A Simple bit of Nostalgia

Still struggling with time management here, not least because I spend half of it procrastinating, but hey ho.  It’s made much worse this week because we are having a new kitchen fitted very soon.  In fact they are coming to gut the current one on Friday, so I’ve had to start emptying it out and packing up.

I find it quite incredible how much kitchen related stuff we have accumulated over the years.  Like everyone else, we have umpteen used-just-the-once gadgets tucked at the back of cupboards – a potato peeler, a spiralizer, a waffle maker… you know the sort of thing, the sort that seemed a good idea at the time.  I’ve also got bowls and pots my mother gave me when she was clearing out, and which I can’t believe I have some sort of sentimental feelings over – for goodness sake, they’re just stuff!  But I did find a glass dishy type thing (I have no idea what to call it) which was used to display cucumber slices at Sunday tea-time when I was a kid.  Gosh it did bring back some memories!

Our Sunday teas were sit down at the table affairs, and most weeks would consist of sea food and salad.  Dad would have picked up the sea food from the stall outside the pub when he went for his Sunday lunchtime beer(s). There were always prawns, winkles, cockles and sometimes fresh scampi, which I have never seen since those days. The salads were different then too. Not the mixed up colourful affairs of today, oh nooo.  The cucumber had its own dish, the celery would be standing sentry like in a vase, the lettuce would be in one bowl, the tomatoes in another, and we’d pile our plates with the individual bits and pieces, and no, of course there was no fancy dressings just a splosh of salad cream if we were feeling fancy.

While we were eating ‘Sing Something Simple’ would be on the radio (I should point out this was the year of the Beatles White Album which my sister and I would have much preferred to have been listening to (actually I lie, I would have preferred to be listening to the Monkees :/))Of course, when I recalled that I just had to look it up on youtube (what can’t you find on youtube??)  So now you can grab yourself a boring salad, find a pin to winkle out your winkles (if you don’t know what I mean I expect you can find that on youtube too) settle down, relax, and join me listening to some old tunes from 1968!  There’s no meaningless chatting, no ads, no callers, just a bit of harmonising… quite soothing in the current mad climate!  Enjoy 🙂

Teeunes on Teeuesday

Yes, I’m in a music mood today. Although not sure this entirely counts as music.  They were talking about this record on the radio this morning and I hadn’t heard it for absolutely ages. So I gave it a listen on youtube and found it to be still completely relevant. Ok, I’m not in the class of ’97 but most of this advice is spot-on.

Actually, we have an unexpected scorcher of a day here today, so it’s even more apt!  Have a listen and you’ll see… oh, and always wear sunscreen…  Have a lovely day x 🙂

Music Tuesday

Ok, so I’m late… it’s supposed to be ‘Music Monday’ but hey, I’ve just realised I haven’t actually posted any music for absolutely ages, and given that today I feel like dancing I thought I’d share this with you to get you up off your chairs too.

I do hope you are all having a good day. The weather here in North Nottinghamshire is very autumnal on this August day – grey skies and on the chilly side, but this can be our sun dance! A real classic today, The Beatles – Here Comes the Sun. Enjoy… 🙂

 

Music on Monday – Lah di Dah!

I notice I haven’t shared much in the way of music with you lately, but at the lastest session of our poetry group we tackled the tricky subject of ‘Can song lyrics be poetry?’ To be honest, it seems like an almost unanswerable question, and we all had our own ideas on the subject, so I’d love to hear your views or if you’ve got any particularly poetical favourites.

I must say, it did lead us to look as some pretty varied music  – everything from the Beatles ‘A day in the Life’ to the haunting ‘Strange Fruit’ sung by Billie Holliday (which was originally written as a poem by Abel Meeropol), via Leonard Cohen’s ‘Suzanne’, so quite an interesting, thought provoking, and eclectic mix.

To add to it, we also had a look at the one I have shared with you below. You may not have come across Jake Thackray before, but I remembered him for his appearances on ‘That’s Life’ in the early 1970’s. I always loved his witty songs delivered in that unique rich voice with a Yorkshire accent.

I hadn’t heard this one for many years, but remembered it immediately and it still makes me laugh.  Though the preamble is very much of it’s time, I’m sure the song is one that many people can relate to (I couldn’t possibly comment!!). So here it is – Lah Di Dah, by Jake Thackray. Hope it makes your Monday. x

Absolute beginners

Maybe not the first single you think of when you think of David Bowie, and maybe not one of his best, but we chose this as the first dance at our wedding thirty years ago, for both the sentiment and the mad dancing opportunities in the jazzy bits!

Most of the time I still feel like an absolute beginner in this life, so often think of the lyrics to remind me that I’m a lucky sort really.

David Bowie was only a few years older than me, and his loss so prematurely is another reminder that we should live life everyday as if there is no tomorrow!

This one’s for my mum

Hi Mum!

Surprise!! I know you loyally read my blog even though sometimes you don’t understand it, and quite definitely ‘don’t like poetry’.  So when I came across this video this morning and knew that you’d love it, I thought I’d post it here just for you (and anyone else who might like it too of course).  The music might not be entirely to your taste, but it’s worth watching for the dancing and the incredible way all the clips are put together in perfect timing.

When I watched it, it took me back to Sunday afternoons watching Fred and Ginger, Gene Kelly, or Busby Berkeley movies on the sofa with you and nan. You always did love dancing.  I can remember, when I was very small, being told off for running about between peoples legs when you and dad took me along to one of your ballroom dancing classes, and as I got older, watching you being swept around the floor in a dazzling waltz on our annual visits to the holiday camp.

For a short while you sent me to dance classes.  I don’t remember why I couldn’t do ballet, I think I wasn’t the right shape or something, but I did a bit of tap and modern, well, until my sister refused to take me anymore because she was embarrased by my (alleged) naughtiness.

So, I’ve never been up to scratch with the dancy dancy. That’s not to say I don’t do it, blimey, I even admit to dancing about on my own on my ‘about’ page here!  But it’s probably just as well that no one is watching.

You and I both enjoy watching Strictly Come Dancing at this time of year, and I’d love to be on it. I bet in your day you could’ve beaten the pants off of any of them! Wouldn’t it be great to be all dressed up in those glittery frocks and being swished around the floor by a proper professional? Of course, this programme is the new and improved incarnation of ‘Come Dancing’ that we used to watch together years ago too.

Anyhoo, enough of the reminiscing, have a look at the video and enjoy. I hope it cheers you up as much as it did me this morning – but don’t try any of the moves, well, not unless you’re hanging on to your ‘trolley’ 😉

lots of love

k xx

Music on Monday!

Gosh, this Music on Monday is getting to be a bit of a habit. Well, what can I say… I just quite like fishing out some of my favourite bits and pieces to share with you. Today it’s The Civil Wars with ‘I had me a girl’.  I’ve got a couple of their albums and like most of their stuff, but this one always has me singing along with my air guitar in hand! I hope that you enjoy despite the fact there is no video 😦

Music on Monday

Well, I guess it’s about time I shared my absolutely number one favourite song ever. By happy co-incidence it is also from the soundtrack of my absolutely favourite film, Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence (I may be the only person in the world who lists this as their favourite film, I’ve not come across anyone else yet!) , which moves me to tears every single time I watch it (apart from the bit with David Bowies brother which is a bit of a weak point methinks).

Anyhoo, my favourite song ‘Forbidden Colours’ by Sylvian and Sakamoto never fails to send my stomach into a knot however many times I listen to it… and believe me that is many, many times. I hope you love it too.