Music Again

I just recently bought U2's The Joshua Tree again. I had it previously on a tape and lost it a long time ago between many moves. I was listening to the radio not too long ago and the song 'One Tree Hill' came across the airwaves and I was motivated to add that song to my never ending list of tunes to have in my collection. I had gone on a Googling adventure and found the original album that it stemmed from. Remembering the album fondly I had to pick up the album again this time on cd. Man is it ever a great record. I had mentioned in my previous post about another song from this album leaving an impression on me but the record as a whole is just phenomenal. Or so I think. So many great songs that was left with little recognition. 'Running to Stand Still', 'Trip Through Your Wires' and the already mentioned 'One Tree Hill'. Although U2 is an indescribable band and have produced many more albums since that time, I don't think they have made an album that has had such a huge impact such as The Joshua Tree. I'm not trying to knock down any of their albums, they have made many,many great albums some of which I own. I think U2 is fantastic & I love their music but listening to this album has a lot of roots to their influence musically. Perhaps it was just the era that this album was released that made it such an impressionable record but for me it has stood the test of time. I think if it had been just released this week it would still be a hit. This is definitely one album that every person should have at home. Correct me if I'm wrong. elizinashe

Music

Anyone who really knows me knows that music is a big part of my life. I love music! Turning on the pute to shuffle some tunes is the 2nd thing I do once I get out of bed. (the first being making coffee.) When I was without my computer, which holds the majority of my music collection, I was really sad. My stereo had broken many moons ago and I had made use of my little laptop loading it up with my piles of cds. I was forced to use a sad substitute of a stereo via a single cd/radio player with lousy speakers, however it worked for the time being.
My point is that although I have many favorite songs and artists there are a few songs that always makes me sing regardless of my mood or where I am when I hear a particular song. I can be in the car, at home or out in public but some songs always makes me sing along for whatever reason. Sometimes it's the lyrics, sometimes it's the harmonies. Regardless of the reason, the inspiration to sing along never bothers me.
One such song is U2's 'Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'. I love that song. The lyrics just draw me into the story. The guitar is soul provoking. There is a steady flow of music that just finds it's way into my body and soul. Maybe I can relate to it a little too much, I don't know. I haven't really psychoanalyzed that part of myself in relation to the song. All I know is that I can't help singing along with Bono and picturing The Edge picking at his guitar. What is it about a song that moves us so much? What songs make you sing out loud regardless of where you are? What songs really move you?
I have many more songs that I could talk about but I will leave this post short and stop with U2. It's a great song both musically & lyrically. It's one song that I will never tire of listening and that says alot I think. elizinashe

Curiosities

There is a house on my way home that apparently has new occupants. There is a big white sign on the lawn advertising Tarot & Psychic Readings with a special of $10. Hmm.... I've always been fascinated by the 'spirit world' and the like. I have had my cards read a few times and have some very intuitive friends who tell me what I want to know. But yet, it hasn't stopped me from stopping in such places from time to time just to see what my host has to say.
I haven't seen a reader in a long time. I almost went with a friend of mine back in June when we were hitting all the Goodwills and 2nd hand stores while our other friend was recovering from surgery in Winston Salem. But we deemed it unnecessary and moved on. Now this place pops up five minutes from where I live with the economical price of $10. Hmm...
I am tempted. I have many unanswered questions regarding my career, parents, the love life,(or lack there of) and so forth. The typical stuff. Now I know that things always change and nothing is set in stone unless you want it that way. But I can't help wanting that little push of advice to point me in the right direction or most importantly to prepare myself, especially when it comes to the parents. I have pretty good instincts myself and have some strange intuitive knowings but I guess it never hurts to listen to some other sources of advice.
I know that there are alot of people who thinks this kind of thing is nothing but a crackpot. And some truly are a joke. I don't live my life by these things and do exactly what these readers tell me to do but I have had some uncanny experiences. I suppose it wouldn't totally hurt to give in to this curiosity especially for ten bucks. So what's the harm & what do you think? elizinashe

Tragic Fascinations

So I watched the movie Into the Wild a couple of months ago knowing the baseline story. Great movie but it was really hard to watch the ending even though I knew the outcome of the hero. I guess what got me the most was that it was a true story. A real life person. I had to know more. I found a used copy and read it in record time. I remember seeing the book a couple of years ago when it first came out and hesitated to buy it then even though I was curious. I had just put it out of my mind. I remember the movie coming out at our Fine Arts theater last year( maybe before that) but again put it out of my mind. Then a coworker had a copy of the movie this summer and had insisted that I watched it because it was "so good. "And she was right. It was a topic of discussion with many coworkers for a few weeks. I was hooked.
After reading the book and learning more about this young man I wanted to watch the movie again. And once more, I hesitated to rent it and watch it all over again. But tonight I decided to go for it. The movie was no longer available to rent but had been placed on the 'previously rented to buy' shelf. Bingo! Not that owning the movie was my ultimate goal but I do know that this is one story to keep in my collection.
I don't know why I am so attracted to this man's journey and his demise. So many questions still swirl through my head. I want to meet all the people he had come across in his journey and became friends with. I want to see his journal entries that he had written in the books that he read & carried. I want to see more pictures that he took and the self-portraits that he finagled. I want to talk to him and share good conversation. I wanted him to escape that bus and live to tell his tale. I want to know.
I feel terribly for his family. I am sure they have many unanswered questions and have had to live with much grief and guilt. They must have a lot of bravery to allow his story to be told. My heart truly goes out to them. Time doesn't always heal as quickly as we would like.
I don't remember the story itself when it first came out in the press when it all first came about. Maybe it didn't reach my neck of the woods but I was also in college at the time so I had other priorities to attend to other than worldly news. But the resurface of the tale has certainly left an impression on me. Both good and bad I suppose but mostly just amazed. I am certain that wherever Chris McCandless is he has no regrets. elizinashe

The Sweet Potato Project Update

Okay folks, for those of you who do read my stuff I thought I'd give you the update on the sweet potato project. I have now given him a name. Herman. Yep, I've named it. Now if I start carrying him around as my new 'little friend' then I really am in for trouble. However I am amazed at my little potato. His bud has now grown up to four inches and there is a vein of another bud just itching to pop out of the foil.
Yes, I know that I can plant the damn thing and have more 'new friends' pop up out of the ground but my thumb is not that green and my yard is not garden ready. I suppose I could place him in a large planter outside but the nites will soon be chilly and unforgiving to newly planted items. Besides, I'm having more fun coming home to check out how much Herman's bud has grown after working all day. I want to see how tall the bud will grow before he starts to rot and become smelly which will certainly motivate me to throw him away. It's silly I know. I laugh at myself for even allowing this to happen. I can't even believe I'm writing about it! I'm usually pretty good about throwing food out that is no longer ingestible. But this is trivial fun for me so I guess that's not so bad. Maybe I should go back to shooting pumpkins and watching them explode for my fall entertainment instead of this crazy sweet potato experiment. elizinashe

The Sweet Potato Project

A few days before I left for vacation I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items to get me through the weekend without overbuying and coming home to a fridge full of molded and spoiled food. I always try to buy what I need and keep on track of buying healthy items. I have discovered sweet potato fries which are really yummy but I truly need to stay away from the fried crap. Bad, bad, bad. However I got to thinking that I could really dress up a sweet potato with some olive oil, garlic and other spices that remain dormant in my kitchen cabinet. Sounded like a really good & healthy option for meal planning. But alas, when it came time to leave town I still hadn't eaten my sweet potato as planned and hated the idea of throwing it out. So I wrapped it in tin foil thinking that it would keep better and would not invite little gnats to call it home while I was away.
When I returned a week later a tiny little bud had started to sprout out of the tin foil. I found it comical and just basically left it. I had to quickly jump back into the work schedule so my main priority was laundry and getting back to a working mentality. A couple of days passed and the little bud had seemed to grow. Hmm...again I didn't pay much attention to the whole process. I mostly procrastinated about throwing it out since I had long passed the urge to actually eat the damn thing. Work came & went as well as the occasional cleaning projects, time with friends and ignoring the potato itself. Now 3 1/2 weeks later the little bud continues to grow right out of the foil. It now measures about 2 1/2 inches now. Wow!! So now I am completely fascinated by my little sweet potato. I am curious as to how long this reddish/purplish bud will grow out of the foil. I think I'll keep it around just a bit longer. Now if I give it a name then I'm really in for trouble. elizinashe

Cheap Treasures

In my quest to find that perfect piece of new-slash-slightly used office desk I went to the Habitat for Humanity Home Store in hopes of finding what I want and to satisfy my urge to redecorate. I did not find that desk but on my way out I did find a unique little painting. It was signed on the back with the simple title of Mystery painted by Mila. The year was not stamped but the back of the canvas tells me it's probably 15-20 years old, maybe older. I know that I did not find some great relic that is worth an asking price from Sotherby's but however it's a great treasure to me. The vivid colors and landscape remind me of some village in Italy or some city along the Mediterranean Sea. Both of which I hope to visit again. I had gone many years ago for a very brief time on a school trip when I was seventeen. I have never forgotten the little places we went to in Italy and have always wanted to explore Greece and all the little places that call the Mediterranean home. This little four dollar treasure reminds me of such a place. It makes me want to walk up to the steps that I see in this painting and trample around in the little village that is quietly awaiting to be discovered. I may never really get to that side of the globe but I can always stare into this painting & go there in my imagination and have a great adventure. Not bad for a $4.00 investment, eh? elizinashe