when memory is almost full.

If I heard Paul McCartney's new album Memory's Almost Full and had not recognized the whimsy in his voice or his endearing and familiar chord progressions which, to me, are like reminders of a happy family in a happy childhood, maybe I wouldn't have been too impressed. But that's just the thing - he is Paul McCartney. Maybe it will take a couple of listens, but his songs will be just the rub to listen to when craving a childlike, idealistic moment. Counterpart Lennon balanced it out - but what we have here, I think, is perfectly fine.

He manages to sell his CDs initially through Starbuck's, which doesn't seem to bother too many people, and it is a brilliant marketing strategy - we can't argue with that.

Last year I saw a special with McCartney performing in the Abbey Road studio, with some Beatles, Wings, and solo jams. He still hits the high notes. I couldn't catch on to his Chaos and Creation album songs during that special, but then I heard This Never Happened Before playing during a scene in the movie The Lake House with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. The mood of the song suited the scene.

That's just the thing about movies and people like Paul McCartney, and the idea of something grand like The Beatles. They stay in our mind whether we want them to or not. They trigger our memories of beautiful things. And that's fine with me.

when i declare my love for the market on sunday mornings.

I love:

the smells of fresh baked goods floating through the air by the boulangerie

sharp cheese aromas and fruity scents of the gelato in the nearby cafe

the refreshment of fizzy sodas in their curved bottle shapes and the hums of conversations which linger in the atmosphere

the tepid water from the fountain which spills over onto the red bricked street

black iron gates pointing their spears to the sky

parasols and silk polka dot hankerchiefs in the pockets of the old man's vest

the young boys on the corner, playing their cello and violin which reverberate throughout the walls of space and bodies

when i give my warm welcome.

Bonjour mon ami/amie,

Je m'appelle Mademoiselle Monk. You can call me...Miss Monk.

You may be wondering...why the hell should I be reading your blog? And why should I come back?

Because I consider myself a unique person. Now, every person presumes that of themselves. But we all are different and the same. That is one reason. Another is that I'm sure when you visit me, you will find something new, something sad, something beautiful, horrible and angry. That is the nature of life and its complexities. I am not overly objective or subjective; I think with my head, and my heart. I try to explain things from an understandable point of view, the perspective of a stranger looking into the window of my heart.

This blog will be random spurts of poetic drivel, gushing about my favourite new food obsession, political banter and discussions about philosophy, love, life and the people in our world who have the ability to change the very core of our selves.

So enjoy! And thanks for visiting. Come again soon.