So, spring has sprung Down under … not that you'd notice! Cold and miserable is the order of the day, so I'm taking matters into my own hands and throwing winter out the window with a post that extols my favourite new season virtues; as well as some last season irritants, because what is life without a rascally rant every now and again?
Have you heard of Melody Gardot, an amazing vocalist, with the soul of a poet and an inspirational life story to boot? 'My one and only thrill', is her latest work and it's fast becoming a firm favourite and new 'Jus, the movie', soundtrack.
Actually, I've been wanting to ask someone about this for ages, however I'm not sure I want to talk to a real live person about inner weirdness, so I'm unleashing my egomania onto the bloggy world… does anyone else have a soundtrack to their life? I know that the funeral song has become something of a talking point of late, and anniversary/wedding/first snog songs have been around for ages, but I have a 'walking down the street when my hair's super bouncy' and 'standing in the queue at the supermarket, pulling the zen face, whilst inner turmoil rages as I debate whether or not to throw that Curly Wurly into my trolley' songs. In fact, the list is endless… am I alone?
SPRING VEGETABLES… come on ladies, scream it with me!!!
I am uber excited about the tiny green shoots popping through our waterlogged patch. I am and always will be a lover of a good, hearty stew, but all good things must come to a natural end and I'm craving a crisp, crunchy mouthful of sweet, baby veggies fresh from the garden.
As promised, I'd like to end with a gripe.
I am an avid Op Shopper, blimey I even volunteer one morning a week in the local Sally Army store sorting through smelly linens and old man undies, such is my love for the Charity Emporium; but can somebody please tell me when the Op Shops forgot they were Op Shops and started to believe they were bleedin' Marks and Spencers!!! Sleek merchandising with price tags to match and Saturday girls who simultaneously smirk and yawn are expected in the malls, but I prefer my charity shop to smell faintly of cats wee and moth balls. It needs to be packed to the brim with soft toys, mismatched cups and saucers, cheap clothes and grubby bedlinen and I'd like a law passed that the old dears behind the counter always have time for lengthy conversations about local bus routes, cups of tea and grandchildren.
Thank you for listening… x
I hear where you're coming from Jus!! Not about the music, that's just plain crazy lady, but about the op shops. Who the heck told those ladies that op shopping was the new black and got them to up the prices?? There is still one that's OK to visit but the others can go fishing for all I care. Don't they all know how much of a buzz we get from a super duper deal?
ReplyDeleteDear Jus, I love, love, love it all !!!
ReplyDeleteThere's a lot of shared history and shared present experiences between you and I so I'm wondering if we lived some parallel life together?!
I'm going to take this slowly, so bear with me:
Melody - never heard of her, but love the voice and the bubble bath - I'll need to explore more about her.
Siouxsie and the B's - yipppeee! I was there, aged about 14-ish, bouncing up and down at a concert in good old Bath, when tickets cost about £5 as opposed to £50 - aaah, those halcyon days.
Wombles - bring it on!!!!! I'm always remembering I'm a Womble, most especially when I'm contemplating how I could re-use a yogurt pot as a Silver Wedding Anniversary gift ;-)
And now you get me started on the Op shop / Charity Shop debacle - great word,isn't it, debacle???
what the hell ??? is all I can say to those charity shop managers, and seething about Mary Portas under my breath. Like what planet are they on if they think I want to pay £5 for a skanky, stained, bobbled, faded, misshapen tee shirt when I can buy them for £2 in Primark !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It makes me so very, very angry - in fact I can hear the voice of Steve Wright's Mr Angry in my head now !! And so it is, that if I go to charity shops it's usually to browse (though there is a couple of old style ones in our high street thank God) - but for me, my income being non-existent, my favourite place to shop for clothes and all things second hand is the Car Boot Sale, where I bought a fabby dabby white linen shirt, hardly used, for only £1 last week.
Okay, that feels, better.... I'm back in my cage now....
Oh you do like to stir things up, don't you??
Denise x
It's far too long - sorry !!
Yep I say blame bloody Mary P too, she tried to groove up the old dears and not enough of them rebelled with lethargy. They even seem to know what they're selling now and put auction house price tags on the good bits. I still have two favourites - the British Legion asks how much you want to give them. Good mood I think a £1 is fair and on a tight old scrooge day 10p pretty much hits the price tag for me. My other favourite is the stinky Cat Shelter CS. The lady in there smiles endlessly is bonkers and has things of worth hidden under the counter (nudge nudge) I'm talking coloured knitting needles and buttons here before you go off visualsing.
ReplyDeleteNow then never heard of this singer lady, but if listening to her makes me look that gorgeous I'll give it a go. Keep bouncing and enjoy your summer it can't be as crap as ours are.
X
Mmmmmmm cats pee and moth balls - just as op shops should be.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the Spring - I'm sure it will awaken soon.
Nina xxx
My mom just told me about this Gardot woman, and yes I am liking it.
ReplyDeleteI have a soundtrack in my head at all times, makes it hard to sleep.
Op shops should not be shiny and expensive, I could do without the cat wee but, would rather have it than overpriced and new plastic bits.
I've been reading blogs translated from other languages this morning so it seems I cannot write normal in my own voice but with strange sectionals.
well I can live without the cat wee & mothballs & in some frankly - BO but I know what you mean - piles of new clothes all bagged up wassgoinon?
ReplyDeleteI'm now working in our new village one on Tuesdays & got some lace edged linen to play with & a huge skirt - NOT for me- though I'm heading that way- but it was alo made from lace & linen & only 50p.
As for wetting my knickers & making pompoms in my first primary school - they are linked because someone not only nicked my pompom but stole my seat. I was so upset I wet myself !
( aged four & a half )