Jennie Marsland's Blog, page 8

Folk Friday #2

Just got back from an early walk in the woods with Chance and Echo...lovely, absolutely lovely. Summer mornings are priceless.

This week's Folk Friday tune has a lot of memories for me. The Moon and Saint Christopher by Mary Chapin Carpenter is one of the first songs Everett and I learned to play together. I think of it as every woman's anthem.

My favourite Mary Chapin Carpenter songs have never been the popular ones, though I like them too. The lyrics of her more reflective tunes are poignan...

A Different Flavour

One thing I can say about my job – it's never boring.

For last two months of school I taught math and science in the morning, and did curriculum work in the afternoons, but this week I found myself unexpectedly shifted back to the ESL department until a vacancy can be filled. Putting the lack of notice aside, I was pleased. I've missed working with these women.

One thing I find fascinating is the contrast between the way our students – all young Muslim women in their twenties – dress in public,...

Folk Friday #1

I've decided to start a tradition this week. Since I know some of you are music fans, and since I certainly am, I'm going to decree that every Friday henceforth shall be Folk Friday. I'll choose a piece of music I like, provide a clip, and give a little background.

Musically, I'm a little schizophrenic. One part of me gravitates towards Celtic music, while another part responds to earthy tunes by the likes of John Prine and Mary Chapin-Carpenter. I'll kick this off with a Celtic tune, The Bria...

Echo's Excellent Adventure

I think I aged at least two years yesterday.

Last Wednesday, we brought home a new addition to the family. We've had a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Chance, for eight years, and we love him dearly, so dearly that DH and I don't ever want to be without a dog. So, we called Chance's breeder a while ago and ended up with a beautiful little female, Echo, to keep our boy company.

For those of you who haven't heard of them, Tollers – also known here as Little River Duck Dogs - are a native N...

Summertime, and the Livin' is Easy

Only five more school days left! I think I'm going to be doing some curriculum work over the summer, but that will be relaxing compared to dealing with teenagers. I can't wait.

June is busting out all over, including our garden. Yesterday evening was beautiful, so we sat outside and had a beer after supper. I took a stroll around the yard and snapped some pictures.

Our irises are just reaching their peak right now. Mixed with deep purple bachelor's buttons and pearly yellow ground cover (a don...

A visit with Deanna Jewel and Trey McShannon

Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm visiting Deanna Jewel's Colorado lodge this morning, and Trey just happened to ride in for a chat! Come and join us for a spell, the chairs are comfy and coffee's on!Link is being cranky, it's http://www.deannajewel.blogspot.com

A Musical Push

I posted recently about the interconnections between music and writing. Now, it seems that the fates are conspiring to nudge me into playing again. We'll see where that leads.

For a few years, in my late twenties, I worked quite hard at becoming a better singer and guitar player. That's how I met my hubby. He had moved from Ottawa back to his family's roots in Nova Scotia to pursue music, and he was looking for guitar students. I had decided I was in a rut with my playing and wanted to take l...

And the Watercolor Winner is...

Kelly Boyce! Congratulations, Kelly! I'll be presenting you with your prize at our RWAC workshop on Saturday. See you then!

Review: Naked Edge by Pamela Clare

Naked Edge is Pamela Clare's latest release in her I-Team series, romantic suspense novels featuring the members of a team of investigative reporters at a Denver newspaper. I've read one other book in the series, Extreme Exposure, which I enjoyed, but didn't find extraordinary.

I'm not a big romantic suspense reader. I find that very few achieve a good balance between romance and suspense, and characterization suffers for the sake of action. Even so, the intriguing excerpts on Ms. Clare's b...

Words and Music

Music has always been a big part of my life. My mother tells me that when I was very small I used to sing to myself in bed at night. When I was a little older, I sang in the car. I had a fixation on Johnny Cash when I was about six, and cheerfully belted out Fulsom Prison Blues and Ring of Fire as we drove along. Later I learned to play guitar and fell in love with Celtic music. I enjoy other musical genres as well, but the simple, heartfelt tunes I can play and sing myself are closest to my ...