Author: jama

[spooky review] Paddington’s Trick or Treat by Michael Bond and R.W. Alley

~ jama ~ 10 Comments

It’s almost Halloween, that special night when wee ghosts, goblins and witches roam the streets collecting sweets. What’s your favorite? Snickers, Twix, Kit-Kats? Well, much as we love chocolate, the furry Alphabet Soup kitchen helpers and I agree there’s no finer treat than a brand new Paddington picture book. 🙂

In Paddington’s Trick or Treat by Michael Bond and R.W. Alley (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2024), our beloved bear from darkest Peru is super excited about his very first Halloween party. There’s just one problem: an uninvited guest is spoiling all the fun. Can Paddington trick him into leaving?

It all started Halloween morning, when Paddington came downstairs to breakfast carrying Mrs Bird’s best broom and wearing a trash bag draped over his duffle coat. He was working on his costume, since Jonathan and Judy had promised to take him trick-or-treating. Judy suggested they have a party afterwards, to which Paddington heartily agreed, as he’d never been to a Halloween party before.

After some convincing, Mr Brown okayed a small family-only celebration. So Paddington popped off to the market for pumpkins and baking supplies, while Jonathan and Judy worked on their costumes and party decorations.

When he got back, Paddington helped Mrs Bird bake “squashed-fly” (Garibaldi) biscuits, since he couldn’t find any at the market, while Mrs Brown hollowed out pumpkins for lanterns.

Later that afternoon, Paddington passed the time writing Halloween poems until it got dark. Finally, it was time to go trick-or-treating! In his cape, pointed hat, and frayed-rope wig, Paddington made a very convincing witch. The finishing touch was a set of fangs Judy had fashioned from an orange peel turned inside out. Spooky!

They had great fun trick-or-treating; Paddington got so many treats he could hardly carry them. Best head home — but before doing so, Paddington wanted to call on their grumpy neighbor Mr Curry despite Jonathan and Judy’s objections. Paddington disguised his voice while reading his poem, but Mr Curry recognized him. That’s when our well-meaning bear accidentally let slip that they were having a party.

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Joni Mitchell: ultimate blue

~ jama ~ 32 Comments

“I sing my sorrow, and I paint my joy.” ~ Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell photographed in the Nevada desert by Henry Diltz (1978).

It’s no surprise that the ultimate “blue” song comes from a musician who’s also a painter.

Joni Mitchell has said that she applies the principles of painting to her songwriting. One of her old art teachers once told her, “If you can paint with a brush, you can paint with words.” In “Blue,” the title track from her iconic 1971 album, she sings the color of her heart — a plaintive love song and “somber lullaby” of haunting beauty.

Mitchell is one of the few singer-songwriters whose lyrics read like poetry. She’s largely inspired by personal memories, relating her stories through vivid imagery, striking metaphors, judicious use of rhyme and inventive turns of phrase. “Blue” is achingly honest; there is insecurity and resignation, but also optimism.

*

“Portrait of James Taylor” by Joni Mitchell (Christmas 1970).
BLUE
by Joni Mitchell

Blue songs are like tattoos
You know I've been to sea before
Crown and anchor me
Or let me sail away
Hey Blue, here is a song for you
Ink on a pin
Underneath the skin
An empty space to fill in
Well there're so many sinking now
You've got to keep thinking
You can make it thru these waves
Acid, booze, and ass
Needles, guns, and grass
Lots of laughs lots of laughs
Everybody's saying that hell's the hippest way to go
Well I don't think so
But I'm gonna take a look around it though
Blue I love you

Blue here is a shell for you
Inside you'll hear a sigh
A foggy lullaby
There is your song from me

~ copyright © 1971 Joni Mitchell Music, Inc. (BMI)

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robin pieterse’s dreamy world

~ jama ~ 5 Comments

Dutch artist and pattern designer Robin Pieterse’s lovely paintings provide a welcome respite from the busyness and stresses of modern life. Inspired by nature, the changing of the seasons and childhood nostalgia, her depictions of people spending time together — whether indoors or out — are calming and restorative.

Robin Pieterse lives in the Netherlands with her husband, son, daughter, and dog Winifred.

Based in Zutphen in the Netherlands, Robin (b. 1999) comes from a “wildly creative family,” where “everyone was always working on something beautiful.” She can’t remember a time when she wasn’t drawing and loving it. Her mother is a landscape painter and art teacher; Robin says it is scary “how much of a copy of her I am.”

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clements brothers blues

~ jama ~ 44 Comments

“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness.” ~ Maya Angelou

New album: “Dandelion Breeze” by The Clements Brothers.

There’s nothing like a good song to lift your spirits. If you’re lucky, sometimes one musical surprise can lead to another.

Earlier this year, while scouring YouTube for a good cover version of Simon and Garfunkel’s, “April Come She Will,” I chanced upon a video featuring New England singer-songwriter and guitarist George Clements. His rendition was my favorite of the dozens I had listened to.

Hello, George Clements.

Wow. The beautiful voice, the exquisite guitar picking (and yes, the blue eyes!). Who is this guy, I wondered? How had I missed him before? As a longtime S&G fan, I just knew I had stumbled upon something quite special.

So I listened to George’s other swoon-worthy covers — Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, Paul McCartney, more Paul Simon — a veritable playlist of all my fave singer-songwriters. Then I learned George had played Paul Simon in an off-broadway show called “The Simon and Garfunkel Story.” Well, no wonder.

But there was more. To my surprise and delight, I discovered George has an identical twin named Charles ( I love twins!) who also has a beautiful voice and plays upright bass.

Blue-eyed twin musicians in blue (who could ask for anything more?).

Double the deliciousness, double the fun. Yes, please!

Charles and George grew up in a musical family, have been uniquely “in tune” since the womb, and have been playing music together for as long as they can remember. Another nice surprise: they are the youngest sons of popular children’s book author Andrew Clements, who sadly passed away in 2019. (Did you know that before breaking into publishing he’d moved to NYC to pursue a career as a folk singer-songwriter?)

Both twins are formally trained: Charles studied at the New England Conservatory of Music and the Manhattan School of Music, while George is a Berklee College of Music alum.

Cutie pie twins (my guess: Charles in the blue t-shirt?).

After fronting The Lonely Heartstring Band for about seven years, the brothers decided to rebrand as a duo, releasing their debut full-length album, Dandelion Breeze (Plow Man Records) in August 2023. This acoustic gem is an appealing blend of bluegrass, roots, jazz, rock, and classical influences, elevated by sublime vocal harmonies and instrumental virtuosity. The album features all original material save one track, and I’ve pretty much had it on continuous loop the last few months.

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[review + recipe] Granny Smith Was Not An Apple by Sarah Glenn Fortson and Kris Aro McLeod

~ jama ~ 20 Comments

Happy National Apple Month!

Time to wrap your lips around apple pie, crumble, crisp, pandowdy, buckle, slump, cobbler and dumpling. Inhale the heavenly fragrance of cinnamon and nutmeg. Sip some warm cider. When it comes to apples, they can’t be beat for variety and versatility.

What’s your favorite type of apple? I’m partial to Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, and Granny Smith because they’re pretty much available year round. Have you ever wondered whether Granny Smith was a real person?

I recently found out in this crunchy picture book biography, Granny Smith Was Not An Apple: The Story of Orchardist Maria Ann Smith by Sarah Glenn Fortson and Kris Aro McLeod (Peter Pauper Press, 2023).

Back in the 1800’s, Maria Ann Smith, an English “tough to the core” itinerant worker and orchardist, struggled to find work when manual laborers were being replaced with faster, more efficient farm equipment.

Since she and her husband could barely support their family, Maria Ann helped deliver babies in her village (historically, midwives were called ‘Granny’). She received payment in the form of food and clothing, then eventually worked in an apple orchard, where she learned about grafting and harvesting.

One day, two foreign agents arrived at the orchard looking for experienced laborers to work in Australia with a free voyage. Ignoring her neighbors’ warnings not to go, Maria and her family boarded the ship to Australia, enduring the arduous 4-month journey during which her five children fell ill. Maria kept her spirits up by thinking about a better life.

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