Written for Ovi Poetry Challenge #84.
This week’s inspiration word is
“open”. Keeping with the theme
of positivity, this is my Ovi.
Author: Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬
Daughter of Sicilian immigrants, wife, mother, grammy, friend, empath, survivor, dreamer, storyteller, humorist, singer, musician, author, blogger, wannabe-poet, plant rescuer, cook, lover of good wine, food, iced cappuccino, elephants, the sea, Montauk, Sicily, movies and music, especially my beloved Beatles. ♡✒️♬
It’s Two, By George!
Today in Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Quasimodo Rang The Bell’, he has asked us
to write about a song that mentions a bell, buzzer,
chime, gong, horn, siren or whistle. Written for
Song Lyric Sunday, here’s my selection.
Smooth Saturday
In Dreams
Re-visited, re-read, re-worked and re-written
for The Unicorn Challenge where Jenne & CE
encourage us to get creative in 250 words or less.
The photo below is our inspiration; this is my story.
Palisades Park
Our gracious host, Rochelle, at Friday Fictioneers
asks us to use the photo below as inspiration
to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. This is my flash.
The Ritual
Written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt #399,
using the word “groove”. In 75 words, this is my story.
My Dad’s Lesson: Dectina Refrain
When my father emigrated to the US
from Sicily, he was given advice that
changed his life. With that in mind,
this is my response to dVerse Poetics:
For the Love of the Broadsheet.
I have chosen a Dectina Refrain.
A Hand To Lend: An Ovi
Written for Ovi Poetry Challenge #83.
This week’s inspiration word is “lift”.
In the spirit of positivity, here is my Ovi.
My Native Land
Shweta is our host for the
Saturday Six Word Challenge (6WSP) #121.
This week’s prompt word is “grief”. I am also
using one of Kevin’s great images from
The Beginning At Last. Here is my 6 word story.
Boop-Oop-A-Doop
This week at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag,
he’s asking us to write about a song in which
the title or a line mentions the current month.
Here’s my featured January artist and his song.
This week’s featured song is pure fun; I’ve chosen a golden oldie, written and recorded by the legendary Neil Sedaka.
Born March 13, 1939 in Brooklyn, New York. Neil Sedaka is a singer, composer, and pianist and one of the most prolific songwriters of his era. Sedaka has written or cowritten more than 500 songs, including the hits “Calendar Girl” (1959), “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do” (1960), and “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen” (1961). Although Sedaka himself performed many of his songs, others were sung by well-known performers, among them Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and the Monkees.
Neil Sedaka received many awards and accolades during his lengthy career, including being given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2004 he was honored with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in furthering the success of songwriters.
My song choice for this week in January is “Calendar Girl”. Written by Neil Sedaka and his songwriting partner Howard Greenfield, “Calendar Girl” became one of Sedaka’s signature hits. It was also, at the time, his highest-charting hit on the Billboard charts …. a personal record that would not be broken until his 1962 recording of “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”.
“Calendar Girl” follows the very simple premise of linking each of the 12 months of the year to a sweetheart’s endearing personality trait with holidays or special events as the main focus (Valentine, Easter Bunny, etc.).
The idea of a ‘calendar girl’ dates back to the 1890s and, in later years, became popular through the use of wall calendars featuring photos of beautiful actresses and/or models wearing swimsuits. They are synonymous with wartime movies, auto repair shops, teenage boys bedrooms and sports locker rooms. Some of the earliest, most famous calendar pin-up girls were Betty Grable, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe and even Betty Boop.
“Calendar Girl” became Neil Sedaka’s 6th hit in two years but was also his first top-five record. The song peaked at #4 on the US Billboard chart.
This is “Calendar Girl” by Neil Sedaka
LYRICS
I love, I love, I love my calendar girl
Yeah, sweet calendar girl
I love, I love, I love my calendar girl
Each and every day of the year
(January) You start the year off fine
(February) You’re my little valentine
(March) I’m gonna march you down the aisle
(April) You’re the Easter Bunny when you smile
Yeah, yeah, my heart’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love my little calendar girl
Every day (every day), every day (every day) of the year
(Every day of the year)
(May) Maybe if I ask your dad and mom
(June) They’ll let me take you to the Junior Prom
(July) Like a firecracker all aglow
(August) When you’re on the beach you steal the show
Yeah, yeah, my heart’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love my little calendar girl
Every day (every day), every day (every day) of the year
(Every day of the year)
Yeah, yeah, my heart’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love my little calendar girl
Every day (every day), every day (every day) of the year
(Every day of the year)
(September) Light the candles at your Sweet Sixteen
(October) Romeo and Juliet on Halloween
(November) I’ll give thanks that you belong to me
(December) You’re the present ‘neath my Christmas tree
Yeah, yeah, my heart’s in a whirl
I love, I love, I love my little calendar girl
Every day (every day), every day (every day) of the year (every day of the year)
I love, I love, I love my calendar girl
Yeah, sweet calendar girl
I love, I love, I love my calendar girl
Yeah, sweet calendar girl
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Neil Sedaka/Howard Greenfield
Calendar Girl lyrics © Universal Music – Careers
Big thanks to Glyn Wilton for hosting Mixed Music Bag each week. Please be sure to follow the link and check out Glyn’s site.
Thanks for joining me today and spinning another January tune.
See you on the flip side. 😎
NAR©2025
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Weird Al Wednesday – 1.22.25
Hey! I’m doing a new music blog which I hope
will be entertaining and give you some laughs.
It’s all about Weird Al Yankovic and I’m having
a blast with his fun music parody videos!
What do you have to say about that, Al?
All Twisted Up
Written for Esther’s “Can You Tell A Story In…..?”
exactly 21 words using the required three words
‘fiend’, ‘yoga’ and ‘parrot’. I have also used
Sue & Gerry’s Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge
word ‘deep’. This is my 21 word story.
A Formula For Disaster
This is a story I wrote a few years ago.
Some of you have read it; many have not.
I revamped it and hope you enjoy the read.
Graphic created by Kevin @ The Beginning At Last.
El Paso
Written for OLWG #401-Ojínaga. The three prompts
for this week are shown below. I have also used one of
Kevin’s great graphics from The Beginning At Last.
This my story.
Re-mem-mem, re-mem-mem-mem-ber?
This week in Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Brush With Fame’ he has asked us to
write about a song from a forgotten band.
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here’s my choice.
The Little Woman
Written for The Unicorn Challenge where we
are urged to get creative in 250 words or less. The
photo below is our inspiration and this is my story.
He Was Expendable
Our gracious host, Rochelle, at Friday Fictioneers
asks us to use the photo below as inspiration
to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. This is my flash.
January Heart
This week at Glyn Wilton’s Mixed Music Bag,
he’s asking us to write about a song in which
the title or a line mentions the current month.
Here’s my featured January artist and her song.
The Raffle
Written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt #398,
incorporating the word “winner” and for Sue & Gerry’s
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge using the prompt
word “blanket”. In exactly 95 words, this is my story.
Weird Al Wednesday – 1.15.25
Hey! Welcome back to my new music blog
featuring the comedic genius of Weird Al Yankovic
I hope you’ve been having fun and a few laughs;
that’s what this is all about. Time for our next video!
What Stinks?
Shweta is our host for Saturday Six Word Challenge-#120.
Graphic by Kevin at The Beginning At Last.
This week’s prompt word is “foolish”.
Here is my 6 word story.
Dance With Me: A Quadrille
Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille #215:
“Ready For Liftoff”. Our host De Jackson,
aka WhimsyGizmo, invites us to “pen a
pithy poem of just 44 words, including
some semblance of the word LIFT”.
This is my quadrille.
Him and Me: An Ovi
Written for Ovi Poetry Challenge #82.
This week’s inspiration word is
“aware”. This is my Ovi.
Hell, Yeah!
Written for OLWG #400, our three prompts
for this week are shown below. This my story.
Four By Four
Today in Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday post
entitled ‘Work Harder Day’, he has asked us to
write about a song that includes the words
work or hard. Bonus points for using both!
Written for Song Lyric Sunday, here’s my response.
Bones Of Steel
Introduction: More Italians have emigrated to the United States than any other people in Europe. When they first arrived, speaking no English, they learned very quickly the only jobs available to them were in sanitation and construction. They took pride in their work. The resulting cathedrals and skyscrapers dotting Manhattan are testaments to their craftsmanship and determination.
I will not lie; this is not a new piece. It’s been
whittled down from its original 746 words to
250 words for The Unicorn Challenge where
we are urged to get creative using the photo
below as our inspiration. This is my story.
A Whole Lot Of Nothing
Our gracious host, Rochelle, at Friday Fictioneers
asks us to use the photo below as inspiration
to write creatively in 100 words or less while
making every word count. This is my flash.
By The Side Of The Road
Written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt #397,
using the word “merge” in exactly 28 words,
this is my fast food flash fiction.
🍩 🍦 🍕
Not My Kid
Written for OLWG #399, our three prompts
for this week are shown below. This my story.
Sightseeing
Written for dVerse Poetics – “Art In Nature”
where the challenge is to write a poem in
response to one of the featured photos.
I have chosen to write a Dectina Refrain
for the photo which appears below.
The Elephant's Trunk 