songbird's crazy world

February ‘s birthstone is the  Amethyst  and flower is the  Violet . Both are  purple  in color. Find song picks inspired by these things. Let’s start here — roses are red, violets are blue …  Add a little Stevie Nicks Amethyst is a purple stone … so Hendrix And then And finally 

 

  Won't You Be My Valentine? 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 memes, however, and here is today's meme!   Saturday 9: Won't You Be My Valentine? (1961)   Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here .   1) Dore Alpert sings that while he considered asking others to be his Valentine, he's sure that this is the girl he wants to love "forever more." What do you think is the secret of a long-lasting romantic relationship? If there really is a secret I wish someone would tell me.  Relationships always require effort to maintain. 2) Dore is better known as Herb Alpert. He us...

 Someone ( I won’t mention any names but she has white paws) found herself in the doghouse the other day.  She was sitting in my lap when she decided my arm would make a great scratching post.  She actually drew blood … And then she had the temerity to growl at me when I put a stop to her antics …someone got a manicure… And she ran to Daddy to be consoled.   She’s lucky she’s so cute… Both cats seem to think that kicking litter out of the box is an Olympic sport, and they’re both going for the gold. Why I need to wipe down the countertops over and over again The latest addition to my bookcase   My workout buddy Someone was sitting at the table … waiting to be fed? Lazy Sunday Doing the “cute thing” Sunbathing 

Another photo from the archive … spring day at the beach,   #skywatchfriday

(In my best Margaret Hamilton impersonation) It’s melting!   Yes, the snow is finally starting to melt.   There’s still a lot of snow blocking sidewalks, though. And considering yesterday’s icy  incident … I’m not comfortable taking a walk through the neighborhood just yet. I don’t mind walking in cold weather— I did it last year — but when the streets and sidewalks are dangerously icy … no, thanks. We had a Super Bowl party at work last week.  The football decor has now been replaced with …no, not Valentine’s Day hearts …but the shamrocks of St. Patrick’s Day.  A bit premature, but a glimmer of spring. Another hopeful sign … Pitchers and catchers have reported to spring training.  Games begin a week from tomorrow.   Maybe this year the Mets will get their act together…

 If you’ve been following the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping story, you heard that it took the FBI 10 days to retrieve the footage from her Google Nest cameras.  You need an active subscription to the service if you want to store footage, and she didn’t have one, but fortunately Google was able to locate and retrieve the images. Hopefully the footage helps law enforcement find her and the people who took her. I mention Guthrie because even though I love my Ring cameras, they are not perfect.  Far from it,  actually.  They run on batteries and they are connected to my WiFi.  And sometimes they miss things.  Like this morning.  I went outside to collect our newspapers — Drew is very old school and likes to read an actual paper, though I prefer read the news on line.  The cameras froze just as I opened the door to step outside. So they missed it. Yes, they missed it …  The weather has changed, our daily temperatures are above freezing.  So t...

 So we had a cold weather advisory during the weekend … woke up to 4°F Sunday morning.  We had a frozen pipe in the upstairs shower, but were able to defrost it without repercussions.  Some of our neighbors were posting about burst pipes … It’s supposed to be much warmer this week.  Still wintry, but above freezing.  Maybe some of the snow will melt.  I really miss outdoor walks, but the lackadaisical way my neighbors did (or rather, didn’t) clear their sidewalks … I did some baking Sunday afternoon.  Gluten free dinner rolls.  The recipe said to bake the rolls in muffin tins, and to proof the dough before baking.  The dough didn’t rise, perhaps because my kitchen was too cold.  So when I baked them …more like popovers than rolls. But they taste good, so I’m not disappointed.  But if I make them again, I will find a warmer spot to let them rise. I’m learning. So … the Super Bowl.  As I said, I had no real interest in the game o...

 Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night passed away last week.  We had the pleasure of seeing him at Westbury Music Fair, he was part of the Happy Together tour a few years ago.

 It’s Super Bowl Sunday.  I’m not a football fan, though I did buy a couple of boxes — you don’t need to know anything about the game, you just have to pick the right box/combination of numbers to win.   I won $500 a few years ago.  I had no idea who Bad Bunny is until he was chosen for the halftime show, and I’ll find all the good commercials on YouTube tomorrow. The rest of the entertainment … Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Charlie Puth will be singing the national anthem ahead of the big game. Additionally, Brandi Carlile will sing “America the Beautiful” and Coco Jones will deliver “Lift Every Voice and Sing."  I don’t really know any of them. But then I heard who is also performing at the opening ceremonies. Way back in 2005 I took my daughters to see a concert at Giants Stadium (since replaced by MetLife Stadium).      And tonight that band is playing the Super Bowl. (Skip the last two songs if you don’t mix politics and music. ...

  Remember this? A post I made about the oldest garment in my closet.  My favorite gray hoodie, that was no longer suitable to wear except at home. It finally fell apart.  

 So this arrived in the mail. Yes, you get a small treat for your birthday.  And since Drew and I celebrate our birthdays in February, we each got a postcard. So despite arctic weather we headed to Bobb Howard’s… Free popcorn and pretzel rods, and the star of the show … The elixir of life … And the person who found a heart drawn on the bottom of their cup won a prize…Drew had a heart on his cup, so he won a prize. And here’s my haul. Sugar Babies, Mary Jane, Bit-o-Honey, a Reggie bar, rock candy.  And my grandmother’s favorite, Charms Sour Balls. I’ll be enjoying for awhile.

  You Make Me Feel So Young 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 memes, however, and here is today's meme!    Saturday 9: You Make Me Feel So Young (1956)   Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) This morning, do you feel younger or older than your years? Younger.  I’ve been focused on healthy eating and exercise.   2) In this song, Frank Sinatra tells us that every time he sees his lover's grin, he's happy. What's something you can reliably count on to lift your spirits?   3) The lyrics mention hide-and-seek. What games did you play when you were young?  Hide a...

My cat has become a newshound.  The observer Cat-in-lap-itis leads to fur-alysis. She’s so sweet when she’s asleep. Some things never change. Relaxing in the living room Playing dominance games again? Shadow helps put laundry away  Duchess is a bird watcher

 From the archives …July 2021.  I thought we could all use a taste of summer. #skywatchfriday

 I think the rabbit has taken up permanent residence. Yes, we still have lots of snow on the ground.  Usually the snow melts shortly after a storm, but we’ve had a stretch of  Arctic-like temperatures… so the snow will be with us for awhile.    The birds and squirrels are grateful for the seed I’ve been leaving out.  I don’t know what the rabbit is eating.   Criss cross.  I was on my driveway the other night and saw two planes whose paths crossed …yes, their paths actually crossed … but at different altitudes. Guess that’s what happens when you live near two major airports.  The little things that amuse me … We something really cute on tv last night, the reboot of The Muppet Show.   Can’t believe the original aired 50 years ago! What’s old is new again. I’ve always loved the Muppets. One more thing we can watch instead of the Olympics,  I’m not much of a fan of winter sports. Not a fan of snow.   Well, I do like to watch f...

 The resident rabbit

 Saturday is Egg Cream Day! To the uninitiated, let me explain.  An egg cream is a beverage.  It contains neither eggs nor cream.  Rather, it is a heavenly mixture of milk, chocolate syrup (Fox’s U-bet is the brand of choice) and seltzer.  It was the mainstay of every candy store and luncheonette in the NYC area for decades. You won’t find this elixir on most menus these days.  But every year, in early February,  Bobb Howard’s General Store  hosts “Egg Cream Day”. Bobb Howard’s A small candy store annexed to an automotive shop, Bobb Howard’s is a Baby Boomer’s dream.  Retro candy, retro toys.   And once a year they host a party, where they give away egg creams and other treats.    Of course, we buy candy.  Lots of candy.  Stuff we can’t find in other stores.   Like Bonomo Turkish Taffy. Sugar Babies.  Mary Jane peanut butter chews.  Chunky. Bit-o-Honey.  Charms Sour Balls.  Reggie Bars. It’s n...

 If you look at the table in the corner you will see two doves enjoying some seeds.

  And the theme?   February is the shortest month of the year. With that, use “short” in song titles or lyrics for your music choice inspiration. I went a different route. So I typed “s” into YouTube and got this    “H”  got me this O R T

 Backyard looks c-c-c-cold ….

Happy February! We’re a week away from the Super Bowl, and that means … spring training is almost here.  For the Mets, pitchers and catchers report on the 11th, full squad on the 16th, and the first game is the 21st.   And if we’re talking baseball, can the spring weather be far behind? I’m already sick of snow.  It’s been so cold that the local aquarium moved the penguins indoors. At least the storm we were expecting today didn’t materialize.  The forecast originally called for about three inches of snow, but the storm blew out to sea. I’ve been dishing up birdseed.  The birds are loving it.  So are the squirrels.  I startled a squirrel the other day, it ran so fast when it heard me. I’m hoping the weather will be good for the next few weeks. We have plans.  Saturday is Drew’s birthday.  And it’s also “egg cream day” at Bobb Howard’s.  Can’t wait. Meanwhile, we had another visitor.  

 So, as I have mentioned far too many times, Drew and I are loyal fans of the Long Island Ducks.  We have spent many summer hours at the ballpark in Central Islip, rooting for our team, cheering for our mascot Quacker  Jack. The Ducks play in the Atlantic League, an independent league.  You might say they are a mainstay  of the league, as they are one of the few original teams still playing in the league.  The team’s owner is also the man who founded the league. Former NY Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson was a part owner of the team, and former Mets Gary Carter and Wally Backman have served as managers of the team. Well, yesterday came the news that the team has been sold,   Yes, sold.  To the parent company of the Texas Rangers,   They new owners said they won’t be changing the Ducks … but who really knows?

  Big Star 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 memes, however, and here is today's meme!  Saturday 9: Big Star (1962) Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it  here . 1) Shelley Fabares sings that when she hears her lover's records on the radio, they bring back memories. Do you prefer familiar songs or do you seek out new music? Lately it’s been mostly old, familiar songs , but I am open to new material from favorite performers. 2) Shelley introduced "Big Star" on an episode of  The Donna Reed Show , where she played daughter Mary. She remembers the show's star and her TV mom, D...