Turmeric, Ginger, Honey, Lemon Syrup. Make yourself a cup to soothe what ails you!
Turmeric, Ginger, Honey, Lemon Syrup, Did Rachmaninoff Give Stravinsky Honey? & The Head and the Heart
As most people, after three years of relative isolation, my husband, daughter and I have been ravenously catching up with friends, family, and making new connections. It’s hilariously awkward, sometimes bizarre, funny, sweet, mellow and I always try to make it more of a good time. There are times when our catchups include heartbreaks, the passing on of our loved ones, but I usually try to round it out with a joyous tip, considering the last few years have been traumatic, no matter what side of the the cultural milieu you’re on.
As a content but exhausted working mom, I’m fascinated at the effervescent ease my young daughter exhibits at parties. She’s a party animal! When I was younger, I loved parties. Like most adults, somewhere along the crossroads of responsibility, parenthood, and ambition, do we lose that bubbly spirit my daughter exhibits ALL THE TIME. When I was a young adult, the combination of naivety, curiosity, and controlled recklessness made the act of meeting effortless. You basically show up, smile and chat, get invited to some random party, meet some fun people, hang out and do ridiculous stuff and the cycle repeats… no matter the location or the time of day. Luckily, I was too responsible and obsessed with work or else I would’ve easily fallen prey to the lurid, sweetly saccharine, glow of failed promises and broken ambition- the Hollywood allure that makes or breaks dreams and people. I feel pretty lucky I didn’t fall prey to that scene as most musicians or creatives do. Either I was too much of a workaholic, or too much of a nerd, but in either case, this momma is grateful it worked out. Even back then, after a fun night out, I still felt that twinging call of responsibility and usually worked another two long days to (guiltily) make up for it. Work hard, play hard! Isn’t that the key to life? (Ha… key, musician.)
I don’t know why there’s a misconception that classical musicians are uptight. Just like the general masses, some are, but most, in their personal lives, are pretty goofy and silly. We just have a pretty serious work ethic (30,000 to 40,000 hour of practice, anyone?) …and hence, like to let have fun. My daughter must be a musician.
Did you know that Rachmaninoff gave Stravinsky honey? Um. I love how the socially awkward musician stereotype seems to transcend time and space. Yes, even the “cool” ones onstage are kind of off…
Did Rachmaninoff give Stravinsky honey?
When a tale of two composers goes viral to make people feel better about their social skills
From the London Symphony Orchestra
Here’s Rachmaninoff’s, Variations on a Theme of Chopin. There are 22 variations, all about a minute long. If you can, please try to listen to the main theme and in the order specified. My favorite is Variation 16 at 15:45. It’s concise arpeggiated, suspensions elicit aching beauty, melancholy, and speaks to my heart. Don’t you already feel smarter listening to this theme and variations?
Lugansky- Rachmaninoff, Variations on a Theme of Chopin
Hopefully, you’re arming yourself with some laughter in joy in spite of the chaos of the world.
I hope this makes you laugh, smile, and hopefully think about things in a funny way. Have a great week! Thanks for reading! Melissa (aka, Greek for “Honeybee")
The Head and the Heart, “Honeybee”
Here's the playlist. Enjoy!
Turmeric, Ginger, Honey, Lemon Syrup
Basically, read all of these three recipes and come up with your own concoction! I enjoy doing things to the tee and then figuring out your own mojo. Enjoy!
Variation 1
Variation 2
Variation 3
Variation 4
Add fresh turmeric
Variation 5 (or addition to all)
Add echinacea. Yes!
Thanks for reading! Have a great week! Melissa
#turmericgingerhoneylemon, @rachmaninoffgivestravinskyhoney, #honey, @theheadandtheheart,
#honeybee,#rachmaninoffvariationsonathemeofchopin
