songbird's crazy world

  We survived the nor’easter. The only damage we had was to the fence between our house and the neighbors’ house. It’s their fence and they fixed it. So no lasting damage from the storm. It’s going to be very warm for the next couple of days with temperatures back in the 80’s.  The last hurrah of summer. So I went to yoga last night. I really enjoyed the class. I work hard in that class, but it’s worth the effort. On the other hand, I think I am falling out of love with tai chi. It just doesn’t seem to be the class for me. I’m trying to decide if I should go back this week or just quit. I do want to spend some time at the gym using the weightlifting equipment maybe I’ll go on Thursday night instead of tai chi.  Yeah, my sister thinks I should be lifting weights. It helps maintain muscle tone and prevents bone loss. I think she’s right. She needs to start taking some sort of class that improves her balance and flexibility though.Maybe yoga. I am looking forward to using th...

 We saw Rod Stewart back in July.  Then he had a health scare and cancelled the rest of his 2026 tour. Now he has announced a 2027 tour, just in Europe, as his farewell tour.  I’m glad I got yo see him when I did.  And I’m sad that so many of my favorites are retiring. Glad I got yo see Elton John and Billy Joel, among others. The shoe stretching kit actually worked; those boots I bought on clearance were just a little bit tight but now feel comfortable.  I can’t wait to wear them. Yes, it’s boots and sweaters season, and I am enjoying.   I made my first batch of gluten free pumpkin muffins.  The mix I used has just the right amount of spices.  And I found a great recipe for crustless pumpkin pie that I’d love to try.  And there’s a box of gluten free apple cider donuts in my pantry. Maybe it’s time to get out the crockpot and make soup. But I think I’ll wait until after our vacation to put up the Halloween decorations. Of course, I already h...

 The theme? Recently, was  International Talk Like a Pirate Day , a fun modern holiday.  It would be fun to see where the seven seas take each of you as you share with us songs relating to pirates.  I once had a pirate costume, I wore it for Halloween and then again for the Jewish holiday of Purim.  I love pirate stories.  And music.  Well, you know where I have to start. Gilbert & Sullivan The Pirates of Penzance. And from the movie Some more from Tim Curry And you also know how I feel about Jimmy Buffett How about some Disney magic? Ray Stevens makes me laugh I had to include this one And then I came across this video Let’s close it out with more Disney — and Johnny Depp.

 So, the nor’easter.  Not too bad here, just some damage to our neighbor’s fence Friday night, which he repaired Saturday afternoon.  Other parts of the island experienced downed trees, flooding and power outages.   Still, we hunkered down, ordered takeout from the local pizza place (they have excellent gluten free pizza and pasta!) Saturday night, and watched  TV — lots of stuff on the DVR. one thing Drew and I watched was an episode of a documentary series he’s been recording from PBS.  It’s a series on the history of New York City, and the episode we watched started with 9/11, quickly moved to the financial crisis of 2008 and Occupy Wall Street , then on to Superstorm Sandy in 2012 before focusing  on the pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter/George Floyd, and ending with the election of Mayor Mamdani and the Knicks winning the championship in 2026. As two suburbanites who once lived and/or worked in the city, the stories told in the episode are so f...

 So, if you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I am a fan of the Long Island Ducks, who play baseball in the independent Atlantic League.  The league championship is a best-of-five series where the winner of the North Division faces the winner of the South Division.  The Ducks won the North Division, the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs took the South. So the first two games were played in Maryland, and the Ducks won both.   Gane three was set for Long Island tonight, with Game four tomorrow (if necessary) and Game five Sunday (if necessary). We bought tickets for Games three and four. We planned to go to the Renaissance Faire Sunday, unless there was a Game five. But then … the forecast called for a nor’easter to hit the region this weekend.  A bad storm, with high winds, rain, and flooding, to start late Friday evening and to continue throughout the weekend.  Most weekend events — concerts, sporting events, fans and festivals— cancelled or po...

  Don't Take Your Love from Me      Welcome to  Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here are today's questions! Saturday 9: Don't Take Your Love from Me (1956) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) In this song, Doris Day sings about what happens when you take a petal from a rose. When did you last get or give flowers as a gift? I love getting flowers.  I love buying flowers for myself.  My cat Shadow sees a vase full of flowers and thinks “that’s a yummy salad” .   2) This song is about a woman who fears losing her love. What's the ...

 That hissing and yowling you heard the other day … that was Miss Moon Shadow while I was clipping her nails ….she needed a manicure desperately…she almost put a hole in my brand new leggings … Both cats are enjoying our new couch. But they both want to know what happened to the old couch, the one with all the claw marks …

 It’s sweater weather! So I ordered two pair of jeans from Old Navy …same size I previously bought …I have to return them they’re too big! Do you know what kind of joy that is for someone who used to weigh 130 pounds more than she does now? I mean, they’re supposed to be baggy, but really … Got the shoe expanders, using them on the boots right now.  I think they’ll be fine.  The new season of Survivor has begun.  My guilty pleasure.  I watch alone, Drew can’t stand the show. But then, there are shows he likes that I won’t watch. But we both love baseball.   Our Long Island Ducks are in a best-of-five championship series against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs.  The Ducks won game one in Maryland last night.  Game two in Maryland tonight, followed by games three, four and five (if necessary) on Long Island.  We have tickets for game three Friday night and game four Saturday. But our weekend plans are in jeopardy.  We might get hit with a...

 It’s fall, y’all.  Happy autumnal equinox.  And the weather is suddenly cooler.  Jacket weather!  Break out the boots! Halloween decorations starting to pop up on lawns.  I’m loving it.  I always love the change of seasons. But this means we will have to bundle up for the baseball games this weekend.  Ducks versus Blue Crabs.  Should be fun. Full moon tonight.  The harvest moon, I bought a shoe stretching kit for the boots. Hope it works. Yoga class tonight.  And maybe Planet Fitness tomorrow- yes, I finally went back.  My sister insists that I need to use weight lifting machines at the gym to build muscle and prevent bone loss, and the things I’ve been doing aren’t enough.  She goes to the gym all the time, she’s much stronger than I am.  But she doesn’t do any flexibility or balance work, and she said she needs to start.  I think convinced her to try yoga.  Fall prevention, you know. Too many people we kn...

 Shea Stadium, 25 years ago tonight. 9/21/2001. Do you remember that baseball season? Let’s go back to the 2000 Subway Series, when the National League Champion Mets lost to the American League champs, the Yankees, and NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani had to pretend to like the Mets as much as he liked the Yankees. Both teams entered 2001 primed for a pennant race. It was an exciting season. Remember who was in the Mets that year?  John Franco.  Todd Zeile. Al Leiter. Robin Ventura. Ray Ordóñez. Edgardo Alfonso. And, of course, Mike Piazza. The team was in a pennant at race. And then came 9/11. The first professional sports event in NYC came 10 days later,  on 9/21.  The NY Mets and the Atlanta Braves in Shea Stadium.  The Braves were the Mets’ arch rivals.  But that night… Police officers, firefighters and military personnel were on the field for pregame ceremony.  The Mets wore the caps of the various first responders,  Diana Ross sang “God Bless Am...

 

 Got my Ipsy bag. Sample sizes, chosen for me by Ipsy. Lip treatment, eye cream, mascara, blush and a makeup brush.  All things I could use, but the only one I’d buy again would be the lip treatment.  We went to Drew’s high school reunion Saturday night.  Class of 1976.  Nice party,  a local bar has a party room.  Food was good.  Drew had a blast.   I’m two years younger than Drew.  I grew up in a different town,  I graduated in 1978.  We were in college when we met. The weather Saturday night?  Autumnal.  My first opportunity to wear fall clothes.  I loved wearing my new blue sweater.  But the bouts I bought in line, the boots on clearance do they can’t be returned, were a bit tight.  Sigh. The Ducks swept Hagerstown, winning game 3 Friday night.  The championship series, against  the Blue Crabs    begins tonight.  It’s a best-of-five, with the first two games in Maryland. ...

  Everybody Loves a Clown Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to  answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions! Saturday 9: Everybody Loves a Clown (1965) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) Not everyone loves clowns. " Coulrophobia" is the irrational fear of clowns. Do you have any fears or phobias? No phobias but normal fears — bugs, vicious animals, etc.   2) This week's featured artist, Gary Lewis, sings that he jokes a lot at parties. In social settings, are you more a talker or a listener? Depends on who I’m with. 3) He's dreaming of a specia...

Rerun time   Music Monday  was all about cats …   The theme? Unbeknown to me, September is National Happy Cat month. You don’t have a cat or any animal to share some songs about these adorable four-legged creatures! Before I play my songs … You all know my dear friend Duchess And my other sweet girl, Moon Shadow.  We call her Shadow. Though I’ll hazard a guess I’m not the only crazy cat lady hopping on this theme today … First let’s play the song that inspired Shadow’s name …by (of course) Cat Stevens. And from Disney, the movie that inspired Duchess’s name Next up, Elton John Anyone remember dancing to this song? Tom Jones has a question The Stray Cats have something to add We must include something from Cats Yeah, one of my favorite musicals.  I actually named a cat Mr. Mistoffeles.  He was quiet, he was small, he was black … No, I don’t like cats at all… just because this hangs in the front hall … I loved this theme.  🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛❤️💙🩵🩷🧡💜

  Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") is  an ancient Chinese practice that combines slow movements, deep breathing, and meditation to improve health and balance energy Tai chi is  an ancient Chinese martial art practiced as a gentle, low-impact system of slow continuous movements, deep breathing, and mental focus . Often called "meditation in motion," it is designed to harmonize the body and mind while promoting   Qigong focuses on simple, repetitive energy and breathing exercises for health, while Tai Chi is a structured, flowing martial art sequence that requires memorizing continuous movements .  [ 1 ]  and inner energy. Qigong is often used as a warmup for tai chi practice. We started with qigong, did some breathing exercises.  And then the instructor introduced us to the 24 forms, or poses. This is going to be challenging. This is going to be fun.

Great night at the ballpark last night.  The Ducks won and are heading to Hagerstown for game 3 of a best-of-five series.  Exciting.     Fire alarm went off at the office today.  We were told to evacuate the building.  Everyone grabbed their laptops and personal stuff.  And as soon as we were in the hallway they told us it was a false alarm … but you have to take these things seriously. My first tai chi class will be tonight.  Should be fun.

 The new session of my yoga class started last night. The previous session ended August 4.  I really missed the class, I’m so happy it started up again. Drew went to the Ducks game last night.  The Ducks won, 7-6, an exciting, come-from-behind win.  We’re going to the game tonight, and I hope it will be just as exciting. It was chilly this morning.  I actually had to wear a jacket.  The first sign of fall?

 So … the Ducks.  The Ducks play in the Atlantic League.  The League has two divisions, North and South.  The league plays a split season, with the winner of the first half in each division playing the winner of the second half in the first round of playoffs..   The first half winners were the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars in the North and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the South. The Lexington Legends won the second half in the South. In the North …the York Revolution were in the lead for most of the summer, with the Ducks in a close second. Until the final weekend. The Ducks and York were tied, and each had three games left. If the teams were still tied at the end of the weekend, the Ducks would advance to the playoffs because they won the series they played against York. So … Sunday.  The teams were still tied.  York was scheduled to play the Ferryhawks in Staten Island and the Ducks were hosting the Blue Crabs.  A distance of 60 miles.  ...

 Midnight sighting of front yard bunny. I think I’ve mentioned this before, Drew sees a specialist at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia.  We occasionally have to go to Temple to see that doctor.  I grabbed an interesting shot as we were driving over the Verrazano Bridge. Yes, that’s One World Trade Center. 25 years later … Also caught a glimpse of the Ferris wheel at Coney Island as seen from the Belt Parkway. Alas, no planes over the highway as we drove past JFK. I was in downtown Brooklyn last week.  I’d forgotten how impressive the Williamsburg Clock Tower is, Rental bicycles in NYC … the bike lanes are great for riders, not so great for pedestrians or drivers.  Watched the Emmys last night.  Michael J. Fox was honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.  So sad to see the ravages of Parkinson’s Disease.  I’ve seen the disease up close - my father died from Parkinson’s.  If you care to, please donate to  The Michael J. Fox ...