Blog - Luci Westphal

Favorite songs best of 2020, playlist, mixtape

Favorite Songs: 4th 1/4 of 2020 Mix Tape

This 4th mix tape and playlist rounds out my favorite songs of 2020.

2020 in the movies, old moveis set in 2020 on tv and streaming

Movies set in 2020 – Better or worse than the actual 2020?

As this crazy year finally comes to an end, let’s see how movies made in the past envisioned a future 2020. Which creative visionary came even close to predicting the intensity of this year? Did anyone imagine a year that was worse?

2021 Happier Place Nature Photography Calendar, Photos by Luci Westphal

2021 Wall Calendar Featuring My Photography

For the fourth year in a row, Happier Place published a wall calendar featuring my photography. It’s not too late to get one. TweetShare53SharePinShare53 Shares

Favorites Songs Summer 2020, mix tape, playlist

Favorite Songs: 3rd 1/4 of 2020 Mix Tape

No matter what’s going on in the world, there is always too much great music for just one Favorite Songs Of The Year list. So I make a playlist for every quarter. These are my favorite songs from July, August and September.

Baby gator sleeping on a log in Shark Valley, Everglades, National Park, Florida

Everglades National Park Photos – Part I: Shark Valley

The Everglades National Park is a wildlife and bird photographers paradise. All these photos I took along just one trail: the Shark Valley Loop.

Red-winged black bird, 1 dollar bill, buy local tampa bay

Discover and Buy Local from Tampa Bay Artists and Makers

Tampa Bay’s LocalShops1 created a great online marketplace to support local artists, makers and small businesses – and to help everyone find unique products. It’s a win-win for a healthy community!

music playlist favorite songs 2020 second quarter, April, May, June, sunset

Favorite Songs: 2nd 1/4 of 2020 Mix Tape

Not surprisingly, my favorite songs of spring 2020 were influenced by the events and mood of the world and how they influenced artists and me: coronavirus, Black Lives Matters, isolation, loneliness, loss, and the need to rise up and speak up.

Snowy Egret coming in for landing on new LuciWest photography website and blog

New Landing Spot: My New Merged Relaunched Imperfect Website

This new LuciWest site has been a work-in-progress long enough, and it doesn’t seem I’ll ever get it “just right”. Therefore, I’m now officially declaring it launched – or relaunched.

Great white egret on tree, pink roseate spoonbill in flight, facing away

Introspection, Reflection and Need for Action – by a White German Expat in America

During the anguish of these days, something comes through clearly: it’s not enough to think one is not a racist, one has to be a proactive anti-racist. And that starts with some introspection and reflection.

music playlist favorite songs 2020 first quarter, January, February, March, royal tern beach shadow

Favorite Songs: 1st 1/4 of 2020 Mix Tape

With some technical (new website!) and global pandemic delays, here is my selection of favorites songs from the first quarter of 2020.

Roseate Spoonbill, pink, bird, animal, Florida

Featured Photo: Roseate Spoonbill

This Roseate Spoonbill, I photographed on my 2020 birthday in April.

Cormorants, Florida, birds, black, orange beak, blue eyes

Refreshed

Testing the air and soon the water.

Favorite Songs: 4th 1/4 of 2019 Mix Tape

In some ways, the last favorite song mix tape of the year is usually the most interesting one to me. I usually get to add quite a few last minute songs to it as I discover great songs on other people’s best-of-the year lists.

Jumping Over My Own Shadow: My First Indie Market

In German, we have an expression that translates to “jumping over one’s own shadow” and means to do something that doesn’t come natural to you and is unsettling, even scary to you. It’s usually something that is not scary or even a big deal to others – but just outside of your personal comfort zone or natural behavior.

Favorite Songs: 3rd 1/4 of 2019 Mix Tape

Another quarter of a year came and went. A lot happened, a lot didn’t happen. There were songs, there was silence. More laughter, tears, outrage, thoughts, talks, yearning, gratitude, hope, disappointment, several road trips (one especially epic), sooo many beach walks and beach sunsets, a lot of work and never enough dancing. Here are my favorite songs from July, August and September 2019.

Favorite Songs: 2nd 1/4 of 2019 Mix Tape

Alright, I’m finally officially not making CDs for my quarterly favorite song mixes anymore… it’s all just playlists from now on. And since I now have the freedom to make the quarterly playlists as long as I want to… I decided to restrict them to the length of a 90-minute cassette tape.