§ Hear My Voice...

Granted, I did NOT go to the movie theater at all in the last year, year and a half. Sad, 'cause I love movies. For virus reasons, we stayed away. As most movies either stopped production or a longer, covid break, took its toll in direction, etc.   BUT!! I watched the 93rd Annual Oscar Presentation this past Sunday. Of course, I had no idea what was going on with showcasing actors and their roles, nor the content of the movies nominated. I must say, tho, I was impressed with the singing the songs of the year at the pre-oscars. It kinda saved a bit of time during the broadcast. And ONE SONG in particular hit me where my heart is! It didn't win the award, but oh my, the lyrics hit home. The words could be meant to be our own country's  theme song with what our world, as we know it, has turned into the past few months! It's a poignant piece in all retrospect ---2020-2021.... Please, listen to it as you read the lyrics. See if you may agree it's a song of the times. [Movie: which Bud and I will buy the DVD when released -based on a true account]

Hear my voice
Hear my dreams
Let us make a world
In which I believe
Hear my words
Hear my cries
Let me see a change
Through these eyes
You may think
I won't be heard
Still I'll raise this hand
And spread this word
These words of fire
Of hope and desire
And I'll let them free


Hear my voice
Hear my dreams
Let us make a world
In which we believe
In which we believe
Hear my words
Hear my choice
Hear my voice

Celeste and movie poster courtesy of Google Images

§ Can You Feel the Love Tonight....

Wednesday morning after my early-in-the-day walk, I went home and showered and then decided to go see the recently released LION KING. Granted it was good in so many areas [I always enjoy Disney art and set decorations] but for me, personally, it lacked so much [including Elton John singing  - lol]  . I have to be honest, I like the older, animated version, a lot better. When Scar tells Simba to leave, and never return...the segment where the little kitten is walking atop the sand dunes of Africa, all alone in the world, the imprint his little paws made in the sand was all too impressive for me, tears welled up. I could feel his leaving everything behind...almost dying in the desert heat. And then along comes Timon and Pumbaa to the rescue. The sound effects were awesome, the art of course, and the story were good....but it just didn't make an impact for me like the first version....a sequel hardly ever does. Oh, yes, I failed to mention the eyes....oh the eyes!!! Enough to melt your heart...quite expressive ...stand alone emotion in those eyes of ALL the creatures.   For the above mentions, I would give it 3 stars out of 5 -maybe 2 1/2.

And I can't leave this critique without a mention of the 'coming soon' to a theater this holiday season....another Broadway musical comes to film.  AND a favorite of mine [heck, most musicals ARE a favorite!].  As soon as the darkened theater had the faint sound of the music coming louder and louder, I knew!!!   I knew my anticipation was hyped.  Bring it on!!!

§ You're Gonna Rise Up Singing....

If I'd known you were coming, I'd have baked a cake!!




Oh wait a minute.....I DID bake you a cake! I call it Mandarin Dream.

I followed the box instructions, but instead of the cup of water it calls for, I substituted the fruit juice from the canned mandarin oranges and 1/2 the oranges [whipped into the mix as I combined all eggs, oil, and juice]. The other half or the orange slices were set aside [mashed coarsely] for topping with the cool whip 'icing'. Chilled, and served cold. Easy!!! And, delicious if you like these oranges. It makes a good, tasty summer treat at the end of your meal.

_ _ _ _ _

And....While the cake was in the oven, baking, I got out my sketch pad and drew a simple outline of a palm tree...wishing I was on the beach at the moment! I then filled it in a bit and drew the fronds on the tree, scratched in the water lines a little and shaded the rocks on the horizon, and the small sail craft...finishing in no time. Speaking of art....last week I watched a program on Texas Country Reporter, and they had an artist show-cased.  His work was amazing.  I'm gonna try and copy his idea of painting sometime.  I need to find a framed work, so I can tear it out of the frame and do to it what he did. [of course his paintings were his original...I'm gonna be lazy and find one already painted by someone else.]  I will begin looking for something that would be an ideal piece of art soon.  And begin.  I may not like what I DO...so, I may not show it to anyone.  LOL

All the while I was sketching, Bud was in the garage at his work bench adding extensions to our puzzle table. We use our dining room chairs at the table, and when we go in to work on the puzzle[s] our legs hit the bottom of the table bottom....we need to "lift the table up" a bit. Giving us more leg room. It worked like a charm. We are working on a Thomas Kinkade "The Lion King" right now. We recently finished another of his art....I like his best of all...small in dimensions, challenging, and takes us a while to do one. [those that are too easy, with large pieces gives us no stimulation!]

_ _ _ _ _


I'll end my post today with this "note"....

Summertime and the Livin' is Easy....





Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh, your daddy's rich and your ma is good-lookin'
So hush, little baby, don't you cry
One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing
And you'll spread your wings and you'll take to the sky
But till that morning, there ain't nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by


~George Gershwin
circa 1934

§ Surf City

And when I get to Surf City I'll be shootin' the curl
And checkin' out the parties for a surfer girl...



~Jan and Dean
1963

§ Summer in the City....

Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head



Zahn Park - Packery Channel Beach
Sunrise June 14, 2019


~Lovin' Spoonfull
1966

§ You Fill Up My Senses...

Annie's Song

John Denver

You fill up my senses
Like a night in a forest
Like the mountains in springtime
Like a walk in the rain
Like a storm in the desert
Like a sleepy blue ocean
You fill up my senses
Come fill me again

Another morning of dense fog along the coast early Sunday. I couldn't take another day without being outdoors somewhere, walking. So, off I go to Calallen Texas, to one of my favorite parks. I saw many birds, mostly ducks and water fowl, but I thought I'd share a few of the 'blotched' poses of them, plus some of the park grounds...

A cardinal refusing to look directly at me. And no sooner as I clicked the shutter button, he flew off!


A blue-gray gnatcather was flittin' 'round in the bushes; most times a gray blur!


A wren was bathing at the drip pool.

Most of the areas where anyone can park their vehicle was so muddy and filled with wheel ruts and ooey-gooey goo, I decided to just get out and walk the grounds instead of taking a chance of getting stuck...

There will be one consolation prize coming this Spring when the days grow warmer and hopefully dry up a bit....

the wildflowers will be thick as honey!!!! I'm looking forward to seeing the Bluebonnets along the highways and byways and in the fields.

In the NEWS

GOOGLE PLUS WILL CLOSE BY APRIL 2019

For those that have a Google Plus account, and perhaps have photos and blog posts published with Google Plus...be advised, they will delete them by April!!!

read article here

A couple of screenshots off my phone:




- - - -

§ February 9th...

Had some fun perusing the 'net in search of something about my birthday...



A Letter to Three Wives [IMD -1949]



Watch it online for free HERE 
I watched this over the weekend...it's not bad considering it's ancient history!!!  I DO and have always liked Ann Sothern.  She was the 'star' of this movie in my opinion.


Number 1 song for my birthday...HERE




Song when I was conceived...Listen online HERE

Wanna know YOUR birthday song? Click HERE




- - -


IN HISTORY on February 9th...
...just a random short list
1895 Volleyball invented by W G Morgan in Massachusetts
1942 Daylight Savings War Time goes into effect in U S
1948 NBC begins broadcasting
1964 1st appearance of Beatles on "Ed Sullivan Show" (73.7 million viewers)
1980 Rick Barry, Houston, is 1st in NBA to score 8 3-pointers in a game
1997 Fox cartoon series "Simpsons" airs 167th episode the longest-running animated series in cartoon history
2016 Super Bowl 50: Denver Broncos defeat Carolina Panthers 24–10 [Love my Broncos!!!!]


...and 2017 - My annual fried food fest! Fried Gulf Shrimp and French Fries. Can't wait.

§ ...Oh What a Ratly Feast....

Grassy fields Forever!!  [Calallen, Texas]


There is an elderly woman in Port Aransas, that each morning during Spring Migration, she dons her wading boots and opens the back of her SUV to grab a large bag of orange halves! She then wades out in the pond where she has strategically placed nails in boards....propping the orange halves for the birds. But, on this particular day, there was another kind of critter waiting for hand-outs!! When I saw it in the back corner, nearest the fence line, I thought of Templeton the Rat from the animated movie, "CHARLOTTE'S WEB".

A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord
After the crowds have ceased
Each night when the lights go out
It can be found on the ground all around
Oh, what a ratly feast!

Melon rinds and bits of hot dogs
Cookie crumbs and rotten cotton candy
Melted ice cream, mustard drippings
Moldy goodies everywhere

Lots of popcorn, apple cores Banana peels and soggy sandwiches
And gobs of gorgeous gook to gobble at the fair
A fair is a veritable smorgasbord orgasbord orgasbord
After the gates are shut
Each night when the lights go out
It can be found on the ground all around
That's where a rat can glut, glut, glut, glut!

"Templeton"  [Port Aransas, Texas]



...more fences? You got it!!


Inca Dove [NORTH Padre Island, Texas]


Male Northern Cardinal on a Fence Post [Bazemore Park]

RANDOM THOUGHTS

Sadly, this past weekend, our city's police chief was killed by a 16 yr. old driver on the island highway. The driver cut out into the lane of traffic, a truck swerved to avoid collision, and the motorcycle driver behind the truck was the police chief.

Someone asked me how to add the meme buttons on Blogger's sidebar. Easy. Just go into Blogger's Layout, click on "Add a Gadget"...when that opens, just copy and paste the coding provided by the meme's owner!! Save!! But, to add them in each post, always being the same buttons, it's a bit more complicated....you must be proficient in html and be savvy in how to open and edit the template by choosing customize....it would take a whole blog post and a lot of time to explain it step by step.

On May 11th, Bud and I will celebrate 47 years of marriage!! On May 12th, our oldest grandson will be 26! Then, on May 19th, Erik, my son will be 43...my how time goes by so quickly.

Our two movies this week were "Nebraska" starring Bruce Dern and an oldie but still a classic in its own right....E T

For the last couple of days, my sister in Colorado texted me about her area getting nice, soft, gentle rains. Ironically, with all the flooding we had a few weeks prior, the grounds around here are beginning to crack already...seriously, we need Colorado's soft, gentle rains. Speaking of rains....a tropical storm forming in the Atlantic...already?

[if the image doesn't show...scroll down on my blog to Hurricane Link]

§ I Got My Eye on You!

Enlarge by clicking to view in the Lightbox Feature...

Continuing a bit more on our day trip to Lake Corpus Christi, I mentioned in the previous post of some of the few birds we spotted. Across the park road from the historic Pavilion at the top of the incline, where the views from the hilltop looking down to the water below, there is a short trail through the scrub and oak trees that leads to a bird watching area. Youngsters from around the South Texas Coastal Bend area have built bird houses and feeders and they're hanging and sitting around to attract birds. [as seen in this example image I share at the beginning of this post] Tho at this area by midday it was quiet, a mama and papa cardinal was there at a feeding station, but when they saw us they quickly disappeared. We walked back out via another trail and I spotted a caracara...the "Mexican Eagle". And if my Spanish is correct, caracara would literally mean face/face?!!! Correct me if I'm wrong.

...nearly the very instant I brought the camera up to look at the bird through the viewfinder, I got just two images before it flew off into the trees. As we approached our car, I spotted it! It was watching ME---

linking to: Nature Notes, Wild Bird Wednesday, Our World Tuesday

*_*_*_*

 1. What is something you'll never forget about the age you are right now?  As I've stated before, I live for the day, I try not to dwell on the past even tho many memories come up at a given time...I guess it would be that I turned a ripe old age of 65...but I have nearly a whole YEAR before I turn 66 - I had a birthday a couple weeks ago...a lot can happen in the next 50 weeks. Ask again AFTER my next birthday about the year past.

2. What's a household chore you've never done? How have you managed that???  There isn't anything I can think of off hand...I've replaced sinks, laid tile flooring, replaced broken window panes...rewired lighting...I've even torn off the toilet from the floor and replaced it...just about anything that has come my way in repair work around the house.  I've been married for since I was 19 ----a lot of household chores have come and gone in that time frame.  And yes, I do windows!!  Altho, so far,  only once here 'cause we'd  have to tear down the hurricane shutters that are permanently attached.  It can be done, but it's a BIG chore!

3. Does nature shape our personalities more than nurture? Explain?  Well, to me, nurture is more or less from genetics and nature would be your surroundings.  In each case, one deserves to have the other.  In other words, nurturing is inherited in so many ways which helps a personality develop, but your surroundings influence nature's course.  Without one or the  other, we wouldn't exist as we do today.  Does that make any sense at all?

4. Friday (February 28th) is 'Something on a Stick Day'...funny because Zoanna over at A Penchant for Pens recently sent me an idea for a question relating to this topic. What's your favorite food eaten on a stick?   I love a cherry flavored Popsicle on a hot summer day!  But, is Popsicle considered food?

5. Which of your five senses do you treasure most, and why?  As I try answering this, I'll be eliminating each of the five one by one.  And that'll be the answer to why---I could probably live without sound [hearing]!!!  Easily when I think of so many irritating sounds like sirens, gunshots, loud obnoxious people, traffic; things like that.  One down, four more to go... I could use my imagination when it comes to hearing laughter, cats purring, ocean waves and gentle breezes...family's voices, music.   Next, eliminating taste...that would call for recalling tastes from my life...as with, touch and smell...total recall.   So, by taking those four senses from my life, it leaves sight!!!  I wouldn't want to lose that sense.  There is too much more to see each and every day.  Climate changes, the world around me in the 'now' and in the future, and I don't wanna miss seeing a thing.

6. What's the best music, theatre, or sporting venue you've been to? What made it great?  Of each venue mentioned here, it'd have to be MUSIC.  Tho I've seen Broadway's Chicago and I loved it...I've seen professional baseball games and football games, I've been to amateur theater and have seen CATS, Christmas Carol, Phantom of the Opera [both amateur and movie musical]...the London's 25th Anniversary's Les Miserables gave me goose flesh...especially Alfie Boe!!!] and more plays that I can't think of right now, I would still say live concerts and symphonies/orchestras would have to be my choice ---Willie Nelson, The Righteous Brothers, Roy Clark, Eddy Arnold, Creedence Clearwater Revival, 5th Dimension from long ago...Charlie Pride, Rod Stewart [the best ever!!!!] to name a few.  And Symphonies...love the Classical music and could listen to it for hours.  One of my favorites is the one movement piece: Ravel's BOLERO [you tube link]....it's amazing and ever so wonderful and emotional; stirring all your senses, long lasting tho it is...the climatic conclusion has each soul in the auditorium silent and then the cheering, ovations, and applause is extraordinary!!  Being that the movement was written and composed for an opera...one thing I've never experienced but would LOVE to ...that would be an opera....Puccini comes to mind.

7. It's the last week of the month...in five words or less bid adieu to your February.   Hel-l-l-l-l-o March!!!

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Part I and Part II of Les Miserables online...free!! [with Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean!!]
...watch him perform Bring Him Home from Les Miserables from links above...fantastic seems so little an accolade.

Or listen to his performance of Bring Him Home with link below...
"God on High...hear my prayer
...in my need, you have always been there
He is young, he's afraid, let him rest...
heaven blessed...
Bring him home, bring him home, bring him home....."

BRING HIM HOME sung by Alfie Boe


Golly, gee, Joyce...as I'm listening to Bolero right now, I'm thinking maybe I should change my answer to #5  [which by the way, was this intentional?  5 senses...question #5?!!]  - maybe it would be SOUND/HEARING afterall.


linking to: Wednesday Hodgepodge

§ SING ALONG...

...To the Tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider ...

...the itsy bitsy phoebe flew 'round and 'round the bush!

Down came the snake and scared the bird away...

Out came the ducks; disturbed its focal stare!

...again, the itsy bitsy phoebe, it flitted through the air!!

WILD BIRD NATURE NOTES

Bud spotted the Diamondback Water Snake at the feeder channel to the bay the other day while out birding!!  Eventually the birds returned and ignored it.

*** --- ***

HODGEPODGE

1. It's been said that one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day. Do you think that's true? Do you find that an easy exercise most mornings? What's something positive you told yourself today? If you missed that boat, what's something positive you could tell yourself tomorrow? It's always good to be positive. No matter what time of day!! I guess that by telling myself that "if you think your day is going bad, stop. Think about those that have it worse and you'll see the bright side." Something like that.

2. There will be karaoke at the next party you attend...are you in? Or will you be faking a sore throat? I wouldn't attend the party...I've never done this, why would I start at the next party? I'll stick to my own ritual of singing in the shower where the acoustics are much more to my liking!

3. January 29th is National Puzzle Day...what's something you've found puzzling recently? Recently? Why not the entire white house term from the beginning? Now that is a puzzle NO ONE can figure out.  And I realize by reading  over how I answered some of the following questions, this isn't all that positive...but I can honestly say it is a puzzle, yet I realize other countries have less than we Americans.

4. Jigsaw, crossword, acrostic, logic, sudoku, word search...what's your favorite kind of puzzle, and when did you last work one? I love working on jigsaw puzzles. There is one puzzle that I've glued and had framed, for a personal reason... to remember my recouping from my first heart episode and hospitalization...a reminder of how precious life is. Not the picture, but the working of the puzzle while recouping and getting back to 100%. It's hanging on a wall for nearly 20 years now. Just a personal thing. I worked on this puzzle while mending at home.

5. Recently a writer by the name of Amy Glass ruffled feathers with a post she wrote saying she looks down on young women with husbands and kids and she's not sorry. Among other things, she says women will be equal with men when we stop saying house work and real work are equally important. What say you? Do you think men and women are equal in the 21st century? Why or why not? My thoughts and this Ms. Glass thoughts are from two minds, naturally. What I think and what she thinks isn't important. It's what you feel in your heart. Whatever it is...live by it, and enjoy what you're doing...equality to men be 'dammed'. [by the way, when I was single, a youngster, my parents were equals...Bud and I are equals. No matter if we work outside the home...when it comes to married life, we are half and half... yet a 'whole' team, and ONLY in that aspect are we equals...men and women are different, how in the world do some people consider the two sexes are equal other than partnership? --AND an added note, family is highly important to me.]

6. What's a product you've noticed in the grocery store that you'd like to try, but haven't yet? Well, I've seen this product many-a-times and just yesterday I saw it again...I tried it...it was delicious. Sliced white breast of turkey, mesquite smoked with jalapeno peppers in the meat...dunno how they did it, but  it makes a mean, delicious sandwich!!  I know the question was 'haven't tried it'...but I  hadn't 'til just this week.

7. The author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) was born this week in 1832 (January 27th). Which character from his celebrated novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, would you most like to meet, and why? None, really. So, I'll go with which I like best...it'd be the Cheshire Cat. Its ability to appear and disappear on a whim sounds good. Altho it isn't compared to the Lewis Carroll book, I must admit, in the most recent movie, with Johnny Depp...the character that rocked my world was the Queen of Hearts!! ---"Off with their heads"!!!--- Can you say "Congress"? Ohhhhhhh, sorry. Got carried away. The real  reason I liked this character most of all was the make up. The very large head in comparing her body. The heart shaped hair-do. The magic of movie-making!   [besides, Helena Bonham Carter is a favorite movie star of mine] Oh and I don't wanna forget that awesome silver suit of armor Alice wore to slay the Jabberwocky, which by the way, I don't think was actually in the story Alice. Correct me if I'm wrong.

8. Insert your own random thought here. We've been doing a bit of Spring yard work the last few warm days. Yesterday, we tackled a dreaded chore. We've been putting it off on purpose. It's a wicked bush. To begin with, this bougainvillea isn't the one we trimmed but one in our front yard...the one we trimmed, I have no photo of...it is the bush that grew and grew and grew!! Yesterday, before beginning, we estimated the height to be about 15-18 feet high. A bush? More like a small tree!! And the growth was dense. Oh it was beautiful each year when the brackets would change color to the deep magenta reds. Did I say wicked? Both Bud and I felt like pin cushions before we finished. It went from its original height to the level of the 6 foot privacy fence. A much needed job since the thorns are thick, dense and at the height it was, the thorns and thick branches were scraping the paint off the eave on the garage AND putting deep cuts in the roof shingles!! A small price to pay for beauty...NOT!!


Courtesy of Google Images

PS...for the first time in history the Superbowl will be watchable ONLINE, on your phones...every electronic device available!!  Bud and I won't have to go to a sports bar for this.  We can watch it on our computer since we no longer  have cable TV.

Sidebar Linking to: Nature Notes, Wild Bird Wednesday and Wednesday Hodgepodge