Tag: music

The lovely and the magical – at least to me.

Published on by Grace4 Comments

The Lovely ~

A movie called “Living” starring Bill Nighy. It’s on Netflix. It was released in 2022. The story takes place in 1953 and it looks like it was filmed in 1953.  Anything with Bill Nighy in it is most definitely worth your time,  truer than ever for this film. I won’t rehash the plot, it is a simple story. The movie is slow and it will creep up on you slowly, gathering you in, and by the end you will just sit, as the credits roll, and get misty eyed and think – “That was just so lovely”

The Magical ~

I was in the lobby of my building, waiting at the front desk to pick up my packages when a man came in, carrying a pet carrier, empty, a cat clinging to his shoulder. I naturally ooh’d and ahh’d over the cat, he  was young and so beautiful. I walked over to the man, as he waited for the elevator, and exclaimed “How beautiful, Is he a Burmese?” The man answered “Yes, a chocolate Burmese”.  He then turned so I could be face to face with the cat, whose head was resting on the man’s shoulder.

I moved closer to the cat and he just stared into my eyes and then, the cat stretched his head forward and touched his nose to my nose! The cat continued to stare into my eyes as the man stepped into the elevator and the door closed.

A cat I had never met before touched his nose to my nose! Cat people will know how extraordinarily wonderful and magical that is.

It truly is the small things in life that bring meaning and joy.

You may not believe this but

Published on by Grace4 Comments

I LOVE soggy, sad, sentimental, sugary, love songs. There are some that bring me to tears every time I hear them. I just tripped over a Neil Diamond song I had never heard before –

(and for those who can’t get Youtube videos to play in WordPress here is a direct link – https://youtu.be/bYsv2qa1BTc).

Of course there are the heart wrenching lost love love songs that also make me cry. Like

(Direct Link: https://youtu.be/gNDu75gEiIo)

“The Man That Got Away” written specifically for Judy Garland by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, from the movie, the original movie, “A Star is Born”.  No one else can sing this song and any other iterations of this movie should be flushed down the toilet where they belong.

Torch songs, oh how I love them! They are the songs of lost loves, wrong loves and when song by the women who made them famous, they will rip your heart out.

So many love songs that make me sigh and cry – I could make a list as long as your arm (or my arm since I have long arms)…But I’ll leave you with this one – Damn I love to dance to this with my husband, the non-dancer –

(Link: https://youtu.be/mUowWUCNJtU)

Fluff ‘N Stuff

Published on by Grace12 Comments

In the lobby of my building we have a small bookcase where folks leave books and magazines they no longer want and anyone can take anything they care to. I have periodically left books and on rare occasions picked up a few.

Last night, after checking my mailbox I decided to browse the latest offerings and found “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox  and The Horse” by Charlie Mackesy.  I snatched that up so quick and hustled to the elevators like a thief. I could not imagine that someone left this!

I hadn’t read it before but I have seen the movie which was the 2023 Oscar winner for Best Animated Short.

“You watched an animated movie, Grace?”  Yes, I know, I have often said I don’t care for animated movies (aside from Coraline) but on one of those sleepless, stressed out nights when my husband was in the nursing home, and I needed something to distract me. I found the movie on Apple+.  (This is the trailer for the movie).

It is only 34 minutes long but it is 34 minutes well spent that will touch your heart.

The movie is the book word-for-word and visually the movie is SO captivating. I could gush for days. But I’ll stop here. Treat yourself to the movie, especially if, perhaps, you are not having a great day and you need something beautiful to look at and need to hear something to warm your heart.

Today’s Shower Song – Billy Joel – Piano Man

This morning’s shower song…

Published on by Grace4 Comments

(https://youtu.be/LdA6oG3JVc8)

The original song and lyrics were written by Jacques Brel. The English lyrics were written by Rod McKuen. I researched the song a bit and it seems the English lyrics are more than a bit different and take a different tone (the difference described here).

While I heard Neil Diamond in my head while I was in the shower, now I hear Charles Aznavour and the inimitable Edith Piaf…J’adore

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slHjkszSAKs)

Don’t Know Why this Just Popped Into My Mind…

Published on by Grace17 Comments

When I married my husband we didn’t have much of a wedding. I pretty much had no say in anything about it.  I chose my outfit, and I choose my bouquet and I choose my ring…It wasn’t when I wanted or where I wanted or what I wanted. There was no music and dancing. Can you even imagine – me, no music, no dancing.  But my husband and I did talk about it – the music we would choose, if we had the chance.

He chose this as “our” song…

And I chose this…