Actually, "frightful" doesn't quite cover it; it's bitter. The heat has been on so much that we're becoming dessicated and so we've got vaporizers running on both floors. They really help with general comfort and now we're not being shocked every time we touch something. The steamer we put on top of the wood burning stove has rusted and the enamel flaked off. I've been looking for another, but don't want to spend a fortune and don't want another rusty mess. Meanwhile, a regular pot filled with water suffices.
We're coming along with all things Christmas. The shopping is almost finished and I enjoy Santa and his elves (aka US Postal Service and UPS) arriving with our purchases. The Christmas cards are almost completed; I'm doing them all by hand this year as I couldn't get the address labels to print. I find joy in listening to the Christmas music of Andrea Bocelli, Handel, Manheim Steamroller, Celtic Woman, and Maggie Sansone and while singing along, go through our list. I should be able to get them all in the mail by the end of this week. I like keeping in touch with people and sending them Christmas wishes -- even if they don't send cards -- it's my way of letting them know they are in our hearts.
We'll be having the kids (I hope all four (includes wonderful DIL)), both grand daughters, and Richard's parents here for Christmas Eve when we celebrate a truncated version of the Feast of the Seven Fishes (festa dei sette pesci). We'll probably do only four: a hot crab dip; linguini with shrimp and mussels piccata; and fried calamari. If anything in my life brings back childhood memories, it's this feast -- fodder for another post.
About Me
- KathyA
- I am a retired English teacher and department head, the mother of three grand mother of four, and have been married to the same man for 53 years, two years after we met at college. I taught in both middle and high schools as I really love teens and in-betweens. I was also a certified Lamaze instructor, and for a short time a volunteer chaplain at Howard County General Hospital. I am a two-time cancer survivor, ovarian (2003), and breast (2019) I was born in South Philadelphia and grew up in the 'burbs with great parents, in a bilingual household. I love soft pretzels and cheesesteaks, the Phillies, the Eagles, the Orioles, and sometimes the Ravens. I love being Mom, Aunt Kathy, Nona Kathy (Kath), and Teacher. I spend a lot of time in my gardens in the spring and summer, and in the winter I plan what I'm going to plant. I also am an avid reader, cook, photographer, lover of languages, music, and four-footed furries.
Showing posts with label handel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label handel. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, October 1, 2009
The Hills Are Alive and It's Got Me Running...
I'm well, the stitches are out and the dressing/soft cast is off -- a freeing experience for me. I'm making lists and checking tasks off as I complete them -- this in itself feels good.
My friend TAG at The Amature Gigolo got me thinking this afternoon. He's featuring a contest on the 100 pieces of music that one should know and understand -- pieces that broaden and define. I've taken that to mean music that has affected me on a grand scale. And while I may not list 100 pieces, I will try to recall that music which helps define who I am. I reiterate that I had always wanted to be a professional singer and I had intended to major in voice so music has forever been a big part of my life. In the thousands of compositions that I've sung or listened to, there are quite a few that have moved me. Here is a partial list. Perhaps some of these have been important to you as well.
1. Handel's Messiah -- the entire work. I've sung it hundreds of times and each time it affects me the same way.
2. "Canon in D Minor" by Pachabel
3. "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables
4. "Do You Hear the People Sing" from Les Mis
5. The entire score of West Side Story
6. "Rainbow Connection"
7. "Brian's Song"
8. "Rhapsody in Blue"
9. "Seasons of Love" from Rent
10. "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Neil Sedaka
11. The Brandenburg Concertos by Bach
12. "For Good" from Wicked
13. "Bad Day" Daniel Powter
14. The theme from The Champ by Dave Grusin
15. "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot
16. "Bess" from Porgy and Bess by Cole Porter
17. "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha
18. "The Last Farewell" sung by Roger Whitaker
19. "Shed a Little Light" by James Taylor
20. "Walking in Memphis" Lonestar
21. The theme from Casino Royale as performed by the Tijuana Brass
22. "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys
23. "Trumpeter's Voluntary"
24. "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" by Handel
25. Marcello's "Oboe Concerto in D Minor"
26. The theme from The West Wing
27. "Appalachian Spring" by Aaron Copeland
28. "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland
29. "The Planets" by Gustav Holst
My friend TAG at The Amature Gigolo got me thinking this afternoon. He's featuring a contest on the 100 pieces of music that one should know and understand -- pieces that broaden and define. I've taken that to mean music that has affected me on a grand scale. And while I may not list 100 pieces, I will try to recall that music which helps define who I am. I reiterate that I had always wanted to be a professional singer and I had intended to major in voice so music has forever been a big part of my life. In the thousands of compositions that I've sung or listened to, there are quite a few that have moved me. Here is a partial list. Perhaps some of these have been important to you as well.
1. Handel's Messiah -- the entire work. I've sung it hundreds of times and each time it affects me the same way.
2. "Canon in D Minor" by Pachabel
3. "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables
4. "Do You Hear the People Sing" from Les Mis
5. The entire score of West Side Story
6. "Rainbow Connection"
7. "Brian's Song"
8. "Rhapsody in Blue"
9. "Seasons of Love" from Rent
10. "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do by Neil Sedaka
11. The Brandenburg Concertos by Bach
12. "For Good" from Wicked
13. "Bad Day" Daniel Powter
14. The theme from The Champ by Dave Grusin
15. "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot
16. "Bess" from Porgy and Bess by Cole Porter
17. "The Impossible Dream" from Man of La Mancha
18. "The Last Farewell" sung by Roger Whitaker
19. "Shed a Little Light" by James Taylor
20. "Walking in Memphis" Lonestar
21. The theme from Casino Royale as performed by the Tijuana Brass
22. "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys
23. "Trumpeter's Voluntary"
24. "The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba" by Handel
25. Marcello's "Oboe Concerto in D Minor"
26. The theme from The West Wing
27. "Appalachian Spring" by Aaron Copeland
28. "Fanfare for the Common Man" by Aaron Copeland
29. "The Planets" by Gustav Holst
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