For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.
How was your Christmas? Hope it was beautiful like mine was.
That's Brad and me, enjoying our Christmas morning breakfast. (My mom was the photographer.)
Next up on the holiday calendar: New Year's Eve!
2013 has been the Year of the Black Snake according to the Chinese zodiac. Snake years always bring a great deal of transformation, as snakes shed their skin and force change upon us, whether we're ready for it or not.
For this final 5 on Friday for 2013, here are five songs about snakes.
1 - Here Comes the Snake -- Cherry Poppin Daddies
2 - Cotton Mouth -- The Doobie Brothers
3 - Crawling King Snake -- The Doors
4 - The Voice & The Snake -- Enigma
This one takes awhile to get going. The actual music part gets rolling at the 1:30 mark.
For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the set posted by the other 5 on Friday blogger -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.
At the moment, Mike and I are carrying on a tradition started four years ago by our friend Travis. Over the years we've had up to ten bloggers creating wonderful musical sets to share with one another on Fridays.
If you'd like to join in, please do! It's a lot of fun. I've discovered a ton of great new-to-me music doing this weekly feature.
This is the last set before Christmas rolls around next Wednesday. Here are five lively seasonal tunes to get your toes tapping while you get your last-minute Christmas stuff done.
1 - Riu Riu Chiu -- Kalenda Maya
2 - The Seven Joys of Mary -- Great Big Sea
3 - Christmas Jig and Mouth of the Tobique Reel -- Natalie MacMaster and Yo-Yo Ma
4 - The King -- Loreena Mckennitt and Cedric Smith
Welcome, Virtual Advent Tourists! This is my sixth year participating, and I'm so glad that Marg and Kelly have launched such a wonderful holiday tradition into the blogosphere. It continues to be a highlight of my season. I blogged previously during the 2009 Virtual Advent Tour about my love of ballet and The Nutcracker in particular. I can never get enough of it! Is The Nutcracker a Christmas tradition for you, as it is for me? Are you lucky enough to live in a large city with a professional dance company? Is a live performance of this ballet classic one of the things your soul can't live without every year, as it is for me? I have a large collection of Nutcracker-themed Christmas ornaments, including a Clara, the Mouse King, a Sugarplum Fairy, some Snowflakes, some Waltz of the Flowers figures and a Harlequin doll. I'm always looking to add more.
Aside from writing and film, ballet is my truest passion. I studied ballet when I was a younger, uninjured version of me. When dancing myself was no longer an option, I was lucky enough to get a job as an usher at the theatre that was at that time the home of the National Ballet of Canadain Toronto.
For eight years, my Christmas season revolved around the performances of The Nutcracker, and I got to see so many wonderful behind-the-scenes aspects of what it means to be the Sugarplum Fairy in a production such as this.
For those of you who may already have your tickets for this year's performance, who may hum many of the pieces from the score by Tchaikovsky -- here is a backstage peek at one of the women who dons the famous tutu and tiara of the Sugarplum Fairy.
"When I'm onstage, I'm not really thinking about the steps anymore," says principal dancer Heather Ogden. "I want to be hearing the music and letting my body remember the steps by itself and move with the music, and enjoy the story and bring a character to life."
"The Nutcracker in many companies is the staple at Christmastime, and it's rare to come back to a role every year. So it's really nice to do the Sugarplum Fairy, because you get to revisit it so often. I've found a level of comfort where I feel like I can really enjoy telling the story."
Ruth Bartel, resident cutter in the National Ballet of Canada's wardrobe department, gives an in-depth look at how a tutu is built: "We build our costumes to last for twenty-five to thirty years...A tutu something like this, the Sugarplum, could be as much as thirty-five hundred dollars."
Heather Ogden is the featured Sugarplum Fairy in this piece.
~~~
Did you always wonder what it would feel like to be the Sugarplum Fairy?
For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the sets posted by the other 5 on Friday bloggers -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.
This week marks my final post in this year's Birthday Boy/Birthday Girl project, which ran throughout 2013. I had a lot of fun with it.
I found it fascinating to see the sorts of music created by people born in different months, for the most part displaying the characteristics of their astrological signs.
Here's a wee recap of the Birthday Boy/Birthday Girl sets:
January birthday boys-- Rod Stewart, Robert Palmer, David Bowie, Michael Hutchence (INXS) and Steve Perry (Journey)
February birthday girls -- Stockard Channing (Grease soundtrack,) Roberta Flack (with Donny Hathaway,) Natalie Cole, Leontyne Price and Patty Andrews (the Andrews Sisters)
March birthday boys -- Harry Belafonte, Adam Levine (Maroon 5,) Chris Martin (Coldplay,) Charlie Reid and Craig Reid (The Proclaimers) and Eric Idle
April birthday girls -- Kelly Clarkson, Sheena Easton, Carnie Wilson (Wilson Phillips,) Victoria Beckham (Spice Girls) and Hayley Westenra
May birthday boys -- Steve Winwood, Lou Gramm (Foreigner,) Bono (U2,) Paul Weller (The Style Council) and Georg Wadenius (Saturday Night Live band)
June birthday girls -- Nancy Sinatra, Anne Murray, Laurie Anderson (with Peter Gabriel,) Alanis Morissette and Nicole Scherzinger (Pussycat Dolls)
July birthday boys -- Geddy Lee (Rush,) Stewart Copeland (The Police,) Robbie Robertson, Vince Guaraldi (Vince Guaraldi Trio) and Carlos Santana
August birthday girls -- Shirley Manson (Garbage,) Shania Twain, Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls,) Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) and Madonna
September birthday boys -- Harry Connick Jr, Michael Buble, Freddie Mercury (Queen,) Bruce Springsteen and Moby
October birthday girls -- Julie Andrews, Susan Sarandon (Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack,) Katy Perry, Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) and Mavis Swan Poole
November birthday boys -- Denny Doherty (The Mamas and The Papas,) Leslie McKeown (Bay City Rollers,) Adam Ant, Billy Idol and Jimi Hendrix
And now lets say Happy Birthday to these December birthday girls.
1 - I Feel Love -- Donna Summer
2 - Sex Crime from the 1984 soundtrack -- Annie Lennox from Eurythmics
3 - Lady Marmalade -- Birthday girl Christina Aguilera with Mya, Pink, Lil' Kim and Missy Elliott
4 - Toxic -- Britney Spears
5 - Give it To Me -- Birthday girl Nelly Furtado with Timbaland and Justin Timberlake
For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the sets posted by the other 5 on Friday bloggers -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.
200 musical sets! If my February-of-2010 self could see me now...
Let's head into the Christmas swing of things, shall we? My sister and I will be having our annual Sisters Outside Lights Christmas Party tomorrow, so here are five tunes to set the mood.
1 - Rockin Around the Christmas Tree -- Brenda Lee
2 - Wonderful Christmastime -- Paul McCartney
3 - Joy -- Apollo 100
4 - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year -- Andy Williams
For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the sets posted by the other 5 on Friday bloggers -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.
I'm in the last two days of the November writing marathon known as NaNoWriMo, wherein crazy people write a 50,000-word first draft novel in 30 days.
This is my fifth year slogging through the ordeal. At this point everyone participating seriously questions their sanity.
However, from past experience I also know that pushing this far past my normal creative process always gives me amazing material to work with later.
So, as I head for the 50,000-word finish line, here are five tunes about writing.
My next Thursday Thirteen will be my 300th listing of thirteen things. A big milestone for A Piece of My Mind!
Because I won't be able to get ready for that by next week--I'll need to recover somewhat from NaNoWriMo and my choir concert this Friday--my retrospective of Thursday Thirteens from 200 to 300 will be posted sometime in January. See you then!
This week launches a refit of the 5 on Friday musical feature.
The blogger who began our musical journey in early 2010 has put his meme to bed, but the other 5 on Friday participants are still spinning the tunes. Thanks, Travis for all of the fun you've inspired! See what happens when you start something that takes on a life of its own?
For anyone who wants to join in, simply choose five pieces of music and post them for other bloggers to enjoy. Then check out the sets posted by the other 5 on Friday bloggers -- you can sign in over at Golch Central's Rambling Stuff.
This month is my own birthday month, as well as bringing birthdays for my husband, my mom, my brother-in-law, my cousin-in-law and two of my uncles, as well as several of my very close friends. So I think it's high time we celebrated November birthday boys here at A Piece of My Mind.
1 - I Saw Her Again -- Denny Doherty from The Mamas and The Papas
2 - Give a Little Love -- Leslie McKeown from the Bay City Rollers
My favorite musical November birthday boy! My teen heart throb, lead singer Les McKeown.
This week I'm hosting fellow Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada author Donna Alward here at A Piece of My Mind. Let's see what she's got cooking for her Thursday Thirteen. Over to you, Donna! ~~~
I thought I’d do a Cadence Creek Christmas themed Thursday
Thirteen! Since food almost always plays
a big part in my books, I figured coming up with thirteen different foods would
be easy – especially since this is a Christmas book! Ready?
13: Pot Roast – page 20.
The food at The Wagon Wheel Diner is pretty good – and we’ve heard about
it before in the other Cadence Creek books. Martha Bullock makes the best pie
in Cadence Creek and her recipes are a trade secret.
12: Nacho Dip – page 41. What’s a wedding shower without
some snacks? I love nacho dip and it’s so easy. Equal amounts of Miracle Whip
and Cream cheese blended together makes the bottom. Spread on taco sauce and
salsa, top with tomatoes, grated cheddar and some green onion and you’re good
to go.
11: Chocolate Fudge Cake – page 64. Pressed into alternate
arrangements for the rehearsal dinner, it’s off to the Wagon Wheel for lasagna
and garlic bread. But the bakery sent over a cake to help with dessert. Isn’t it
nice how the community just chips in when it’s needed?
10: Hot Cider – page 97. It’s winter. There’s more than just
fruit punch at the wedding cocktail hour. I love hot spiced cider – yum!
9: Beef Wellington – page 105. Main course at the reception.
After all, they’re feeding a room full of ranchers. What else would they have
but beef? I love Beef Wellington, but it’s a special dish I don’t eat very
often!
8: Pastry baskets filled with chocolate mousse and topped
with berries and cream – page 107. Wedding dessert. Pastry. Chocolate. Whipped
Cream. Berries. Did I miss anything?
7: Lavender Chocolate Cake – page 112. Come on, you didn’t
expect an ordinary wedding cake, did you? The bride is a baker and her best
friend and ex-boss made the cake as a gift. I knew it had to be something
original and very special!
6: Coffee and Eggnog – page 132. One thing I love to do at
Christmas? Add egg nog to my coffee instead of my usual light cream. The only
thing better is Bailey’s…
5: Cannelloni – page 147. Enough with the meat and potatoes.
Bring on the pasta. Tomato, basil, cheese… Cannelloni and Manicotti are 2 of my
kids’ favourite meals.
4. Stollen, Christmas Pudding, Strudel, and Carrot Cake!
Page 167. A trip to the bakery yields food for now and food for later. Taylor
and Angela have strudel and cake, and Taylor buys the pud and stollen for a
great traditional family Christmas she’s planning.
3: Romaine Salad - page 198. I got this recipe from my
“adopted” family in Calgary. Grandma Tena makes it and it’s delicious. Romaine,
mandarin orange, red pepper strips and poppyseed dressing. It’s so yummy.
2: Prime Rib and Yorkshire pudding - page 198. You knew it
had to be something tasty for Christmas Eve dinner, right? My Yorkshire pudding
never turns out, but I love eating someone else’s.
1: Cranberry Bread Pudding with Custard Sauce – page 199 I
LOVE Bread Pudding. Almost any kind. But I had this particular one at the Banff
Springs Hotel during one of our Christmas brunches and it was marvelous. Just
beautiful.
A CADENCE CREEK CHRISTMAS is out now anywhere
Harlequin Books are sold! You can catch up with me at my website too – www.donnaalward.com ~~~ Thanks for such a delicious list of thirteen things, Donna! The cranberry bread pudding does sound like I want some...like, now... For readers wondering about the Hal-Con costume Thursday Thirteen I mentioned last week, please check back next week. Let's see which one is your favorite.
For a final week, Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.
After today, Travis is retiring his four-year-old musical meme which immediately became the highlight of my week and remained so since February of 2010. Putting together my sets each week gives me joy, retaining the sense of play I need in my creative life.
Travis invited the regular 5-on-Friday-ers to carry on without him if we wished, and it appears that Jamie, Mike and I will continue to spin the tunes that we love.
But I just want to let Travis know that in coming up with his Friday musical feature, he has given me hours and hours and hours of happiness. Sending you love and ((hugs)) today as we bid farewell to an amazing run.
Well, we did it. Last Saturday, Shawna Romkey and I gave our first convention panel on Heroes and Villains during Hal-Con 2013.
Thanks to everyone who attended our panel. You asked great questions!
Last week I spun four superhero tunes plus one super villain tune. This week -- since I was giving the villains part of the panel -- here are five tunes that come to us from the villain's point of view.
1 - Devil in Disguise -- Elvis Presley
This song illustrates the sort of villain I mentioned at the panel last Saturday, the sort of character who seems like a 'suitable catch' on the surface -- until you get to know him a little better, and if you're an historical female character, it may very well be too late by then. You may have been married off to what seemed like a strong alpha male character, only to discover he is actually a villain, making all the wrong choices based on fear, self-preservation and self-interest.
This sort of tragic villain character -- someone who sees himself as a thwarted hero -- is shown in the video as Guy of Gisborne from BBC's Robin Hood (played by my fave, Richard Armitage.)
2 - The Sinner in Me -- Depeche Mode
This song perfectly captures the allure of The Gray Character, my favorite. This accounts for the attraction we often feel towards a character who we sense is still redeemable. This sort of villain holds a lot more tension within the story, because we aren't sure whether he'll choose the high road or the low road. A traditional villain will always take the dark choice.
3 - A Criminal Mind -- Lawrence Gowan
I've always loved this song, by Glasgow Scotland-born, Toronto-raised Lawrence Gowan. I love the bald admission given by the narrator: "Ask one who's known me / If I'm really so bad / I am."
This is the sort of internal monologue that would take place inside the traditional villain character. He has no ambitions to change, no desire to reform. He delights in his own horrible rampages.
Strangely, the tone of the song implies a degree of regret -- however, it's clear that the narrator will never make the choices of a heroic character. The greater good, self-sacrifice -- these ambitions won't tempt this villain in the least.
4 - Animal I Have Become -- Three Days Grace
Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon a Time is a massive fave of mine (played by another of my long-time inspirations for a fictional character in one of my works-in-progress, Robert Carlyle.)
What a tour de force of villainy! As the original village spinner character, his descent into darkness through fearful choice-making is something we can relate to. We even hope that this character is still reachable and redeemable.
As the Dark One / Rumpelstiltskin, he is a cool deal-maker, preying on those who will do anything in a moment of need. He is not without emotion, however -- he has a streak of playful mischief-making, and delights in the sword he holds over people's heads.
As Mr. Gold, the contemporary Storybrooke pawn shop owner, he holds the most tension for the viewer, as we never know how this version of the character will react. Mr. Gold shows the most vulnerability, the most rage and the greatest desire to reach for happiness.
5 - Bad to the Bone -- George Thorogood and The Destroyers
The supervillain tune from my set list last week belonged to the Joker (played by dearly-missed Heath Ledger) -- and here he is again, in all his traditional villain glory.
