I Am a Writer

By Nancy Klein This piece of writing was done in response to a prompt we received in our weekly Torrevieja Writers' Circle meetings. The prompt: I am a Writer. The subsequent posts by John McGregor and Margaret Rowland were also written in response to this particular prompt. Pablo Picasso actually painted this still life Sometimes … Continue reading I Am a Writer →

Blue by Joni Mitchell

What's your all-time favorite album? Blue by Joni Mitchell My all-time favorite album is Blue by Joni Mitchell. I first started listening to this album in 1974 when I began college. It is filled with sadness about different relationships the singer had but she shares her pain in such a poetic way. With the Christmas … Continue reading Blue by Joni Mitchell →

Music Delights Me

Describe one habit that brings you joy. “Music and singing will be my refuge. Music and singing shall be my light.” —The Earth Song I love singing in choirs and am a member of two in Spain. One choir, Crescendo International Choir, does a variety of music while Andante International Music focuses on sacred choral … Continue reading Music Delights Me →

Vienna, My Love

This Austrian city has got it all: rich in culture and history, it is bursting at the seams with art, music and many kinds of architectural delights. Within the city itself, it has not one, but two, major palaces: Belvedere and Schönbrunn, along with half a dozen smaller ones. How many other cities can top … Continue reading Vienna, My Love →

Studying the Bible

I grew up in the Episcopalian/Anglican church in Chicagoland. Even though this faith is closely tied to the teachings of the New Testament, I don't remember us learning any Bible stories in Sunday School. Later, I studied philosophy in college and learned about the teachings of Christian thinkers Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas Aquinas. I … Continue reading Studying the Bible →

Speaking A Language I Never Learned

Have you ever talked or sung in your sleep so loudly that it wakes you up? Well, I have done that at least four times in the last few years but the languages I have been speaking or singing in are unknown to me. I do speak French and Spanish but the languages I am … Continue reading Speaking A Language I Never Learned →

What Are You Focusing On?

During this difficult time of pandemic, it can sometimes be hard to feel much joy. We focus on how we can't see our children, parents, grandchildren, siblings or other relatives or friends and feel so sad. Because we need each other, this is especially hard for all of us. But as long as Covid-19 is … Continue reading What Are You Focusing On? →

The Joy of Music

Andante International Choir in Torrevieja, Spain One of the things that gives me the most joy in living is singing in a choir. Here in Spain, I sing alto in two choirs. One of them is Crescendo International Choir. This group of 50 or so of us are mostly retired people who live on the … Continue reading The Joy of Music →

Lesson 11: Be Open to Signs from the Spirit World

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”– Antoine de Saint-Exupery Some people say that a spiritual world doesn’t exist because they can see no evidence of that. I say they aren’t paying attention … Continue reading Lesson 11: Be Open to Signs from the Spirit World →

Ireland, My Love

I am in Ireland now to see old friends and to attend the International Choral Festival in Cork, May 1st to 5th. Even though it rains entirely too much in this country, there's no place I have been in the world where all the people are so friendly! Everything is "grand" or at least people … Continue reading Ireland, My Love →