Category Archives: Music

Creative Pursuits, Grandparenting, Imagination, Joy, Music, Playlists

In Cahoots with One Hit Wonders

3 Comments

Today’s blog post is inspired by my 12 year-old grandson and my now-confirmed-by-a-professional audiologist hearing loss.

The week before last, I went in for the hearing test I’d been putting off for longer than I care to acknowledge. I pretty much knew that I was going to test “positive” for hearing loss, though the degree to which my hearing has sunk was a surprise. The audiologist said he was stunned that I’ve managed for this long with my level of hearing. Hearing aids have been ordered and I’m trying not to get too anxious about how it might go. But I’m hopeful.

During a recent weekend spent with our grandson, he and I bonded over our love of music. I learned his current favorite song is “Cecilia”, by Simon and Garfunkel. I even introduced him to what it sounds like on vinyl! Since it was on my borrowed “Bridge Over Troubled Water” album, I also introduced him to that most chillingly beautiful song. I just can’t not think about and talk about and listen to great music right now.

On another (musically-related) note, I’ve decided that “In Cahoots” is going to be the name of my pretend band. It’s perfection, really. Though there’s probably another band with the same name out there, somewhere. It stands to reason, right? I will not employ the Google machine to verify this, because it’s way more fun to pretend that I am the clever gal who came up with the best band name ever.

I imagine that my pretend “In Cahoots” band specializes in one-hit wonders (categorized as an act that had one hit song in the top 40 Billboard chart) from 1967, the year I was born, through 2026. I suppose this means they’d have to be a pretty large band with a mix of voices and the ability to perform a variety of musical styles. But, this is my imagination at play here, and there should be no rules when it comes our imaginations.

I’ve been in a happy little bubble for a few days now, curating a Spotify playlist (the 14 year-old version of me is geeking out over here!) for myself of exclusively one-hit-wonders. Just for fun, you know? I’ve started out by picking a couple of “one hit wonder” songs from each year for this playlist, ones that 1) remind me of a specific era in my life and/or 2) that I really enjoy. What I suspect, as I move forward with this quest, is that there will be fewer “one hit wonders” the closer I get to the year 2026. I’ve gotten through all of the 90’s at this point so I’ll see if my theory proves correct before too long.

Why I think this, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because I feel like, especially in the 70’s and 80’s, pop music was so much more experimental (hence a larger portion may not have been commercially successful) than it is now. I mean, have you ever listened to the song “In the Year 2525”, by, I kid you not, Exordium and Terminus/Little Kids (what?! So many questions!) from 1969? Not like I actually recommend it, but it is also, you guessed it, a one-hit wonder.

Naturally, I’m also very intrigued about what may have become of these one-hit wonder acts. It makes me think of that character in a movie I still adore in spite of it’s problems, “Love Actually”. One of the love stories within this movie is about a man who was convinced to come out of retirement to re-imagine his one-hit wonder as a (colossally bad and cheesy) Christmas song. There’s got to be so many stories out there of lives lived leading up to, during, and after musical acts and their one-hit wonders. That’s a “behind the music” type of show I would certainly watch. How about you?

Hot takes on this little musical game I’m playing with myself so far:

“Loser” by Beck was a one-hit wonder. I have been a fan of Beck for several years now, and I was stunned to learn he hasn’t had any other top 40 hits. I suppose he is more critically lauded than he is commercially successful?

1983’s “one-hit wonders” were the worst of them all (through the 90’s anyway). To the point where none of them will be represented on my Spotify playlist.

The song “Layla” (with that luscious never-ending piano and guitar melody at the end) from 1972 was technically a one-hit wonder too! It’s because it was released by the short-lived band Derek and the Dominos before Eric Clapton found humongous success as a solo act.

I think the next time our grandson comes over, I’ll share this playlist with him and see his reaction. I’m sure he will be full of questions and commentary about it.

Here’s a one-hit wonder from 1982, which was featured in a movie I remember loving so much in high school, “Valley Girl”. I had quite the crush on Nicolas Cage back then. I thought he was so effortlessly cool and exotic. So, tell me, my fellow music lovers, what is your favorite one-hit wonder? Please share in the comments!

BingeworthyTV, Books, Cooking, Lifestyle, Music, Reading, Summer

Summertime Binge-Watching, Reading, and Eating

2 Comments

How is your summer going so far, my friends? Are you staying busy? Hopefully not too busy. We all know that’s no fun.

Life is going at a bit of a more leisurely pace at this point in the Summer of 2026. I’m enjoying our lifestyle here in Minnesconsin with only myself, Mr. NOA and our two silly dogs to care for. There’s no big plans for any travel for the forseeable future for us. To my surprise, I’m okay with that. We are getting cracking on the multitude of small (and large) home improvement projects on the master list created at the beginning of the season though, which I’m really happy about.

From replacing flooring (our entryway no longer has green carpet, thanks to Mr. NOA!), to a bathroom remodel, to switching out light fixtures, we certainly have our work cut out for us. We have decided to do it all piece-meal, doing the work ourselves as much as we can and as our finances allow. Our objective is to just keep moving forward and always have a project we are working on around here.

Of course not all my down-time is dedicated to DIY home improvement projects. I mean, maybe it should be? Yet there are other activities lately, like binge-watching, reading, and eating, that I’m quite enjoying these days.

What I’m binge-watching:

At night, I often relax by lounging on my couch, preferably with a dog or two next to me, and binge-watching (often limited) series on one of my streaming apps. I like that I can choose how many episodes I want to watch. Unlike a 2 hour movie, which I don’t like pausing to finish another day.

Of course, there’s the danger of getting so engrossed in the story that I’m watching, that I’ll blow far past my bedtime and regret it the next day. Restraint is key.

The most recent binge-watch for me is “5 Star Weekend” on Peacock. It was unexpected. I came into it thinking it would be mindless, fluffy, and all “girls just want to have fun”. Instead, I was treated to a realistic portrait of a group of female friends. The actors in this series captured the awkwardness of meeting a friend’s friend for the first time as an adult. It also got me thinking of the different sorts of friends we make as women throughout our lives, from those who we befriended as girls to those we collect along the way. I never thought I’d hear Jennifer Garner say the “f bomb” though. However, as an appreciator of salty language, I found it refreshing. I’d say if you liked “Wine Country” (on Netflix), starring one of my favorite comic female actors, Amy Poehler, you will enjoy this one.

What I’m Reading:

American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins. Got it from my local library. It’d been a minute since I’d been there. It is a very harrowing tale of a mother and her 8 year-old son’s trek to the U.S. to escape horrific violence in Acapulco. Jumping onto the top of trains, always keeping an eye out for those who may mean them harm. It’s about motherhood and womanhood, and fear, and class. It’s engrossing and heartbreaking, and it’s a book that I know I will never forget. If we could get everyone to read this book, I suspect that my fellow Americans’ attitudes towards the plight of immigrants would change.

What I’m eating:

I love the simplicity of cooking in the summer. Oftentimes, it’s not even so much cooking as it is throwing things together. Like the other night, when I made a charcuterie board for Mr. NOA and I to graze on in place of a “real” supper. Those little tomatoes, fresh and at the peak of ripeness, that we grow in these big planters outside in the doggie’s “playpen” (the fence we put up earlier this summer). It’s such a little treat to slice those up and sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on them to accompany our unfussy summer suppers. Adding sliced cucumbers purchased from the Farmer’s Market and some lovely sliced sourdough with italian seasonings, and it’s *chef’s kiss* to me. A couple of weeks ago, I clipped off the leaves from our basil plant and made a delectable little pesto, which was phenomenal on toasted sliced French bread with thinly sliced tomatoes and a sprinkling of Italian cheese blend. I’m hoping to do that again before the summer ends.

So, friends, tell me, what is it that you are binge-watching, reading, and eating during these “dog days” of summer?

Let me leave you with a song that I love very much. It popped into my head last night, as Mr. NOA were out in the yard and I noticed a pair of honeybees enjoying the goldenrod in one of ou

Black History Month, Connections, Diversity, Grandparenting, Music, Positivity, Respect

Re-Re-Re: 1st post in a series

3 Comments

Alright, my word nerd friends: do you have a favorite prefix-a short couple of letters that precede a word that changes that word’s meaning?

I do. It’s “re”. There are are multitude of remarkable words that start with this prefix, which is why I’m saying with uncustomary confidence that this is the first in a series of blog posts about “re”.

But first.

I’m going to start with a word that begins with the letters “r” and “e” but isn’t the prefix “re”.

That would be the word “respect”, or as Miss Aretha crowed “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” She also belted out “re-re-re-re” in that iconic song, which has been firmly lodged into my songbrain since at least last week. The best line in that song is one in which Aretha demonstrates how she has respect for herself: “I’m about to give you all of my money. And all I’m asking for in return honey is to give me my propers when you get home.” A woman clearly stating what she expects and why she deserves it. That, I respect.

Another artist I respect and appreciate is Roberta Flack. She is most certainly in my top 5 of all-time favorite female singers. I caught the portion of the 2026 Grammys where she was honored (she died one year ago today, actually) and it occured to me just how much I love her voice. Her song “Killing Me Softly” breaks open my heart every time I hear it. The vulnerability in the lyrics and how she delivers them is nothing short of breathtaking. Rocking my 7 month-old grandson the other day, I found myself playing Roberta’s songs on Spotify and was reminded of the duets she did (like this one) with Donny Hathaway. Doing a little bit of googling for this blog post, I learned that the two of them met as students at Howard University. I found this interesting article about Roberta’s lasting influence at Howard and her musical partnership with Donny. You can check it out here.

In the course of my online exploration of Roberta’s life and music, I found myself wondering if Aretha and Roberta’s paths ever crossed. Answer: they did.

They took the stage, along with Sarah Vaughn and Peggy Lee, in 1973 to honor Duke Ellington. I’ll share the video here, though it’s pretty grainy. Those gowns, right?

As it’s Black History Month, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention other black artists whose talent I respect.

There’s the iconic Prince, born and raised in Minneapolis, a city dear to my heart. His passing, almost 10 years ago now, was such a shock, wasn’t it? He was a one-of-a-kind artist who was unapologetically and beautifully himself.

The powerhouse vocalist and performer Tina Turner. The strikingly handsome, talented change agent Harry Belafonte. Bill Withers, who lifted us all up with songs like “Lovely Day” and “Lean on Me”. The man who also gave us that perfectly soulful and funky song “Use Me” and the classic “Ain’t No Sunshine”.

It appears it’s time to make myself a new Spotify playlist so that I can marinate in these wondrous, passionate black voices and share their talent with the young ones in my life.

Aging, Art, Arts and Crafts, Connections, Creative Pursuits, Music, Vision, Vision Boards

Vision Boards and More: from 1 to 2 to 17?

4 Comments

“I have 17 of them”, she said, matter-of-factly, when the subject of creating vision boards came up in our group.

This was said during a women’s meet-up group I attended when Mr. NOA and I were living in the Denver metro several years ago. I pushed past my insecurities and joined this group online as a way to make friends in our new environment. I wasn’t yet working, and I fervently desired to establish connections with others. New others.

I can’t recall what my response to this comment was. I suspect it was something along the lines of “Wow”. Said of course, with an undeniable feeling of envy inside of me, as this was a stunning woman with flowing auburn hair and a petite and fit frame. I remember snarkily thinking “must be nice to have that kind of time and resources to create that many vision boards”.

Suffice it to say that this woman and I did not strike up a friendship. If my memory serves, she attended no more than 2 of our get-togethers.

I wish I had inquired as to where she displayed these creations. I had one measly vision board myself and hadn’t at that point considered creating any more of them. I figured I would just add to or switch things out on that one as time progressed.

Time is a funny thing though, isn’t it? Now, 7 odd years later, I’ve got two vision boards. And I am absolutely not opposed to creating more of them. I am a visual person, which is ironic, as I’ve recently learned that I have “pre-glaucoma” in my eyes. It hasn’t affected my vision. Not yet anyway. So this leads me to feel precious about my vision. It feels good and right to create new vision boards for myself at this juncture. I may only be able to clearly see them for a short number of years, for all I know.

Or, I could do something different, and repurpose picture frames or pick some up at a thrift store and try my hand at making some original art, using images and random do-dads I already have. Between that and vision boards, I think I could easily create at least 17 of them. Maybe I could make that a creative goal for 2026.

While I can’t deny I am a person who has a special talent for biting off more than I can chew, this actually feels doable to me. One of the things I am especially drawn to when it comes to being intentional is creating, so this goal of getting to 17 framed pieces of art in 2026 fits the bill.

How about you? Have you ever created a vision board? One in which you affix pictures of places you want to inhabit, quotes that uplift you? Silly things that amuse only you?

Please share in the comments!

Friendships, GenX, Gratitude, Intentionality, Joy, Lifestyle, Music

Sometimes I Just Want to Yap about Music

7 Comments

I’m currently obsessed with using my basement rec room more. That is where my turntable is situated and where my rocking chair lives. I have this vision that I will procure more albums along with a vessel to house them in. When I consider which albums I want, I think about the ones I had as a teenager in Northern Minnesota in the 80’s. The ones I played over and over again. The ones I donated long ago with the original turntable I got as a present for my birthday (12th or 13th?) from my parents.

Like these:

Mr. NOA’s best friend from college, Kevin (aka my soul brother) visited us last weekend and brought a large collection of albums. Some, he said, are “for keeps” (Hotel California by the Eagles is one of them) and others, he said, are “on loan”. Because he gave up his turntable years ago and isn’t sure when he’ll get another one. Kevin and his wife will be visiting us again soon and I look forward to spinning some vinyl with him then.

He and I joked the other night that if someday we happen to be in the same nursing home together, we would keep the place hopping with our excellent musical taste and deejaying skills. I reminded him of the fantasy I’ve long had of the two of us collaborating on a podcast about all things music. I think that must be put on my list of retirement goals.

Kevin “gifted” me an eclectic variety of albums. For instance, there’s two copies of the soundtrack for the musical “Hair” and two copies of Neil Young’s “Decade” album. There’s one from Kim Carnes and a couple of Glen Campbell and Kris Kristofferson albums in the mix.

I spent some time this afternoon, given it’s Tuesday and my day off from work, sitting on the floor in the rec room looking through all of these records. I’m mostly looking forward to listening to Tom Petty’s “Southern Accents”, all of the multiple Paul Simon and Simon & Garfunkel albums, the Neil Young albums, and the one from the “Traveling Willburys”. And “Hotel California” by the Eagles without a doubt!

The most remarkable thing to me, beyond my brother sharing his treasure trove of music with me, is the loving care he took with them. There are several albums in this collection where Kevin slipped into the clear sleeves newspaper clippings related to the artist. If there ever was someone who could make a living from being a rock and roll music historian, it’d be Kevin.

Photographic Evidence 🙂

Of course I couldn’t possibly end this post with no music clips, so here’s a favorite of mine from “The Firm” (did you know this band only had two albums and was fronted by none other than Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin and Paul Rogers from Bad Company?). I love the swampiness of this tune…how about you?

Keep on rocking in the free world, folks (while it’s still free)!

Fun, GenX, Humor, Music

Reflections on Vinyl

3 Comments

A couple of Christmases ago, Mr. NOA bought me a new turntable. It was something I had wanted for a while. We have a finished basement here in House Number 8. Ever since we moved in, I had visions of utilizing that space for random, music-infused friends and family fun times. A turntable with an eclectic collection of vinyl was sure to bring my vision to life.

Thus far, I have only purchased two vinyl albums: Billy Joel’s 52nd Street (a favorite of mine in the 80’s) and “Mellow Gold” which is one of those compilation albums (3 albums in one!) comprised of pop hits from various artists in the 60’s and 70’s. I picked that one based on the songs listed on the back cover. My favorite songs in this compilation include “Sundown” by Gordon Lightfoot, “Doctor my Eyes” by Jackson Browne, and “She’s Gone” by Hall and Oates. There’s also two songs on this album that I recall singing in my “Madrigals” group back in high school: “Baby, I’m Yours” by Barbara Lewis, and “Cherish” by The Association.

I know, I’m such a music nerd.

Friends, I can count on one hand how many times in the last almost two years that I listened to these albums in my happy-good-times finished basement. And the only other person who was ever present with me any of these times was my 10 year-old grandson, while we were creating art together on the big folding table I have down there.

Now, I have faith that my HGT finished basement will become a veritable music-filled hang-out spot as time marches on; for now, however, I’m on a mission to find used vinyl to up the chances this will happen sooner rather than later.

Here’s what I recently found at a local thrift store. Perhaps it should have come home with me-however it seems more fun to consider what is going on with the album cover.

Clearly, these are “fancy” men. They envision being adored by their fans and they dress impeccably. I’m not sure if the red roses are being tossed to them by their audience or if this is just a show to ensure all are aware that these are chivalrous, romantic cis-het men who most certainly shower their ladies with beautiful bouquets on the regular. And what on earth is with the fish?

I’m sure they had an artistic vision for this cover. I was going to continue this snark-fest and pontificate on the song titles featured on the back of this album, but I got distracted by Google. However, before I could put this little blog post out there into the world, I felt compelled to at least do a quick search on this band.

Turns out, Heaven 17 included two of the guys from the Human League, and it appears this album actually was considered great by fans of 80’s English synth-pop. Human League put out one of my very favorite pop songs in the 80’s, “Fascination” which I wrote about here.

So apparently you can’t judge an album by its cover. Nor if you don’t even listen to it.

Speaking of album covers, I picked up a coffee table book (A Brief History of Album Covers by Jason Draper) while thrifting a couple of years ago. I have leafed through it several times and came to the conclusion that I can’t possibly display it lest my grandson gets to looking at it. The commentary within this little treasure is for mature eyes only.

So, tell me, my fellow vinyl lovers, what do you play on your turntable?

Let me leave you with a slightly more recent favorite song of mine, which I stumbled upon whilst perusing YouTube looking for songs to share from my “Mellow Gold” album. Turns out, Beck came out with an album of the same name. I hope you love the absolute weirdness of this video as much as I do.

Creative Writing, Dogs, Love, marriage, Music, Valentine's Day

Valentine’s Day 2024: Restless Legs, Dreams, and Love

2 Comments

If I could be anywhere with anyone this Valentine’s Day, it’d be with Mr. None of the Above in the audience of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s “Restless Leg Tour”. I believe they are in NYC tonight. I came upon this tour online a couple of weeks ago and quickly shared it with Mr. None of the Above. I told him I figured it’d take about a couple grand for the two of us to fly to NYC (one of my top U.S. future travel destinations). This would include airfare, hotel, meals, and show tickets.

He laughed and laughed. Fucker.

No, I jest. Of course I didn’t think he’d agree that this was a great decision for us financially or that it was even feasible given our work and life schedules. But I enjoyed the fantasy while it lasted. Sigh.

I believe, however, that if Tina and Amy could understand how much I love that they are doing this show and for how long I have truly admired them as women in the world of comedy, they would certainly decide to book more shows closer to where we live. We could easily make the trip to Minneapolis or St. Paul, Madison or Milwaukee. Plus, I also have restless leg syndrome so that counts for something, right?

How about you, my lovely readers? What would be your heart’s desire if you could be anywhere with anyone on this Valentine’s Day?

Or, if you’re not feeling particularly dreamy today, how about just pausing to consider the things, whether they be non-things like people or pets, or experiences/activities, or physically tangible things that we are absolutely loving right now?

I’ll go first (like there’s another option here).

My best friendship and marriage (34 years in May!) with Mr. NOA

Taken in the early aughts and still one of my favorite pics

The badass female energy I’m surrounded by these days, at work, in my personal life and online. I’m embracing it and grateful for it. It’s inspiring me and enlightening me and I never want to take it for granted.

Speaking of being enlightened, I am really having a moment with reading. I am happy to report that I’m making progress on my ridiculous goal of reading 24 books in 2024. I’m currently reading book #3: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. Wow. It is amazing that she wrote this when she was just 23. It’s like she must have been infused at birth with an old, wise soul to come up with such a rich story with fully drawn out characters.

These two fluffballs: our boy Radar and his little companion, Max, a pug/dachsund mix. We had Max overnight recently so my daughter and grandson could visit the kiddo’s other grandparents.

Naturally, Radar is chewing Max’s toy and Max is chewing Radar’s

Speaking of puppies, did you all catch the “Puppy Bowl” this past Sunday? Man, watching that brought me so much joy! Note to self: find it again and record it on your DVR for whenever you need a lift.

Another thing that has been giving me consistent lifts these days is streaming music on The Current. I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this wonderful MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) station in previous blog posts, but either way, I am certain you will love it. They have great programs, like “United States of Americana” with Bill DeVille on Sunday mornings. They play a humongous and eclectic mix of music genres: folk, rock, hip-hop, blues, funk, and so much more, both old and brand spanking new stuff. Listening to this station on the regular keeps me, well, current.

I love comments on my blog posts too, folks! I would love to read about the things you are loving in the here and now. The things/people/places that are making your heart soar.

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends!

Blogging, Gratitude, Joy, Live Concerts, Music, Wine

A Bottle of White, A Bottle of Red

3 Comments

Who enjoys their wine?

I do. I mostly prefer a dry white, but OMG sipping a full bodied pinot noir or merlot is an exquisite experience.

I could happily talk more about wine here. When I first began blogging, there were topics of great interest in my mind, ones that I was certain I was going to write about all the live-long day. Food/Drink was one of those. Now, I certainly have written much in this space about my unbridled enthusiasm for cooking and baking, sometimes sharing my best recipes. But that’s not what this post is about, actually.

It’s about how I, along with my beautiful sister-in-law and Mr. None of the Above, got to see two icons-live!-in concert earlier this month: Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks (which I later learned entitled their concert “Two Icons One Night”).

You may (or may not) have read my little piece in this space where I expressed my enthusaism ahead of getting to experience this concert.

I figure “before I forget” (a common phrase for anyone who knows me IRL), especially since my brain right now is all about ChristmasChristmasChristmas, I figured I’d share my impressions of this concert.

It. Was. Awesome!

Stevie Nicks performed first. She sounded great, just like she does on the radio and her albums. She appeared quite dimunitive, and charmed us all with her chattiness between songs. She had such a fast way of speaking, though, I likely didn’t catch it all. She and Billy performed “Stop Draggin’ my Heart Around” as pictures of Tom Petty were displayed on the huge screens. She also performed a cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”, prefacing it with something to the effect of “I don’t care how you vote, but we are in some very hard times in this world right now”.

Stevie performed many of her greatest hits as well, like “Gypsy” and “Gold Dust Woman”. I was amazed by how long they each performed. Her performance was about 1 1/2 hours and Billy’s was well over 2 hours.

I loved that when Billy Joel performed “Zanzibar”, everyone seemed to be singing and swaying along. I don’t believe this was a top 10 hit for him, but it’s always one I’ve loved. I felt such a sense of community, singing off-key alongside this massive crowd. It really fed my soul.

At one point, Billy stood at the microphone and shared that he was feeling anxious about performing the next song, because as he’s gotten older, his voice has gotten deeper. And this song, “An Innocent Man”, has some very important high notes. He nailed it!

I was, of course, along with everyone else in the crowd, ecstatic when Billy performed “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”. It was brilliant!

We also got treated to a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love”, performed by Billy’s bandmate, Mike DelGuidice. As a Zeppelin fan, I thought this was amazing.

This whole experience was thrilling for me. I’m so grateful I got to experience it. Cheers to these iconic American treasures!

Happiness, Lifestyle, Live Concerts, Music, Rock and Roll

A Bottle of Red, A Bottle of White

7 Comments

Guess who I’m seeing live in concert on Friday night?

Any of you who are fans of this artist can likely guess this based on the title of this blog post.

It’s Billy Joel! The “piano man” himself!

A significant benefit of living here in Minnesconsin is our proximity to the Twin Cities, which allows us to easily attend concerts and other happenings in Minneapolis or St. Paul. It’s not much more than an hours drive away for us.

Months ago, my wonderful sister-in-law purchased the tickets online for us and Mr. None of the Above. SIL is also a big fan of BJ’s and had seen him perform live several years ago and told us it was probably the best live concert she had ever seen.

To top it off, Stevie Nicks is on this tour as well. I’m so curious about what songs (his or hers?) they will perform together (assuming they do this at all, but they will, right?!).

Side note: I cheated and googled these two artists and learned that at other venues on this joint tour, they performed “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”, Stevie’s song with Tom Petty. I’ll let myself be surprised by whatever other songs they perform together on Friday night.

Let me just tell you, I have been a huge Billy Joel fan since I was probably 12-years old. In fact, “52nd Street” was one of the first vinyl albums I purchased to play on my turntable in my bedroom. I remember reading the liner notes, singing each song along with Billy. Before long, I knew all the words of all these songs by heart.

In fact, the first album I bought when Mr. None of the Above got me my requested gift of a turntable for Christmas last year, was “52nd Street”. My original copy is now in possession of another, as I donated it to charity along with the rest of my vinyl collection and old turntable many years ago when we were downsizing in preparation for a move.

The song I’m perhaps most excited to hear live is “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”. It’s always been a favorite of mine. I recall sitting atop my yellow gingham-checked bedspread with the canopy above it, listening/singing to this song. It would get me dreaming up a romantic rendezvous with a young, dark-haired stud at an Italian restaurant in NYC. It was just one of those songs that painted a specific picture for me, one that was, of course, fueled by teenage-girl hormones.

Really, all of Billy Joel’s songs tell a story, which is why I am so drawn to his music.

Have you ever seen him live? If so, tell me all about it in the comments! If not, share your favorite song of his instead. I’d love to know what yours is!

***Header image courtesy of https://quotefancy.com/quote/1228037/Randy-Harrison-Storytelling-with-music-is-a-really-powerful-device***

Anxiety, Blogging, Fashion, Lifestyle, Music, Planning, Positivity

Leaning Into Spring Organizing

5 Comments

Yesterday went differently than I intended. I really am ok with that. I actually enjoyed myself.

I had mistakenly believed that I needed 1 1/2 hours, max, to put away the winteriest clothes in my closet. I didn’t think about it beyond that.

So, surprisingly (not), it took me upwards of 4 hours.

Because it turns out that I still possessed a buttload of Spring and Summer, mostly recycled (approximately70% of which I purchased at thrift stores) garments.

You know, items that I can start wearing relatively soon. It made no sense to only pull out my winter sweaters and heavy long pants and put them away. After all, the Spring/Summer wardrobe was taking up room in bins and old suitcases stored in one of our basement closets.

Taking those lighter, happy-hued pieces out of the bins was necessary to have room for the winter stuff. And, clothes horse that I am, I will no doubt be schlepping myself to a local thrift store before too long.

I’m kind of addicted to them. Thrifting makes me happy.

Inspired by the still-quite-chilly-out there-yet-the-grass-is-green, the sky is blue, and the sun is shining vibe, I leaned into the task. I got some exercise by going up and down the basement stairs like a dozen times. I listened to music, which I streamed on my ‘lil Nest. It was a chill, all-Current from MPR kinda afternoon.

Of course, I tried a lot of items on for size. Fortunately, much of it still fit. That which didn’t or that which no longer held any appeal to me, I tossed to the side. To sell in my garage sale in June.

My intention when I woke up yesterday morning, in addition to putting away those winter clothes, was to spend time working on my next blog post. Behind the scenes here these last few weeks, I’ve been writing a lot.

However, the anxiety about what specifically I was going to blog about this week got in my way. Or maybe I let it get in my way. We all have ways we sabotage ourselves, right?

Anyway. Yesterday, the simple act of cleaning out and organizing my wardrobe was good for me. I cleared my head, made progress and got myself pumped up for all that awaits me once Spring starts “springing”.

An array of veggies Hubs got started for our gardens