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February 2021 Wallpaper and Playlist

Welcome to February friends! Our families’ theme for this month is “Poetry”. We are looking at all the ways the rhythms of our days are filled with the poetic stuff of life. Sometimes we overlook the beauty in the simplicity. This last week my kumquat tree that Tim gave me for my birthday had its first fruit ripen. Every morning I wake up to bright orange fruit on the tree in my bedroom windows’ sunshine. Holding one of the orange fruits in my hands – it feels like magic, like poetry. My wish for you this month is that you can savor the little bright moments fully.

For the desktop, click on the image above to view the large size image

Also, we have introduced a new monthly rhythm! Tim is curating a playlist for you all each month. This month is called “Poetry” and is filled with rich, romantic songs that are the perfect warm and vintage feel to your February. Check it out on Spotify!

For the iphone wallpaper, navigate to this page on your phone and then click and hold on the image you want. Select ‘Save image to camera roll’. Then from your camera roll set your home screen/lock screen or both. I make a couple different versions so that you can use what works best for your device.

It Seems Like Some Thanksgiving Goodness is Needed Today

Last night is still sitting heavy in my heart this morning, so we are taking pause to just be quiet and thankful for the goodness and beauty that is around us. As I am writing this, my three girls are sitting in the sunshine making a strand of beads for our Thanksgiving tree. I am listening to one of our old Thanksgiving mixes and watching the flurry of activity out on my window bird feeder. I’m feeling like we need to be a little extra gentle with each other today. Here are some little bits of re-centering Thanksgiving goodness that are bringing me joy today.

A New Thanksgiving Playlist we put together for 2016 –


These really wonderful Chocolate Chip Zucchini muffins. Warmed up with a little butter, they make everything feel like its going to be OK.
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A lovely stack of Thanksgiving books from our local library inspired by this reading list.

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Write a note to someone today to tell them you are thankful for them. Here is a thank-you-note-printable I designed to get you started. Print as many as you like 🙂
(Click the link to open a printable pdf that is already sized and ready to print. I think it works best on cardstock paper, but whatever you have on hand will work.)

thank-you-card

Harvest Moon Playlist and More

Tonight is the harvest moon so we thought it was high time to make a new autumn “Moon” themed playlist. I love how old-fashioned and mellow this mixtape is. Enjoy!

 


And, just for fun, here is our Harvest Moon themed table/art/reading for the day. Lots of these inspired by the book “Exploring Nature” with Children by Lynn Seddon which I have been loving.

harvest-moon-goodies

 

And finally a Poem for the evening –

The Harvest Moon by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It is the Harvest Moon! On gilded vanes
And roofs of villages, on woodland crests
And their aerial neighbourhoods of nests

Deserted, on the curtained window-panes
Of rooms where children sleep, on country lanes

And harvest-fields, its mystic splendour rests!

Gone are the birds that were our summer guests,

With the last sheaves return the labouring wains!

All things are symbols: the external shows

Of Nature have their image in the mind,
As flowers and fruits and falling of the leaves;

The song-birds leave us at the summer’s close,

Only the empty nests are left behind,
And pipings of the quail among the sheaves.

 

Spring Cleaning Workin’ Playlist

Spring Cleaning to me is about opening the windows, turning up the music, and rolling up your sleeves to really dig in and get the grim out. Here is a fun Workin’ Mix we curated to get you going.

1. Whistle While You Work – Disney
2. Whip It – Devo
3. Happy Working Song – Amy Adams
4. So Fresh, So Clean – OutKast
5. Another One Bites The Dust – Queen
6. Takin’ Care of Business – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
7. Working for The Weekend – Loverboy
8. Working in a Coal Mine – Devo
9. Get a Job – The Silhouettes
10. Yakety Yak – The Coasters
11. Washing Dishes – Jack Johnson
12. Whistle While You Work – Louis Armstrong

“Birdie” A Curated Playlist of Spring ‘Bird’ songs

We made a playlist of “bird” songs after watching all the little birdies outside our window.

1. Surfin Bird – The Trashmen

2. Rockin’ Robin

3. Happy Working Song – Amy Adams

4. Blackbird – Sarah McLachlan

5. Norwegian Wood – Heather Nova

6. Little Bird, Little Bird – Elizabeth Mitchell

7. Birdie Brain – the Fiery Furnaces

8. I’ll Be Yr Bird – M. Ward

9. Bird on a Wire – Johnny Cash

10. Carol of the Birds – Mormon Tabernacle

11. Free Bird – Lynard Skynyrd

Mountains Playlist

We curated a “Mountain” themed soundtrack for your days this month. What would you add to this list? Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Music Playlist

          When I choose music for a Thanksgiving playlist a couple of things are at play- theme and feel. I search for songs that deal with the theme of “thanks” for sure, but I also try to choose some of the classic American music of the past, like The Platters or Elvis’ gospel music or Bing Crosby. The result is a warm sounding, roots kind of playlist with lots of gratitude in the lyrics.

Now Thank We All Our God • Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Amazing Grace  • Elvis Presley
Give Thanks  • The Platters
A Mighty Fortress is Our God  • Chris Rice
Shenandoah  • Chanticleer
Homeward Bound  • Simon & Garfunkel
A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving  • Vince Guaraldi Trio

I’ve Got Plenty to Be Thankful For • Bing Crosby

One Voice  • The Wailin’ Jennys
We Gather Together  • Quicny Choral Society

Autumn Leaves Playlist

Autumn Leaves
PLAYLIST

There is a change in the wind that happens come September. I think the trees are the first to recognize the chill and they respond accordingly. I respond by collecting songs that depict this season’s change from the heat of summer to the cool of autumn. 

Autumn Leaves • Nat “King” Cole
Autumn Serenade  • John Coltrane
Great Pumpkin Waltz • Vince Guaraldi
Forever Autumn • Moody Blues
I See Darkness • Johnny Cash
Leaves that are Green • Simon & Garfunkel
Autumn Shade • The Vines
Last Days of Summer • The Cure
Autumn in New York • Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
The Boys of Summer • Don Henley
Sun it Rises • Fleet Foxes
Autumn Leaves • Ed Sheeran

A History of Jazz Playlist

This month’s playlist follows the idea of branches.

We did a map with this run of songs depicting the beginning of jazz to present day flavors, starting with songs that would have influenced the genre on to it’s current state.

The Entertainer • Scott Joplin  • 1902
Livery Stable Blues  • Original Dixieland Jazz Band   • 1917
St. Louis Blues • Bessie Smith/Louis Armstrong   • 1925
Taxi War Dance • Count Basie   • 1939
All of Me • Billie Holiday    • 1939
Scrapple from the Apple • Charlie Parker/Miles Davis   • 1947
Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue • Duke Ellington    • 1956
Mack the Knife • Ella Fitzgerald    • 1960
Resolution • John Coltrane   • 1964
Bird Land • Weather Report   • 1977
Confessions to my Unborn Daughter • Ambrose Akinmusire    • 2011

July Playlist: Road Trip Songs

This was a really fun playlist to put together. A longer (much longer) version of it is on our Spotify (look up Betony Coons). Enjoy hitting the road this summer!

On the Road Again Willie Nelson
Here I Go Again Whitesnake
I’ve Been Everywhere Johnny Cash
Take Me Home, Country Roads John Denver
Life is a Highway Tom Cochrane
Can’t You See The Marshall Tucker Band
Joyride Roxette
Ride Like the Wind Christopher Cross
Song for the Road David Ford
Jerry was a Race Car Driver Primus
I Can’t Drive 55 Sammy Hagar
Route 66 Chuck Berry