Tag Archives: music

A Jazz Experience.

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I walked across the Woodstock town square to a restaurant-lounge called “Joey T’s.” This establishment has live jazz bands performing Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

When l walked in the door, the band was already playing.  The group, composed of four members, was set up in the lounge’s bay window area.  At first, I thought the band was in between sets and practicing.  However, as some time passed, I realized that what they were doing was playing songs.

To me, their music was incoherent and overly loud.  They sounded like people who never had musical training and were just banging the drum helter-skelter and hitting any note on the trumpets.  Perhaps they were improvising.  Perhaps I just could not appreciate their style.

As much as I really appreciate most types of music, this particular jazz band disappointed me, and I believe it’s mostly because of the loudness. I like jazz, but sometimes a band ruins the experience for me.  Unfortunately, I forgot to find out this band’s name.  On the brighter side, this is only one poor experience of many, many good ones.  This will not prevent me from seeking similar entertainment in the future, as I am open to new experiences.

As ever,

✿●▬●✿ ©2023 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms ✿●▬●✿

Excerpt from my upcoming book, “On the Town,” ©2023

A Night at the Opera – Part 2.

entertainment, music, opera, , , , , ,

It’s opera season 2023, and this time we saw Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.

We ate a light supper before getting ready.  It wouldn’t work out to eat at a restaurant, since there are not that many along the way to the theater, which was in another town.

I wore a black and white dress with a sparkling black and gold shawl.  Best Friend wore his black Beatle boots with dress pants and shirt.

The drive to the theater was easy, rain clouds hung in the distance, and we made it to the theater in about 40 minutes.  The parking lot was crowded, but we easily found a spot to park our car.  We later learned that the lot was crowded because there was also a private birthday party for “Chris” in a small conference room attached to the theater.

When the doors opened, we took our seats – orchestra left center.  We had a good vantage point of the stage, and we were excited for the opera to begin.  Especially since a gaggle of chitty chatty women were standing next to us in the aisle talking about their sons, their daughters, the beauty salon, the manicures they just got . . .

Patrons were dressed casually, and I observed it all – shorts, t-shirts, jeans, sparkling blouses, and khakis.  Something that I wish people would cut back on is dousing themselves in cologne.  It’s enough to gag an elephant.

The Mikado was enjoyable, although sometimes it was difficult to understand the spoken dialogue.  The costumes were not what I expected.  Since The Mikado takes place in a fictional location in Japan, I expected kimonos, yukatas, and traditional hairstyles.  Instead, the costumes had hints of traditional dress – shoulder pads, vague oriental designs, and the like.  Mainly, the costumes were of late nineteenth century Western style dress for both men and women.

Despite my disappointment with the costuming, the story was funny, and the songs were sung with strong, rich voices.  My favorite piece from The Mikado is “On a Tree by a River (“Willow, tit-willow”), and I have liked that song since I was little.  And . . .

PIRATES ADD

We picked up a coloring book for my grandnephew that tells an abridged version of The Pirates of Penzance.

This was nearly a three-hour opera, and by the time we returned home, it was after eleven o’clock.

It was all worth a night out.

As ever,

✿●▬●✿ ©2023 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms ✿●▬●✿

Festivities 2022 – Part II.

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Being the holiday season, Best Friend and I decided to attend an evening at the philharmonia orchestra, where the playlist promised holiday songs from classic to popular.  It was that, and so much more.

We dressed warmly since the weather was chilly, and that called for something hot to eat.  We began our evening with a hot meal of barbecue at an establishment near the performing arts center.  As Best Friend noshed on beef brisket and I on pulled pork, we noticed a trio of old houses across the field.

BBQ 1

After eating, we drove past the houses, I grabbed the addresses, where further research revealed that they were built in 1924.  Two of the houses have one bedroom and one bath, with a whopping 620 square feet of living space.  The third house is a two-bedroom, one bath with 727 square feet of space.  The houses need quite a bit of work to return them to their original glory, and I wished that my research had a glimpse of their interiors, but sadly, there was none.

1924 HOUSE 203 OSCEOLA

We arrived at the performing arts center and took our places in the orchestra left center seating.  The auditorium was packed; I didn’t see an empty seat, but then, I wasn’t inspecting every row.  I was entertained with the visuals of the incoming patrons before the concert began.

DEC 22 PHILHARMONIA

There appeared to be a favoritism of red sweaters and vests throughout; so much so that when I spotted a woman wearing a sparkling forest green pantsuit, it was a feast for my eyes.  Unfortunately, I was unable to snap a photograph of her fashion statement.

And speaking of fashion, we saw everything from ripped jeans to three-piece suits to sequined blouses to ugly sweaters over yoga pants.  There were so many different fashions that it would fill a book – which might be a thing to do for me, one day.

There was a young woman who sat in front of me.  Her fashion statement was interesting.  Her long hair was a bright turquoise blue, save for the black roots, and she was heavily made up, right down to the tarantula-like false eyelashes.  She wore a beige velour top that barely covered her tuchus, and her black suede high heeled boots came well above her knees.  I could only whisper to Best Friend at this sight, “Hi, G. I. Joe.  I love you long time.”  To which Best Friend replied, “Five dollah.”

I LOVE YOU LONG TIME

The music was good, as was the singing, to an extent.  This philharmonia orchestra (as they call it) is a group of volunteers who do not necessarily sing and play musical instruments as their full-time employment.  For example, one of the singers is a preacher who has his own congregation in an adjacent county.  Best Friend nicknamed him “Country Jesus Elvis.”  I will leave the idea here for you to picture him in your own imagination.  I silently panicked when he started going up and down the aisles singing his tunes, and I dearly hoped that he wouldn’t get as far as our row.  After all, if he was going to encourage patrons to sing, too, I don’t do that for free, and I knew that wasn’t coming.  Thankfully, he never got as far as our row.

The music in the second act was jolly in its own way, but it did not follow what was printed on the playbill, for there was a bit of juggling around to add several more songs.  I wondered if the singers were becoming tired, for the usually peppy songs and the more religious ones were sung almost at a dirge-like tempo.

DEC 22 PROGRAM

All in all, it was a pleasant evening for the both of us, with a few visual curiosities not on stage thrown in for good measure.  Though the orchestra was not what we thought it to be – we anticipated a more reverent experience that a philharmonic orchestra brings – we got sort of a cruise ship-Disney feel to the entertainment.  With that in mind, the entertainment was still worthwhile.  We’ll just know for the next time we are looking for philharmonic rather than Disney.

We have several more festive avenues to experience before the arrival of Three Kings Day.  I will be sharing some of them with you over the next several weeks.

In the meantime, keep your holiday season festive.

As ever,

Lady Susan Marie Molloy

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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Festivities 2022 – Part I.

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The winter holidays are a sparkling, twinkling, enchanting time of year filled with pretty panoramas and, if you are so inclined, religious observances.

Best Friend and I kicked off our holidays this month with a trip into town for the annual boat parade.  The weather was pleasant enough for us to walk around the lake and enjoy the lit decorations that were strategically placed within the park.  We caught a glimpse of Santa Claus in a boat ringing his jingle bells with great fervor.  We thought Santa would float on over to where the tall Christmas tree was and light it with all the pomp usually afforded such celebrations.  But alas! it was not to be.  The hands of the clock turned to 6 o’clock, and the tree, along with other electric decorations lit up automatically.  No pomp, no speeches, no carols, no gaiety.  And Santa was floating on a boat somewhere on the Chain of Lakes.

Oh, and there were no hayrides as promised in the flyer that announced the boat parade.  Speaking of the boat parade, that in itself was sparse.  Yes, there were boats docked at the piers, some were positioned on the sandy shore, but they weren’t in the parade.  All in all, there probably was a small handful of decorated boats, but the one Santa was on was the only one I spotted.

Well, that parade fizzled out.

Earlier that evening, while we were resting on a park bench, a trio of Mormon missionaries interrupted our meditation to proselytize.  Best Friend handled that well, and the trio went on their merry way to menace a lady with a baby.TREES LIGHTS PARK

Best Friend and I spent some time walking the paths within the park, and since we were getting very hungry, and the on-site restaurant had a two-hour wait for a table, we left and grabbed a bite at one of our local chain restaurants.  That experience wasn’t anything to write home about, but it was fuel.  Afterwards, we headed home for a relaxing evening with a contemporary movie about a dog who saved Christmas.  It, too, was nothing to write home about.  In fact, we both decided it was sappy.

During this holiday season, we have been streaming music through the Internet.  As I wrote in my essay, Looking Beneath the Surface., some of the more contemporary music and singers are something less than enjoyable in my realm.  Most have that so-called “creaky voice” or “vocal fry” that is not attractive.  Many singers also have that need-a-laxative voice.  You know that type of voice – it’s deep in the throat, the vocal cords straining mightily to get something out, and it’s a colossal struggle.  Think “All I Want for Christmas is You” croaked out by Mariah Carey.  Then go from there.  Guaranteed you will find that most of today’s singers have those phlegmy, gravelly, struggling voices mixed in with electronic mixing.  No, thank you.  Give me those smooth, velvety voices from days long gone.

At home, one of our trees is up and decorated, and underneath it, a few wrapped presents are waiting to be opened on Christmas Eve.  The rest of the main house is sprinkled with glittery decorations and lights.  We declined decorating the casita this year.  We usually add another tree there with lights, but we decided to focus on decorating the main house instead.  It’s good to mix things up sometimes and not fall into a doldrum or rut.TREE FIREPLACE 1

One of the biggest projects we have is addressing our Christmas and Hanukah cards.  We might toss in a few New Year’s cards for those who don’t celebrate either of the religious holidays.  We are still vacillating on including a short holiday letter, so we’ll see what we decide.  There still is time before mailing the cards out, so there is no need to stress about it all.

This is a season in which to sparkle and revel in your own style.

Make your holiday season festive.

As ever,

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen PalmsGREETINGS FROM THE CITY

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Looking Beneath the Surface.

carols, christmas, christmas carols, holidays, songs, , , ,

We awakened early this December morning.  The crisp, cool air felt lively on my face as I opened the kitchen door to let in the outdoor air.  At 58oF (14oC), the crisp air was a welcomed burst of freshness.  The sunrise, though short, was a pretty ombre of yellow, peach, and pink strewn across the eastern horizon.

One of my Christmas traditions is listening to holiday-themed music.  This year is no exception.  For us, we began playing songs last Thursday, and continue every day, even if it’s only for an hour or so.

We turned on the music for a bit of festivity.  Whilst listening, “The Little Drummer Boy” sung by Andy Williams popped up.  This is the song whereby a little kid goes to Bethlehem to bang his drum for Baby Jesus since that was the only gift he could give.  Ra-pum-pum-pum-a-dum.  I listened closely to the lyrics this time.  I heard something that struck me – or rather, it was something I didn’t hear that struck me:

Mary nodded . . . the ox and lamb kept time . . .

But wait!  What about Saint Joseph?  Where was he, and what was he doing at the time?  What was the donkey doing?  There is no mention of either of them in this song.

Granted, the lyrics are what they are.  But is it always necessary to know more?  I believe so.  This song always seems to lack the full story.  It would make a better story for me to know that Joseph took the donkey and rode to the other side of Bethlehem for carry-out, maybe an order of falafel or at least Chinese (it’s a Christmas tradition for some, of course.)  Knowing that Joseph was an honorable and providing man, he would make sure Mary had something to eat.  She would have been pretty darn hungry after delivering Jesus.

Then there is “Driving Home for Christmas” by Chris Rae.  Gracious mercy!  It is the only song I know that gives a play-by-play of driving in heavy traffic:

I’m driving home for Christmas

Oh, I can’t wait to see those faces

I’m driving home for Christmas, yeah

Well, I’m moving down that line

And it’s been so long

But I will be there . . .

At this point, why is it that the singer “can’t wait to see those faces?”  Where has he been?  Why the surprise?   Was he in jail and just got sprung?  Was he in the service and is home on leave? Or is he one of those people that pops up during the Holidays, hoping for a wad of dough-re-me or a stack of presents?   There is no clue.  Yet, this song goes on with descriptions of heavy traffic:

Top to toe in tailbacks

Oh, I got red lights all around

For a bit of translation from British English to American English, “tailbacks” is a British term for bumper-to-bumper traffic.  Honk your horns!  The singer judges the guy in the car next to him:

I take a look at the driver next to me

He’s just the same

Just the same.

I still want to know the reason the singer is going to surprise the people at his destination.  Is his intention respectable or nefarious?

I prefer the traditional carols with singers who sang with no electronic enhancements.  Today’s singers?  Well, they yell, holler, and scream.  You don’t hear their voices; those “voices” you hear are the artificial creations the sound engineers create, along with the instruments’ sounds.

Right now, Bob Dylan’s version of “Must Be Santa” is playing.  It has a polka beat.

Oom-pa-pah.

Good heavens.

As ever,

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

FRONT DOOR 1A (1)

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Early Holiday Preparations.

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A light fog hung on the grounds this morning as I looked out my window, the sandhill cranes trilling lively in the distance, the air feeling heavy with rain.  I cradled a cup of Earl Grey tea in my hand, as I let random thoughts somersault through my mind.  It felt as though this year had sped by, and now here it is, the end of November, with only thirty-three days left before we begin a new year.

As the holiday season began last week, and heads towards a full swing, it struck me as this is a good time to round out the month of November and its supposed focus on thanksgiving.

Drama dared to pop up its ugly head in the past couple of weeks or so; it’s such a crying shame since it has been absent most of this year.  Best Friend and I are grateful that we are not in the thick of the theatrical stage acting of that drama, but why, oh why, must it come knocking on the door from time to time?

Thankfulness is a virtue and a very private one.  I, for one, have much in the way of thankfulness, but I prefer to keep the specifics private.  Not everything needs to be – nor should be – publicized in the public square.  I will say that our celebration was just right for us in all aspects.

Packing away the Thanksgiving decorations (as little as there is) is a priority in preparation for decorating The Oasis at Four Queen Palms this year.  That’s about as far as it got as of this writing; decorating for Christmas will be in the coming days.

Over the weekend I baked a dark, English style fruitcake, using the recipe from the Antoinette Pope School of Cookbook (1948, by Antoinette and François Pope).  This cookbook is my go-to recipe and cooking method guide and has been a staple in my family since the early 1950s.  I’ll write more about that in a future essay.

I soaked the fruit in brandy for two days before preparing and baking the cake.  This step was a success, and now the cake is packed well in parchment paper and tin foil, aging for the next two weeks in a cool place.

I spend most evenings reading, snuggled in a chair by the fireplace, long into the night.  Currently, I am reading Old Times in Dixie Land by Caroline Elizabeth Merrick.  It was published in 1901, and it is a fascinating book.

December promises to be a grand month, filled with activities both here at The Oasis at Four Queen Palms and in the outside world.  Some of the stores are decorated with lit trees, garland, and greenery.  The restaurants are likewise decorated.  I’m waiting to see who in our neighborhood will be the first to set up their blow-up penguin or ginormous dinosaur in the front yard, because nothing says “Christmas” like a ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex, or a faded fat Santa Claus, or even a smiling Chilly Willy.  It is lost on me why Christmas decorations have become – dare I say it? – tacky?  Granted, there were plastic snowmen and reindeer in front yards years ago, but now there are twelve-foot vinyl blow-up monstrosities in characters that have nothing to do with Christmas:  Star Wars, dragons, dinosaurs, station wagons, Noah’s ark . . .  Well, I do get a laugh out of the ridiculousness of it all, so I suppose they have some purpose.

A few neighbors in this area already decorated their houses with clear and colorful twinkling lights, evergreen wreaths with large red ribbons, and red poinsettias on porches.

I’m already planning dinner menus, gathering gifts to wrap, perusing my Christmas card list, and the like.  We play Christmas music every day.  The jury is still out if a Christmas letter will be on the schedule.  I do vacillate on doing one.  It does not pay to include one to the people with whom we have regular contact, but the ones we rarely hear from . . . well, is it worth sending a letter?  Perhaps not.  Perhaps just a note of well wishes for the coming year.

Best Friend has by now bought tickets to the theater.  We are greatly looking forward to that, for those nights out mean worthwhile time just for us two.

And as a matter of course, there are the private religious observations to be followed.

Best Friend and I took a small break one evening and shared appetizer plates of heirloom cherry tomatoes with ham and a shrimp platter with hot dipping sauce.  I served them on our Fiestaware pumpkin plates.  We spent this time watching a Christmas-themed movie, “Father Christmas is Back” with Kelsey Grammar.

TOMATO HAM APPETIZERS

SHRIMP APPETIZERS

I look forward to sharing some of our holiday life during these upcoming weeks, and without the drama.

As ever,

©2022 The Oasis at Four Queen Palms

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