Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Fields of Gold

I'm having a sentimental day today.


CatMan's rehab from his fractured pelvis is coming along nicely, and we're able to ride together again. Today we took a nice 25 mile ride, the longest since his injury.

The fields were beautifully green with all the moisture we've had recently (a rarity here in Denver) and the dandelions were in full bloom. I know they're supposed to be weeds, but I still think they're so pretty.

Not my photo - just one I found on the interwebs

As we were riding along, I couldn't get this song out of my head. When we walked in fields of gold...


For some reason this song always gets me... well, this version of it anyhow. It's so beautiful and poignant  especially since Eva Cassidy, the singer, died from melanoma shortly after making this recording. She was only 33. The world is so much poorer for having lost her way too soon.

Eva Cassidy
It also makes me think of Michelle Kwan.


Not sure if I've talked about this before, but I'm a HUGE figure skating fan. Anyhow, Michelle was "supposed" to win gold in the 2002 olympics, but she had a bad night during the free skate and ended up with the bronze. Nevertheless, she skated her exposition skate (the ones that are done purely for entertainment after the competition is over) to this song.



Geez... even watching it now it leaves a lump in my throat, it's just so beautiful. Michelle is hands down my favorite figure skater of all time, even though she never won an olympic gold medal. And this is my very favorite performance of hers. I don't know why exactly... I guess it's just this:

Sometimes things don't turn out the way we had planned, but that doesn't mean that they can't be beautiful, and wonderful, and perfect in their own right.


The afternoon turned a bit stormy on us, so we turned and headed for home just as the rain started to fall. We'd been riding into a fierce headwind all day, and it was hard to maintain speeds of even 12 mph. But once we turned around the wind was at our backs and we literally flew home with the storm chasing us all the way.



I hit a speed of 27 mph on the flats... Holy Moly! I've ridden that fast before, but generally only when I was screaming down a big hill. It was a rather amazing feeling to be doing it on level ground. I felt like I was flying.


I am so very lucky. I am lucky to have a healthy body that lets me do things like ride a bike, and I am grateful to lead the life that I do, where I have the time to enjoy the things that I love. And I am blessed, truly blessed to have CatMan in my life, and to be able to share days like today with him.


So tell me, what are you grateful for today?






35 comments :

  1. I love that song - I first heard it when we sung it in choir at high school :)

    Today I am grateful for a good friends and a well-stocked freezer, and going to visit a friend's new baby (tomorrow - but I'm thankful in advance!)

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    1. Good friends, good food and new life - what's not to love?

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  2. Aww, lovely happy sunshiney post. Glad Catman is better and you can do long rides together. Fields of Gold never fails to get to me too - always draws a tear to my eye. Oddly enough I heard it sung by an amateur choir at the weekend so I've been humming it all this week. I'm grateful that I own a copy of Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales CD with that song on it; I really am going to go and dig it out right now and listen to it this morning!

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    1. You know, I know Sting wrote that song, but I've never actually heard him do it. I'll have to go find it on YouTube...

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    2. I love the Eva version and Sting's original. I dug out the Sting CD - it's still very listenable to, 20 years on.

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  3. I am grateful for many things, but today I am grateful that my cat didn't let me oversleep.

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    1. See... now this is that attitude that I need to develop. I tend to be grumpy that one of the cats woke me up! :-)

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    2. I'm glad that CatMan is healing so quickly. It sounds like a lovely day you had.

      As for what I'm grateful for: neighbor who volunteered to till a garden plot for me then surprised me by doing 3 plots, rains that are arriving to give the garden a good soaking, a day of solitude to work at my leisure, and finally for all the little things I take for granted in light of the disaster in Oklahoma.

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    3. Oooo... a rototiller would make it sooo much easier than trying to do it all with a pitchfork! And a neighbor doing the rototilling for you, I think I too would be grateful for that - in fact, I'm a bit jealous!

      The tornado is just heartbreaking isn't it. I fear we're gonna see more and more of this sort of disaster as the planet keeps heating up. Sigh.

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  4. I am grateful that life seems to be going so well at the moment; my new job has some real benefits (not a lot of money, but even that has its upside), my clients seem to like me so far and in non-work areas I have found ways that I can be of real service to people and animals who seriously need help. Purpose - I have purpose. Very grateful.

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    1. Purpose... it's a wonderful thing. I'm so glad that things are going well for you!

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  5. Glad you were able to take such a long ride! I remember an interview with MK after the Olympics and stupid reporters kept asking her if she was disappointed by not winning the gold (I mean c'mon I'm sure she was), but she was classy and answered, I didn't lose the gold, I won the bronze. Perspective people! I'm grateful for my health as well and the things and opportunities I have in life.

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    1. I think that Michelle Kwan is the embodiment of grace and class - she's everything that I am not. I'd probably either have told the reporter off or burst into tears!

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    2. I LOVE Michelle's answer! Mine wouldn't have been that classy ;)

      I'm impressed that CatMan can ride so far so soon! That's great progress. Biking down hills is one of my favorites - I used to have to slog up this giant hill on my way to waitress and I despised every minute going up, but riding down it at night (when I was tired) gave me enough momentum to coast about 50% of the way home. Made me so happy :)

      We had some minor car trouble this week, and I'm grateful that we can afford to have it fixed right away without worrying about the money. :)

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    3. Ha! There are a LOT of hills in this area. I live on the west side of Denver, so the mountains are to the west of me, and the South Platte river (which all the mountain streams and creeks drain into) is a few miles to my east. This means that the whole west side of town is basically a series of streams and creeks running from the mountains to the river every few miles - each one cutting a deep valley into the land creating a "washer board" kind of topography.

      So, if you want to ride east or west, it's pretty easy, you just hop on one of the bike trails that runs parallel to one of the creeks. But heaven help you if you need to ride north or south! It's basically a never ending series of really steep hills and valleys. The first time I tried to climb one of those steep hills I actually got passed by a small child pulling a wagon!

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  6. I love Michelle Kwan! She's my favorite figure skater as well.

    What a lovely day with CatMan... fields of gold reminded me of The Little Prince. It's been years since I last rode a bike, but the feeling of going really really fast is amazing. It's one of those moments you just have to embrace the fear and lack of control.

    I'm very grateful today because, after a few months of fruitless job search, I got an offer for a well paid part time position. I'm grateful for a wonderful boyfriend, without whom my sanity would be at risk, and who introduced me to an amazing friend who is going out of his way to help me lately. And I'm grateful because soon enough I'll be moving out of this terrible place, and because a guy beat the crap out of one of my nastiest neighbors last night >:)

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    1. Embracing lack of control is the key I think. Congratulations on the job offer, I hope it works out well for you! :-)

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    2. Got a SECOND offer today! When it rains, it pours, I guess.
      I hope you get many more lovely days like this! :)

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  7. What a wonderful day!

    I babysat 3 rambunctious little boys this morning. So, I'm grateful that my own kids are older and not quite so rambunctious any more. And I'm grateful that the days are warm, but the nights cool enough to sleep well. And I'm really grateful that a good friend of mine is doing really well on chemo, and can spend more time with her young kids.

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    1. I personally don't know how people with small children maintain any sense of sanity. I mean, there are days when the cats pretty much push me over the edge, and I can always lock them in the basement if I need to! :-)

      So glad to hear that your friend is doing well. Here's to warm days and cool nights!

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  8. I am grateful that the snow is finally gone, flowers are blooming, and I can tolerate the week of rain because it isn't cold!

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    1. Me too!!! Except we got our rain last week. Tomorrow they're predicting record breaking heat. I guess it's feast or famine in the weather department!

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  9. Well, I'm grateful to be out of the hospital and home with my kitties & dog. I'm grateful for them as well, each & every day, regardless of the extra work & expense. Maggie, the dog, is a delight with her pure joy & silliness. And I'm grateful for friends who came to my rescue during this stupid illness. And I'm grateful for your wonderful posts that never fail to make me smile.

    I volunteered for & attended the US Nationals in 1992. Brian Boitano & Kristi Yamaguchi are my favorites. I will always love Torvill & Dean plus Gordeeva & Grinkov. Kristi was so young and unaffected by her stardom & I had a chance to speak to her. Michele Kwan was there as a junior. Her older sister, at that time, was expected to be the star in the family. And Scott Hamilton was a schmuck when I asked for an autograph. I haven't followed ice skating much since then.

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    1. I'm so glad you're back and doing better! And I'm SOOOOO jealous that you got to volunteer for nationals!

      I do have to say that while Michelle is at the top of my list, both Kristi Yamaguchi and Ekaterina Gordeeva are a close second. I just LOVED how Kristi won the olympic gold medal with grace and style, and showed them all that it wasn't just a triple axel competition! Have you read Ekaterina's book, "My Sergei?" It was a real tear jerker.

      My father has a theory that Scott Hamilton is really the lovechild of Fred Astaire. There is a bit of a resemblance, and Hamilton is adopted, so I suppose it's possible! I've heard that Astaire wasn't the nicest fellow either, so perhaps Hamilton's schmuckliness is another vote for my father's theory!

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    2. Volunteering for the Nationals was one of the major highlights of my life. I got to get up close & personal with so many skaters and their families. Kristi came to the practice rink where I was volunteering and asked me if she could have one of the posters for the competition. She was really quiet and meek, which I found so surprising - to me she was a superstar. Just a darling young woman. Paul Wylie was wonderful and a joy to watch skate. One solid week of nothing but ice skating. It was like living in an alternate reality.

      Yes I read My Sergei. That was such a tragic loss. They were such a delightful couple & so in love. They epitomized the absolute beauty & grace of ice skating.

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    3. I'm so glad to learn that I'm not the only one obsessed with figure skating. Do you have cable TV? I gave it up a few years back, and when NBC Universal was still an "over the air" channel it was great because they had all the figure skating competitions. But now they went and made it a cable channel, which totally sucks.

      Anyhow, I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to pay for an IceNetwork subscription or not. Any thoughts?

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    4. You aren't exactly the Queen of Extravagance. If it's something you will enjoy watching, I say go for it. Heck what you're saving on food should cover a good percentage of the cost anyway.

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    5. "Cheapskate," I think is the proper term to describe me. I guess more than anything it annoys me that they don't cover it on network TV anymore. Well, I guess I've got a while to decide if I'm gonna fork over the $40 or not since the season won't be starting until next fall.

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  10. Wow! Catman is doing well! That's a long bike ride for someone recovering from a fractured pelvis (heck, for me without a fractured anything, that's a long ride!).

    It IS good to count our blessings. My hubby, 2 kids, and my ever-patient and snuggly cat. Meeting up with my college roommate for the day earlier this week. My very-part-time job where I can mostly set my own hours to accommodate my family life. My parent's health after a bumpy (health-wise) winter. The fact that we are finally OUT of winter and into spring! I could go on and on but I'll spare you that (but I will mention that I also read My Sergei and it was a tear-jerker, no doubt!).

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    1. Isn't it wonderful to realize that you have so much to be grateful for that listing it all seems like it could go on and on and on?

      We went for another 25 mile ride today. I've gotta say that his recovery is coming along much faster than mine, and I wasn't even hurt... I've just been off the bike for a few months! After 3 rides of 20+ miles in one week, I'm pooped! Of course, I also did about 15 hours of work in the yard/garden. I'm thinking tonight is a Netflix kind of an evening!

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  11. Hey Cat! It's so good to see you. I sure have missed you! Thanks for the warm welcome back. So sorry to hear about CatMan's injury, but so glad to hear he is doing well now.

    It was so weird when I popped over here. I clicked on your blog (only seeing the cat pic at the top), I got up to get dinner going and the Irish Blessing popped in my mind. For some reason it brought tears to my eyes. I went back to the computer to read your post and there is was! Isn't that crazy?

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    1. Serendipity! Actually that's a bit eerie isn't it? Perhaps we're cosmically connected after all!

      Anyhow, I'm so glad you're back, and I look forward to hanging out again on the blogosphere! :-)

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  12. The Eva Cassidy version of "Fields of Gold" is spellbinding. Sting's version of this beautiful song is forgettable.

    Grateful for a lot these days, but mostly my health which although not threatened in any serious ways over the last year wasn't up to snuff. I'm back to running (faster than ever) and feeling like a better version of my former self.

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    1. OK, so I finally went to YouTube and listened to the Sting version. It's OK, but certainly doesn't get me the way Eva's version does. There's just something haunting about it... they lyrics "You'll remember me" and "In the days still left" knowing that at the time she recorded it she had less than a year to live.

      Anyhow, good health is absolutely worth celebrating in my book. There's nothing quite so wonderful as feeling good!

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