February is for Finishing

Jumping on the bandwagon started by Life In Cleveland. I have at least three projects that I would really like to see finished this month, a pair of socks for Keith, a pair of felted clogs (again for Keith), and a Harry Potter scarf for his mom.

I am sure that if I manage to get these finished, I have some other things around here that could use some attention too. Like the DeGrazia needlepoint that's been sitting around unfinished for a couple of years!

Now to get to it!!! This stuff won't finish itself (obviously or I would be done by now!)

This post is brought to you by the Letter P!

Because P is for Pickles.

A couple of months ago, I decided to try my hand at making my own pickles. No real canning involved, just a easy refrigerator dill pickle.

They are just the way I like them ... really really sour. In fact, I've made them a second time since then!

P is also for Pittsburgh Pirates.

In July (yeah I know I'm behind) Keith and I went to the Pirates Stitch N Pitch event.

P is also for PBS, which carries Antiques Roadshow.

I managed to score a tshirt at the Liberty Mutual Booth on the way out of the event!

Earlier this year, I learned that Antiques Roadshow was coming to Pittsburgh so I entered the drawing for tickets. To my surprise we got tickets! They don't allow you to take any pictures on the appraisal floor but it was really neat to see all of the "behind the scenes" workings of the show.

Will we be on TV? Probably not, unless we're in the background of some shot. Nothing we took with us will make us rich, but on the plus side we didn't over pay for any of out items either!

Day Thirty - A Song You Liked Last Year

I actually discovered this song (or more accurately this video) about two years ago. Yes the song is a nice song and I enjoy it .... but the video!!! Well if you know me you'll understand :D

Enjoy!!!!!

Day Twenty-Nine - A Song From Your Childhood

If I had to pick a song from my childhood I would say this is the QUINTESSENTIAL song from that era. For some reason I was OBSESSED with this song and would sing it constantly.

Why this song? No idea. It came out when I was 5 and I probably didn't fixate on it until a year or so later (when I was 6 or 7). I think at some point I probably had the 45 for it (and may still for all I know!).

My obsession with song was so rampant that my cousin actually posted on my facebook wall earlier this month that she heard this in the grocery store and IMMEDIATELY thought of me.

So I would say that 36 years later this is the song from my childhood!

Day Twenty-Eight - A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty

OK I am seriously stretching the whole "guilty" thing here. Because, honestly, I can't think of a song that actually inspires guilt. But this is a great workout song and I really haven't been working out lately. Why? No real good reason but if I did I could certainly listen to this song more often!!!

Day Twenty-Seven - A Song You Wish You Could Play

Well Blogger ate my post the first time I tried this, so here is hoping the second time is a charm!

As I mentioned yesterday, I don't play an instrument and never have. That being said there is ONE instrument I've always had a not-so-secret desire to learn how to play.

The Bagpipes.

I blame the Welsh in me for that one. And yes, the Welsh do pipe. In fact, the video today is of Welsh bagpipes. Originally I was going to go with something modern and Scottish but as I said Blogger ate that one and I'm too lazy to be arsed to go and find it again.

Day Twenty-Six - A Song by a Group You Should Know

Not really. Today's official topic is "A Song You Can Play on an Instrument." That would be NONE. I've never played an instrument or had any sort of lessons. And somehow I think that the organ my dad bought me when I was a kid, where you played the songs based on the numbers on the keys, counts as playing something.

Although I still know that Silent Night starts 5-6-5-3 (with 5 being middle C). But anyway I digress.

So I thought instead of giving you nothing to listen to, I would pimp the band my friend Emma's husband is a part of, The Woe Betides. They are a just starting out group in England but well worth a listen to (I have their first CD).

Hope you enjoy them!

Day Twenty-Five - A Song That Makes You Laugh

I grew up with this song. My dad had it on tape (I think) but regardless I fondly remember it from when I was growing up. I never expected to find a video of this one though. To me it's kind of obscure and I don't expect other people to know it.

Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that my husband also had a love of this song. He put it on a mix cd for one of our South Dakota to Ohio roadtrips. I don't think he expected me to know this song and was equally surprised to find out that I knew it too!

I love all of the puns in this song and it never fails to make me laugh.

So remember "she drank like a .... she drank a lot!"

Day Twenty-Four - A Song You Want Played at Your Funeral

First of all I don't even think I want a funeral! And I've certainly never given any thought to the musical accompaniment of the event!

But, I don't have anything else for today (I think I've "tweaked" enough of these challenges that I'll just go with this one). So I started by searching youtube for music by one of my favorite artists, Bette Midler. And that's when I came across this video of her covering the Peggy Lee standard Is That All There Is?

If I were to have a funeral with musical accompaniment this is what I would want them to play!

Day Twenty-Three - A Song You Want Played at Your Wedding

Ever since I heard this version of this song, I fell in love with it. And yes I am willing to admit it was from the soundtrack of the TV show thirtysomething. When we were planning our wedding last year, there was no doubt in my mind that I did not want "traditional" music (our ceremomy wasn't traditional so why should my music be?) and this was my leading contender for the song that I wanted to hear when I walked down the aisle.

I'm gonna love you, like nobody's loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain, deep as a river
Come rain or come shine
I guess when you met me
It was just one of those things
But don't you ever bet me
'Cause I'm gonna be true if you let me
You're gonna love me, like nobody's loved me
Come rain or come shine
We'll be happy together, unhappy together
Now won't that be just fine
The days may be cloudy or sunny
We're in or out of the money
But I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine

Day Twenty-Two - A Song You Listen to When You're Sad

This is another song that I put on the mix cd I made my husband when we started dating. It's not a song that should make one sad but instead gives hope that you are not alone in the bad times.

I've been lucky enough to hear Donny perform this song live and never fail to find it a very powerful and moving song.

Day Twenty-One - A Song You Listen to When You're Happy

I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS SONG!!!! As soon as I hear it it makes me want to start dancing around the room. For a very very long time this was even my ringtone for my phone. Almost any Sugarland song will do for me when I'm in a good mood but this one really is a particular favourite!

Day Twenty - A Song You Listen to When You're Angry

When I am totally pissed off I want to listen to a song that will get me out of that mood, not one that will keep me mad and pissed off. For me, I need a song that will make me want to MOVE.

As soon as I hear this song, my toes start tapping and before long I am bopping along with it. It's hard to stay angry with this one!

Day Nineten - A Song From Your Favorite Album

Well this is one of my favorite albums, and I haven't used an Elvis Costello song yet.

This is from the album Painted From Memory, and the only other version of this song (in my opinion) that comes close to the power of this one is Bette Midler's.

Day Eighteen - A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio

I was going to use Paul Revere and the Raiders singing Cherokee Nation for today, in fact I even had the post ready to go when this song popped into my head. I can't think of the last time I heard this song ANYWHERE let alone saw the movie.

I remember watching the movie (with Robby Benson) when I was 8 or 9 (it came out in 1976 -- thank you IMDB!). Oh and here is a bit of trivia from the movie for you. It was directed by Max Baer Jr., aka Jethro on The Beverly Hillbillies.

Day Seventeen - a Song you Often Hear on the Radio

We listen to a strange radio station at work. They play a variety of music from the Beatles to Billy Joel, but they play THE SAME SONGS EVERY DAY!!!! Seriously, the only station I've ever listened to with a tighter playlist than this one is one of the country stations in Sioux Falls.

But anyway, in this case I find that tight playlist to be a good thing. Because I like this song!!! Again it's one of those songs that I have no idea why I like it, but I do and I always have.

So if you find yourself passing the time away at a port on the western bay, look for Brandy - she's a fine girl!

Day Sixteen - A Song You Used to Love But Now You Hate

OK Love might be too strong of a word, but this was the first song that came to mind when I saw the topic for today.

When the song first came out, it wasn't too bad. Nothing great but nothing that would make me run screaming from the room or want to throw the radio across the room. Why does it now make me want to impale the radio with sharp objects (hey it's either that our poke out my ear drums!)? Being PLAYED OVER AND OVER AGAIN ON THE FREAKIN RADIO!!! (Yes I'm looking at you WGAR in Cleveland!)

I don't understand why modern radio must take a song that is not horribly offensive and play it so much you never ever want to hear it again. Actually I do understand why, they are only willing to pay for a play list that contains a set number of songs and therefore you hear the same songs ad infinitum. So you're left with stuff like this and believe me forcing myself to look this one up was downright painful for me.

So my apologies on this one.

Day Fifteen - A Song That Describes You

I can't believe that choosing today's song gave me the angst and problems that it did.

I surveyed people (including my husband who oh so lovingly suggested Randy Newman's Short People (he was just teasing!)), and was about to go with a semi ironic choice of Adam Ant's Goody Two Shoes. I had the post written and scheduled to be published (come now, you don't REALLY think I'm up posting these at 5:30 in the morning do you????) when I clicked on a file of music I made for my husband when we started dating.

I was looking for another song in the file and clicked on this one, only to realize that I included this song in the mix because it DESCRIBED ME TO A TEE!!! I even insisted that we play this as part of our pre-ceremony music.

Well now that I have that cleared up, this is the song that best describes me!

Day Fourteen - A Song No One Would Expect You to Love

Yes it IS a Three Stooges inspired song! I know, I know .... not necessarily something anyone would expect me to like (but hey isn't that the point of this post?)

I was raised on the Stooges (this is what happens when you are raised only by your dad!) and married a man who also loves them. We frequently watch Stooges episodes when we find them on TV (and I bought him a box set of DVDs for Christmas a couple of years ago) and they never fail to amuse me.

We even played this song at our wedding reception, and if I didn't think someone might divorce me (no NOT REALLY) I would post the pictures of us dancing to it. But since I'm not going to, just use your imagination!

Day Thirteen - A Song that is a Guilty Pleasure

I love this song! Yes it is cheesy and screams the 70s but what can I say? Actually my hubby and I had a conversation one day that the lyrics aren't really all that dated. Yoga's hugely popular again and who doesn't want someone with at least half a brain?

Anyway, as far as I can tell there isn't an official music video for this song, which means I looked at A LOT of videos that people made up to go with it. Some of them were kind of funny (especially the one that didn't understand the line about in dunes on the cape) and some were just BAD.

I finally settled on this one because how can this post not be enhanced with the addition of the Solid Gold Dancers?

So if you like pina coladas, sit back and enjoy this song!