I'm Getting Older Too

Sunny - Hi 62 Lo 40 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 68 Lo 37 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Windy - Hi 43 Lo 29 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Landslide, Fleetwood Mac

I was never a big fan of Fleetwood Mac when Fleetwood Mac was all one heard on the radio. Keep in mind-- I was exploring the world of punk music, so Fleetwood Mac did not exactly fit into my limited repertoire of audio delights back in the late 1970's. Radio was different back then. A song would stay in the Top 40 for weeks... same with albums. Rumours... oh my gosh... was on the charts for months and months... imagine hearing a Britney Spears song for months and months... it's bad enough if it is played for a few weeks... Landslide wasn't on Rumours-- it was actually on their white album or self titled album, Fleetwood Mac.

I've never been a huge Stevie Nicks fan--- or at least her vocals. It has only been within this past decade that I have grown to enjoy the music of Fleetwood Mac-- the 70's version of Fleetwood Mac...(still exploring the older blues influenced Peter Green days) and what I have grown to like and understand are Stevie's abilities as an incredible songwriter. The words to Landslide are quite powerful... as a twenty something she was looking out over the years to come... choices she was making in the moment-- the apprehension of making the right choices-- the insecurities of the unknown. Now, as you hear the words sung in recent years, some 30 years later... with age comes wisdom at least I hope that is the case. The song takes on a more melancholy meaning... reflection and recollection of choices made, maybe some regret-- those bittersweet moments in life that cause that lump in the back of your throat...

Ramble:

After three and half years, I am moving. This will be my last Sunday post here at this location. Starting next year I will be posting here. Please make a note of it and bookmark the new address. It's time. So, 2009 marks the beginning of "change", so I thought I would just go with it. The photo is mine-- it is a covered bridge up in Holmes County, Ohio-- I took the shot this past fall. I still don't have everything moved over that I want-- mainly my blogroll... what a pain in the toosh that is... really what happened to Blogroll? Dude just disappeared??

I hope you had a nice Christmas--- I can't believe it is over already... and we are just days away from another year... time is flying by... My oldest niece will not be with us on New Year's Eve... how strange that will be... It is a new chapter in her life and she is off spreading her wings... her mom and pop and Michael and I are saddened... We told her not to grow up, but she ignored us. I feel I should be with Peter Pan in Neverland and I'm going to take the rest of my nieces and nephews there to reside... Tuesday we are having my brother's oldest daughter over for a sleepover-- I'm going to do my best to convince her to not get any older--- Michael and I are really going to work hard to convince her boys have cooties and to always be ten years old... I'm just not ready for another one of my loves to grow up...

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around

And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
'Til the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Mmm Mmm...

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

Yes, I'm getting older too

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'Cause I've built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older too

Yes, I'm getting older too

So, take this love, take it down
If you climb a mountain and you turn around

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
The landslide will bring you me down

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe the landslide will bring it down


Sunday Morning Coffee Too

Happy New Year everyone!

Amazing IS The New Awesome

Mostly Sunny - Hi 93 Lo 72 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 100 Lo 64 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Rain - Hi 58 Lo 46 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Nowhere to Run, Martha & the Vandellas

Martha and the Vandellas are by far my favorite girl group from Motown... Heatwave, Dancing in the Streets, Jimmy Mack, and of course Nowhere to Run!! It's hard to be blue when you are listening to these girls groovin' to a sound that is now classified as oldies... wait... the 80's are now oldies... this is from the 60's... no matter... the sound is just as fresh today as it was in 1965... AMAZING!

Ramble (Random Thoughts):

** Remember, you read it here first... Amazing is the new awesome... Michael made this observation a few months ago and I now concur... No longer will you hear blond bubble-heads proclaiming something awesome... everything now is AMAZING.... good grief... another perfectly good word run down into the ground...

** I was away on business last week and I had the good fortune to spend some time in Westchester County, New York... Yes... I was in Hillary's backyard... actually, we went to Hill and Bill's place... Hill wasn't home... didn't see Bill. OH.. and their next door neighbor had an Obama sign in their front yard... Priceless!

** The area that Hill & Bill and Martha Stewart live in is quite rural... about an hour outside of New York City... it is quite beautiful... It AMAZINGLY looks a lot like Kentucky...

** I was fortunate to meet a young soldier in the airport in White Plains, New York. He looked like he was 16... no way has this young man shaved more than twice in his life. He was dressed in fatigues holding a bottle of Mountain Dew. I went to a vending machine and forked out $2.00 for a Mountain Dew and $1.50 for some pretzels. I walked over to the young man, held out my hand to shake his--- funny... his hands were soft... maybe a couple of callouses... but young... young hands. I handed him the soda and pretzels and said that I would buy him a drink next time I saw him. He laughed and thanked me... As I began to walk away from him... I realized I hadn't thanked him... I swung around... and said, "NO!! Thank you, Son!" And when I walked away, I made my way to the ladies room where I proceeded to burst into tears... Yes... another young man going off to protect us... to keep us safe... some one's sweetheart...some one's brother... some one's son... These young men ARE AMAZING and that is the definition of AMAZING AND AWESOME... That is the standard we should be using when choosing our words...

** Another observation from Michael... if you are an avid listener of NPR... Michael is about to become your worst nightmare... the next time you listen to NPR... listen to how much the announcer's stutter and stammer... They all do it... all the time...

** This next video is from GodTube.com. I saw this a while ago.. some friends that attend the Vineyard shared it with me. It's powerful... a great video for young and old alike.


** One more thing... Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful and AMAZING women.

Have a great week everyone!

O.J. is a Forewarning...

Sunny - Hi 106 Lo 77 for Baghdad, Iraq
Isolated Thunderstorms - Hi 92 Lo 59 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Sunny - Hi 90 Lo 66 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Joy to the World, Three Dog Night

Three Dog Night will always have a special place in my heart. This song particularly is one of just a couple of fond memories I have of my father. He loved this song. I remember he used to sing it loudly and badly...

Ramble:

Back in the fall of 1995, the day the jury found O.J. Simpson not guilty... I received a call from my grandfather. "Cass, are you sitting down? Guess who is sitting with me? Your Daddy." Twenty four years. Twenty four years. That's how long it takes a father to show up. I'd like to say it was because his overwhelming guilt got the best of him and he after so many years was trying to make amends... but that was not the case.... He was looking for a handout. Checking to see if my grandparents were still among the living. He even had the audacity to ask about my mother. I made it clear to him... under no uncertain terms was he to go anywhere near her.

This past Friday evening my grandfather called me.... "Cass, guess who just called?" It was such a deja vu. I knew before he even said anything- it only makes sense, the murderer, O.J. Simpson is back in the news... my father resurfaces... perfectly logical to me... My grandfather told me about his conversation and I completely chastised him for speaking to him for such a long time. My grandfather has such a tender heart and I can only imagine the guilt he must carry. He feels responsible for the kind of man my father became. My grandfather is an incredible man. He is kind and responsible and loving. I guess according to my grandfather- the sperm donor had called my Uncle Steve and also my brother. He asked my grandfather for my phone number but thankfully did not provide it. According to my Uncle, he was drunk... debating on whether to go to Hawaii or Alaska... Back in 1995 he was working on fishing boats... I guess he had been doing that the entire time he had been gone and it is no different now.

I'm 42 years old. The emotions when allowed to surface are just as raw today as they were when I was 12 years old. The hurt cuts deeper than I would ever like to admit and I surely do my best to keep it to myself.

He did some shitty things...some unforgettable things. Have a forgiven him? On a good day. Yes. Right now? Not so much. He beat my mother, he threw my brother across the room, he would blow entire paychecks on gambling, he would steal money from my brother and me, he stole money from my mom, she would beg him for money to feed Terry and me and he would give her $5.00, he would disappear for weeks on end, he would use me as a decoy to go visit his multiple girlfriends leaving me in a strange house in a living room in front of a television, after he left, he made no attempt to contact us except once, possibly twice, he never sent my mother money. He was a selfish childish little man.

I'm angry at some of the men in my extended family- it turns out that my father had stayed in contact, all be it sporadic. No one told us. I don't have the courage to ask any of them if they ever asked my father to be a man and take responsibility for his family... send some money once in a while...

We were better off without him in our lives... my constant need of approval from father figures is fall out to this day... My behavior as a teenager also a direct result of looking for approval, acceptance and love from the opposite gender...


I'm still pissed. Angry and hurt and I don't know if this anger will ever go away. So, OJ Simpson pisses me off... Every time that son of a bitch shows up in the news.... my father, the sperm donor resurfaces... both of you... just go away.....................

Read more here:

2006 reflections of my father

2005 reflections of my mother

Have a great week everyone!

I Know It Is Not Really Getting Better

Sunny - Hi 107 Lo 81 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 108 Lo 78 for Qandahar, Afghanistan
Sunny - Hi 82 Lo 59 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Let Go, Frou Frou

I have been remiss for not including Afghanistan in my weekly weather report.

Ramble:

I am very fortunate to be 42 years old and still have my grandparents. My father's parents have been and are still a vital part of my life. When my mother was working 18 hour days my brother and I would go off to my grandparents for the summer. My grandmother taught me how to set a table, polish silverware and play make believe, how to embroider, play solitaire, Chinese checkers, and jacks. My grandfather taught me the difference between a buckeye and a walnut tree. He taught me how to look at cloud formations and tell whether or not a storm was headed our way. He taught me how to put a worm on a fishing hook and how to go crawdad (craw-fish)hunting down in the crick (creek). I would call my grandmother every single day all the way through high school to tell her about my day. My grandfather was always working... whether it was at the job or in the yard or in his workshop (where to this day in one of the rafters is the Playboy photo of Marilyn Monroe)... I remember running out to be with him and he would be standing there using a rake or a shovel to lean against while he swigged down a bottle of Coca-Cola and staring at the sky. I would ask him what he was looking at and he would always respond by telling me about "that hawk is getting ready to get himself some dinner" or "that squirrel is getting ready for a bad winter". All of my idiosyncrasies come from my mother and my grandparents. Words in my vocabulary do not begin to express how important they are to me.

I must have been about 30 years old when it occurred to me that they had become... old... I don't remember what specifically triggered this realization... it just happened... My grandparents were old... that they weren't going to be around forever. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it simply had never occurred to me and that understanding hit me like a ton of bricks.

These are the folks that taught me respect and self discipline. They taught me to find appreciation in simple things - nature, music, a good book, imagination, falling asleep in a hammock under the stars, The Tonight Show...they taught me that love of country was important-- to always stand with my hand on my heart during The Star Spangled Banner... that freedom and liberty were things worth dying for...

The dichotomy was they also taught me through their example to be afraid of everything... to be suspicious and not trust others... I know now this is a direct result of how they were raised especially my grandmother. No doubt it was also a direct result of losing their daughter at the tender age of five to leukemia. Because of this, Terry and I were always "protected" from ourselves. My grandmother was/is an amazing cook and she never taught me. She was convinced I would get hurt in the kitchen... with a knife or on the stove...

In any event, I hate that they are old- I don't want them to die. But what is worse and this was my epiphany on Saturday... is that they hate it more. My grandfather just can't get around like he used to- he has no energy, he can't breathe. My grandmother is feeble- this was a woman of strong German stock and she used to tower over me... she is now so much tinier than me and bent over with osteoporosis. My grandfather forgets that he is limited and will continuously overdue it and that will cause him to be sick for days. They both suffer from depression-- My grandmother because her mind is still sharp as a tack and she is such a stickler about keeping things just so-so but no longer has the ability. My grandfather because he is slowly forgetting things and knows it. Today as my grandfather and I were running his errands he was still insistent on opening doors for me... At one point he said, "Cass, I just can't do this anymore... I'm puny, I'm feeble."

My grandparents... I love them. They would do anything... anything... anything for my brother and me. I pray that they put their faith in God. They are tired of living but too afraid to die. I just don't know how to make them feel better except to be there for them...

Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

Stop in and say hello to DragonLady. She and her family have suffered a loss.

Let Go

Drink up baby down
Are you in or are you out?
Leave your things behind
'Cause it's all going off without you
Excuse me too busy you're writing your tragedy
These mishaps
You bubble-wrap
When you've no idea what you're like

So, let go, let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So, let go, l-let go
Just get in
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

It gains the more it gives
And then it rises with the fall
So hand me that remote
Can't you see that all that stuffs a sideshow?
Such boundless pleasure
We've no time for later
Now you can't await
Your own arrival
You've twenty seconds to comply

So, let go, so let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's alright
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So, let go, yeah let go
Just get in
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

So, let go, so let go
Jump in
Oh well, what you waiting for?
It's alright
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
So, let go, yeah let go
Just get in
Oh, it's so amazing here
It's all right
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

In the breakdown
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown
The breakdown

So amazing here
'Cause there's beauty in the breakdown

Letters Home

Partly Cloudy - Hi 111 Lo 85 for Baghdad, Iraq
Isolated Thunderstorms - Hi 85 Lo 65 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: You Raise Me Up, Josh Groban

Ramble:

In preparing for my Sunday post I read through various speeches- from our forefathers to President Bush. I kept finding my way back to President Reagan. His words are just as moving today as when he first spoke them. However, I wanted this Memorial Day post to be a little more personal so I went up to our loft and spent a good portion of the afternoon pouring over old letters that were saved by my Great Great Aunt Ethel.

My Aunt Ethel was the record keeper in the family. I received a birthday card and two dollars in the mail every single year up to her death. I was special as were all her nieces and nephews. It is my understanding that she had fallen in love once, but he broke her heart, so she never married. My grandmother has given me most of the photos from Aunt Ethel's collection and being the record keeper that she was, all the photos have first and last names, dates and the relationship of the person in the photo to the individual she gave the photo to.

This is a photo of my Great Great Great Grandfather. (click on images for a larger view)
I know this because---
Anyway, you get the point. She kept everything that was important- letters, photos, newspaper clippings, birth certificates and death notices- she was incredibly organized, fastidious, detail driven woman. She took an old roll of wall paper and mapped out our family tree... pretty ingenious if you ask me. I have her to thank for the letters below. The black marks are the last names of my family that I have blacked out on the photo copies I made to do this post- the originals are in tact with all her notes. Aunt Ethel even put last names on letters-- knowing (or at least hopeful) that someone in the family would want to know.

My Uncle Charlie passed away this past November and I posted about it him here. He did two tours of duty in Vietnam. He loved this country and never stopped fighting for her. Never. He loved the Corp. just as much as this country. He was a Marine his entire life- even when they made him retire. (click on images to enlarge and read)


My Uncle Steve (19 years old) and "Janis"





This letter cracks me up because Uncle Steve hates winter... he lives in Las Vegas now... Uncle Steve also retired from the Marines. As my memory serves me he left the Marines back in the early 80's and went to work for the railroad... found that he didn't like it and went back to the Corp. He retired as a Master Gunnery Sergeant.

A few thoughts...

I think we miss out on a lot because we don't write letters- email is great, but there is something to be said about receiving a handwritten letter- to recognize the handwriting of the envelope and anticipate what will be found inside. A letter takes more thought and are to be cherished. Most email ends up being deleted. Having spent the afternoon reading through family letters of those now no longer with us... it was as if they came back to life. I could hear their voices again.

A special thank you this Memorial Day to all the military bloggers I have gotten to know. You are so important. Keep writing. Keep telling your story. It is important and a way to document for your family and generations to come.

Friends of ours have a son that on May 19 graduated from high school. On the 24th he was headed to Fort Benning. Patrick's goal is to be an Airborne Ranger attached to the 101st. I can not tell you how proud I am. No... he isn't joining the Marines ;-), No... he isn't my son... No... I don't even know him that well... However, I do know that to volunteer to serve our country during a time of war is quite courageous and quite humbling for me. I thank God every single day for men like him. I pray that God keeps him safe.

We live in such an amazing country. I am so grateful to the men and women we will remember tomorrow. I am so grateful to those that serve presently. I am so thankful to the families of those that serve. I think a powerful way to remember those that served our nation is to thank those presently serving. Maybe you know a mom or dad of someone presently serving- write a letter and give it to mom or dad to be delivered in their next care package. Maybe you have to pick up a loved one at the airport... our servicemen are easy to pick out in a crowd... the high and tight haircut on a young man or the tightly coiffed ponytail on a young woman is an easy giveaway- a simple gesture of a handshake and two simple words- Thank you will make the difference...

Thank you.

Thank you.

You do raise me up.


You Raise Me Up, Music and Lyrics by Rolf Lovland & Brendan Graham

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

Have a great week everyone!

Listen to Your Mother

Mostly Sunny - Hi 103 Lo 77 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 74 Lo 50 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Mama Told Me Not to Come, Three Dog Night

I will always love Three Dog Night for reasons that have nothing to do with the band or their music. The song selection is a reminder of all the things Mom tells us... and we never listened... until... well until we learned the hard way... The video is for Michael...

Ramble:

A quick post to say Happy Mother's Day. I am pleased to report Mom and I had a good visit... It was nice and I will be forever grateful. So, because I want to enjoy this beautiful Sunday... I'd like you to read my favorite post about my mother--- I wrote this in July 2005 and it is called Reflection.

My Mother and I have a strained relationship. I believe a great deal of the stress on our relationship is cultural. However, we can thankfully discuss gardening, politics (she is a serious conservative), my niece and nephews, and everything Okinawan. My brother and I have joked that when we are in her presence, we automatically feel like we are 10 years old. I don't know how she does it. Michael can probably tell you better than I what she does to me. I suppose it is the classic mother/daughter relationship. If you have ever read Amy Tan's novel, Joy Luck Club or seen the movie of the same title, that's us... There is not a woman on this planet that makes me crazier. There is not a woman on this planet that I hold in higher esteem. Of all the women in my life, she is the one that I wish I could make proud.

God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers. ~Jewish Proverb

My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~Attributed to Claudia Ghandi

For the hand that rocks the cradle - Is the hand that rules the world.
~William Ross Wallace

My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.
~George Washington

Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

Anyone that knows me knows that my favorite plane is the C-130 Hercules... OK... OK... the one with guns really makes me smile... AC-130!! So, when I was perusing my Sitemeter report... I saw this guy... My heart skipped a beat... So, go visit Herk's View from the Sixty and Two. I think you'll like him, I know I do.

Mama Told Me (Not to Come), Three Dog Night

Want some whiskey in your water?
Sugar in your tea?
What's all these crazy questions they're askin' me?
This is the craziest party that could ever be
Don't turn on the lights 'cause I don't wanna see

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
She said "That ain't the way to have fun, no" uh uh

Open up the window, let some air into this room
I think I'm almost chokin' from the smell of stale perfume
And that cigarette you're smokin' 'bout scare me half to death
Open up the window sucker, let me catch my breath

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
"That ain't the way to have fun, son"
"That ain't the way to have fun, son"

The radio is blastin', some one's knockin' at the door
I'm lookin' at my girlfriend - she just passed out on the floor
I've seen so many things I ain't never seen before
Don't know what it is - I don't wanna see no more

Mama told me not to come
Mama told me not to come
She said "That ain't the way to have fun, son"
"That ain't the way to have fun, son"

Mama told me, mama told me
Mama told me, mama told me
Mama told me not to come (Mama told me not to come)
"That ain't the way to have fun, no"
"That ain't the way to have fun, son"
"That ain't the way to have fun, no"
"That ain't the way to have fun, son" (listen to me)

Mama told me, mama told me
Mama told me, mama told me
Mama told me not to come (Mama told me not to come)
"That ain't the way to have fun, no"
"That ain't the way to have fun, son"
"That ain't the way to have fun, no"
"That ain't the way to have fun, son"

Have a great week everyone!

My Songbook

Partly Cloudy - Hi 96 Lo 71 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 76 Lo 58 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: American Pie, Don McLean

WKRP in Cincinnati has been released on DVD. I am patiently waiting for Laura's review. Because of licensing issues a lot of the music has been changed and I fear that it will interfere with my affection for the show because the music was such an important part of it. So, as I have been contemplating that purchase I started thinking about music that has become part of the "American Soundtrack"...

I can not recall the first time I heard the song American Pie. I have no doubt it was while listening to WSAI-AM. Back then-- WSAI wasn't talk radio, it was rock n roll. Back then we didn't have FM stations to hear our favorite rock songs in stereo... much less iPods. Jim Scott was the guy everyone listened to in the morning getting ready for school or heading off to work... Funny... Jim Scott is still on local radio... the Big One... WLW.

I think... I can not swear to this... I think... American Pie was the first song that I committed all the lyrics to memory... Why does this song create such a feeling of wonder? As an adult I can appreciate this song is about more than the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper; I believe it is a look back at a loss of innocence... But as a kid... what was my attraction to the song?

Ramble:

The names in this ramble have been changed to protect the innocent, the not so innocent and me.)

Have you ever been to a real funeral? No... not a Catholic funeral or Methodist or even Baptist... I'm not even talking Unitarian... I mean a real funeral... an Appalachian funeral. When I was a girl I attended a funeral in the beautiful mountains of Virginia. As with any death, it was a sad occasion because this man was the patriarch of the family. It was the first time I had ever been to this place where he had been born. Now I must tell you this man was old and feeble when I knew him. He worked in the coal mines when he was young. He served during World War I. He had a tattoo of an anchor on his forearm.... always reminded me of Popeye. For the longest time, he was the only person I knew that had a tattoo... funny. He divorced his first wife- unheard of in the 1920's and buried his second wife - the cancer and third wife -I can't recall how--- lots and lots of relatives were created from these marriages. He always had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth and he always had a twinkle in his eye-- not the kind of twinkle of a nice old man... but one of a man that in his younger years that had seen it all... done it all... lived his life by his terms... I remember his laugh...

In any event, he died... emphysema--- black lung--- no doubt a combination of working in the coal mines and smoking three packs of cigarettes a day.... (this is not an editorial on smoking--keep your rude comments.)

Fast forward... being in the mountains of Virginia was breathtaking. You could see for miles up on top of that mountain. Green green valleys below and blue blue skies above... God knew what he was doing when He created earth- simply spectacular. When we arrived we went from house to house...visiting family... folks I had never met... some I had never even heard about... Keep in mind this was rural Virginia in a Gap where Virginia meets Tennessee and Kentucky.... the homes were small... yes... there were sofas on the front porches... trucks up on cinder blocks and washers out in the yard... there were also clothes lines with sheets drying in that country air... it was all very stereotypical... but the part of the stereotype that isn't discussed is the kindness you find in those mountains. It was odd... everything was foreign and yet so familiar.... the faces... the voices...the cadence of their speech... the way they laughed... "Well, honey, I'm your Aunt Annie. I'm so and so's sister... I guess that would make me your great great Aunt Annie." Then someone else, "I'm not related to you, but I was engaged to your grand daddy, I bet you didn't know that, but he went and married someone else more city-fied." This went on and on... and with each stop... we were fed... not snacks... freaking meals... and everything made in bacon grease... (This needs to be a separate post.)

The patriarch was dressed in his finest suit. He looked handsome, much better than the last time I had seen him. At the funeral home... these same folks we had been visiting with the day before were completely different... The women were crying... waling... throwing their arms around the man in the coffin... touching his hands... screaming that he was a saint. Please note: this man was not a saint... remember that twinkle in his eye I mentioned? Well, he was a womanizer, a cheat, a gambler and at times not a very nice person... The sobbing and crying went on for the duration of the wake.... I remember having an awful headache... I remember music... at the time I absolutely hated it... Bluegrass... I remember thinking to myself how horrible it was... thankfully, I was taught to have manners so I did not roll my eyes or cover my ears or make obnoxious comments.... but the worst part is, I missed out... Here my family... sitting together... playing banjos and fiddles and singing and I missed it...

I don't have much of a point to this story... it's just one I like to tell now and again to keep track of this part of me. Actually, maybe I do... listen to the music... always. You may not like it today... but it may mean something to you tomorrow...

Now, the list. I've been adding to this list for about 3 months. I've been thinking about my own mortality... I want to take this opportunity to discuss the music that I would like played at my wake... I don't believe I'll have a big turnout and I certainly don't want the waling... especially if I go before Michael. Screeching and waling do not work for Michael. Rob, I ask you to take charge of making the tape. Some on the list will be recognized as Sunday Songs. So, in no particular order here goes... (Rob, I'll leave you to arrange them in an order that makes sense- I'll understand if you need to make some cuts due to time constraints and or lack of interest due to low attendance numbers.)

Rhapsody In Blue, George Gershwin - one of my favorite pieces.

Every song on the album Sinatra at the Sands, Frank Sinatra - he was the coolest man to ever walk the face of the earth. I want him singing at my funeral.

Anything from The Sound of Music and The King and I -musicals are a big part of my soul.

Unchained Melody, The Righteous Brothers

Under Pressure, Queen & David Bowie -- for grins and chuckles you can follow this with Vanilla Ice...

Heaven, The Psychedelic Furs

Half Acre, Hem

Fire Thief, Hem

Jackson, Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash

God Is In The Roses, Rosanne Cash

Ticket to Ride, The Beatles

Hello, Goodbye, The Beatles

Wouldn't It Be Nice, The Beach Boys

God Only Knows, The Beach Boys

Graceland, Paul Simon

Blister In The Sun, Violent Femmes

South Central Rain,R.E.M

September, Earth, Wind & Fire

Sweet Dreams, Patsy Cline

Mambo Italiano, Rosemary Clooney

Skateaway, Dire Straits

Crash Into Me, Dave Matthews Band

Star Wars Theme, John Williams

Kathy's Song, Simon & Garfunkel

Love Song, The Cure

California Dreamin', Mamas and the Papas

Monday, Monday, Mamas and the Papas

I Don't Like Mondays, Boomtown Rats

Rainy Days and Mondays, The Carpenters --- Do you suppose I don't like Mondays?

Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers

Just You 'n' Me, Chicago

Kung Fu Fighting, Carl Douglas - to my days living in Norwood

Afternoon Delight, Starland Vocal Band - because this song makes me laugh

It's A Sunshine Day, The Brady Kids - for my love of television of the 70's

Dancing Queen, Abba

Foo Fighters, Learn to Fly

U2, 40

U2, New Year's Day

U2, Gloria

U2, I Will Follow

U2, Rejoice

U2, Beautiful Day

U2, Two Hearts Beat as One

U2, A Sort of Homecoming

U2, Bad

Turn, Turn, Turn, The Byrds

The aria, Flower Duet from Puccini's Madama Butterfly

Can't Find My Way Home, Blind Faith

Melissa, The Allman Brothers - one of the prettiest songs

Midnight Rider, The Allman Brothers

Rolling Stones, Sympathy For The Devil

Gangsters, The Specials - not Gangsta

Summer Breeze, Seals & Crofts

I Say A Little Prayer, Dionne Warwick - No one can be sad when Dionne sings

The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia, Vicki Lawrence

Joy to the World, Three Dog Night -- When Jimi's sister passed away, Scott kept saying that our lives paralleled the movie The Big Chill... he said that when we were... 20 something... ah.... funny...

Try A Little Tenderness, Three Dog Night

Into the Mystic, Van Morrison

Moondance, Van Morrison

Mack The Knife, Bobby Darrin

Sunrise, Norah Jones

I Can See Clearly Now, Johnny Nash

Baby, Now That I've Found You, Allison Krauss & Union Station

Cluck Old Hen, Allison Krauss & Union Station -- pure Bluegrass

Knock Three Times, Tony Orlando & Dawn

Linus and Lucy, Vince Guaraldi Trio

The Christmas Song, Mel Torme

Burning With Optimism's Flames, XTC

Easy Come, Easy Go, Bobby Sherman - because Bobby Sherman was always my favorite on Here Comes the Brides

Turn The Beat Around, Vicki Sue Robinson - This is the only disco song on this list... sorry... I hated this song when it was on the charts... it has grown on me...

Do You Remember, Jack Johnson

Half Breed, Cher - I idolized Cher when I was little.

Cosmopolitans, Erin McKeown

Thank You, Sly & the Family Stone

Once In A Lifetime, Talking Heads

Take Me To The River, Talking Heads

Frozen Charlotte, Natalie Merchant

Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel

In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel

Friends in Low Places, Garth Brooks

Oye Como Va, Santana

Should I Stay or Should I Go?, The Clash

Love Rollercoaster, Ohio Players

Superstition, Stevie Wonder

Texas Flood, Stevie Ray Vaughan

Voodoo Chile, Stevie Ray Vaughan

Canary in a Coalmine, The Police

Spirits In The Material World, The Police

Ohio, Over the Rhine

What I'll Remember Most, Over the Rhine

Blue Moon of Kentucky, Patsy Cline

Sara Smile, Hall & Oates - I've always loved the name Sara- the melody of this song captures the reason why.

The Space Between, Dave Matthews Band

Crash Into Me, Dave Matthews Band

Deacon Blues, Steely Dan

Classical Gas, Glen Campbell

Sukiyaki Song - Ue Wo Muite Arukou, Kyu Sakamoto

America, Ray Charles

God Bless America, Kate Smith

Take Five, Dave Brubeck Quartet

Piano Man, Billy Joel - now for the sing alongs

American Pie, Don McLean

Freebird, Lynyrd Skynyrd --- no... not really... never cared for Southern Rock. I just wanted to use this photo of old people lighting up at a concert

and finally...

Glory Be to Jesus

Back to the Cross

Ave Maria - I'm not Catholic, but this song when sung perfectly is like listening to angels

Amazing Grace

Shout outs and Special Requests:

No blogs this week... I just want to say hello to Cindy in Montana- It was great to see you while you were in town and I'll do my best to add more pictures to my posts. I am planning a picture post for the near future too.

Also, I ask that you say a prayer for Michael's step-sister, Lisa. She has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and is having surgery on Wednesday.

American Pie, Don McLean

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But February made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

So bye-bye, miss American pie.
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock ’n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you’re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.

I started singin’,
"bye-bye, miss American pie."
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone,
But that’s not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from James dean
And a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while Lennon read a book of Marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.

We were singing,
"bye-bye, miss American pie."
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

We started singing,
"bye-bye, miss American pie."
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Oh, and there we were all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again.
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil’s only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that Satan's spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing,
"bye-bye, miss American pie."
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.

And they were singing,
"bye-bye, miss American pie."
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

They were singing,
"bye-bye, miss American pie."
Drove my Chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die."

Have a great week everyone!

I Look Up

Sunny - Hi 76 Lo 53 for Baghdad, Iraq
Sunny - Hi 57 Lo 31 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Ue Wo Muite Arukou-- I Look Up When I Walk (The Sukiyaki Song), Kyu Sakamoto

This is the only Japanese pop song to make it to #1 on the American pop charts. The song was released in Japan in 1961 and in the United States in 1963. Sadly, Kyu Sakamoto died in a plane crash in 1985.

Ramble:

My earliest childhood memory was when I was three years old.

My grandfather built my grandmother a house when he returned home from the Marines. It consisted of 3 rooms (kitchen, bedroom, and living room) and an outhouse over the hill. This part, the oldest part of the house was made from scrap wood (because everything was scarce during the war years). My grandfather built this home with his own two hands and was his gift to my grandmother. He loved that piece of property and still does to this day. My grandmother never really liked the house and whenever there was an opportunity, she would have my grandfather buy another house and they would move....but he never sold the house in the country.

So, in any event, when my father brought his new wife and new baby daughter home from Okinawa via Barstow (actually, I was born in Barstow), a new tradition was born... My grandparents would buy a new home while someone in the family lived there... to get us on our feet so to speak. By the time we moved in to the house a fourth room as well as a bathroom had been added. Today the house consists of a couple of bathrooms, and 7 rooms with an attached garage... again... all built by my grandfather.

OK... back to my earliest childhood memory which takes me to a summer day which had to be in 1968. I was outside playing by myself. The house was in the country (at least it was country back then). Our closest neighbors lived on the other side of the crick (creek) and past the woods... So, I was outside collecting wild violets and dandelions and making a bouquet for my beautiful mother. After I had collected just the right amount of purple and yellow, I went running in the house. She was in the kitchen washing dishes (we had running water--- but just cold... no hot water) and looking out the window. I held up my hand with the flowers and said, "Mommy!" She looked at me and smiled. I don't remember what happened to the flowers, but I remember sitting down at the kitchen table and speaking with my mother- who knows about what... good grief... it couldn't have been that complex... after all I was three and my mother had only been in the United States for a few years and wasn't provided much opportunity to speak English. (Mom became a United States citizen while we lived in California. To this day, she proudly speaks of the moment when she took her oath.)
Even though my mother was very pregnant with my brother at the time, (I do not remember her being pregnant- in discussing this memory with my mother, surprisingly she remembers it also and is amazed I have the same memory), my father had already started with his extended disappearing acts...

Now where was I, yes in the kitchen... We were in the kitchen, Sukiyaki came on the radio... first time I ever remember hearing the song. American music moguls called the song Sukiyaki because Americans have this thing about not trying to pronounce Japanese properly. We mercilessly make fun of Japanese folks when they speak English... maybe we have a fear they will make fun of us and our pronunciation of Japanese. American mouths don't move that way... As I sat at the kitchen table, my mother sang along and I remember seeing tears well up in her eyes... but never once did a tear fall down her cheek. That is the first time I remember her singing...and one of the few times I ever saw her emotional. After the song was over, she laughed and said that the music was so happy, but the words were so sad.....

My mother fell in love with an Okinawan man before she met my father... I've no idea how serious or long the relationship lasted... I do know that the relationship ended because they came from different classes in society... and their relationship was not accepted.

At the time of my flash of a memory and for many years I never knew what the song was about.... The song is about the sadness a man carries because his love is gone... He walks looking up so the tears don't roll down his face... hokey.... yeah... I have no doubt the poetry of the song is somehow lost in translation... to have seen my mother sing the song and still remember it as if it were yesterday.... well... you would understand why I like the song and for me how nothing was lost in translation...

Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

Reel Fanatic - likes movies
Useless Drivel - funny
That Gay Conservative - conservative w/ a capital C
Bluegrass Red State - Bluegrass = Kentucky

Housekeeping:

Did you see the headlines on my sidebar? I saw that over at MacBro's Place. MacBro saw it over at Larry's Place. Pretty cool, don't you think? However, sometimes the headline reads as "undefined"... just hit refresh... no idea why it's doing that...

I've also added an RSS link to my sidebar... it's about time, huh?

and I've joined MyBlogLog.

I have been in a funk and I will get back to my posts on terrorist organizations... but this is my blog... My place to exorcise my demons....

Ue Wo Muite Arukou

Ue wo muite arukou
Namida ga kobore naiyouni
Omoidasu harunohi
Hitoribotchi no yoru

Ue wo muite arukou
Nijinda hosi o kazoete
Omoidasu natsunohi
Hitoribotchi no yoru

Shiawase wa kumo no ueni
Shiawase wa sora no ueni

Ue wo muite arukou
Namida ga kobore naiyouni
Nakinagara aruku
Hitoribotchi no yoru

(Whistling)

Omoidasu akinohi
Hitoribotchi no yoru

Kanashimi wa hosino kageni
Kanashimi wa tsukino kageni

Ue wo muite arukou
Namida ga kobore naiyouni
Nakinagara aruku
Hitoribotchi no yoru
Hitoribotchi no yoru

(Whistling)

I look up when I walk
So the tears won't fall
Remembering those happy spring days
But tonight I'm all alone

I look up when I walk
Counting the stars with tearful eyes
Remembering those happy summer days
But tonight I'm all alone

Happiness lies beyond the clouds
Happiness lies above the sky

I look up when I walk
So the tears won't fall
Though my heart is filled with sorrow
For tonight I'm all alone

(whistling)

Remembering those happy autumn days
But tonight I'm all alone
Sadness hides in the shadow of the stars
Sadness lurks in the shadow of the moon

I look up when I walk
So the tears won't fall
Thought my heart is filled with sorrow
For tonight I'm all alone

(whistling)

Have a great week everyone!

Rewind and Replay... Not Quite...

Sunny - Hi 73 Lo 52 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rain - Hi 50 Lo 33 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Angry American, Toby Keith

I started out on You Tube looking for a tribute with the backdrop of Toby's song, which I have used a couple of times as my Song of the Week, however, none suited my feelings...none suited where we are today. All of the videos I found had flags waving, visions of the towers falling, the American people united, and soldiers fighting. I wish we were united against this evil, but we are not. I am uncontrollably angry. I am livid.

Ramble:

On August 7, 2005 I wrote about my anger AND hope after Lima Company took a huge blow in a post titled, Anger and Hope. Not much has changed... except I'm not so hopeful these days. I have grown weary. Below is an excerpt from the original post, if you want the links listed in the post please go to my original post here.

I am angry.
Those Marines were battling men that hide behind masks, that do cruel things that are too vile to discuss in a polite society. Torture? Please, go ahead and drive me crazy about talk of Abu Ghraib (Yes, I have seen all the photos, including the ones they don't show on the news...) and Guantanamo... No heads were viciously cut off in front of cameras...DO you remember hearing the blood curdling screams of those poor souls? Yes, there are a few idiots in our midst... I am ashamed that they are Americans--Lynndie England and Charles Graner (the most photographed) and the others, but we find them, remove them, and punish them accordingly. I'm disgusted by Janis Karpinski AND with the military that did not send her to be court-martialed... She allowed Abu Ghraib to happen on her watch... I'm sure she wasn't court-martialed because the military has blame in this too. She was placed in a job that she had no business in. I bet she was promoted through the ranks because she is a woman. (How many of us know people at work that have been promoted that should have been fired? Show of hands?) She is incompetent... You know it, I know it... and I can write it because I'm of the same gender...(you know what I mean... that whole politically correct thing... another topic for another time) Now I hear she is on the speaker circuit, trying to make a buck. I guess she is professing how hard it is to be a Brigadier General (was demoted to Colonel) in the Army in Iraq... boo hoo hoo...

Look... We don't torture and murder innocent civilians like Leon Klinghoffer, or Italian hero Fabrizio Quatrocchi, or the crew and passengers of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie Scotland, or Daniel Pearl ****LINK NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS****. We don't kill our athletes when they don't perform. We don't treat women like cattle... worse than cattle... We don't rape women and young girls and then murder them because they are no longer pure... We don't send a car filled with explosives into Embassies (Tehran, Beirut, Kuwait) to maim and kill civilians... We don't boobeytrap our own CHILDREN with explosives to kill soldiers!! We don't fill a back pack with explosives, board trains and buses and blow people to bits... Oh, and we don't fly jetliners into skyscrapers and kill thousands either!!!

We are fighting evil and it is real. It is tangible...You can touch the face of a terrorist- he isn't the bogeyman... You know as well as I do who the bad guys are....I must remind those that will listen to the Michael Moores and Al Frankens and all the politicians that would prefer to sell our collective souls to the devil that we need to to remember who the enemy is.... The Jawa Report **** NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS*** does an excellent job of reminding everyone in his blog entry, Avenging Cpl. Jeffrey A. Boskovich. Every time we start to forget the reason why we are fighting these extremest cowards... we should reflect on those awful images and sounds of horror as a reminder....

After this part of the post, I had provided reasons as to why I was hopeful. Today I wonder to myself whether or not I'm being sucked into a vacuum... Where is our sense of priority? Where is our personal sense of duty? Where is our accountability and responsibility? Anna Nicole... why is she still news? She is dead... and I don't think she is going to wake up... if she does then it would be Night of the Living Dead and I WOULD want to know about that. Britney Spears? Why do we care about this sad unfortunate bit of white trash? Jet Blue? I was flipping through the cable channels early yesterday morning and the banter went something like this:

Talking head with boobs # 1: "So, this was really traumatic for the folks on board, probably one of the most traumatic events anyone flying could endure. This is probably the worst case scenario when we are flying. What will Jet Blue do to prevent this from happening ever again?"

Talking head with boobs # 2: "Well, Jan the CEO has taken all the right steps. Time will tell whether it is enough."

Folks--- let's get one thing clear. If sitting on an *expletive * expletive* jet for hours is the most traumatic event that occurs in one's life...then I'd say... SHUT UP!!!

OH... and the most traumatic event that can occur on a jet? Hmmmmmm.... let's see... How about being on board with a bunch of terrorists that decide... "Yeah... this jet... it will make a great bomb...so, let's slash the throats of the crew with box cutters and take over this jet and go blow up some buildings..." Me personally, I think THAT would be the most traumatic event on a plane- but that's just me.

Good Grief!! There are soldiers and Marines that are fighting and DYING for us... They are wondering whether or not they have our support. We have asked these young men and women to do things that we can not begin to imagine. They do it- they do it for the sake of us- unappreciative, lazy, complaining whiners. They are keeping the fight OVER THERE!!!

Oh and check this out... as I'm perusing blogs as I like to do... I found this post....

Cut'n'run...............sounds like a plan

"If the U.S. leaves before the job is done, the enemy could follow us here." Quoted from a speech the president gave recently.

F*** You, Mr. President................................let them follow us.........

They've kicked our ass to a stalemate on their turf long enough. They control most of the battlefield. They pick away at our young service members with relative impunity. They die martyrs..........deluded, but happy to do so. We die for our "cause". A far less fulfilling fate.

So...................f*** you Dubya. Bring 'em home. Let's defend the Homeland from home. Let them be the strangers in a strange land.

Ankh

OH - MY - GOD!!! This guy thinks it's a great idea to fight 'em here... Fighting on our streets? Where our children play? Where our loved ones and homes can be blown up? With the exceptions of the so called occasional "Hate Crimes" or Teenage Angst Issues gone awry.... have we not prevented attacks on our soil? Why does this guy think it's a great idea to bring the battle here? To fill our streets with terrorists? Why? Am I missing something? Please help me out! Again... Am I living in some sort of vacuum??? What is this???

We have a bunch of whiney *expletive* politicians maneuvering and saying what they will to get our vote.... I am so sick and freaking tired of them!!! Which candidate is going to have the *expletive* to stand up and say,

"NO MORE! SHUT UP NANCY PELOSI! SHUT UP HARRY REID! TED KENNEDY SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP- HOW DARE YOU TELL ME ABOUT MORALITY! SHUT UP YOU BLEEDING HEART HOLLYWOOD DIMWITS! SHUT UP YOU COMMUNISTS! YOU SOCIALISTS! CODE PINK AND CINDY SHEEHAN! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH- I LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO DESTROY IT. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE TERRORISTS! WE WILL DESTROY THOSE THAT WOULD DESTROY US"

I don't see anyone on the horizon that looks like that, do you? Where is our next hero? It certainly isn't in the pack of Republicans I see... I want someone rabid- I want someone angry - someone that realizes what is at stake. I send off weekly notes to my representatives. Am I doing any good? Am I the only one?

So, I don't know what to do with my anger. I thank God everyday for our Marines and soldiers. I pray for them. I pray for our Commander in Chief. I support them and their mission, but I must ask,

What else am I to do? Am I all alone?

UPDATE 8:AM: Thanks Major Pain for posting this. Thanks for reminding me that there are good men in Washington fighting the good fight. Go watch Congressman Johnson speak.

It's a 70's Sunday!! All Weekend Long! OH.... and the Superbowl is Today... woo...hoo... !

Rain - Hi 58 Lo 45 for Baghdad, Iraq
Scattered Flurries - Hi 15 Lo 5 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Solsbury Hill, Peter Gabriel

This is one of my all time favorite songs. I remember the first time I heard it... The album this song is on was the second album I ever bought with my own money. I never tire of this song. Some have suggested this is a song about Christ... Actually, it's about Peter Gabriel and his feelings and decision to leave Genesis as well as the birth of his child... I know his politics and I don't wish to discuss it- makes me sad. I wish I still had that album along with the Genesis album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway... I think Monkey Man took them.....

Ramble:

First things first. As I work on this post (Saturday night- Michael's working), I am downloading the long awaited 70's Music Explosion onto my computer so I can add it to my iPod. I am listening this very second to the third track on the first disc... Midnight at the Oasis.... Something is wrong... Is music like food? Does your taste evolve? Can I equate the stylings of Maria Muldaur to Limburger cheese?

I mean I don't like Limburger cheese today... but I've heard it's an acquired taste- one that comes with age and sophistication... I just caught myself tapping my foot and singing along... OMG!! (queue screechy Psycho music). I will mark this as an old people moment... I don't want to like Limburger Cheese and I don't want to like this song... but here I am... singing along and tapping my foot and groovin' to the music....

Overall, the collection is a terrific selection of pop music from the 70's I remember hearing on the radio as a kid. (now playing: Disc 1 track 5 Summer Breeze by Seals and Crofts). This sounds ridiculous, but with the exception of Disco Duck, I NOW like many of the disco songs on this compilation-- back when they were popular... no freaking way!! When the package finally arrived, Michael and I went through all the CD's looking at the titles and we couldn't help ourselves but we went through and sang a bit from each and every song... of course, some we rolled our eyes and made faces, but we still knew the bloody words and melodies... The one thing it lacks is a decent selection of New Wave music... I would have been happy with Talking Heads... Take Me to the River or Psycho Killer, both from the late 70's, instead I have My Sharona by The Knack, which I suppose makes sense since The Knack was pop and not New Wave.... shut up Cath....

Earlier today, I was working on getting myself motivated to make a run to Target... it is brutal outside... the wind absolutely cuts through you. Sunday will be no different... I was working on my To Do list... I'm a chronic list maker. Nothing makes me happier than to cross something off that never ending list. My mind started to wander and I ended up wishing it were warm. Granted we have had one mild winter so far, the past few days have been painfully cold... hate it... As I let my mind wander Georgia O'Keeffe popped up in my mind. I instantly thought of warmth and sunshine. She also loved the American West and because of her I have always longed to make a trek out there.. one of these days... In any event I love her work-- The vibrant color palette when she painted flowers... the curvaceousness and feminine lines she chose. (now playing: Disc 3 Track 5 She's a Lady by Tom Jones) Now how does Georgia O'Keeffe fit into my 70's motif? Simple. I "discovered" Georgia O'Keeffe in the 7th grade--1977-or 1978- same year I bought Peter Gabriel's album?? I had a great art teacher-- Ms. Flower-- (can you believe it?). Mrs. Flower was cool... she was young... I'm guessing that she was in her mid twenties looking at the year book. She had long brown hippy hair, parted in the middle and she wore cool clothes --- gauchos... remember? She always had music playing in her class- she was great about telling us to listen to all kinds of music- one day she would play classical, next day jazz, another time it would be bluegrass or opera. I remember one time she brought in the soundtrack to Guys and Dolls--- sit down your rockin' the boat! I don't remember her playing pop music in the classroom though. Now that I think about it, I guess she is one of the reasons why I have such a broad range in musical taste. In fact, she was the first person to encourage my creativity and untapped "artistic talent". At lunch I would make my way down to her class because she had all these great art books with beautiful reproductions of works of art. If I appeared to show any interest in a piece of art, she would share her knowledge of the artist and the particular style. She alone ignited that fire and is the reason why I have an appreciation for art to this day. I wonder what she is doing now. I have no doubt she was a lefty... Nonetheless, I hope you had a Ms. Flower in your life that inspired you (Now playing: Disc 4 track 1 Gypsies Tramps and Thieves by Cher).


Stay Warm! Go Bears!

Solsbury Hill
by Peter Gabriel

Climbing up on Solsbury Hill
I could see the city light

Wind was blowing, time stood still
Eagle flew out of the night

He was something to observe
Came in close I heard a voice

Standing stretching every nerve
I had to listen had no choice

I did not believe the information
Just had to trust imagination
My heart going boom-boom-boom
Son, he said, grab your things I've come to take you home
Eh, don't quit

To keep in silence I resigned
My friends would think I was a nut

Turning water into wine
Open doors would soon be shut

So I went from day to day
Oh, my life was in a rut

'Til I thought of what I'd say
Which connection I should cut

I was feeling part of the scenery
I'd walk right out of the machinery
My heart going boom-boom-boom
Hey, he said, grab your things I've come to take you home
Eh, back home

When illusion spin her net
I'm never where I want to be

And liberty, she'd pirouette
When I think that I am free

Watched by empty silhouettes
Who close their eyes but still can see

No one taught them etiquette
I will show another me

Today I don't need a replacement
I'll tell them what the smile on my face meant
My heart going boom-boom-boom
Hey, I said, you can keep my things They've come to take me home

Have a great week everyone!

Purple Leaves by Georgia O'Keeffe courtesy of the Dayton Art Institute

Time Marches On....but stop for a moment and give pause...

Sunny - Hi 53 Lo 35 for Baghdad, Iraq
Rainy - Hi 56 Lo 46 for Northern KY, USA

Song of the week: Time of Your Life, Green Day

Ramble:

I have always found comfort in pomp and ceremony- the steadfast ritual of tradition. With age, it has become more meaningful. From baptisms to weddings to funerals the symbolism of what is done and said can be quite moving.

Ceremonies of this nature are an opportunity to reflect on the life to be, the life in progress, or the life lived. It is only natural when reflecting on someone else's journey we look at our own journey. At the time of President Reagan's death, the entire country grieved-- Never in my life had I witnessed anything like that--- The outpouring of sympathy, the grief we felt as a nation--During President Reagan's state funeral, like the rest of the nation, I felt that I had lost a close member of my family. He meant that much to me. I desperately wanted to go to Washington, but that was out of the question so, in trying to deal with my own grief, I focused my attention on "the schedule" of the funeral. I took comfort in learning the symbolism of the caisson, the Old Guard, in understanding the meaning of the caparisoned horse (riderless horse). I found out when they were going to do 21 gun salutes, I learned about the history of the Lincoln catafalque upon which Reagan's (and now Ford's) casket rests. In learning and knowing the schedule, I felt comforted. I was being tasked to do something. I had a purpose. It helped. Pomp and ceremony is designed to do that.

A plan for a funeral must be in place when the president takes office. However, once he has left office the president and his family sit down and design a detailed funeral. The funeral is a reflection of the man and his first lady. (Tuck that away in a recess of your mind for future consumption.) The men and women that carry out these orders for the family are the most compelling- the most profound...in the simplest of terms they are carrying out orders, but with that they are showing the utmost respect for the fallen comrade or fallen leader... If you have ever been to a military funeral, the silent precision of the changing of the guard gives chills and brings tears.

Our nation is so young... We have only had 43 presidents... 43... That is one hell of a small club. In that time we have fought in 11 wars. The deadliest was the Civil War with nearly 620,000 lives lost. Our ugliest moment in time was our fight within....................

It has been said and I concur that President Ford was a decent man- kind, honest, humble. As a nine year old, I remember his voice more than anything-- soothing.... comforting... His voice was that of a great uncle or grandfather.

"I assume the Presidency under extraordinary circumstances.... This is an hour of history that troubles our minds and hurts our hearts."

When President Ford took office- it proved once again that our government works. No, he was not elected- not as Vice President, nor as President, but a series of events brought him to this most exclusive of clubs and it is the chain of command that our brilliant forefathers had the insight to put in place. Our government did not stop... Yes, we were coming out of Viet Nam and the scandal of Watergate... Our flag had been witness to much worse... President Ford was the man to bring calm to our nation. The feeding frenzy needed to end and end it he did.

OK...OK... President Ford was........a little on the boring side... But in reflection, he wasn't boring at all. He was simply a quiet soft spoken gentleman of integrity, honesty, and good character. Chevy Chase came to fame making fun of the man. But remember, President Ford was an athlete... he was masculine grace.... He was offered contracts to play professional football-- the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. He turned them down............. He went to Yale and became an attorney. Like so many of his generation he served his country during WWII. From there he served his country for another quarter of a century in Congress and we know the rest... 6 months as the Vice President and President for a little over 2 years.

I remember the 2 attempts on the President's life- one by Squeaky Fromme and the other by Sara Jane Moore.

But what I remember most vividly and fondly are the family moments and their dog having puppies...

So, as I watched President Ford's motorcade last night on Fox, I reflected on my personal remembrances and what the Ford Legacy will mean to me... I will remember that he brought comfort to us when we thought our government was vile and corrupt. But more importantly, I will remember a big gentle man that loved his wife and loved his family and loved his golden retriever, Liberty...........

We live in such an amazing country. We live in an amazing time. WE have a responsibility to the next generation to leave it better than the way we received it. We live in a time when the enemy is no longer defined by a border- a nation... It is our responsibility to remain vigilant. We owe it to our founding fathers who fought so couragously for our independence and freedom.

We owe it to our great great grandparents that endured a nation that was ripped apart in a time of great inner turmoil. I have no doubt President Lincoln was our greatest president. A lesser man would have crumbled. He knew what our nation stood for.

And, we owe it to the greatest generation... the generation that fought a war against an evil tyranny-- that put everything aside to remember Pearl Harbor...a generation that sacrificed so much...

As I look back in reflection at 2006, I must look forward to 2007. It appears we are approaching a fork in the road. I will remain vigilant and stand by my convictions that my family raised me to uphold.

What will our nation do? Where is she headed?

We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power... the battle, sir, is not to the strong alone it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.

-Patrick Henry


Blogs and Links to Check Out This Week:

* Blogger and Spc. J. R. Salzman from Lumberjack in a Desert was injured before Christmas. He lost his right arm and his left arm has been injured as well. He is currently at Walter Reed Hospital. Go visit him and send him a note or leave him a comment... go...go now... really.

H/T: BlackFive and Little Green Footballs

* Military District of Washington - Guardians of the Nation's Capital

* Military District of Washington - The MDW is responsible for administering of state funerals. Visit this website to learn more about the funeral, the schedule, "the why'd they do that's...."

* Ford Presidential Library and Museum - A letter from Mrs. Ford can be found here. Photos of President Ford courtesy of the Ford Presidential Library and Museum. Please click on photo to enlarge.

* U.S. Torture and Atrocities - Visit this site... you can see all the awful things that are happening in Iraq.... really... go... I love our servicemen......

* Goomba News Network - Last May we lost one of the best bloggers- Nickie was kind, giving and so bloody funny. His blog, Nickie Goomba, was one of the funniest around. He hit serious topics too--- I still miss him. Thankfully, some of his familia have put the GNN back on the blogosphere... enjoy.

* Earth Cam - New York City - Watch the ball drop on Times Square.

Time of Your Life

Another turning point
A fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist
directs you where to go.
So make the best of this test
and don't ask why.
It's not a question
But a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.
Hang them on a shelf
In good health and good times
Tattoos and memories
and dead skin on trial.
For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

I wish you a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!