Music Be the Food of Love…

February is a strange month. My Dad died in February, twenty-one years ago, so it’s a month I find myself missing him often and remembering him lots. Bereavement and loss are a universal experience, and Valentines Day will be a very difficult time for some.

Valentine’s is a strange time too. I’m not religious as such, but we have this notion of giving things up for Lent and waiting all the way until Easter before we relent, give in to temptation and revert to our wicked gluttoness ways. Yet only a few days after Ash Wednesday, there’s the idea that you should be treated with fine chocolate and sweet goodies for Valentine’s – and that if you’re single, you should ‘treat yourself’. The commercial pressure for Valentines is similar to that for Christmas, only less, because there’s only one recipient. You shouldn’t have to spend money to show someone you love them… although of course, if you’re celebrating together, it usually requires spending of money…

I’m still trying to work out what ‘Candlemas’ is about – another puzzling February non-phenomena.

~~~

For a change, enjoyment of music was how I treated myself a little this extended Valentine’s weekend, starting with Nine Inch Nails, ‘With Teeth’ on Friday evening.  Saturday afternoon / early evening, I enjoyed considering my Valentine’s playlist, although I sang some parts of my fave songs to myself while making my list, and I only actually listened to some Liam Bailey – but he’s a fine Valentine’s Eve virtual companion. My very late Saturday night was made extra-special by catching indie-band LunarTides live-streaming on TwitchTV, I often miss it due to the time-zone difference. Apparently it was their last one for a while, to concentrate on making a CD – I cannot wait to get my ears round one!

Sunday, I slept most of the day, having been awake most of the night and early into the morning. Once I woke and got my blogging-boots back on again, I spent quite a lot of time enjoying the vibes over at Calen’s blog, it’s such a serene atmosphere, mindful, calming, uplifting… It only occurred to me today that I could play her tunes in one tab while reading her posts in another (doh!) I was so pleased to find her post for Lee Marvin, ‘Wandering Star’ – playing that took me right back to our living room, watching that film with my dad when I was a kid – every time it was shown, we’d watch it. I also lapped up some Joni Mitchell, the Drifters, a few others, and picked up some interesting background info I didn’t know along the way.

I’m really enjoying reading Calen’s Lent challenge responses every day and returning more frequently than a couple of times around the weekly Sandbox challenge, I notice more of the wonderful things I’ve been missing there. As I said earlier, I’m not really religious-minded, but Calen’s Lent posts are worldly and relevant and I give joyful thanks for the period of Lent having some meaning for me this year – and the blessings of internet acquaintance – virtually meeting real people in a very real online world. (I have given up buying chocolate and sweets for Lent too, I’ve never really bothered giving anything up for Lent before).

I recommend to watch and listen to this, it is absolutely amazing and was a lovely Valentine’s Sunday listen. My absolute favourite of the day though was finding some Leonard Cohen, closely followed by eleven minutes of I Heard It On the Grapevine..

Tomorrow, I must remember to revisit and start the day with this to get my spirit racing… and have another listen to this over at Fim’s and check out more of the medicinal while there…

 

Confession: 

It’s way past midnight while I’m updating this post, but published privately, I cheated on my date…

Mmm, that might give the wrong impression. Never mind…going public, with pre-saved date stamp…[updated post].

 

Would you…? Q&A

Having made, in fun, my Valentine’s ‘Fair Warning’ picture-post, I was dared to campaign with it on Social Media to find myself a virtual valentine. I have to admit, I thought – in just that instant – that it could be fun. I’d say that common sense got the better of me, but I actually simply got distracted with other things. Phew! (Thank goodness for internet friends musically inclined to offer live-streaming gigs for a handy diversion!)

My dear friend got herself really carried away with the idea of virtual speed dating and virtual valentines match-making and how if only we’d had our conversation earlier we could have got something off the ground(!)

Then, having answered an #InternetFriendsDay question: Would you choose a road-trip in a bus with 8 friends, or a private jet flight away with just 2 friends? my friend decides to issue me 14 Valentine’s questions to answer in a blog post. (Apparently she’s collecting a whole bunch of questions, so didn’t come up with them as such, but ‘adapted and curated them’ and I’m not sure where from exactly…) She doesn’t even read my blog usually, but wants a print-out snail-mailing to her tomorrow (I have no idea why! Match-making, confidentially? Oh dear…)

I’ve left it until very last thing in the day to publish, so that my post’s not added to any #virtual campaign… just in case. In fact, I’ve just now decided to just write this post and then post the answers to them later in the day. As it’s almost midnight, that means, tomorrow…as long as it’s before the mail is collected. If I don’t do her ‘fun challenge’, she WILL issue a forfeit… do you have any fun friends like that?

Here’s the list of questions in case you’d like to join in and use or adapt them for a post-Valentine 14 days/14 ways …post*. Or maybe you can think of some other questions for a fun Q&A post challenge…

1. Do you eat the icing on the cake first?
2. Are you a jelly person? Is an accompaniment essential, if so what?
3. Trapped in an elevator, who would you want to be trapped with? (any one person only)
4. Favourite types of protein that you eat?
5. You can have your own TV channel – what would it be about?
6. Have you ever done an extreme sport eg.bungee jumped?
7. At what age did you become an adult?
8. What are the top three items on your bucket list?
9. You always have to have one of these – an itch in the middle of your back or an eyelash in your eye – which do you choose?
10. What colour would you like your bedroom to be?
11. When you’re twenty years older than you are now, what will matter most to you?
12. What do you have set as your desktop background (PC/tablet)?
13. If you could spend the weekend alone in a public building or institution, which place would you choose?
14. What are your favourite pizza toppings?

Blimey! I’m not tagging anyone to join in, but if you’re inspired to do so, a pingback would be appreciated if you’d like me to zoom over and read your post 🙂 I promise not to print and mail your answers to confidential match-making 😉

*a 14 day / 14ways to ‘share the love’ thing has been suggested, as everyone at Jacquie’s blogparty contributed so much that there’s leftovers enough for a good while 😀 I think we kind of take it as we like it and make it up as we go along, kind of thing…

 

A Take Your Pick Thankyou

Courtesy of our wonderfully warm, welcoming and generous Valentines blog-party hostess, Jacqueline, creator of acookingpotandtwistedtales.com

A very special thank you to Jacqueline for making Valentine’s weekend a fun and interesting way to spend some blogging time. Who needs a Valentine with #InternetFriends! It was also very nice that it started on #InternetFriendsDay, extending into Valentine’s Day – and beyond for some, depending on timezones (and outlooks).

I forgot how exhausting blog-hopping efforts can be but had a lot of fun along the way and ‘met’ lots of new people.

Jacquie opened the party with an invitation to add to this verse:

Her eyes shone with tears

That clung to her lashes

She glanced at the ring

It’s twinkles brought back flashes

(author: Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha)

(so, what I saw is the telephone ringing with a light- flashing alert… not that I didn’t also see the obvious picture, but the poem wanted it to be the telephone to be able to proceed! Sorry Jacquie, I’m not sure this will fit with your group poem but you are welcome to as many of the lines you like, I wrote them for you…)

…so she answered the phone

glad of that ringing light,

cos the music’s quite loud

-wow, these guests party right!

There was dancing on tables

and salmon on heels,

face-painting and forfeits,

much laughter and squeals –

from bubbly to cognac

to coffee and teas,

whatever the tipple

to wash down savouries,

and the sweets were delightful

from cookies to cakes –

fab guests, so insightful,

and sharing chocolates.

Not many men there,

but nobody fought!

– and it wasn’t a Valentine

there that each sought.

No-one expected the presents –

but so nice a surprise,

and bless our dear Jacquie,

happy tears in her eyes.

So thank you again Jacqueline for a beautiful time with you and your friends at your blog party. This poem continuation is my small gift to you in return, to go with these flowers, for you:

(pixabay.com)