And Here We Are, In Heaven: On Seeing Etta James in a Live Performance
The opening act was the Paul James Band and can I just say where have they been all my life? He/they were absolutely fantastic (and, according to the website, available for weddings – I should think about getting married), played for a good 40 minutes and completely made me forget who I was there to…
It’s Just Me
Remember the episode of ‘Sex and the City’ in which Miranda buys her own apartment? The one where people keep assuming that she’s married and she has to constantly correct them, saying “it’s just me”? Yeah. That one. One of the reasons I love ‘Sex and the City’ is how wonderfully it reflects life as…
Friendship, Gratitude (And A Bit Of Knit Porn)
Blogging has taught me many things, chief among them how nice people are. I’m pretty sure that people who don’t blog/read blogs don’t quite get it – they tend to get stuck on the “and you’ve never even met this person, but s/he’s your friend??” thing. Come to think of it, that’s the reaction I’ve…
The Other Team
This post is a multi-purpose one. First, it gets me off the blogging hook relatively easily, as I have a list as long as my arm and entirely too little time in which to be efficient. Second, it panders shamelessly to members of The Other Team (i.e., non-dogpeople) and third… well. It fulfils an obligation…
By Any Other Name
Lately, a few people who have only been exposed to my name in written form have asked me how on earth that’s pronounced. Don’t feel bad – no one on this side of the pond (OK, outside of Denmark) knows how to do it without a quick tutorial. I once read a book – I’ve…
Going to the Dogs
Being too busy having fun this weekend to even think about blog entries – I know, how selfish of me – I provide a small photographic essay on on of the activities: Woofstock. Yes, Woofstock. A festival for and about dogs. I have never seen so many dogs in one place at once. The welcome…
Living with Boys
It’s Friday and I’m ending the week on a light note. My friend Sidney* has two boys, one very much a teenager (Jack) and one on the verge of becoming one (Evan). Which can make telephone conversations with her highly entertaining. Over the past years, I’ve kept a record of things I’ve heard her say…
A Reminder
One night a couple of weeks ago, I got a call from a hyperventilating mor, telling me to turn on the news rightnowthisveryinstant! Which I naturally did, as I always do what my mother tells me. Well, when it suits me, anyway. The women in my family are very much like cats that way. The…
I Wish I’d Done That
I have this thing I call a Life List. It contains all the things I want to do before I kick the bucket – not surprisingly, it’s an ever-evolving project. On my list – or rather, my List – are languages I want to learn (Spanish, Zulu, Irish and more), things and places I want…
Spring Evening
I love the light before dusk descends on long summer evenings. Softer, yet more intense than midday, lending everything a deeper glow. About a week ago, a friend and I were walking down the street. We came upon a small park adjacent to the sidewalk. In the middle of the area was a circle of…
Soul Patrol!
Well, that was entirely satisfying… When I originally got sucked into the irresistible vortex that is American Idol, it was by accident – I was sick and needed something mindless. I didn’t watch the auditions – they were on 24 hours a day for weeks (or so it seemed) and mostly featured the Tone Deaf,…
Random Things
Inspired by Mamacate. Victoria Day was spent hanging out with the kidlings. We joke that they don’t really look like siblings, but more like their parents have been cloned – Liam’s clearly a Biggs and there’s no doubt that Morgan takes after the Andersen side of the family. Pictures will be interspersed throughout this post,…