Month: March 2025

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Spare parts dept…

After I’d emailed my cousin about the new hearing aid purchases, she (because she’s like me and ‘holds on to ‘things’ ) forwarded to me an email I wrote years ago
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November 2016

Hello there Heather

There’s going to be another division of the spare parts dept in our household opening soon.

The trial period is over and the verdict is – I’ll take one (or even two) !!

I have had a pair on trial for the past week and among other things discovered my neighbours to the left of us have a couple of budgies and more birds spend time in our trees and bushes than I realised.  It’s amazing what a difference a little thing stuck behind your ear can make 🙂

Yes, after having the eyes renewed a couple of years ago (cataracts) it’s now time to bring the ears in line.  No need to shout, it’s the pesky high sounds that I’m losing – a nice lady at Australian Hearing called it High Frequency Hearing Loss. 
She’s been monitoring this very slow decline in both ears for a few years now and suggested a trial run of a loan tailored to my requirements so I could actually see hear the difference.

So come the New Year (because I can get a better health benefit payout) I shall be the proud new owner of two tiny little things that will mean I make less mistakes in thinking I heard something when it was actually something else that was said 🙂

How I get on with this remains to be seen because mentioning it to friends has brought forth lots of horror stories about things whistling in the dark (as well as in the ear), hearing being worse than before and ‘Uncle Joe” still not being able to hear at the pub so I’m taking them all with a grain of salt.

Over the past few years B & P (my sisters) have both had new hips – several friends acquired new knees – many friends have had new sets of teeth – yet nobody has admitted to having new ears.  What is about deafness (no matter how slight) that we are loathe to admit to?

How will I cope with these new appliances?  I don’t know. We shall see what happens when the time comes. 🙂
*******

So back to today over 8yrs on…..I’m even more enthralled with the new world they opened up. The new ones are the same ‘level’ as before (my loss hasn’t altered much in that time) but technology has
The only thing the consultant was surprised about was that I declined a rechargeable device preferring batteries – we’re all different, my reasoning being it’s what I’m used to and one less thing to worry about when travelling. The packs of tiny batteries are much much smaller than the charger and no need to find a power point

Anyway enough about me:-
How do you view ageing and the decline of body parts?

Everything old is new again – a trip to the spare parts dept!

Does it bother you or are you glad there are ‘things’ out there to lessen the burden

What thoughts are roaming round your head this Monday?

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Yes, it’s Friday….

No Fun Friday here today though

My friend Mr Insomnia……..has decided to visit again

I’m not feeling the best – in fact I’m feeling b…..awful
I’m thinking of having a break until I can find the cause
***********

I started this post awhile ago……didn’t ever publish it. Did have a break earlier on this year and here’s the continuation of this sorry tale of woe……..

Everything…..

There are days when all I hear is my mother’s voice
‘Everything comes to those who wait!  –  Patience is a virtue!’
There are days I even acknowledge she might have been right 😊

Things are a bit better now – I’m dropping off more quickly and staying asleep longer.  Yes, there’s been some of those dreaded 2hour cycles and there are still some of those ‘why can’t I go back to sleep moments’ but they are definitely much less frequent than before.

With The Golfer’s help I gave the bedroom a deeper clean than usual, turned the mattress, added a small blanket beneath the sheepskin underlay on my side – I need the firm mattress but occasionally my back and hips ‘tell me’ they would like it a tad softer – then finished off by changing my pillows to some from the spare room bed.  The pillows (new in January) may not be the problem but thought no harm in trying so they could be reinstated some time

At the moment I’m also trying out a few handy hints :–
* wind down earlier
* no screens before bedtime
* turn the clock face away
* now the nights have cooled a bit open window/fresh air in bedroom
* using the fan was a help for a breeze on those hot nights
* hot water bottle on some of the cool nights, it’s comforting when my toes get cold.

Everything I’m doing/have done may be making a difference or the problem could just be going away naturally – whichever it is I’m definitely feeling more alive now.

As an aside…..I had to laugh, after a chat with my GP he more or less said the same as Mum would have – have patience, take it slowly, try working things out and often it just happens when you least expect it!

source
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🧶Inch by Inch….

The past few days have been pleasant
Sunny and dry – not hot – just comfortable
The sting has gone out of the sun now

Knitting has resumed…..
Outside on the deck where it’s certainly been calming
Appreciated because of a few things going on at home at the moment

Plain stocking stitch means I can close my eyes
Think of nothing……
Just concentrate on feeling my fingers ‘make the stitches’

Sounds great doesn’t it
‘Cept for these words that were rattling round my brain
Inch by Inch
Row by Row
(Gonna make this garden grow)


Where did it come from……I’ve no idea……those pesky little ear worms have a habit of just appearing
But…..
It could have been because earlier in the day I’d been measuring the first sleeve (in inches…..yes I’m old😊) plus counting rows to double check

Mia’s teddy jumper has progressed to the point of having both sleeves finished – the front (with Teddy waiting to have his bow started) is tucked away in the knitting bag for the time being……which leaves me working on the back…… inch by inch – row by row
In slow methodical eyes closed calming stocking stitch


Well that was the crafty part which has me feeling pleased because I thought I’d never get those needles moving again……want to see what’s going in the literary dept.?

What could be better- a book about chocolate manufacturing accompanied by the same chocolate…..and finding in my pantry a box of cocoa powder (age unknown) made in self same factory!

I got a bit fed up reading The Country Girls – yes I know that’s almost unheard of …I’ll get back to it sometime – so started The Chocolate Factory.
A novel whose storyline follows the early 20th century (1921) decision to build a Cadbury chocolate factory in Tasmania (which is still in use today) blending it with the fictional life story of one of the employees ‘brought out’ to start things off

Such an easy read I had it finished in a couple of days – the historical content was interesting, not just about the company but social history as well….attitudes to women post WW1, mental health of returned soldiers and more ( plenty of research put to good use)…the addition of industrial espionage seemed right as well (seemingly the ingredients for making Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate are still secret to all but a few employees)


This wiki entry is also a good read

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadbury_Chocolate_Factory,_Tasmania

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Kat has open house on Unraveled Wednesday . click the (safe) link to see who’s there and what they brought with them

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Would you like something to go with your coffee……

Lemon coconut slice?

What do you think?

After the appointment I’d just had at the hearing centre I certainly needed it…..tell you what…..you can add hearing aids to the list of items that have definitely risen quite steeply in price. Granted my trusty Signia ones, the ones I’ve used for the past 7yrs – (once I accepted I needed them in certain circumstances) – do work just fine, they really needed to be updated. Talk about sticker shock!

So the March Equinox been and gone – another quarter turn of the wheel happened – and Autumn has truly arrived…..days and nights here at home are about equal at the moment

but that loss of light will soon become very apparent. ……
These are the times for Friday 7:29 am Sunrise – 7:20pm Sunset.
Another 9 mins gone!

And while my whinging complaining won’t stop all that happening there is something I do enjoy about this season.
.
Brussel Sprouts — fresh from the farm!

Look at them, planted just up the road from us in the paddocks along the Maroondah Highway at Coldstream, lined up in straight rows as far as the eye can see…… so easy for the picking gangs to harvest them.

I know I’m in the minority who really do enjoy eating them and look forward to adding another vegetable to our plates.
Have to be cooked plainly though – steamed then served with a dab of butter (salt/pepper optional).

No oven or frying pan involved – no weird and wonderful ingredients added – I’ve seen olive oil, honey, soy sauce, lemon juice even Parmesan cheese mentioned. Do those things and I’ll not even look at them never mind eat them!

Here’s Arthur the Big Sprout waiting to greet us as we drove in last week to pick up some new season from the farm gate shop

https://www.adamsfarms.com.au/our-story

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Oh and Footy’s back 🙂

Footy = Football, often Australian Rules Football or Rugby League depending on region. Not soccer.
source

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Football_League

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rugby_League

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Monday’s here again…..gosh that week went by quickly…….
…. Blink and you missed it….

How was yours? Fast and Furious or Slow and Steady?

Sharing with Wednesday Words and Whimsy found HERE

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📘If you’re Irish this was the month for you….

I know I said I wasn’t going to get involved in any reading challenges this year but this is March (the month connected to Ireland and all things Irish)……and there is an actual challenge called Reading Ireland Month ☘️

Just by chance in amongst my reads these past few weeks were some by female Irish authors….a young ‘un and an older one (now sadly no longer with us) The well established Maeve Binchy and the now becoming very well established Claire Keegan – so when I was made aware of Reading Ireland I picked out a few more authors from my TBR list that I knew would fit the bill…..and my library happened to have available😊

  • So late in the day – Claire Keegan 2023.
    Three previously published very short stories. All different, could be described as ‘dark’, certainly not pleasant.
    So late in the day:- Poor man, got what was coming to him
    A long and painful death:– Some people have a knack of taking the pleasure out of everything.
    Antarctica:- What you want is not always what you get
  • Foster – Claire Keegan 2010.
    A short story about life in rural Ireland with a lot to say in very few words.
    The little girl goes to stay with what is implied to be foster parents but what I actually thought was her aunt but maybe I misunderstood……a place where life is so very different to what it is like at home. Then the new baby is born and it’s time to go home – where life and the attitudes of her parents are so very different. Has a ‘strange’ ending that is open to individual reader’s interpretation/imagination
  • This year it will be different – Maeve Binchy 2008.
    Short stories with Christmas (and relationships) as the common theme.

    Christmas…..that time of the year when people are supposed to be on their best behaviour and things just have to be ‘perfect’ but we know life isn’t like that…….and that’s just what’s covered in these very readable and relatable stories.
    They include the problems of Grannies coming to visit – mothers deciding they’ve had enough and this year it will be different – overseas visitors wondering what Christmas will be like in another country – lovers thinking about each other while separated, then reaching slightly different decisions about their future – plus others that will make you feel happy….and sad

  • The Searcher – Tana French 2020.
    Cal Hooper #1

American ex police officer Cal Hooper hoping to get away from a previous life has bought a run down cottage in a small village in Ireland.  Getting to know the community but remain anonymous has been a hard task, then a young boy turns up asking for help and much to his better judgement he agrees to look for a missing brother.
Easy to read, first half flowed along nicely……then after a twist in the storyline I sort of lost interest. The mystery was solved in the end – after we learn many of the secrets of locals plus the boy isn’t what you think he is

  • The Transatlantic Book Club – Felicity Hayes – McCoy 2019.
    (I’d actually had my eye on another of this author’s books but saw this and thought the idea of an ‘international’ book club rather novel (yes I know 😊) so it came home with me.)

Eager to cheer up her recently widowed gran, Cassie Fitzgerald, visiting from Canada, persuades Lissbeg Library to set up a Skype book club, linking readers on Ireland’s Finfarran Peninsula with the US town of Resolve, home to generations of Finfarran emigrants.

A fun easy read – part the Finfarran Peninsula series – characters and backgrounds were (re)introduced slowly so it wasn’t difficult to get acquainted with everyone. The Skype sessions were more visual general get togethers with hello’s and past differences making appearances plus the choice of book to be read caused problems. A little romance was added….. well, a long distance ‘will he be there on screen tonight’ does he feel the same as me even though we’re an ocean apart.
All’s well in the end…..life in the little Irish town settles down again

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And because life has got in the way a bit I’ve only just begun to read this one…..

The Country Girls – Edna O’Brien 1960.
Debut novel turned into a series

Kate and Baba are friends, live in the same village in entirely different environments, go to the same school, need each other’s company but treat each other differently……being short in length it’s not going to take me too long to finish……I’m hoping Baba will stop being a bully

Click the link below to see what others have been reading 
What’s on your Bookshelf 

Book Worms Monthly – April

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The Good – The Bad – The Ugly

Things to think about that crossed my path recently

The Good:-

After a trial run here in Victoria last year one of our ‘large’ discount pharmacies (CW) in conjunction with another are now running a national collection service……collecting blister packs.

Unlike the little tubs/pots with those totally unopenable/unscrewable evil oh how I hate them ‘childproof’ lids some medications/pills come in which are recyclable the sheets of whatever (foil/plastic) left over after popping your pills out can’t be put in kerbside recycling bins so this scheme will keep them out of landfill.

Hopefully when I deliver this little (multi family) lot, the branch I use has moved its collection box closer to the entrance…..last time I dropped some off it was way up the back of the store, totally obscured by a pile of deliveries. I needed a staff member to point it out to me

https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/news/australias-largest-blister-pack-recycling-program-expands-nationwide

A couple of cooler days last week meant instead of hiding away indoors from the heat al fresco lunches on the deck were back.

Raid the fridge, toss a few things together – there’s some carbs, protein, fruit and veg to keep me going. A crunchy favourite is Laughing Cow wedges spread on corn thins sprinkled with garlic salt. Out of apples so had cucumber to go with the mature cheese and Cheds…..and as it’s stone fruit season dessert was nectarines and plums. …..yes we’re all different with different likes and dislikes

The Goodish/Badish

After weeks of dry heatwave days and nights this is what it looked like when we arrived in the city yesterday- rain rain and more rain

It was bucketing it down as we sheltered in a small Lonsdale Street cafe – yes, theatre time again! An unusually empty stage greeted us as we settled down waiting for the rest of the audience to arrive before enjoying our Chrissy present to each other – one of the last performances in the Melbourne run of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

So it was good to be out and about even though a bit weary from lack of sleep…..fabulous show by the way – and no I’m not going to tell you ‘who dun it’😊…….weary after a scorching Saturday day then a warm Saturday night trying to sleep with helicopter water bombers flying around and about nearby as well as the strong smell of smoke because some little tow rags set fire to bush land 2km down the road from us! Thank goodness for emergency workers – (CFA – SES) – most of whom are volunteers and thank you Mother Nature for sending the rain.

https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/news/out-of-control-bushfire-burns-near-montrose-kilsyth-homes-in-southeast-melbourne/news-story/f3c72db3e54de9c4514de497ca7b2822

The Bad :-

Something that makes you realise time has passed by is when the renewal notice for your driver license is delivered.
‘Gosh that 10 years went by quickly – here’s to another one’.

Trouble is it comes as a bit of a shock when there’s a little enclosure in the envelope telling you that once you reach a certain age here in Victoria you are only allowed to renew your license for 3 years not 10 as is the norm. Unlike some of the other states, no medical or on the road test is needed, just an honour system of reporting any issues you may have

I wonder how quickly the next 3 years will pass by – and whether I’ll still be driving at the end of it?

The downright Ugly:-

A picture tells a thousand words!

Oh yuk……how could they 😦

Has anything interesting crossed your path recently ?

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Pie and….

It’s always difficult to gauge what the food will be like at unknown pubs…..reviews are good but it often depends on the chef on the day.

Haven’t had a pie for a long time we said…….yes, they’re made on site we were told

The first one (on the specials board) at a well known country pub in Yarra Glen (just never visited by us) turned out to be a ‘pot pie’ – with chips and salad. I really should read menus more thoroughly as I wasn’t expecting that.
Pastry topping was fabulous- light and flaky with edges rolling down the side of the pot. (Just as in some circumstances it’s not bad manners to pick up a chicken bone and have a nibble so I deemed it ok to pull the pastry off and dunk it in the gravy. 😊)
The meat (that strangely was a bit chewy/could have been cooked longer before going in the pot) was in large chunks so had to be taken out to cut into more manageable pieces……I know I have a big mouth at times but. ….
Anyway here’s a plus – a definite plus – it, the vegetables inside and the gravy were hot. – just come out of the oven hot. So all was not lost there

Chips and salad……unfortunately very tired

We ate outside in a sports bar area – rough wooden floor, bench tables, serviceable metal chairs! No one else out there except some cheeky sparrows who kept us amused ‘battling’ with each other over a chip that didn’t make it to my mouth

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So another Thursday rolled round, a free day for both of us ……oh the busy life these retired people lead…..where to today?.
‘What about we go to the pub down the road, the one on the corner on the way to Lilydale – another we haven’t been to for many a year ‘.
I’ll try a pie again – my back and legs were killing me and I needed comfort food. Also made on site so better still.

Pub food is often standard fare, especially seniors menus like this one – snitzels,, parmas, fish & chips, sometimes roast of the day and presentation varies from place to place. I knew what my order was going to be……however you should have seen the smile on my face when the young man placed this in front of me.
Stacking a meat pie on mash and placing onion rings so artistically on top of it all was a definite winner with me. The pie crust was crisp and flaky, the beef filling was pulled so no chewing necessary- it almost melted in my mouth, the peas might have been frozen but both they and the gravy along with everything else were piping hot.

The Golfer was not enthralled with his Nasi Goreng

The first cool day for ages so we decided to eat in the Bistro. A very large room with the visible kitchen and bar running down the room, basic tables and chairs with loads of room around each which encourages families to visit. Another quiet lunch because it was late when we arrived so there were only a few ‘old fellas putting the world to rights’ up near the bar – we shared a small alcove area with another couple at a table near to us.

And that’s my meat pie quota eaten for possibly a year or two 😊

Though nothing can beat them eaten out of a paper bag footy style.

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🧶The bits on the side….

So with the weather being what it is……Summer extending into Autumn (and how)…..it should be cooling down slightly by now especially overnight but nature seems to be thinking otherwise.
A drop of rain- the first for a long, long time is forecast for Wednesday – forecast being the word. It could arrive or possibly like the recent cyclone Albert go walkabout, do a U-turn, and end up somewhere else. If it does turn up it’ll will be welcome relief from the heat and humidity

I’ve put the knitting to one side. Not because I was frustrated fed up with it but because my hands were getting sweaty…..knitting in the heat doesn’t usually do that…..’cept there’s always a first time for anything and this humidity was definitely proving that point.

So when I ‘explored’ a box of crafty bits tucked away at the back of a cupboard and found a xstitch embroidery kit…..no idea how long it had been there, probably bought on a whim to make a gift for ‘our little girl’ (given name starts with F) all those recent never again- think of the eyes thoughts were forgotten.

It’s begun – I’ve made a start- and surprisingly found there have been no sweaty palms…….

although I have found the grey cells are finding it more difficult to count up/down than they do sideways😧.

The plan is to finish the curly bits on the top and sides before the floral parts in the middle. That way I’ll be able to place the different colours without too many problems- like counting tiny squares!

Many years ago I read (and enjoyed) a book called Still Waters (Jennifer Lauck) smiling at the title being the same as my blog.
And look at what I found in an op shop……another one with the same title- a debut novel (2008) by Australian author Camilla Noli
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But I do wonder if someone would be interested if they only saw the very brief blurb on Goodreads……see how it’s described on Fantastic Fiction. Guess I’ll find out once I begin to read it


Hot weather rabbit hole time meant I discovered there are over 50 books listed on Fantastic Fiction with those two words as the title – many more with them included in the title. I lost count on a couple of other sites😊

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Unraveled Wednesday . .. is a link up hosted by Kat which encourages bloggers to chat about their craft, reading and life in general – pop over, see who’s come to visit- stay and say hello.

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Here’s another who sings too…..

Am I the only person who didn’t know this happened…..

Excerpt from tv programme featuring Dame Judi Dench

In my defence I was living in Singapore on the other side of the world at the time……theatre in London didn’t enter my mind

Dame Judi Dench 1968.
Sit – watch – enjoy……with sound up!

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H is for…..

How do you think about where you live
House v Home

If you happen to show someone the building
Do you say – that is our house or that is our home?

There are lots of ideas out there on the WWW
Most seem to conclude that
A house is a physical structure with walls a roof and a door
A home can be anywhere you live, that place, that structure made pleasant and safe by the people who live there

So what about you?
What are your thoughts

Is it just
A House – something that you are living in
or
A Home – the place where you are living but also where you feel comfortable and safe.

Are you content and thankful just to have a roof over your head
or
do you feel you must have things around you that you are able to relate to
Things that prove this place is yours – give you a sense of identity

‘Home is where the Heart is’

We often talk about the ‘family home’
Does that mean that those who are single, widowed or divorced, those with no one to love or share their place with live in a home or is it just a house?

Do those owners of immaculate places have a house or a home ?

Does owning the place make any difference?

I know on the few occasions we have rented I found I couldn’t form an attachment to the ‘House’.  That’s all it was – A House we were living in

Because of circumstances at those times, we were actually renting fully furnished so there wasn’t much we could do to make the place ‘ours’.  Yes, we had some bits and pieces and knick knacks to dot here and there around the house but
We could never change the paint colour, decorate or alter in any other form, and in some cases not even put a nail in the wall to hang pictures.
So I never felt it was our ‘Home’

I’d love to know how others have felt if they’ve experienced living that way.  Does being able to put your stamp on rented premises make it more homelike for you or have you accepted what has been offered as
‘this is it at the moment’.

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And what has put me into this ponderous mood?
A friend’s grandchild is ‘moving out’ and was talking about this very same thing the other day. The youngster’s not going very far though……just to the bottom of the garden into the Granny Flat that belonged to the other grandma😊

And talking of homes let’s spare a thought for those in the path of Cyclone Alfred as it makes its way towards the Queensland- New South Wales coastline. Unusual (but not unheard of)to have one come this far south it’s forecast to cross land on Saturday morning

I’m hoping this (live) link is being updated:-.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/cyclone-alfred-live-updates-brisbane-south-east-queensland-braces-for-first-direct-impact-from-storm-in-50-years-northern-nsw-prepares-for-flooding-20250305-p5lh6c.html

https://www.smh.com.au/national/tracking-alfred-three-maps-show-the-cyclone-s-impact-20250305-p5lh5n.html

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While away the hours…..

tr, adverb – to pass (time) idly and usually pleasantly…….source


When I was crook the other week I found it difficult to settle myself and concentrate on anything I tried to do

Reading didn’t go to plan because I’d keep nodding off instead of turning pages……the knitting didn’t fare so well either so that was put to one side. Crosswords and jigsaws were also non starters

I’ve had a little game app on my iPad for quite a while now…….one of those impulse downloads you mean to delete but never get round to it……it’s similar to ‘painting by numbers’ ……without getting wet.
Choose a number- tap the highlighted area and Hey Presto
it changes colour!

Yes, I know it sounds a bit old fashioned , but because it’s so easy to use –

turning grey/white designs like these into what one friend described as ‘works of art’ but I wouldn’t go so far as to say that – it’s also jolly good fun……. the developers describe it as a relaxing coloring book …..I’d also say it’s very ‘moreish’ (addictive even) in that once you finish one design you feel the need to start another almost immediately

Anyway I started tapping away filling in coloured areas one afternoon and became so carried away wanting to see what I could come up with next I didn’t realise how much time had passed until The Golfer asked – ‘what’s for tea’? .
Tea ……he’d only just eaten lunch, how could he want more food?

It turned out I was in my own little world an awful lot longer than I realised…….this is what appeared when the ‘work’ was saved!

Linking with Wednesday Words & Whimsy – HERE

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Back in the business…..

Yes the middle of last week saw me back in the business of living….

So off to my weekly date with 60+ other retirees who sing with a U3A choir. We have another new conductor- who is definitely keeping us on our toes and testing our thoughts on (and acceptance of) new genres and styles.
.
Show tunes are on the list again – we’re going to belt out a version of Cabaret (words&music – John Kander/Fred Ebb)….,maybe not quite so flamboyantly as this one sung by Liza Minnelli – the artist who made it her own in the 1972 film version.

Maybe not with the plunge neckline either……but then you never know. Growing old disgracefully is the name of the game these days 😊

Liza Minnelli 1988

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret_(Cabaret_song)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret_(musical)

🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼

And from one extreme to the other this is also on our program. Some choristers are familiar with it – others never heard it before….so it’s been a testing time for us all


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ave_verum_corpus

It’s difficult enough at times to remember lyrics in English – these are in Latin 😦 .
Let’s just say thank heavens for online rehearsal aids that allow you to practice at home……although it’s strange trying to get your part right without the other (higher and lower) voices around you.

Like many things in life – you can’t do it all by yourself – and this is one where it’s good to have a bit of help nearby

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