Another song worth hearing (and seeing)

It's easy to get discouraged these days, especially if you follow the news. Sometimes, life's struggles make it hard to sleep at night. So it's always good to find something uplifting and upbeat to counter the things that make us feel hopeless.

I like this one. I hope you do, too.

Another beautiful L'Arche video

It's been a while since I've mentioned L'Arche, a community of people with and without disabilities who share life and celebrate difference, and that's probably because these covid times have kept me apart from my L'Arche friends here in Edmonton. But they are well and healthy for the most part, and continue to live out their charism of being a sign that every human being is valuable and beloved no matter their abilities. They have taught me so much, as is evidenced by over 80 L'Arche stories I have shared in these moodlings. I look forward to the end of covid and seeing my friends in person again!

Jordan Hart is a talented young musician who grew up close to the local L'Arche community, and he has written a gorgeous piece of music that has been made into a beautiful music video with the collaboration of L'Arche Canada. If you have any friends who have developmental disabilities, you'll recognize the challenges they face and the love they give in this deeply moving video. Congratulations to Jordan and the L'Arche Canada team who put it all together. Well done!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOW6QmcMYuU

Butterfly driving a truck (yeah yeah!)

Yesterday, in the L'Arche Day Program, the "library lady" came to visit and share caterpillar and butterfly stories. She reminded me of library story time sessions when my children were small. I think I was always more delighted with those programs than my kids were -- there's something in me that just loves children's books and the simple activities that librarians pair with them. We played clapping games and parachute games, the librarian told a story with a felt story board, and we enjoyed action songs with and without percussive shakers.

The song in the video below really made my day. The librarian wasn't sure it would be a hit with our group, but what's not to like? It's cute and catchy, and I love the little Beach Boys bit in the middle. We all bopped in our seats and pretended to be butterfly truck drivers. And when I got home, I had to find the music and share it with my kids just because it's a hilarious idea -- a butterfly driving an eighteen-wheeler with a cup of joe, a CB radio, etc.

My kids were mostly grown up by the time Caspar Babypants released this tune around 2011. In case you missed it, I share it here for your enjoyment. We all need a little child-like humour now and then!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rRpcSN1F0g

A tune for a rainy day

Corb Lund is guaranteed to put a grin on my face every time I hear him on the radio. He's a pretty wonderful Alberta musician who grew up near my husband (though he's four years younger) and he sings some hilarious quirky songs about farming, ranching and related adventures. His sense of humour tickles my funny bone -- and he just seems like a down-home decent kind of guy. The fact that he sings about bestowing a western blessing, "May you always have cows around," appeals to the prairie girl in me. I've always liked cows, too -- there's something kind of calming about them. And Corb's vibe is like a drive down a dusty dirt road with happy tunes on a gorgeous sunny day. Mmm, smell that fresh air (unless there are a LOT of cows around)!

This morning my sister brought this old video to my attention. So if you've never seen or heard of Corb Lund, here's a little tune for a rainy day (we're having a million dollar rain right now and it sounds like my neighbour down the back alley is getting stuck). Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCcWzLAcv4o

A gift on my birthday

Today is my birthday, and besides being exhausted from a long weekend working in the garden, I'm luxuriating in the many blessings in my life. I took Shadow for a lovely walk, I'll plant a few more vegetables before the rain that's supposed to arrive tonight, and I'm thinking I might go visit a dear friend in the hospital this afternoon... and take her a birthday cupcake.

And I will listen to some beautiful music... including the piece below. I had never run into Ah, perdona al primo affetto until I attended the music recital of my nephew's girlfriend back in March. Louise sang it with another B. Mus graduate, and their voices blended as beautifully as the voices in the video below. It's a gorgeous piece of music from Mozart's opera, La Clemenza di Tito, the story of an emperor whose clemency knows no bounds in the end, and this video is my favourite of the versions of Ah, perdona that you can find online.

Music is a gift that keeps on giving in my life, and it's been a while since I've shared any with my readers... so enjoy!

Simple Suggestion #262... Let music lift you

Life around here has been a bit more emotionally challenging than usual, with sad news from friends, backward steps in the world of politics, health problems and all sorts of other uncertainties. My eyes have been tired from all the tears of late. So it's always wonderful to find something hopeful -- and music lifts me up more than anything else. When I'm feeling blue, a cheerful tune is pretty much my best medicine, especially if it's danceable.

This lovely music video isn't quite in that category, but I ran across it the other day and had to listen to it several times. It is "glorious" in its way -- both in its message, and in the lovely young faces of the One Voice Mormon Children's Choir so focused on their choral conductor and filmed so beautifully. The song's harmonies make me wish I could sing in a choir again.

What raises your spirits? If it's a song, I'd love to hear it! Send me a link and if I can, I'll post your musical lift here for others to enjoy. In the meantime, here's Glorious...

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Click here.

Celebrate "Buy Nothing Day" with a little ditty

Most people know by now that the Friday after American Thanksgiving (November 25th this year) is the consumer craze known as Black Friday, the day when stores are supposed to make so much money that their ledgers go from red to black ink. But the craziness that goes with those sales turns me off -- I've always much preferred to celebrate Buy Nothing Day, a day to remember that the season we call Christmas was never intended to be an all-out shopping frenzy.

In the spirit of simple living and saving the planet for future generations, I offer you a little jingle to encourage wiser consumption over the next several weeks (well, really, forever). There's absolutely no shame in buying useful items as Christmas gifts. Or in giving an experience, like a concert ticket. Or a favourite food item. Or something homemade. In fact, the world would be a much healthier place if we purchased fewer resource-gobbling big ticket items and used less stuff every Christmas. Instead of presents, why not give your presence to those you love? If you're looking for gift possibilities and other suggestions that don't ask so much of our earth's resources, that's what this Simple Christmas Ideas page is all about.

Below is the promised jingle, also known as "Do I Need It?". A remix with a marvelous Master Composter/Recycler chorus and new images is on its way, being created by  my daughter Christina and her boyfriend, Landon, as part of a Christmas gift they promised me last year (see, they came up with a very creative gift idea that cost them some time and effort rather than money or earthly resources -- good kids!). The new Do I Need It? video will be coming soon to a moodling near you... that's a promise. In the meantime, sing along with the old one (which has reached 24,500 YouTube views) -- I dare you!