I'm surprised I never heard of her--I saw an article about her in last Sunday's NYT Magazine (in memorium--she died in Jan. 2010). I went on YouTube and listened to different versions of Heart Like a Wheel (Kate and Anna; Linda Ronstadt with Kate and Anna) and to Mendicino (with her children Martha and Rufus Wainwright). Beautiful, thin voices sounding very much in the old Appalachian folk music tradition (Scotch/Irish)? She's from Montreal, but reminds me of some of the voices from Nova Scotia.) I couldn't stop listening--this is what I love about YouTube--one song leads to another. I'd like to get the first album she did with her sister; I want to hear more songs from it first.
And then the family connections I explored by googling--her ex-husband Loudon Wainwright III, whom I've heard of but whose music I don't really know; Rufus and Martha and Lucy Wainwright Roche. Loudon III's bio said his mother was a yoga teacher--given that he was born in '46, that must have been quite unique. Made me think about my son being able to tell people that I'm a yoga instructor. I think it sounds better than "former government executive".
I could listen (and sing) to music all day long. But I've never been able to settle on a vocal style--my voice has too many problems with each style. So I've probably messed it up more by trying to move from folk to pop to art songs to opera and back again. And I can't let go--I still want to figure out how to sing well consistently. Something that has eluded me since late grade school. A saga in itself.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
I was shocked...
...to see the changes at Talbots--at least the store at Tysons Corner. I'm not sure when the last time was that I was there, but it had changed so completely--it now reminds me of an Ann Taylor Loft store without the reasonable prices. I really was stunned. Armed with a gift card, I had expected to find a number of items on sale that I would like--as I had last year. But I only saw a few items that I liked, and neither was on sale, so they were expensive. I cashmere sweater cost about $250, and they said it wasn't on sale. I checked on the Talbots web site when I got home, and found what I think is the same sweater on sale for about $187--a bit better. So I'm going back tomorrow, this time to the Pentagon City store, and see if I can find that same sweater on sale. I printed out the sale info from the Internet.
I don't know whom they're trying to appeal to at this point. Sure seems like they've lost their way.
I don't know whom they're trying to appeal to at this point. Sure seems like they've lost their way.
Monday, December 27, 2010
I ache...
I take health for granted, so being felled by back and leg aches is very difficult. Also very difficult to stay positive when it hurts this much. So instead of yoga helping me stay healthy, I've been plagued by physical problems. I can't believe how much has happened this past year--seems like the worst started with tearing my right quad. I'm not sure it ever healed properly; my right thigh, hip and lower back currently ache constantly. What may have done it yesterday was the amount of time I spent doing balance (one legged poses). I do vrksasana (tree pose) with variations, virabhadrasana III (warrior III), and ardha chandrasana II (half moon). Plus the usual--sun salutation, virabhadrasana I and II. Ot maybe it was when I sat in the beginning pose of seated forward fold--maybe I pulled my leg. Whatever it was, it's been a tough day.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
I'm injured...
It's so frustrating. A week ago I decorated the tree and then shoveled snow. The combination of activities led to aches in my lower back and right leg. I've been uncomfortable ever since. I thought yoga would help me stay healthy, but I've had more injuries this past year than I think I've had my entire life. So is it too much yoga, aging, too much yoga and aging? The only position I've found that relieves the pain is a yoga pose called legs up the wall. I love that pose anyway--I actually crave it many days.
It's also possible that my pulled/torn right quad has never healed, and the snow shoveling in particular may have exacerbated the injury. My back no longer hurts, but I do still feel pain in my right leg and hip.
But i've also been doing a lot more physically this past year, and recently. I spent nearly a week cleaning out my mom's house, and did much of the heavy lifting. I know I should be more careful with my back, but I feel a need to do things, to be physically active. Especially with less of my time programmed.
It's also possible that my pulled/torn right quad has never healed, and the snow shoveling in particular may have exacerbated the injury. My back no longer hurts, but I do still feel pain in my right leg and hip.
But i've also been doing a lot more physically this past year, and recently. I spent nearly a week cleaning out my mom's house, and did much of the heavy lifting. I know I should be more careful with my back, but I feel a need to do things, to be physically active. Especially with less of my time programmed.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Buying a TV
The info is so confusing--I think I've narrowed it down to a 46" LED flat panel without CD--we don't watch CD movies; we're not going to watch CD TV. But then there's Internet ready (?). Even trying to get the best price--you have to know the exact model for comparison, and then different stores different model number where the differences between the models isn't clear. What's the difference between the Samsung 46" LED 6300 vs 6500 (that warrants a $200 price difference). The 6500 has something called "2010 Internet content service". What is that? I don't think the store I went to--Belmont TV--had the 6500, just the 6300. And the guy there told me plasmas don't come in sizes under 50", which turns out not to be true. But then the Big Screen TV store doesn't post prices on line like Belmont and HHGreg do, so I can't price compare with them. And then there are the armoires--not one but two. We never imagined they wold become obsolete. I tried to sell them at Upscale Resale, but they emailed me with this message: "Unfortunately, we cannot accept this item for consignment. As much as we would like to be of service, this style of furniture just doesn’t sell well in this environment." Translation, which I gleaned from reviewing a bund of articles from 2008 about what to do with obsolete TV armoires: no one will buy these dinosaurs--it will cost us more to pick them up and display them than we'll get from resale.
So we're keeping the armoires--we'll continue to use the one in the basement for our (old style) TV, and move the one from the family room to our basement yoga/workout room. How we'll get it down there is another story--we'll have to take it out the front door (won't go down curved basement steps) and through the garage into the basement. That reminds me--I'll check to see if RentalWorks rents furniture dollies--that might help. I've cleaned out both armoires and moved all the game systems to the armoire downstairs (to my son's chagrin, even though he hasn't touched them in years). Hence the dust and the wheezing and sneezing. But I can't move the armoire by myself, or I would. I'll just store a bunch of stuff in it that's currently lying on the basement floor--games and legos.
This (before Christmas) is supposed to be a good time of year to buy a TV, or I wouldn't be pursing this. Prices are supposed to go up some time after the first of the year. So much easier if I could do all of this myself...but everything's too heavy.
So we're keeping the armoires--we'll continue to use the one in the basement for our (old style) TV, and move the one from the family room to our basement yoga/workout room. How we'll get it down there is another story--we'll have to take it out the front door (won't go down curved basement steps) and through the garage into the basement. That reminds me--I'll check to see if RentalWorks rents furniture dollies--that might help. I've cleaned out both armoires and moved all the game systems to the armoire downstairs (to my son's chagrin, even though he hasn't touched them in years). Hence the dust and the wheezing and sneezing. But I can't move the armoire by myself, or I would. I'll just store a bunch of stuff in it that's currently lying on the basement floor--games and legos.
This (before Christmas) is supposed to be a good time of year to buy a TV, or I wouldn't be pursing this. Prices are supposed to go up some time after the first of the year. So much easier if I could do all of this myself...but everything's too heavy.
Hard to get (re) started
Not sure why I stopped blogging--maybe it was all the turmoil surrounding my Mom's move. But it is very difficult to get (re)started--I've been thinking about it for days. I was surprised to realize I hadn't blogged since early Nov. So much has happened--we sold my Mom's house and she has moved close to my brother. I keep getting sick--not sure whether it's dust allergies or the weather or both or neither. I had a feder yesterday--the thermometer turns red and beeps loudly to announce 100.3. I slept much of the day and feel somewhat better, but as soon as I do I overdo the activity and get more congested. I think it started with having to clean out my mom's house--done in two separate trips for a total of about a week's time. So much dust kicked up. And then I helped organize the music at church--maybe more dust. And we're talking about getting a flat-screen TV for our family room--an adventure in itself--so I was cleaning out the now-obsolete armoires to get ready for the change. Lots more dust. Even though I still have the house cleaned every 2 weeks, they obviously don't dust behind the TVs. And I didn't pay much attention, especially in the basement. So I'm thinking I should skip yoga today and try to take it easy. So much to do, so worn out...
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