Tag Sunday

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

LucciaGray Leave a 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 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

 

 

#SundayWalks ‘Sometimes The Sky’s Too Bright’ #Poem

LucciaGray Leave a comment

Sometimes the sky’s too bright

To see the clouds or birds.

Sometimes the sun burns through

The shade of leafy trees,

And blinds impatient eyes,

Still searching for visions

Of angels smiling

At the fire in her eyes.

Alas the sky’s too bright

To taste the salt in her tears,

Or quell the thirst in her heart,

And yet she journeys on

In search of her angels.

#PhotoOfMyLife Day3 Lentil Soup

LucciaGray 11 Comments

Picture taken at a restaurant in Cantabria, Spain, a few days ago.

I haven’t eaten much meat for over thirty years, for no environmental, health, religious or ethical reason, I just don’t like it much. 

That means I eat a lot of fruit, nuts, vegetables and pulses. In fact, the lentils in the picture above are one of my favourite foods, and they’re really easy to make.

There are small and tiny brown lentils. I prefer the small ones, but you can use either.

There are plenty of recipes for lentil soup or stew, this is how I make it.

Rinse the lentils in a colander, you’ll need half a cup per person, be generous, you can eat the leftovers a day or two later. 

Add three times the amount of water to a large pan. So, if you are cooking for two and use 1 whole cup of lentils, you need to add three cups of water. You can add more later on if it gets too thick.

Now add the vegetables, chopped into small pieces. For 2 people I’d include two carrots, half an onion, a clove of garlic, half a red and green pepper and some spinach.

There are four magical ingredients I add for flavour, a Spanish spicy sausage, called chorizo, a bay leaf, two spoonfuls of olive oil, and a stock cube (meat is best, but you can use a vegetable one, too).

If you don’t like or can’t get hold of the sausage, you can use come curry powder, or paprika, for flavour instead.

Now comes the easiest part, simmer for about 40 minutes, stiring occasionally.

If you’re in a hurry, you can use the pressure cooker. It’ll probably take less than 10 minutes.

However, you should know that lentils are best cooked slowly, and they’re delicious when reheated, so if you cook the day before, or even in the morning, they taste much better.

Another important part of the meal is the wine, I prefer a Spanish white, Rueda, but most people would accompany this meal with red wine, such as Rioja.

Resultado de imagen de lentils italy new year

Did you know that in Italy lentils are said to bring prosperity for the year ahead when eaten on New Year’s Day?

Any questions?

Do you like or cook lentils? Feel free to share your tips or recipe if you do!