Songs from my shows

Every once in a while, a great song from an opening sequence on television totally grabs me and I have to know more about the song.

In no particular order, here's a selection of music from television shows that caused me to open up a browser and find out more about them, the lyrics or the artist.

The Heavy - Short Change Hero - from Strike Back.  

Lyrics here.

The Handsome Family - Far From Any Road - from True Detective

Lyrics here.  This 10-episode series had an amazing soundtrack - here's a breakdown.

Fever Ray - If I Had a Heart - from Vikings

Lyrics here.

Ramin Djawadi - Main Theme - Game of Thrones

Ramin Djawadi is an Iranian-German composer of orchestral music for film and television.  Credits include Pacific Rim, Iron Man and Clash of the Titans in addition to Game of Thrones.

Ray Boutté - The Treme Song - Treme

Lyrics here.

Jace Everett - Bad Things -  True Blood

Lyrics here.

On tea and teacups

I have a few rules for hot beverages that I adhere to rather strictly if I am in a position to do so.  Here in my kitchen, with my kettle and cups, I'm in a position to set the code.  Which applies only to me and not to my husband who may or may not have his own guidelines for enjoying coffee.  One of which is .. "put up with hand-me-downs from the "Mo's Favorites" collection, but steal ones you like."  As a result of his theivery, the blue and white Chinese cup now sits on a shelf too high for me to reach. The irony is that, when in use, it generally holds coffee.

If cups are for tea, they must be china or porcelain and the interior must be light or white.  Why white?  I'm not sure, but sipping tea from a dark interior is rather like smoking cigarettes in the dark ... sure you get your fix, but the enjoyment just isn't there.

I know many who like their tea strong, but I can't claim presence in that camp.  I'm of the mind that tea should have a passing familiarity with water, enough to engage the nose and tastebuds and to give a light swirl of color.  So cups shouldn't be clear because tea always looks too light, if so.

 Hot chocolate or coffee can be quaffed from mugs with colored interiors and fat rims.

A cup with a rounded bottom on the inside is essential for the proper preparation of hot chocolate .. without interior corners, powdered cocoa does not get a chance to hide between the 90° angle of the cup and curve of the spoon as you mix in cream before adding hot water.  Hidden cocoa becomes floaty lumps, a condition upon which I'm sure we can all agree, is to be avoided at all cost.  My 2010 Vancouver Olympic mug on the top left is perfect for hot chocolate.  When I get a 10 minute break from my twice-weekly raid night,  I head upstairs to make a cup of cocoa.  It's a reward if gaming is going well and if we're bogged down trying to progress, hot chocolate is a cheerful consolation.

The brown mug, top right, is a prize Bruce won in an outrigger race.  Each member of the team got one of the colored cups .. Bruce took the brown.  That's another rule.  If he brings it home and I like it more than he cares that I stole it .. it's mine. And that's not the same as his high-shelf-thievery.  Not at all.

More from the garden

It seems to me that you haven't been kept fully in the loop on what's happening in my garden right now, other than a whole bunch of avoiding cleaning last fall's trash.  Maybe, if I'm lucky, it will all compost before I have to get in there.  A girl can dream, right?

Front Yard

This first shot is a contrast of dark red and bleach white; with its wickedly long thorns, the barberry bush protects our feathery-petaled star azalea.

Barberry Bush and Star Azalea 

White is in abundance in the spring garden.  The bleeding heart bush has, without prompting from me, grown back from the shell-shock it received earlier this spring.

 Peiris.  Cascading bells make me happy.

I forget what these wee purple flowers are .. they were on sale when I purchased and planted them last year, hoping they'd grow nicely on my rock wall.  I had the idea that I'd plant a few more, so perhaps I'd better do a bit of research!

My front step .. the first flowers of the season .. white and deep red carnations set against the side panel of my front door.  The camera angle makes this look rather like a drunken carpenter was at work here.

Still blooming wildly .. this is what the evergreen jasmine looks like from my neighbor's side of the fence.

Back yard

The coral bark tree reaches skyward vigorously .. I think this is the year to learn how to prune it properly.

Pink heather borders the lower lawn just below my lily garden.

Finally, no spring garden showcase would be complete without muscari.  Certainly not mine .. these guys are naturalizing above my lily garden.

Garden friends

Since I've asked him to record the various birds in our garden, Bruce has taken an avid interest in my camera and can make it perform tricks I hope he'll teach me.  I generally see my camera perched on the top of a tripod these days and that pleases me greatly.  

Note:  I've included links for the songs of these birds.  They may take a minute or two to load.

He's taken some pretty good shots of our avian visitors.  This first is an American Robin.  This guy is sitting on top of a rhododendron in the pouring rain, fluffed up to keep warm.  Here's how he sounds.

American Robin

When Bruce told me we had chickadees in our yard, I was skeptical. I hadn't heard the call I learned to mimic as a child on our Alberta farm, nor had I seen anything that looked to me like a 'real' chickadee with polka-dot wings.  I still haven't heard them sing, but Bruce captured this guy noshing from the suet feeder.

Here's a link for chickadee bird calls.  The one I remember is the second one, our little guy is down the list a bit farther.  Both are beautiful songs.  Note Bruce's handiwork on providing a perch for the suet feeder. Garden twist ties have so many uses!

Chestnut-Backed Chickadee

The last of today's trio is a white-crowned sparrow who adds this note to the garden orchestra.  You might recognize that branch as the favorite place of our hummingbird .. seems to be a good vantage point for all.

White-Crowned Sparrow

A late night exchange

Because Bruce is a morning person, and I'm rather nocturnal, I am often rambling around the house after he's abed. Although I do attempt to get into bed without disturbing his sleep, we often have conversations he won't  remember in the morning. Sometimes, they are hilarious.

I've lately been setting my iPad on the nightstand to use it as an alarm clock, so I was able to jot this down.

Bruce:  Aliens!
Me:  Aliens?
Bruce:  Vinegar
Me:  Whaaat?
Bruce:  Aliens have .. no, Americans. Americans have an alien ... an inalienable right to vinegar.
Me:  Really?  Do tell.
Bruce:  It's called "The Vinegar Act."
Me:  ::muffled laughter::

I'm not going to speculate too much on where his mind travels while he's asleep. Wherever  it is, I seem to have a vicarious ticket, so I'm cool with that. I love the way his mind works. I love conversations like this. They end the day with laughter for me and start the next day with laughter for both of us when I remember the conversation so I can pass it along to him.

Now you can laugh with us.  :D

You might have a deer problem

... if your cedar hedge looks like this.

This is the neighbour's one-day hedge, which looks like its really just going to only ever be deer fodder.  You can see this thwarted promise all over the city.

At local garden centres in Calgary, the first question we wanted to know is whether a plant was winter hardy. Here, it's if a plant is deer resistant.  There are many webpages dedicated to gardening and planning for the unwelcome visitors, but we usually rely up on a liberal application of Plantskydd.

The worst day of the month

Soooo not amused

Once a month,our 'sons' must be subjected to the indignity of flea medication (a bit of wetness on the back of their neck) and having their claws clipped.  Murray is pretty tuned into Bruce's activities and will make himself scarce if he thinks Bruce may be getting set to pick him up, an activity he enjoys only marginally more than having his claws done.

Two-handed clutch and clip

Mr. Tippy is much more vocal about Bruce's efforts and just as unhappy to be on a lap, although he's easier to pick up. Somehow, even when he knows it's coming, he cannot resist running into the room when Bruce calls.  

Generally, the activity in these pictures is followed by frenzied vacuuming on our part and even more frenzied claw sharpening on the part of our sons.  

RIP Joffrey

"What to do with a Problem Child?"  George R.R. Martin has a few ideas, but this solution was typically inelegantly elegant.

Oh Joffrey, we hated you so. You were such a despicable character with oh so very few redeeming qualities. Sure, you cut a dashing figure in your court clothes and you did look good with your crown, but I'm afraid that beyond that, you really weren't worth the cost of that cloth-of-gold.

Thinking about Joffrey brings to mind that quote from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"  ... "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way."   In this case, Joffrey was written that way.  Mr. Martin may have given Jack Gleeson a framework, but the actor was the one who stole the show in his willingness to abandon all social niceties; to let us fully, completely hate Joffrey Baratheon.  He really riveted attention when he was on screen.

I would imagine that the end of this role would be a heady experience for a young actor who will undoubtedly have offers rolling into his agent's office.  Professionally, he is on top of the world right now.

I also wondered if he would always elicit boos when he appeared in a film.   I watched him some time ago in a gentle tale about a young Irish lad and could only wait for Joffreyish behaviour and when a bit of boyish meanness appeared, felt vindicated in my immediate dislike of the character.  Like John deLancie and my hair-trigger call out of "Q!" when I see him on screen, I wondered how a young actor would go about not carrying the baggage of his biggest role to date.  He is probably the most hated man on television right now. Maybe he could pull the Miley Cyrus trick and just go skanky? Unrealistic, but Hanna Montana publicly and repeatedly twerking has erased any sugary sweetheart image and her new persona would have been a far-fetch, had we not witnessed it.

Jack Gleeson has his own ideas, however.  In another well-timed shocking turn that could have been written by George Martin, Jack has announced he'll retire from acting.  Here's what he said to Entertainment Weekly:

Now you’re giving us another twist in this story by retiring at the age of 21. Why?
Gleeson: The answer isn’t interesting or long-winded. I’ve been acting since age 8. I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to. And now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun. I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do.

He is certainly not doing what we'd expect of the self-centered persona we know through the Song of Ice and Fire saga. That rather intrigues me and I think its a shame that we'll not get to see how he goes from Joffrey to other roles.  Maybe, however, it's best in the long run.  

Whatever you do, Mr. Gleeson, I hope you throw yourself at it the way you did Joffrey Baratheon. With gusto and abandon.  Well done sir.  /ovation

Inspiration

This is the month of garden dreams and plans, a month of creativity while waiting for May's plantings It's also the month of clean up, but for now .. I'm in full-on planning mode. I'm  trying to think of what I want to do to my pots this year.  I went cruising the aisles of my friendly neighborhood internet for DIY projects ... and I thought I'd share with you.

It would seem that I'm a fan of polka dots, especially in combination with other things. Good thing this isn't clothing - I won't be caught within a mile of polka dots.

 We'll see how things eventually work themselves out, but I wouldn't be too surprised to see some sort of dottish thing going on. As for colors, I think I've settled on a combination that is inspired by some dinner plates my Granny had when I was a kid. It'll be better on the pots, I  promise!

I'll post results as I have them.

I suspect shenanigans

Each time I park my car, I get to look at this amusing little vignette.  Tucked in amongst the peiris, our smug little sculpture waits for the birds to come visit from the suet holder Bruce has set up.  From the relative comfort of his office chair, he and the cats lolling on top of the file cabinet can watch the show.

Our local bird store has suggested filling a suet holder with bits of fur (lord knows we have enough cat fur around with both cats blowing their coats), lint, string and cotton bits to help the birds with their nesting needs.

Bruce's interest in the birds of our garden has certainly been mirrored by our own family felines, whom we often find crouched down by a window in 'hunting mode.'   Ours are no danger to the birds, not being allowed out, but we do have a neighbour who lets her cat wander about and he finds our yard quite delightful.  I wonder if it's the sun-warmed patio flagstones or if it's potential meals.  Call me suspicious, but I think there's funny business afoot.

... And the bees

My kitchen window, despite its spatters of washwater, collection of oddly shaped dusty bottles, and view of the neighbour's siding, is also one of the first to give us a glimpse of spring perspectives.

Jasmine blossoms

At the start of February, what looked to be spring was occurring here in Nanaimo.  Then we got snow and confused the plants that were ready to bud.  Eventually the snow melted, temperatures warmed up and the plants grew a bit, again ready to herald the season, only to be foiled again with more snow and then what seemed like weeks of grey soggy weather. Despite all of the spring nonsense that followed a relatively dry winter, this jasmine seems, like many of the plants in the garden who survived the crushing weight of snow that ripped down many of my shrubs and split tree trunks, ready to defy the odds and put on a spectacular spring greeting.

Like young men hovering about silver chased punch bowls and milling near the edges of dance floors hoping to catch the eye of the year's debutantes, this bumblebee flits among the spring's first jasmine blossoms. Gladly welcomed by the ladies in their ball finery, he's sure to break their hearts .. his has already been given to his queen.

The Birds ...

Spring has sprung,
The grass has riz.
I wonder where the birdies is.

Dorky poem perhaps, but a staple of my childhood.  I can still see my father's grin as he recited it.

Bruce asked Santa for, and received, a book on birds of the West Coast.  It's since sat handy to his telescope, coffee cup and comfy chair.  It turns out that we have quite a selection of birds in our yard, and Bruce has said that he'll do his best to capture some of them on film for me.

So, the answer to my father's perennial poetry query is ... the birdies is in our backyard.  ::grin::

Anna's Hummingbird

 I've misidentified this bird in my files, so I'll need t fix it .. this isn't a ruby-throated hummingbird - the rubies are on the other coast and like warmer climates than do Anna's.  This particular bird likes the very top of our arbutus tree; apparently he's set himself up as a sentry for the yard and he can certainly view the whole zone from this perch.  He's quite ferocious with that long beak and the other birds are very wary of the little guy.  He must be the chihuahua of the bird species.

Spotted Towhee

I've never even heard of towhees before last month. Now it appears that this bright little fella is one of many who visit our yard, along with assorted swallows, chickadees, finches, wrens and other sparrows.  Normally, the spotted towhees spend their time on the ground in the leaf litter, so catching him on a branch was a stroke of luck.  That, and the mating season when males grab a good vantage point to sing songs for their ladies.  After all, in spring a young bird's fancy turns lightly to thoughts of love ... if you'll allow me to shamelessly abuse Alfred Lord Tennyson for my own amusement.

Enjoy!

Also, the poem quoted at the start is known as "Spring in the Bronx" by Anonymous.  Isn't the internet wonderful?