5 on Friday - Set 102

It's a big day here at A Piece of My Mind!







Two years ago my blog friend Travis started a musical meme that he called 5 on Friday. I joined this Friday event two sets in, and have barely missed a week since. It's one of the highlights of my week.

I've met many good blog friends since then. Happy 2nd Anniversary to all of us as we keep spinning the tunes!

1 - Donauwalzer or Blue Danube - Vienna State Opera Orchestra



2 - Retour de la vendange or The Grape-Pickers' Return - Composed by Adolphe Adam, performed by the American Ballet Orchestra

The piece included for today's celebration starts at the 0:15 mark, and ends at the 2:52 mark. Giselle is danced by Carla Fracci in this clip, and Albrecht is danced by Erik Bruhn.



3 - Etudes - Composed by Carl Czerny, performed by the Royal Danish Ballet Orchestra

The section meant for today's set begins at the 5:03 mark and ends at the 7:19 mark.



4 - Firebird finale - Composed by Igor Stravinsky, Conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, performed by the San Francisco Symphony



5 - Apotheosis from Sleeping Beauty - Composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky based on the pre-French Revolution national anthem Marche Henri IV, Conducted by Laurence Siegel, performed by the Radio Symphony Orchestra

5 on Friday - Set 75 / I'm blogging at The Popculturedivas

Today I'm also over at The Popculturedivas, reshuffling my Bucket List after crossing off seeing American Ballet Theatre at Lincoln Centre, several weeks ago in New York City.







And now - onto the musical part of our program, wherein 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.


















If you are in a relationship, what would your love story sound like, if it was a Broadway musical?

If you're not currently in a relationship, would your romantic past or longing to meet someone have a soundtrack?

Brad and I celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary last Monday, and together we came up with these show tunes plus our first-dance song to tell the story of our romance.

1 - If I Loved You - Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae



2 - Some Enchanted Evening - Reba McEntire and Brian Stokes Mitchell



3 - Tonight - Marni Nixon and Jimmy Bryant (the singing voices for Natalie Wood and Beymer)



4 - S'Wonderful - Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire



5 - Pretty World - Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66










This is our anniversary tradition - kooky photo booth shots.

The 2011 edition

Weekend Writer's Retreat - 52! - One Year Anniversary

Day 20 of the A to Z Challenge brings us to the latest chapter in my serialized dark fantasy story.

It also brings me to the one-year anniversary of delving into Scorpius' childhood backstory for this Weekend Writer's Retreat. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you who have stuck with this story for a whole year.


Thank you!


T is for Trial









For the first twelve scenes posted for the Weekend Writer's Retreat, we followed Scorpius as a seven-year-old, fetched from the nursery by a falconer to become his apprentice.

The next twelve scenes followed ten-year-old Scorpius as he discovered the dangers of serving the nobles he'd once imagined were family.

The third set of twelve scenes gave us a thirteen-year-old Scorpius, who discovered the true extent of his master's attempts to shield him from the cruelties of life outside their falconer's cottage.

We rejoin him at age sixteen.

You can follow the progress of this story arc by clicking on the Works in Progress link just under the blog header.


Scene 52

The detachment of guards thundered around the bend, their horses just as fierce-looking as the men who dismounted to spread quickly across the clearing. The bound courtiers were made to regret their choices of loyalties, even with their trial some days away.

Richolf motioned for Scorpius to stick close as the commanding officer strode across the cottage’s stone floor. Scorpius’ gut twisted with dread for Lord Thibault, who lay on their table still drenched in sweat from his ordeal.

The commander poked and prodded the noble, who answered in moans. “Looks clean,” the officer said. “No poison.”

He carried himself like a prince, or at least what Scorpius imagined a prince might look like. If he ignored the scars and the uniform, Scorpius would have wondered if this wasn’t another royal sibling concealing his true purpose as Lord Nizhnii had done, years ago.

“Just the arrow, sir,” the guard who’d removed it said.

“Was there anyone with Lord Thibault when he was attacked?”

Scorpius’ heart stopped in mid-beat. Richolf stepped ever so slightly ahead of him.

Gesturing towards him, the guard said, “The falconer’s boy, sir.”

The officer glanced across the kitchen to hold Scorpius in his piercing gaze. Everything inside of Scorpius shriveled to nothing.

At first he took a step back as the officer walked towards him. But he forced himself to stand straight, reminding himself that he had in fact saved the young lord’s life. The sight of Richolf’s bowed head from the corner of his eye reminded him to do likewise, just in time.

“How did it happen?” the officer said.

Glancing up at Lord Thibault’s sprawled form and bloodied shoulder, Scorpius took a deep breath and explained how the hunting party had turned on itself, describing his flight with the noble into the forest and their concealment beneath the rock ledge. At the end, he dared to look up into the commander’s eyes.

The officer stepped even closer, nose to nose. Scorpius was forced to look down or be insubordinate.

For a long moment, the officer didn’t speak. He merely stood there, too close, his gaze raking Scorpius from top to bottom, delving beneath his skin like a cruel knife looking for arrowheads or poison.

Swallowing hard, Scorpius stood as still as he could, his mouth dry, his palms sweaty.

“How did you know to run?” the officer asked, finally.

With every part of his being, Scorpius wanted to leave his master out of this, just in case there might be more questions to make Richolf suffer. But Lord Thibault would tell his own version of the event, and the falconer was the one who’d alerted them to the danger. So that is what Scorpius told him.

Turning towards his master, the commander fired off a series of questions meant to trip up liars. But Richolf answered everything calmly and simply, with the right amount of deference and the dignity of having nothing to hide.

The officer signaled for the guard to follow him outside. Without another word, they were gone.

Scorpius and Richolf exchanged pale glances. But they were not as pale as the young lord, who at least moaned to reassure them he lived.

© Julia Smith, 2011

Summer Stock Sunday - 27 / Poetry Train Monday - 165 - Expecting Someone Altogether Different

My vintage look at summer for Summer Stock Sunday, hosted by Robin at Around the Island.


















When my husband and I first began going out, he took me to the Exhibition in Toronto, known locally as the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition.) At one point we hopped in a photo booth and took the first of a series of summer photo booth pictures.

Once we got married, we moved our previous CNE tradition to our anniversary, and made sure to take a photo booth shot at some point during our day.

This one was taken here in Halifax a few years ago, just after we'd seen a movie. I'm looking forward to a lifetime collection of these.








Last week I mentioned my husband's suggestion that I write a sexy poem. And several of you wondered if I'd written one.

Here it is - it may actually be more romantic than sexy, but who's quibbling?


Expecting Someone Altogether Different


On my day off from work
I threw on my shapeless
Comfy black pants
My slightly-too-big
Cotton top
My grass-stained garden clogs

I shuffled into the car
To pick you up from work
And because the timing
Had been so close
With Mom not knowing
If she'd be back from the store
If you'd have to call a cab
I parked the car
I went in the store

With my day-off-from-work
Unwashed hair
Stained clogs
Shapeless clothing

How many women
I thought to myself
Would enter their
Husband's workplace
Looking like this?

When you saw me
Your eyes lit up
Your smile was not
For the customer before you
And she could tell
She turned to look
I'm sure she was expecting
To see someone
Altogether different
Attached to the smile
To the look
You gave me

© Julia Smith / Aug. 14, 2010

How to participate in the 3:15 Experiment

Starting on the night of July 31/Aug. 1, set your alarm for 3:15 am, wake up, write a poem in the midst of your sleepiness and go back to sleep. Repeat each night for the month of August.

Visit the originators of the project for more information:

Danika Dinsmore

Gwendolyn Alley

For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!

Robin says What a wonderful poem - I love the honesty and the sentiment, and above all the love, that shines through it. I love your photobooth tradition too, what a great idea.

Jessica Sieghart says The photo booth shots are an awesome idea! I like the fact that you spend your anniversary in a similar way each year, too. You wrote that poem at 3:15 in the morning? You go girl!!!

Akelamalu Love the romantic poem - that smile says it all!

Summer Stock Sunday - 7

Seventeen years ago today, I got ready for my wedding along with my best friend, another lifelong friend, my cousin, my sister, new sister-in-law-to-be and my husband's very dear friend from acting school - Andrea. She got to hang with both groups of the wedding party - the ones getting a French twist, which my mom did up (she was a hair dresser, once upon a time) and the ones getting dressed in tuxedoes.












My best friend Connie and my cousin Julianne flank Andrea and her completed French twist.












My cousin and my sister use hot rollers to give their hair more body before going up in the twist.


My mom gives my sister Michelle her 'do.







Doesn't Andrea look fabulous? She stood up for Brad as his 'best man', which we renamed as 'attendant of honour.'

That's Dave, our old roommate, one of Brad's groomsmen and the MC for the reception.






The wedding party assembles at the church.


My best friend - and matron of honour - hands out the bouquets.


I stand at the threshhold of my new life with my dad's hand embracing mine.


The exchange of rings.


Our hands joined in marriage. New beginnings still seem fresh to Brad and me all these years later.


For more Summer Stock Sunday, visit Robin at Around the Island.

Robin says I don't have any photos of people getting ready for our wedding, just the traditional album.

Bim says The photos are fab.

Michelle Johnson says What tender memories you've shared.

Anniversary Time

Sixteen years ago today, Brad and I said "I do."




Dad gets me to the church on time.



His hand on mine as we head down the aisle.















Mrs. Smith!

















Everything about our day was magical.
















See the older girl beside me? My niece Christi.
















She's now 22. Sixteen years later, she's getting married on our wedding day. I hadn't realized how special our day was for her, until she told me of her choice for a wedding date. She chose it because of what it means to her, and what we mean to her. That just makes my heart melt.

How I wish we could be with her as she marries her sweetheart.

Brad and I will be in Yarmouth with my family for my grandmother's funeral. Another special ceremony for a cherished mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and friend.




My mom, Gram, me and our other niece, Emily (Christi's sister)












Let the dancing begin! Our first dance was to Sergio Mendes - Pretty World. We even did the samba.
















Dad twirls my sister on the dance floor.

















My Gram the Dancing Queen with her youngest son, my Uncle Louie.