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.
This week's set is dedicated to Andy Whitfield, who passed away on Sept. 11th.
He was a newly-discovered favorite actor of mine, ever since the debut of Spartacus in 2010. You can read my review of the show here: Through the Opera Glasses.
So hard to believe that cancer could strike down someone who could not have been in better shape.
I guess we should all simply enjoy today for today.
1 - Even though last week included Good Friday, and this week included Easter Monday, which meant a four-day weekend for me, I worked so hard for the three days I was at my scanner - including two overtime shifts - that I gratefully embraced my Friday off. We're at an especially high-volume time for my department. I'm so-o-o tired.
2 - To make matters more trying, I battled a migraine last week which culminated with Thursday's rather exciting color-prism aura which developed in the afternoon. Since my acupuncture treatment which began last June, I have gotten to the point that my pain medication has been radically downgraded. But once the prism-aura started I went for my narcotic painkiller. Within 20 minutes the aura was gone. I guess it's true that if you're in enough pain, you see stars.
3 - My husband and I went to our every-other-Saturday morning acupuncture treatment. I told Wei about my migraine adventure, and she 'listened' to my chi along one forearm, and then after awhile along the other forearm. (The points she's feeling are not the same places western doctors feel your pulse.) Her expression was a mix of confusion and solemn concern. After awhile she pronounced, "Weak," as though beyond comprehension that my chi could be in such a state after all my treatment. I wonder if she's ever treated anyone before who visually appears to be living, but is registering as half-dead in the chi department, as I apparently do. I'm nothing if not a challenge.
4 - Was contacted by a major Acadian genealogy figure here in the Maritimes about our shared family lineage due to a blog post I did two-and-a-half years ago. It was my 22nd Thursday Thirteen - Introducing 13 of My Ancestors. That post has legs! It has led to a most incredible set of developments, including the upcoming DNA testing of my cousin through the AMERINDIAN Ancestry Out of Acadia DNA PROJECT.
5 - Went to lunch with some of the women from my writers' group on Sunday, then stopped in at Chapters before the meeting started and snagged a book by one of the Popculturedivas, Kayla Perrin.
6 - Learned about the YA market (Young Adult) at the meeting, with a workshop given by Renee Field.
7 - Worked overtime on Monday. It's like shooting at 18th century redcoats. No matter how many go down, the formation remains intact and the line continues to advance.
8 - Luckily, the second-last episode of Spartacus cheered me up. It ROCKED. Of course, it turns out that it was directed by Michael Hurst, who played Iolaus on Hercules. My three favorite episodes of Spartacus have all been directed by Michael Hurst.
9 - On Tuesday, Mom picked me up after work and we went to dinner at The Great Wall, my favorite Halifax Chinese restaurant. Then we found a parking space near St. Matthew's Church, nipped into Niche for an hour for coffee and headed to our choir rehearsal for our upcoming concert next Tuesday.
10 - It was the first of three rehearsals at the performance space, so there was a lot of rearranging of our physical placement as well as musical rehearsal. Here's a little preview of part of the Schubert mass we're singing, as performed here by the Ocean Springs High School Choir from Mississippi:
11 - After working overtime on Monday, and having a long rehearsal on Tuesday, I once again worked overtime on Wednesday. And my acupuncturist wonders why she can't find any sign of my chi.
12 - Today I discovered why it's a good thing to fully read work emails that say Wear pink to support anti-bullying. I thought it meant Friday. But it was in fact for Wednesday. So even though my manager sported a spiffy pink dress shirt with matching pink tie, and three other members of my team were radiant in pink, and even though I have several pink outfits I could have worn, I showed up today in my tiger-skin-print shirt. For Anti-bullying Day. Tiger-skin-print.
13 - It's 1:00 in the morning. Time to get off the computer. Only 5 and a half hours till my alarm goes off.
Janet says #4 - How cool is that? As soon as I'm done this comment, I'm off to read that blogpost and check out the link. Fascinating!
Anne MacFarlane says Hope the migraines - and the ot - settle down soon.
My blog friend Travis began a new feature at his blog, Trav's Thoughts. He's already on his third set, but this is my premiere for 5 on Friday.
I'm not good with techie stuff, so rather than figure out the cool player he's got on his blog, I'm going to stick to You Tube clips.
Travis invites anyone to play - just let him know over at his blog, so he can come and visit.
5 on Friday showcases five songs or pieces of music which express a theme of your choosing. With Valentine's Day about to unfold, how could I turn to anything else but the music that beats along with every pulse inside my veins?
Here are five of my favorite pas de deux, or dance duet, which embody the reverence, symmetry, passions, awestruck recognition and depth of emotion so raw it hurts which love brings to those lucky enough to be so blessed.
1 - Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia
Spartacus - music by Aram Khachaturian - danced by Ludmila Semenyaka and Irek Mukhamentov
2 - Bedroom pas de deux, Manon and des Grieux
Manon - music by Jules Massenet - danced by Sylvie Guillem and Zoltan Solymosi
Carmen - music by Georges Bizet - danced by Alessandra Ferri and Laurent Hilaire
The music at the 2:37 mark is a huge favorite of mine.
4 - Balcony pas de deux, Juliet and Romeo
Romeo and Juliet - music by Sergei Prokofiev - danced by Marcia Haydee and Richard Cragun
I listened to this music compulsively while writing my first draft of my NaNo vampire story. The kiss and Juliet's reaction at the 7:50 mark is one of my favorite ballet moments.
5 - Pas d'action, Odette and Sigfried
Swan Lake - music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky - danced by Alla Mikhalchenko and Yuri Vasyuchenko
This series debuted here in Canada on the Movie Network last week, and tonight I settled in for the second episode.
After a Thracian warrior rebels against his Roman commander, his wife is taken into slavery and our hero is condemned to die in the arena. But he fights like the fabled Thracian king of old, and is now renamed Spartacus.
Spartacus refuses to believe his wife is lost to him forever. He'll kill for his Roman master in the hope of wrapping her in his arms once more.
Spartacus tells the story of a Roman slave who leads an uprising against the empire. In the first scene, a duel between a consul and Spartacus results in a show of mercy for one who has never shown mercy to others.
The following scene shows how wounded pride can fuel not only personal vendettas, but often lead to full-scale war.
Champion of the Arts - I write historical and paranormal fiction, as well as poetry. I love to showcase creative works by artists of all stripes. Blogging from Nova Scotia, Canada
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