[Crazy Little Thing Called Love...]

[It's February the FOURTEENTH. I'm not a huge activist for VDAY in any way.  In fact I don't even think I have ever received a valentines from a potential suitor (please don't feel sad for me, I am in no way sad whatsoever. Also if you are reading this and did send me one - it must have got lost along the way!). 

Anyway, I fondly remember waking up as a little girl on VDAY (FYI this happened for about TEN consecutive years) only to find the cutest little heart shaped card at the breakfast nook.  My sister alarmingly used to receive the exact same thing.  Now the first year was exciting - who could it be from?! Then the second year, still too young to catch on, whoever was sending these clearly never gave up! I can't tell you when exactly I clicked that the handwriting looked remarkably similar to my Mums. Ah. There you go.  Except I know for a fact the cards were from my wonderful Daddy. Loving me more than any man ever could.  And then, one year the cards stopped. Just stopped.  I remember my sister and myself being utterly flabbergasted. Far too old to throw a proper temper tantrum we strolled into our parents room and asked flat out were our little heart cards were.  My mom then proceeded to tell us that TEN or so years ago my dad bought a bunch of those cards in bulk and they had unfortunately now run out. Devastated. Devastated I tell you.

Can't say that the commercial side of love is attractive but I guess at the very least it reminds us to love and show our love to others. I hope your VDAY is LOVE-ly in some way or another. If you are blessed enough to have another person to share today with, grab a bottle of red, put on some music and share the moment.  If you are alone today, grab a bottle of red, put on some music and share the moment...]

Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO6D_BAuYCI

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-pFAFsTFTI
 

Better Days...

In the midst if a pretty horrific week I managed to escape all of life's so-called drama to my nirvana. Live music. A gig. A show. You name it what you will. There was men and one woman and instruments. Cannot get much better than that, unless it's non-live music combined with a hot tub, well then....OH MY, I digress. 

On this particular occasion it was a wonderful authentic group called Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (ESMZ henceforth).  Heard of them? No? Seriously? Well then ok. They are basically a group that kinda do their very own thing on stage, whatever the mood brings, whatever the crowd shouts, whatever Mr. Frontman decides. Unequipped with a set list they rock (and roll) from one song to the next as they see fit. Genius. Genius I tell you. Needless to say they skipped the whole awkward encore thing too and just said "why not carry on playing and not waste anyone's time?" Genius. Genius I tell you. 

Buuuuut. Lest not forget the opening act. In all honesty I went trawling the web for tickets to see this young man only to stumble onto the very fact that he was opening for ESMZ. Foy Vance. I'll say that name again. Foy Vance. He's Irish (at least I think he is or he does a very fine Irish accent). Now this guy is talented. And not talented like grade 3 talent show stuff. Like talented, TALENTED. 

All I can say is that it may only have been Tuesday in the scheme of this whole "horrific week" but I'm now well and truly through Wednesday too. Hump. May music cheer you. May the knowledge of knowing that, at some point in your future you'll be standing in a semi dodgy London (or elsewhere in your case) haunt watching a guy strum on the guitar, get you through the day.  

Better Days - ESMZ

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yuBZTtI8aEc

Man on Fire - ESMZ

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=08WeoqWilRQ&feature=kp#

Doesn't Take a Whole Day - Foy Vance

http://youtu.be/KA9fOR9zQw8

Oh wait this one too... 

Be With Me - Foy Vance (I warn you do NOT watch the video - so out of sync it's a crime!) 

http://youtu.be/KIpwjpZwd3w

And this one...(Now I've spoiled you guys)

Closed Hands, Full of Friends - Foy Vance

http://youtu.be/QEj8bBHq4s4

A Little Less Conversation....

Ah Elvis.  What an underrated artist in our present times.  How do we forget about a man that loosely "invented Rock and Roll"...? What a sad state of affairs.

But anyway, back to the song.  Well not actually, more back to the concept of less conversation, more action. Now hear me, I am all for talking.  I would consider myself a Talker (capital T). A proper chatterbox as my parents would say.  Throughout my life I have gotten into countless trouble for incessant conversing (Carrie, if you read this, take a moment to reminisce!).  There has rarely been a time in my life where I have had nothing to say.  Wait, wait, there was this one particular time.  I was on a date.  At a FANCY seafood restaurant, in Cape Town, overlooking THE Mountain.  Now stop yourself, I was not speechless by how perfect the moment was as I sat across from the man of my dreams.  No, no that was not the case.  This was the one time when I actually thought to myself, forget it.  There is only so much you can give when a mumbled reply of "yes/no" just won't cut it anymore.  The longest TEN minutes of my life.  The poor waiter even tried with the lobster during this time. "No waiter, but if you have a getaway car I'd buy every lobster in here, including the British tourist sitting in the corner there that clearly had his first encounter with the sun today..."

Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say is that yes, action (whatever form of that word you are thinking about) can be good (fun?), but being able to talk to a person is invaluable. Surround yourselves with people that make you laugh, that speak as well as they listen, that teach you things, that captivate (what a Hollywood word!) you...and then and only then - take action.

 A Little Less Conversation - Elvis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0vXxH1IEmQ