Category: Friday 5

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Friday 5

If you see that title, you know it is Friday and I came up with a couple of things again. The week was very stressful. I cannot say what it is that stresses me that much right now, but it seems to be a bit of everything. And while I am writing this, I look like hell too… My body decided to give in to the one bug I can usually avoid. Stomach flu. Keep your fingers crossed that it isn’t so… I never had a real stomach bug and this doesn’t feel nice at all. Good thing I had no food today. Anyway… You are not here for my complaints, I hope. You are here for music, photos and whatever else pops into my mind on a random Friday. So… Let’s go.

Song

Eminem feat. Rihanna – love the way you lie

Why this song? Easy… It’s Eminem’s birthday today, he is turning 53. It’s probably a song you didn’t expect to find here on my blog. But I quite like Eminem and, yes, I also own a couple of his albums. I had many songs in mind to share today, from completely different artists. From Cardiacs – is this the life? To Jeanne Mas – Johnny Johnny, and more, they were are contenders today. But as it is in life, not everyone is a winner.

Photo

That’s my favourite cup. I love it. It’s huge and yellow. There was tea inside, Yogi Tea, I don’t know if you know the brand. They always have a piece of wisdom on their label. Here it says: The worst enemy we have is our own fear. A bit true, isn’t it? I took the picture to send it to my best friend, but didn’t send it in the end.

Post

reflections in stones
The most popular post last week was actually posted yesterday. It is a bit surprising. It is a poem. Short. Abstract. Raw. I share a couple good posts this week, but I guess this one was seen and liked the most. Thank you for that.

Visitors

USA 🇺🇸

UK 🇬🇧

China 🇨🇳

Netherlands 🇳🇱

Canada 🇨🇦

As you notice there is not much change here. I am beginning to think that there are some regulars out there. Before starting this Friday 5 thing, I didn’t look at the stats much. I saw the rise and fall of numbers, but it didn’t matter. Still doesn’t really. What matters is that my words travel around the world, to places I have never been. My words – little luxembourgish Cathy’s words. Just think about it for a moment, a couple of years ago, it wouldn’t have been possible to share my life, my mind, my creativity, my opinions, with you. All I ever wanted was to leave something behind. To leave a trace that I exist. And this seems to be it. How can I ever explain how grateful I am and how humbling it is?! I don’t write for fame, I write to stay alive. How very dramatic, isn’t it?!

Thought

Okay, so here goes… I noticed something. A hitch in my logic of these Friday 5, because… The stats, the visitors, the most read posts… They never take into consideration a weekend. I look at weekly stats – they go from October 13th to October 19th. So, it occurred to me that it is all wrong. And it’s only now that I noticed it. I think I will continue the way I did now, but I am not sure if I can, now that I am aware of it. See? That’s the worst part of overthinking like me. Every thought I have is turned over and over. Often in a matter of seconds. My mind is never quiet. And the older I get, the worse it gets. And maybe this is the way to circle back to the start of this post. I am stressed. And I am doing it to myself.

My resolution for next week: overthink a little less and be less hard on myself. I too deserve kindness.

Have a great week ❤️

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Friday 5

This week, the Friday 5 are a day late. It happens. Life got a bit busier than expected. I didn’t forget it though. So… Let’s go.

Song

Paul Kalkbrenner x Stromae – que ce soit clair

At first glance this is an atypical song for me to share. On second glance, it makes a lot of sense. I am not bound to a genre, but to the feeling of a song. And this one is quite great, I’d say.
Here is the same song on Spotify.

Photo

Choosing a photo this week was a bit difficult. I took many great pictures and would share them all in a heartbeat, but the above is important too. Why? Because it shows all my publications in one photo and seeing the covers side by side is, at least for me, awesome. You see, I will never be a best-selling author and no matter which ways I try, I can’t seem to find an audience outside the blog. Most days that is completely okay, and it is enough to be able to hold my own words in print in my hands. Other days the dreamer in me fantasies about being discovered, going on a book tour and performing my poetry for an interested audience.

Post

After the curtain
After the Curtain is the epilogue of sorts, the last explanations after the play I wrote and shared all last week. The posts were all scheduled. I still cannot explain what drove me to write it and extend it to 7 acts, but for me, it somehow worked. The play is not different from my poems, it’s the same theme, but with this format, it breathes differently. We were love.

Visitors

USA 🇺🇸

India 🇮🇳

UK 🇬🇧

Spain 🇪🇸

Netherlands 🇳🇱

Thank you for being there. There seems to be a bit more balance these last weeks in who comes to visit. I am sure you are aware, but if you read something on this blog that has value to you, don’t be afraid to share it. It amazes me that my words and everything that lives in my head has readers all around the world. It makes me smile.

Thoughts

Here we are. Another week older. Another week under the belt. For me personally, it was a bit of a challenging week. I cannot explain why, but my mood was very rotten and not even sunshine warming my cheeks helped it. The truth is, I felt lonely this week. And while I could have remedied that by being active, I couldn’t. I was too tired and detached. I wanted/needed connection, but I couldn’t make it happen. It’s a vicious circle. I am not sure how to break it yet, but at the same time, I am never stuck in this loop for too long (two weeks tops).

Anyway… How to end this on a lighter note? Friday 5 also work as Saturday 5. While I am writing this, I see that that song won’t load… I’ll work on that after sharing the post. 🙂

Be kind to yourselves, forgive yourselves more, not everything needs to be perfection.

Have a nice weekend xx

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Friday 5

It’s a historical day here in Luxembourg. As of today we have a new Grand Duke. It feels at once huge and unimportant. It is also my goddaughter’s birthday. And it is Friday.

Song

Blue Room – on my own

A song from a Luxembourgish band I enjoy a lot. I thought it fitting

Photo

In my natural habitat 🙂 At work, with kids.

Post

After the storm
The most read post this week.

Quote

“And still, after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with love like that. It lights the whole sky.” — Hafiz

I’ll leave you here with 4 of 5. I am in a hurry to go pick up my daughter. She has been away for a week with school. I could have planned this Friday 5 better… Urgh, but I didn’t. I wish you a very awesome weekend

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Friday 5

It’s Friday! Finally. The week was very long, wasn’t it? It felt like three, probably because I had a migraine since Wednesday afternoon and it only let up this morning. The weather is dreadful and it is cold. I am not the biggest fan of winter (an even less of winter coats). Maybe the sun will be back again to give the summer the farewell it deserves. Until then, let’s listen to some music.

song

poster paints – number 1

Poster Paints is a duo from Glasgow/Scotland. Their style is between pop and shoegaze. Very mellow. Just right for one last night sitting outside, wrapped in a thick blanket. The above song is from the self-titled album Poster Paints (2022)

Photo

There is no filter on the photo. It’s zoomed in on the view we had last Sunday evening. It almost looks as if their were waves on the sky. Quite poetic, I think.

Visitors:

USA

India

UK

Spain

Australia

Post of the week

The August Current is here

To be honest, I only sent out two copies. One to the UK and one to the Luxembourgish National Library. Sometimes, I don’t feel like a writer or poet. I feel like an imposter for using that word to describe myself. Other times, I remember that I have the books to show that I am. They could be read. They aren’t but they could be.

Thoughts

Tomorrow, I will have my first teaching of the schoolyear. I need to have at least 40 hours of trainings in one year (it’s required by law). This year, I put my focus on speech and the use of voice. Which reminds me: butterfly tears has a home on Soundcloud too. It doesn’t have any listens yet. Be the first?

Thank you for being there. Thank you for seeing me.

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Friday 5

It’s the first week back at work, and though I love it, it leaves me tired. Still, there was music, there was sky, and there were words. Here’s this week’s Friday 5.

Song

Soen – Primal

https://youtu.be/rlSAhFy9YUw?feature=shared

This song dropped last week and it is the first single of the upcoming album Reliance due in January 2026. Hold on to your socks, this one is loud. Soen plays prog-metal, and Reliance will be their 7th studio album.

Photo

When I drove to work this morning, I had the most amazing view. There was a veil of fog, but above the sun was rising, painting the sky in orange and violet hues. The crescent moon was visible as well as Venus. In the above photo, you can spot the moon if you squint a little, just above the stairs that lead to my place of work.

Post

Update (spoken blog post)
The most read or listened post was the above. It was something I tried and will probably do again once in a while. It’s really not easy though. And it has the feel of a Voice Message that is too long.

Visitors

USA 🇺🇸

India 🇮🇳

Canada 🇨🇦

United Kingdom 🇬🇧

Brasil 🇧🇷

Jeff mentioned an increase in blog traffic lately (namely from China), for me it was the opposite: a noticeable decline.

Thoughts

A lot has happened this week. From the beginning of school, I covered that at large, to poems being shared on IG, and more.

In two days The August Current will be officially released and I am looking forward to that. So far, there is no interest in it from any side, but still. I stand by it, it’s one of the best, if not the best, book I ever created. I am very proud of it.

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Friday 5

It is Friday, again. The week went by in a blur, or is that just me? Maybe it’s because the weather turned bad over here and school is about to start (officially on Monday). As a preschool teacher we had PT meetings and team meetings yesterday. And today our young students can visit the classroom and meet us teachers. It’s very exciting and there is always lots to organise. In school, a lot happens in the background. But before school starts again, let’s enjoy the weekend. And how better to start a weekend with a song?

Let’s go!

Song

Antimatter – leftover wine

I chose this song because it has been stuck in my head for a while now. Maybe it gets stuck in yours too? Antimatter has been featured often on the blog, I like Mick Moss’s voice a lot. The above song is a cover version of Melanie’s Leftover Wine from 1970. Personally, I prefer the cover that can be found on the Antimatter album Parallel Matters (rarities 2001-2024) that came out earlier this year.

Photo

Somehow I got it in my head that a photo in this Friday post has to be from that week. Now, this week went by so fast, I didn’t take many pictures. I could have posted one of the nudes I was sent, somehow that’s taking up again on IG, but that’s not my style. And I do admit, I am less appalled and more flattered, lol. It’s a matter of perspective. Anyhow: the above photo is of me proudly holding my new book into the camera. My usual curly hair was straightened, my eyes looked almost black (must be the light)… It is a picture of me that is nice enough to share.

Post of the week

The post that was most read this week was the english translation of the originally french poem “la caresse maudite”

The cursed caress

Visitors

It was a very quiet week on the blog. Very much so. In my mind, some posts went under the radar this week because of that, but I could be wrong.

USA 🇺🇸

UK 🇬🇧

Spain 🇪🇸

Netherlands 🇳🇱

India 🇮🇳

Thoughts

This week I found myself circling the same thoughts, almost like walking the same path over and over, checking if the ground still holds. I asked myself if my words are raw enough – or too raw, if the rhythm I fall into carries the reader or lets them slip away. I wondered if my meandering is charm or distraction, if my voice is strength or flaw. If there is too much different content on the blog and if none of it matters to anyone but me.
I thought a lot about The August Current too. How to bring it onto the blog without repeating myself too often. How to let it stand among the other books and still keep its own pulse, and let it shine. Because this one really deserves to shine. But what if repetition isn’t the enemy I make it out to be? Maybe it’s a way of saying: look again, this matters. To me it does, and maybe that’s enough to make it matter to you too.
I come back to authenticity, always.
To the fear of losing what makes me real. To the fear of polishing or censoring myself too much.
And to the hope that my words, as they are,
are enough.
And that I am too. And you know? More often than not, lately, I think they are. Me too. 💜

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Friday 5

So, this Friday 5 is a bit different, I was in the Netherlands (Zeeland, Scharendijke to be precise) for the week. The weather was streaky, but I managed to see a sunset at the sea, I saw seals, breathed in the north sea and had a relaxing time. There were several storm warnings and we went to see the ocean just before a big storm hit, but it was beautiful. We were drenched from the rain, but it was an experience for sure. But now it is Friday afternoon, I just arrived home, a first load of laundry is already in – no worries, I surprised myself with that one too. And I guess, that soon, ordinary life will have us back.

Song

Deepfield – don’t let go

The above song is a cover of En Vogue’s song. I do like the original but was positively surprised to hear this version. The original was on the soundtrack or the film Set if Off (1996). While on vacation, we listened to local radio stations and I added a couple songs to my mile long Spotify playlist. Feel free to browse my list, it’s 60 hours of music. Good and bad, in different languages and genres.

Photo

This photo was taken on the beach of Renesse by my daughter, shortly after I complained that I wasn’t in any photos because I took them all. The only photos of me from this short getaway are selfies and this one (two actually). After my rant I went a bit ahead of them and Amalia snapped this one. I like it, very moody.

Highlight of the Week

You will probably not believe this, but I haven’t set foot in a record store in at least two decades (that’s 20 years!) and back then I only bought CDs. Well, we visited a quaint little city (Zierikzee) and was almost pushed into the local record store. I was really reluctant because whenever someone is with me, I don’t want to spoil myself. And let’s face it, buying vinyl records is very much only for me and not for the family. I bought 3 records (and could have bought 20 more) Dire Straits – Love over Gold. Jeff Buckley – Grace (I own that one on CD, but I couldn’t pass this one). Otis Redding – the best of Otis Redding. Oh, I will love listening to these three. Very different one from the other, but that’s how eclectic my tastes are.

Visitors

USA 🇺🇸

Netherlands 🇳🇱

UK 🇬🇧

Luxembourg 🇱🇺

Canada 🇨🇦

Thank you for your interest this week. 😘

Quote

“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.”
— Helen Keller

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Friday 5

Good morning. It’s August 15th, which is a holiday here in Luxembourg. The weekend will be filled with social obligations and gatherings. Right now, I feel a bit tired and unimpressed or uninspired. However, I am inspired for the Friday 5. And as is tradition, let’s start with a song.

Song

Weather Systems – Synesthesia

I chose this one because it popped up often in my playlist this week. I loved this song from the first time I heard it. And it still does things to my emotional state.

Photo

This photo was taken last Tuesday. We had guests over for BBQ that night and when they left, I sat outside with a cocktail, waiting for the Perseids on the clear night sky. I only saw one. And of course I wished for something.

Posts of the week

This week, the post you read most was called How to Write Like me. But since the Top 3 posts were so diverse, I will repost them here, for convenience, mostly. Happy exploring.

How to write like me
It was meant to be a humourous take on all the How To Write posts out there.
melting your clouds
a sensual flash fiction written in 2019, a bit of a hot one
Weather Systems – Ocean Without a Shore (album review)
An album review. I still believe that this one is worth your time, if you like that kind of music.

Where are you from

I did this last week and thought it was fun. Reflections of an Unquiet Mind is read internationally. And I quite like that. It’s a bit like planting seeds all over the world. Full transparency: traffic this week was only half of what it was last week. Probably a reflection of me posting less and people enjoying their summer.

United States 🇺🇸

Luxembourg 🇱🇺

Netherlands 🇳🇱

Germany 🇩🇪

Serbia 🇷🇸

Thank you for visiting.

Musing

I mentioned planting seeds. Maybe that’s exactly what we do when we write and post it online for everyone to read and to find. We are planting seeds of creativity, seeds of thoughts, and sometimes even seeds of wisdom for others to discover and allow to grow in their minds.

PS: while writing this post, there was one visitor from the UK reading all my album reviews. This goes to show that every post reflecting the past week, is old and outdated the moment it is written. Thank you.

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Friday 5

It’s August 8th. Friday. My week was quiet. Two of my three kids are on vacation, the house is very empty and quiet. My mind, though, that’s a different story, my mind is never quiet.

Let’s start with a song that played quite a lot in my home this week.

Song

Soen – The Words

From the 2014 album Tellurian. It was their second studio album. This song is a bit of the essence of why I love this band. Poetic lyrics, awesome vocals, great production. And although this is more like a power-ballad, the prog-metal is hinted at too (at only because of the length of the song.)

Photo

My coffee has seen things.

Post of the week

This week, a poem was most read:

ghosts in my mind
What are your thoughts about this little poem? (To read a clean version, click the link. Somehow sharing the embedded link makes the format all wonky)

Where are you from? (August 1st to August 8th)

USA 🇺🇸

India 🇮🇳

UK 🇬🇧

Netherlands 🇳🇱

Bulgaria 🇧🇬

Thank you all. It’s a pleasure to see your flags pop up in my stats. And even though I don’t know who you are, I am very grateful you are here. And to the ones not listed here, I am thankful for your presence too.

musing

I want to leave a trace. The idea that my life didn’t matter to anyone is almost unbearable to me.

One can say that parts of me will always be alive because of my children. But is that enough?

Isn’t it why we are writing and leaving footsteps on the internet? Because we hope to leave a faint soul print on a stranger too?

What do you think?

Have a great week!

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Friday 5

Another week has passed and July is done. Time flies, as they say. It feels as if yesterday was March and now it’s already August. The weather is dreadful over here. We had a heatwave in early July and that’s all we had for summer. Isn’t talking about weather very mundane? Let’s dive into this week’s Friday 5, shall we?

Song

Suzanne Vega – left of center

This song was released in 1986. It was a B-side of the single Tom’s diner. If you have been following this blog for a while, you probably remember that I am never too fond of female voices, but Suzanne Vega (along with Annie Lennox and Kate Bush) or exceptions. I like that she takes a blink of an eye and makes a song about it. It’s a bit similar to my short stories, but of course she does it more masterfully than I ever could. Her back catalog is well worth exploring beyond the known songs.

Photo

I love looking at the sky and at clouds. It’s also a recurring theme in my poetry; the sky, clouds, the stars, rain, storms… Last Wednesday I was having a drink with my husband and behind him I saw this. I had to take a photo of the beautiful view. I had to edit it though, in the right corner was a lamppost that I removed digitally. Beauty hides everywhere, but most often in the unseen and in the quiet distractions we don’t allow us to notice

Post of the week

Credit, where credit is due seems to have resonated with most readers this week. Post of the week

Music recap for July

It’s a bit funny how there’s no real overlap between the top tracks and top artists. But maybe that says something about how scattered my mind was this month…

Musing

I don’t have much to offer, but what I have I give freely. Care is not about asking for something in return, it is about presence.

How was your week? What was your top song, or which one would you share? Did you take the time to look at the clouds and the stars, to dance in the rain and to breathe?

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Friday 5 – the return

Some traditions are worth bringing back. Years ago, Friday 5 was my quiet ritual; a small list of 5 songs I had on repeat while writing here. No deep explanations, just soundtracks to my thoughts.

I’ve been thinking… why not bring it back, but with a little twist? Instead of only music, Friday 5 could be anything that caught my attention this week: a photo, a fleeting thought, a post I loved, or a song that stayed. A mood board of sorts, but in my way: short, random, and very me

So here we go again.

💜

Song:

Reamonn – Sometimes

The song is from the 2006 album Wish. There’s a certain melancholy in it that I’ve always loved. Rea Garvey’s voice has been a favourite of mine for years. I’ve seen Reamonn live a couple of times, and Rea as a solo artist once too. Reamonn was a German band with an Irish frontman.

💜

Photo:

This photo was taken last Tuesday. I drove home late after dinner with my cousin, and on a very small road, I caught the last moments of the sunset. It was so beautiful that I stopped and took the photo. No traffic, no rush, just a quiet moment on my way home.

💜

Quote:

Where words fail, music speaks ~ Hans Christian Andersen

Isn’t this the truth? For me it is definitely true.

💜

Post of the week:

just a footnote

https://wp.me/p2ZT5k-5Zp

This was the most read post of the week.

💜

Musing:

When silence weighs more than friendship, stepping back feels easier than pleading for connection.

💜

This marks the first edition of the revived Friday 5. Thank you for your eyes and ears, and enjoy your weekend.