Tag: Classical Music

Staying Home #TMI Tuesday

This week’s questions aren’t nearly as raunchy. So, I’m giving them a shot and encouraging you to do the same.

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Favorite form of adult pajamas: Kimono, soft pant, romper or Winnie-the-pooh style?

When I was single, I had several pairs of pajamas I loved, some silk, others flannel, most of which my paternal grandmother gave me. When I got married, though, my late husband Bill didn’t want me wearing pajamas or socks to bed because he liked the feel of my bare legs and feet next to him in bed. His tune changed quickly when winter set in, and he felt my cold extremities against his warm ones. By that time, I’d given away all my pajamas, and the only pair I could find at Walmart was a pink print with a picture of Betty Boop on the top. But they were soft, warm, and comfortable, and that was all I needed. You can read more about Bill and me in My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds.

What time do you wake-up in the morning?

My Amazon Echo smart speaker in the bedroom is set to start playing classical music at six thirty. So, I’m usually up no later than that. I’m often awake by five thirty and ready to go.

Your favorite chore to do is _____ .

Writing. I don’t consider it a chore at all. I love developing ideas in my head and putting them on paper, or, in my case, on a computer screen.

Least favorite chore to do is _____ . Why?

Cleaning. I hate it with a passion. I don’t know why. Fortunately, I can use the local senior center’s Help at Home program, which provides cleaning and other services that are subsidized according to income.

Tell us about a home-cooked meal that you cannot forget.

One night, I made enchilada casserole, one of Bill’s favorites. But somehow, while it was in the oven, the glass lid on the dish broke, embedding shards into the food. I didn’t realize this until I removed the casserole from the oven. I had to throw the whole mess out.

Then, there was a knock on the front door, and it was a pizza delivery that we hadn’t ordered. As my mother would have said, in gest, of course, if I’d been using my head, we would have had pizza for supper instead. Again, you can read more about our life together in My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds.

Bonus: Is tired the new norm?

For me, absolutely not! I sleep well most nights, and in the morning, I hit the bedroom floor running.

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Now, it’s your turn. If you’d like to participate on your own blog, click here. Otherwise, you can answer one or more of the questions in the comment field below.

By the way, for those of you who use the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled, The Red Dress is available for download from their site here. No matter how you read it, please be sure to review it wherever you can. That goes for all my books. Thank you for stopping by. Stay safe, happy, and healthy.

New! The Red Dress

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Autumn Leaves #Musical Monday

This song is one of the first old standards I learned to play after we moved here to Sheridan, Wyoming, when I was twelve. This was before I started playing the piano and singing. I’d been taking lessons in Arizona for years. Mother wanted me to continue learning classical music, but after we moved to Wyoming, the teacher Dad found, who played with my grandfather in his big band years earlier, specialized in jazz, which I liked. So, what could Mother say? “Autumn Leaves” was one of the easiest songs I’d played.

According to Wikipedia, this song was written in 1945 by Joseph Kosma with lyrics in French by Jacques Prévert and in English by Johnny Mercer. An instrumental version by pianist Roger Williams was the number 1 best-seller on the U.S. Billboard charts in 1955. As a jazz standard, it accumulated more than a thousand commercial recordings from such performers as Jo Stafford, Miles Davis, and Nat King Cole. As autumn leaves start falling, I hope you enjoy my piano and vocal rendition.

New! The Red Dress

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Via “Die Forelle” by Schubert #Music #Mp3

The Trout #Monday Musical Memories

When I was little, my parents played recordings of classical music to help me fall asleep. One selection was Schubert’s Trout quintet. I especially liked one of the movements, which you’ll hear today.

When I took a music history class in college, I learned that this movement was originally a German art song about a trout being caught by a fisherman, sung from the viewpoint of the poor trout. If I’d known this as a child, the lovely melody would probably not have lulled me to sleep. I also wouldn’t have tried my hand at fishing the few times my family ventured to a lake or stream to partake of this activity.

I’m doing something a little different with today’s song. Instead of a video or recording of me singing the song, I’m providing a link to a lovely rendition of this movement from Schubert’s Trout quintet played by Dr. Crystal Grimes on the zither. Enjoy!

New! The Red Dress

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