Tuesday Tunes: Alexandre Desplat "The Meadow" and "Benjamin and Daisy"

    It's been all work and no play for me lately but, thankfully, Spring Break is just around the corner!  All of this studying, though, has given me the chance to just shut myself in my dorm room and listen to some incredible instrumental pieces. These pieces, without a single word, convey an enormous amount of emotion. Not to mention, they're great to just listen to while curled up in a blanket, drinking Yogi tea, and writing a paper with the space heater warming my toes. Trust me, I'm an expert at this!
   
So, this week I'm sharing a couple of pieces by the two time Grammy-winning composer, Alexandre Desplat. His music is a new discovery for me, although I've seen many of the films for which he has composed.

The first piece is called "The Meadow" and just because it was written for the Twilight series doesn't make it any less beautiful. I simply consider it outside of the context of the amusing Vampire-Werewolf- Human love triangle.

 The second piece, also by Desplat, is from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and is titled "Benjamin and Daisy." This piece is simple, yet lovely and definitely a great piece for paper-writing! Enjoy and Happy Tuesday!

Ash Wednesday is Weird

Today is Ash Wednesday, a bit of a strange day to both those who practice the Catholic faith, or another religion which observes this day, and those who don't. Even though I've grown up with this tradition and have had a priest press his thumb into a dish of ashes and proceed to smudge them in the shape of a cross on my forehead every year of my life, it still seems a bit, well, unusual, maybe even unsettling. However, the words said by the priest are intended to startle. "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return." I mean, it's weird and unconventional. This is the one day during the year where I'm starkly told, "Look, you're made from nothing but dirt, and someday you'll be nothing but dirt and worm food in the ground again."

I didn't take this one, but I like it and I found it on the interweb. :)

 It's a scary thought; one that might not make a person terribly fuzzy inside. I mean, where's the happy-go-lucky Heaven talk that we're used to? No one WANTS to think about death. We trot blissfully along, sharing our memes on Facebook, complaining because we missed the last episode of The Bachelor, and making our Dunkin' runs each morning, griping about how slow traffic is on the way.
We just had Valentine's Day, with all these cute, albeit overpriced, pink cards, and giant stuffed animals and thoughts of love, romance, and gushy-mushy feeling-ness. Then, BAM! Ash Wednesday sneaks in so quickly that we could miss it if it weren't for the fact that someone's telling us we're going to die. (Not exactly my favorite self-esteem booster!)

"Carpe Diem" Taken in Warner, NH

  And yet, I know that without a doubt, this is, in fact, one of the most important days of the year, because if it weren't for that oh-so-strange tradition of wearing a cross of ashes upon my forehead once a year, when else would I stop and consider that life is short; that I could die tomorrow; that nothing is certain in this world and that maybe I need to love a little more? Sure, Valentine's is the day that claims to be all about love, but in many ways, I think Ash Wednesday is the better reminder of  how to love. I'm not talking about the Taylor Swift "Cherry lips, crystal skies" kind, or even better her, " You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess" stuff. I'm talking about loving that guy at work whose voice grates on you like nails on a chalkboard, or the girl who doesn't wear enough deodorant; about having a sincere compliment for that student who always seems a bit down at school, or saying hello to that guy you usually avoid because his Facebook posts are all about cats. It's the tough love that Ash Wednesday reminds us of, saying "Wake up! You have only a tiny, tiny piece of time to love and give and when you're tired, to give some more!"
So yes, Ash Wednesday is weird; weird and beautiful, and absolutely necessary in this world of superfluous, silly, and stodgy happenings. It reminds us of the simple fact that we are human, that we are mortal, and that life will be over in the blink of an eye.

       

Sometimes, you just need to wear that little black dress!

There are moments when  my brain does this thing where it decides to present to me every unanswered question in my life ALL AT THE SAME TIME! "Where are you going with your life?" "Why don't you have that figured out yet?" "Oh, and why does your hair look like Barbie's after she was sucked through the lawnmower?" And usually this occurs during a week where I'm tired, or hormonal, or sick, or all of the above. So, sometimes after a week like that, a girl just needs to don a little black dress, put on a pair of heels, and dance with her man. And that's what I did.
 Granted, I think every woman loves those days where nothing in the world can make her lather on foundation, or mascara; those Netflix-bingeing, oreo-eating, "ain't- getting -up- for- nothing- other- than- the- bathroom" kinda days. But, on the other hand, once in a VERY blue moon, it's great to just feel pretty and have someone tell you it's true. After all, we women are beautiful creatures, right? We were made in a way that makes us, to put it simply, admirable.

The aforementioned little black dress, and the man.

So, dear lady readers, if you're feeling down in the dumps this February; if your skin is as dry and pale as mine has gotten, try painting your nails a fun shade, or attempting to create one of those 40 billion outfits you pinned on Pinterest from your own closet, or maybe treat yourself to a day of pampering. You might be surprised at how much of a difference the little things make. If you feel good about yourself, or maybe just a little more refreshed, I promise it'll show!
 Oftentimes, I find myself sinking into the daily routine, the endless motions of getting out of bed and drearily trudging to the shower, slipping into the most convenient outfit available, and heading out the door, only to find later in the day that I had a deodorant stain front-and-center on my shirt, which escaped unnoticed in the rush. Other times, just the idea of brushing my hair sounds as daunting as one of Hercules' labors. I think sometimes, I just forget to care, and to take the trouble to feel good about myself. It's an uphill battle most of the time, and especially during the months where leg-shaving is like bulldozing a miniature rainforest.
Obviously, your happiness doesn't come down to physical appearances, but  they certainly do help.
If not, there's always too much Netflix,  and never enough Oreos.         

Tuesday Tunes: A Fine Frenzy "Almost Lover"

Today's song is slower, more melancholic and a tad angsty, about of a love gone wrong. It's written and performed by songwriter Alison Sudol, who is the lead singer of A Fine Frenzy.The lyrics are shared below because they themselves are beautiful and perfect for this cloudy, winter's day. Enjoy!

Alison Sudol, lead singer of A Fine Frenzy

                                                      Listen to this song on Youtube!

 

                                         Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy

                                          Your fingertips across my skin
                                          The palm trees swaying in the wind, images
                                          You sang me Spanish lullabies
                                          The sweetest sadness in your eyes, clever trick

                                          Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy
                                           I thought you'd want the same for me

                                         Goodbye, my almost lover
                                         Goodbye, my hopeless dream
                                          I'm trying not to think about you
                                          Can't you just let me be?

                                          So long, my luckless romance
                                          My back is turned on you
                                          Should've known you'd bring me heartache
                                          Almost lovers always do

                                         We walked along a crowded street
                                         You took my hand and danced with me in the shade
                                         And when you left you kissed my lips
                                         You told me you would never ever forget these images, no

                                         Well, I'd never want to see you unhappy
                                          I thought you'd want the same for me

                                          Goodbye, my almost lover
                                          Goodbye, my hopeless dream
                                          I'm trying not to think about you
                                          Can't you just let me be?

                                          So long, my luckless romance
                                          My back is turned on you
                                          Should've known you'd bring me heartache
                                          Almost lovers always do

                                         I cannot go to the ocean
                                         I cannot try the streets at night
                                         I cannot wake up in the morning
                                        Without you on my mind

                                        So you're gone and I'm haunted
                                        And I bet you are just fine

                                        Did I make it that easy to walk
                                        Right in and out of my life?

                                       Goodbye, my almost lover
                                       Goodbye, my hopeless dream
                                       I'm trying not to think about you
                                      Why can't you just let me be?

                                       So long, my luckless romance
                                       My back is turned on you
                                       Should've known you'd bring me heartache
                                       Almost lovers always do

                     

                                                       

Where are all the candy sampling jobs?

There is nothing more stressful for me than the yearly search for a summer job. It's inevitable, but I prolong the scary process as long as possible by shoving the thoughts of applications, interviews, and resumes to the most dusty corners of my brain. Now, however, is the time when they begin creeping out and whispering sinister things like, "Time to go back to bagging tampons for minimum wage each day!" or, " Can you see yourself in the Burger King uniform? You'd look like a beached whale! But a pretty beached whale, don't worry!"
ummmmm..... yeah, no. Please. No.

What I wanna know, is where are all the candy sampling jobs? Or ice cream? Heck, I'd settle for cake at this point! Or, on the other hand, if someone wanted to pay me to go garage-saleing (Yes, in my book that is a legitimate verb!) I'd be pretty fantastic in that area too. My resume could read:

 -EXPERT CAKE, CANDY, AND ICE CREAM CONNOISSEUR!
-QUEEN OF THRIFT SHOPPING AND GARAGE SALES!
-WILLING TO SAMPLE SWEETS AND FIND TREASURES AT ALL HOURS OF THE DAY!

Hello? That's a fantabulous resume right?!?!
Well, I thought so anyways....

I guess at the end of the day, I'll be thrilled to find any job, but if it's candy sampling, or Thrift Shopping my happiness will be complete.

Back to the real world. I have a paper to write, and a resume too. (Sigh) First world problems.