deborah a good

December and January have been listening to . . .

February has come, which means spring is one step closer. Winter has meant mugfuls of tea, late-night indoor soccer, and some decent movie-watching. But it has also meant long johns and dry skin, high heating bills, and a regular willful battle over whether or not I will brave the cold on my bicycle (the cold, and the trolley, usually win). This year, winter has also meant transition: My mom got married in a lovely January 2nd wedding and packed up much of the Mount Pleasant house she lived in since I was five. Between wedding shower, wedding prep, and helping Mom pack and move to Bethesda, I was in DC nearly every two weeks, and once for an entire week, since Thanksgiving. All of it--divvying out childhood games with my brothers, crying about my dad when we unexpectedly uncovered a raw memory, printing out name cards for reception tables, speaking at the reception--all of it was rich. And I am glad it is over. I am ready to settle into the newness of 2010. I am taking on new projects and signing up for a half marathon.

But I am getting carried away. In the midst of all of this, December and January were listening to:

Grand Archives

Fanfarlo

Freelance Whales

miscellaneous Christmas music

and because he fit the mood, quite a bit of Elliott Smith.

 

 

and then it started to snow

a new favorite

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks, and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

Mary Oliver

(photo credit: Megan Shifflett)

October and November have been listening to . . .

Thanks to a computer, a few websites, a cute little iPod, and some great friends with good taste, music has become more and more of a hobby for me in the past year and a half. And I don't mean that I have taken up the flute. I tried that once before, unsuccessfully, in ninth grade. I think I'll stick with soccer, thank you. But I find that instead of listening just to the bands and singer-songwriters that have been staples in my life, I now find myself spending time with new music: learning of it, seeking it out, listening to it. As always, I'm glad for your suggestions.

So... to continue a little tradition I started a few months ago, I offer you some of my older favorites and newest finds, music-wise. In October and November, I have been listening to (in no particular order):

Low Anthem

Rogue Wave

Great Lake Swimmers

Thievery Corporation

K'naan

Mason Jennings

Monsters of Folk

Good stuff.

September was listening to . . .

Well, I'm a little late on this one. September was listening to much of the same stuff as July and August and also

Band of Horses

and U2, U2, U2!!

Going to a U2 concert was on my list of things I had to do in my lifetime, and on Tuesday, September 29, I checked it off the list! It was an amazing show -- even from the upper deck of FedEx Field (just outside DC). Here's me, looking like a rock star:

(photo by the lovely Mel Weaver who  accompanied me on my U2 adventure)

fridge poetry

 

no frantic running
 
       to & fro

                           only be

   as water is

after a storm

 
 

August is (and has been) listening to . . .

Next week is September. Unbelievable. Here's a taste of my August:

Tarkio (why did no one tell me about these guys before?)
Wilco
Explosions in the Sky
Jem
Winterpills

and, for whatever reason, a whole lot of 104.5
 
 

football at 91

For evidence that my Grandpa Wenger still plays FOOTBALL in the OCEAN at 91, go here. 

(That's my brother's smugmug site. He's pretty good with a camera.)