That Was the Week That Was - May 16-23rd
I think there used to be a news-type TV show on by this name when I was a kid. Since I never got around to doing a blog about Regional Competition or anything else this week, I'll use this title to give a brief rundown on "My Week That Was."
Competition:
I am a member of a Sweet Adelines chorus. If you don't know what that is, it's Barbershop singing, but for women only. Barbershop singing is A Capella singing without accompaniment (like piano, organ, full orchestra), very tight 4-part harmony. If you're familiar with "The Music Man," in that movie there was a group of four male singers who sang several songs throughout the movie. Most people who are familiar with Barbershop, can trace their familiarity to this movie.
A week ago we were in Spokane, Washington, for our annual Regional Competition. This was one of the high points of my week. We ended up with a third place medal in the mid-size (31-60 member chorus) for our efforts and hard work throughout the year. We also saw quartets perform, and at the Show of Champions on Saturday night, heard the championship choruses we were unable to hear because we were the last performers. Lots of good music!
Choreo Queen
The other highlight of the week came on Monday night at our chorus Installation banquet. We generally hold it the Monday evening after competition. We gather as a chorus to install officers for the coming year, announce the "Sweet Adeline of the Year," and "Choreo Queen." The Sweet Adeline of the year is chosen from among a group of ladies who are nominated by other chorus members for their outstanding support of the chorus throughout the year. We vote for our choice in March, but don't find out the winner until Banquet night. The Choreo Queen is chosen by our chorus choreographer and is the most-improved in choreography for the past year. Choreography is a big part of our repertoire. Not that we dance, but there are some choreographed moves, as well as facial expression, which is a part of our type of singing. Imagine MY surprise when my name was announced as Choreo Queen! This has been a difficult thing for me to do, as a quiet and shy person. I've been a member for 4 years, and it has taken lots of work to overcome my shyness and "perform" while singing. I have a nice plaque which says "Choreo Queen" and my name, which I have to give back next year so the next Choreo Queen can have it for the next year, but I am deeply honored that our choreographer thought I worked harder than anyone else in our chorus to achieve this distinction.
End of the Year Blues
Most of the past week has been spent in sorting out our money issues for the chorus. I am the Treasurer, and this is the beginning of the new fiscal year. Of course there are still some money matters that are unresolved for the past year, so this week has been busy for me as I sort out the incoming and pay bills for the outgoing. I will probably still be doing this into June, because Competition related-stuff falls into the past fiscal year, even though it occurs in May (year end is April 30th). At least this year I have a nice, new, fast computer to do the bookwork on.
Happy Birthday, Baby B!
Today is my youngest granddaughter's first birthday! We'll be leaving shortly for her home to bring gifts, pay homage, eat, and enjoy her company, along with other family members. Doesn't seem possible that a year has sped by already. Many happy returns of the day!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Whazzup?
Another one of those "catch-up" posts, because whenever I think of something to write, I'm not near my computer. Here's what's happened lately.
The Lost is Found
I wrote about our pickup truck being stolen last month, making us a one-car family and leaving me without wheels until about 2:30 or 3 p.m. weekdays. Well, some 11 days after it was stolen, it was recovered. The thief wasn't part of a ring that strips vehicles and sells the parts, nor was he part of a ring that puts the vehicle on a ship and sends it off to Mexico or Japan or wherever and collects big bucks for stolen goods. This thief was a stupid druggie, who wasn't smart enough to drive it around a different part of town. Oh no, he drove it around North Portland, where the police officer who took the theft report saw it, tailed him for a while to be sure it was the same truck and so she could ID the thief, then recovered it and arrested him all in one fell swoop. A red-letter day for our dd H, who drove in Portland for the first time, too. I needed to go to Portland and of course I had no car, and even if I did, we'd have three cars and only two drivers.
It's not in too much worse for the wear, and after a bit of a hassle getting it re-licensed (thief tossed the license plates and pulled off the vin tags), we are a two-car family once again. Welcome home, Ol' Blue!
Girls Weekend
A couple of weeks ago, our dd Hefalump came to visit for the weekend, sans dh & ds's, just herself and Baby B. Fun weekend, all the women in our family (with the exception of dgd who had to work) came over for potluck junk food Friday night, visiting and games. Saturday morning we went out to breakfast with Hefalump, then she disappeared for the rest of the weekend visiting friends and spending the night with her next oldest sister. We traditionally do at least one girls day/night a year, usually making Christmas cards. It was fun to do another one without waiting until November.
Sweet Adelines Competition
Is coming up this weekend, in Spokane. DD N & I will drive the 6-ish hours to Spokane Friday, getting there for Quartet contest. Then our contest begins Saturday afternoon. We have worked so hard to get ready, and are doing two great songs, "All of Me" and "After You've Gone." Along about 3:10 Saturday afternoon, May 16th, we'll hit the stage with our Comp package. Want to see us perform? Should be a link here:
http://www.sairegion24.org/
New to My Fishtank
Tuesday H (the younger) & I went to our local Petsmart and picked up 4 new fishies, to keep the Chinese algae eater company. Two Buenos Aires Tetras and two Scissor-tail Rasbora (sorry H, had to look, I couldn't remember the species name). Mafia-Cat thinks they're the greatest, because the algae eater was pretty quiet in his hideout. He has something he can look at. When he gets too close (ala on top of the aquarium), he gets shot with the spray bottle. He's been better today, being mostly content to watch from the ground.
Mothers Day
Can't do a blog without a mention of the latest Mothers Day. Nice day, went to church where the women in the ward were presented with two chocolate chip cookies. DH fixed breakfast for me, and dinner was prepared mostly by K & T, with help from from H. Gifts included a framed photo of me & my girls, a Cookie Monster T-shirt, a potpouri cooker complete with both dried and liquid potpouri, a coupon for breakfast/lunch or dinner with dd N, and plenty of my favorite candies (Good-n-Plenty, Sweet-Tarts, licorice, Baby Ruth cbs, etc). Nummy!
With that, I'm taking myself off to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day. Exercise at Curves early, spend the day at the genealogy society library, and finish getting ready to leave for Competiton.
The Lost is Found
I wrote about our pickup truck being stolen last month, making us a one-car family and leaving me without wheels until about 2:30 or 3 p.m. weekdays. Well, some 11 days after it was stolen, it was recovered. The thief wasn't part of a ring that strips vehicles and sells the parts, nor was he part of a ring that puts the vehicle on a ship and sends it off to Mexico or Japan or wherever and collects big bucks for stolen goods. This thief was a stupid druggie, who wasn't smart enough to drive it around a different part of town. Oh no, he drove it around North Portland, where the police officer who took the theft report saw it, tailed him for a while to be sure it was the same truck and so she could ID the thief, then recovered it and arrested him all in one fell swoop. A red-letter day for our dd H, who drove in Portland for the first time, too. I needed to go to Portland and of course I had no car, and even if I did, we'd have three cars and only two drivers.
It's not in too much worse for the wear, and after a bit of a hassle getting it re-licensed (thief tossed the license plates and pulled off the vin tags), we are a two-car family once again. Welcome home, Ol' Blue!
Girls Weekend
A couple of weeks ago, our dd Hefalump came to visit for the weekend, sans dh & ds's, just herself and Baby B. Fun weekend, all the women in our family (with the exception of dgd who had to work) came over for potluck junk food Friday night, visiting and games. Saturday morning we went out to breakfast with Hefalump, then she disappeared for the rest of the weekend visiting friends and spending the night with her next oldest sister. We traditionally do at least one girls day/night a year, usually making Christmas cards. It was fun to do another one without waiting until November.
Sweet Adelines Competition
Is coming up this weekend, in Spokane. DD N & I will drive the 6-ish hours to Spokane Friday, getting there for Quartet contest. Then our contest begins Saturday afternoon. We have worked so hard to get ready, and are doing two great songs, "All of Me" and "After You've Gone." Along about 3:10 Saturday afternoon, May 16th, we'll hit the stage with our Comp package. Want to see us perform? Should be a link here:
http://www.sairegion24.org/
New to My Fishtank
Tuesday H (the younger) & I went to our local Petsmart and picked up 4 new fishies, to keep the Chinese algae eater company. Two Buenos Aires Tetras and two Scissor-tail Rasbora (sorry H, had to look, I couldn't remember the species name). Mafia-Cat thinks they're the greatest, because the algae eater was pretty quiet in his hideout. He has something he can look at. When he gets too close (ala on top of the aquarium), he gets shot with the spray bottle. He's been better today, being mostly content to watch from the ground.
Mothers Day
Can't do a blog without a mention of the latest Mothers Day. Nice day, went to church where the women in the ward were presented with two chocolate chip cookies. DH fixed breakfast for me, and dinner was prepared mostly by K & T, with help from from H. Gifts included a framed photo of me & my girls, a Cookie Monster T-shirt, a potpouri cooker complete with both dried and liquid potpouri, a coupon for breakfast/lunch or dinner with dd N, and plenty of my favorite candies (Good-n-Plenty, Sweet-Tarts, licorice, Baby Ruth cbs, etc). Nummy!
With that, I'm taking myself off to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day. Exercise at Curves early, spend the day at the genealogy society library, and finish getting ready to leave for Competiton.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Soup to Nuts
Soup to Nuts blog 4/19/09
Another "little bit of everything" blog today. I often think of things that are interesting (to me, anyway) to blog about, but don't get around to it -- as you can tell by my dismal once a month postings. Trying to do better.
"Old" Spam
Yesterday as I walked back from my mailbox with a fistful of mail, I was intrigued by two pieces. Along with our electric bill and something else viable that I've already forgotten, was something addressed to me that mentioned my upcoming "retirement." Now this was on the outside envelope for everyone to see--hadn't even opened it yet, but since my all-important 62nd birthday occurs later this year, I thought it might be from the Social Security Administration. Nope, just SPAM. Some company was suggesting that I might want to start collecting Social Security this year, and they had the perfect thing for me to spend my retirement funds on! Extra insurance--either medical or the kind that would help pay for my life in a retirement-assisted-living-nursing home. Well no, IF I decide to "retire" (which I'm not considering at the moment), I can think of a lot more interesting ways to spend my retirement money than that. The second piece of age-related SPAM was from a company selling motorized scooters, and was address to dh. I guess because we've reached that magical age of 60, some companies think we're ready for the grave already, and want to hurry us along on one of
their motorized scooter-thingies. I can tell you that if dh ever does need one, he will be ready to run races with Bro. G in our ward, who has Parkinsons and must have been a race driver in his well-years. Turns out there was a third piece of age-related SPAM in the mix, also addressed to dh, which was even more thrilling. This one was offering their cremation services to us. Come on now! I have plans to live another 20 years or so. QUIT REMINDING US THAT WE'RE GETTING OLD!!!!
Losers
Yesterday every one of my favorite sports teams lost their games. The Blazers lost their first playoff game, the Mariners and the Rockies (baseball) both lost their games. The one good thing I can say about yesterday's sports scores is that the Yankees got shelled, 20-4, by Cleveland. I'm not a fan of the Yankees, mostly because of their owner, George Steinbrenner. He's very controlling and there are certain rules that must be abided by if you want to play on HIS team. One has to do with length of hair and facial hair. One of my favorite players was Johnny Damon, who used to play for the Boston Red Sox. A couple of years ago he sold his soul, so to speak, in order to play for the Yankees. Damon was a rebel in at least his appearance. His hair was long, he wore a beard, and he was a GREAT ballplayer. While he's probably still a great ballplayer, his hair is shorter, no facial hair, and I've always been disappointed that he sold out his individuality for the buck. I guess playing for the Yankees is a dream for many aspiring baseball players, so who knows if he sold out for money or for realizing a dream. Guess I can't really judge the guy, but it was still sad to me. Looks like the Yankees have an up-&-coming young upstart in Nick Swisher, though. He's very vocal and looks to be a lot of fun. Reminds me of someone I
used to know.
Thieves
Last week, actually nearly two weeks ago now, we were the victims of car theft. Dh's beloved Toyota pickup was stolen, right out of the church parking lot where he was working. And in about 45 minutes time, from when he got there to when he went out to the truck to get something he needed. GONE! Nowehere to be found! Naturally the police were called, the theft reported, the insurance company called, but still no sign of the truck. The police officer who took his report assured him that they usually recover stolen vehicles within a month. The police officer who took his report must not be up on Toyota thefts. She also did not say what shape the stolen vehicles are in when they are recovered. We don't expect to see it ever again. I am now carless, since dh needs his car for work. I get to do all my errands and Curves workouts after 3 p.m.
In the western days, horse thieves were hung.
Parking Lot Saga
In a blog last month I mentioned my sister-in-law losing her keys on our last get-together, which always includes a trip to Walmart or Tar-jay, or both. Last night was no different as we trudged off to Wendy's for dinner (this particular one we go to always runs out of baked potatoes--I think we need a new fast-food place) which would be followed by a trip to Walmart. At approximately 7:30 we returned to brother & sister-in-law's mighty Dodge Caravan, dumped all our purchases in the back end, settled in and were about to head to Tar-jay. Uh oh! Car no startee! Up comes the hood, dh says he sees the problem as there is corrosion on the battery terminals. My brother, not being much of a mechanic, had no tools with him, so they trudged back to the store where they bought a battery tester, wrench, and wire brushes to clean the terminals. The battery tester showed a weak cell, so db (dear brother) decided that they would buy a battery. That taken care of and installed, but no joy! We're still stuck. Eventually we decided that this car was not going to start, called one of our dd's (dear daughter) and the tow truck. $76 later (for a tow less than 2 miles), and thanks to the kindess of our dd & her dh, we were back at my brother's. Now my sister-in-law & I are both afoot. At least it happened when she had company, otherwise she might have been stranded alone with a non-running car, and me not being able to pick her up.
Another "little bit of everything" blog today. I often think of things that are interesting (to me, anyway) to blog about, but don't get around to it -- as you can tell by my dismal once a month postings. Trying to do better.
"Old" Spam
Yesterday as I walked back from my mailbox with a fistful of mail, I was intrigued by two pieces. Along with our electric bill and something else viable that I've already forgotten, was something addressed to me that mentioned my upcoming "retirement." Now this was on the outside envelope for everyone to see--hadn't even opened it yet, but since my all-important 62nd birthday occurs later this year, I thought it might be from the Social Security Administration. Nope, just SPAM. Some company was suggesting that I might want to start collecting Social Security this year, and they had the perfect thing for me to spend my retirement funds on! Extra insurance--either medical or the kind that would help pay for my life in a retirement-assisted-living-nursing home. Well no, IF I decide to "retire" (which I'm not considering at the moment), I can think of a lot more interesting ways to spend my retirement money than that. The second piece of age-related SPAM was from a company selling motorized scooters, and was address to dh. I guess because we've reached that magical age of 60, some companies think we're ready for the grave already, and want to hurry us along on one of
their motorized scooter-thingies. I can tell you that if dh ever does need one, he will be ready to run races with Bro. G in our ward, who has Parkinsons and must have been a race driver in his well-years. Turns out there was a third piece of age-related SPAM in the mix, also addressed to dh, which was even more thrilling. This one was offering their cremation services to us. Come on now! I have plans to live another 20 years or so. QUIT REMINDING US THAT WE'RE GETTING OLD!!!!
Losers
Yesterday every one of my favorite sports teams lost their games. The Blazers lost their first playoff game, the Mariners and the Rockies (baseball) both lost their games. The one good thing I can say about yesterday's sports scores is that the Yankees got shelled, 20-4, by Cleveland. I'm not a fan of the Yankees, mostly because of their owner, George Steinbrenner. He's very controlling and there are certain rules that must be abided by if you want to play on HIS team. One has to do with length of hair and facial hair. One of my favorite players was Johnny Damon, who used to play for the Boston Red Sox. A couple of years ago he sold his soul, so to speak, in order to play for the Yankees. Damon was a rebel in at least his appearance. His hair was long, he wore a beard, and he was a GREAT ballplayer. While he's probably still a great ballplayer, his hair is shorter, no facial hair, and I've always been disappointed that he sold out his individuality for the buck. I guess playing for the Yankees is a dream for many aspiring baseball players, so who knows if he sold out for money or for realizing a dream. Guess I can't really judge the guy, but it was still sad to me. Looks like the Yankees have an up-&-coming young upstart in Nick Swisher, though. He's very vocal and looks to be a lot of fun. Reminds me of someone I
used to know.
Thieves
Last week, actually nearly two weeks ago now, we were the victims of car theft. Dh's beloved Toyota pickup was stolen, right out of the church parking lot where he was working. And in about 45 minutes time, from when he got there to when he went out to the truck to get something he needed. GONE! Nowehere to be found! Naturally the police were called, the theft reported, the insurance company called, but still no sign of the truck. The police officer who took his report assured him that they usually recover stolen vehicles within a month. The police officer who took his report must not be up on Toyota thefts. She also did not say what shape the stolen vehicles are in when they are recovered. We don't expect to see it ever again. I am now carless, since dh needs his car for work. I get to do all my errands and Curves workouts after 3 p.m.
In the western days, horse thieves were hung.
Parking Lot Saga
In a blog last month I mentioned my sister-in-law losing her keys on our last get-together, which always includes a trip to Walmart or Tar-jay, or both. Last night was no different as we trudged off to Wendy's for dinner (this particular one we go to always runs out of baked potatoes--I think we need a new fast-food place) which would be followed by a trip to Walmart. At approximately 7:30 we returned to brother & sister-in-law's mighty Dodge Caravan, dumped all our purchases in the back end, settled in and were about to head to Tar-jay. Uh oh! Car no startee! Up comes the hood, dh says he sees the problem as there is corrosion on the battery terminals. My brother, not being much of a mechanic, had no tools with him, so they trudged back to the store where they bought a battery tester, wrench, and wire brushes to clean the terminals. The battery tester showed a weak cell, so db (dear brother) decided that they would buy a battery. That taken care of and installed, but no joy! We're still stuck. Eventually we decided that this car was not going to start, called one of our dd's (dear daughter) and the tow truck. $76 later (for a tow less than 2 miles), and thanks to the kindess of our dd & her dh, we were back at my brother's. Now my sister-in-law & I are both afoot. At least it happened when she had company, otherwise she might have been stranded alone with a non-running car, and me not being able to pick her up.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Musically Yours
Today while listening to my mp3 player as I went around the house doing chores, baking cookies etc., I decided I should write a blog about music: my favorite artists and songs, what makes them my favorites, and so on. I have added a lot of my favorite songs to my mp3 player, and it's pretty difficult to ignore them when they are piped directly into your ears. I was noticing lyrics to some of my favorite artists, and thinking how GREAT they are. For me, lyrics are a pretty important part of music, I especially like it when say and mean something to me. Of course, the music and beat themselves, which help deliver the messages of the lyrics, are pretty important. You can have the most beautiful and profound words in the world, but if you don't have the right music to go with them, the lyrics will probably go unnoticed. So here goes on my favorite artists and/or their music.
Neil Diamond:
I've been a big fan of his since the 1970's. A friend gave Don/Creig "Taproot Manuscript" for his birthday, and after listening to it a few times I became hooked on Neil Diamond's music. Shortly thereafter I added "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" to our collection, and have added each new album of his since that time. I've also had the opportunity to go to two of his concerts, one in 1996 and the other a few years later. What a performer! If you're reading this on my MySpace"
page, I've included "Pretty Amazing Grace" from his latest CD on my profile playlist. If you're not familiar with this song, give it a listen.
John Denver:
My "2nd favorite" musical artist, I also had the opportunity to see his show in Lake Tahoe in 1976. I can't remember exactly when he became one of my favorites, but it would have had to be before 1976 since we wanted to see him then. His death was a great tragedy. I have most of his albums/CD's and even a DVD. One of my favorites is also on my MySpace profile playlist--"Wild Montana Skies." It tells a story, as do most of his songs, and this is one reason why he is on my favorites list. Others that I like include "Pegasus" and "The Wings That Fly Us Home." While he did not write these last two songs, they are still on my favorites list because of the lyrics and music, and his great voice.
After these two, the following are in no particular order in my list of favorites.
Nilsson:
We've been a fan of his for a long time, too. And he is also gone from our midst, he died of a heart attack a few years ago. On my profile playlist is "The Lottery Song." Give it a listen. One of our daughters thought that their dad had written this one--he used to play it a lot when they were growing up. Some of his other songs which you may recognize include "Everybody's Talking" (from Midnight Cowboy), "Without You," and the "Coconut Song."
James Taylor:
His music has been around our household for many years now, and he's been a favorite of Don's for a long, long time. I recently heard some of his "newer" music, such as "Frozen Man," and have come to appreciate his music more than I did before. More of his music appears on the public playlist.
Billy Joel:
Same with Billy Joel, he's been around for a long time, but when I seriously listened to the music AND the lyrics, I realized that he has a place on my favorites list as well. Have a listen to "And So It Goes." Others are on my Public list.
David Wilcox:
Before Christmas, a local radio station (KINK) celebrated 40 years of being on the air by playing music from each of their 40 years on a day by day basis. One morning while getting ready for the day, I heard David Wilcox's song "Rusty Old American Dream." As a child of the '50s & '60's, I fully appreciated this song and added it and David Wilcox to my favorites list, too. Give a listen to this song and you'll hear what I mean. I have a couple more of his songs on my public playlist.
Joe Jencks:
Joe Jencks is a "below the radar" performer who has such a beautiful tenor voice and a way with words and music. You probably won't find his music on a top radio station, but it should be. He is married to my #2 daughter's grade school/jr. high friend, or we wouldn't have become acquainted with his music. Listen to "The Turtle" on my profile playlist. He's very pro-union, and many of his songs reflect this philosphy, but still he is very talented in both song & lyrics even if you don't agree with him politically.
Gordon Lightfoot:
I couldn't find a song I listened to today to add to my profile list, "Don Quixote." Listening to this song today made me think of my daughters who love fantasy/medieval writings. But he has also been around a long time, very talented in words and music, so I've included "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" on my profile playlist for your listening pleasure.
Glen Hansard/The Frames:
I was introduced to this performer's music about this time last year by a friend. "Falling Slowly," written with Marketa Orglova, won an Academy Award for Best Music a year or two ago. I have added "Fitzcaraldo" to my profile playlist, and you'll find others on my public list. For some reason I could not add "Falling Slowly" to my playlists, thought it was already there but it wasn't. "Ohio Boatman" made me think of the early to mid 1800's, back when riverboats and canal boats plied the Ohio River and in northern Ohio, the canals between New York and Ohio. One of my gg grandmother's brother's was a boatman, who died in Illinois at a young age in 1854. The title intrigued me so I gave it a listen, and added it to my public playlist because I liked it so well.
Don Allen:
I've been closely connected to this singer/songwriter for more than 40 years now. You won't find any of his music anywhere but in his head or from him personally if you can get him to sing and play guitar for you, but that's not to say that he shouldn't have any top hits. Family and close friends have listened to his music for many years. I have one of his songs, sung by Heidi, on my computer, but I can't figure out how to add it to either my blogspot or myspace sites. If I ever do, or if anyone knows the answer as to how I can do it, I'll gladly add it and you'll hear some more good music.
Hope this makes you think about your favorite music, feel free to share yours with me or on your blog spaces. Since you are reading this here, I've included the link to my MySpace site, which has my music playlists.
http://www.myspace.com/hookedongenealogy
Neil Diamond:
I've been a big fan of his since the 1970's. A friend gave Don/Creig "Taproot Manuscript" for his birthday, and after listening to it a few times I became hooked on Neil Diamond's music. Shortly thereafter I added "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" to our collection, and have added each new album of his since that time. I've also had the opportunity to go to two of his concerts, one in 1996 and the other a few years later. What a performer! If you're reading this on my MySpace"
page, I've included "Pretty Amazing Grace" from his latest CD on my profile playlist. If you're not familiar with this song, give it a listen.
John Denver:
My "2nd favorite" musical artist, I also had the opportunity to see his show in Lake Tahoe in 1976. I can't remember exactly when he became one of my favorites, but it would have had to be before 1976 since we wanted to see him then. His death was a great tragedy. I have most of his albums/CD's and even a DVD. One of my favorites is also on my MySpace profile playlist--"Wild Montana Skies." It tells a story, as do most of his songs, and this is one reason why he is on my favorites list. Others that I like include "Pegasus" and "The Wings That Fly Us Home." While he did not write these last two songs, they are still on my favorites list because of the lyrics and music, and his great voice.
After these two, the following are in no particular order in my list of favorites.
Nilsson:
We've been a fan of his for a long time, too. And he is also gone from our midst, he died of a heart attack a few years ago. On my profile playlist is "The Lottery Song." Give it a listen. One of our daughters thought that their dad had written this one--he used to play it a lot when they were growing up. Some of his other songs which you may recognize include "Everybody's Talking" (from Midnight Cowboy), "Without You," and the "Coconut Song."
James Taylor:
His music has been around our household for many years now, and he's been a favorite of Don's for a long, long time. I recently heard some of his "newer" music, such as "Frozen Man," and have come to appreciate his music more than I did before. More of his music appears on the public playlist.
Billy Joel:
Same with Billy Joel, he's been around for a long time, but when I seriously listened to the music AND the lyrics, I realized that he has a place on my favorites list as well. Have a listen to "And So It Goes." Others are on my Public list.
David Wilcox:
Before Christmas, a local radio station (KINK) celebrated 40 years of being on the air by playing music from each of their 40 years on a day by day basis. One morning while getting ready for the day, I heard David Wilcox's song "Rusty Old American Dream." As a child of the '50s & '60's, I fully appreciated this song and added it and David Wilcox to my favorites list, too. Give a listen to this song and you'll hear what I mean. I have a couple more of his songs on my public playlist.
Joe Jencks:
Joe Jencks is a "below the radar" performer who has such a beautiful tenor voice and a way with words and music. You probably won't find his music on a top radio station, but it should be. He is married to my #2 daughter's grade school/jr. high friend, or we wouldn't have become acquainted with his music. Listen to "The Turtle" on my profile playlist. He's very pro-union, and many of his songs reflect this philosphy, but still he is very talented in both song & lyrics even if you don't agree with him politically.
Gordon Lightfoot:
I couldn't find a song I listened to today to add to my profile list, "Don Quixote." Listening to this song today made me think of my daughters who love fantasy/medieval writings. But he has also been around a long time, very talented in words and music, so I've included "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" on my profile playlist for your listening pleasure.
Glen Hansard/The Frames:
I was introduced to this performer's music about this time last year by a friend. "Falling Slowly," written with Marketa Orglova, won an Academy Award for Best Music a year or two ago. I have added "Fitzcaraldo" to my profile playlist, and you'll find others on my public list. For some reason I could not add "Falling Slowly" to my playlists, thought it was already there but it wasn't. "Ohio Boatman" made me think of the early to mid 1800's, back when riverboats and canal boats plied the Ohio River and in northern Ohio, the canals between New York and Ohio. One of my gg grandmother's brother's was a boatman, who died in Illinois at a young age in 1854. The title intrigued me so I gave it a listen, and added it to my public playlist because I liked it so well.
Don Allen:
I've been closely connected to this singer/songwriter for more than 40 years now. You won't find any of his music anywhere but in his head or from him personally if you can get him to sing and play guitar for you, but that's not to say that he shouldn't have any top hits. Family and close friends have listened to his music for many years. I have one of his songs, sung by Heidi, on my computer, but I can't figure out how to add it to either my blogspot or myspace sites. If I ever do, or if anyone knows the answer as to how I can do it, I'll gladly add it and you'll hear some more good music.
Hope this makes you think about your favorite music, feel free to share yours with me or on your blog spaces. Since you are reading this here, I've included the link to my MySpace site, which has my music playlists.
http://www.myspace.com/hookedongenealogy
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Reminiscing--Learning to Drive
Earlier this evening I noted a folder in my email program, titled "A Year In Our Thoughts." It's a holdover from a Yahoo writing group I was a member of nearly 6 years ago. We were asked to write something at least monthly, I think. I started reviewing some of the posts I and others had written, and the thought occurred to me that I could post my writings here. So I'm going to start with the one I wrote about one of my twin daughters and her experiences learning how to drive. Keep in mind that this is almost 6 years old now. K has been driving for almost 4 1/2 years (I think, maybe it's 5 1/2). I mention that H has shown no interest in driving, but in truth she has been a licensed driver for two years now. And our son is also now a licensed driver, although he doesn't particularly care for driving. Pretty much drives just to work and back, although he has driven to Powell's in Portland (after having his license for only a month or so), as well as out to Tigard. Brave soul!
Here goes....................................
I am the mother of 18 (almost 19) year old twin daughters, Heidi and Katie. They are the last of our six children, and have been a joy (mostly) to raise, They've been somewhat different than most, including our other 4 children, in many ways.
One of the ways they are "different" is in getting their drivers licenses. Now I'm sure that most of us could hardly wait to get our learners permit when we reached 15 or so, including me. I remember going to the Motor Vehicles Dept. the day after my 15th birthday to take the written test and procure this important piece of paper. Three of our older children were also champing at the bit to do this. Our only son waxed hot and cold on this issue, sometimes he wanted it, sometimes he could care less. At almost 21, he still does not drive.
The twins' excuse was that "it's scary to drive." The cries of "We're gonna die" from the back seat of our car on many occasions often prompted laughs from their dad and I, who have driven more years than we care to think about, and knew that we were nowhere near "dying."
However, on May 1st of this year, Katie, the youngest twin, decided to get her learners permit. I suspect it was mainly to have identification so that she could open up a savings and checking account, but nevertheless, she made an important "growing up" move. It took a couple of weeks, but she finally decided to go on her first drive.
Not willing to trust her to the streets, Dad took her up to our church parking lot, which is very large, and allowed her to practice some basic maneuvers there, without endangering anyone else. The next session was simlar, with the exception that Dad let her drive home from Target (a sum total of about 3 blocks, but it does require crossing a busy street with a traffic light).
She's gone out with her dad several times now, usually early on a Saturday morning, to practice. She's even gotten to drive on the freeway once. The car has always come back in one piece, so I suspect that she is doing alright. This past Monday night, she took us all on a small drive. And we all returned in one piece. I wasn't tempted to cry, "We're gonna die" on this drive, but I may yet get my chance for payback.
Did we all start out like this in the beginning of our driving careers? Very slow, jerky starts, in spite of the car having an automatic transmission? Unsure of when it was safe to "go?" Driving about 5 miles below the speed limit? I'm sure we did, but having been a licensed driver for almost 39 years, those days are a dim memory. I hope she is keeping track of this phenomenum in her journal, so that in future years when her children are learning to drive, she can have something to look back on, to remind her of her youth, and to show her children that "some things never change."
As for her twin sister, Heidi still has not gotten her permit. She hasn't expressed any interest in it, in spite of being driven around by her sister. Oh well, perhaps she'll learn one day, maybe out of necessity, or maybe because she wants to be more independent. We shall see.
Here goes....................................
I am the mother of 18 (almost 19) year old twin daughters, Heidi and Katie. They are the last of our six children, and have been a joy (mostly) to raise, They've been somewhat different than most, including our other 4 children, in many ways.
One of the ways they are "different" is in getting their drivers licenses. Now I'm sure that most of us could hardly wait to get our learners permit when we reached 15 or so, including me. I remember going to the Motor Vehicles Dept. the day after my 15th birthday to take the written test and procure this important piece of paper. Three of our older children were also champing at the bit to do this. Our only son waxed hot and cold on this issue, sometimes he wanted it, sometimes he could care less. At almost 21, he still does not drive.
The twins' excuse was that "it's scary to drive." The cries of "We're gonna die" from the back seat of our car on many occasions often prompted laughs from their dad and I, who have driven more years than we care to think about, and knew that we were nowhere near "dying."
However, on May 1st of this year, Katie, the youngest twin, decided to get her learners permit. I suspect it was mainly to have identification so that she could open up a savings and checking account, but nevertheless, she made an important "growing up" move. It took a couple of weeks, but she finally decided to go on her first drive.
Not willing to trust her to the streets, Dad took her up to our church parking lot, which is very large, and allowed her to practice some basic maneuvers there, without endangering anyone else. The next session was simlar, with the exception that Dad let her drive home from Target (a sum total of about 3 blocks, but it does require crossing a busy street with a traffic light).
She's gone out with her dad several times now, usually early on a Saturday morning, to practice. She's even gotten to drive on the freeway once. The car has always come back in one piece, so I suspect that she is doing alright. This past Monday night, she took us all on a small drive. And we all returned in one piece. I wasn't tempted to cry, "We're gonna die" on this drive, but I may yet get my chance for payback.
Did we all start out like this in the beginning of our driving careers? Very slow, jerky starts, in spite of the car having an automatic transmission? Unsure of when it was safe to "go?" Driving about 5 miles below the speed limit? I'm sure we did, but having been a licensed driver for almost 39 years, those days are a dim memory. I hope she is keeping track of this phenomenum in her journal, so that in future years when her children are learning to drive, she can have something to look back on, to remind her of her youth, and to show her children that "some things never change."
As for her twin sister, Heidi still has not gotten her permit. She hasn't expressed any interest in it, in spite of being driven around by her sister. Oh well, perhaps she'll learn one day, maybe out of necessity, or maybe because she wants to be more independent. We shall see.
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Miscellaneous Ramblings
Heeding the Still Small Voice
I really hate it when I miss a prompting. I should know better, I have had enough experience with the Spirit that I should recognize when I receive a prompting, but sometimes I don't act on something that I should.
My sister-in-law lost her keys Saturday night. We had been to Walmart and Target and had arrived back at their house following our shopping spree (yeah, cat food, light bulbs, automotive oil, quite the shopping spree). DH had taken our purchases to our car and sister-in-law was trying to find her keys, unsuccessfully. Once in the house, she took apart her purse, checked coat pockets, checked in her bags, but no keys. We took a flashlight out and started looking around their car--no keys. I kept getting an impression that we should look in the bags in our car, but I pooh-poohed that idea by thinking, "How would they get in our bags?" My brother even walked over towards our car, even though his wife hadn't been anywhere near it. So we piled into the car, drove back to Target (which had closed by then) and looked around the parking lot in the place where we had parked. Drove to Walmart (which was still open), looked around the parking lot where we had parked and we also went inside and asked at Customer Service. No Keys!
Four dejected people returned to their house and tried to enjoy what was left of the evening. We went home, and upon putting away our purchases I discovered her keys in one of our bags. Arghhhh! Had I acted on the prompting, we would have found the keys right away, would have saved the hassle and about 30 minutes of our evening by not having to drive to two stores, and would really have enjoyed the rest of the evening--not to mention we would have gotten home at least half an hour earlier. Even though it was almost midnight when we got home, I called and let them know we found the keys.
I promise to heed any promptings I receive--no matter how impossible or dumb they may seem at the time. I certainly don't have the answers, but there's a higher power who does.
-----------------------------
Twelve
Our oldest grandson turned twelve recently, and today he received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained to the office of Deacon. Is it just me, or are 12-year old boys getting shorter? What a proud moment for his parents, his brothers, his grandparents, and one of his aunties & uncles as we sustained the calling and witnessed/participated in the ordination. And how appropriate that the Sunday School lesson was about the Restoration of the Priesthood. "J," we are so proud of you for deciding to accept this responsibility!
---------------------------------
Sisters
We're having a Talent Show! This coming Thursday our ward Relief Society is putting on a Talent show, showcasing the many talents of the sisters in our ward. My "talent" is a display of photos and the medals we've won as a Sweet Adelines Chorus. Or so I thought. A few weeks ago I was asked to join a foursome to lipsynch to the song "Sisters," which was performed by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen in the Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye movie "White Christmas." Now those who know me, know that this is totally out of character for me. I prefer to be the little mouse in the background, watching rather than participating. But something told me to say "yes," even though it's not something I usually like to do. Hey--maybe for once I DID listen to the Spirit. So the four of us have been practicing doing a song-dance routine to this song, and we performed in public for the first time Saturday morning at the dress rehearsal.
How much fun was that!!!! And to hear people compliment us on our act, and to watch them literally rolling in the aisles as we sang to our iron, duster, mop and sweeper, and danced around the stage with our "men" (jackets on hangers). People came up to me and said they didn't know there was this side to me (neither did I, for that matter). I'm glad I said yes, although I probably won't be sitting in the background anymore after Thursday evening.
I really hate it when I miss a prompting. I should know better, I have had enough experience with the Spirit that I should recognize when I receive a prompting, but sometimes I don't act on something that I should.
My sister-in-law lost her keys Saturday night. We had been to Walmart and Target and had arrived back at their house following our shopping spree (yeah, cat food, light bulbs, automotive oil, quite the shopping spree). DH had taken our purchases to our car and sister-in-law was trying to find her keys, unsuccessfully. Once in the house, she took apart her purse, checked coat pockets, checked in her bags, but no keys. We took a flashlight out and started looking around their car--no keys. I kept getting an impression that we should look in the bags in our car, but I pooh-poohed that idea by thinking, "How would they get in our bags?" My brother even walked over towards our car, even though his wife hadn't been anywhere near it. So we piled into the car, drove back to Target (which had closed by then) and looked around the parking lot in the place where we had parked. Drove to Walmart (which was still open), looked around the parking lot where we had parked and we also went inside and asked at Customer Service. No Keys!
Four dejected people returned to their house and tried to enjoy what was left of the evening. We went home, and upon putting away our purchases I discovered her keys in one of our bags. Arghhhh! Had I acted on the prompting, we would have found the keys right away, would have saved the hassle and about 30 minutes of our evening by not having to drive to two stores, and would really have enjoyed the rest of the evening--not to mention we would have gotten home at least half an hour earlier. Even though it was almost midnight when we got home, I called and let them know we found the keys.
I promise to heed any promptings I receive--no matter how impossible or dumb they may seem at the time. I certainly don't have the answers, but there's a higher power who does.
-----------------------------
Twelve
Our oldest grandson turned twelve recently, and today he received the Aaronic Priesthood and was ordained to the office of Deacon. Is it just me, or are 12-year old boys getting shorter? What a proud moment for his parents, his brothers, his grandparents, and one of his aunties & uncles as we sustained the calling and witnessed/participated in the ordination. And how appropriate that the Sunday School lesson was about the Restoration of the Priesthood. "J," we are so proud of you for deciding to accept this responsibility!
---------------------------------
Sisters
We're having a Talent Show! This coming Thursday our ward Relief Society is putting on a Talent show, showcasing the many talents of the sisters in our ward. My "talent" is a display of photos and the medals we've won as a Sweet Adelines Chorus. Or so I thought. A few weeks ago I was asked to join a foursome to lipsynch to the song "Sisters," which was performed by Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen in the Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye movie "White Christmas." Now those who know me, know that this is totally out of character for me. I prefer to be the little mouse in the background, watching rather than participating. But something told me to say "yes," even though it's not something I usually like to do. Hey--maybe for once I DID listen to the Spirit. So the four of us have been practicing doing a song-dance routine to this song, and we performed in public for the first time Saturday morning at the dress rehearsal.
How much fun was that!!!! And to hear people compliment us on our act, and to watch them literally rolling in the aisles as we sang to our iron, duster, mop and sweeper, and danced around the stage with our "men" (jackets on hangers). People came up to me and said they didn't know there was this side to me (neither did I, for that matter). I'm glad I said yes, although I probably won't be sitting in the background anymore after Thursday evening.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
More Journal Jar Ramblings
It's a pretty well-known fact that I am not very good at blogging, or even keeping a personal journal. I have a difficult time writing about myself. I know I would appreciate having a journal of my grandparents' lives, so I am not sure why it's so hard for me to share my thoughts and feelings. Maybe because I was given the example of "your private life is PRIVATE" from my parents. Tonight I realized that the month is almost over and I've only posted one blog this month. Then I remembered the ever-famous "Journal Jar." So I've drawn a slip of paper from this jar and here's what I'm writing about tonight:"What Church callings have you had? Which did you enjo the most?
Church callings include:
1. Jr. Sunday School teacher (my first calling as a newly wed and fairly new member of the Church)
2. Primary teacher (many times over)
3. Counselor in Relief Society (I was all of 23 when I started this one)
4. Jr. Chorister in Primary (I knew little about leading music or teaching it to young children--we learned together)
5. Visiting Teaching Coordinator (twice)
6. Primary President
7. Sunday School teacher for 16-17 year olds--they probably knew more than I did.
8. Homemaking Leader
9. Volunteer in Family History Center (before Internet & computers)
10. Relief Society teacher (a couple of times)
11. Relief Society Secretary
12. Relief Society Welfare leader (first calling in Vancouver)
13. Young Women President
14. Laurel Class Advisor (YW)
15. Primary Secretary
16. Counselor in Primary
17. Relief Society President (twice)
18. Ward & Meetinghouse Librarian
19. Nursery Leader
20. MIA Maid Advisor (YW)
21. Ward Historian
22. Ward Family History Consultant
23. Visiting Teacher
My favorites: Any of the YW callings, Librarian, Family History Consultant
This is the sum total of callings I've held over 40-some odd years as an adult in the Church. I didn't join the Church until I was 18. My first one was teaching in Jr. Sunday School, course 6 & 7. I knew little of the gospel yet, and even less about teaching. I was also pregnant with baby #1. Not a favorite calling. Next came a stint in Primary when baby was young, teaching 5 year olds. Then we moved to a different ward and I had the opportunity to again teach 5 year olds in Primary, plus several years as a member of the Relief Society presidency, which I started at the tender age of 23. This was also where I enjoyed about a year as Jr. Primary chorister and Visiting Teaching coordinator (at the same time--small ward so it wasn't unusual for people to hold 2 callings). Was Primary President when dd#3 was 18 month old, released just before she turned 4. Taught the 16 & 17 year olds in Sunday School, was Homemaking Leader, and Family History volunteer all at the same time. Then we moved to Seattle. Taught Primary a lot of years there, including 5 year olds, 6 year olds, then 11 year olds. Became RS Secretary after ds was born, and held that calling for 3 years until we moved south again.We've been here for almost 24 years and the remaining callings were done here. I am currently Family History Consultant, and have been for about 8 years, maybe 9.
If I kept a better journal, I'd know for sure.
Church callings include:
1. Jr. Sunday School teacher (my first calling as a newly wed and fairly new member of the Church)
2. Primary teacher (many times over)
3. Counselor in Relief Society (I was all of 23 when I started this one)
4. Jr. Chorister in Primary (I knew little about leading music or teaching it to young children--we learned together)
5. Visiting Teaching Coordinator (twice)
6. Primary President
7. Sunday School teacher for 16-17 year olds--they probably knew more than I did.
8. Homemaking Leader
9. Volunteer in Family History Center (before Internet & computers)
10. Relief Society teacher (a couple of times)
11. Relief Society Secretary
12. Relief Society Welfare leader (first calling in Vancouver)
13. Young Women President
14. Laurel Class Advisor (YW)
15. Primary Secretary
16. Counselor in Primary
17. Relief Society President (twice)
18. Ward & Meetinghouse Librarian
19. Nursery Leader
20. MIA Maid Advisor (YW)
21. Ward Historian
22. Ward Family History Consultant
23. Visiting Teacher
My favorites: Any of the YW callings, Librarian, Family History Consultant
This is the sum total of callings I've held over 40-some odd years as an adult in the Church. I didn't join the Church until I was 18. My first one was teaching in Jr. Sunday School, course 6 & 7. I knew little of the gospel yet, and even less about teaching. I was also pregnant with baby #1. Not a favorite calling. Next came a stint in Primary when baby was young, teaching 5 year olds. Then we moved to a different ward and I had the opportunity to again teach 5 year olds in Primary, plus several years as a member of the Relief Society presidency, which I started at the tender age of 23. This was also where I enjoyed about a year as Jr. Primary chorister and Visiting Teaching coordinator (at the same time--small ward so it wasn't unusual for people to hold 2 callings). Was Primary President when dd#3 was 18 month old, released just before she turned 4. Taught the 16 & 17 year olds in Sunday School, was Homemaking Leader, and Family History volunteer all at the same time. Then we moved to Seattle. Taught Primary a lot of years there, including 5 year olds, 6 year olds, then 11 year olds. Became RS Secretary after ds was born, and held that calling for 3 years until we moved south again.We've been here for almost 24 years and the remaining callings were done here. I am currently Family History Consultant, and have been for about 8 years, maybe 9.
If I kept a better journal, I'd know for sure.
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