Everything's coming up roses

I wish that I had a voice like Ethel Merman and could belt it out from my terrace to the probable horror and dismay of my neighbours… You know, her revered performance from Gypsy, which you can find here: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifwxqw5ldhe~T3
(just select “Everything’s coming up roses” then you can let it rip and continue reading at the same time!)
Indeed, Sheba and I are now enjoying a beautiful canopy of roses that are perfuming my office today (see close-up), and more are on the way elsewhere in the garden.
I currently have numerous blog texts in mind:

The Madame Butterfly Manifesto inspired by my unforgettable visit to the Dijon opera this past Sunday and the heart-wrenching lead performance by Marie-Paule Dotti, with a fantastic seat enjoyed for free thanks to my friend, opera singer Eric Demarteau;
The Quest for the Perfect Paris Brest (it’s a pastry, people, so get your mind out of the gutter!) most of the detailed research for which, hélas, was lost when my old laptop died, although it is still visible on my hips and thighs…
A worshipful tribute to food writer Jeffrey Steingarten and an equally reverential homage to Down With Love…

But unfortunately, due to the colossal amounts of the estimates mentioned in Size Does Matter, I’m having to work my poor fingers to the bone right now instead of regaling you with attempts at wit, irony or even accolades.
In the immortal words of Arnold S, however: I’ll be back.

Some enchanted evening

In preparation for my next post, which has not even been started yet, some music to put you in the mood... think Mary Martin, Ezio Pinza and the fabulous Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "South Pacific"...

Most people live on a lonely island

Lost in the middle of a foggy sea

Most people long for another island

One where they know they will like to be

Bali Ha'i may call you

Any night, any day,

In your heart, you'll hear it call you:

"Come away...Come away."

Bali Ha'i will whisper

In the wind of the sea:

"Here am I, your special island!

Come to me, come to me!"

Your own special hopes

Your own special dreams

Bloom on the hillside

And shine in the streams

If you try, you'll find me

Where the sky meets the sea.

"Here am I your special island

Come to me, Come to me."

Bali Ha'i

Bali Ha'i

Bali Ha'i!

Someday you'll see me floatin' in the sunshine

My head stickin' out from a low flying cloud

You'll hear me call you

Singin' through the sunshine

Sweet and clear as can be:

"Come to me, here am I, come to me."

If you try, you'll find me

Where the sky meets the sea.

"Here am I your special island

Come to me, Come to me."

Bali Ha'i

Bali Ha'i

Bali Ha'i!

Musical interlude number 2

What I'm listening to today, from Lyle Lovett's Joshua Judges Ruth
It could just be my anthem for the New Year. ;-)

Thank you my friend

I sincerely appreciate the words you say

About how she'll cry

And how she'll grieve and miss me

When she goes away

Say them again

I need to hear the words once more

I can't believe

How she'll miss me when she's gone

And how she'll want to come back home

And never leave

But she's leaving me

Because she really wants to

And she'll be happy when she's gone

She'll be happy

She'll be so very happy

She'll dance and sing

Or even learn to fly

And spend her time with anyone but me

What's that you say

That I'll get over her the more that time goes by

But time goes so slow

When all I have to do is sit around and cry

No she won't be back

I'd be a fool to try to fool myself that way

I know she hasn't one regret

Because she hasn't had one since

The day she came to stay

She's leaving me

Because she really wants to

And she'll be happy when she's gone

She'll be happy

She'll be so very happy

She'll dance and sing

And even learn to fly

And spend her time with anyone but me

She'll be happy when she's gone

She'll be happy when she's gone

She'll be happy when she's gone

She'll be happy when she's gone

Musical Interlude

What I’m listening to on this sunny Saturday of Indian Summer:

Teenage Fanclub’s “Ain’t That Enough” (from their album Songs from Northern Britain).

3 minutes and 42 seconds of pure melody and lush harmonies combining to create a pop poem that never leaves me indifferent (dare I say it makes my heart soar?).
For me, a sunrise is quite often enough.

Is British music so good because their food is so bad? Consider their cross-channel rivals, the French, who have taken cuisine to the highest heights, yet their popular music is, to put it politely, unpalatable… obviously no country can be strong in every artistic domain, but could there be some sort of inverse relationship between the ear and the stomach? I welcome your thoughts on this.

Meanwhile, I’ll share the delicious TF lyrics with you, although without the music it’s bit like having a mouth-watering meal put before a man with no nose… although if you click on the title of this post, it will take you to the album on Amazon where you can scroll down and hear a sample.

If you can I wish you would

Only if you feel you should

Bring your loving over

All adds up with circumstance

All stood up with taking stands

Bring your loving over

Highlights glisten

Silence listens

Days that found you

Embrace that found you

Here is a sunrise Ain’t that enough?

True as a clear sky, ain't that enough?

Toy town feelings here to remind you

Summers in the city do what you gotta do

Time can only make demands

Fill it up with grains of sand

Bring your loving over

Highlights glisten

Silence listens

Days that found you

Embrace that found you

Here is a sunrise Ain’t that enough?

True as a clear sky, ain't that enough?

Toy town feelings here to remind you

Summers in the city do what you gotta do

Toy town feelings whose gonna argue

Summers in the city Summers in the city