note: I’m gonna go out on a limb here. Naming this post with a “1” after it implies there will be more to come…let’s see how well that works out. Meantime, enjoy the break from most things serious!
Way back when I was in the duo Laura & Thereza*, we came across yet another ‘Celtic’ song that we liked and consequently arranged and performed at various gigs. That song was: Whiskey in the Jar.
An example of a traditional rendering of Whiskey in the Jar by The Irish Rovers
While fooling around with our 12-string guitar/violin take of the piece, middle daughter tells us we should listen to how Flogging Molly plays that very song**.
Flogging What?
Therein lies my first introduction to the phenom known as 90s Celtic Punk.
…and the name of this group has haunted me for decades….
What does Flogging Molly mean, anyway?
That question re-visited me recently during one particularly hot & humid July night, when it was impossible to sleep even with the AC on.
I got up, grabbed a pen and listed out a few possible answers to this question, hoping that would ease me back to sleep.
It didn’t, but here’s my list.
1st thought: Molly’s being flogged
2nd thought: Molly’s doing the flogging
3rd thought: it’s a description of their music as having a ‘flogging’ driving beat; relentlessly continuing on and on and on
4th thought: an image of the drummer in the band as the ‘flogging’ force behind their music
What say you?
Oh sure, you can google the story behind the name of the band – but where’s the fun in that?
An example of Flogging Molly’s Celtic Punk style of music
*Laura and Thereza (from the liner notes of unexpected)- this duo was created when the pair first met as performing members of the Denver Mandolin Orchestra in 2001. They each recognized in the other a high level of musicianship, commitment to the music, and depth of technical training. They soon began playing together as a duo with Laura on classical & 12-string guitars and Thereza on violin & mandolin.
**As I perused YouTube for that very song by that very group, I couldn’t find it. That makes me wonder – did middle daughter own a bootleg cd of that very group?!? Hmmm, yet another thought to ponder. 🙂
FYI: A few days ago, I received my “Happy Anniversary – you registered on WordPress 11 years ago” notification. It may be my last.
Let me explain.
Surrounded by my notes, I just now sat down, opened my computer and logged onto my WP account to begin this newest Weekend Notes post. What I originally hand in mind to write involved copying a paragraph from a previous post, so I hit the “All Posts” button on my dashboard. Instead of the usual listing of previously published posts, I was presented with a chaotic array of vertical post titles and empty space. An ominous sign that more such chaos lurked elsewhere throughout my website/blog.
That’s when I knew the script changed.
Please consider this my ‘message in a bottle’ that hopefully gets out there for all to view. Given the above intro – this bottle may or may not reach anyone.
Dear blogger buds, followers, friends, and readers of all sorts,
Most of you know the ups & downs, joys & travails of using WordPress. Many of you know I personally have experienced a huge increase in the downs & travails of it beginning March 2024.
This newest set of freaky developments are not quite the final push for me to chuck this platform.
However.
In order for this website/blog to continue I know I am in for multiple rounds of trying to decipher, redo, fix, wait for/give up on tech support answers, etc. I know I’m in for a huge dive back into the technical aspects in going forward with this platform. This all takes an enormous amount of time & effort to enable this website/blog to simply go on doing what it is meant to do.
Will I be successful?
Why should I be? I’m no computer programmer or WordPress technician expert. Nevertheless, I have learned numerous tricks, HTML bits, plugin compatibilities, go arounds and more of the technical side of WP functionality/maintenance than I ever thought possible.
Don’t get me wrong, I love learning and a challenge. But given the fact that WordPress solicits itself as a user friendly, no technical knowledge needed platform with abundant tech support, I feel I’ve gone way over and beyond the call of duty.
And now, more than ever, as I am entering into a long awaited focused ‘Purple Patch’, with my 2024 projects & goals, I resent this intrusion into my valuable time. After all, this website/blog serves my (he)art, not the other way around.
So, just in case the blog goes silent again, know I am trying my best to maintain my website/blog presence. You can always email me and/or use the contact form to get in touch, if you like. 🙂
First seen in this earlier post and then again in part 1, a certain coffee mug takes center stage as an example of a ‘quick TryOut’.
That said, the ‘quick TryOut’ to finish Aromatic Steam Arising is only as good as the sum of its parts. Meaning: one of those parts was to compose a soundtrack specific to the video. That part was right up my alley and I certainly had fun noodling around on both the UKE and CG for ideas. The noodling resulted in two separate 4 measure motifs which I then entered into my NOTION notation program and arranged as a duo. Adjusting for the duration of coffee mug’s stellar performance, I came up with the 34 seconds of music needed for use in the video.
That was the easy part. Next came the actual putting together of a cohesive video highlighting my raw unedited phone footage in sync with a NOTION instrument rendition of my ASA 34 Seconds accompanying audio track.
Enter stage left – the challenging part of my ‘quick TryOut.’
Armed with some working knowledge of Canva, I decided to go forth and dive deep into using their free tools for video/audio projects. It took me a few days but I learned much through the process.
As promised, here is my first attempt at making a video with my personal & original uploads using Canva tools. Enjoy!
I’d say we got off easy, though not without cost. Over the years I subtly prepared for this eventuality by adjusting clothes and boxes for the least amount of damage once the dreaded occasion arose.
All that to say, due to a unique ricocheting leaking process, water puddled on top of the big red plastic bin as well as on the floor beneath it.
Fine. Except not really.
I placed a sturdy U-Haul cardboard book box filled with my latest & most special composition books, journals and pieces of writing atop that big red plastic bin in order to keep it from being soaked in the event of such an eruption.
Best laid plans…it was soaked.
However, no clothes or shoes were ruined (big sigh of relief) and the damage to the notebooks numbered three journals soaked, with manageable wetness on another handful.
Honestly, minimal damage on that front. Though of course, those three notebooks soon became the most important of the entire lot.
At first, I thought, ‘Okay, time to just let my decades of journals, Morning Pages, etc go. At the very least, grab the earliest entries, skim and toss.’
But then…let’s just say that one of the soaked three was nearest and dearest to my heart. It contained my Summer of Dad entries – including those made during my last days with him.
“Hard times, these days. Yesterday’s huge take away for me was when I kissed Dad good bye ‘before you get all messy from lunch.’ And I spoke in the Italian as he’d been going in and out of Italian, ‘Io t’amo, mio Padre.’ To which he emphatically – immediately responded with, ‘I love you, too!’
The other two, though not as poignant, proved hard to let go of for a different reason:
The Pandemic “lockdown” and its historic if not creative significance in my myopic life at the time. One even contains pre-Pandemic scenarios morphing into the unrelenting reality of the early months of the Pandemic. Thus, easily highlighting the contrasting paths of life interrupted in one compact composition book.
Last page, last paragraph taken from the 1/2020 – 4/2020 journal:
“The myriad turn of events and the speed with which they’ve occurred is phenomenal…Just within the pages of this compo book we went from being in business negotiations poised to buy that new business in San Diego, to finding a rental home in Austin to be closer to business partner, to changing plans & gearing up for a move to Las Cruces, NM fully pre-approved and in pursuit of purchasing our chosen home, to being packed and ready to move once all i’s were dotted and t’s crossed, to almost death by Symbicort*, to dealing with the cold reality of life in the time of COVID.”
4/21/2020 (annotated)
I spent most of that day blow drying those three drenched journals. Focusing on my Summer of Dad one, which emerged a questionable save. The other two are reasonably saved. But what of those now puffy, ugly, hard-to-read and unwieldy three? What of those outer visual reminders of the broken times contained within?
Some practical things I learned:
School glue-sticked articles, photos, magazine pictures and other creative extras used to decorate and punctuate the pages release their hold once wet and then blown dry.
Of course – that’s why it’s for school use!
All except normal Bic type pens are subject to performing the disappearing act when exposed to drenching water.
But even then, writing on both sides of the paper becomes all mixed together and harder to decifer.
I’m not ready to go through those accumulated journals (which were in that big plastic bin) and am no nearer a resolution on what to do with them all before I die.
This singular event spun off re-dedication in going through ‘important’ papers, projects, not just the journals. The ephemera of a life mindfully collecting said ephemera!
To clarify, I am a periodic purger, so it’s not like this stuff hasn’t been scrutinized and gone through multiple times over the years – organized and available for use if and when needed.
In my case that includes many published articles in complete, virgin condition magazines and other publications. Plus, multitudes of concert programs, printed reviews, promo materials, permission to record requests, proof of said permissions, etc, etc, etc.
In short, the curated files of a life’s career before, during and after digital replaced paper – which actually added to the paper and created the Rabbit Hole of associated computer files.
On top of those considerations, I keep hearing the mantra: Purge your Portfolio. Which means making certain that whatever is kept, should reflect best efforts at the very least.
Seriously, I do purge old recordings, score attempts, early drafts of anything on a regular basis in order to clear the clutter of creative thought. But sometimes, it’s handy to see the progress of the process during a certain project’s creation…
Is it vain of me to feel like I just can’t chuck it all?
How do you reconcile the legitimate stuff to keep?
Input? Ideas? Help!
*my doctor casually handed me free samples of Symbicort to supplement my asthma rescue inhaler treatment, to which I had an immediate life threatening serious reaction…obviously I survived.
Kagge’s essays reveal why silence is essential to our sanity & happiness – and how it can open doors to wonder & gratitude.
This photo of E. K. reflects the grit & intensity of character required to complete the “Three Poles Challenge”.
In 1994, famed Norwegian explorer, Erling Kagge completed what’s called the “Three Poles Challenge” by reaching the North and South poles as well as the summit of Everest, all on foot.
excerpt from: ‘Silence In the Age of Noise’ by Erling Kagge translated by Becky L. Cook
6.
“Silence can be boring. Everyone has experienced the ways in which silence can come across as exclusive, uncomfortable and at times even scary. At other times, it is a sign of loneliness. Or sorrow. The silence that follows is heavy.
However, silence can also be a friend. A comfort and a source of deeper riches.
Shutting out the world is not about turning your back on your surroundings, but rather the opposite: it is seeing the world a bit more clearly, staying a course and trying to love your life.
Silence in itself is rich. It is exclusive and luxurious. A key to unlock new ways of thinking. I don’t regard it as a renunciation or something spiritual, but rather a practical resource for living a richer life. Or, to put it in more ordinary terms, as a deeper form of experiencing life than just turning on the TV to watch the news, again. “
– A coincidental gift received during National Poetry Month – As natural as breathing, sharing works of (he)art is part of my everyday.
A few days after my last post was pubbed, a longtime friend noticed the ‘tree painting’ on the shelf beside Gracie. This prompted her to share a reading by Amanda Palmer of the following poem by Mary Oliver. She’s been listening to every day.
Gracie’s Photo included the day’s calendar artwork
WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES by Mary Oliver
When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily. I am so distant from the hope of myself, in which I have goodness, and discernment, and never hurry through the world but walk slowly, and bow often. Around me the trees stir in their leaves and call out, “Stay awhile.” The light flows from their branches. And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say, “and you too have come into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled with light, and to shine.”
Khaya Ronkainen is a South African-Finnish writer. Her work is largely inspired by nature but often examines the duality of an immigrant life. She is the author of two poetry chapbooks, Seasons Defined and From the Depth of Darkness, published through her imprint. Some of her work has been anthologized as well as featured in various publications. She is currently at work on her third poetry collection about all things pandemic and political. To learn more or connect with her, visit her blog at www.khayaronkainen.fi
Here we come to the third and final part of our (he)art to (he)art interview with Khaya where she elaborates on the universal language of love (part one here, part two here). Please read on to the end where I reveal who won the free autographed copy of her “From the Depth of Darkness”.
LBL: How many languages do you in fact speak and/or understand?
KHAYA: Hmm…let’s see! I speak and understand five of the eleven South African official languages. I also speak Finnish. I’ve also studied a bit of Swedish and basic Spanish. Out of all these, I only speak four fluently, and dream only in two; Xhosa and English.
I dream in Xhosa
LBL: There’s a drastic difference between South Africa and Finland! And yet, you seem to have embraced your adopted home. I suspect that connection was due to falling in love with a Finn!? Care to elaborate on what brought you two together?
KHAYA: True, there’s a drastic difference between these two countries. But there’s not much difference between people; we all want the same things in life. Tell me one person, who doesn’t want to be loved! I’m not talking about romantic love now but a universal love – being seen and accepted for who we are.
What brought us together? [Laughs]…Love, of course, is what usually brings people together. It’s that same love that saw me leave my warm and sunny birth country to embrace long, dark and cold Nordic winters. Love transcends everything, doesn’t it?
But what has kept us together and happy all these years is equally important. Our backgrounds, how we were raised, and our way of thinking are quite similar, even though we were born on the opposite sides of the world. We have so many things in common. For instance, the spirit of adventure (taking risks, being open to things we don’t know and learn, embrace the unexpected) is one of the things we share.
And oh, yes! I have the best in-laws ever. They make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world! So, again, the language of love has played a huge role in embracing my adopted home and vice versa.
LBL:You make building and nurturing relationships seem so easy to do. I assume this is how you approach relationship in your writing world as well, not only with readers but fellow writers.
KHAYA: Exactly. I see the reader of my writing as someone I’m having a conversation with. That is, it’s more than just saying come look, see, I wrote a book and now I’d like you to buy it. But it’s an invitation to explore the world I present in the book with me and exchange thoughts, ideas or even letters. My hope is always for the reader to see themselves in the world I share or learn something new or be inspired to share their world, too.
The same applies to relationships with my fellow writers. I value genuine conversations. Perhaps, that’s why blogging is my favoured way of interacting with other writers and writing communities. It allows for depth; learning more about the person behind the avatar. I like learning about how other writers and creatives, at large, navigate their worlds; the sharing of challenges and victories as our words find a home or take off to delight readers, wherever they find them. So, as it’s been said over and over again, “Other writers are not your competition but asource of support.” Because who else fully understands the struggles and joys of the writing life than another writer.
So, in closing, I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for this meaningful conversation. I hope you and your readers will enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed answering your questions. Thank you so much. And here’s to October!
LBL: …and to October babies! 🙂
And the winner is…L. Marie! Congrats!
Please comment below and I’ll send on your autographed copy of “From the Depths of Darkness” via snail mail shortly.
Note: Fabrics in photo are traditional South African shweshwe cloth – sent to me by a dear SA quilter recently. I thought they added a little something to the display of Khaya’s chapbooks.
