Life’s Recent Highlights and Challenges
Updates, Musings and Wins
Hi there,
In this issue: first hardback copies of both my memoirs arrived; five big ash trees cut down; our song was successfully released despite online live launch party hit by internet crash; and I won the Area 16 Toastmasters Humorous Speech contest!
A Musical Debut and Technical Hurdles
Just after midnight, last Friday, “Every Moment” appeared on Spotify and other music platforms: my first song ever to be released. Unable to sleep, at 11.30pm, I got up, poured myself an Irish whiskey, and waited for the birth.
I savoured the joy of it (and the whiskey!). I thought I’d write lots in my journal but I only wrote: ‘“Every Moment” is live!’ You can listen to the song for free here.
About an hour and a half later, Ruth woke too. We listened to the song together – written two weeks after I proposed to her 31 years ago and her beautiful face on the artwork. Three decades later, it was a sweet moment!
Navigating the Internet Crash
Our internet was down from last Friday – song launch day – until yesterday: six days! It’s why I couldn’t do last Friday’s substack and why the Instagram Live launch of Every Moment with The Rayne and Andrea Patron was a technical car crash. Nevertheless, like true pros, we continued regardless. If you’re happy to swim through a bit of technical haze, here’s a link to the live launch of our song. I could only join via my poor mobile phone’s internet. But it was a happy launch!
Lots of exciting things happened last Monday. The first hardback copies of both memoirs arrived. Before that, I’d only had proof copies. Another lovely moment shared with Ruth.
Bittersweet Farewell to Ash Trees
Also last Monday, tree surgeons arrived to cut down five big trees with ash dieback. I was sorry to lose them. When we built our house twenty years ago, they lent our property maturity, privacy and beauty. Luckily, in the intervening two decades, the many other trees and hedges we planted have grown and flourished.
Observations During the Tree Removal Process
I was fascinated watching the tree surgeons operate. Up they went in the impressive looking, versatile cherry picker, weaving between branches, two guys in the bucket, one sawing, the other grasping the branch or log and casting it to a selected spot on the ground. The sight and sound of the sky-high lads and their saw, and the thud of the logs from a height to the ground. I took lots of pictures and videos, like this one:
The Primitive Appeal of Splitting Wood
My next challenge is to split the wood. I’ve started with an axe, chopping wood the old way. There’s something elemental and masculine about swinging an axe and splitting logs. It’s an activity that goes way back into our hunter-gatherer ancestors, part of our DNA. Today, I hired a wood splitter. I’ll have it for the long weekend. We’ll see how I get on!
Grateful Triumph in Toastmasters
And the third exciting thing that happened last Monday was that I won the Area 16 Toastmasters Humorous Speech contest! I was very happy to win it. I honestly couldn’t call it myself as I was waiting for the winner to be announced. Thanks to my fellow contestants, judges and organisers.
Happy days,
Joe
The song segment you shared sounds wonderful. It seems to pair well with your other creative endeavours. Is your book I'm the shops now?