Musings & Thoughts for Thursday, November 2, 2023, or: Big Changes Ahead…and a Talented Friend’s Generosity

Late Morning, Thursday, November 2, 2023, Lithia, Florida

Hi, there, everyone. It’s a chilly – by Florida standards – autumn morning here in the Tampa Bay area. As I begin this, my 1,319^th post for this blog, it’s 61°F/16°C under sunny skies (the feels-like temperature is 60°F/15°C). A cold front passed through the area, so naturally the temperature dropped and now it feels a bit more fall-like in the subtropical zone.

Trading Sand for Snow

For me, these occasional chilly November mornings in the Sunshine State will be but a memory after December 12. On that day, I will start a road trip that will take me out of Lithia and on to my future hometown of Madison, New Hampshire.

I’m not going to get into the “why am I leaving my home state of Florida after living here for most of my life” stuff. Suffice it to say that I’ve been needing to move out for some time, and although I had hoped to find a place to live either in Hillsborough County or in my hometown region of South Florida, the only solution that presented itself sooner rather than later was the move to New Hampshire.

Trust me, my friends – this was not an easy decision for me to make. I’m notorious for not embracing changes in my personal life, and if I could have found an affordable alternative to moving so far from the state where I was born, I would have taken it. Alas, forces beyond my control made that impossible, so off to Madison I’ll go.

(If you want to make me a happy camper, please consider buying a copy – or two! – of my novella, Reunion: A Story. I can certainly use the royalties!)

I am still trying to come to grips with the reality that I will be experiencing a North American winter – and a “white Christmas” – for the first time, and that I’ll be living in a place where I’ll see all four seasons rather than the familiar “wet” and “dry” seasons we Floridians are limited to. And, naturally, I’m wondering just how quickly I’ll adapt to the cold weather up in the Live Free or Die state. Most of my wardrobe is, of course, geared for the subtropical zone, and even though I’ve been to other states where it snows (New York in 1986 and 1987; Colorado in 2000), I don’t have a hell of a lot of winter clothing.

Well, as the old commercials for Polaroid cameras used to say, “We’ll see what develops.”  

‘All the Things You Are’ – a Cover by ‘Knotty’

Yesterday, my long-time friend from the late, lamented review website Epinions, “Knotty,” had a nice surprise for me – she’d recorded and uploaded to her YouTube channel a performance of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s “All the Things You Are.” She had never sung that standard – which was written for a 1939 Broadway musical titled Very Warm for May – but she granted my request to try it out; she chose the cover version arranged for Ella Fitzgerald back in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Folks, this was a nice surprise, and it certainly has brightened my spirits. (To be clear, I’m not depressed about the move to Madison. A little sad and a lot apprehensive, sure. Nevertheless, I did need a morale boost, and my friend’s kindness made me feel a bit better about things.)

Anyway, since I’m out of ado and can’t run out to the store to get some, here is my friend “Knotty” and her rendition of “All the Things You Are.”

And, in case you have never heard the original 1939 Broadway version – which is what is called a “showstopper” – I present it to you as well.

I must get on with the rest of my day – it’s almost time for my mandatory rest break before turning my attention to my novel – so I’ll close for now. Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and I’ll catch you on the sunny side of things.