Tuesday's Tune: June Gloom

 I've been living under a rock for a moment. But, I'm up to speed on all the drama relating to Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, and Sabrina Carpenter. Before I get to that drama, I want to highlight this song, which has been stuck in my head for the last 2.5 weeks and which got me all mixed up in the drama. If you've been under a rock, then check out this post. You can go ahead and read all about the drama, and then come back and listen to the song and/or read this post. Or you can just go ahead and read this post before reading all about the drama.

So, this song is clearly about Shawn Mendes, with references to Sabrina Carpenter. It came out this past summer when Camila Cabello dropped her latest album. Now, I've never been a super fan of hers. At the same time, I don't hate her and find some of her past songs to be great. But somehow this song has got me listening to her new album and rediscovering some of her older albums and songs. This song has grown on me and I actually really like it. I think I'm really drawn to the storytelling that comes out of the song and just the honest feelings she's putting out to the public. 

Let me know what you think. Is this song underrated?

VanCity

I meant to publish this post in September of 2023, but I guess now is probably better than never.

Apparently, citizens of Vancouver refer to their beloved city as VanCity. I know this because I came back from a trip there during the Labor Day weekend in September 2023. I met up with two of my high school girlfriends in Vancouver and we just did things for about five days. Now, I was very disappointing to one of my friends because I told them that I didn't really have any "high on my bucket list" activities that I wanted to do in Vancouver. Really, I didn't. I told them I just wanted to eat, walk, and talk with them. I wanted to be in their presence and just be together and get old together (even if it was only for five days) because I do not get a chance to do those things with them on a daily, monthly, or yearly basis. In fact, the last time we got together for a trip was about nine years ago (yes, 9 YEARS). For me, I didn't care as to what exactly we did, so long as we did it together.

Vancouver is beautiful. It reminds me of a very very clean New York City (granted, I have never been to NYC). Its weather is very much like the Pacific Northwest: sunny and cloudy with threats of a shower. Lucky for us, it didn't sprinkle until the last day we were together. Most of the time, it was cloudy or really sunny. It was clearly autumn and I felt the slight chill in the air, which made our travels very comfortable. We stayed in Vancouver's City Center and literally walked everywhere or took their light rail everywhere. I would highly recommend that visitors forego a car and just staying in its city center.

Now there was food everywhere. Every block we went down had at least one restaurant, one bakery, and/or one cafe. Seriously, there was so much food everywhere. If you're a lover of Asian cuisine, Vancouver definitely had very good Asian food and didn't disappoint. What I did find disappointing was that Vancouver's Chinatown was dying. At a festival, we ran into another Hmong person from Seattle (she was so happy to see another Hmong face) who told us that back in the 1990s -2000s, Vancouver's Chinatown was booming. However, due to Vancouver's rising real estate prices, many left and established themselves in Richmond, British Columbia, a suburb of Vancouver. We did visit Richmond (an easy rail trip from Vancouver), which did indeed have a booming Chinese community and may be one of the biggest Chinese communities in British Columbia.

It was such a great trip and I was happy to be with my friends. We had our moments of irritability (how could we not, we are three very different people), but overall I'm so glad to have spent time with them. Of course, I was always happy to come home to my boys. I needed the time to rest and recharge, and when I get home, I can take on their craziness. 

Have you ever been to Van City? Let me know of your experiences there. If you've never been there, do you want to go?

Wordless Wednesday: Dino Walk Foiled by a Shoe

 

Tuesday's Tune: Someone Just Like You

I don't even know how I came across this song, nor that it even existed. On some of the other videos, this song is attributed to Shawn Mendes and Selena Gomez. But, I believe the original artist is Rasmus Hagen (featuring Ebba Bergendahl). I love this acoustic version of the song. And, it's such a beautiful song.

The song is so short, but it does what it needs to do: evoke emotions of longing and melancholy. You can totally tell that it's a modern-day song because how else are you able to look on your phone and see your ex and presume that she's moved on? (Any stalkers in the house?) 

Of course, this song reminds me of some of my past breakups. I also admit to trying to figure out where my exes have been after our breakup too (have you?). Anywhoo, let me know what you think of this song.

Green Onions

 I've written about the Egyptian walking onions in my garden. And this post covers them, but today I'm talking about green onions in general. It's taken me a long time to appreciate the green onions in my garden! When I've left any type of onion bulb in my garden, and it survives the winter, it will grow in the early spring. Green onions (and most onions), I've learned and finally am showing my love for, are one of the first things to bloom in the spring. Not only are they an indicator that spring is right around the corner (despite the one-inch snow that was just dumped in my neck of the woods), but they also are one of the first things (edible or not) to bloom.

So, I've been trying to take advantage of the green onions growing in abundance in my yard. Not only am I eating them but giving them away to family members. Next month, I'll try and grow small bulbs so that I will have green onions to eat in the summer (and fall), and my spring onions will start growing bulbs to be planted in for a fall crop and the following spring. I find that once my green onions have started sprouting, I don't buy any from the store unless necessary. I've become that dedicated to my green onions.

I've gotten into the practice of succession planting the onions in my garden. Of course, it's not perfect, but I've found a rhythm to my planting and it's something that I'd like to continue so that I'll have access to homegrown onions for three of the four seasons. 

Are you growing green onions or any type of onions in your garden? What's happening in your neck of the woods?

My Little Consruction Worker

 

Life is for Living

When my mother-in-law passed away a little over a year ago, it brought a lot of sadness. One of the lessons I took away from her death was that life was for living this one special life that you have right now. Live it fully as best as you can and do what it is that you think you want to do. Yes, there are constraints (e.g. maybe someone doesn't want to be with you and can't be with you, you might be too old to be an astronaut via NASA, etc.,), but there is also so much life to live. 

Go visit Yosemite before it's too polluted. Go see Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro just because you can. Go see the northern lights in Iceland. Go and share a kiss in Paris. Of course, if you can't or don't want to go anywhere, then catch up on your own family and friends. Hear the laughter of children that are special to you. Share a meal with your special person. Enjoy the presence of those that are most close to you. 

You see, my mother-in-law, she had a lot of physical ills and didn't want to go to any place unless forced. I don't blame her for not wanting to go out, although she did choose who she would go out with, if and when she wanted to go out. She wanted to stay home exclusively. If you wanted to see her, you had to go to her. She was also wanting to die because she couldn't take the pain of her physical ailments. So, when she passed and at her funeral, it was time for her to go, she didn't want to leave. She had to forcefully be told to move on in her journey. 

Now, this part is all conjecture, regardless I think at that moment at her funeral, she may have realized too late that she wouldn't be able to be with her loved ones on Earth. She may still spiritually be present for her family and friends, but most wouldn't know. It doesn't make the loss of her physical presence any better; there is still a veil that separates.

I'm sharing this lesson because life is too short. We get so caught up with our lives and forget that the life we are living is a gift. It's the experiences that we take with us that matters and make those experiences count. Take a moment and cherish the precious time you have on this Earth.

Wordless Wednesday: A Coat of Snow

 

Tuesday's Tune: Bigger Than the Whole World

 

Today's song is from Taylor Swift's Midnight album. This song, as most listeners point out, which I agree, is about going through a miscarriage. Now, I don't know if Taylor went through a miscarriage and that was the inspiration of this song. However, the lyrics are clear that she is signing about the aftermath of having gone through a miscarriage.

Regardless, the lyrics are so poignent. I can truly say that I've been so blessed to not have gone through that experience. At the same time, my heart goes out to those who have. While the song itself isn't one of her best, it's the lyrics that are the most moving. Let me know what you think. 

Tuesday's Tune: Labriynth

This song is also from Taylor Swift's new Midnights album. I love this song because it perfectly captured the mood and the feelings I had during a rough time in my life. I've written about that time before, but I believe this song perfectly captured my mood.

During that time, my Mr. Man and I was no longer together (and that was my fault). I had a reckoning with an ex-boyfriend who really made me feel like crap. (Why I thought so highly of him, I have no freaking idea!) I was at a low point in my life and felt worthless. I didn't think I deserved to be loved and I thought I wasn't worthy of anyone. I was really in a labrinyth of my own mind and felt lost. But I met someone great and he helped me to find myself again. At the time, I didn't realize how great he was for me and only now as I look back do I realize that he saved me from myself. 

I remember one particular morning, wanting to be sad but not being able to and found myself being happy. I realized it was because he came in and brightened up my world. He brought a lot of love and life into my own world, and I suddenly found myself falling in love again.  While I didn't appreciate him and it was my fault that we have moved on our separate ways (really, do you see a theme here???), I am not ashamed to admit that he was such a force of good in my life and I will forever be grateful to him.

What do you think of this song? Does it remind you of a particular time in your own life too?