No Regrets, But... (#IWSG)

Would Have, Could Have, and Should Have are three old friends who I try to avoid these days.  They just waste my time talking about things I can't do anything about...

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog. 

      The co-hosts for the December 6th posting of the IWSG are Julie Flanders,Shannon Lawrence, Fundy Blue, and Heather Gardner 

December 6 question - As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?

         "No regrets" is one of my life rules.   But sometimes we can speculate and it's not like it's not obvious to me.  My answer is simple:  The thing I would have done differently is I would have written more.   

        Really though I can think many things that I should have done more of--a lot of them being the things I should have done more of every year.  I don't want to complain though as I have a great life and for now my future looks fine.  Things could always be better, but they could get a whole lot worse so I give thanks to God for what I have.

        So rather than think about what I did or didn't do last year, I'll start mapping out what's ahead.  Downsizing my life is definitely a big priority for me and I've been working on that one.  I need to start reading again--at least a half hour a day at barest minimum.  There are several other things I have in mind but no point in rambling about them here.

          The big thing that concerns this current post is that I need to start writing more.  Writing with intent.  Writing with a goal in mind.

           Keep telling myself.

           Do you ever really do enough of anything that you enjoy doing?    Do you spend more time writing or reading?   What is your favorite part of a journey taken?

To vote on my current Battle of the Bands please click HERE.  

Where Is Your Heart? (#BOTB)

The pursuit of love can make one a fearless fool while to deny love can make one foolishly afraid and eventually filled with sadness and regret.

 a love heart in water (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Loving another person involves risk.  Betrayal and rejection can harden the heart, but not necessarily the spirit.   For many an artistic person, the hurt that follows the abandonment becomes like a junkie's drug in reverse.  Some poets thrive on pain.  Some of our greatest creative geniuses have left us at such a young age knowing little recognition until after they had passed from this world.  The heart is an elusive thing.

Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some blogs there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle on the 1st of the month.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this post for more Battle action.



Where Is Your Heart?

          Often known as simply "The Song from the Moulin Rouge" the song performed in that movie which is lip-synced by Zsa Zsa Gabor while sung by obscure vocalist Muriel Smith should be more appropriately called "It's April Again".   Some of of the more well known recordings are instrumental versions by orchestras such as that of Percy Faith.  The song was originally a French song called "La Long de la Seine" making this a song that can be found under a few different names with many recordings of diverse stylistic forms and performing artists.  The version known as "Where Is Your Heart" was very popular in the fifties and into the sixties. 




Jonah Jones  "Where Is Your Heart"  (1961)

         Jazz trumpeter Jonah Jones began his career in the 1920s playing on Mississippi riverboats.  He  had numerous recordings released with his ensembles from the 1950s up to his death at age 90 in ther year 2000. 





Joni James  "Where Is Your Heart" (1958)

      My father liked the singing of Joni James so much that my parents named one of my sisters after her.  I never knew this until my mother told me a few years before she died.  I don't remember ever seeing any of James' albums around our house and I only vaguely recall her name back when I was a kid.





Time to Vote!

        These are two very different versions with something to be said for either one.   Do you have a preference between these two choices?   Which version do you like the best?   You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.


Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Cherdo on the Flipside 


Winner of this Battle Announced on Friday December 8th

        Between now and results announcement day I'll be making my contribution to the Insecure Writer's Support Group on Wednesday December 6th.  In the meantime, between now and next Friday, please don't forget to vote on this Battle.   Come on, have a heart!

           Did you ever love someone who couldn't seem to return your love?   Have you ever learned about another's love for you that you never realized was there?  What is your idea of the ultimate romantic location real or imagined?

The Exclamation Point Makes the Difference

What's the point of this post?  The point is the point which is not the point you may think it is...

Toulouse-Lautrec self-portrait in the crowd, at the Moulin Rouge, Art Institute of Chicago (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

           In my post for the Remakes Blogfest,  I had mentioned that Baz Luhrmann's version of The Great Gatsby was my favorite remake while I hated the director's 2001 film Moulin Rouge!.  Many have said that this is a love it or hate it sort of film and I can vouch from my own experience that I can see why the film would create such separate camps.  The music sequences are colorful and dazzling and well performed, but the story did not grab me.  I also found the characters to be annoying.  I'll likely give the film a third chance someday--someday when I'm in a strange mood, stranger than normal. 

           My reaction to that film made me hesitant to watch the 1952 film Moulin Rouge after I'd saved it from TCM for later viewing.  Since my wife had also hated the Luhrmann film of the same name except with an exclamation point, she always declined to watch the earlier version for fear that it might be like the other film.   Since I was sure that the film without the exciting punctuation mark would be different I waited until one night that I was watching movies alone to check it out.

Moulin Rouge (1952 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

           Worth every award for which it won or was nominated, Moulin Rouge is a feast for the eyes as the story of artist Toulouse-Lautrec (played by Jose Ferrer) unfolds in come-to-life artwork that made him famous while telling the story of the amazing but sad life that he led.    A stellar cast includes an interesting portrayal of a cafe singer done by Zsa Zsa Gabor--I'd thought she only did game shows and variety show appearances.

            For me this film was an introduction to a famous French artist with whom I was familiar.  His artwork is prevalent having often been reproduced on items easily found in places like Target, Pier One Import, or the like. In other words I basically knew his style and some of his specific works without being intimately familiar with any of his works.  Many of his more famous paintings are recreated cinematically in the film. 

          Life stories whether exactly true or not are a film genre that I enjoy.  Moulin Rouge fits nicely into what I'd want to see in any biopic.   I'd highly recommend this film to anyone who might enjoy such a film as I have described without going into too many details.  This is one of those films that hit me with an impact that I'm still thinking about it--and it's been nearly a month since I watched it.

          If I haven't forgotten a film a day or so after I've seen it then that must mean something to me.  Odd how that works sometimes.

         What film have you seen that left such an impact on you that you continued to think about it for a long time after you'd seen it?    Have you seen this 1952 version of Moulin Rouge?    Care to hazard a guess as to what my Battle of the Bands song will be this coming Friday December 1st?