Monday Music - The Logical Song

For your Monday Music, the classic anthem of youth: Supertramp's The Logical Song.

The Logical Song

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,

A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.

And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,

Joyfully, playfully watching me.

But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,

Logical, responsible, practical.

And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,

Clinical, intellectual, cynical.

There are times when all the world's asleep,

The questions run too deep

For such a simple man.

Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned

I know it sounds absurd

But please tell me who I am.

Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,

Liberal, fanatical, criminal.

Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're

Acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!

At night, when all the world's asleep,

The questions run so deep

For such a simple man.

Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned

I know it sounds absurd

But please tell me who I am.

-Richard Davies, Roger Hodgson, Jorge Martinez

Thank Gods It's FreyaDay!

Good Morning, Humans!

May I present to you some must-see video?

Our very own Apollo will demonstrate why no home should be without a cat.

Or three.

Definitely three cats.

Thank gods it's FreyaDay!

Ying & Yang

One is a tortie, the other Ginger & White,

one loves to cuddle, the other loves to fight.

When they were born there was no one to care,

they were cold & hungry and had fleas in their hair.

Then came the day when they found a new home,

with food always there and toys of their own.

A meowmie to snuggle with and a daddy to play,

for the first time in their lives it's going their way.

Now nothing can hurt them, they can be cold again never,

they can finally be happy, for now and forever.

-Leanne Conway

Our "Yin and Yang",  Artemis and Apollo aka the twins!

Spring Has Arrived!

                                                                                                                                                              photo by another peri

It is 11:02 GMT (6:02AM CST), our planet has aligned with the sun just so and - in the northern hemisphere where the NiftyFamily resides - spring has officially begun!

The March Equinox occurs each year on either March 19, 20 or 21. It is the moment when the sun crosses the imaginary line we call the equator and on that day, living things on earth experience roughly even hours of daylight and darkness. Equinox comes from the latin for "equal night".

Now, we in the north can look forward to lengthening days and shorter nights until June, while our southern hemisphere neighbors will experience shortening days and longer nights. Best of all, in my garden the earth is beginning to awaken. Yes it is! Even if you have a late winter snow, the earth feels that sunlight!.

Spring has sprung!


Lines Written in Early Spring
BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.

To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.

Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.

The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.

The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.

If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?


For your musical inspiration today in the first moments of spring: a lushly beautiful rendition of Vivaldi's Spring (from the Four Seasons) performed by violinist Julia Fischer accompanied by the Academy of St Martin in the Fields at the National Botanical Gardens of Wales. Enjoy the glorious music punctuated by birdsong, presented in a gorgeous garden conservatory. This is about as good as it gets!

Seriously, listen to this and give yourself a little gift for spring.

Tuesday Tonic - Find Yourself

via NewfoundlandandLabrador

I'm on the road, so posting will be light over the next couple of weeks.

Here is a few minutes of beauty to tide you over!

Monday Music - Yer Spring (Hey Rosetta!)

It's nearly spring - hang in there, NiftyReaders!


Yer Spring

Long we were searching
These serpentine streets for the signs of a spark
Fucking around in the dark
Then long we were held
In the thrum and the desperate heat of the clubs
Drinking deep from that cup

We'd drink it up

Each step was something
The beat in the blood and the heat in our hands
Of twelve regular men
So when we come down cathedral street
Hollow and beaten, to the room that I rent
I'm going back up again

I'm going up

But while everything is blooming
You know the wilting always waits
To steal away your body, to steal away your brains

Oh man I hate this part,
When the car sails off the bridge
Am I the knuckles white inside? or am I the water rushing in?

Am I rising up?
Singing:

Silent night, holy night
Take my eyes, take my mind and lay me down!
Oh! sweet winter kiss on these heavy lids!
Sweet winter gift of dreamless sleep, lay me down! draw me out!
No!

Doctor unbandage my eyes
I feel the light and I'm ready to be out in it
Doctor uncover my ears
I hear the chorus weeping, I see the people singing:
Doctor unbandage my eyes
I feel the light and I'm ready to be rising!
Doctor uncover my ears!
I hear the chorus weeping! I see the people singing:

Let the loser up.
Let's get him up.