A reflecting time of year

Whenever I listen to this piece of music it puts me in a reflective mood. If you aren't familiar with it, you may know it as the piece that Billy played for Mel Gibson's character in The Year of Living Dangerously. Elisabeth Schwarzkopf has been dead for decades, but what a voice! She was also the soprano used in the movie. How ironic that I remember the name of the character Billy but not the name of Mel's character's name. He was just the pretty boy male lead, though, so why should I remember him? Billy was a brilliant creation.

Then the shuffle moves on to Doris Day singing, "Secret Love." Another incredible voice, though she's often viewed as corny from those goofy movies from the sixties. And it moves on again to Dolly singing "Jolene" and Buffalo Springfield doing "Expecting to Fly" and before you know it, the reflective mood is gone. That's the problem with shuffle. So hard to maintain a mood. But maybe that's a good thing, too.

Johnny Cash comes on singing, "If You Could Read My Mind," and the feeling isn't gone, and I have gotten it back. Then Dave Brubeck takes five and Smokey sings 'bout her having a hold on him...and I'm rolling again. Such is life.

So, Happy New Year to everyone! May the New Year bring you good moods, good health, good dreams, and the fulfillment of those dreams. Stay safe if you're partying--unless you don't want to stay safe, then just please stay alive. If you're not partying, hope your jammies are comfy.

( My modest year end lists. )