April- Amazing in 2024

 

It pleases me to tell you that I consider the whole month of April as my birthday month. Think about it, why not?  If someone says to me, "Oh, I can't see you on that date or I will be out of town". Then, I say, "Oh, no worries- I celebrate it for the entire 30 days!  Isn't that sensible? I think the whole world should come around to my way of thinking!  

Here in Georgia at the beginning of April, buds are just coming out on the trees. Within two weeks, the leaves are almost fully out and by the end of April, it looks like summer! It astonishes me every year- EVERY SINGLE YEAR.  Flowers suddenly burst into bloom and honestly, is that not the very best thing one can have for a birthday?

I have some photos for you here, I hope you will like!

The pink azaleas in our yard must have really liked the rains we have had; this was about the best showing EVER.

I saw a tiny pot at the reduced section of a local nursery. Poppies! It's on my front steps now! How joyful to see the buds POP open! They really do, you know.

I was very excited to spot this!  It is coral honeysuckle, and it is native! It was beside one of our walking trails. In strong sunlight here, you can't really see how bright red it is! The hummingbirds love it.  So do I.

Hey! Can you spot me in the photo?  That is a rock outcrop, beside the same walking trail.  It is just like the granite rock that I have shown you from Arabia Mountain. That is why this county is called ROCKDALE County!  The red that you see are plants called "diamorpha". When people see them, they wonder about the "red stuff"!

Don't know about anyone else but there is so much going on these days, I feel the need for a peaceful kind of song. "Take Me On", the big hit by A-ha from 1985 might not be the first song that comes to mind, but I hope you can hear the video that I have here of someone singing and playing the very song.  How different it sounds when it is played slowly!  (Don't get me wrong, I love both versions.) I notice the young man doesn't even attempt the highest notes but hey, that's perfectly fine by me.  David Hayden is his name. I think he sings and plays with great heart and soul. I love it!   

"Heart and Soul". Do you know that is the only song that I can play on the piano? Am I the only one? Hey, it's a good one! Someone showed me how to play it when I was a very little girl. I have never forgotten it.  

Hope you are all doing well, my friends! April is almost over now, so I hope you are enjoying it wherever you are in this world of ours!

 Peace.

Glossolalia (Not Just Gibberish)

Guess what, our son has just written a piece about music on a site called "Audio Phix!  Yes!  Now, I'm I being terrible if I ask you to look at it and read it? Pretty please, will you?

Here is the link-  Revisiting Cocteau Twins' 'Heaven or Las Vegas' (audiophix.com)

"Glossolalia", you should know that word now if you read the article!

(I think of it as from the Bible, meaning "talking in tongues". Perhaps you do too?)

It would make me so happy if you clicked on that link! (It would also please Christopher very much also!)  Oh yes and share it with your friends! 

The following song is "Half Gifts" by the Cocteau Twins.  It is a live performance and very often, I love to share a video of something that has been performed in front of a live audience. I love her angelic voice and the beautiful instruments.

Can you think of a song that uses unusual sounds that somehow makes the song even better than just using words? You know what I am thinking of....

  "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"!  If you are not singing yet, what is stopping you? (Lots to say about the history of this song, perhaps that will be C's next article!)

Let me know if you were able to read Christopher's online article!

You guys are the BEST!  I thank you sincerely.

Maybe you can't buy

HAPPINESS

but you can listen to 

MUSIC

and that's almost the

SAME THING

Tornado!

 

We had a tornado in the early hours of the morning yesterday here in Rockdale County, Georgia where we live!  Thankfully, there were no injuries or deaths but lots of property damage.  Here is a video for you....

Conyers tornado damage: 'Priceless' family photos rescued | 11alive.com

UPDATE:  After I posted this, I saw on the news that there were two injuries. I hope they are not too severe, and those two people will recover quickly. I am surprised there were not more injuries.

We have friends who live in this neighborhood.  Once again, we are thankful that they got through this storm with only limbs down in their yard. 

This county had one of the worst tornadoes in Georgia history.  It was back in 1973 and trust me, no weather radar or warnings in those days. Here is a link to that-  Rockdale marks 40 years since worst tornado in history | News | rockdalenewtoncitizen.com

You can bet that I pay strict attention to any weather warnings!

Take care, everyone!  Do any of you watch the TV coverage of the Masters Golf Tournament from Augusta and admire the azaleas and dogwood trees? Guess what, they are like that all over Georgia!  (My photos aren't that great, but they are so pretty.)