Been dreaming of writing or polishing off a fair few solo self written songs over the last weeks. Some recorded part ways. Some still floating about in my mind. All needing to be polished up or completely re-recorded.

But over the past month to weeks…other needs were/are a plenty.

8 thoughts.

1). Frankie the Fella (kittencat) and attention seeking of a permanent nature as a Bengal/Maine Coon cross breed. He does not stop. When asleep even, the slightest sound has him jumping up and enquiring what it’s all about. He’s a true Summers’ cat…..his mind for enquiry can’t switch off!

2). Pure simple exhaustion from travelling, sometimes through storm damage resulting in floods. It was a 130 miles one way drive to Worcester (260 miles return trip sometimes in one singular day. I am so good at maths! Not. I achieved 5% in my mock ‘O’ level exam at school). These trips happened a fair few times in order to help our daughter and grandchildren to move everything from their old house and then subsequently decorate (by painting every wall) their old house to brighten it all up. Now in their new home, Angie, myself and of course our daughter and grandchildren couldn’t be happier. So well worth the efforts. And Christmas should be an absolute joy for them all now. Each of the four now have their own bedroom.

3). However. Through these efforts and being old now, it resulted in subsequent illness. Extremely debilitating dizziness, spinning, night sweats, nausea, headaches, sleeping over two whole days to heal and awful feverish night sweats were symptoms. I believed it to be either exhaustion, coming down from a high stress period in life, dehydration, or, most probably I believe as a nurse deliberating, an inner ear viral or even bacterial infection.

4). Christmas decorating and trying to get motivated when still feeling rough from the illness experience. Loved it though. My Nan was egging me on from her place amongst the stars. But, in reality, I was very dizzy still and the slightest turn made the spinning reoccur and had to grab at the nearest support. And I was climbing up ladders into the loft/attic to search through our 50 years of Christmas collective. There are some dozens on dozens of amazing decorations still in boxes up there. But, I reached my limit when I thought the symptoms would heighten and my immune system would crash again.

5). Nursing a broken back molar tooth from biting down on something in the breakfast muesli about 3 months ago and snapping it in half horizontally. Ten weeks to wait for an available dentist appointment for it to be fixed. Having been fixed it broke down straight away due to bite pressure. It was apparently bite pressure from the upper molar that caused it to happen. So back again last Friday and now perfect. But I wonder if it breaking contributed to an inner ear infection.

6). Application of generally looking and reading at how to improve technological knowledge with the Apple M2 home recording system, all over the last four weeks, are hampering progress. It worries me subconsciously that I am not up to the task of getting decent sounds on the table. But you never know unless you try. Glass half full belief.

7) AND! Ggggrrrrrr! Being scammed on Facebook when buying our bulk logs supply for the open fire over winter. They didn’t arrive and the seller disappeared. With the money being paid up front. So I was outside yesterday breaking down the two year seasoned beech sawn tree trunk we got taken down due to high winds shifting it a bit too worryingly. Shame really. The bees loved its sap laden leaves. Nice! Spring/Summer visits made the beautiful sound of a Beech Tree with bees a-buzzing. High winds made a resulting need for the horrible sound of a Chain Saw with blade a-buzzing.

8). Just basic realisation of I’m getting older. I can’t do what I once did. As a staff nurse there were very many days of high pressure, stress and simply being run ragged. Those years have all but put me into the sphere of fragility now. However, remaining positive in retirement by decorating the house top to bottom, moving onto the gardening need to turn a jungle into something more manageable (and grow vegetables too)……and having music back in my life has each in their own way, been priceless. The best vibe healing scenarios imaginable.

And so. I realised I am changing my nature from now on to life as currently exists. Playing CD music choices this morning? No pop rock and playing the songs that everyone knows to bring a party atmosphere. I chose Kate Rusby and her folk drenched beautiful sounds. I have ordered five of her winter/Christmas CDs. The first, While Mortals Sleep, arrived yesterday and is absolutely a pure treasure of an album.

Followed by Christmas Concertis, 21 pieces by Corelli, Locatelli, Manfredini, Torelli, Albinoni, Pachelbel and Vivaldi. The best 50 pence charity shop buy ever.

Now playing are the Benedictine Choir. Another 50 pence bargain too.

From AI Google search:

‘The Coro de monjes del Monasterio Benedictino de Santo Domingo de Silos, or the Choir of the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, is located in the Benedictine Monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos in Northern Spain. The monastery is situated in the province of Burgos, at the end of a small valley’. 

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Self writing songs presently are a bit hit and miss application wise…..ergo the need to listen to a more relaxing choice of music. Hot salted caramel cane syrup infused black coffee and a gluten free mince pie accompanying this very nicely indeed.

It’s ‘nice’ (my word for the day) to have the accompanying harmony and musical instrument stuff playing around in my brain alongside the few days required to gain strebpngth back. See! I can’t even spell strength. But! Be nicer still to ‘lay those sounds down in reality…..man!’ I am postponing reality. But January will be the realisation of starting afresh. I believe it will be a great period in my life.

And my hopes for next year? Recording the songs properly and releasing the music onto Bandcamp. Maybe a few little open mic gigs locally. However…..I have realised the past year long weather has been awful. And I want to feel like a hippy again. Burning with the need to play outside the VeeDub Bus, on the beach, fire pit burning and a few beers in the fray with a couple of mates. Guitars in hand and playing our self written songs.

Next song in my head? Not a Christmas song to write. That can be next year’s ambition. If you are interested, here are the beginnings of some lyrics. I have the melody. So half way there.

Nice!

There she goes.
Looking for all the world like an angel.
Her friends tell me she’s gone for good
It’s understood
But I don’t believe them
Because she promised me we’d be together
Old and grey
Walking hand in hand
By the sea.
Until we….
Touched the sky….together.
And we’d fly…..together.
Forever high…..together
And yet still……together…to
Catch one more day.