Tag Sunday

#SundayWalks #Haiku ‘Breathe’ #February2021

LucciaGray 3 Comments

Breathe

Rosemary and Thyme,
Wet earth. Dry olive branches,
Breathe peaceful fragrance. 

February in the south of Spain has been a mixture of sun, clouds, rain and some wind, as expected. Frosty mornings, kinder midday temperatures, and long afternoons and evenings by the fireplace. Excellent weather for reading and writing!

Take care, vaccines are on their way:)

How was your first week of February?

 

#SundayWalks Last Day of #January #Haiku ‘7 things that happened in January’

LucciaGray 8 Comments

Blue sky, bare branches,

Last day of January,

Why am I not sad? 

Seven things that happened in January 

Lots of things happened in January, but here are seven I’d like to share with you!  

  1. My six-month-old grandson laughed for the first time when he saw me on a phone screen!
  2. My brilliant daughter completed her Master’s Thesis.
  3. I’ve planned my blog posts for the next few months.
  4. I’ve prepared a goal journal with my goals and strategies for 2021.  
  5. My supportive and insightful editor returned my manuscript of Blood Moon at Eyre Hall. 
  6. I sent query letters, synopsis and first pages of The Ghost Wife, a contemporary romantic suspense, to four literary agents.
  7. I’ve watched the four seasons of The Last Kingdom on Netflix and started reading the books by Bernard Cornwell.

How was your January?

 

#SundayWalks ‘7 things I forgot in 2020’

LucciaGray 8 Comments
I forgot to be impatient, because life isn’t a race, it’s a journey to be savoured. 

I forgot to complain when I switched off my morning alarm, because every day is a unique gift to treasure.

I forgot to worry about setbacks, because they show me a lesson I need to learn.

I forgot to feel guilt about my choices because they are a result of my free will, and they have brought me to where I am.  

I forgot to feel fear, because, ‘only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.’ Dorothy Thompson.

I forgot to feel bored because this world is the most fascinating place in the universe and I am lucky enough to experience living here.

I forgot to feel entitled, because this world owes me nothing I don’t deserve. Instead, I learnt to say thank you for every breath I take, everything I see and feel, and everyone in my life, including you, dear blogging friends and visitors.

And finally, I forgot to worry about everything I had lost over the years and remembered everything I had.  

Tell me, what did you forget in 2020?

#SundayWalks ‘7 things I remembered in 2020’

LucciaGray 4 Comments
I remembered to say I love you more often.
I remembered to feel joy at every sunrise.
I remembered to feel satisfaction at every sunset.
I remembered to feel hope that tomorrow will be even better than today.
I remembered to learn something new every day.
I remembered that happiness is not one big event or instant, but a mosaic full of wonderful and diverse, little moments occurring every day.
I remembered to say thank you for every breath I take, everything I see and feel, and everyone in my life, including you, dear blogging friends and visitors.
I hope you had a happy Christmas holiday and remembered all the wonderful things in your life.

 And remember…

#MarcosPlaylist ‘Night Birds’ by Shakatak #Spotify #Saturdaysingalong #Tanka

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Welcome back to #MarcosPlaylist and #SaturdaySingalong with another song from the playlist I made for my grandson in August 2020 on Spotify, when he was just a few days old. I chose my favourite songs with a mellow rhythm to sing to him, dance with him cradled in my arms and perhaps send him to sleep, or at least calm him down! This post, tanka and playlist is for Marcos, now thirteen-weeks old.

Today I’m featuring Night Birds, an Album and song by the English jazz-funk band Shakatak, founded in 1980. Both the album and the song released in 1982, reached the top ten.  All the songs in the album were written by keyboardist, Bill Sharpe and drummer, Roger Odell.

The group is still active, in fact they have just released a 3CD and DVD Boxset All Around the World 40th Anniversary.   

All Around the World (40th Anniversary Edition)

The song’s lyrics are short, seven lines and 33 words. The lyrics are evocative, but my favourite sequence of the song is the instrumental part, which is most of the over six, wonderful minutes the song lasts. What can I say? I love dancing around the house,  with Marcos in my arms, humming the tune and singing the song.  

Here’s the Spotify link: 

Here’s my Tanka inspired by the music and lyrics, dedicated to Marcos. 

Night Birds

Flying through the night,

Across blackened sky, cool breeze, 

City lights brighten heavens, 

Nightbirds flutter, piano plays,

Kiss the day goodbye. 

****

Watch them sing the song live on YouTube from Tokio in 2016.

I hope you have a long, lazy Sunday, free to do whatever makes you happy.

I’m driving about 800 kilometers to visit my mother. Actually, my husband’s driving and I’m writing this post! I was over the top busy yesterday, packing etc. so this weeks’ #Saturdaysingalong is being posted on Sunday.  

what are you doing this weekend?

Do you have a special Spotify playlist or favourite song you’d like to share? Go ahead and tell us in the comments!

Stay safe, singalong, enjoy and have a great Sunday!

Image by Geralt at pixabay.com

 

#MarcosPlaylist ‘Easy (Like a Sunday Morning)’ by Commodores #Spotify #Saturdaysingalong #Tanka

LucciaGray 1 Comment

Welcome back to #MarcosPlaylist and #SaturdaySingalong with another song from the playlist I made for my grandson in August 2020 on Spotify, when he was just a few days old. I chose my favourite songs with a mellow rhythm to sing to him, dance with him cradled in my arms and perhaps send him to sleep, or at least calm him down! This post, tanka and playlist is for Marcos, now twelve-weeks old.

Today I’m featuring Easy (like a Sunday morning) a song written by the great, grammy-award-winning artist, Lionel Ritchie and made famous by Commodores, the popular soul, dance and funky group of which he was a member, until he launched his solo career in 1982.

Lionel Richie in 2017.jpg

Richie receiving the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors

Easy became a hit in 1977, when I was in my first year at Westfield College, such a long time ago, and yet it seems like yesterday! 

Here’s the youtube remasterised version. Don’t you just love the shiny costumes flickering all over the screen! It takes me right back to the Age of Glitter in Pop Culture in the seventies; David Cassidy, Marc Bolan, David Bowie, shiny icons, sparkling stars, I danced and sang-along with them all! Such glowing memories!

Free as summer sunbeams,

Easy like Sunday morning,

Loose like shooting star, 

Unchained, unfettered, serene,

Heart glittering in night sky. 

I hope you have a long, lazy Sunday, free to do whatever makes you happy.

I’m looking forward to mine, although I’ll be busy converting my basement into a playroom for my grandchildren. 
what are you doing this weekend?

Do you have a special Spotify playlist or favourite song you’d like to share? Go ahead and tell us in the comments!

Stay safe, singalong, enjoy and have a great Saturday and Sunday!

Image by Geralt at pixabay.com