A month to until Christmas. Winter Solstice fall just before, New Year's just after. Hanukkah is just wrapping up this Sabbath. So it's time to get some seasonal music going. Could be Christmas carols, secular popular songs, songs from other traditions that celebrate at Solstice or late Fall. Whatever music fits the season for you.

I'll kick off with the Moody Blues. A year ago, drummer Graeme Edge passed away, and surviving members Justin Hayward and John Lodge put the band to rest for good, though they still use the Moody's social media to promote their solo work.

The band's final studio album was December, their 2003 Christmas album. And this song from it is a cover of a favourite seasonal song of mine.

Hey, it's the beginning of Advent. Christmas looms in a month. And various Winter Solstice festivities come just before that. Hanukkah is wrapping up this weekend, too. New Year's isn't far off, either. So we are officially into winter holiday season. And, more importantly, winter parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrty season!

Coffee is hot and ready. Teas are Christmas Tea (basically a chai) and Red Rose. Kettle is ready for other teas and hot beverages.

Hey gang. Sorry, been kind of distracted of late and not popping by much. Will try to pick up the pace.

Sara, I pushed the thermostat up and also laid in a stock of wood for the fireplace.

I'll make some green and lemon-ginger herbal tea since it's a bit late in the day for caffeine-heavy stuff.

Later, alligators.

Quote by AnnaMayZing

I just discovered this young woman on YouTube. Oh my, what a voice. You have to hear her to believe it!

Her name is 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐓𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐎𝐕𝐀 and this is her cover of Nightwish's Sleeping Sun.

I knew that name sounded familiar. I think I listened to this one when I was going through some other Nightwish covers I found online.

You know the old joke about when you have a hammer, everything is a nail? Well, when you're a top notch power metal guitarist-singer, every song becomes power metal. Here is Tommy Johansson's (Sabaton, Majestica) cover of "Anti-Hero", Taylor Swift's recent single. I quite enjoy his channel. His takes on some of the songs he covers are interesting.

Husky seems more your type, so I vote that.

Laptop or tablet+keyboard (e.g. Surface)

Quote by AnnaMayZing
Still watching the 2022 New Years' Day concert from Vienna.

Mrs. Ape and I usually watch it as soon as it is available, live if we can find a stream.

I spent a chunk of today with this lot.

Hey, it's the weekend. Below zero high for the first time this season (we've been running just a hair above, though). Very winter-y even though the official start of winter is still a month off.

Coffee is a medium roast Nicaraguan from Las Chicas. Teas are Scottish Breakfast and Cream of Earl Grey. Kettle is hot and read for other hot beverages, like hot chocolate or herbal teas.

Going through the 4 or so stories I have in my "Under Review" folder to figure which ones to work on. I have one finished, but it badly needs a sequel given the ending. The sequel I have on the go might not cut it, either. There's a burning temptation to dump'em all and try to start something new but I'm a bit shy on inspiration right now.

Putting on fresh coffee. Teapots are filled to the tippy-top with Orange Pekoe and Black Currant. Kettle is hot and ready for other hot beverages.

I shall take a soccer jersey and spikes. Why? Because OMGWTFBBQ Canada somehow made it to the FIFA World Cup. There's a good chance we will get bounced early but we are there, and that's a rare event. Soccer is really not our sport, at least for our men. Our women are perennial favorites in soccer, though.

Rain. Don't have to shovel it.

Plain milk chocolate bar or some kind of filling?

Quote by verbal
Is it just me, or is the site getting a little bit more traffic lately?

It does feel like it, eh. I like that feeling.🙂

Snow on the drive home today. Not fun but a fact of life in Ontario. I survived.

Ape back. For today, at least.

Got some nice medium roast Costa Rican in the coffee pot. Teas are Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey Supreme (with twice the bergamot!). Kettle is ready for hot chocolate or other teas. Stock of marshmallows and other add-ons and condiments are refreshed.

Snow here, but not a lot. Enough to make things pretty and white but not enough to require shoveling, so I can live with it.

Writing is stalled once again as I figure out what to even write. I was hoping the photo challenge might inspire something but so far, na da.

Later, alligators.

Quote by verbal

I emerged still standing. It'll be nice to not be savaged once a month. Now I get to savage others! (Actually it's a very nice, supportive group of people.)

Wonder if there is a writer's group around here. I am not really ready to do this seriously yet, but when I do...

Definitely the Bear's weather moreso than the Ape's today. Flurries with a risk of squalls and already a cm or so on the ground. Just 24 hours ago I was raking leaves.

Coffee is a Nicaraguan dark roast. Teas are Sunday Tea and English Breakfast. Hot water is available for hot chocolate and other hot beverages. Pulled some more marshmallows out of the supply room now that Sara is back.

Later

Working on a short story (not for here) and listening to Dutch metal band Epica. They dropped a new EP yesterday and it's wild. All collaborations with other artists and some of it is quite out of the norm for them. Which, of course, makes for a great set of songs.

Quote by JamesPBear
One question, though: How are we supposed to fit that photo in a 512 x 800-pixel rectangle?

Hence my question. 😊

Quote by Molly

Good morning! I'll just leave this here.

https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/stories-space-writing-prompts-challenges/photo-challenge

Just bumped the thread but I shall bump this post, too. Can't have too many opportunities for folks to see this. Challenges are just as much fun as comps sometimes.

RIP, Kevin Conroy (1956-2022). Voice actor extraordinaire and the best modern Batman/Bruce Wayne by far, even if his appearances were all animated (save one appearance as Bruce Wayne in the CW's DC-based shows). He started in the role in Batman : The Animated Series (1992-96), my favorite non-comic book Batman, and continued playing him in several other animated shows and movies as well as the Arkham series of Batman videogames.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/obituary-kevin-conroy-batman-1.6649413

Crap, that fell down the front page pretty fast. Good thing you posted about it in Inspirations or I might not have found it again.

I am so tempted to do something spooky with that, but somehow I feel like it deserves something maybe a bit moody without being actually spooky. Meditating on something along those lines anyhow.

Question on the photo: Can we shop it a bit to fit our story or do you want just the photo as posted for the cover?

Good morning!! Nice trip pics. We've never been to Lake Tahoe and Reno, just Vegas and environs. Another trip. A travel vlogger I sometimes watch just spent some time chilling out with her partner in Joshua Tree after a whirlwind tour of the US. Looks cool, too.

Coffee is some medium roast Ethiopian from the gang at Fire Roasted. Teas are Scottish Breakfast and Cream of Earl Grey. Kettle is ready for those wanting hot chocolate (we're into hot chocolate weather here) or other teas. And there's homecooked blueberry pancakes for those feeling a might peckish.

Had this on while cooking pancakes.

Later, alligators.

Quote by DenimAngel
Sesame Street has been around 53 years !!

Saw that. It is such a cultural touchstone that it feels weird to think I was part of the first generation to watch it (I was 4).

Had Question of Balance by The Moody Blues on in the car this morning. It opens with this song, one of the Moody's finest works IMHO.

Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles (Trevor Horn of The Buggles was also the producer for the original lineup of Art of Noise)

(I absolutely adore this version from a live reunion of The Buggles from 2004)

Putting on some coffee. Teas are Buddha's Blend (white tea, jasmine green tea, hibiscus blossoms) and English Breakfast. Kettle is on for those needing other hot bevvies.

Lovely weather continues here but starting tomorrow looks not so hot. Starting as showers but could be into flurries by Sunday.

Abandoned most of my scattered writing projects and dusting off the Tana sequels for another go at those.

Later, alligators.

Scenic if its vacation, fast if it is business.

Hotel/motel/B&B or camping?

"Mind the gap," sign says.

Xandria - Ghosts

"Love me now!" she cries.

Regular. I don't have that much clothing that needs a closet. Our walk-in is mostly my wife's dresses and storage for extra pillows, comforters, etc. Even a couple sleeping bags.

Blanket or comforter?

Hola.

Las Chicas Don Rey's Private Reserve Dark is in the coffee pot. There's Red Rose and Sunday Tea in the teapots. Kettle is ready for hot chocolate and other teas.

Nice but getting chilly here. Hope you have a nice week going!

Later...

The latest list has the usual interesting, eclectic mix in it. One, for instance, is stories mixing Sherlock Holmes with the Cthulhu Mythos. Many are less specific than that, though. There are some geared to specific groups and audiences, so do pay attention to that in the descriptions.

https://authorspublish.com/38-themed-submission-calls-and-contests-for-november-2022/

The wonderful Netherlands-based Mexican singer Marcela Bovio with a favorite of mine and, apparently, also a favorite of hers.