Hello friends,
It’s a beautiful, brisk weekend here in the Pacific Northwest. I am not taking it for granted, as people I know in other places are dealing with smoke from the California wildfires or early snow.
I would like to say that i’m out enjoying the sun, taking long walks or getting some gardening work done. Alas, today that is not the case. Last night just before dinner I was going to put a book on the shelf, stepped on the corner of the dog’s bed and WHOOSH! My left leg slipped forward and as it did I could feel the pulling of the muscle on the upper back of my leg. Fortunately I landed on the dog bed, so no extra bumps or bruises. But ouch. It’s going to be a while before I’m back to normal. I can get around all right, but slowly. It’s a dream come true for the dog, who never wants to walk very fast on our evening walks. Injuries like this always highlight just how much we do, and the strange angles we bend to do it - how often I bend down to do things close to the floor!
Please watch your step so it doesn’t happen to you.
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Friday night we drove down to Seattle to see Algiers at the Showbox. As always, they put on one hell of a show - this time a 30-minute power set, as openers for Young Fathers. And since they were the opening band, we were back home just after midnight! It was well worth the drive, and Michael got to talk guitars with Lee (hiding behind the microphone there). A good time!
Red stage lights are horrible for photography.
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Remember the break I took from Facebook? It lasted just shy of two weeks, and it was great. I noticed my mental state was greatly improved when the constant onslaught of outrage was removed. I read more and spent less time on the computer. When I was on the computer, my focus was better and I had the patience to read longer articles without a break. A big key was I didn’t replace FB with other social media sites.
Now that I’m back on the FB treadmill, I’m slipping back into old habits. Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling…
I feel another break coming soon - you should try it too!
On a side note, I also signed out of Twitter and except for one quick check yesterday I’ve felt no desire to get back in there. The very short time I spent in there confirmed that I’m not missing anything!
I hope everyone has a good week, and Happy Thanksgiving!
~Anne
Tidbits
Some things to consider before the mad shopping rush of the holidays (still timely though written a few years ago)
This will probably be my holiday gift to myself.
Making: I was asked to do a slightly larger version of my VOTE stamp. I tried using acrylic paint on a guitar pedal base - works great!
Recently eaten: I ate the lamb burger I was unable to eat for dinner last night for lunch today (I was too wound up after my fall).
Moving: called a real estate agent to inquire about renting our house out; starting packing the craft room. This is going to take a few months, so I’ll share small updates here.
Reading: I finished Factfulness - worth the read. Starting the audio of The Trespasser by Tana French. I will have listened to every one of her books this year! I’ve really enjoyed the Dublin Murder Squad series. The Witch Elm was good, but man, the protagonist sure was unlikable. Also finished Little Things in a Big Country: An Artist and Her Dog on the Rocky Mountain Front, a lovely nature journal. And I started Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds - soon I’ll know what to do in the event of encountering a sea urchin!
Videos of the Week
See below.
Question of the Week
Just hit reply to send your answer, and I’ll share it next week. Always anonymous!
What’s your favorite holiday season beverage?
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Last week I asked you to share a video of a song you love, and boy did you deliver! I really enjoyed all of these, and I think you will too. Such wonderful variety.
ONE song I love??? Fine:
One of my favorite videos from one of my favorite bands, Idles combines art and social commentary with a fierceness that feels just right.
Evidently this is an Italian washer women song? Don't know. I just like the shouting.
It IS an Italian washer woman song! Both versions are fantastic. (Anne)
For this week's question I wanted to share one of my favorite artist's videos, especially since I posted a photo of her on FB this morning. Enjoy Kate Bush & Donald Sutherland as they portray a daughter and her father in Cloudbusting.
Bob Moses, bringing Yacht Rock into the 21st century...
A song I love: Five Minutes by Gretchen Peters, a phenomenal songwriter who ought to be much better known:
I love too many songs!
I am a big fan of 70s rock. In one of my high school yearbooks I meticulously recreated the logo for Styx (“the finest" according to my note). Seriously, Tommy Shaw and James Young and Tommy Shaw and James Young again.
I saw Bohemian Rhapsody this week, so Queen has been my internal soundtrack. Get that big, big, big, big, big, big daddy out of doors!
And if you’re tired of the same old story…
This music still has the power to move me!
I could go on and on and on. I’ll stop now.
One can never go wrong with The Clean, from New Zealand ( or pretty much any other band from there - there must be something in the water).
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