Month: January 2014

Music from My Past

Many years ago, my friend Georgia Popoff introduced me to the music of Kate & Anna McGarrigle. I eventually purchased four of their albums (on vinyl, for CDs were still a few years distant).  I loved the folksy sound, the gorgeous harmonies, and the lyrics.

Then life happened. Marriage.The end of a working turntable in the house. Several years ago, I looked for CD versions of the albums, but no luck.

This past holiday season, I received an iTunes gift card. And guess what? Three of the four albums are available there. So I purchased them. I listened to them at Day Job today, and several times wanted to get up and dance for the joy of hearing these old friends again. 

Hopefully Pronto Monto will someday be digitized.

Is there music that always makes you smile?

 

 

 

Retreat Recap

My writing retreat was amazing. We had perfect travel weather book-ending our stay in the cottage in the woods. There were words written (Saturday, 5,004 words; Sunday, 5273 words; Monday, 5253 words; Tuesday, 2500 words), wine, a fire each evening as we watched movies or Downton Abbey, a Syracuse University basketball game, snow swirling outside our windows, laughter, and friendship.

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Retreat Food

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m getting ready to go on a writing retreat. One of the things I always bring is a fresh fruit salad. Unlike most restaurants, I do not consider melon in any form a fruit, and refuse to use it in a salad.

I make two types of fruit salad: one for family gatherings and another for writers. The writers version is much healthier.

That’s it. No dressing, no sweeteners; just the natural sweet goodness of the fruit.

We eat fruit salad for breakfast, for dessert, for snacks. Some people mix it into their yogurt. It’s versatile. It’s simple.