Jodymoon Has Done It Again! Another Rough Amethist of an Album.

Hiya, my Internet friends!
When you have been waiting with baited breath for a new album for over a year, and "All is Waiting" finally plops into your letterbox, the anticipation is almost too much, isn't it?
My delight couldn't have been greater when I discovered the CD came with a handwritten post it from Jodymoon (or whoever packs and sends their CDs) to enjoy it. What a lovely touch!
(Told you I am a soppy old cow)

I had to wait a couple of hours for some peace and quiet, but then, at last, I could pop it into my docking station, put on my headphones, snuggle up in bed (my favorite music listening hideaway) and listen.

(Photo found on Google)

What struck me immediately is the great variety in the songs. Although there seems to be a kind of theme this time. Houses and places feature frequently. As they have chosen to record the music in their own Woodroom Studio in Maastricht, instead of in some foreign studio, this seems to have been an (unconscious?) leading motif. And emotions feature greatly, but this is nothing new for Jodymoon.

Take, for instance track # 7, 'The donkey dance'. It became my instant favourite, simply because I am a junkie for Johan Smeets' guitar playing, but also because of the way their voices blend and the poignant humor of the lyrics.

(As an English teacher my 'ear' for English sometimes trips me up where the lyrics are concerned. Digna Janssen (responsible for the lyrics) makes original use of my professional first language. But who cares if there is the occasional grammatical roughness? It's charming.)

This album is another rough amethist from a too-little known band. The single 'The long way round'  gets played on the radio this time, but I do not envisage an explosion of media interest in their fifth CD either, and that is such a shame! I suppose the reason is that Jodymoon is just not commercial enough.

On the other hand, perhaps they themselves aren't remotely interested in commercialism. I cannot pretend to know.

And it does give one a nice exclusivity at gatherings to be able to state that Jodymoon is simply the best Dutch duo around.

(Jody Who? Well, if you don't know who I mean...Are you sure you know anything about good music? Plug in your Nick & Simon and sweet dreams, my friend.)

The thing is, all jesting aside, I would like to urge everyone to get acquainted with this wonderful music. It speaks directly to your soul. Well, to my soul anyway!

(original photo by Perry Schrijvers)

So check out  "All is Waiting". You can find samples at their website www.jodymoon.com, but also on the Paradiso site (concert today!!! Wish I could be there) and through other concert venues. Simply Google.

I am looking forward enormously to the concert on March 15th in Walhalla Rotterdam.

And for all you international readers of Rays of Light: if there is just one Dutch band you would like to have music from in your music collection, just one, Jodymoon is a great buy.

Viggo's Haiku on Catfood

need crunchy nibbles

littering my old food bowl

five a.m. wake up!

When I Reach 20,000 page views I'll Throw a Cyber Party!

Good evening to you all, my International Friends!
And how are you, this blustery Spring evening?
I'm exhausted, but fine. Starting a new teaching job on March 2nd, right in the middle of Spring semester, isn't the epiphany of relaxation, I can assure you!

I've spent the last 10 periods trying to reassure the guys (and a few girls) that everything will turn out fine, and at the same time assuring them that I may look like a tubby comfortable pussycat but that I may turn into the Wicked Witch of the West when they try to cross me, or not take me seriously. I must say the majority took this rather well.

Six more periods to go this week, and then my first working week will be done.

And then the next couple of months will be the real test. Will they accept my teaching methods? Will their English improve? Time will tell.

And now for something completely different. (Thanks, John)

This blog has reached 18,023 page views. Being an eternal optimist, I take this as 18,022 times my blog has been read.

Golly.

Who would have thought, on Nov. 24th 2013? Certainly not me!

I'm mighty pleased that so many of you take the effort and time to read my musings. So, I've decided to reward and thank you all.

I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do, but that I am going to celebrate 20,000 views is a fact.

So, keep an eye out!

Have a great evening, and until next time.

(PS Viggo says 'hi' and wants to know if you miss him at all?)

Haiku on an Austrian Chamois

imposing mountains sunlight catches brown chamois I am so happy

Happy Spring to You!!!

It's here!
Meteorically that is...not so much temperature-wise. March 1st and SPRING has sprung! Hurray!

Don't know about you, but I am a bright skies-warm breezes type of person.

We have just returned from Austria, where calf-deep snow was lit up by a lovely warm sun, and that is what Winter is supposed to be like, as far as I'm concerned.

Not the grey, windy, endlessly wet winters we suffer over here in the Wetlands.

Anyway, we can look forward to more daylight and judging by how many bulbs are already in bloom, a festive garden.

This afternoon something rare and incredible happened. Whilst I was sitting in my usual spot on the couch, with a cup of fresh ginger tea, searching out some music to sing to, out of the corner of my eye I saw something drop from a height into the box hedge. Or so I thought.

When I looked properly, it turned out to be a sparrow-hawk sitting primly on top of the hedge, looking alertly around. So I hardly dared to breathe, let alone move a muscle, with just the window being between this bird of prey and myself.

It sat there for a minute or three, and then flew off. And then I saw the reason for it being in the hedge in the first place; it had caught one of our many blue tits in its talons.

Now, obviously this is not that bird, as I didn't dare to move and my camera was out of reach! This photo is kindly borrowed from the Internet (and its credit goes to Zoom).

What a wonderful encounter!

I wish you a great Sunday, and a lovely Springtime.

Update: it has visited our garden twice more over the last couple of days! Oh dear, I fear it has caught on to the fact that we provide snacks...

Haiku on a New Start

And happy to announce the latest leap of faith ;-)

Going going gone

another new beginning

my heart leads the way

Haiku on a Robin

Little Robin sings

His heart out in the cold wind

Catkins dance with glee