eventually told my friend the truth. 

At home my siblings and I played together outside a lot and we also played games with the neighbourhood kids most of whom were younger than I. Reading and learning was always an interest of mine and I would pretend to play 'teacher' with the smaller children.  I mostly liked reading so I could continue learning new things and that interest continues to this day. I have a lot of memories of friends and I spending a lot of time together after school, often we were doing homework. in those days we had to be home by a certain time after school, before dinner and certainly well before dark.  At night after the evening meal, I would tie up the phone line for hours doing homework with my best friend. My parents didn't mind me tying up the phone because I was doing something constructive.  In the daylight hours at home we also played a lot of action games like tag, dodgeball, hide and seek and tether ball.  My dad put up a tether ball post in the yard and when I was at school, I loved to play tether ball at recess and lunch.  My younger brother and I also played a lot of ping pong with two of the local teachers who taught ping pong to the youth.  We didn't have our own ping pong table at home and we did this at a local community organization.

I believe we got a television when I about 6 or 7 years of age and we only had two channels. I remember western shows like The High Chaparral and Davey Crockett. The main television shows for kids were on Sunday night though. I loved Ed Sullivan and the Wonderful World of Disney. I learned a lot about the culture, the popular music and so on by watching Ed Sullivan though I think my favourite segment was when Ed Sullivan would talk to the puppet Topo Gigio. My heart would melt. I thought Topo Gigio was so sweet. Of course Ed Sullivan show is where I heard about all the singers of those days including: Mahalia Jackson, The Supremes, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Janis Joplin and The Rolling Stones as well as many others.

 

I used to love the Topo Gigio segment on Ed Sullivan

 

Food was anything my mother made. She was an excellent cook and we were never bored with the menu.  She didn't make fancy dishes, just good home cooking with substantial stick to your ribs kind of food.

2. Moving along to the teen years would you mind sharing some of the same things with us? What were you interested in?  What did you watch on TV or listen to on the radio?  Tell us all about you as a teenager.

I got saved in my early tween years and church took up a lot of the week. By this time I was going to church about 4 times a week which is the norm in Pentecostal circles (Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday and Friday night). I also was part of our small church choir so we had practise on one of those nights and of course there was always the Christmas and sometimes Easter plays at church and school. I didn't really enjoy being in the plays and I still don't. But I did love singing in the small choir. In summer we went to a wonderful Bible camp. It was always such fun; the food was great, sermons were motivating and friends and activities were plenty. 

My siblings and I were basically well behaved kids.  If anyone did get into mischief we were made to be accountable for it and make things right.  It was mostly my younger brother who got into a bit of mischief here and there. We were all kept very busy babysitting and with required daily chores around the house.  After we completed our chores we were free to do homework or play.  We were in great demand as babysitters but when I think about it now I shudder. We were just children looking after children and in those days people usually had several children at home. But the times were very different then.  Rules around child care were not as stringent as they are today and thankfully nothing bad happened.

I never did like radio much though I listened to it every morning before setting of for school.  We would have to get up very early for school. Once we woke up we would wash and get dressed, make and eat breakfast and gather our school books, bags and lunches . All the while the radio would be on so we could listen closely to the weather report and be alert to any school closure announcements due to inclement weather. At times it would be so very cold.  I can still remember being so annoyed when the DJ played certain hits songs over and over again.  One of the songs was by the late BJ Thomas entitled, "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head".  Meanwhile, it was in the dead of winter with enormous amounts of snow and freezing temperatures.  This experience led me to dislike that song forever though I did come to enjoy BJ Thomas' other hits. 

More my style in the later teen years were the Rolling Stones and Janice Joplin. By this time I was no longer in church quite as often.  My world and tastes were expanding somewhat though I never really strayed too far into the 'world'. I remember I had an 8 track player and 2 'albums' and I played them again and again at top volume.  I cannot believe that my mother and father never once complained.  They just let me listen to the same songs over and over again. I think if the shoe were on the other foot I would not be so understanding. 

My siblings and I were very sheltered from the bad things in the world.  There were a lot of opportunities for kids to get into bad habits but my parents made sure they kept a watchful eye over us and protected us as much as possible.  I thank God for that because mother and father did not go to church themselves yet both of them believed in God and in a decent way of living. They also tried to be understanding and supportive of whatever we wanted to do as long as it was reasonable and lawful.  They supported my musical tastes at the time too.  I had absolutely no idea about the kind of lifestyle that rock n rollers were living when I was in my rock n roll phase.  When Janis Joplin died at such a young age I am not even sure if I knew why or how she died. I just remember being shocked and saddened. My mother was also saddened on my behalf. We had both liked the song "Bobby McGee"by Ms. Joplin. In fact, mother and I had started playing acoustic guitar and singing together for fun at home and we learned that song. We never sang for an audience unless it was a visitor or two. I was simply too shy for that. But my mother had a wonderful voice and her own singing style. She grew up singing country or country gospel songs at public events like rodeos. She and I began to sing many songs together all for fun and for a hobby.  Though she sang a lot in her youth she didn't want to sing for the public anymore as she had not kept her voice muscles in good condition.  Other hobbies I started during these years were crochet and beadwork.  Mother and I liked to bead together and we made earrings and necklaces which we sold here and there.

I still remember hearing about the death of Janis Joplin. So young but she had made a mark.

 3. Would you share your college or young working years with us?  Did your interests change or grow in your late teens or early 20s?  Did your friend come or go?  Did you live at school or home or have a place of your own?  So many questions only you can answer.

As I grew up and started university, I was still very studious and still did a lot of babysitting.  By this time my entire family had moved far away from where we all grew up.  We moved because I was going to go to university.  My father had recently died in a vehicle accident and my mother wanted a complete change and new start too and my need to go away for study coincided with the family's needs. I lived at home for the first two years of study before moving south to Vancouver to complete studies.  At this time my musical tastes changed from rock n roll toward folk music and I also began listening to more classical music. I had also returned to church life and many of my family members came to know the Lord during this period as well. Country music and country gospel were popular in the household and I kept on singing and playing guitar in private for fun. In act my brother did the same. My sister was left handed and found it hard to play the guitar but she loved to sing too.  Playing an instrument and singing were just things that so many people did back in those days.  Though many of us were never that talented we all enjoyed it immensely.

I kept in touch with a few friends through letter for awhile but gradually we all drifted apart as we all got busy with our own lives and new friends.  This was in the days before Facebook or social media and cell phones. I still retain fond memories of all my childhood friendships.  From time to time, I do wonder whatever became of 'so and so'.  Now and then I have tried to locate one or two old friends but haven't had much success in that regard.

After completing university I moved east to begin my career but after a few years returned to Vancouver and have been there ever since.  During all these years I had great work opportunities but worked too hard.  I didn't have any time for a personal life or for cultivating hobbies. I love working and when I work, I tend to over do it.  I had no idea about work life balance as I'd been trained to always do an excellent job. When you are working and there aren't enough staff or resources to do an excellent job it means you yourself have to put in the time and energy. I'm also a "recovering" perfectionist and have been very hard on myself and others who don't give their best efforts at all times.  In retrospect I wish I had learned about the need to pace oneself and take care of the body, the mind, the emotions and spirit at the same time as earning a living.  All the emphasis on work took a toll on my health and since those years, I've been in a  process of learning to be content with my physical limitations as much as I try to improve the physical body.  I am learning firsthand the meaning of 2 Corinthians 12:9 and God has been faithful. I've also learned that not everything needs to be done to a very high standard. Some things can be done to an okay standard.

4. And lately... what are the topics occupying your mind right now?   How have things changed in your life in the not to distant past. Are you okay with the changes?

The topics occupying my mind right now primarily relate to health, family and faith. Of course the broader things going on in the world are never far from my thoughts and prayers.

Books picked up at the library on February 15, 2022

 

Now that I am no longer working and we've all had to stay home for a few years, I have lost touch with so many people.  I try to look on the bright side of things and do what I can to keep in touch with people through technology.  If one cannot get together with others in real life we are so fortunate to have technologies that help us meet others and stay connected. It isn't quite the same thing but it is a good thing.

Last, but not least, I always have the Kenyan missions needs on my mind. As time goes on I wonder how much I will continue to be able to do  to help the grassroots people in Kenya. God knows and I try to leave it all with him. I also try to look for small ways to save funds to send to the mission field or small ways to earn funds for that purpose. Along that vein, I have recently added advertisements to the blog in case you are wondering.

My post is a very long one and I was late to preparing it.  In the next day or so I may change it up a bit as I review for errors or things that aren't clear. Thanks so much for your visit today. I appreciate it!

Joining in with Tuesday 4 here.

Tuesday 4 - That's Entertainment

 Here is to another week of Tuesday 4 in memory of Toni Taddeo.

1. Do you have an actor or actress whose movies you hate to miss?

I have a few actors and actresses whose movies I try to see when they make a new one. Here they are in no particular order:  Meryl Streep, Meg Ryan, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, Dame Judi Dench, Helen Mirren,  Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie, Zoe Saldana, Chris Pine, Viola Davis, Regina King, Denzel Washington, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Octavia Spencer, the late Chadwick Boseman, Daniel Kaluuya. Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton. That's a lot.

2. Is there a movie or TV program you could watch over and over again?

I can only think of two movies I did like to watch more than once and both of them featured Angelina Jolie though I would not say she is my favourite actress.  The first movie is called Salt, an action-adventure-spy movie.  I found the story line very thrilling and it held my interest throughout.  I also enjoyed The Tourist, a romantic-spy-mystery.  The scenery and the acting in The Tourist were superb as the story was mainly set in Venice.

 

I don't usually go out of my way to watch something over and again but I would choose movies like Out of Africa and  Sleepless in Seattle as the kind of movies I would watch on more than one occasion.  I also like to watch some classic movies like The Sound of Music.  During appropriate holidays like Christmas and Easter, I also watch some movie favourites like It's a Wonderful Life and The Ten Commandments. If a movie I've already liked and watched happens to be showing on television and I'm "free" I'm usually open to watching it again. 

I never really used to watch movies on television or on computer as I far prefer them on the big screen. But then the movies got to be so expensive and combined with the fact that the movies run are sometimes very short, I will now watch on TV or on line.  These days we have so many movie options and watching at home is very convenient. 

I usually make a cup of decaf tea and some other snack (fruits, chips, popcorn, etc.). The snack depends on what I have on hand and what I may be craving.  I never go out to buy snacks specifically for eating while watching movies.

3. Do you have a list of books or magazines you are hoping to read over the summer? Would you share it with us?  Bonus: do you make a cuppa something or a snack when you read?

I purchased two magazines which I haven't read yet:  Small Space Decorating (Better Homes & Gardens) and Flowers and Gardens (Victoria Classics). I simply love looking at pretty photos of beautiful homes and gardens and I also like watching You Tube videos and looking at magazines to get ideas for small space decor and organization.  

My tastes are very eclectic so it is hard to decide on what I really, really love for the purposes of living. I think  probably a home that is more rustic and comfortable because that seems to be what I gravitate to most since I like wood things and tribal rugs and artifacts or anything hand made.  I also love lots of greenery and flowers.

I have about 6 books on the go at the moment, several are sewing books, one is about heaven and who will meet us at the gates, another is a compilation of news articles written for the Irish Times by the late Maeve Binchy and the last two are novels.  I have a very long list of books to read and I'm always adding to it. Once I finish what I have on hand I will see what else I can get from the library that may be on my list. 

A few weeks ago I  reached my quite modest reading goal for the year.  Now I'm just taking time and not reading much each day especially because it is sweltering heat right now where I live and we've been shattering temperature records all week. When I have a good novel though it is hard to put it down until it's done.I find it's also more enjoyable when you read a novel each day so you don't lose the thread of the story.

I make the same snacks and refreshments for book reading as I do for when I watch movies.

4.  What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

Joan Baez & Bob Dylan Photo by:  Getty Images & Printed in the Guardian News

My tastes in music are also super eclectic. I enjoy almost everything except for crude lyrics.  The music I'm drawn to most often is the classical music (especially Mozart), the music of the 60s and 70s (Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Peter, Paul & Mary, Joni Mitchell, Ian & Sylvia, Buffy Ste. Marie, Simon and Garfunkel, Motown, Jim Croce, The Beatles, Elvis) light rock of the 70s  & Dicso (James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Eagles, The Doobie Brothers, Doctor Hook, KC & The Sunshine Band, Donna Summer) and spiritual or gospel music of almost any era and any style.  I also like country and western music as it was the music I grew up hearing most. The odd thing is I love music but hardly make time to listen to anything but gospel.

Linking up with Tuesday 4.

A Night of Music

On Saturday evening I attended a concert of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

There were two guest artists, Tianwa Yang, a brilliant, young violinist from Germany.

Photo Credit: VSO website

 The other was the dashing and expressive conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto of Mexico.

Photo Credit: VSO website

The repertoire consisted of :

Bach/Stokowski

Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor

Paganini

Violin Concerto No. 2 in B minor*

Beethoven

Symphony No. 8 in F Major

I opted to get to the concert early so I could hear a presentation.  The speaker gave an overview of the concert pieces and a little history on each of the composers who wrote them.

Pre-concert presentation and explanation of the night's program.

 People relax in the lobby before the concert.

Small audience at the pre-concert presentation.

   I personally found it quite chilly in the venue.  I am recovering from a chest and ear infection so the slight breeze coming in through the open entrances to the outdoors, was enough to make me shiver.  Concert doors (to the outdoors) in the city are usually kept open until just before the concerts are about to begin.  I guess this helps make the flow of people into the building go much faster.

I only had a thin sweater over an equally thin top as I'd forgotten to take a wrap with me in my haste to get to the presentation on time.

I bought a coffee to warm up but finished that before the 20 minutes presentation was finished. I was still getting chilled from the breeze so  purchased a glass of wine.  I was surprised to learn that the venue now permits drinks in the concert theater (thank God for that).  The only stipulation is that the beverages cannot be in a glass container.

It took the entire concert to finish the small glass of wine.  It did in fact help to keep me warm. Each time I felt a chill taking hold, I had a small sip of wine. These small sips were plenty for me as it had been hours since eating a  late lunch.

Some of the VSO members practicing.

 Beautiful architectural details of the Orpheum Theater

The performance was very well attended.

 I was very pleased to attend this concert especially since I received a complimentary ticket.
 

I  enjoyed the concert so much and I'm now thinking I might attend the New Year's Day program.

What about you dear reader?

Do you attend the symphony or do you prefer other forms of music and the arts?

Joining with Our World Tuesday