Friday, March 18, 2016

Musical Mornings. . . . . . . . . .



Being safe at home is such a comforting feeling. Despite my busy travel schedule to many amazing places in the world over the past several years, I do love being here in the cottage. There really is no place like home.

Do you play music in your home? I realized recently that I've not been playing music CDs like I used to. I have numerous CDs I've purchased over many years. Bob has his collection too as we have different musical tastes. Between us we have a cabinet chock-a-block with a big mix of musical offerings. Sometimes I play one on my computer if I'm alone - I love Loreena McKennitt, Enya, Eva Cassidy, movie soundtracks, Turkish melodies (memories) from Istanbul, soothing New Age piano solos etc. We have a stereo system for playing CDs and tapes tucked into the cabinet near the fireplace, but often it's not used for months. I always load up music nonstop over the holidays, nice background music for raising a glass and nibbling snacks when family and friends stop by, but then it sits dormant. I do play CDs in my car, rarely listening to the radio unless it's a classical music station.

During the week, whilst cleaning the guest room, I found a forgotten portable AM/FM radio in the nightstand. I dusted it off and brought it into the kitchen where I tuned it to our local classical station and enjoyed some lovely music whilst cooking etc. I think I'll keep it there and turn it on often. With so much insanity in the world music truly can soothe our souls, especially in times of stress. The music I embrace is classical and beautiful. . . . . thought provoking during quiet sections, exhilarating and spine tingling as crescendos rise drowning out the ugly bits of modern life. 


So of course I must ask you, being the inquisitive blogger I am. . . . . 
. . . . . do you listen to music in your home?

  

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Happy St. Patrick's Day. . . . . . . . . .


Top 'o the morning to you all.
Whether Irish or not, perhaps you still celebrate 
today with a traditional pint of green beer, corned beef
and cabbage, colcannon. . . . . 

 . . . . . or my favorite, a nice loaf of traditional Irish Soda Bread.
Eat it all today slathered in good Irish butter, because tomorrow
 it won't be half as good! 


Bob, whose grandfather hailed from County Kerry, will be 'wearing 
the green' today!  Meanwhile, we are busy planning our upcoming trip
to beautiful Ireland this Spring - I'm excited as I've never been there.
We'll be roughing it through the glorious Irish countryside, searching for
 family among all those thousands of Sullivans who didn't get on a 
boat to America back when.
Guess starting at the pubs will be a good idea, after we kiss the 
Blarney Stone!!!

Enjoy your day - you must have a wee bit of Irish in you.


Tuesday, March 15, 2016

After the rain comes Spring. . . . . .


The rain came down in buckets last night, thunder crashed directly
 overhead, nonstop lightning illuminated the trees off and on for
several hours.


Earlier in the afternoon the sun was shining and it reached 81F.
Looking through the window upstairs (sorry, there's a screen so photos
 are a bit grainy) I noticed how the trees were extending their beautiful
 buds toward the sunlight.

I was also able to catch this male White-Breasted Nuthatch on a branch.
This is the bird we usually see hopping headfirst down tree trunks which is
apparently a way to see insects that birds climbing up the trunk might miss!
Incredible agility comes from the extra long hind toe claw, nearly twice the
size of the front toe claws - if you look closely you can see it wrapped around
the little twig.  Mated pairs remain together all year defending small territories.
 The female is similar in color but has a grey cap and neck. Together they build
 the nest and have one brood of 5-7 eggs per year. Both parents feed the young.




The sun is brilliant this morning and the garden is radiant with the buds
bursting and fresh leaves unfurling.
Sadly many of the daffodils were flattened in the storm - the ones that
refuse to stand up again I'll be cutting later for a vase. 


"Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"
    "It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling
 on the sunshine". . . . . . 

                                    Frances Hodgson Burnett ~ The Secret Garden