Tuesday Musings (#29)

In four days I will have been married to the most amazing woman for twenty eight years. Yup, that's 28! I am so blessed to have met, dated, been engaged to and now married to this amazing person. In this blog, I refer to her as "my beloved". The reason for that is that she does not want her name used. Those of you who know me know her name and know who she is and what she is capable of. As part of this post, I will try and use some of the songs of our life as ways to describe how she has made me a better person.

She makes me smile (thank you Chicago). When I am away from her she is my absent friend (thank you Genesis). When we are together she is more than three times a lady (thank you Lionel Ritchie and the Commodores). She helped me become a father twice and we decided that two was better than three and two out of three ain't bad (thank you Meatloaf). Whenever I was ill (too many times in our 28 years), she made me feel brand new (thank you Stylistics). Most of all she has been my friend and I know that I've got a friend (thank you James Taylor) in her. 

In all that we have been through over these years we have remained committed to the vows that we made to each other on that rainy April day in 1981. We made a commitment to have and to hold, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health from this day forward and then pledged our love to each other.

Have these days been perfect? Far from it. We have learned so much and it was in those times when life was the toughest that we learned that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. We committed each other to the ever loving God the Father who has always been there for us no matter what life threw at us. 

Twenty eight years is a long time. I have been blessed to have known this woman for so long and she has been one of the reasons that I have been able to succeed in life because I know that she is always waiting to encourage and build me up, no matter what.  

Happy Tuesday everyone

obscure lyric for the week of Mar. 30/09

Good morning music fans. I trust you enjoyed the weekend. Spring is still coming, however I saw ice and what was trying to be snow flying through the air yesterday. Along with spring comes a change in the month. April is almost here as is my 28th wedding anniversary. I am looking forward to continuing the celebration of our anniversary. I have been giving my beloved little gifts each day for almost 28 days now. I started at 28 days to go and have been giving her a small token of my love every day since then. As of today there are 5 days to our anniversary. The process is very much like putting pieces together of a giant anniversary card.

Because we are celebrating 28 years of love, I have chosen a love song for this weeks lyric. This song was released in 1972 and reached # 19 on the charts. The song was not written by a member of the band that made it famous. of all the songs from the album this song was found on, only one was written by a member of this band. A famous Italian born Canadian even wrote one of the songs from this album. Here are a few lines from this weeks song:

We knew no time for sadness

That's a road we each had crossed

We were living a time meant for us

And even when it would rain we would laugh it off

I would like to know the following: 

The name of the song:

The writer:

The name of the band:

The meaning of their name:

The Italian Canadian who also wrote a song for them:

Have a great week. Enjoy whatever this early spring brings to you. Remember someone once said, "April showers bring May flowers" which also bring the allergies. Take some time to stop and enjoy the journey you are on. I will try and send out some more hints(there are a few in this post) on Wednesday.       

The big reveal for the week of Mar.23/09

Good morning, Friday is finally here. It has been a long one and the newly added grey or is it gray skies have not helped. Apparently today and tomorrow are going to be sunny and warmer. I am definitely looking forward to that.

I only had two guesses this week. Both were from the same person, so Brad F. got the correct answers to the questions this week.

Here are your answers:

The singer: Larry Groce
The song: Junk Food Junkie
His current gig: he is the host of a National Public Radio program called Mountain Stage

Enjoy this video representation of the song:



Have a great weekend. Enjoy the rest and the sunshine.

"Play the music, not the instrument"

Tuesday Musings (#28)

It's Tuesday morning, outside my window the sun is beginning to break free of the darkness and barely perceptible beams of light are beginning to stream across the sky.

I love this time of the morning. I have never been a morning person. For most of my life I have had great difficulty getting up in the morning. Over the last two years I have chosen to make early rising a habit. I have begun to appreciate that the early morning hours are a great blessing.

So why the change? I decided some time ago that I would read through the bible in a year. There are lots of different versions and this year I am reading through the bible in a chronological order. There is also a sense of invigorating energy for me when I rise and get my day started. I am excited to see what events await me and what the demands of my way will be.

Making changes in ones life(my life) are not always easy. Choosing to take a different tack can be a challenge all in itself. getting out of a rut is a great thing. I have chosen by now being an early riser to see the sunrise, the start my day the way I want. I fight less traffic(there is barely any at the time I leave my house). I accomplish more in the day that I have in the past and while I am tired by the end of the day, I feel like I have done more than just go to work.

For me, this choice has empowered me to accomplish many things and I feel good about it.

Happy Tuesday everyone..................now get out of bed!

Obscure Lyric for the week of March 23/09

Good morning music fans. I have a great one for you this week. I have been in a sombre mood lately and it's time to drag the music into the world of smiles and laughter. I think this one is great, it's older (sorry Gary) you will just have to deal with it this week.

I can see the rays of sunshine coming over the buildings across the street and that is a beautiful sight. it looks like another week of sunshine which is great for making sap apparently. I saw the crescent moon this morning hanging low in the sky as I drove in, it was an awesomely powerful sight.

Here are this weeks lyrics:

Oh yeah, in the daytime I'm Mr. Natural

just as healthy as I can be

But when that clock strikes midnight

and I'm all by myself

I work that combination on my secret hideaway shelf

and I pull out some fritos corn chips

Dr. Pepper and an ole Moon Pie

This one is a strange one, it was the only "hit" by the writer and can be found on Dr. Demento's compilations. It was released in 1976. It's a funny song and deals with something that I have been known to enjoy once in a while. I will definitely try to have some hints on Wednesday.

I would like to know:

The name of the song:
The writer:
The writers current gig:

Have a great week. Enjoy the sunshine. Apparently, spring has arrived. I am not getting rid of snow tires yet. I am sure there will be a few more blasts of the white stuff. I certainly think we have had enough, but I'm not in charge of the weather.

Another senseless (is there an acceptable one) murder

It's Sunday morning. I'm reading yesterday's papers. I got home late last night and didn't have time to read them because we are at the Home and Garden show in the big city yesterday. Enough about my weekend.

The headline cries out "Justice for Stefanie" after a "teen" is convected of first degree murder. Because the murderer was a "teen" at the time of the death, her name or her co-accused cannot be named because of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

So here we go again, a jealous girl over what appears to be a prolonged period of time uses the withholding of sex from her boyfriend until he agrees to kill their target of the girls jealousy.

The cry for Justice should not be the question.

Why should be the question. What did this girl believe in that she determined that it was acceptable to force someone else to kill someone whom she clearly hated or was threatened by? This apparently "normal" kid with a 90% average in school somehow determined that this "rival" should be eliminated. What brings us to the place where the ending of the life of someone else is acceptable? More and more I see the stories of killing, brother against brother, nation against nation and wonder when God is going to step in?

There's the rub. I want God to step in, which by its very assumption means that I know better than God himself. Trust me, I do not and do not even mean to convey that I know better. My frail and very human heart and mind want it to stop. I think I know enough of the heart of God that He wants it to stop too.

God in His wisdom will set a timeline when all of this will end, and in the meantime, we are called to love Him and our neighbours with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. That would suggest that forgiveness rather than justice is required here.     

The big reveal for the week of Mar. 16/09

Good morning folks.

No guesses this week, I figured this one would be really easy. I'm gonna have to look closer at the songs I choose from now on. As noted in a previous post, I would like to hear from you, the readers if you have any ideas for the obscure lyrics. I have a really fun one for next week.

I have been on much of an emotional roller coaster the last few weeks starting on Valentines day. In fact, the last year has been kinda crazy. If you have been reading the blog for some time you will know some more about my state of mind. I am struggling with the insensitivity and carelessness of people (and I include myself as one who has been and continues to be careless with the feelings of others). More on my exploration and self reflection when the time comes.

Here are this weeks answers:

The name of the song: Mothers of the Disappeared.

Who sings it: kinda trick question: Bono of U2.

Who it is written about: The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina about the "children" who disappeared during their "dirty war". 

The album name: The Joshua Tree.

The album producers: Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois.

I hope this inspires you to speak out.

   

Have a great weekend. Enjoy the peace we have in Canada. 

A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be.

Sharing a moment with my boy

I had an awesome experience with my boy the other night. he told me about a piece of music on YouTube that he wanted me to hear and see. So, there we were, he in Virginia and I here at home watching the following video and both of us almost in tears because of the beauty of the music. It was one of those special "understanding" moments between me and my boy. We both love music and while he is a much better (by a long stretch) musician we enjoy it together. Seeing each other on Skype was just beautiful.

Of course, the singer is Josh Groban and the exquisitely talented violinist is Lucia Micarelli. I think you might also know the very famous Canadian on the piano. 

I don't think my Josh realizes how much I appreciated those almost 6 minutes of "silence" together. I miss him when he is away at school and moving on with his life and I also know that letting go began the moment I first held him. His entire life has been my learning to let him become the person he was designed to be.

Here is the video and the first verse in english of this beautiful love song:

I’ll miss you, if you go away

I’ll miss your serenity

Your words like songs in the wind

And Love, that you take away.

 

Getting close to a haircut

Apparently my stylist, barber, hair cutter person reads this blog every once in a while to see what crazy things are going on in my head. Usually she is concerned with what's going on, on my head, I am so pleased that she is concerned about what is going on in my head too.

If you knew her you would see that she is such a giver. She helped prepare this house for the big renovations and is one of the few (I think there are two) people that helped who would not let me take a photo. Oh well, when you read this give me a call and you can run your hands through my hair once again.

You see what happens when you go for a walk with my beloved.

Say hello to Ricky and maybe the two of you should come and visit and enjoy some "40 Creek" or is it Rum? I dunno, just no sour cream for Rick, right?  

See you soon, Mrs. C.

Tuesday Musings (#27)

Good Tuesday morning and happy St. Patricks day to all who are Irish and the rest of ye who wish you were Irish.

I've been doing some remembering lately. I'm not entirely sure why, but I've had a great deal of wonderful memories brought to the forefront of my mind over the last days and weeks. I have had memories from different part of my life just spring into my head and I have been enjoying them completely.

I was thinking about our family trips to Florida. When the kids were small we used to drive to Florida every other spring for a vacation with Oma and Opa(my wonderful in-laws) and we'd pull the kids out of school for approximately the last week of April and first week of May. We had awesome times, no visits to Mickey or other "attractions" just family fun on the beach or fishing in the inter coastal waterway just behind the tiny one floor motel we used to stay at.

This motel was originally part of a veterans hospital after the 2nd world war and was the coolest place(until the decided to keep snakes in the lobby). We got to know some of the regulars who were all retired and late afternoon they would meet in the "shop" out back and enjoy their pre-dinner drink. They would treat our kids to snacks and enjoy helping them fish and taught them where to buy a dozen shrimp for a buck (for bait).

Other memories have been related to music and the choir I used to sing in. I developed great friendships and had much fun at the expense of the basses. I miss those times and the weekly gatherings that meant so much to my learning and appreciation of chorale music.

They are all gone now, except in my memory. maybe that's the best place for them, the memories are all good and they all bring a smile.

Looking back, I have so much to be thankful for. I would guess that I have been able to do more in my life with my kids than most people have had the privilege to. My kids remember those times with fondness also. Which brings me to today. I remember going to the St. Patricks day Parade with my Dad and enjoying that time alone with him. Oh to have that time back, impossible in the real world, but very alive in my memory.

I think I need to create more memories for my family...........road trip anyone?

Happy Tuesday everyone