Lori Bonati

Sketches of Spain, and Sweetness This post is about a part of Spain I'd never heard of ... and it's about my grandsons, too. Yesterday, while listening to a local radio program about world reggae music, I was surprised to hear a reggae song described as Spanish, Celtic, and Galician. I'd never heard the terms "Spanish" and "Celtic" together in the same sentence. To me, Celtic meant Irish, Welsh, and Scottish.

Sketches of Spain, and Sweetness

This post is about a part of Spain I'd never heard of ... and it's about my grandsons, too. Yesterday, while listening to a local radio program about world reggae music, I was surprised to hear a reggae song described as Spanish, Celtic, and Galician. I'd never…

loristory Come see what I've scribbled!

Same old blog, whole new look, with extras on the menu, and a "subscribe" button, too. Come see what I've scribbled.
loribonati.com

Opinion | José Andrés: People of Good Conscience Must Stop the Starvation in Gaza

José Andrés: People of Good Conscience Must Stop the Starvation in Gaza www.nytimes.com/2025/07/27/o...

SO LITTLE CARDBOARD Recently, I attended a protest rally and took pictures of some clever and inspiring signs. One of my favorites was:

My latest blog post will take you in and out of the politics box (and back in again). loribonati.com/blog/f/so-li...

IGUANA IN THE ROAD IGUANA IN THE ROAD [Bonati, Lori, Ronning, Diane] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. IGUANA IN THE ROAD

Here’s a book for kids about how to help an endangered species … and, as the author, I highly recommend it! a.co/d/f9t0nda

This book inspired me to refill my bird feeders. A pair of cardinals came by to check it out. The male ate from the feeder; the female stayed on the ground, but she caught a worm. Then the two of them kissed. It was so romantic. Or did he just want what she was having? #EarthDayisEveryDay #birding

Another April day, another library book borrowed!
#EarthDayBookList #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #Activism #Resist

Thanks so much! Yes, I sang all the parts throughout. Happy you’re humming it!

My Earth Day gift to myself: I borrowed this library audiobook! #EarthDay #ClimateAction #Resist

Books to help you stay inspired to fight climate change » Yale Climate Connections These 12 books could help restore your grit and bolster your hopes.

To celebrate Earth Day (4/22/25), I’ll be visiting my local library in search of one or more of these books: yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/06/book... #EarthDay

Books to help you stay inspired to fight climate change » Yale Climate Connections These 12 books could help restore your grit and bolster your hopes.

Count me in. I’ll post book list recommendations like this one: yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/06/book...

Mandy Patinkin’s show, Being Alive, was sweet, powerful, moving, funny & inspiring, from the opening “Inchworm” to “Over the Rainbow” (sung in Yiddish), with a lovely synopsis of his life as an actor sandwiched in between. I’m convinced Mandy has the world’s biggest heart!
@mandykathryn.bsky.social

YouTube video by Lori Bonati NO GOOD REASON ... a song about the Gulf of Mexico

My latest protest song, about the Gulf of Mexico, is on YouTube!!! Please share! It's kind of as if Jimmy Buffett + Joni Mitchell wrote a political song together, and then got me to sing it. What could possibly go wrong? youtu.be/FxCm-JsVdvc?... #protestsong #indiesongwriter #GulfofMexico #resist

Lunar eclipse showing Earth’s shadow and Moon’s surface against a black sky

The moon up above us
is like a well-worn dime …
— from my song, “Kinda New,” which is kinda almost ready to be recorded. (Photo by me 3/14/25)

I learned that the Don McLean song about a “starry starry night” is about Vincent VanGogh. (And I learned a lot about chord progressions, after googling “how to write a chord progression for a bridge in a song.” Much of it was over my head, like a starry starry night.

Re: The confusion over Musk’s email to Federal workers, never fear. Felon47 clarified everything during a visit with President Emmanuel Macron of France, saying that employees who did not respond to the email would be “semi-fired” or “fired.” Good to semi-know, or know!

Blue sky above, new day
dancers fall in love, children play
seagulls fly to and fro, o’er the
Gulf of Mexico

And it seems a little crazy, in fact, it’s very strange
to suddenly rewrite a map that we don’t need to change
I won’t obey a bully who tramples on what’s good
and I’ll never do his bidding, I don’t believe I should.

I always will remember that day so long ago
when first I set my eyes upon the Gulf I came to know
there’s really no good reason to change its name of old
the Gulf of Mexico is fine, no matter what we’re told.

White sand at my feet, warm breeze
soft waves keep the beat, palm trees
clouds drift on high, sinking sun,
red sky, day is done

Smaller than an ocean, bigger than a bay
shared with our good neighbors not so far away
someone once decided a name so apropos
a name that makes me happy, the Gulf of Mexico

Lyrics to my new song, "No Good Reason" (c. L. Bonati 2025). Here's verse 1. See more verses below. Share!

When I was a child I saw a map at school
a planet to explore, a fascinating jewel
and right here in our hemisphere, a place for me to go
I knew that someday I would see the Gulf of Mexico

I will no longer refer to the present White House gang of con-artists as an "administration." It's a regime. Please remind me if I accidentally slip and call it anything that implies that it has an ounce of respectability. #resist

It was cold outside today and the rec center was closed, so I walked in my basement and took this photo of the floor when I was done.

Yes, I get kind of choked up every time I read it!

Thanks! No, but that’s a cool idea!

YouTube video by Pacific Buffalo - Topic Mud Makes a Mess

Wow, your song and that recording are wonderful. I write songs, too. Here’s an EP of 4 children’s songs I wrote & recorded. I just realized that CDBaby put them on YouTube. youtu.be/ZMRBdVaOujo?...

At my dining room table, which is currently covered with piles of chapter books, scribbled-on pages, a laptop, and a vase of tulips. #amrevising

Starting tomorrow, I’ll be listening to audiobooks while going for long walks. There, I’ve said it out loud, so now I have to do it!

Anything that isn’t messy