A Friendly Musical Visit Every Day

We're back in the city for more medical appointments. As I write this post, I'm sitting in the living room of my apartment. I can hear all sorts of noise from outside. People are cheering on softball players across the street. Other people are drunkenly scream-laughing. And then there's the tin flute. I don't know for sure that it's a tin flute. That's just a guess. I'm no expert, but it seems to be playing Irish music? I figured the Celtic flute music was coming from outdoors, so I went into the bedroom, where my partner's got the window open. In the bedroom, I couldn't hear the flute music at all. I came back into the living room. There it was again. My partner doesn't believe me that there's Celtic flute music happening in here, and he's not willing to come and check. His loss, because it sounds pretty amazing. This video features an ocarina, not a tin flute, but you get the drift. If you're wondering how you can sup...

My partner's fatigue is getting worse by the day. I've written about this before, but it just keeps happening. Somehow, we expect him to feel better, even though his oncology team assured us the side effects of radiation would get worse after treatment. It really is amazing how much we didn't listen, or didn't believe them, even though they've seen thousands of cancer patients. One thing the medical professionals all say is that everybody's experience with cancer and treatment and recovery is different. They can give us an overview, but they can't give us exact dates when my partner will get his tastebuds back, or stop sleeping so much, or when his radiation burns will heal completely, or when his mouth sores will go away, or when his throat will stop hurting. I'm so glad one of the professionals on his oncology team told us not to be surprised if one day feels a little brighter, then the next day he's back in hell. That has definitely been happe...

I'm lying on a bed with my head propped up on a couple pillows. My knees are my highest point. My legs make triangles with the mattress. My laptop is on wedged between my belly and my thighs. This is how I work, because I'm constantly dizzy. The dizziness is a result of my migraines, which are never far from shore. They leave me with the dizziness, even when they cast off. I can't sit up for long. The dizziness brings me down to earth. So lying on a bed is my accomodation. It's how I spend my days. Sometimes life feels futile, but often I'm grateful that I'm able to connect with you, even from this low point where I spend so much of my time. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and anecdotes, the easiest thing you can do is buy my books (most are for adults only!) or check them out from your local library.  Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely. I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  ...

My partner woke me up at 2:30 in the morning and whispered, "Do you want to see the stars?" He was referring to the Perseid meteor shower. The sky had been overcast when we'd gone to bed, but I dragged a couple deck chairs into the middle of his small backyard anyway. Just in case.  He had asked me, then, "If I get up to go to the bathroom and I can see shooting stars, should I wake you?" I said yes. Absolutely. So he did see a shooting star and he did wake me up, and we sat together in the backyard at 2:30 in the morning, and we stared up at the sky. We realized that last year around this time, we were on vacation, staying with friends for a few days at their remote, ramshackle cottage. In fact, it's so remote you can only get there by water.  The four of us laid on their deck, on chair cushions, and watched the meteor shower. We saw so many shooting stars I quickly lost count. Last night, I saw two. Not quite the same thing, but we shared that pleasant mem...

A lot has changed since I first created this blog. Even more changes happened while the blog was on hiatus. Most notably, my partner was diagnosed with cancer. He is currently receiving treatments, the side effects of which make every day incredibly arduous. When you become a caregiver, everybody tells you that you have to take care of yourself first--the whole oxygen mask thing. Even my partner tells me I need to take care of myself first, particularly because I have chronic health conditions that make it almost impossible to function some days. It feels kind of ridiculous sometimes, the two of us trying to take care of each other when we're both sick. We need so much help, and right now we have nothing. All we've got is each other. Every time someone tells me to take care of myself first, I wonder how I'm supposed to do that when my partner's needs are so immediate and life-or-death. He is not a demanding person. Cancer is demanding. It takes over your entire life...

We came home Friday after a long week of difficult medical appointments in the city.  I've gone through a number of very difficult times in my life, but nothing has ever been quite this difficult.  Maybe I only think that because it's happening now. The past is in the past. I know I got through it. This... I can only hope. So, anyway, we got home on Friday and my partner said he needed a drink, after the week he'd had. I don't drink very often, but it had indeed been an awful week, so I decided to make myself a mojito. The garden here came with an ever-increasing supply of fresh mint. I am a lightweight, so after drinking my mojito I immediately crashed on the outdoor couch on the back deck. It's my favourite place in the house, even though it's not in the house.  Recently, I discovered that I can play FM radio through my phone. I also discovered a radio station that plays music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Listening to that station is the only form of self-care ...

 If you've been following along at home, you know that this week I've been featuring music from Juno nominees in the Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year category. Today we've got a gorgeous song (and stunning video) from Terry Uyarak, featuring Riit, whom we've also listened to here on the blog.  Enjoy! If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back....

 One of my favourite CDs, when I was in my late teens, was all Ravel.  Jeux d'eau was on there, but as piano music.  I just heard it on the radio played by Angel Hewitt, which is what brought me to YouTube. I knew I wanted to make it our song of the day.  As much as I love the original piano composition, I changed my mind about what I would bring you when I found this magical arrangement performed by Katryna Tan, Teo Charmaine, Charity Kiew, and Loh Jia Hui.  Truly gorgeous.   If your day needs a little relaxation, here it is.  I challenge you to be stressed while listening to this piece.  (Not really--I don't want you to be stressed. I care about you way too much.) If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check t...

 I've watched the TV series Detectorists three times over, and now I'm sharing it with my partner.  It always pleases me when he likes a show I like.  Every time an episode comes on I say, "I love this theme song."  The other night we watched an episode and my partner admitted that, when he'd had trouble sleeping the night before, he started singing this song to himself, in his head, as a lullaby. Isn't that lovely? If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affil...

 When I was in a choir, as a child, we participated in a production of the oratorio Elijah. This is the song we sang. It popped into my head today, so I figured it must have something to do with Easter.  I know absolutely nothing about the bible, but my partner was raised in a religious household, so I asked him: Does Elijah have anything to do with Easter? He very politely answered that no, it did not. He didn't laugh at me and tell me that Elijah is from the Old Testament, before Jesus enters into the picture. I did manage to piece that together on my own. So here is a non-Easter song that I'm pretending is an Easter song just because I like it. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my...

 Remember yesterday I mentioned falling down a rabbit hole while searching for Miss Susie?  Well, this song was in that rabbit hole. Glad I listened, because it's gorgeous. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't miss a song! See you tomorrow! Giselle

 The other day, my partner and I spent the entire evening listening to the radio. Usually we'll watch something on TV, but I was in pain, so I just sprawled on the couch while he read the paper.  No TV, just classical music.  We kept saying we should turn on the TV and watch something, but the radio station kept playing music we wanted to listen to, so we kept listening. Close to ten, Lark Ascending came on. My partner said he'd never heard it, which surprised me. It's one of my favourite pieces. Well worth the wait. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so...

 You've probably heard that 34-year-old trans musician SOPHIE died in an accident last weekend. I encourage you to read this great article about her life and work.   Read also this moving tribute written by Morgan M. Page .  This song is just gorgeous. It's breaking my heart to listen to it right now. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back...

 I was raised to be frugal, and it worked. All my life, I've been frugal beyond frugal--you could call me "cheap," even.  It would be true. I was taught to save for a rainy day, and that's what I've always done.  My annual earnings are low (consistently well below the poverty line) to the point that my tax accountant thinks I'm hiding something from him.  I'm not. But he gives me deep discounts because he says I can't afford him. He's right.   At least I can claim his services... on my taxes. But I didn't come here to talk about taxes.  I came here to talk about rainy days. When I started saving, I thought I would one day buy a house. Well, now I'm middle-aged and there are parking spots in Toronto I still couldn't afford. I realized long ago that my savings were there for that day when everything fell apart. Then Covid struck, and I realized the rainy day was here--only, it wasn't my rainy day.  I'm one of the lucky ones. I alr...

I had this song in my head, but I could only remember snippets, not the title or the artist.  It took me forever to figure out it was San Fermin, because I always equate San Fermin with the female voice, and this track isn't that.   Oceanica comes from an album called Belong , which I have listened to a million times and love to death even though it does feel inconsistent to have different vocalists.  I actually found that really jarring the first few times I listened, but I got over it because the music is so embracing.   This is one of the albums I turn to when I'm having bad mental health stuff, because it takes me right out of myself.  I can't remember if I've ever played a track called "Bride" for you, but I am truly obsessed with it ("suddenly I'm dissociating...") If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know...

 If you're a Futurama fan, you probably can't get through this song without tearing up. It's from an episode that's very much about confronting mortality. It's on my mind today because one of my cats is ailing. This comes as no surprise. He is a very old cat. I can see in his eyes that life is fading away.  There's an element of loss, especially with pets, that makes us go: why would I ever choose to love something that's sure to leave me? It's really hard to wrap one's head around the fact that anyone or anything could go at any time. Not just through death. We can lose that great job we thought we would have forever. A marriage can dissolve. A friend can move to the other side of the planet.  But does that mean this cat, that job, your marriage, your friend wasn't worth having in the first place? The people and pets and interactions in our lives teach us so much and help us to grow. It's hard to keep that in mind when we're facing loss,...

 Oh, I'm a sucker for this song. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't miss a song! See you tomorrow! Giselle

I was just looking at a post of songs for grieving on a funeral company's website, and this one topped the list. Sorry to make you cry again! If you are mourning right now, I want you to know that you are not alone. I'm right there with you. And music is ALWAYS there. I know it helps me. I hope it helps you.  To date, I've posted more than 400 songs and daily hellos on this blog. If you're ever feeling lonely, I invite you to peruse them. The main reason I started this site was to feel less alone while reaching out to others who felt isolated. I know how isolating grief can be, especially if you come from a family like mine, where everyone retreats instead of coming together when we're sad. I hope all these posts, and all this music we listen to together, can be helpful. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people...

I mentioned yesterday that I'm grieving the loss of an Irish friend, so we're listening to more Irish music today. I always liked this song, and it strikes me as a good one for mourning. Sail away, sail away, sail away. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won't m...

I just found out a family friend died. He was the Irishest Irish person I've ever met, so I'm listening to Danny Boy and sobbing like an infant. His death is hitting me HARD. Take care of yourself and know that you are loved. If you're wondering how you can support me in bringing you songs and visits every day, the easiest thing you can do is tell your friends about the site. Tell anyone you know--particularly people who are isolated and enjoy music. Readers of adult fiction can also buy my books or check them out from your local library. Supporting my  AudioErotica  endeavour on  Patreon  would also help me hugely! I'm also an  Amazon Influencer,  so hopefully I can make a little pocket change when you buy stuff by clicking through  my affiliate links . But you don't HAVE to do any of that. I'm very happy to get a daily visit from you, so just keep coming back. Oh, and I also recommend hitting the "Subscribe" button at the top of the page so you won...