Wednesday Hodgepodge: Jazz it up

1. April is National Jazz Appreciation Month. Are you a fan? If so what's a favorite you'd recommend to someone new to jazz listening?

Favourite type of jazz, group, performer, or radio station? One we haven't caught for awhile but which we used to listen to regularly was the Ronnie Scott's Radio Show with Ian Shaw.

It's hard to say whether I like old jazz performers or new ones better. Around here we never get tired of people like Oscar Peterson and Miles Davis, but it's interesting hearing music from current performers as well, like Robi Botos.



2. Mandolin, ukulele, harp, accordion or banjo...which would you be most interested in learning to play? Or do you already play one of the instruments listed?

I have never tried any of those and don't have any plans to. I like to listen to music more than I like to play it.

3. Do you judge a book by it's cover? Elaborate. You may answer in either/both the literal or figurative sense of the word.

I judge lots of books by their covers every week, when I sort and price at the thrift store. Covers, as well as size and shape, are quick clues to genre and quality. Paperback novels usually are a different size from non-fiction. Adventure fiction (like Clive Cussler) looks different from romance novels. The store shelving is alphabetical, so the Grishams cozy up with the Gabaldons, Graftons, and Goudges. If we ever get any Goudges, which is rare.

4. According to a recent study the ten most nutritious foods are-almonds, cherimoya (supposed to taste like a cross between a pineapple/banana), ocean perch, flatfish (such as flounder and halibut), chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, swiss chard, pork fat (shocking! but I don't think they mean bacon), beet greens, and red snapper. Are any of these foods a regular part of your diet? Any you've never ever tasted? Which would you be most inclined to add to your diet?

That list would make a very interesting party menu, at least. I have never eaten cherimoya or red snapper, and I wouldn't say most of the others are regulars here.  We don't eat fish as much as we used to--it's gotten expensive. Almonds, ditto, but I did buy some for Easter.

We used to have chard more often when we grew it ourselves--it's never as good from the store.

5. Besides a major holiday what is the most recent thing you've celebrated with your people? Tell us how.

A double birthday party--cake and a mixture of food. No beet greens or pork fat, but there was some hong shu tofu.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Yesterday I found this wire basket (or flower wall art, if you like) at the thrift store. It can sit on a table by itself, but I thought I would jazz it up with something placed in the middle.

A glass jar of beach pebbles, plus a tea light

Or a bowl of seashells.

Maybe an angel? (I'm thinking with a bit of green stuff at Christmas.)

Or a basket, and something in the basket like a pot of flowers.

What would you do with it?

This post is linked from the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond.