Nostalgia/Pretty Things: Carole King's Tapestry

"You've got to get up every morning with a smile on your face and show the world all the love in your heart."


Don't you love re-discovering an old record or CD that you haven't listened to in years, and then falling in love with it all over again?  I did it a few months ago with No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom and this week had a similar experience with Carole King's Tapestry.

At work this week I'm helping with a project that involves a lot of mindless data entry, so I've been catching up on podcasts and listening to a lot of music.  And after seeing that scene at the Tony's from the new musical about Carole King I decided to dip back into Tapestry.  My neighbor gave it to me in high school -- in record form, to boot! -- and I don't think I've heard it in about ten years in its entirety, so it was nice to dip back into it.

Ever since, I've been replaying Beautiful nonstop.  Have you rediscovered an album recently?

Pretty things: the neighbor's garden

On my walk to work, I passed this pretty flower.  I would love a garden of them.

Also, did not know this, but apparently it's in the onion family?  A friend of mine told me that when she saw this picture.

Facts: Making a summer list

When we were little, we always had to write a list of fun summer things to do on our summer vacations, and more often than not, we'd successfully do most if not all of them.

The lists were realistic -- no one wrote "Disney World and Space Camp!", for example -- and filled our three months with day trips of ice cream, Maine, mini golf, and fun.  Then we got older and summer jobs got in the way of lists.

This summer, my husband Ricky and I decided to make a summer list.  We made a Christmas season list as well, but the summer list seemed more fun.  Our lists are small, since we both have full time jobs, but still filled with fun weekends and excursions.  They are:

Ricky's List:
1.  Go to Newport, RI
2.  Go to the bird sanctuary
3.  Host a housewarming
4.  Introduce people to the Salem Willows

My list:
1.  Make ice cream
2.  Ride bikes to Marblehead
3.  Go the Kimball's and play mini golf
4.  See Shakespeare in the Common

They may grow but for now these are good starts.  I've already made a lot of ice cream, but my goal is to make a fun summer flavor.  Kimball's is a childhood memory and treat, since my family grew up in Westford, but I want to go back again and enjoy it.

When we check anything off of our list, I'll report back.