I haven’t been getting through many books recently. I do tend to read just one book at a time although if you look at my Goodreads thingy it often looks like I’m reading four or five at once.
At the moment I’m reading Oblomov by Goncharov, it’s the book I got in the Classics Club spin and although it isn’t due to be blogged about until the 2nd of May (I think) we’re going to Holland and Belgium before then so I want to get it done and dusted before we leave.
Otherwise I’ve been busy gardening, weeding to be precise. It seems that I have just about every known weed in the UK in my garden but today I managed to weed about 70% of the back garden, of course it’ll be just as bad again in a couple of weeks. A lot of ground cover plants are required to keep them in check I think. Just give them no room to germinate is my thinking, but that won’t help with the couch grass, ground elder and creeping buttercups that come in under the garden fence.
I got too hot whilst gardening, can you believe that? It was 11 C which translates to 52 F. You can imagine how I feel when it gets to 70 F, not that that happens often here.
Meanwhile, we’ve been asked by Gordon (youngest son) if there is a song that we would like to have played at his wedding in July. Yes Gordon and Laura are getting married at last.
So whilst weeding I’ve been trying to think of songs we like. If Jack and I have an ‘our song’ then it would have to be Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, by Sacha Distel. I think that came about because when we started going out with each other it seemed to be forever raining – well we lived in the west of Scotland, well known for wet weather. We walked everywhere and lived at opposite ends of the town from each other so we spent a lot of time in rain. One of my first gifts to Jack was an umbrella! But really ‘our song’ for some reason is associated with autumn for us. If we see a load of dry autumn leaves by the roadside we have to scuff along them singing that ‘Raindrops’ song – silly I know.
But it isn’t suitable for a summer wedding dance. I love Somewhere in my Heart by the Scottish band Aztec Camera, it’s a cheery summery tune, but some of the words are a bit weird. It begins well with the words Summer in the city, very apt as it will be summer and the wedding is taking place in Glasgow. I’ve always wondered what the second line is supposed to mean though – A baby bein’ born to the overkill. I wonder if it was written using the David Bowie method of cutting up random lines of words and rearranging them.
Summer in the city where the air is still
A baby bein’ born to the overkill
Well, who cares what people say?
We walk down love’s motorway
Ambition and love, wearin’ boxin’ gloves
And singin’ hearts and flowers
But somewhere in my heart
There is a star that shines for you
Silver splits the blue
Love will see it through
And somewhere in my heart
There is the will to set you free
All you’ve got to be is true
A star above the city in the northern chill
A baby bein’ born to the overkill
No say, no place to go
A TV and a radio
Ambition and love, wearin’ boxin’ gloves
And singin’ hearts and flowers
But somewhere in my heart
There is a star that shines for you
Silver splits the blue
Love will see it through
And somewhere in my heart
There is the will to set you free
And all you’ve got to be is true
Who could heal what’s never been as one?
And our hearts have been torn
Since the day we were born
Just like anyone
From Westwood to Hollywood
The one thing that’s understood
Is that you can’t buy time but you can sell your soul
And the closest thing to heaven is to rock and roll
And somewhere in my heart
There is a star that shines for you
Silver splits the blue
Love will see it through
And somewhere in my heart
There is the will to set you free
All you’ve got to be is true
Somewhere in my heart
There is a star that shines for you
Silver splits the blue
Love will see it through
And somewhere in my heart
There is the will to set you free
All you’ve got to be is true
Just in case you have no idea who Sacha Distel was have a look at him singing Raindrops.