Good Bye

Checking the STATS for this blog indicates it gets no real interest. that's o.k. I don't read many other blogs myself. But this is my last post.

Apirl in Scarborugh

Last week's storm was a "significant" one, and thankfully it melted almost as quickly as it accumulated. I heard it was going to be a "nor'easter" and then I heard the wind was coming from the northwest. I didn't much care where it came from as I watched the top-heavy pines out back sway in winds that reportedly gusted up to 30 miles per hour.

NOw this past week has been more like Spring. It is cold at night and warms up in the daytime. And the grass is greening. The crocuses are up and the other bulbs are sending forth shoots. IF Mother Nature behaves we should be enjoying this kind of weather for awhile.

Maine celebrated Maple Sugar Sunday a couple of weeks ago. The farms which specialize in maple syrup and related products got the steam up for the "boil down" process, made up batches of maple goodies, served ice cream with maple syrup over it and opened their doors to the public. It's an annual event that becomes a family tradition as kids love the sweet treats and everyone enjoys the "sap to syrup" process. All maple trees, I am told, run sap which can be made into syrup, but only the "sugar maple" yields enough sap to product the quality and quantity worth commercial processing. It takes a lot of sap to get a gallon of syrup. I'm not good at figures so I won't quote the number.

Portland Harbor is beginning to become dotted with little and large sail boats. The Marinas are holding open houses and the boat shows are being held in various public places. I am not a boater but several of my grandchildren are so I like knowing what is being touted as "safe boating" improvements. GPS, signaling, lifesaver suits, inflatables are all good things, but I prefer not to know when my kids are on the ocean.

In the back yard the turkeys are strutting, picking here and there for whatever it is they find. I threw out some flax seed (I don't have a grinder and got seeds by mistake) and was hoping maybe they would pick it up. IF they don't I may have a yard full of flax this summer. I know they eat ticks and other bugs. I saw them eating something off the top of the snow after the last storm. My neighbor says it was something which blew from the pines. Another neighbor took a picture recently of two raccoons by his back door. He said there was another but he couldn't get it in the picture. We have seen two foxes crossing by the woods, and there was a pheasant recently. He doesn't stand much of a chance with the foxes on the hunt. Maine's wildlife is stirring so Spring must be here.

janicemajor
jmajor2@maine.rr.com

UPDATING MAINLY MAINE

It's been awhile since I posted. I have had a left knee replacement which has occupied me mentally as well as physically. A couple weeks away from home and a little time to recoup finds me now thinking of where to take this blog. Since I get no wide responses I am thinking of shutting it down. Maine is an interesting state but there are many blogs being done on the state's politics (which are quite fascinating at this time and too convoluted for me to write about) and the culture which is so diverse it boggles the mind. One thing that comes to mind today is that in my yard here in Scarborough you might be interested to know there are still many sizable lumps of snow where the plow crew had to pile it in a snow removal process. It is dirty and rotting, but hanging on tenaciously. And lo, we are predicted to have a Nor'easter this weekend (April Fool's Day to be exact) which could dump a foot on us. Of course, that is Maine's quirky weather pattern and not all that unusual. We have been known to have snow in May (on my daughter's First Communion Sunday some years ago) and even according to records, in July some many years ago. The nice thing is, it is spring, the sun is getting higher and warming the earth more and the snow will melt and fill the streams and wells and pot holes. Yes, pot holes, another annual Maine event. The crews will be out shoveling a little cold patch into them and the next rain will wash it out. Then a crew will return to put a little hot top into it, and perhaps it will last until next winter when the ritual will begin again. Keeping ahead of the pot holes is next to impossible. You may lose a tire (and rim) if you hit a big one, but most of them are just bone shakers which will make you say things you would have had your mouth washed out for if your Mom was around.

So, this is Maine just before April Fool's Day, 2011. Don't get out your shorts and sandals just yet. Rather keep you shovel and sand handy. No joke, we are going to get snow - again.

janicemajor, scarborough, maine

transition time

St. Francis has emerged from the snow at last. OF course, his bird bath is still a small rink, but just seeing the whole of him is encouraging. I know we cannot count on not having a spring storm or two, but March is days away, and that means spring officially will arrive. I have mounds of snow in my yard which is the repository when we have to have a "snow removal" to keep the Creek open.

I will be going to have a knee replacement next week, thus this is my last "Mainely" blog for awhile. Things yet to be done in the next few days - laundry, cleaning out fridge, putting tax papers in the mail, assembling things to "take" and things to leave. A few letters to write and calls to make. Today I go for a "cardiac release" for surgery. I am nearly recovered from a virus and a UTI for which I was prescribed a dreadful sulfur drug that made me sicker than the illness itself. But with a few days left to complete the recovery, I should be in and out of surgery by early afternoon on March 4.

Nick, the Wild Wheaten is going to the vet/kennel for the duration.

Meanwhile, Maine is transitioning from deep winter to early spring with temperatures in the singles at night, and the "above freezings" during the day. The sun is warm(er) and the snow on the roof next door is melting off. The sky lights are fully visible, but I would not dare open mine just in case they are too cold to operate both ways. too much snow to be seeing crocuses yet. But the pine trees are beginning to look brighter.

So - HERE'S TO SPRING - bring it on.

janicemajor

Sunday 2/13/11

Some days would be better if started later. Like seven p.m. instead of seven a.m. I stayed in bed this morning after taking my early a.m. thyroid pill, which says in tiny little print on a yellow label, that I must not eat for 30 minutes. I got out my cross-word puzzle book and settled in to get my brain in gear. I glanced out to see several turkey hens marching through my yard. My kind neighbor shovels my patio off and makes a path from his patio to mine, which also gives the turkeys a nice easy crossing trail. Two of the usual birds were missing. We do have two young foxes who appear in the same trail, so perhaps they have each had a turkey dinner or two. Anyway, I thought it would be a good day. I thought.

Completing two crossword puzzles, I got up, put the pup out, and went to the kitchen to see what was on hand for Sunday breakfast. I had picked up two day-old muffins at Mr. Bagel on Friday when I went to Portland. I put one in the microwave, and began the coffee making ritual. Everything was going well.

Thinking ahead, I thought while in the kitchen I might as well decide what to prepare for lunch. I really don' t like to cook.
I had a package of lean hamburg purchased at the local supermarket thawing in the bottom of the fridge, lots of vegetables in the drawer. Pick up hamburg, it's leaked all over the bottom of the fridge. Try to get it to sink without dripping. Not successful. I know you are not supposed to put tomatoes in the fridge, but I had a little box of those fancy back yard babies - in the bottom of the fridge. Sitting in the blood. I put the tomatoes on the counter but missed a bit and they ended up on the floor. Grabbed a bunch of paper towels and my "Gloves Off" spray and liberally sprayed inside the fridge. And the floor. Got that mess cleaned up, stepped back, one of the tomatoes had fallen out of the box - put my heel firmly on it and Squished it flat. NOw a small tomato should only have a few seeds, but this one had an over load and they were from here to --------here. Along with slippery stuff encasing them. Then of course, I had "squish" on my heel. SO, I managed to get things cleaned up. I took the veggies out of the drawer, and Mrs. Meyer's green bag had failed to keep things as advertised. The red and green peppers had turned to mush. Well, I have put the hamburg in the pan, chopped up an onion and some celery and dumped Paul Newman's Sweet Onion and Garlic red sauce over it and later I will eat it over a piece of 12-grain bread. NOt gourmet, but it will have to do. Yesterday I had a two meal salad from Texas Road House so if I don't get a green veg today, I will live. Oh, and the muffin? I have no idea. It had some really strange grain and a few raising and nuts. I'm pretty sure it wasn't bran. I know bran. It could have been carrot cake. The coffee was delicious with maple syrup for sweetener.

Now about Maine. Our governor, bless him, is proposing some very stringent new rules about welfare and has the liberals up in arms. The oil company that went out of business all in a day leaving people without money or fuel is staying out of the press as much as possible. Why they aren't liquidating rapidly and refunding is my question. We have had three or maybe four snow-free days, YAHOO! and the temperatures are rising slightly with only a little snow predicted in the near days. The real estate section is small, the help wanted is smaller and the articles for sale grows longer with every edition. A sign of the times. Don't try to sell you grandmother's antiques for cash. You won't get what you were told they are worth. Not that I am trying, or that I even have any of Grammie's antiques, but I watch the market.

Check out hagiomajor.blogsot.com for the interesting story about a man for whom a day of passion should have been named.

janmajor
scarborough, maine

It's beginning to look a lot like -----

Yes, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas - except it's February 2, Ground Hog Day. I have had the television on today and haven't heard a word about poor Puxatawney Phil. My guess is he won't see his shadow, or anything else. I doubt if he will even come out of his hole. but one way or the other there will be only six more weeks of winter - if we are lucky.

My neighbor told me she has seen two foxes in the rear of our condos. They have always lived in this area. We feed them well with a sizable flock of turkeys. Yesterday as I drove home in the first of our two snow storms, there were turkeys in the road and I and another car had to stop and wait for them to decide where they were going. Every road is a "fork in the road" for turkeys. They never know which way the will go until they get into the middle, and then you cannot rush them. Eventually, both flew in their straight up flight to the tall pines. I put out a lot of flax seed to see if they or the birds would eat it. It is well covered now with the new snow, of which we are getting an abundance.

Maine should be able to handle any amount of snow. We have gotten spoiled by milder winters and manageable snow storms. This is the kind of winter you tell your grandkids about. Only you can't say you walked three miles to school - uphill both ways - in a blizzard. The kids around here sit in their mothers' cars until the bus arrives to take them to school. And that's as it should be since they would have to cross U.S.Route 1. Of course, there was a nice red brick neighborhood school they could easily walk to until it was closed and converted to senior housing. Most schools that close end up that way. I wonder if they ever get the smell of the school out of the building. You know - the smell of oiled wood floors, chalk dust, lockers full of gym clothes and old apples. I went back to my old school once and after all those years, I could still smell Mrs. Witham's cologne in Room 6.

Well, Maine roads like those all across the northern states affected by this latest storm, are a bit slick and considerably narrower with high snow banks on both sides. I am saving gas by staying home, and saving money by not getting out to shop. I have enough food to last a long time. Not gourmet stuff, but healthy and smple. SO, pull up a chair and have a plate of beans with me. Soldier Beans cooked and canned in Northern Maine are exceptionally good. Brown bread and a glass of milk. A little apple sauce on the side. Who care if it's snowing and blowing? We Mainers know enough to stock up - just in case.

janicemajor
jmajor2@maine.rr.com

Giant Strides in reverse -

Bing Crosby said, "I think popular music in this country is on of the few things in the 20th Century that has made giant strides in reverse."

I haven't heard of any recently written "pretty" music, but I have heard several younger singers doing the pretty songs of earlier years. Perhaps because I tend to enjoy male voices more than female, I chose the following vocalists to write about.

Michael Buble' is a very talented performer born in the '70's who does not really have a style of his own, but sings the old numbers like "Call Me Irresponsible" and "For Once In My Lifetime" the way someone my age likes to hear them. If you watch him (lucky you, if it's in person) you will see he has a little attitude, call it swagger maybe, that you might not "hear" on a CD. However, I think his charm and musicality come through in pieces like "Save the Last Dance For Me" he has a little different sound. It's a country song, but he makes it his own with a little different leaning toward a Latin blend.

Michael Feinstein is a little older than Buble'. Born in the late 50's he had an opportunity to be influenced by working as Ira Gershwin's assistant. Feinstein is an accomplished pianist in his own right, and a lot of his work is "cabaret style" with himself as accompanist. His specialty is romantic songs, and probably the fastest among his performances would be "Something's Gotta Give." He has made many albums and worked with many groups. One important work he has done was with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra in early 2001 in which he performed "Laura", "Stormy Weather" and other standards. All works were by Jewish American composers including Gershwin, Berln, and Herman's "I Wont Send Roses." Unlike Buble', Feinstein has developed a style of his own, a confidence and maturity that, if you have the opportunity to compare old work with new, will be discernable. Michael Feinstein's mother was a tap dancer of little fame and his father was salesman, who also was an amateur vocalist.


Harry Connick, Jr. is the third performer I enjoy. He was born in the late 60's; younger than Feinstein, but older than Buble', he has written songs, put together his own bands, and most definitely developing his own style. While he has made a career of singing the Great American Songbook pieces, he didn't try to copy the old performers. He admitted he did not have the vocal strength to sound like Sinatra or others, although he was being touted as the "Chairman nouveau" by some promoters. He played young Lt. Cable in the 2001 version of So. Pacific; and in Pajama Game he was the piano-playing Sorokin. My impression of Harry Connick, Jr's career is that he has had lot of fun. He was worked hard and used his talent to the highest scale.His is the voice in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" singing his own "Wink and a Smile". His father was a district attorney in New Orleans who also played piano and sang as a hobby in local night clubs.


To be fair, Diana Kral is a very credible young woman, born in 1964, who sings jazz and swing with the best. She came to the US from BC, Canada. Her father played stride piano and he exposed her to all the greatest musicians such as Thelonious Monk, Claude Thornhill and Paul Whiteman ( the latter previously profiled in a blog). Her style is not a copy of any other performer. She has toured with Tony Bennett. She has sung blues, jazz and traditional music (the latter a Christmas album) and is right at home with swing. It is said her only mistake so far has not taking Bennett up on the offer to make an album with him. That's o.k., Diana, you're doing just fine.

Another female performer that I admit to really liking among the younger set is k.d. lang.
No, I didn't leave off the capitals. She doesn't use them. I have seen videos of her and like her unselfconscious style. She is who she is and sings with confidence but not brass. She professes to be attracted to both women and men - but not equally. She DID do an album with Bennett. It is one of my favorite "put on some music and go to sleep" albums. She is an activist for many causes such as animal rights, gay rights, and human rights. She also came from Canada and puts a nice mark of her own on country. I am not a fan of country, but she makes it very listenable. Some of her songs have a heavy guitar (she might be playing it it is so in tune with her) but the lyrics come over it very well. She is considered a rock and roll artist. I have not heard any of that music.

Just thinking about the variety of styles each performer uses, I recommend not giving up on someone just because you have heard them one piece you don't care for. In my circle of very talented senior organ players (senior as in age, not necessarily accomplishment) I notice that each really does well with one or two rhythms and tempos, but it doesn't stop them, nor should it, from playing every other one. A gal who plays fast Latin because she loves Ethel Smith's rendition of TicoTico doesn't necessarily play it like Ethel, but isn't she just having a ball doing it? And the person who loves Hank Williams might attempt to play a country piece with a twangy guitar which would "twang" my ears uncomfortably, but if he loves what he does, that's what hobby music is all about. If any of us plays comfortably enough to share our music at a senior center, nursing home or community event, that's hobby organ's purpose. I can't sing, but I do enjoy all of the performers I have written about today. And I don't think we have taken strides in reverse. I think somewhere out there are composers writing good music we have yet to hear. We just need to make the need for it known.

Bob Hope once said of Phyllis Diller, "When she started to play, Steinway himself came down personally and rubbed his name off the piano."

As long as Mr. Lowrey doesn't appear to remove his name from your instrument --

Keep a song in your heart and keep the music playing.


janicemajor
jmajor2@maine.rr.com