Before you begin to read please click the link so you can experience the song as well! (left click and open in new window it is much easier!)
This song is the absolute essence of romance. The soft brass section in the background mixed with the soothing piano and music breaks makes it impossible not to get swept away in. It is the music of memories as well.
I listen to it and I'm transported back in time to when the summer days were carefree and fun and the only money I worried about was the dollar bill to wave down the ice cream truck. It takes me back to family that I don't see much anymore and friends that I long to be along side with. If I close my eyes I can still see all those family dinners at the old dining room table in our old house and I can hear everyone laughing again. I think of the nights spent in the basement with my brothers and sister watching our favorite movies and just enjoying each other's company as we all slowly fell asleep before the movie ended.
Sometimes I listen to this song and I think of my Great Grandma Weick. I didn't have much time with her, but the time I did have was so special and there are moments with her that I will never forget. So when I hear this song and think of her, I remember her laugh and the smell of her house and of the oatmeal pies from the rooster cookie jar.
Sometimes it is so good to remember these things which is why this song is right now a favorite. It gives me a chance to forget my troubles in the present, and to remember all the good times I've had in the past. Some people listen to this song and see it as the romantic anthem from "The Notebook," but I see it as a musical transport to times far gone. As I listen I let the movie reel of my memories carry me away to better days and I find myself feeling nostalgic and refreshed and able to face the day's worries. I will always hold these memories dear to my heart as well as the people I had them with.
"I'll be looking at the moon, But I'll be seeing you."
TNWM
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Recipes for All !
I've decided I also want to use my blog to help people find new and interesting ways to prepare food! I LOVE to cook its one of my passions and hobbies outside of theater and music that I believe I have a proclivity for. Keeping my hands busy is a nice way for me to relax and calm down after a stressful day. If my day was ok I will make a good chicken dinner. Bad day = dessert! I love to bake and create new gourmet drinks and desserts! Cocktails are fun as well!!!
Well for my first recipe I'm going to tell you how to do chicken in a way that isn't boring and VERY fun for summer! This is.....
Chicken Pesto and Asparagus! (borrowed and varieted from the beloved Paula Dean!)
You will need
1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Evoo)
3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (each cut in half)
1 Pint Cream (heavy or light as desired)
2 tbs Prepared Basil Pesto
1 Bundle of small asparagus
Heat your pan over a medium heat. About a 5 or a 6 for those with number dials! then add your olive oil. While your olive oil heats slice your three chicken breasts diagonally and sprinkle both sides with some salt and pepper. Then lay them in the pan and about 5-7 minutes on each side should do the trick. Remove when done and set aside and cover if possible. Next, cut your asparagus down and trim it up. Then cut each in half and put in the same pan you just did your chicken in. Cover for four minutes or until soft. Then, add the cream right into the pan over the asparagus and then add your pesto. Stir until it is all a nice light green. Place your chicken back in the pan and let cover and warm over a low heat. THEN...
VOILA! One of the BEST ways to cook chicken with an awesome vegetable that I have EVERRRR tasted! I suggest also making either crescent rolls or a nice garlic bread using french bread! This dish is sure to please taste buds ALLL around the table!
As my dear inspiration Julia says...BON APPETITE!!!! And don't forget that a family dinner together at the table around one dish is worth the time and effort to make! That's where memories are made!!
Well everyone, that's all for now! TNWM
Well for my first recipe I'm going to tell you how to do chicken in a way that isn't boring and VERY fun for summer! This is.....
Chicken Pesto and Asparagus! (borrowed and varieted from the beloved Paula Dean!)
You will need
1 tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Evoo)
3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (each cut in half)
1 Pint Cream (heavy or light as desired)
2 tbs Prepared Basil Pesto
1 Bundle of small asparagus
Heat your pan over a medium heat. About a 5 or a 6 for those with number dials! then add your olive oil. While your olive oil heats slice your three chicken breasts diagonally and sprinkle both sides with some salt and pepper. Then lay them in the pan and about 5-7 minutes on each side should do the trick. Remove when done and set aside and cover if possible. Next, cut your asparagus down and trim it up. Then cut each in half and put in the same pan you just did your chicken in. Cover for four minutes or until soft. Then, add the cream right into the pan over the asparagus and then add your pesto. Stir until it is all a nice light green. Place your chicken back in the pan and let cover and warm over a low heat. THEN...
VOILA! One of the BEST ways to cook chicken with an awesome vegetable that I have EVERRRR tasted! I suggest also making either crescent rolls or a nice garlic bread using french bread! This dish is sure to please taste buds ALLL around the table!
As my dear inspiration Julia says...BON APPETITE!!!! And don't forget that a family dinner together at the table around one dish is worth the time and effort to make! That's where memories are made!!
Well everyone, that's all for now! TNWM
The Importance of Friends
I have come to realize throughout the years just how essential friends are to my life. My friends have not only been a constant support to me through the rough times, but also my comrades during all the fun times. I don't think any of us ever really sit down and think about what friendship is. Here are some thoughts.
Friends are the ones who when you are crying after a bad break up they scoop you up and make sure they get you laughing again.
Friends are the people who don't shy away from the things that make you unique and different, but instead embrace you for who you are.
Friendship is something you need to value even more than your material possesions...because when they go missing or something happens to them, your friends are still there.
No matter how far away your friends live, they still live in your heart and always find a way to make it known.
Friends are a phone call away when you feel like Atlas and the whole world rests on your shoulders.
These are only a few ways I know who my true friends are. There are so many intrinsic and extrinsic ways that my friends have shown their love for me and I in return give them all I can give. I have developed a deep love for my two roomates and I'm sure they know it! We are an inseperable power of three and always come as a package! I don't know what I would do without these girls in my life!
My friends have become my family as my family lives scattered to what seems to be the four corners of the Earth. They have been a comfort and a release when I have tears and also the life of the party!
I wanted to write this today to tell my friends just how much they mean to me and to remind everyone to remember who your friends are and keep them close by at all times.
Love is found in many forms, but none so dear as a friend,
They stay with you through the storms, and until the bitter end.
Well everyone that's all for now! TNWM : )
Friends are the ones who when you are crying after a bad break up they scoop you up and make sure they get you laughing again.
Friends are the people who don't shy away from the things that make you unique and different, but instead embrace you for who you are.
Friendship is something you need to value even more than your material possesions...because when they go missing or something happens to them, your friends are still there.
No matter how far away your friends live, they still live in your heart and always find a way to make it known.
Friends are a phone call away when you feel like Atlas and the whole world rests on your shoulders.
These are only a few ways I know who my true friends are. There are so many intrinsic and extrinsic ways that my friends have shown their love for me and I in return give them all I can give. I have developed a deep love for my two roomates and I'm sure they know it! We are an inseperable power of three and always come as a package! I don't know what I would do without these girls in my life!
My friends have become my family as my family lives scattered to what seems to be the four corners of the Earth. They have been a comfort and a release when I have tears and also the life of the party!
I wanted to write this today to tell my friends just how much they mean to me and to remind everyone to remember who your friends are and keep them close by at all times.
Love is found in many forms, but none so dear as a friend,
They stay with you through the storms, and until the bitter end.
Well everyone that's all for now! TNWM : )
Monday, June 28, 2010
Favorite Movie At the Moment: Notre Dame de Paris
This movie was in my opinion: phenomenal. It isn't a film as most people are used to, it is more a musical on tape. It is a live performance in France that was professionally taped. The score is scintillating, the set breathtaking, and the singers were indescribable!
The whole movie however IS in French with subtitles and I know that many are opposed to viewing a movie with having to look up and down at the screen. I didn't mind in the least as I already speak a good deal of French so it was easy for me to pay attention and still see the translation.
Notre Dame de Paris is based on the novel that we know as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo. The story is heavily based between Esmerelda, Phoebus, Quasimodo, and the King of the Gypsies. Paris at this time was very heavily influenced by the church and Frollo, being head priest, made sure he led the people as he saw fit. In doing so, he outlawed the Gypsies from ever setting foot in Paris near the cathedral of Notre Dame as he deemed them outlaws and witches. The story is based mostly on a love triangle between Esmerelda who loves Phoebus, and Quasimodo who loves Esmerelda. It is a story of passion, forbidden desire, and intrigue as love tries to find its way between a city divided and two peoples at war.
Not only is the story incredible, but the music is AMAZING!!!!! My favorite songs from it include *Le Temps des Cathedrales ( The Time of the Cathedrals), *Bohemienne (Gypsy), *Dechire (Torn), *Les Sans Papiers (Without Passports), and *La Cour des Miracles (The Court of Miracles or The Den of Thieves). Each song has its own haunting melody and phenomenal choreography.
Just a forewarning it is NOT like the Hunchback of Notre Dame you've seen in Disney with the singing gargoyles and friendly faces, it has a darker side to it and stays closer to the actual novel. I guarantee however if you are looking for good entertainment and a way to pass the time, the music and spectacle that is "Notre Dame de Paris" is for you!
Well everyone, that's all for now : )
* = Youtube clips of the musical!
The whole movie however IS in French with subtitles and I know that many are opposed to viewing a movie with having to look up and down at the screen. I didn't mind in the least as I already speak a good deal of French so it was easy for me to pay attention and still see the translation.
Notre Dame de Paris is based on the novel that we know as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" by Victor Hugo. The story is heavily based between Esmerelda, Phoebus, Quasimodo, and the King of the Gypsies. Paris at this time was very heavily influenced by the church and Frollo, being head priest, made sure he led the people as he saw fit. In doing so, he outlawed the Gypsies from ever setting foot in Paris near the cathedral of Notre Dame as he deemed them outlaws and witches. The story is based mostly on a love triangle between Esmerelda who loves Phoebus, and Quasimodo who loves Esmerelda. It is a story of passion, forbidden desire, and intrigue as love tries to find its way between a city divided and two peoples at war.
Not only is the story incredible, but the music is AMAZING!!!!! My favorite songs from it include *Le Temps des Cathedrales ( The Time of the Cathedrals), *Bohemienne (Gypsy), *Dechire (Torn), *Les Sans Papiers (Without Passports), and *La Cour des Miracles (The Court of Miracles or The Den of Thieves). Each song has its own haunting melody and phenomenal choreography.
Just a forewarning it is NOT like the Hunchback of Notre Dame you've seen in Disney with the singing gargoyles and friendly faces, it has a darker side to it and stays closer to the actual novel. I guarantee however if you are looking for good entertainment and a way to pass the time, the music and spectacle that is "Notre Dame de Paris" is for you!
Well everyone, that's all for now : )
* = Youtube clips of the musical!
My Dear Dog Gizmo
Today I'm going to dedicate today's post to the most amazing dog and my absolute best friend.... GIZMO!!!!
This little guy has been a joy in my life the past three years and has gotten me through SO much. I saved Gizmo from a rescue shelter that euthanizes all their pets that don't get adopted... I was volunteering at a shelter for community service hours and of course surrounded by the cacophony of loud, noisy, drooly, and often unruly dogs. I have always liked dogs and dreamed of owning one, just never one that was enormous and drools...bleh! I was cleaning floors and doing my usual duties at the pound and I finally got to the end. That was when I saw him. The smallest, most timid dog in the entire pound. He was shaking like a leaf at all the noise. He seemed emaciated and very scared. Gizmo was the only dog not barking and pounding against the cages to be let loose. I motioned him to come over to me and I was able to slowly coax him to the edge of the cage. As he slowly ambled his way to me, I saw for the first time those great big eyes of his. They showed me a story and they also showed me fear. I looked at his cage and saw that he had been there for over three months...he was on the list to be put to sleep. Well I just COULDN'T let them do that to this little guy...so I adopted him on the spot that day! I look back on that day and still assert that it is the BEST decision I have ever made!
Gizmo is the kind of dog people hope to have. He is very quiet, loving, a cuddler, not drooly, and funny as can be! He is also a fantastic listener. There have been many a night when I'm at the point of tears or utterly frustrated with life and he jumps up on my bed and rests his paws and head on my knee and just listens to what I have to say. When I'm sick he stays next to me the whole time and never leaves my side.
Unfortunately, the poor thing has been INFESTED with fleas for the past six months...I have no clue how to get rid of them permanently as I have literally tried all courses of action and forms of medications! I give him baths regularly (which is a harrowing experience of its own as he refuses to stand still and I have to chase him around the shower) so I have no idea what I'm doing wrong! *sigh* I am just trying to do the best I can for my best friend. It seems to be going better after his recent bath....but it only lasts so long before the plague of the itching pestilence returns....they may be winning the battle...but they YET to win this war!
Oh well, I'm just excited to be done with work today and to go home and be greeted by that shaggy waggy tail and big round eyes that clearly say "I LOVE YOU!"
P.s.....He also poops when it thunderstorms...but it can't be helped...
Well that's all for now everyone : )
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Favorite Song At The Moment! "Can't Take It In" - Imogen Heap
This song has gotten me through so much. THIS song to me is the soaring of imagination! I first heard it on the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe soundtrack and it is perfect for such a wondrous movie and tale! The song itself is lilting and very light. It feels as if you are flying across vast oceans or over the highest forest filled mountaintops...It feeds imagination with lyrics that make you feel as though you were meant to be wherever your mind may take you...
For me it takes me away from where i am for just that glorious three and a half minutes as word by word and note by note i am transported from my kitchen to a place of my imagination...a place where the animals can talk, magical creatures abound, and I am a hero of my own story.
If you haven't heard this song or it has just been a while, I encourage you to listen to it again and for once LET your imagination get the better of you!
Well that's all for now everyone : ) TNWM (Til Next We Meet)
For me it takes me away from where i am for just that glorious three and a half minutes as word by word and note by note i am transported from my kitchen to a place of my imagination...a place where the animals can talk, magical creatures abound, and I am a hero of my own story.
If you haven't heard this song or it has just been a while, I encourage you to listen to it again and for once LET your imagination get the better of you!
Well that's all for now everyone : ) TNWM (Til Next We Meet)
Thoughts on an empty library....bleh!
So here's the sitch...I at my University's library 40 hours a week...It's Saturday...NOBODY wants to be at a library on Saturday (least of all me). There are literally NO people here and the silence is so loud it is deafening! The very clock sounds as if it is trumpeting the horrifying news that I am stuck here another few hours...
Then I began thinking...and musing...WHY are libraries so terrifying when they are empty?! I find myself spooked at going to the third floor just because i feel some apparition might jump out at me or I'll be toppled over by a shelf of books and no one can here me call for help! Also, I feel as though I can feel the very life of the library...as if it breathes! SCARY right? Hahaha I laugh at myself for these ridiculous thoughts, but what else can i do? Play text twist the whole day? (which by the by I am besting my dear friend carrie at...good luck!) And I would be reading a book, but the series I am reading has 12 books and I just finished devouring book 6 and can't afford books 7-12....SUCH a conundrum...oh well...*sigh* I guess I will be content with my hours of internet gaming and shelf reading until I finally get to go home to my dog and two fabulous roomates!
On a lighter note, I have started dieting recently and discovered I LOVE eating healthy! It has made me a much more agreeable person! I also feel proud every time I shed a few pounds as it makes me feel like I've really accomplished something. ...I just remembered my dog needs a bath....FAIL!!
Well that's all for know everyone : )
Then I began thinking...and musing...WHY are libraries so terrifying when they are empty?! I find myself spooked at going to the third floor just because i feel some apparition might jump out at me or I'll be toppled over by a shelf of books and no one can here me call for help! Also, I feel as though I can feel the very life of the library...as if it breathes! SCARY right? Hahaha I laugh at myself for these ridiculous thoughts, but what else can i do? Play text twist the whole day? (which by the by I am besting my dear friend carrie at...good luck!) And I would be reading a book, but the series I am reading has 12 books and I just finished devouring book 6 and can't afford books 7-12....SUCH a conundrum...oh well...*sigh* I guess I will be content with my hours of internet gaming and shelf reading until I finally get to go home to my dog and two fabulous roomates!
On a lighter note, I have started dieting recently and discovered I LOVE eating healthy! It has made me a much more agreeable person! I also feel proud every time I shed a few pounds as it makes me feel like I've really accomplished something. ...I just remembered my dog needs a bath....FAIL!!
Well that's all for know everyone : )
Friday, June 25, 2010
Welcome! ...and words to live by!
First of all I would like to thank anyone who starts reading this blog as I hope to inspire others with my words and thoughts! Now a little about myself. I'm 23 years old, live in florida (for now), and LOVE musical theater as it is my current major. I have alot of thoughts and ideas on the world around so I figured it was time to start writing them down! I love expressing my thoughts and feelings in the written word and i hope that I can be a light to others when they feel down or even just need a laugh! That being said I would like to start on my first topic...
Why is there so much stress placed on the future? I mean c'mon.....
A time for everything and to everything its place...these are definitely words I think we can alllll live by. I see so many times myself and my friends worrying about every little thing that happens or that "should be" happening or even just when we ponder future events. I say that the future will take care of itself. I don't know what faith everyone who reads this have, but I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that God is teaching us things that grow us and make us stronger! I know what its like to "FREAK OUT!!!" but honestly there is no real reason to do it other than sometimes it just feels so dang good to scream your frustrations into a pillow or knock them out into a punching bag! I have seen these often frequent freak outs amongst me and my friends...and trust me they do NOT end pretty and usually leads to late night refrigerator raids...but as I said before this can all be avoided if we all just take a moment....and BREATHE! It seems such a simple solution...but just taking a moment for yourself and remembering why it is you're doing what you're doing or what dreams or goals you're reaching for is key in keeping your cool. For myself I am often plagued with what in the WORLDS am i doing after college...is it grad school? "real world"? performance? teaching? The ideas themselves are not what my problem is, its the execution of those ideas and which one i want that keeps me up at night with ice cream sandwiches as a bunk mate...
I realized a few days ago that allll of my over stressing isn't even worth it! A time for everything and to everything its place...what is meant to happen will happen! All of those different ideas I have about my future are ALLL worth chasing, but I feel confident that ONE will open up and that is the door I will walk through!
SO what does all this mean? That I can breathe and focus on what matters most and that is MY life and seeking what is best for me and what feeds my passions! I hope these words have touched someone and that you can take comfort in my words!
Thats all for now everyone : )
Why is there so much stress placed on the future? I mean c'mon.....
A time for everything and to everything its place...these are definitely words I think we can alllll live by. I see so many times myself and my friends worrying about every little thing that happens or that "should be" happening or even just when we ponder future events. I say that the future will take care of itself. I don't know what faith everyone who reads this have, but I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and that God is teaching us things that grow us and make us stronger! I know what its like to "FREAK OUT!!!" but honestly there is no real reason to do it other than sometimes it just feels so dang good to scream your frustrations into a pillow or knock them out into a punching bag! I have seen these often frequent freak outs amongst me and my friends...and trust me they do NOT end pretty and usually leads to late night refrigerator raids...but as I said before this can all be avoided if we all just take a moment....and BREATHE! It seems such a simple solution...but just taking a moment for yourself and remembering why it is you're doing what you're doing or what dreams or goals you're reaching for is key in keeping your cool. For myself I am often plagued with what in the WORLDS am i doing after college...is it grad school? "real world"? performance? teaching? The ideas themselves are not what my problem is, its the execution of those ideas and which one i want that keeps me up at night with ice cream sandwiches as a bunk mate...
I realized a few days ago that allll of my over stressing isn't even worth it! A time for everything and to everything its place...what is meant to happen will happen! All of those different ideas I have about my future are ALLL worth chasing, but I feel confident that ONE will open up and that is the door I will walk through!
SO what does all this mean? That I can breathe and focus on what matters most and that is MY life and seeking what is best for me and what feeds my passions! I hope these words have touched someone and that you can take comfort in my words!
Thats all for now everyone : )
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