Saturday, December 1, 2018

"Look a new day has begun"

Buddy commented to me the other day that it has been quite a while since I used a photograph of him to accompany a post. I responded with a question.
 
Me: "Are you keeping track or what?"
 
Buddy: "Of course. Anyone who lives with you has to look after his own interests. It is pretty obvious you are wrapped up in Fram this and Fram that. What do you expect?"
 
Me: "Hmmmm .... all right, Buddy. You win. Any particular photograph in mind?"
 
Buddy: "How about the one from last September with me on the picnic table?"
 
Me: "Fine. I will use that one. Any other comments or complaints?"
 
Buddy: "Plenty, but we will save them for another day."
 
Moving right along, here are three songs to say goodbye to November .... or, if you prefer, to say hello to December. I never have paid much attention to Joan Baez. I suppose her music was not "heavy duty" enough rock 'n' roll for me. Anita recommended one of Baez's songs a while ago. I said I would listen to it, and finally did, this week. I enjoyed it more than I can describe, so it -- "Diamonds and Rust" -- is included here. The words/the melody/the photographs of the song combined to leave me more-or-less speechless. This week I also listened to a medley of singers doing the finale piece, "Memory," to the Broadway show, "Cats," posing the question of who performed it best. Although I am a rather hard core fan of Sarah Brightman, who was the original Grizabella in the London production, I decided I liked the voice and the style of Betty Buckley best. She was the original Grizabella for the United States rendition. For the record, Elaine Paige is/was my second favorite. Last December, on Saturday the 30th, to be precise, I attended a performance of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra here in Saint Paul. As fate would have it, the group is back again this December with two shows, on the same weekend as last year, the date being Saturday the 29th, to be precise. I have a ticket for the evening presentation. Here is, "Cannon Rock," from that show, my favorite number, as performed just a few days ago in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

 


 

 




8 comments:

Anita said...

Goodmorning Fram!What a beautiful post today the first of Descember!

I have been sleeping long this morning.Stayed up late watching the new episode of vikings, The Revelation(Cant really tell if it gave me something But..(spoiler)Interesting that Bjørn is Rollos son.But look forward to Lagherta , Bjørn and Heahmunds stay in England with king Alfred)

I think Buddy is looking good..Nice to see him again
I Think he gives you plenty of good vibrations:)))

So you finally listened to Joan Baez.Yes it is a nice song.But like you i am not so found of her only this song and the one in Soldier Blue movie
I have listened to the rest of the videos and they are all very nice

It is so nice to see a post from you..Among all the blogs I attend your blog is the one most fascinating ,personal and gives happiness to your readers(I think that is a good thing shine a light to others)

Well what can i say more?My days are divided into work time and beeing home time.Much sleep and watching teve series and reading old criminal books .(Iam am a huge fan of the Narcos serie.Now in Mexico.Wow..Alexander says i am a mafia woman hahahha..Liking the bad people!!What can i say??The producers of series choose what side we should like by filming them good, no matter how much killings they have made..In this one they prioritize to let us like Felix(mexico) and Pablo(Columbia) and the rest of the rat pack..Kiki The Dea agent i didnt like at all despite the torture and the killing of him.You really can wonder who is behind those series?!!

Ok this was just a goodmorning hello.I think i need more coffein so see you later!

Hope you do some more postings!
It is like a good letter every day:))))
xxx

Kaya said...

Buddy has his own voice. Finally, he got in a picture and in the post. Very determined little guy!

Buddy always touches my heart, he is adorable! I enjoyed reading your dialog with Buddy. It's wonderful!

I used to listen to Joan Baez from time to time and was glad to hear this beautiful song. Betty Buckley has a powerful and very beautiful voice!

Have a nice weekend, Fram.

Fram Actual said...

The opening day of December is bringing the first significant snowfall of the season for me: I barely can see the house across the street. Who can say how much snow will be on the ground when it ends (supposedly) on Sunday. Snow was not even predicted two days ago. It is unbelievable to me that weather can remain such a mystery in these times.

The opening episode of the "new season" of, "Vikings," aired Wednesday night here, Anita, and I watched it. Every year I say I will not watch the next season, but, invariably, I do, largely because there is so little to watch on television that interests me. Curiosity also keeps me coming back. The "family feuds" are a bit tedious from my point of view, but they are historically accurate. You might recall the Icelandic poet and historian, Snorri Sturluson, was killed (murdered) as the result of a blood feud between assorted political families vying for power.

Your mention of the film, "Soldier Blue," made me sit up a bit straighter. I spent part of two days and a night at the site of the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado when I was on my "battlefield tour" a few years ago. I slept on the open ground there, which I like to do on old battlefields whenever it is possible. I have not kept up to date with what goes on there, but I recall at one time archaeological evidence indicated the fight took place some distance from where it was originally was thought to have taken place. Maybe that is why no "spirits" visited me during my night there -- teasing, sort of ....

I am not familiar with the television series, "Narcos." Maybe, I will try to find it. My own concept of right and wrong is that all of us (most of us, at least) break laws from time to time. How often does one drive faster than the speed limit, for instance? Law breaking also is measured by degrees in a legal sense, and is different than good and evil, I think. Most, if not all of us break laws, but few among us truly are evil. There also is a moral argument in the sense that some laws are immoral and need to be broken. Whoops .... I seem to be slipping off on a tangent again .... sorry ....

Yes, Buddy is a very handsome young man, although he has sort of a strange expression on his face in this photograph. I tell him he has the best of all worlds -- being both handsome and cute at the same time. And, he and I are fine friends which mean good vibrations, for sure ....

I will be posting on and off .... I hope you do, too, more often. I miss not seeing you on your blog and I thank you for coming here to mine, Anita. Take care and be safe and think of me now and then .... ok?

Fram Actual said...

Yes, Buddy keeps me honest and on my toes. He most certainly has a mind of his own and he is not hesitant about speaking it.

In some ways, Kaya, Buddy is my conscience. It occurred to me I could do periodic posts in which he and I are discussing this or that or arguing/debating a specific topic. Somewhere along the line, I might try one and see how it goes.

I am going to try to listen to a bit of Joan Baez from time to time. I am overdue getting to know her as a singer and to understand her as a person. If I ever realized that she and Bobby Dylan had an affair (for lack of a better word), I had forgotten it long ago. It was enjoyable for me to see photographs of the two of them together, both young. I see what I think is arrogance on his face and love in her eyes as she looks at him. As a newsperson, I have interviewed Dylan; I would love to sit down with Baez, too, but I know that will never happen since I no longer am a journalist.

A woman with a powerful and a beautiful voice is an excellent way to describe Betty Buckley. She also is a stunningly attractive woman, I think. There is a video on YouTube in which she and Sarah Brightman are singing, "Memory," and the camera is going back and forth from them to the face of the song's composer, Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is fascinating to watch: https://youtu.be/TM8NV9CXd6U

Incidentally, a film production of, "Cats," is scheduled for release in December 2019, with Jennifer Hudson playing Grizabella.

I am in the midst of the first snowstorm of the season, Kaya, so that sort of sets the tone for my weekend. I hope the weather will be more cooperative for you. Thank you, for coming and for writing here. Your presence is very important to me ....

Liplatus said...

You really understand each other with Buddy.
Buddy is very representative. Cute dog.

I like the music of the first video so much. I have not heard before.
Cats music is very familiar. They are very emotional.
Trans Siberia is the third, not so good for me.

Happy December!

Fram Actual said...

Buddy and I know each other's strengths and weaknesses very well, Liplatus. His only rule for me is that when I eat, he eats.

I also very much like Joan Baez's song about Bobby Dylan. I think if it were only a matter of the lyrics or of the melody or of the photographs, the song would have less of an impact on me, but, together in a single entity, I feel like I am seeing/hearing a few minutes of actual life held captive in time and it is overpowering. It is entirely possible I had heard this song before, but I do not recall it.

I do hear the music from, "Cats," periodically, and I always am swept away by, "Memory," as I am by many of Andrew Lloyd Webber's compositions. He truly is a musical phenomenon.

Even though you were something less than enthused by, "Cannon Rock," I would recommend you attend a Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance if you ever have the opportunity. The show is absolutely spectacular.

Happy December, to you, Liplatus, and thank you, for being here ....

Tanza Erlambang - Every Day Issues said...

happy December. Christmas will come soon

Fram Actual said...

So true, Tanza. Happy December, to you, as well.

As Charles Dickens once wrote: "I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."

Something special ....