September ... When It Comes.

Today, here in Belgium it's Mother's Day, and it's a gray and rainy day.

It's like they say here: "it's Belgian weather". It's pouring rain! 

We're now half August and September comes closer.

September .... the month that includes so many memorable dates to me!

It makes me silent.

In September - now 52 years ago: I got married. 

In September - now 50 years ago: my son was born. 

In September this year: it will be already 5 years ago - since Pipke died.

- So I suppose you can imagine - 

when I heard this song 

last week on the car radio, that I can't get rid of the song.

Ever since it keeps haunting me. 

Especially the corresponding images on the YouTube film gives me shivers. 

You see a lifetime passing!

It makes me aware that life is short and that my life could have been so very very different.

September when it comes .........

 

Laura Pausini: One of My Favorites

On Sunday, February the second - I attended a performance of Laura Pausini, my son's favorite Italian female singer.

It was an exceptional experience but I must add that it was also a little a disappointment.

Why: well if you listen to a CD then the volume between the voice of the singer and the volume of the music instruments is more in balance. During such a concert it seems as if only the volume of the music instruments counts.

I find it such a pity because you almost can't understand the lyrics of the song.

The special effects and dance acts made it more attractive but in my eyes it could have been perfect if the volume wasn't so enormously loud.

You maybe know already I have hearing problems and even without my hearing aids I had to put my fingers in my ears because I couldn't endure the volume.

Probably - no almost certainly I'm getting old folks – although! Wait a minute, I do remember that I've seen also younger persons with their fingers in their ears.

I wonder why the organizers prefer to set the sound so loud. The members of the performing group - they almost all - sooner or later - get hearing problems even with protective ear caps.

I personally know a young guy who's hearing got badly damaged by only one loudly concert of the group AC/DC.

Since he attended that particular concert he now always hears a whistling noise in the background.

Unfortunately for him - there exist no treatment to resolve this problem.

For the rest of his live he has to live with it, and sometimes the noise can make him really crazy. He also has problems to understand a normal conversation well because of the disturbing beeping noise dominates.

Therefor - be warned folks: when you want to attend a concert prepare yourself. 
Buy protective ear caps and – wear them.

(Actually - in hindsight - I better had prepared myself but - I'd underestimated that it would give such a problem for me, because I don't hear so well when I'm not wearing my hearing aids.)
So - know that every little bit too much sound can cause troubles for you later. 

To close this warning post: if you don't know Laura Pausini jet, here's one of my favorite songs of her. 

La Solitudine (Loneliness) 

On this link you can find a the version with an adaptation of the Italian lyrics in English

Enjoy the music – and on this Valentine day ... let your dear one know you care about them!

You will never regret it if you've said it too often - but  - most important "also proof it" !

Have a great Valentine Day!

A Combination of my Favorites

This time about something completely different, *although .....

Probably you've already seen on my profile that one of my interests is: Classical music.

I think now these days it's a kind of music that's rather being ignored by younger people.

Most of them prefer to listen to contemporary music, and I can really understand them. Mostly contemporary music sounds cheerful, and I must agree – that's not so often the case with classical music. Actually – any piece of classical music is bound to touch the sensitive string in every classical music lover's heart. If you are downhearted you best don't listen to it. I myself, I'm not always in the mood to listen to it because it makes me sometimes melancholic but nevertheless I like to hear it so now and then.

When I'm in a cheerful mood then I listen (and/or dance, all by my self) to contemporary music, I really like it too.

Now I want to explain how I came on the idea for this post.

I was surfing on the Internet and I came by coincidence on this YouTube music video. I discovered there that they combined the things I love so much: a part of one of my favorite piano concertos of Serguei Rachmaninov supplemented with beautiful sensitive images and text.

If you love classical music then you will probably know this music piece.

OK – it's an emotional piece but If you are not in the mood to listen and look at it then please don't do it.

Info: Fyodor Dostoyevsky was a Russian writer and essayist.

I have seen an orchestra play this piece by Rachmaninoff, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Variation 18, in a real concert hall on November 25, 2004. 

The sound was overwhelming, something completely different from when you hear it on the radio or on your CD player. It was performed by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. The pianist was Igor Tchetuev. 

Cn the link  Igor Tsjetuev. you can hear and see him play an other piece of the concert that I attended.

Actually this was the best performance that I've ever seen and heard. He played the piece with so much power and diligence, it really gave me goosebumps.

I have this music on CD, but It has been a long time since I've listened to it. In fact: my CD player stayed closed since mid-August last year. This was at the time that Pipke became ill for the very last time.

Anyhow, I really love the images and the text they've added to the music. I find it a wonderful combination of beautiful things, things that matter in life!

Life is full of beauty.

Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces.

Smell the rain, and feel the wind.

Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.

Be happy!

Fran

I still want to add.I discovered something very interesting after I had written this post in draft. Did you know that: Classical music also pulls at the heartstrings of people in a vegetative state.

If one plays music to vegetative patients, their heart rate changes in the same way as that of healthy controls, suggesting that music can affect the neural systems of emotion even when conscious thought is impossible.

To Jeannie and Jen: do you remember the hilarious conversation which followed on the comments of this post.

It went about: "**een scheet in een fles"?

I said there : "And now I go from one extreme to an other, I will listen to Rachmaninov's piano concertos n°1 & 3"

Well -- the piece that you could hear here was the piece that I referred there.

(For those who don't know it: literally translated to English **this means: "a fart in a bottle".

If you want to know what the English proverb is for this, read the comments on this post:):) LOL.)

Maybe you're surprised -- but yes -- I can be funny and naughty too.

PS: I said *although because it goes again about "feelings", but it shows the way I am and how I feel.

I just hope that you don't get bored with it.

(Actually I had prepared this post already two months ago but hesitated to publish it because it was again all so sensitive.)

RESPECT in a Funny Manner

I want to invite you to listen to this Dutch song so you can hear how Dutch sounds.

Probably you won't understand this but I will, or at least I shall try -- to translate the most important sentences for you.

I chose this particular song not only, because the lyrics and the melody are so funny, but also because the text is so meaning full. I find the refrain very sensitive.

Before you click on the link I advise you to read the lyrics (see under in this post) first so you will know what it's all about.

The title of the song is: REPECT the singer-songwriter is Pieter Embrechts (a Belgian). The name of his group is: (don't laugh)

The Embryo's.

I know this song already several years, but now it has a special meaning for me and it will keep up with me for the rest of my days.

Why, maybe you can guess it, it has to do with Pipke.

They played this song on the car radio (on September 8, 2009) while we drove with Pipke for one of the last times to the vet. It was the very last beautiful warm and sunshiny day of September. That day my hubby refreshed the water of her pond for the last time and together we cherished the last sunbeams!

In fact it's difficult to understand poetry in an other language, and of course it doesn't rhyme at all in English, but in Dutch it sounds not only  beautiful and oh so simple but also funny!

Everything is said in “these* few sentences”. If you are not interested in the Dutch text then just listen to the song.

Here follows the translation, I hope that you can follow.

START

sommige mensen houden van lasagna

some people like lasagna

andere mensen dan weer niet

then other people don't

sommige mensen drinken graag champagne

some people like to drink champagne

andere mensen ne Fristi

other people prefere Fristi (a fruit and milk drink)

sommige mensen poetsen hun tanden

some people brush their teeth

sommige mensen dan weer niet

then other people don't

sommige mensen eten met hun handen

some people eat with their hands

andere mensen dan weer niet

then other people don't

sommige mannen zijn zwaar geschapen

some men are build heavy (have big testis:):)

andere schapen hebben weinig wol

other sheep don't have much wool

sommige mensen gebruiken geen WC papier

some people don't use toilet paper :)

voor sommige mensen speelt dat gene rol

for some people it doesn't matter

sommige dames dragen een hoofddoek

some ladies wear a kerchief

andere madammen dan weer niet

then other ladies don't

sommige mannen dragen nooit een onderbroek

some men never wear underpants :)

het gaat dus niet altijd om wat ge ziet

so it's not always about what you see

****

zoveel mensen, zoveel wensen en zo veel verschillen

*so many people …. so many wishes and so

many differences

zoveel mensen die vanbinnen toch hetzelfde willen

*so many people …. and they all want deep

inside the same

REFRAIN

warme dagen in de zon *warm days in the sun,

dat het eeuwig duren mag *that it may last eternal

en als ik u tegenkom *and when I encounter you

doe ik u een goede dag *then I greet you

This was only the first strophe and the refrain of the song, and although it becomes even funnier, I will make it short (to avoid that it will become boring), so l give you only the translation of the third (and most important) strophe.

have I, what I know found out myself

have I, what I say discovered myself

or do I repeat what everyone foretells me

and do I have respect for someone else

The essential point of the song is that: in fact we are all so different … but finally, we all want the same, that beautiful things could last for always, we all want to be happy.

Happiness has all to do with respect, be respectful for nature and all that lives, respect is a way to happiness.

Be happy!

**Warm days in the sun.... that it had might to continue to last for always!

Unfortunately …

I hope that you enjoyed the song, that it could make you laugh, and also that it incited you to reflect on it.

PS: I also hope that my conjugations are correct, especially the last sentences were very tricky for me.(:

**In Dutch it is: warme dagen in de zon.... dat het voor altijd had mogen blijven duren.

Maybe you can use the translator for the Dutch text, tell me later if you could make something out of it.

Till next time: probably I'll show you then my “two gardeners” in full action.