Valentine's Day Advice

     As I did for Valentine's Day last year, I decided to delve into my collection of sheet music for help with this posting. All the talk shows this week have been doing pieces on what folks should and shouldn't do to celebrate tomorrow, so here's my advice. As "Snooky" Lanson sang in 1945, "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart." 

     Serenade your sweetie with a song. "Peg of My Heart" was a favorite of my dad. I must have heard that piece a couple of hundred times growing up. His other favorite for which I don't have the sheet music was an old piece that went something like this. . .    Put on your old grey bonnet with the blue ribbon on it while I hitch old Dobbin to the shay. Through the fields of clover we will ride to Dover on our golden wedding day." If you have two minutes, click on this link Put on Your Old Grey Bonnet to hear it performed by the Hayden Quartet. It's a jaunty, catchy little ditty. I just remember the chorus. One of the special memories of my childhood was my mom and dad often singing as they did the dishes together.

     Next, try never to be . . .

Isn't this cover lovely? The illustrator was Frederick Manning.

     If money is tight, then just take your sweetie out for a spin on "A Bicycle Built for Two."

     

     Two last covers that lament the fact that the course of true love doesn't always go smoothly. On the cover above it says, "The Pal That I Loved Stole the Gal That I Loved" a "sympathetic ballad with ukulele accompaniment."  It was "Successfully Sung by Rubini and Rosa," in 1924.

    

      Newhoff and Phelts (pictured) in 1914 also sang of the age-old sadness of unrequited love in Gus Kahn's "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else."

     I hope everyone has a lovely Valentine's Day tomorrow!

The Blizzard of 2013

     This photo was taken from my sunporch as the snow began falling yesterday morning. The ominous forecasts talked of the impending monster storm. By 6:00pm, the winds had picked up and the snow was piling up. As the night progressed, the winds started to howl and the lights flickered on and off throughout the evening. Fortunately, I never lost power.

     This shot was taken early this morning. I had shoveled the back porch late last night before turning in, so I was able to get the porch door open. Weymouth received 26 inches of snow!!! Mother Nature definitely made up for the lack of snow we have been enjoying this winter. Can you find the doghouse  in the above photo?
     The drifts were incredible; some were three or four feet deep.

     I shoveled the back porch and stairs and the front stairs and walkway, but my wonderful neighbors cleared my driveway. Thank goodness!!! I am blessed to have very good neighbors.

A Blizzard Is Coming!!! A Blizzard Is Coming!!!

     At 10:00 AM, the snow has just begun falling giving credence to the alarm that the weather folks have been sounding. The predictions are for 16 to 24 inches by tomorrow. There may also be places which will receive up to 30 inches. Yikes!!! I plan to hunker down and spend the day quilting having given myself the day off from going to the gym. I know I'll get my share of exercise shoveling out this weekend. Thank goodness I have two wonderful neighbors who I think will clear my driveway for me.
   What a coincidence that the massive blizzard of 1978 occurred thirty-five years ago this week. Now that was a storm!!! I live on a well traveled street, but the plows were simply unable to keep up with the incredible amount of snow we received. The roads were totally impassable, but everyone pulled together and helped each other out. I remember folks pulling sleds as they trudged up the hill asking if folks need anything at the store. They were heading to a market about three quarters of a mile away. My neighbor was a head nurse at South Shore Hospital and so a snowmobile was sent to bring her out to the main road where she could be transported to work. I will never forget the image of Mrs. M. in her crisp white nurse's uniform and white stocking perched onto the back of a snowmobile! Schools were closed for a week. No one will ever forget that storm.
     Will this storm compare to that? We'll just have to wait and see.
 

Argo and Les Miserables

     Well, I've checked off seeing two more Oscar contenders. Last week I met a group of friends for lunch and then we headed to the cinema. Half went to see Lincoln which I had already seen, and another friend and I saw Les Miserables. The singing was great, the acting wonderful, but it just wan't my cup of tea. My friend who had seen the stage production a number of times absolutely loved the film version, but as for me, not so much. I normally grade movies that I comment on; it must go back to my days as a teacher. :-) I'm not grading this one as I can't do it objectively. I really didn't care for it, but if you liked the stage production of Les Miserables and its music, you probably would enjoy this film.
     Tuesday, I went with my friend Donna to see Argo. It was awesome. Though I knew the outcome, the movie still proved to be incredibly suspenseful. I could barely breath during the last fifteen minutes!!! In fact, I was so taken by Argo that this morning I ordered from Amazon - Argo: How the CIA and Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History. I had checked out a few websites to see how much of the content of the movie was fact-based and what was not. That's why I want to read the  account by the CIA agent, Antonio Mendes, whom Ben Affleck played in the movie. Whether the film was historically accurate or not, Argo  is one thrilling movies! A+ !!! Definitely go see it!

Hello Kitty; Goodbye Super Bowl

     Sunday afternoon was great as I attended Miss L.'s  Hello Kitty 7th birthday party!!! All seven of my adorable young cousins were there, and a great time was had by all. I left in time to come home, get comfy, and watch the New England Patriots take on the Baltimore Ravens. Things didn't go as hoped, and groans could be heard in households throughout New England as our team went down to defeat :-(

     On a higher note, yesterday our country had a celebration of our democracy. It was a glorious day in Washington, and though the TV coverage was wonderful, I wish that I had been there in person to see history being made at the 57th Inauguration. The ceremony from beginning to end was glorious and made me proud to be an American.

     I didn't see the parade as I went to a get-together at a friend's condo. There was lots of yummy food, good conversation, and a fun game called "30 Seconds" which challenged the old brain cells. Snow had been predicted for the overnight, but the forecasts of 3" to 6"inches proved to be wrong. It was a surprise this morning to see that we had received merely a dusting. That's fine with me as it would have been pretty darn cold out there shoveling. Friday holds the promise of the next snow storm.

     Speaking of snow, here's a photo that I just took. Brother, it's c-o-l-d outside!!!  Bitter cold air is racing down from Canada coupled with a nasty wind chill for tomorrow and Thursday. I had picked up this little blue quilted jacket on sale for an unbelievable $2.98! It  even has a small snap pocket on the back. H'mmm. . . do you think that's for Emma to carry her cell phone?

Winter Wonderland

     We've had a full range of weather in the last few days. Sunday the temperature was in the high fifties, a truly gorgeous day. In the afternoon I attended a program at a local quilt shop and later  attended a reunion pot luck supper with fellow travelers from our amazing trip to Italy. The get-together was great fun, and we heard a bit about next year's proposed return trip to Italy.

       This was the scene on Tuesday morning. Though it snowed only a few hours, it managed to create a beautiful blanket of white. The pristine conditions, however, didn't last long with Emma dashing madly about. She loves the snow!

     Two days later the snow is now practically all gone. You have to love New England's ever changing weather!!!

Happy New Year 2013

     I can't believe that I haven't posted since the day before Christmas; the time seemed to go by all too fast. Let me start by wishing one and all a very happy, healthy, adventurous 2013.  

     I had a stomach bug for a few days last week which kept me from taking down my holiday decorations. Before I finish packing the last of the inside decorations away, I thought I would take a moment to share these photos which were taken during Christmas week of some ornaments from the pine tree in my backyard .

     If I'm not careful, I often get my own reflection in the shot as in this one. 

     Here's an intentional, genuine, honest to gosh, self-portrait. :-)

     Most of the snow has melted away, and the the weather people are hinting that we may be in the upper fifties over the weekend. That could only mean one thing, Mother Nature must have a blizzard waiting up her sleeve and the warm weather is just a trick!!! Trick or not, I can't wait to temporarily ditch the hats, scarves, and gloves if only for a day or two.