Scream of Consciousness

Thursday this week is special ...

2011-06-23T01:00:00.000-03:00

Guess what today is?

This was on the table at breakfast ...

Wednesday Weather Report

2011-06-22T01:08:00.000-03:00

For the love of God, DON'T skip the comments at the end - they are the funniest bit!

Tuesday Tourism

2011-06-21T09:17:00.005-03:00

I love my little corner of the universe - it's one of the most beautiful spots in the world, with some of the most fascinating natural phenomena. Over the summer, it will be my pleasure to introduce my province to you.

Because it's in the news right now, being one of the finalists for the Natural Wonders of the World, AND because I grew up (and still live and work) on its shores, my first post will introduce the Bay of Fundy.

This NB tourism video explains where the Bay of Fundy is, what it does and why:

Here's the effect it has:

This is the most popular natural tourism destination in Canada, found at the top of the Bay:

Five on Friday

2011-06-17T00:12:00.000-03:00

This week on Tuesday, Steve, the B-man, Daisy and I celebrated our first anniversary living together as a family. Not so long ago, I never would've believed a man could help me rebuild my confidence the way he has, not to mention putting a light in my son's eyes that I'd never seen before. Our Steve is a pretty special guy and in his honour, I'm dedicating this FoF to him. 381, sweetheart!

I don't have to tell you that you're the only one who does it for me ...

Your random kisses and hugs are food for my soul.

I'm aware that this next is a Christian worship song. However, with some of the most powerful lyrics I've ever felt, it serves a dual purpose.

"Draw me close to you
Never let me go.
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I'm your friend.
You are my desire.
No one else will do,
Cause nothing else can take your place
To feel the warmth of your embrace.
Help me find the way;
Bring me back to you."

You're always there for me, in every way possible. You hold my hand when times are good and you carry me when they are not.

With all that you do, do you know how you make me feel? Oh yeah, you do ...

So here's how you play:
1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.
3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky on Trav's page so everyone can visit your Set.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Thursday's Short

2011-06-16T09:14:00.002-03:00

Absolutely stunning concept ...

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart

2011-06-14T12:03:00.001-03:00

A year today, with all the ups and downs and we're standing strong, still holding hands. 381, Steve. I love you.

:)

2011-06-14T09:42:00.002-03:00

Still struggling with health. I'll be back when it's better. Everyone take care.

Five on Friday - 27 May 2011

2011-05-26T23:58:00.004-03:00

My first FoF in a while and I was mulling over which topic I should choose ... and then it occurred to me. I'm not a betting woman, but I imagine mine won't be the only blog about this.

Oops sorry, wrong rapture ...

Rules? There are rules???

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.
2. Go to Playlist.com to make your Set of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the Set, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.
2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.
3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.
4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Hmmmm ...

2011-05-26T14:58:00.002-03:00

I thought it was a temporary problem a few months ago, but everytime I try to switch from "compose" to "edit html", everything shuts down and I get booted off the internet. Anybody else having this problem?

People are strange ...

2011-05-25T09:05:00.000-03:00

A man was trying to pull out of a parking place but bashed the bumper of the parked car in front of him. Witnessed by a handful of pedestrians waiting for a bus, the driver got out, inspected the damage, and proceeded to write a note to leave on the windshield of the car he had hit.
The note read:
"Hello. I have just hit your car, and there are some people here watching me who think that I am writing this note to leave you my name, phone number, and driver's license number, but I am not."

A Pastor goes to the dentist for a set of false teeth. The first Sunday after he gets his teeth, he talks for only eight minutes. The second Sunday, he talks for only ten minutes. The following Sunday, he talks for 2 hours and 48 minutes. The congregation had to mob him to get him down from the pulpit and they asked him what happened.
The Pastor explains the first Sunday his gums hurt so bad he couldn't talk
for more than 8 minutes.

The second Sunday his gums hurt too much to talk for more than 10 minutes.

But, the third Sunday, by mistake he put his wife's teeth in and couldn't
shut up...

RIP Playlist

2011-05-24T09:31:00.002-03:00

You may or may not have noticed that all my playlist posts are no longer functioning. In whateve wisdom that may have been contrived or manufactured by the almighty "POWERS-THAT-BE", the tracks on Playlist are no longer available in Canada, due to our stringent copyright act. Thanks a whole lot, CFC. Music nazis ...

Not sure how I will participate in Five on Friday, but I will figure it out.

Back ... sort of

2011-05-22T12:40:00.002-03:00

Wow, remember that health issue that I mentioned a couple posts ago? That'd be about 2 months in the past now. Well, it became a bigger issue very suddenly. I was rushed to the hospital one night, had emergency surgery the very next morning and have been recuperating ever since. Officially, I've been off work for 7 weeks, and it's going to be a little while longer before I can return, due to stupid complications. Good news is, the initial health problem is now resolved. Yay!

Steve has proven his mettle during this crisis. He really stepped up, taking care of my babies during my hospital stay, and taking care of me, too. How can you not appreciate and love that in a man?

More great news: Steve has been offered a permanent full-time job with Industrial Rail - the job specs suit him to a tee. He'll be working with a team, refurbishing passenger rail cars to make them disability-friendly. Lots of reading blueprints and fabricating metal parts for my guy. He's so excited about this job. He even gets to teach - his job includes apprenticeship responsibilities.

Even more great news: the B-man has passed the final step prior to becoming a black belt in tae kwondo. Last Thursday, he tested for his brown belt and got it! The weekend before that, he participated in the Provincial Tae Kwondo Championship and received a bronze medal for 7-9 year olds in Poomsae (form). Not too bad for his first tournament. We're proud of him.

A friend of mine has just started a new blog. Please check her out ... I mean her blog ... ~Designs by Debbie~ at designsbydebbie-debbie.blogspot.com and no, I still don't know how to insert a link here. Sorry, but that's what ctrl-C is for, okay?

That's about it for now. I'll get back to this gradually, as I start to build my strength and stamina back. Oh, and I'm creating this on a friend's computer (mine is belly-up right now) so no piccies. Hope to remedy that in the near future. Hope everyone is doing super. Miss you all.

Five for Friday (times two!) ... Ear worms

2011-04-01T00:01:00.000-03:00

The definition of an earworm comes from a translation of the German "ohrwurm", a portion of a song or other music that repeats compulsively within one's mind, put colloquially as "music being stuck in one's head."

It's such a fascinating phenomenon, authors have written about it for years. Take Arthur C. Clarke's 1956 short story "The Ultimate Melody" for example. In it, the protagonist, Gilbert Lister, develops a melody that intrigues the brain so completely that the listener becomes entranced by it. His theory is that a great melody impresses itself on the mind because it perfectly matches the brain's electrical impulses.

In 2007, marketing professor James J. Kellaris PhD, of the University of Cincinnati conducted a study about the top ten earworms. It boggles the mind how some people manage to justify their paycheque ... but the results are interesting:

1. Other. Everyone has his or her own worst earworm.
2. Chili's "Baby Back Ribs" jingle.
3. "Who Let the Dogs Out"
4. "We Will Rock You"
5. Kit-Kat candy-bar jingle ("Gimme a Break ...")
6. "Mission Impossible" theme
7. "YMCA"
8. "Whoomp, There It Is"
9. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
10. "It's a Small World After All"

I don't even KNOW some of those songs and NONE of my most persistent nuisance-tunes are on the list, so I guess I fit in with number one. The obsessive musical thoughts that frequently plague my mind are:

Fortunately for me, not all of them are "claw-your-eardrums" annoying. In fact, some of them can be quite pleasant accompaniment to my day. I know there are only supposed to be FIVE, but try telling my subconscious that and see where you get. I was lucky to pare it down to ten! So, since I didn't get here to post last Friday, I'm taking both week's five together.

So ... what is your most persistent "tune wedgy"?

Hi, how y'all been?

2011-03-29T09:40:00.003-03:00

(Is anybody else having trouble with blogger lately? I can't switch between Edit HTML and Compose anymore!)

Yeah, been a little busy this past week. Work, mostly. Middle school report cards, parent-teacher meetings, midterms and then high school report cards fall into the space of about 3 weeks. I'm in the midst of it now.

Some personal junk mixed in but nothing major. Something new cropped up with my health but it wasn't anything I didn't expect. It's only slowed me up a bit so far. It's been a hard winter and I'm gen'rally feeling rough - ragged, y'know? Bulbs are up and the robins are back though, so I 'spect spring's finally here.

Steve's been amazing. He truly is my rock, but finances are getting tight with him not working. I hope he gets called back soon. Construction work is nearly impossible when there's 9 feet of snow on the ground but it's melting now, so it shouldn't be long. He's looking forward to it, I know.

The B-man passed his brown-stripe belt in tae kwondo last Thursday. Only one more before black now. Master C has taken a special interest in him, for which I am eternally grateful. It has been so good for B's self-esteem. He's a pretty wonderful little boy, but of course I'm going to say that, right? The difference is that everybody else seems to think so, too. I always ask myself how I got so lucky, having a kid like him.

Steve and I hosted our monthly movie night on Saturday. Only 8 people showed but it was sort of short notice, being a re-schedule of the one we had to cancel a couple weeks ago for health reasons. The viewing was RANGO, followed by CALIGULA. Yeah. Not gonna comment on that. Feel free if you are so moved, though. Anyway, there was double chocolate cheesecake along with the usual munchies. It's always fun getting together with our friends.

So, that's what I've been up to. How's your life going?

Music on Monday

2011-03-21T15:15:00.009-03:00

The topic of the day is BAGPIPES ...

There was a young Scottish boy called Angus who decided to try life in Australia. He found an apartment in a small block and settled in.

After a week or two, his mother called from Aberdeen to see how her son was doing in his new life.

"I'm fine," Angus said. "But there are some really strange people living in these apartments. One woman cried all day long, another lies on her floor moaning, and there is a guy next door to me who bangs his head on the wall all the time."

"Well, ma laddie," says his mother, "I suggest you don't associate with people like that."

"Oh," says Angus, "I don't, Mum, I don't. No, I just stay inside my apartment all day and night, playing my bagpipes."

Q: What's the definition of a gentleman?
A: Someone who knows how to play the bagpipe, and doesn't.

Q: What's the difference between a cat in the road and a bagpipe in the road?
A: Most people would actually swerve to miss the cat.

Q: Why do pipe bands march when they play?
A: Moving targets are harder to hit.

Q: What's the difference between a bagpipe and an onion?
A: No one cries when you chop up an bagpipe.

Q: What's the difference between a dead snake in the road and a dead bagpiper in the road?
A: There are skid marks in front of the snake.

Q: How can you tell if a bagpipe is out of tune?
A: Someone is blowing into it.

Q: What's the difference between a bagpipe and a chainsaw?
A: The chain saw doesn't have vibrato.

Q: What's the difference between a bagpipe and a lawn mower.
A: People get upset when someone borrows their lawn mower and doesn't give it back.

Q: What's the difference between a bagpipe and a trampoline?
A: You take off your shoes when you jump on a trampoline.

Q: What's the definition of "optimism"?
A: A bagpiper with a beeper.

Q: What's the range of a bagpipe?
A: Twenty yards if you have a good arm.

Q: Why do pipers walk when they play?
A: They are trying to get away from the sound!

Someone once said, "You don't PLAY bagpipes, you WIELD them."

Q: How can you tell the difference between bagpipe songs?
A: By their names.

Q: Why do most people hate bagpipes right away?
A: It saves time.

"I understand the inventor of the bagpipes was inspired when he saw a man carrying an indignant, asthmatic pig under his arm. Unfortunately, the man-made object never equalled the purity of sound achieved by the pig." - Alfred Hitchcock

Five For Friday - Going to the Dogs

2011-03-15T08:41:00.013-03:00

I love dogs. I love the "dogness" of them; the inherent openness of spirit; the unconditionality of their hearts; the inherent curiosity and wonder of their nature. I even love their childlike dependency. From the most adorable puppy or the most elegant pedigree to the scruffiest mutt, my heart melts for dogs.

The few periods in my life when I didn't have a dog were mere transitions. I grew up in a dog family and my son has never known a life without the comfort of a cushy, furry, drooly, devoted heart-on-legs. At first, we had two. Mandy was the "momma-dog" who cuddled the B-man and herded him away from perceived dangers when he was a toddler. We still miss her but we remember her with smiles and laughter. She was a character and the stories never grow tiresome, no matter how often the B-man asks me to tell them.

We still have Daisy. She has always been the B-man's playmate. Even now, at the age of 14, she staggers gamely along with him on our walks. She's not as fast as she used to be but the B-man shows his love by slowing down for her and not going where she would have difficulty following him ... because he knows that she would follow him anywhere he leads her. That's what dog-love is, after all.

March Break ...

2011-03-14T14:57:00.003-03:00

No posts for the past week. I've been doing taxes. Paperwork. Housework. And I spent a little time in hospital. Seems my emergency surgeries a few years back have left me with a legacy of abdominal problems. This time, though, it's not urgent and I can wait until it's convenient to have the operation to repair the damage. There's always a bright side to everything.
There were some really outstanding parts to the past week though. I got to spend a lot of quality time with Steve and the B-man. We went bowling, swimming, to the indoor amusement park and the giant bookstore, and we saw some movies together.
First, Steve and I escorted the B-man and his best friend "Big D" to see RANGO. It was absolutely wonderful. It is a great script, and the scope and range of Johnny Depp's talent never ceases to amaze me. The boys, of course, were exhilarated by the gunfire and explosions. It was a noisy drive home ...

The very next night, Steve and I got a grown-up date while B went to his grandparents for a sleep-over. It had been years since I saw an adult-type film in the theatres, so we did the traditional dinner-and-movie outing. We got to try out a new Indian restaurant, then held hands in the cinema through THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU. The concept presented in the storyline was more interesting than the movie itself, although it was decent enough entertainment. I think we were both just enjoying the absence of squirming question-factories for a change ...
Our third cinematic outing was a birthday party. B-man's little girlfriend, "Doll-face", turned 8 and we were invited to a private screening of GNOMEO AND JULIETTE. It was cute. The B-man thought the kissing was gross, much to his admirer's dismay but he liked the lawnmower races and ... the explosions. Yup. He later informed Steve, though, that the best part of the evening was getting to club a Disney Princess pinata to death at the party after the film. I witnessed the massacre and it was brutal. That, sad to say, is the mindset of an 8-year old boy ...

Although not a theatre experience, the last movie I saw before returning to the grind of a regular workweek came highly recommended by our Ann. Steve downloaded PS I LOVE YOU for me and we watched it together. I love Steve sooooooo much! He wanted to make me happy and share the experience, but he fell asleep about 30 minutes into the film and let me blubber in peace. Now THAT says love to me ...
Not too shabby, huh? Glad I was to get in some playtime along with all the other stuff. It makes me feel good that I was able to balance things. B-man even got lots of playdates and a couple of prime sleep-overs.

Could've used another week, though ...

Five for Friday

2011-03-10T23:59:00.000-04:00

Officially, I'm on vacation. Unofficially, it's a working vacation because it's tax time. Yuck. So, instead of a joyful, "I'm-on-vacation" songlist, I've chosen the common theme that's uppermost in my mind right now. You guessed it ...

Have a great weekend!

Vacation

2011-03-08T07:52:00.001-04:00

It's March break. I am on vacation. See you all next week!

Fantastic Five on Friday

2011-03-03T23:59:00.014-04:00

It's been that kind of week ... the kind where I listen to feel-good music and sing on the drive to work. The kids at school have been great. My lesson plans have worked out nearly perfectly. Things at home couldn't be better with Steve, the B-man and Daisy-dog. I've re-discovered an old friend or two. Even shovelling the endless snow has been pleasant since we cracked the deep-freeze temperatures. What better way to cap such a great week than with some absolutely perfect music?

I've long enjoyed a love affair with Morrison's music. It's a well-known fact that he's my ideal, as far as music goes. As a contemporary singer-songwriter, there is no equal. Through good or bad times, he has a song that reaches right into you and pulls out the best of you. I've never encountered anything that can compare to his exquisite compositions and I don't expect I ever will. Millions have covered his songs and new artists continue to rediscover his artistic brilliance. Even the covers are wonderful because honestly, you can't ruin the poignancy of his poetic songwriting even through the insult of mediocre talent. In musical historic context, his name will be spoken with the same reverence that we afford names such as JS Bach, WA Mozart, L van Beethoven ... another great "Van", coincidentally.

Finding Van Morrison music on Playlist was a challenge. Van the Man is a savvy businessman, on top of being an incredibly gifted musician, and he protects his rights with religious fervour. You may have noticed that the Playlist songs were under various manufactured artist names. Users uploading his songs must "hide" them because everything posted under the label "Van Morrison" will swiftly be removed. Youtube carries videos of his songs strictly by permission of his company "Exile". Because of this, only a few of the best-known songs filter through these media. No matter, they're still wonderful. I do hope you enjoy my playlist. It was a labour of love.

**Note: Since creating my Playlist two days ago, some of the songs have been removed from the website. I have added video to compensate for the shortage.

This one's for Steve. I love you, Sweetheart.

Wordless Wednesday - Better Late Than Never

2011-03-02T13:33:00.002-04:00

A Tune for Tuesday

2011-03-01T15:00:00.002-04:00

Just because I haven't inflicted it on anybody for a while, here's MY favourite song. Betting some of you can guess it before you hear it!

And just because it's never enough to hear it once, this is my absolute favourite COVER of the same song.

A Monday Mood

2011-02-28T13:07:00.003-04:00

The word of the day is :

So, thing is, we had a storm day today. Schools were cancelled all over the south-eastern part of the province. Reason for confusion? No snow. Not a flake. Huh?

Five for Friday - Childhood Memories

2011-02-25T08:12:00.001-04:00

Do you have a favourite day of the week?

I come from a hard-working, lower-middle-class family. My dad worked long hours at his job as a mechanic and, while my brother and I were still young, my mom concentrated on being a mom. She stayed at home which, to many people means that she "didn't work".

Nothing could be further from the truth. She cooked and cleaned. On top of that, she had Home and School meetings, PTA, Church Elder meetings, choir practice, our Youth Groups, and Mom's Taxi service. She and Dad were both fixtures as chaperones at school dances and dinners. She managed to balance a budget that always seemed to have too little money and too many expenses. We didn't often have extra, but we never went without what my mom considered to be necessities. That means we had piano lessons, hockey and figure skating. There was always enough for our friends, young or old, to join us for a meal or a weekend. There was always change for the collection plate at church and there was always baking going out of the house for school and church fundraising. I still don't know how she did it all.

My brother and I never got an "allowance". We had to earn our spending money. I remember the summer my brother had the wonderful idea of mowing all the neighbours lawns for pay. I also remember his dismay when Dad came after him for gas money when he used the entire tank, plus the contents of the gas can that Dad kept in the garage. Then there was the time I decided to run a lemonade stand at the end of our driveway, which was located on an isolated rural highway. I was five and my only clients were the neighbours across the street and my grandparents, who drove 10 miles just to support me. My brother and I both finally settled on newspaper routes as the means to support our extra-curricular needs. His route went west from our house and mine went east. We each biked about 4 miles each day for the reward of about $9 a week. In winter, I remember Mom or Dad driving us some days, so we didn't get lost in a snowstorm. It wasn't easy, but it was good discipline and I'm a firm believer in the system, much to my son's dismay. LOL

Every day was a working day at our house. Monday to Friday, it was the work-week/school-week. Saturdays were for chores, baking, shopping and heavy cleaning. But Sundays ... growing up in a Bible-waving community had its benefits. On Sunday, we rested. Not to say we didn't have responsibilities: church was expected unless you were contagious and even then, eyebrows were raised. Sunday School was mostly social for me. All my closest friends were in the same class. Looking back, I feel for the teachers of that group. It couldn't have been easy for them.

After church, we visited the grandparents. We alternated Sundays between my Dad's parents and my Mom's.

Gram and Gramps H. lived an hour away and their house was always crowded because Dad was one of 13 kids and everybody else had kids, and some of the aunts and uncles even had grandkids at that point. Good thing it was a big house, is all I'm saying ... It was always busy and fun there but I always felt a bit lost in the crowd.

Grammy and Grampy M. had only Mom and Uncle Robin, who lived in Manitoba, or Saudi Arabia, or Ireland (he was a mining engineer). They lived 10 minutes away. I loved my Grammy best of all the adults in my life. She taught me important stuff and she was always available, no matter how busy she was. She was also WAY cool - she watched "The Sonny and Cher Show" and "Laugh-In" with us, and took us to movies like "Jaws" and "Rollercoaster". She loved Alex Keaton from "Family Ties". She would've been proud of how he's handled the adversity of Parkinson's. She also had a crush on Vinny Barbarino from "Welcome Back Kotter". She always said what a great actor he was. She'd be glad to know how successful he turned out.

Of all the days in the week, I don't remember any of them being horrible. But Sundays were golden. Wouldn't it be wonderful to recapture that feeling?

How Much Is That Doggie ...

2011-02-24T13:42:00.008-04:00

These cute puppy-dogs have found

a new place to play ...

I TOLD you we got

some snow this winter!

Five Lessons About the Way We Treat People

2011-02-23T08:28:00.004-04:00

Today is Pink Shirt Day. It's about bullying and how each of us has the power to stop it. This morning, as my son got dressed for school, he looked nervously at his pink shirt that proclaimed in bold black letters *BULLYING STOPS HERE* and asked me "What if someone teases me for wearing pink, Mommy?" Even though mornings are usually rushed, we took the time to sit down to watch the videos I posted here yesterday so he would understand that what he does stands for something important, just as each person who wears pink today. When we'd finished, he went off to school proudly sporting his pink shirt knowing that, although he's just a child, his action speaks loud and clear.

Bullying hurts. We can make a difference. It has a lot to do with how we treat people. How have so many people forgotten such a simple lesson? Be kind and generous in spirit with others. It WILL come back to you.

1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one:

"What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely, " said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello".

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain.

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rain storm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960's. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him.

Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read:

"Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely,
Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve.

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.

"How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "Fifty cents," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it. "Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired.

By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "Thirty-five cents," she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins.

"I'll have the plain ice cream," he said.

The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path.

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the King's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it.. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand! Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.

5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.

I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes I'll do it if it will save her." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

I realize those stories are just some of many passed around the internet ad nauseum but in each lies a grain of truth. Today is Pink Shirt Against Bullying Day. Let it mean something to each of us but even more importantly, let it move us to act with kindness.

SEA OF PINK

2011-02-22T03:32:00.006-04:00

STAND UP AGAINST BULLYING!

I'm a teacher. The kids I see each day are between the ages of 11 and 18. Here are some heart-stopping statistics for the school where I teach. Please note: these number are current and real. Statistics on bullying are gathered annually by means of a Provincial survey completed by all students from grades 2-12. My school was rated about middle of the pack, which means that there are several schools that received more disturbing statistics than the ones I'm sharing here.

67% of students in my school have been bullied in the past 12 months.

Between grade 5 and grade 7, the frequency of bullying incidents increases by almost 40%.
6% of the students here are bullied on a daily basis. 10% have been enduring it for more than a year. 27% of our kids here are afraid to come to school because of bullying. 3% have missed school more than once because of it.

Of the types of bullying that occur, verbal and social bullying are more than twice as common as physical intimidation. Incidences of cyber bullying have more than tripled in the past year.

Despite all this, 82% of bullying victims have not told an adult that the bullying was taking place. Many didn't think anything could or would be done about it, but an alarming number simply didn't want to be labelled "snitch" or "squealer".
86% of students have witnessed someone being bullied this year. Only 13% reported the incident to an adult. 80% didn't want to get involved.

What can we do to change things? Two boys from a small high school in Nova Scotia did their part and it's become a national movement. Here's how it happened:

Tomorrow, Wednesday 23 February, my son and I will wear pink shirts to school. Bullying hurts everyone. It has to stop. We can make a difference, one person at a time.

Monday ... ERGGGHH!

2011-02-21T05:57:00.004-04:00

Why do we put ourselves through this week after week? Monday. A reward for the excesses of weekend living, perhaps? Lately, it seems as though there's too much "living" being packed into those two short weekend days and, as a result, Mondays seem especially heinous, particularly as we begin them with the full understanding that they are followed by Tuesday, Wednesday ... interminable drudgery. Why do we do it? What are we trying to accomplish by torturing ourselves? More importantly, WHEN are we going to come to our senses?

DOWN WITH MONDAY'S TYRANNY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B-MAN!

2011-02-20T00:41:00.002-04:00

Five Degrees of Music Progression 1

2011-02-17T23:42:00.002-04:00

Trav has a (new to me) meme. I can't seem to get text to post from another source, so I'm just going to recap the rules and if you want more details, go see Trav's blog. You should anyway. It's cool.

So here's what you do. You post his banner for Five Degrees of Music Progression. Then you randomly pick a song and free-associate until you've got some connection to a second song, and so on until you have five. Post the songs using Playlist.com or something else (I dunno - videos, maybe?) and then sign the Linky on Trav's blog on Thursday. That's about it.

Here's my first attempt at this. Hope you can follow where my mind leads ...

1. American Classical composer George Crumb "Male-Speaking Choir" forms my first selection. I picked this for no better reason than my advanced music class was discussing modern composition and his name came up. Surprised the bejeebers outta me when I actually found Crumb listed on Playlist!

2. The men shouting in the first song sounded like Nazis to me. That, paired with the martial sound of the snare, led me to make the logical leap to the theme music from "Hogan's Heroes".

3. One of the main characters on "Hogan's Heroes" was Cpl. Newkirk, a role played by Richard Dawson, who had also been a regular on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In". It was from THAT comedy variety that I knew Richard Dawson had once attempted a singing career. The (awful) psychedelic "Apples and Oranges" seemed to follow the natural course in my mind.

4. It was mid-afternoon when I did the playlist, so the talk of all that delicious fruit brought me to the next song, by Duran Duran "Hungry Like The Wolf".

5. It was inevitable, I guess. The mention of the wolf did it. It made me think of my dog, Daisy, who is a malamute husky. She likes when I sing this last song to her. I realize she probably hears "Daisy Daisy, blah blah blah blah blah blah" but she still seems to like it.

Were you able to follow the logic? Does it matter? As long as it made sense to me ...

It's Thursday and ...

2011-02-17T08:43:00.003-04:00

'NUFF SAID?

Wordless Wednesday - Sometimes one word is enough ...

2011-02-16T09:04:00.001-04:00

That VALENTINEY Feeling ...

2011-02-14T15:21:00.004-04:00

Wow, people are touchy these days. So a toy company released a teddy bear that might have seemed a little ... insensitive ... to some. Seriously, who wouldn't be happy to receive this cute stuffy for Valentine's Day? He comes with his own little straight jacket and everything. But nooooo! It's been withdrawn from the market and now NOBODY can have one. Not fair! So not fair!

"Crazy For You Bear" (Vermont Teddy Bear Company 2005)

Five for Friday - Playing For Change

2011-02-11T03:11:00.003-04:00

The movement is called "Playing For Change". Over 100 musicians participate, street performers, music amateurs and professionals from all over the world who share a common belief that music breaks down barriers between people and inspires peace despite fundamental differences. Basically, the crew of "Playing For Change" travels around the world to record and connect people through music.

But it's so much more. Please take the time to check out their websites. http://playingforchange.com/ (the information)
http://playingforchange.org/ (the foundation)

Instead of my usual Playlist, I've embedded videos. The reasons for this are simple enough - you need to see the faces of the performers. You need to see where they come from and how passionately committed they are to this idea. Most of them are not studio musicians. Many of them are living in regions of great poverty and want. ALL of them believe in the power of music. This is a powerful movement, one that has the potential to really shake things up. We all need to believe in something good. This is my positive vibe for the day. It's great music - enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: I. GOT. MY. TICKETS!

2011-02-09T08:44:00.004-04:00

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The B-man on Five for Friday

2011-02-03T23:59:00.001-04:00

I've got nothing. The idea mill seems to have run dry this week. So I've shamelessly passed the buck, so to speak. My seven year old kid is blogging for me today. Without further ado, allow me to introduce:

THE B-MAN!

Hi Momys frends.I am going to tell you som jokes that I like.I lernd them at school from my frends.haha Momy said noooooooooo not them ones!Any ways.When I was little I liked nok nok jokes the best but now I am big I like funy jokes beter.Like what do you get when you put a rat cacher in a cow paster?A cow pide piper.haha See thats funy!OK heres another one.What do porkypines say when they kiss?Ow!Momy teached me that one.Its not very funy thogh.I like this one beter.Why did the skwirl cross the road?To show his frend hes got guts.hahahaha get it?Momy dont think thats funy but I do.Do you now why fish live in salt water?Because peper makes them sneze.That joke is funy to but not as funy as this one.Why was the nose sad?Because nobody picked him.Steve teached me that one and Momy said he is a bad infloens.I think Steve is cool thogh.
Ok now I get to pick 5 songs that I like.Momy and Steve said I am a metel head.I like to lisen to all kinds of music thogh.This will be the funest part because I'm tirred of tiping now.By for now.
love Bman

Weather Forecast, Rodent Style

2011-02-03T08:36:00.003-04:00

So Shubenacadie Sam saw his shadow yesterday. I guess that means instead of six weeks of winter remaining, we only have a month and a half ... IF the snow melts in time ...

Bono ... U2 ... OMG! OMG!

2011-02-02T13:27:00.006-04:00

General excited incoherence still residing here.

Bono Quotes:

We've got to follow through on our ideals or we betray something at the heart of who we are.

The less you know, the more you'll believe.

To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.

Books! I dunno if I ever told you this, but books are the greatest gift one person can give another.

We thought we had the answers - it was the questions we had wrong.

Music can change the world because it can change people.

In the end, you have to become the change you want to see in the world.

A SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Moment

2011-02-01T08:37:00.002-04:00

OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG! OMG!

U2 is coming to town!

I'm gonna see BONO!!!!!

(deafening SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!)

Affirmation

2011-01-31T09:11:00.008-04:00

Sharing me is not something that comes easy. That's partly because things have been changing a LOT and it's sometimes hard to keep up with who I am and where my life is in the now.

I'm a work in progress.

The playlist is a start. These songs are a progression of emotional sharing.

In the past, I felt like I had to be what everyone expected me to be. That's not an easy life to live. Some of you have been in the same place, so you know what I mean. At times, I had no sense of self, because I was someone different for each person. For myself, I was no one. There was nothing left over at the end of the day.

It got to the point where changes had to be made, or there would be nothing at all of "me" to share with anyone. On my journey, I've often made the wrong choices and had to go back to start over. Somehow, I discovered the strength of will to permit myself that luxury.

I had to figure out who I am. It's hard to imagine anyone not knowing that by their 40's. But there have always been plenty of people telling me who and what I should be, but nobody ever asked me who I want to be ... not even me.

It took time and patience, but my charms and my flaws (which have a beauty of their own) began to emerge. Learning to embrace all the things that are uniquely "me" may take a lifetime, but I'm finally up for the challenge. I may not be perfect, but at least now I can be perfectly me.

With that self-acceptance came an unexpected bonus. The person that I discovered inside has a lot to offer. Who knew? There are days when I'm angry, neurotic, impatient, shallow, or just plain unreasonable. There are occasional, increasingly rare flashbacks to the "hard times". I'm learning to deal with myself more gently when that happens. I've learned to remind myself that, underneath, I'm still kind-hearted, understanding, submissive and tolerant, slow to anger, quick to forgive. I still give too much of my time and energy to people who don't really appreciate it. I still offer hugs and an empathetic ear to a hurting soul. I still turn the other cheek. It's all part of who I am.

I am a work in progress.

Five for Friday ... Venting!

2011-01-28T00:12:00.002-04:00

(Play Trav's Meme - it ROCKS!)

This year, I'm not terribly enamoured of my job.

Somehow, the teaching profession seems to have changed ...

Perhaps it's the destructurization of the traditional family unit?

Perhaps our methods and goals have become oversimplified.
Do we expect less of our students?Or is it possible that they have been allowed to expect less from themselves?

Maybe it's simply that all the negative imagery of stereotypical media has finally impacted our youth.

Whatever the reason, right now it's just not the job I've loved for so many years.

But I guess it COULD be worse ...

Thursday

2011-01-27T16:00:00.000-04:00

Another snow day for us .... :D

Wordless Wednesday - AAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

2011-01-26T08:35:00.002-04:00

I KNOW it's only Tuesday, dammit!

2011-01-25T09:26:00.001-04:00

WORKS FOR TEACHERS, TOO ...

Five for Friday

2011-01-20T23:57:00.007-04:00

Congratulations, Trav!

Is anyone else familiar with the 70's Canadian band, Klaatu? They were mostly pretty obscure to say the very least ... unless you are a Beatles fan ...

The interesting story about this band was that they were rumoured to be the Beatles, in hiding. The rumour came about as a result of the "Beatles-esque" sound of their 1976 album 3:47 EST (retitled Klaatu by US Capital Records executives, who thought the original title was too obscure). The complete lack of biographical information on the album led reviewers to claim that it was an anonymous project by the Beatles. The rumour was fed by various "clues" released by radio announcers and print media, thus sparking a world-wide frenzy for a time.

Interestingly, the band became popular enough to have spawned an annual cult convention, called KlaatuKon, which still occurs in Toronto ... it's the only place you might have a chance to hear Klaatu live these days.

Here's the WHOLE story behind the rumours, if you're interested:

http://www.klaatu.org/klaatu1.html

I thought this was a cool bit of Canadiana to share with y'all. Maybe you'll recognize some of their songs - couldn't find enough on Playlist, so I turned to Youtube for today's blog. You decide - did they REALLY sound like the Beatles?

By the way, the name? If you are a fan of cheesy old sci-fi movies, you'll recognize it as the name of the extra-terrestrial portrayed by Michael Rennie in the classic 1951 film "The Day The Earth Stood Still".

The Nightmare Continues ...

2011-01-19T03:24:00.000-04:00

Can't post, I have the BUSY

2011-01-18T08:58:00.003-04:00

Exams this week.

Report cards in the next week.

Forms for music festival due on Friday.

Mom in hospital.

Feeding and daily upkeep of Dad.

Piano lessons.

Tae Kwondo classes.

B-man sick.

Steve sick.

Best friend sick.

BAD roads - icy.

Work.

Dog.

Housework.

Laundry.

Ever have one of those weeks?

Five for Friday

2011-01-14T03:33:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, for no apparent reason, a song enters my mind and then it JUST. WON'T. LEAVE.

This week's Five is the soundtrack that's been running through my head this week.

Explanations?

My senior stage band has been working on an arrangement of Rock Lobster. The opening bass line in particular gets stuck in my head because my bass player wanders around the school air-playing it and singing it to "dah-dah-dah doo-bee-doo-bee doo-ahh".

Hit The Road Jack ... did you ever have a song that keeps cropping up in life, in weird ways? This would be it for me. When I was a teen, I would listen to the Wolfman Jack Show on the radio late at night after I was supposed to be asleep in bed (sorry mom :P), which was the only time the airwaves came in clear enough to receive the New York AM radio station which broadcast it. That was his theme song. A few years later, I picked up an old Ray Charles vinyl LP at a flea market because the song "Georgia" was on it. So was that song and I listened to it and remembered the good ol' days when I was a kid (I was about 18 at this time ...). A few years ago, my son was about 2 1/2 and he had a little friend named Jack in his daycare class. For some reason, that kid reminded me of the song and I added it to my car-singing repertoire. The B-man picked up on it, learned it ... and got into trouble a few months later by using it to tease poor little Jack in the playground.

I got no apparent catalyst behind that James Bond Theme ... haven't even seen Dr. No (or whatever movie it's from ... NOT a JB fan) I just started hearing it and now it follows me around ...

It's all about the bagpipes, man. Last summer, B-man and I were invited to the Nova Scotia International Tattoo. Massed pipe and drum corps from several Commonwealth countries. Yeah. Personally, I think it might just be overload from that. But Mull of Kintyre? Geez, I haven't heard that song since the McCartney concert the summer BEFORE that. Dunno, is that a coincidence? Regardless, it's there in my mind's ear.

Almost forgot to mention The Last Unicorn - this one's easy to explain. When my son was a baby, he was given a Kenny Loggins CD of lullabies. Ever since he was old enough to choose (about age 2 for my strong-willed child), he has insisted on having this particular song on repeat as he goes to sleep. That means I have heard it about 120 times a night over the past almost-6 years ... any questions? I have one - WHEN is he going to get tired of it? Please??

Join Trav's Meme - it's fun!

Wednesday Weather Report

2011-01-12T10:17:00.007-04:00

Moncton on 13 January, 2011 (Updated)

TENNESSEE :SOUTH CAROLINA:
MONCTON, NB

Supposed to be a storm here tonight - 10-15 cm in total. Nor'easter with plenty of wind. Hope everybody else is surviving the weird winter weather. Seems like, so far, we've gotten less snow than our friends in Tennessee and South Carolina.

Can anybody else see the irony in that?

UPDATE: In actuality, the storm yesterday veered north and gave us a little more snow than we were expecting - about 40 cm by yesterday evening. It's so pretty!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-11T08:35:00.005-04:00

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, or whatever you were celebrating! I can unequivocably state that this was the best holidays of my LIFE!

We didn't go anywhere outside of province, gifts were scanty because Steve was laid off in November and I never did get the house cleaned ... but we had a constant stream of friends and family, we pulled out board games and shut down our computers for days on end, we FINALLY got enough snow to go outside and play, and we spent a lot of quality time just "being". (How do you explain the beauty of that?)

I'm pleasantly exhausted and work will be a welcome rest. I'm happy. Now ... how are you doing?

Five for Friday - Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Posting this a day early, as most of us won't find the time tomorrow to visit or listen. I am off for a week, so I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a wonderful and happy Christmas, with all of God's blessings. Be well!

My playlist above contains five of my all-time favourite Christmas songs. They are attached to memories that make me tear up with joy, but I also find the music incredibly lovely. I hope you enjoy.

Added to that, I decided to share a few uniquely Canadian songs with my friends here. Something about these bands makes me proud to claim them as ours. Maybe you know some of them, maybe not, but to me they are part of what makes our country great.

Great Big Sea - The Mummers Song

Crash Test Dummies - Jingle Bells (like no other!)

Gordon Lightfoot - Song for a Winter's Night

The Barra MacNeils - Christmas in Killarney

Roch Voisine - Petit Papa Noel

Sarah McLachlin - Mary Mary

and a wonderful version of Canada's oldest Christmas carol (singer unlisted) - Jesous Ahatonhia

Have a beautiful, joyful Christmas. May God visit your homes and grant you peace and happiness throughout the holiday season. Be well.

The Week-Before-Christmas Spirit ...

2010-12-22T10:22:00.007-04:00

My choir performed this week ...

It didn't snow ... again!

All my students are ... excitable ...

And I'm not done my shopping yet!

Merry *******ing Christmas!

Monday Blues

2010-12-20T08:25:00.003-04:00

Where did the weekend go? Shopping, wrapping, cleaning, carolling with the church group, baking, staff Christmas party, play dates for B-man, laundry, endless decorating ... is it any wonder I love Christmas? Only 5 days left to wait! Good thing - I don't think the gifts can stand up to much more shaking by the B-man. Do you remember being seven the week before Christmas?

Fabulous Five for Friday

2010-12-17T08:45:00.003-04:00

I've never had a better reason for posting a Five for Friday ... well, maybe, but this is so exciting.

Yesterday, the B-man (who is 7, if you recall) tested for his red belt in tae kwondo. He executed his forms perfectly, with such grace and precision that I forgot for a moment that this was MY kid smoothly kicking, jabbing and punching in an exquisite dance-like flow of trained physical art. He is now only two belts from becoming one of the provinces youngest black belts, and the careful training and practice is more evident than ever.

After the forms, there was a demonstration of power and agility. It seems strange to say that when you are talking about a group of elementary school children, but I have seen the "impossible" happen in that studio and I am a believer. My little boy broke 4 boards with the side of his little hand yesterday. Watching him, I saw the confidence that his sensei had instilled in him and it brought tears to my eyes. Master L. believes in the B-man and my son trusts his judgement. That's ALL it takes.

After the board-breaking demonstration, Master L. asked the B-man a quiet question in Korean. He nodded vigourously and ran to the far end of the room. I've been to a lot of these test days and I knew that it meant a running kick break. What I wasn't prepared for was seeing two of B's classmates crouch down in front of Master L., tucking in their heads. The B-man came flying across the room, leapt across the bodies of his friends and broke the board with his foot, before landing lightly and running past Master L. Everyone watching gasped and applauded. It was stunning. He broke a provincial record for the youngest person to successfully execute that particular break. The B-man confessed to me later that he was so afraid that he was going to fall on Miranda, he put extra strength into his jump. He also confessed that he had not done the flying kick over people before ... but he trusted Master L.'s judgement.

What does it mean to trust that completely? To my son it means, for that moment in time, he could FLY ... and now, he will always believe that he can.

I am more grateful than I can express.

(I'll load pictures this weekend.)

Good thing it's Wordless Wednesday - I'm drained!

2010-12-15T08:48:00.001-04:00

Music on Monday

2010-12-13T08:31:00.003-04:00

WHAT A WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!

I am exhausted but grinning from ear to ear. Steve and I were invited to a Christmas party on Saturday with a group of friends. 39 in attendance in an old converted barn out in the boonies. There was music and dancing and wonderful, glorious food. We talked almost all night, catching up with old friends and making new ones. And we danced. OMG Steve can DANCE! Just another reason I love this man. It is, without exception, the BEST time I've ever had at a party.

When we thanked our hosts and said good night, it was breaking dawn and we still had so much residual energy that we went for an early-morning walk on the riverfront with the dog and watched the sun rise, all golden and pink. As we listened to the sleeping city, I felt awed at my good fortune. How often does it happen that all the planets align like this?

I feel truly blessed.

Five for Friday

2010-12-10T08:42:00.008-04:00

Yeah, we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun.

Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.

Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.

Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it.

If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.

If you'd like to join us in the Five for Friday musical fun, the guidelines are basic and simple.

1. Grab the banner, make your post title Five on Friday, and be sure to link back here.

2. Go to Playlist.com to make your play list of five songs. You may choose a particular theme to share with us, or post random tunes if that's your vibe for the day. You can simply post the play list, or you can add a little summary about what you are sharing.

2a. Don't feel restricted by the tracks listed on Playlist.com. And don't be discouraged if the Embed code won't work. You're welcome to use any type of media to share your Sets.

3. Be sure to sign Mr Linky so everyone can visit your Set.

4. No tags, but feel free to invite your friends to play along if they need a post topic on a Friday.

Thursdays Thoughts

2010-12-09T10:20:00.007-04:00

My son is in grade two this year. He's seven years old. I think he's wonderful, but hey! I'm his mommy - I'm supposed to think that way.

The B-man adores his teacher this year. She has a way of building up the kids to believe they can do anything, be anything. I like a lot of her ideas. Last week, he brought home a memo. It seems Mrs. Marshall's class has a Christmas tradition called "My Christmas Star". Really, it's a way for the parents to share some of the reasons their kid is special. Each day, two students are the "Star of the Day". They get special treatment. They get to bring in a show-and-tell item that has special meaning for them. But here's where it gets interesting: all the parents have been asked to write a brief letter to their child expressing why their son or daughter is special and to include a photo of the child. The letters are to be read in front of the class and our children don't know what we are writing - it's a big secret!

The B-man is the Christmas Star tomorrow, along with one of his little classmates. I have been brought to tears more than once in my process of writing the letter that I want to share with you here. I'm also including the photo - it's not recent but it epitomizes the spirit of my little boy. He was 22 months old at the time it was taken.

Dear B-man,
The first time we met, you were crawling across a vinyl kitchen floor in pursuit of a red and blue striped squeaky ball. You looked up at me with your deep chocolatey-brown eyes and gave a grin wide enough to display all four of your tiny white teeth.
Your Daddy and I had begun the journey to being your parents a long time before that. We had paperwork to fill out, meetings with the people who had to decide if we would be able to give you a good home and then the long plane ride to finally meet you.
It was Hallowe'en 2003, you were only a few months old and living in a province far from ours. We spent a week getting to know you - the adoption people called it "bonding" - and then we signed the papers that allowed us to bring you home. I'll never forget a moment of that trip: 13 hours and 3 plane changes with a tired baby. It was an amazing experience. Other mommies have to go through labour. I guess that plane ride was my version of it. I didn't mind it one bit, though - you were worth it all, even the atomic diaper change on the final leg of the trip, and that was pretty gross!
You make me proud. You have spirit that never gives up. Whether it's tae kwondo, swimming, reading or spending time with your family and friends, you give 100% of yourself. Master C. at tae kwondo tells me all the time that you are a hard worker and a very good boy. You are respectful and polite. You let people know with your words and behaviour that you appreciate them, and that makes them feel good. You are smart - have I told you how pleased I am at your progress in reading this year? I really love it when you read to me. It's often the highlight of my day. You also have a big heart and you are very loyal and caring to your friends and family. Yesterday, Steve told me that you make him feel happy. That's a very special gift you have, B-man, one that you give to a lot of people. Mrs. L. has said to me that she hopes her children grow up to be like you. I told her that I couldn't imagine a better son than you.
You've made me smile every day; not just because you're funny (even though you often are) but because I'm so amazed at the person you are. Everything from your crazy "Knock-knock" jokes to your excited grin yesterday when you told me you are going to be testing for your red belt in tae kwondo, everything that is YOU makes my days bright and full of joy. You are a wonderful kid, B-man. I love you with all my heart.
Love always,

Mommy

XOXOX

Wordless - No Words Suffice

2010-12-08T08:26:00.003-04:00

2010-12-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

I got nothing, so here's a funny or two. Have a smiley day.

Inkblot drawings

A certain gentleman was having some personal problems so he went to see a psychiatrist. After a few sessions the psychiatrist thought it would be helpful to do some tests. He produced some ink blot drawings which he showed the gentleman. He said to him “As I show you these abstract shapes please tell me the first thing that comes to your mind. After the first ink blot drawing, the man said he saw a beautiful woman at the beach. After the second, he said he saw a beautiful woman at the park. One after another, in each drawing he saw a beautiful woman in one place or another. After about a dozen of these, the psychiatrist said “Mr. Smith, you seem quite obsessed with women”. The man said “Me!!! You’re the one with all the pictures!

Monday Blues

2010-12-06T10:53:00.004-04:00

It's snowing in the western part of the province and school is closed for the day ... I live in Southeast NB and what are we getting here? Rain ... again. (grumble grumble)

Five for Friday

2010-12-03T00:08:00.001-04:00

I'm loving the season of Christmas music but to be honest, I don't want to overdo the seasonal music this early in the month so I've decided to redirect. There's a story here though, so you'll have to suffer through it, as I've decided to reminisce.

A pivotal event changed my life during the summer before grade seven, in August of 1976. I was visiting my grandmother's house. Not the cool one either - the one whose house had nothing in it for kids to do except help Gran in the kitchen or watch the Tommy Hunter Show on a long, rain-soaked Sunday afternoon.

Sitting on the stairs watching a spider spin a web, I noticed the bookcase on the landing. I'd seen it before but I'd never - you know - NOTICED it. It was a big one, stuffed right full of about a thousand Readers' Digest magazines, dating back to the mid-1940's. For a bored pre-teen, it was better than nothing, although I now understand the intrinsic historic interest of those old, perfectly-preserved magazines.

Each had been read exactly once, by my grandfather, and placed in chronological order in the landing bookcase for posterity. I had little respect for such meticulous organization and with adolescent carelessness, I pulled one after another out of the shelves and began seeking out the "Laughter is the Best Medicine" pages, stacking each book beside me as I moved on to the next. Occasionally, my attention would be drawn to an article or a picture and I'd skim through but, until I reached one particular issue, it was simply a way of passing the time.

On the front cover of the October 1966 issue, much as they do today, Readers Digest had listed the keynote articles. I registered something about the Beatles, a music group from the Middle Ages that I had vaguely heard of at some point in the past and, with the bored detachment of long-suffering youth, I flipped to the page indicated, thinking that if I'd actually heard of them, they must've been worth the mention, sort of like Beethoven.

There on page 72 was an ink line drawing of three girls watching TV with typical teenage dramatic intensity ... oh, I totally GOT that. Within a few lines, I was giggling. You see, I'd been there, my friends and I, only a few months earlier, except the band that owned our hearts then had been the Bay City Rollers. Now, in my jaded 12-year old maturity, THEY were baby stuff. I was a prime target for the charisma of Beatlemania.

As I read, my excitement grew. THIS, I understood! This was perfect - there were four of them. My three best friends and I had recently made a pact NEVER to like the same boy, so that worked out well. The girls in the article could've been US! The article was 10 years old, so the Beatles were really old now - a major drawback - but all the pictures I had seen of them were from the 60's so the ILLUSION was right. THIS could be the answer to our prayers ...

Finishing the article, I squealed in excitement and did what any teenaged girl would do upon making an important discovery - I ran for the phone to share the WONDERFUL news.

That was my introduction to the Beatles ... despite an admittedly unmusical foundation, my early case of Beatlemania developped into a life-long love and admiration of their music and their history. A few years later, I asked my grandfather for the magazine and he gave it to me. I still have it, along with various other collectibles that I unearthed amongst my older family members. It still amazes me how many people were touched in some way by this group of musicians.

Some childhood things follow us into adulthood - they are meant to be part of our lives. I have recently begun collecting cover versions of Beatles's songs. Some are treasures, some are merely atrocious. This is the theme of my playlist. I offer it to you in the hopes that you are led to remember some way in which the Fab Four has touched your life. Enjoy!

Thoughts for Thursday

2010-12-02T08:44:00.002-04:00

Today, I chose to share a video clip from a film that has had an enormous impact on my personal system of values. It reminds me WHY we celebrate this season, but more importantly HOW we should be towards others, not only at Christmas but all year long.

We don't give because we can, or because we should, or even because it feels like the right thing to do. Sharing our lives is a need that fills and changes us for the better. It makes us happier, more connected, less self-absorbed. It heals not only the recipient, but us as well.

My wish for all is that you find the inner peace and balance that comes with sharing of yourself. Be joyful. Be open-hearted. Be well.

Wordless Wednesday - Welcome to December in Moncton!

2010-12-01T10:16:00.010-04:00

Don't you wish you lived here?

Where has the week gone?

2010-11-30T09:12:00.010-04:00

I never did get back here in time to post my song list for Friday. It was midterm week, complicated by the expectation that report card marks would be in by 8:30 on Monday morning - and I teach grades 6-12, two classes of each! I spent lots of quality time with my laptop but none of it was much ...fun. But that's all over now!

Saturday was our town's Santa Claus parade. With seven-year old socialite living in the house, of course we had to go, complete with entourage of his five (!) best friends and their families. To think I used to be a loner ...

So you know, this picture is one I grabbed off Google but it's from last year's parade. Any photos taken this year were likely obliterated by the snow - lovely, white, fluffy flakes drifting down throughout the evening and setting the mood so beautifully! It wasn't cold either - just enough to have snow. It was a perfect evening, capped off by hot chocolate and cookies for everyone at our house following the parade. This was Steve's first Christmas parade in Canada - they don't do one in the UK - and he was thrilled by everything. I have to confess, it was pretty wonderful for me, too.

I know it's early in the season, but there's just something about Christmastime ...

Dancing Fool

2010-11-24T09:59:00.008-04:00

The Dancing show last night was interesting.

Keep in mind that this was the ONLY time I've watched the show all the way through without falling asleep (not a comment on the show - it's a strange effect that watching TV has on me). I don't know what the show's format is supposed to be, or who the previously booted personalities were (except I had this strange feeling of deja vu during some of the interim dances - was that Knightrider? He looks like hell! And Mrs. Brady? If that was her, I suspect a liberal use of cryogenics ...)

Most of the show dragged and was boring to me because, frankly, I didn't know what trials and tribulations the various dancers had undergone through the season so most of the stuff between the performances was irrelevant to me. I was watching this because Trav says the dancing is amazing. He's right.

Two moments last night were of the "breath-taking" genre:

That guy, Kyle ... I missed whatever his first dance was called, but it rocked! He and the blonde chick he was dancing with were so into it and they made it look like so much fun, I wanted to get up and skitter with them. It brought a genuine smile of pleasure to my face - something TV is not generally capable of doing. I totally see why they called him a consummate entertainer. His expressive face was almost as cool to watch as the dance itself. Who is he, anyway?

Baby danced last night and made me cry with the Viennese Waltz. That was truly of a sensual beauty. I have to give her this - she does elegant VERY well. It was a pleasure to watch her dance again after all these years - maturity has a grace and loveliness all its own. (I can say that - she's close to my age!)

I'm not sure Jennifer should've won though - doesn't she have dance in her history? Pretty sure that Kyle guy was starting from ground zero and if she wasn't, the playing field couldn't have been too level ... but that being said, she was clearly the best technical dancer. Still, I wouldn't want to make that decision - they were as different in their style as you can get and I loved watching them both.

Which left me feeling a little sorry for the other girl - Bristol? I loved seeing a big girl make it to the finals, even though her skill wasn't in the same league as the other two. I thought her cha-cha was wonderful - just as good as Baby's although not as fun as Kyle's (Strange how both Jennifer and Bristol wore the same type of outfit for that, eh?), but her other dances were a bit ... wooden? I suspect she's worked her ass off to get to the level she displayed last night but that could likely be said about most of the contestants, so I'm not sure what made her so special to the voters. Maybe there's something else I'm missing? Feel free to enlighten me.

So here's my irreverent and unenlightened take on this bit of Hollywood pop culture - just let them dance. That's what the show is supposed to be about. Put aside all the scandal and drama and just ... dance.

Five for Friday ... on Monday!

2010-11-22T09:56:00.004-04:00

Okay, so my new Five for Friday didn't post when it was supposed to and I never check this thing on weekends, so it's a few days late ... but it's one of my favourite groups-of-five and I didn't want to miss out on sharing it. These songs are supposed to make you feel good all over. Hope it gives you an injection of positive on this cold, snowy November Monday.

Wordless Wednesday ... (yeah right!)

2010-11-17T11:11:00.003-04:00

Only five weeks until Christmas ...

OH! MY! GAWWWWWWWWWDD!

Five for Friday

2010-11-12T10:25:00.005-04:00

Not sure how to link to Trav's Friday meme, so the link is up there somewhere. (I just checked it out and you click the title of my post and it takes you there! How cool is that?!)

My Five was inspired by the mood of remembrance that this time of year engenders. I hope you enjoy the songs and that they move you as they move me, to reflect and to give thanks to those who gave up so much, and continue to give, so that we can live in peace and safety in our world.

LEST WE FORGET

2010-11-10T08:53:00.005-04:00

Dona Nobis Pacem

2010-11-05T16:00:00.002-03:00

My blog post will be short and shamefully inadequate today, if you compare it to the beautiful work done by so many people on the bloggosphere for this event. So I won't compare it. I'll enjoy the moment and pray for peace, along with my little boy who believes, as I do, that the world is still fundamentally a good place filled with caring people. This movement confirms that, doesn't it? And, as I look at the beautiful Peace Globe designed for me by an extraordinary and precious friend (a million thanks and big hugs, Vinny!), my heart softens and I wonder at the people who can look into the eyes of a child and NOT see peace.

Peace be with all people, today and always.

Update

2010-09-08T13:32:00.002-03:00

I have no idea if anyone still reads this blog or not. It seems a bit sad to have poured so much into it over the years only to abandon it, so it remains in my bookmarks and, when the spirit takes me, I may be moved to write a bit.

Last I wrote, Steve was arriving to be with the B-man and myself. So much has changed in the past 3 months that I barely recognize my life at times. For the first time in a very long time, I feel completely cherished. He is everything that the mythological "man" is supposed to be. This morning, I was listening to the radio on my way to work and the dj was talking about the 10 defining characteristics of a "real man". Steve has 9 of the 10 down perfectly ... so tonight we'll just see how he likes rubbing my tired feet and he MAY just score a perfect 10. (chuckles)

He loves Canada. Mostly because of me and the B-man, but he thinks that Canadians are really laidback and he enjoys the relaxed pace of life ... then again, he hasn't been out of the Maritimes yet.

Anyway, things are really good. School just started back yesterday, and Steve started his job yesterday, too. We're all busy but so amazingly happy ... I'm starting to believe that it's here to stay.

Leap of Faith

2010-06-14T09:10:00.002-03:00

I'm lucky.

In the past few years, I've met some amazing, awe-inspiring people who have become my friends. I've escaped a bad relationship, divorced, fallen in love, fallen out of love, discovered the true meaning of love, built up a lifetime of memories, survived the death of a deeply beloved person, seen my son learn to deal with his own set of problems and continue to grow as a strong, happy individual ... the list goes on.

There have been some difficult times and there have been setbacks along the road but I'm still here and I'm a better, stronger and more positive person for all the life experiences that these past years have thrown at me. The way I figure it, you can let things get to you in one of two ways: you can let them kill your spirit and become one of the walking dead, or you can suck it up, learn something from it and move on.

Moving on. That's what this is all about. At my lowest point during my divorce, I spoke to a brilliant person who asked me very simply "Are you living in your past or are you looking toward your future?" That was when I realized that I had to let go of my fear, distrust and resentment, and begin to live the life I wanted, not the one I'd been allowed. As long as I thought about my ex, the things he had done or the way he is (he's never going to change - get used to the idea), I was still under his thumb. So I let him go.

Then, I gave myself permission to really like myself. Oh, I'm far from perfect but I'm the best "me" that I can be. That "me", however, is constantly changing according to circumstances, as it does with everyone. And that brings me to the reason for writing this blog today.

A couple years ago, I met someone and loved him with all of my heart. We only had a short time together but he taught me about myself and my capacity to love. One of the greatest things he showed me was that love is limitless and unending. Loving him allowed me to trust my heart enough to love again.

The fates have smiled on me once again. I've met Steve. He's kind and loving and gentle. He adores me and he adores the B-man. Heck, he even loves the dog. And we adore him. We're ready to make a commitment to each other, to be a family. Knowing full well that there are no guarantees in life, we are ready and eager to take this step together. It starts today. Monday, 14 June 2010, as we meet his plane at the airport and welcome him into our family.

I am so lucky ...

Hey buddy, can you spare ... the time?

2010-06-07T09:09:00.008-03:00

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a bank or exchange that traded in time. Seconds, minutes, hours ... you get the idea. Then we'd never be able to claim that we were too busy, that we didn't have time for something, because we could simply go get the extra we needed.

I'm a high school music teacher. It's not what I do, it's who I am. Anyone who does anything similar to this will understand that statement. You don't shut it down at 4:30 on the clock or on the weekends, because you don't ever truly clock out, not if you're passionate about it.

June is high season. December, too, but June ... that's when everything seems to culminate in a 24/7 lifestyle. I eat, sleep and breathe end-of-year and graduation events. There is barely enough time to wash and change clothes each day before it starts again. The thing is, I love it! It's one of my two favourite months of the year, the other being (if you couldn't guess) December. All the long hours of hard work and careful preparation pays off. At the end of it, I'm exhausted but there's this particularly sweet feeling of satisfaction that I can't compare to anything else. That's what makes the effort and the time spent worthwhile.

The thing is, there are only so many hours in a day and when you take most of them for one thing, something else gets the short end. Or someone. And it's difficult to justify that when the someone is your kid. My kid is amazing, I keep telling everybody that. He's strong-willed and confident and outgoing and responsible and kind-hearted and all that at seven years of age. I hate it that my job steals time from him ... that's not quite right. I have to acknowledge that I've made the choices which take time away from him in December and June. That's when I wish there was simply more time in a day. But my kid is great. He tells me that this is part of my job and I need to do the best I can at it all the time or the rest of the time won't really matter, no matter how hard I work. Damn, I hate it when my own words come back to nip at my heels.

If you had just one more hour in each day, what would you do with it?

And, because I'm in a thoughtful state of mind now, here's an interesting Palindromesque video ... watch it all the way through, it's only 1'44"

Hmmmmm ...

2010-06-01T13:40:00.002-03:00

Random Quote:

We need magic and bliss and power, myth and celebration and religion in our lives, and music is a good way to encapsulate a lot of it.

~Jerry Garcia~

I don't have much to write ... I don't have anything, actually. Things are moving along. Maybe once I'm out of the end-of-year crunch, I'll be able to think outside the here and now. It's all good. Hope you can say the same.

Quick Update this week

2010-05-28T10:04:00.003-03:00

Hi, short workweek and Monday was a holiday so I missed my post.

Just a few things of note (if anybody besides me cares):

Yesterday was my professional evaluation at work. Basically, they examine the personal and professional development that a teacher has implemented over the course of the school year. Results of mine were good ... no, quite excellent. I've done a LOT of developping this year and kept careful records of it for a change. Usually, I just track the highlights and those are enough for a good report. This year, my adjudicators told me that I had done very well.

Bottom line? I'm getting more money to run my music programs, almost twice my usual budget. More importantly, I'm getting a bunch of discretionary days explore music-based resources, to collaborate with other music teachers in the district and to run a band exchange program for my band students. That is the pay-off I was seeking. It's all well and good to get an award for excellence in teaching but you can't buy new instruments and scores with that, or get a substitute teacher so you can take your band on a road trip. This way, I get everything I want.

Life is good.

Oh, and they gave me a new state-of-the-art Macbook and five music software-loaded Apple computers for my classroom this morning. This is my first post on the Macbook. I like it a lot but I'm still learning how to use it.

Last, and more important than anything else. Last week, I inferred that there was something going on in my life. B-man and I have finally let another man into our lives. His name is Steve and I met him on an internet dating site. Since we met, we have been inseparable. He is the man that I dreamed about but never quite believed was out there and he's the sort of dad that my son always wanted and needed. Even the dog loves him. Two weeks from today, Steve will be moving in with us. He has asked us to marry him. That is still on the back burner but if he is as good to live with as he has been to date, marriage is a distinct possibility, if only to end my mother's comments about "living in sin". LOL

Have a great weekend - will post again on Monday, as usual.

Little Things

2010-05-14T10:53:00.015-03:00

First off, my brother just emailed me to let me know that (listen up, Vinny) we have scored tickets to see Gregg Allman at the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in September. The show sold out within minutes of going on sale, so we've got a reason to celebrate. Seats are second row centre, too, so we'll be up-close and personal. Thank you, big brother! I love you!

My oldest friend sent this to me today. She has two daughters and a son, all adopted and the joys of her life. I can relate ... as I can relate to something like this little story with my own little boy ... I'm sure most of you can as well.

The Washcloth:

I was due for an appointment with the gynecologist on Friday. However, early on Tuesday, I received a call from the doctor's office to tell me that I had been rescheduled for that morning at 9:30 am. I had only just packed everyone off to work and school, and it was already around 8:45am. The trip to his office took about 35 minutes, so I didn't have any time to spare.

As most women do, I like to take a little extra effort over hygiene when making such visits, but this time I wasn't going to be able to make the full effort. So, I rushed upstairs, threw off my pajamas, wet the washcloth that was sitting next to the sink, and gave myself a quick wash in that area to make sure I was at least presentable. I threw the washcloth in the clothes basket, donned some clothes, hopped in the car and raced to my appointment.

I was in the waiting room for only a few minutes when I was called in.

Knowing the procedure, as I'm sure you do, I hopped up on the table, looked over at the other side of the room and pretended that I was in Paris or some other place a million miles away. I was a little surprised when the doctor said, "My, we have made an extra effort this morning, haven't we?

I didn't respond. After the appointment, I heaved a sigh of relief and went home. The rest of the day was normal ... Some shopping, cleaning, cooking.

After school when my 6 year old daughter was playing, she called out from the bathroom, "Mommy, where's my washcloth?" I told her to get another one from the cupboard.

She replied, "No, I need the one that was here by the sink, it had all my glitter and sparkles saved inside it."

Never going back to that doctor. Ever.

I just finished reading the novel "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.

You know how you'll sometimes read something and the ending just makes no sense and you feel as though there should be a sequel or a continuation of some kind that explains what happens next, but there isn't? Well, this isn't one of those books. It's the kind that you pick up and you read through it and then you don't (or can't) tell anyone what it's about but feel like everybody needs to read it. It's hard to explain.

It's harder to explain why it was such a satisfying experience, fulfilling even. I started reading it almost three weeks ago. It doesn't usually take me very long to read a novel and I usually have three or more books on the go at once ... but not this time. I was insanely busy and sometimes I had to put it down and leave it for a day or two but not once in all that time did I forget about it, get distracted onto another novel, or need to refresh my memory about it. It stayed with me. Now that I've finished it, I suspect that it always will.

Note: I honestly didn't know that this novel was made into a movie. I don't think I want to watch it though. There's no way it could give me the same feeling as the novel.

Each week, our district wellness coordinator sends us a cheerful email with advice on how to cope with stress. He finally found something that is worthy of passing on. Here it is:

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).
What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean?

We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.

How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.

Let's use an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react.You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over.

She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work.

You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.

Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is " D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened.

Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having. Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.

You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.

The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle.

The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle. It CAN change your life!!!

On that note, make it a wonderful week. Cheers!

What's your story?

2010-05-12T09:40:00.003-03:00

Quote of the Day:

I always thought he sounded just like Yogi Bear. (on Bob Dylan)

~Mick Ronson~

Folk music tells a story ... and while I was preparing the music list for this week, I got thinking about that. We all have a story to tell. It made me wonder what song I would choose to represent my story.

See, I believe. I'm a believer in a lot of stuff that most people have long ago discarded as myth or even just highly unlikely. I believe in Santa (not the fat guy in the red suit so much as the spirit that moves us to give hope in such a simple way). In the same way, I believe in propogating faith in God, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, Cupid, the Birthday Chicken, and even in the intrinsic good of mankind. Does that make me naive? I don't think so.

Lots of bad things happen in life. Some people tend to let the bad things overshadow the good. When you start doing that, you turn your back on belief in the good things and let the bad things become your driving force. Believing in the unbelievable gives you the strength to move past the bad things without letting them impact you too much. Seeking the positive and turning your back on the negative is a CHOICE we make. That's why I finally (after a lot of thought) chose the song I did. You can hear it in the Youtube clip at the end of the post. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but it feels right and I choose to believe in myself.

So ... what song would you choose?

... and why not??

2010-05-03T10:35:00.005-03:00

Random Quote of the Day:

Led Zeppelin is just a bunch of stupid idiots who wrote cool riffs.

~Chris Cornell~

Why do people say rude things based on their own exalted opinions? Do they always have to be right, no matter how dull or under-informed they may (or may not) be? Does intellect or knowledge make it okay to be rude?

Take that quote that I pulled today as an example. Who is Chris Cornell? What qualifies him to judge a classic band like Led Zeppelin? I'm not saying he's wrong or right in his opinion, but what exactly gave him the right to say anything at all, especially if it's a matter of public record (as it obviously is, since I found the quote on Famous Music Quotes Online)? What was his point anyway? Did he intend to denigrate the members of that particular band, or did he wish mere to state that their music was "cool"? If it was the former, what's so noteworthy about that? If the latter, could he not have found a more positive way to say it?

What kind of world would it be if people judged less and accepted more? If we instinctively saw the best in people rather than expecting the worst? What if it was globally expected that we should be kind and tolerant, and speak the truth in gentler, more thoughtful ways? Why CAN'T we be friends?

No time ...

2010-04-27T00:59:00.001-03:00

Remember the things I listed in last week's post? well, I'm in the midst of everything and no time for anything else. Will get back to this next week or soon as I can - I've been doing better than I expected, although my Facebook is still a joke ... Take care and see you all on the flipside.

Too Tired

2010-04-19T09:56:00.004-03:00

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

I've said that playing the blues

is like having to be black twice.

Stevie Ray Vaughan missed on both counts,

but I never noticed.

~B.B. King~

I thought this story was appropriate, especially as I don't have time for an original post this week. Midterm exams, report cards, another tae kwondo test day, my band exchange and upcoming special company for two weeks wins out on my time right now. Hey, at least I'm posting ...

There was a story about a man named Charlie who was quite a selfish and inconsiderate husband. Even though both he and his wife worked, he never helped at home with the cleaning, cooking or with the children. He expected supper on the table promptly every evening and watched television all evening long while his wife keep the entire home in order.
One day while Charlie was in the doctor’s waiting room, he read an article in a magazine that said - If women were not so tired in the evening, they would be more romantic with their husbands. Well the next day when Charlie’s wife got home, she had quite a surprise. She found supper cooked and warming on the stove. She found the dinning table set with the good china, napkins and candles. Charlie had also done 2 sets of laundry and a third load was in the dryer. The house was also swept and the carpets vacuumed.
The following morning Charlie’s wife was telling her friends at work about the article and everything that Charlie did. She continued “After dinner Charlie did all the dishes, helped the children with their homework and even gave them a bath and put them to bed. I had a wonderful evening!”
Her friends were impressed but wanted to know about the romantic part of the evening after the kids were in bed. “Oh" she said,"That part didn’t work out very well…. Charlie was too tired!”

*grinzzzzz*

Blank Page ...

2010-04-14T09:57:00.002-03:00

That's my mind today. No energy and no ideas.

B-man is home with grandparents today, even though it's anti-bullying day in schools across Canada and we had to go buy him a pink shirt for the occasion. He's also supposed to be performing in the music festival today. And there's the spelling test ...

What are you going to do when the kid has a temp and can't keep down his breakfast?

Me, I'm just tired. The band exchange is in a week and my keyboard player dropped out on me a week ago. I found a fill-in but it's touch-and-go because the pieces aren't easy. Rehearsals are rough - the kids are troopers though. I'm just tired.

I'm dating again. Steve is a darling but I'm still waiting for that "zing" to happen. Am I expecting too much? At my age, shouldn't a comfortable relationship be enough? Maybe it's just my state of mind this week. I feel dull.

Biggest joke of the century to date was me joining Facebook. I have no idea why I did that. Only thing I've done with it so far is play a game with the B-man. We've done that lots. For anybody I connected with there, I apologize for not posting on your wall yet. I haven't figured out how to do it but that's not the entire reason. I'm just not very energetic this week. Maybe someday ...

Anyway, I hope everybody else is feeling good and smiling at someone special right now. Well maybe not right now, but soon ...

I'm feeling pretty random right now.

Here's a blast from the past for my American Idol friends.

Some days are like diamonds, while others seem more like dinosaur poo

2010-04-12T09:53:00.008-03:00

Quote of the Day:

Even Bach comes down to the basic suck, blow, suck, blow.

~Larry Adler~

The quote of the day sums up how I'm feeling right now. Sometimes I just need to remind myself of everything positive in my life. It's been a rough couple of days. I've been using the computer to escape from my responsibilities all weekend and now it's time to pay the piper. Let me see if there's anyway to put a positive spin on things. I don't know who wrote this, but they must've felt like this at some point. They get the creative credit, not me. I'm just not that bright today.

"I AM THANKFUL:

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR THE WIFE WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME, AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO,
BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES
BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME , NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME .

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING
AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION .

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM.

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH WHO SINGS OFF KEY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES AT THE END OF THE DAY
BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS
BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE. "

For the Love of Music

2010-04-04T12:00:00.002-03:00

Quote of the Day:

Get up from that piano. You hurtin' its feelings.

~Jelly Roll Morton~

I am a music teacher. It's more than what I do. It's my identity, my heart and soul. I am celebrating my 20th year doing what I love and it STILL gives me a rush to come to work most days.

I have always felt that music teachers are a breed apart. Whereas most teachers require a quiet and orderly classroom in which to teach their respective subjects, music teachers must thrive in an atmosphere of controlled chaos. They need to dig deep at times to compliment a child who has produced their first tortured note on a musical instrument. They need to turn a deaf ear to sonar emanations that would bring a lesser being to their knees. They need to develop appreciation for the musical experience, rather than for the music itself. And they need to display tolerance regarding the disparaging comments of their colleagues, who don't hear with the same set of aural skills or understanding as the music teacher.

In return, students enter the classroom with a sense of anticipation and a wide smile on their faces. Classroom management takes care of itself in an active music class. The kids want to be there and, for some, it's the highlight of their academic week. Students spend extra time at noon and after school in the places where they feel most connected and accepted. It is no surprise to me that the music room is one of the most popular hangouts at so many schools.

At my school, I've developped a middle school music program which allows students to explore more than one musical instrument. I have divided the school calendar into four units and the students may choose to switch to a new instrument at the beginning of each new unit. They may also choose to remain with an instrument for more than one unit, if they enjoy what they are doing and, by grade 8, they are expected to have chosen their principal instrument of study for the intensive music program offered in grades 9 - 10. It's a bit of a juggling act for me, but the appreciation and elevated interest in music here makes it worth every effort. A full 10% of this year's graduating class, whose interest was founded in their middle school experiences, have made concrete plans to continue their music studies at post-secondary institutions.

This week, my middle school classes did their turn-around. Many chose to remain with the same instrument but this year, there has been a surge in popularity of brass and woodwind instruments. Two girls in my class yesterday decided to take a session with the alto sax. For those of you who don't know, the sultry tones of the saxophone are the result of a great deal of time (maturity) and practice (experience), and in the hands of a beginner sounds more like a garbage truck at 4 am than a musical instrument. Much to my delight, the two girls picked up on the basic skills right away and soon were wending their shaky, squawking way through "Hot Cross Buns" and "Au Clair de la Lune". Oh my, they were loud. (heh) No one else in the music room could hear themselves and, accustomed to the situation, the rest of the students just sat back to ride out the storm. There was a lot of good-humoured joking about sound quality but an equal amount of positive feedback. Their songs were actually recognizable! But loud. Quite painfully so, in fact. And most people can only listen to "Hot Cross Buns" a dozen times or so before reaching their mental limits. It helps to have a sense of humour at moments like that.

Eventually, my budding sax players felt secure enough to be closeted in a "sound-proof" practice room while the rest of the class went about their business. The saxes were still clearly audible, though muffled. There were 5 trumpet players in the larger session room and 2 trombone players in the cubicle, none of which could be heard. In the main room, I had guitarists and keyboardists and in the adjoining room, there were 4 vocalists working on warm-ups and the pronunciation for an Italian folksong "Santa Lucia". It was lovely, productive and a happy time for everyone.

At the end of the class, after the students had left, the art teacher dropped by and, with a good-natured chuckle, she jokingly asked me what we had hacked to death during the early part of class. As she stepped out into the hall, she glanced over her shoulder and beckoned me over. As I approached the door, I could hear the shrill voice of a colleague complaining to another about the noise coming from my classroom and wondering loudly why, given how easy it is to teach music, I wasn't better at keeping my class under control, with all my years of teaching experience.

No matter what other people may say about me or my methods, I am confident of the results coming out of my classroom and of the contentment level of my students. Innocently, I strolled down the hall and joined the pair. Smile firmly in place, I invited that teacher to visit my classroom the following day during her preparation period to observe my discipline methods and to enjoy an "easy" afternoon of teaching. She hemmed and hawed but, as she had an audience, she grudgingly accepted.

This afternoon, she entered my lively classroom and was surrounded by the controlled chaos of the musical world in which I live. In class, I never stop circulating, pausing here and there to correct posture, hand position, comment, praise, listen or assist. There was peer-teaching, collaboration, earnest discussion and debate, theoretic exercises, technical discovery, fine and gross motor particip-action, reading, movement, listening and music of varying levels happening all at once. Every single student was positively engaged in a music-related task. At the end of class, there was a sharing session. There was no "quiet learning environment" but there were smiles, laughter, concentration, feedback and positive criticism flowing between the kids. Special needs students flourish in my classroom under the tutelage of their peers without the need of a teaching assistant. In any class of 25 students, there are 25 different levels of ability but in music, the course is tailor-made to each one and geared completely toward the success of the individual.

We teachers sometimes speak of the "sound of learning". For many, that may be the library-like hush of a quiet classroom but for me, the call of "Ms. M, listen to this!" followed by the jarring honk of an overblown horn defines active, positive learning unlike anything else. We want our students to be "lifelong learners" but whatever the subject, they need to connect to it in order to pursue it beyond our sphere of influence. We can teach, but students only learn what they are convinced will matter in their own personal lives. Everything else is trivial.

Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul. ~Anonymous~

Sleeping in on the Weekend

2010-03-29T09:06:00.007-03:00

Quote of the Day

I know I'm no glamour girl, and it's not easy for me to get up in front of a crowd of people

It used to bother me a lot, but now I've got it figured out

that God gave me this talent to use, so I just stand there and sing.

~Ella Fitzgerald~

SLEEPING IN ...

With a 7-year old boy and his dog in the house, there's rarely sleep-in time on the weekends, because he has a no-fail internal alarm that gets him out of bed at 7 am, no matter what. The scenario on Saturday morning rarely varies.

"Mommy?" whispers from the doorway. "Mommmmmmy??" Mommy plays possum in the hopes that he'll go back to bed. Fat chance of that ...

"Mommy, I'm awake." closer and a little louder. Mommy shifts marginally under the covers and mumbles something indistinct.

"Mommy? I can hear you breeeeeeathing." singsongs from uncomfortably close range, just before his fingers drag my left eyelid up over my eyebrow. Mommy flinches back, blinded by a harsh shot of nasty morning light and mumbles "Morning sweetheart" before burying face into pillow, clinging desperately to the illusion that this is all a bad dream.

Tormentor climbs onto the bed, bouncing hard enough to elevate mommy's entire body and slam it back down then lifts the covers, watching with interest as mommy's exposed flesh erupts in goosebumps before crawling under and snuggling close to melt the icicles off his toes.

A moment later, dramatically, breath hot on my ear "Mommy I'm staaaaarrrving. When's breakfast?"

"Cereal's in the cupboard ..." Mommy's voice trails off as things get comfortable again, momentarily.

Bounce, bounce, thud. Footsteps receding down the hall as mommy snuggles deep under the duvet again, honestly believing that she has won a little ground.

"Squeak squeak squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeak ..." mournfully intones just before a very large, cold, wet, snuffly nose jars mommy's head completely off the pillow. Daisy is the family pet, a 13-year old, 90-lb husky who has never been able to bark or whine like a normal dog. The piercing sounds that emanate from her can be enough to shatter glass when she feels she is being ignored or otherwise abused by neglect.

"Sweetie, can you let the dog out?" Mommy's feeble groan from under the covers.

Footsteps pound down the hallway. "What?!?" Sadistic son's damnably cheerful treble voice shrills into my face as he leaps onto the bed. Mommy curls into a fetal position, twitching from the sharp knee embedded in my lady bits, wheezing breathily "Let the dog out ..."

"Okay, Mmmmommy!" Off he bounds, tireless energy personified, hollering over his shoulder something that sounds like "I spilled the milk ..."

Moaning in defeat, mommy decides this might be something that needs investigating. Pushing back the covers and simultaneously reaching for the fleece robe hanging neatly on the floor, I haul myself off the bed and immediately shriek in agony, clawing at the sole of my foot to extract the shard-like Lego blocks which have somehow escaped from my son's bedroom during the night and made their way into mine, with obvious evil intent.

"Mommy ..." intones a reproachful voice from their co-conspirator "You broke my robot blaster!"

"Get me the vacuum cleaner, kid." Mommy gasps as the waves of red-tinged agony begin to recede. "Someone has booby-trapped my bedroom and I need to clean it up before my blood stains the floorboards.

Giggling maniacally, the resident terrorist scurries to remove the evidence before it can be confiscated by the mommy-police. Still blurry from exhaustion, mommy scans the floor for any lurking torture devices. All clear, and mommy lurches down the hall to check the state of the kitchen. Daisy, mooch extraordinaire, is stretched out on the floor, furry forearms floating in milk. She lifts her cereal-box-embedded head and squeaks in welcome ...

No matter how I paint this scenario, my son's unfailing cheerfulness and positive attitude makes me smile. He just turned 7, has been through a life-altering health change last summer and fall, and his spirit has never flagged. Life in my house may not be perfect, but it's happy most of the time. What a change from only a few years ago.

Random stuff because it's a random kind of a day ...

2010-03-25T08:52:00.003-03:00

Quote of the Day:

Beware the lollipop of mediocrity; lick it once and you'll suck forever.

~Brian Wilson~

^^^

I'm on a horoscope kick so I'm tossing it in here. Wonder if I should pay attention to any of it? I'll do pretty much as I want anyway, but maybe they're onto something. Maybe I should ask the voices ...

Although you may think that this is a good day to come out of your shell, it may not actually be as easy as you think. You could find yourself trying to cut through a thick emotional blanket that descends over you. It's even more difficult if you are so sensitive to someone else's feelings that you worry about what you might say. However, it's less important to monitor your words than to maintain your boundaries so you don't mix up other people's fears with your own.

^^^

Welcome home, Donna! This is an amazing story that is only beginning to unfold.

From the local newspaper: Donna O'Rielly, who disappeared without so much as a trace almost a month ago, should be in the arms of her family this morning after her dramatic escape yesterday from the basement apartment of a 62-year-old Moncton man who police arrested shortly after the missing woman got away from her alleged captor.

This all took place only blocks from my home. In a quiet city like this, such things are nearly unimaginable. Fervent prayers of thanks are going up all over the province for her return to her family. We cannot imagine the circumstances of her month in captivity, but the story will be told and retold, if for no other reason than to serve as a caution for those who believe "it doesn't happen here".

^^^

This week, in all their wisdom, the D of E scheduled middle school report card marks and parent teacher meetings on the same day. AND moved it to the middle of the week. So teachers have two more days to teach, exhausted, after two 12-15 hour days. Somewhere, somehow, it made sense to someone. Either that, or we have one sadistic, teacher-hating sonuva-b running things in our picturesque capital city. Thoughts, anyone?

^^^

The B-man is testing for his blue belt in Tae Kwondo this afternoon. Since he started learning this martial art last October, he has averaged a test every 9 weeks. Apparently, that's something special. All I know is the kid lives and breathes it. He comes home from his classes and goes to the basement to practice his forms. Last month at the Canadian Junior Nationals, three of the top five competitors in the sport were from the B-man's studio under the same master, who tells me that my son is exceptional. Master L's wife has said to me on numerous occasions that she wants her sons to be like the B-man in their attitude and character. Am I proud? I am humbled. My son brings tears to my eyes at times: of pride, of laughter, of anger, of frustration ... he's just a normal 7-year old kid, after all.

^^^

In exactly one month, my school band will be exchanging places with another school band for two days. It's a huge event in our band's annual calendar and the kids are very excited. But are they working hard enough on their scores? I wonder sometimes. Will they be ready? Ready or not, the exchange takes place on April 22-23. Until then, I'm going to be a little tense.

^^^

This year, 10% of the graduating class from my school have applied and auditioned to enter various university music schools to pursue a life career in such music fields as performance, musical theatre, recording technology, composition and education. In some cases, following the heart in this matter is a battle on several fronts, as music is still considered a risky endeavor for employment and financial independence. I have attended every audition to support these young women and men as they step into their futures. To say I am proud of them is a gross understatement. And, if I am completely honest, there is a certain personal satisfaction in my own accomplishments as their teacher, knowing that I was able to nurture a lasting love that does not need to be expressed in words. My heart is full of wonder and anticipation for their futures.

In tribute, I chose a song that remains close to the hearts of my band members as the turning point ... I do what I do for kids like them.

A Deep Breath ... Exhale ...

2010-03-24T09:46:00.004-03:00

Quote of the Day:

All the good music has already been written by people with wigs and stuff.

~Frank Zappa~

Struggling with a dilemma right now and I'm not sure how to resolve it. Or even if I should. Sometimes things work out better if you just let them resolve themselves. I'm not sure though, so I did a little research through a trusted and reliable source: Tarot.com Horoscope [news@tarot.com].

There may be noticeably less stress today as the nurturing Cancer Moon picks up on harmonious trines to optimistic Jupiter and innovative Uranus. Although we may be presented with an opportunity to free ourselves from complex emotional entanglements, the Cancer Moon still encourages us to hold on to the past. Even if we are not fully satisfied, it's still safer to maintain the status quo than risk our current comforts for an uncertain future.

Although your intentions may be straightforward, your behavior doesn't necessarily demonstrate your true feelings today. You could be moodier than you let on, for the hypersensitive Cancer Moon can give you a lot to worry about. But you realize that others tire quickly when you express your concerns, so you may consciously choose to keep any negativity to yourself. Remember, even suppressed feelings can impact your day, so find a way to share your uncertainty without blaming anyone else.

Sooo ... I should keep my concerns to myself whilst expressing them in a diplomatic manner? Got it. Glad I cleared that up. Sheesh!

@@@

And now for something a little different ... Elmer Fudd as one of Canada's Finest.

Let's See How Long I Can Keep This Up ...

2010-03-22T10:13:00.003-03:00

Quote of the Day:

You got to have smelt a lot of mule manure before you can sing like a hillbilly. ~Hank Williams~

(Okay, it's random but it made me laugh.)

Hello again.

It's been so long since I came online, the existence of this blog had slipped from my mind. What kept me away was so much more important, I guess. For a long time, survival was my focus, just getting from one day to the next. Most of you (if there's anybody out there, that is ...) probably didn't know what was going on because, face it, I don't share very well. That's just me. People love me despite my tendency to hold back, though. Go figure. Anyway, I'm working on that. You know: take a step, backslide, try again. But I digress ...

So, beyond my little boy's health issues (pretty much controlled now with medication, thankfully), I was having some coping issues of my own. With recent urgent issues with work and family, I had put everything else aside and had no life of my own anymore. I was a ticking timebomb stress-wise so it became a priority to find something that was uniquely mine. For me. The whole concept boggles the mind, doesn't it? After all, the single mother of a 7-year old shouldn't need anything else, right? Right??

It was a struggle to create an environment which permitted me the freedom to have time for myself but I was insistent. First, I gave up computer at home. Completely. It was eating up far too much of my free time and wasn't doing anything for me health-wise. I was using it as a replacement for a social life. Difficult as it was, I gave up the habit.

The money I saved by getting rid of my internet at home was invested in a newspaper subscription and the B-man and I pored over the classifieds to find activities that were A) social and B) inexpensive or better, free. There's a wealth of stuff to do in this city. Three evenings a week, the B-man and I would embark on our prescribed adventure.

On Wednesdays, we take a mother-child swim class with 20 other family groups. We've met some wonderful new friends, improved our swimming skills and gotten some much-needed exercise.

Fridays, we join a group of B's peers and their parents at a local high school to play chess. I've played since I was a kid, but haven't had partners in some time, so it is a great opportunity to revisit the strategies and thought processes of the game. B-man loves games and enjoys this as an opportunity to flex his competitive cerebral muscles, as the kids enjoy a tournament every week with medals to all who defeat their opponents. I'm amazed at how quickly his skills have improved but I really shouldn't be surprised. He is Indiana Jones going after the Holy Grail in regards to those dollar store plastic medals.

On Saturdays before lunch, we have revived a tradition from years past, exercising and socializing dogs at the animal shelter. The SPCA always needs volunteers and B is big enough now to work with the dogs too, under my supervision. This has had a very positive impact on our lives, as B rarely has nightmares about his seizures since we've refocused outside the family.

In addition to three outings a week, I have allowed adult time for myself. On Tuesdays, my mom comes over after supper to take care of the grandchild and dog while I go to Codiac Symphonic Band rehearsal. It's been a while since I was a musician in the band rather than the director and it's fun to be with people I have known for years making music. It's not even all about being me and not simply the B-man's mommy.

Finally, on Saturday evenings, I date. Yes, you heard me right. It was an inadvertent side-effect of meeting all the new people through our activities. There are some very sweet single dads around, who are in exactly the same boat as I am, finding a life for themselves beyond their children. Dating these men is safe and no-pressure because, like me, they are just looking for "me time". We share babysitters to cut costs, and we have a good time just being with another adult for a while, without the responsibility of children underfoot.

So that's what I've been doing. What's new with you?

The ABC's of the World's Greatest Guitarists

2009-10-30T11:10:00.000-03:00

Simple rules. Match up a musical topic with the letters of the alphabet.

Today's topic: World's Greatest Guitarists. I decided to include all musical genres because so many people aren't aware that, although the greatest rock guitar legend might have been Hendrix, he's actually only number 4 if you factor in classical, jazz, blues and country. Hail hail, Segovia! Reinhardt! Atkins!

A - Chet Atkins. Country.

B - Lenny Breau. Jazz.

C - Eric Clapton. Rock, Blues.

D - Al DiMeola. Fusion.

E - Rik Emmitt. Rock.

F - John Fahey. Folk, Contemporary fingerpicking.

G - Danny Gatton. Rockabilly.

H - Jimi Hendrix. Rock.

I - Tony Iommi. Rock.

J - Robert Johnson. Blues.

K - B.B. King. Blues.

L - Alex Lifeson. Rock.

M - Pat Metheny. Fusion.

N - Roy Nichols. Country.

O - Michael Orlando. Rock, Shred.

P - Les Paul. Jazz.

Q - Robert Quine. Rock.

R - Django Reinhardt. Jazz.

S - Andres Segovia. Classical.

T - Merle Travis. Country.

U - James Blood Ulmer. Jazz, Funk.

V - Stevie Ray Vaughn. Blues, Rock.

W - T-Bone Walker. Blues guitarist.

X - (no listing)

Y - Narciso Yepes. Classical.

Z - Frank Zappa. Rock.

What is happening to our world?

2009-10-21T09:26:00.004-03:00

Read this, had to share it. Strikes a few nerves, doncha think? How many of us have thought many of the same things? How many of us are guilty of some of these things? Can you be honest with yourself? This is the measure. It's NOT always "the other guy". If it was, these things wouldn't need to be said.

"It's a Damn Shame" by Larry Winget

I have been remiss in writing a good rant for a few weeks especially when so much has happened for me to rant about! I guess it is because that I have just been so overwhelmed with the disrespect, lack of civility and stupidity that is running rampant that I couldn’t focus on just one or two issues. And I still can’t! So I‘ve decided that you folks might be willing to put up with a series of short rants on all of the things that I am finding especially irritating in the news and in life these days. I hope you enjoy, if you want to share any of these, feel free but give credit and send folks over to the blog and to my fanpage on facebook. This little rant is obviously called, “It’s a damn shame……………….

”It’s a damn shame when someone writes on my Facebook page defending irresponsible behavior with the words “Personal responsibility is such a cliché. It’s a condescending over-used phrase that has become the stock answer to everything.” Yes! It is the answer to everything! And it’s a damn shame that people would rather do anything in this world than take responsibility for their actions, including dismissing the notion as cliché and condescending.

It’s a damn shame when all of us can’t be happy when one of us has something good happen. Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize and it suddenly becomes a battle cry of the right wing about how he doesn’t deserve it. If your name isn’t Nobel or you aren’t on the committee then you don’t really have a say in his deservingness. Don’t say he didn’t earn it – it’s not up to you to decide that. The Nobel Peace Prize committee decided he was deserving so you don’t really get a say in who wins the award since you don’t sit on the committee. This is not about politics or whether you like Obama’s stance on … well, anything! It’s about the President of the United States gets recognized on the world stage for something good and our divisive political system can’t say “congratulations” and then move on to better things. Which means it’s a damn shame when important things like healthcare, the recession, Medicare, Social Security and other major issues are taking a backseat to this inane non-issue.

It’s a damn shame when instead of respectfully disagreeing with someone, that you must resort to name calling because you aren’t smart enough to justify your argument with facts, thoughts or civility.

It’s a damn shame that the guy who screams the loudest is considered the winner of an argument instead of the guy with the smartest, most well-thought out, logical point of view.

It’s a damn shame when the color of your skin or sexual orientation is still any kind of issue.

It’s a damn shame when a Cox Cable repairman (or any other repairman) can set an appointment, miss an appointment, and after being called to task over it have nothing to say about why he didn’t bother to show up or call to let me know he wasn’t coming. No apology. No remorse. No answer at all. I sit and waste a day waiting for a guy who evidently had no intention of coming in the first place. That is my weekend experience but it happens all over the world every day and it’s a damn shame!

It’s a damn shame when people can’t remember to say thank you for holding open a door or for spending your money with them.

It’s a damn shame when people will knock you down to get down an aisle or through a door and the words “excuse me” never cross their mind.

It’s a damn shame that it even crosses a man’s mind that jerking an award out of a little girl’s hands is acceptable behavior. Someone should have slapped Kanye West off the damn stage – THAT would have been the best video of the year. Where is Toby Keith when you really need him?

It’s a damn shame when you think it’s okay to spend more than you make and then honestly believe that the government owes you a handout or a bailout. You are an idiot and got yourself in your own mess so fix it yourself or suffer the consequences.

It’s a damn shame when people think that good thoughts are more important than hard work; when meditation has become more highly regarded than action; and when yoga classes are full and math classes are empty.

It’s a damn shame that people with money and jobs and who can afford to make their mortgage payments feel it is acceptable to walk away from their obligations because it makes sense “strategically” to do so. It’s called an obligation. You made a commitment. It’s a contract! You should keep your word even though it no longer “makes sense” to do so simply because you gave your word.

It’s a damn shame that parents have turned their children over to the television, the internet, their cell phone, the school system and their peers to raise them instead of stepping in with the firm hand of love to control the upbringing of their own children. (If you agree with that one, then you are going to love my next book, Your Kids Are Your Own Fault: A Guide For Raising Responsible, Productive Adults.)

It’s a damn shame that people resort to talking heads on television and on the radio to do their thinking for them.

It’s a damn shame that reading is down yet television watching is up.

It’s a damn shame when television shows are made about people who think 18 kids is a good idea (the Duggers) and about self-centered, egotistical brats with 8 kids (Jon & Kate) and about single mothers on welfare with 6 kids who have 8 more kids (Octomom.) More than that, it’s a damn shame that people watch them.

It’s a damn shame when you spend more on your cup of coffee than you do to feed your child a healthy meal. (Not a Happy Meal – a healthy meal.)

It’s a damn shame that 25% of teenage girls have an STD. Parents, where the hell are you?

It’s a damn shame that daddies are too uninvolved to teach their little boys how to be men and to teach their little girls what a man is. (By the way, the idiots who appear on Big Brother and The Bachelor and the other reality shows are NOT real men.) A man knows how to act with integrity, ethics, honesty and knows how to treat others with respect, compassion and dignity. That lesson is being missed. Instead it is being replaced with a tolerance for insolence, arrogance, entitlement and disrespect.

It’s a damn shame that mommas let their little girls become obsessed with the shallow and the superficial. Parents have to display the behavior they want their kids to exhibit.

It’s a damn shame that two thirds of our country is obese and going to die early when they don’t have to.

It’s a damn shame that teachers get paid less than fast food workers. And it’s a damn shame that tenure allows the bad ones to keep their jobs and that low wages forces the good ones to look for other jobs.

It’s a damn shame that cops and fire fighters and soldiers get paid so little and politicians get paid so much.

It’s a damn shame when Monday Night Football is more important than making sure your kid is studying for their spelling test.

It’s a damn shame when texting in the movie theater is more important than respecting the people sitting around you putting up with your distraction.

It’s a damn shame that people think it’s okay to take a cell phone call during dinner with you at a restaurant.

MOSTLY, it’s a damn shame that any of this even needs to be said.

AMEN!

The ABC's of Love Songs

2009-10-17T13:35:00.000-03:00

I am such a music geek. I was sitting here perusing everyone's blogs in a random fashion and suddenly, while I was skimming Jay's blog, an idea popped, fully formed into my mind and wouldn't go away. Think it was the blog where all the items started with the letter L that triggered it ...

So now I feel bound to complete this. It's my own meme, one that I will hoard selfishly for myself because I'm sure NOBODY else is crazy enough to do it. It's mine, allllllllll mine! Bwahahahaha!

Presenting Coco's ABC's of Music. Each time I do this (IF I ever get crazy enough to do it again), I'll choose a slightly different theme. They'll all be about ... well, that's pretty obvious from the title, I guess. Please note that the opinions stated in this blog post are all mine and I'm entitled to them, so disagree if you wish. Don't make no nevermind to me.

This week's blog: LOVE SONGS

Not too original for a first, but ohhhhhhhhh, so many songs to choose from. Too easy! These are songs that have the capability to make the listener cringe with their syrupy sappy lyrics and maudlin string-laden back tracks, or to uplift and laud the glories of romantic love. I was going to add a playlist here, but I think too much would be too much. Maybe a couple, though. Just for fun ...

A - "At This Moment", from Billy Vera and the Beaters. I know you ALL remember this one ... it was on everyone's wedding playlist for about 20 years. My grandmother was a big "Alex Keaton" fan and she always loved this song because of the tv show that brought it to commercial success. For you, Gram. Love you always.

B - "Baby I'm A-Want You" by Bread. Memorable, for me, was the line that I mistakenly heard as "Your loving and affection gave me an erection" which was, for me, the most honest line EVER in a love song. You can't imagine how disappointed I was to learn the truth.

C - "Candida" by Tony Orlando and Dawn. Whoa! Flashback time. If I close my eyes, I can still see my rhythmically-challenged junior high school friend Carol trying to dance and clap to this song. We called her "Go-go". Which has nothing to do with the topic, but it is and besides - LMAO!

D - "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" by The Culture Club. To answer in a word: yes. This is one of those bland, insipid tunes with no personality of its own. Makeup, bizarre hair and freaky clothes can't disguise a lack of musical talent.

E - "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" by Bryan Adams. Yeesh. I'm usually so proud of our homegrown Canadian boy, but even nationalist pride has it's limits. The extreme in irrationally emotional claims.

F - "From This Moment On" by Shania Twain. Number one wedding song in most countrified regions of this nation for the better part of ten years. With lines like "I live only for your happiness", it sets the contemporary standard for sappy lyrics, but regresses the women's movement by decades.

G - "Game of Love" by Michelle Branch. Perfect example of "to heck with grammar or sense, let's make it rhyme". Notable quotes: " You guide me, divide me into one" and "You'll live for what I'm good for, it's knockin' down the door of your lovin' store". *blink blink* What the ...?? However, if you can ignore the nonsensical lyrics, the music is something else! A little bit of Santana makes all the difference in this song and turns it from pure schlock into listenable music.

H - "Hey Mickey" by Toni Basil. Oh Mickey, you're so ... aaaahhhhhhh, now it's in my head!!!! Make it stoppppppppp!!!!!!!

I - "I Miss You" by Klymaxx. I don't like breathily earnest little-girly voices. There was an entire sub-culture in music during the 80's which attempted, unsuccessfully, to follow in the footsteps of Blondie. The difference? Debbie Harry had the pipes to carry it off.

J - "Just Friends (Sunny)" by Musiq. Nearly passed this one over because I'm not a great connaisseur of hiphop music but I listened through and, although the music is repetitive as characterized in the genre, it was a great example of the sweetness and innocence of new love in the 21st century. Surprisingly to me, I really enjoyed it.

K - "Kiss From A Rose" by Seal. Whoever thought that romantic music had to be cheesy hasn't heard this song - it's amazing. From a poetic, musical and aesthetic standpoint, it takes me to my happy place. Always has, always will.

L - "Lady" by Styx, Little River Band and Kenny Rogers. I couldn't choose just one. Each one represents the late 70's to perfection. What a wonderful time it was to be a teenager in love.

M - "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega. Okay, I love this song and was looking for an excuse to include it. While not technically about "love", it really is a lovesong - just not about ONE woman ... this guy likes to share the wealth. My band plays this one every year by request, so it's not just me, is it?

N - "Natural Woman" by Aretha Franklin. No contest. If you find a guy who makes you feel like this, you're there, sister. 'Nuff said.

O - "Open Arms" by Journey. A classic band with a great big squooshy kissy-face heart. I like the band a lot - not entirely sold on the song though. It's a little too karaoke for my taste.

P - "Piece Of My Heart" by Big Brother and The Holding Company. Nobody does it like Janis. This is not just a song - it's a raw, unabashed rending of her soul. That's what made Janis more than just another blues singer. You got a piece of her everytime she sang.

Q - "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" by Andy Williams. Okay, so I had to reach back quite a way to find a "Q" song that qualified as romantic, but I think you'll agree that Andy Williams did romance with class.

R - "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx. There was a time when I couldn't listen to this song without cringing. As a music teacher, I have lost track of the number of beginner piano students who took lessons solely for the purpose of learning the intro to this song. Gahhhh! How many of you know how to play it, I wonder ...

S - "Someone Like You" by Van Morrison. For those of you who know me, you knew it was coming, right? *kowtows to the Great Van* Cheese, maybe, but of the finest, brandy-infused, palate-pleasing sort.

T - "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore" by the Righteous Brothers. My favourite version of this was performed by Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson in an absolutely wonderful British movie called "Truly, Madly, Deeply", and they captured the essence of joyous abandon with their rendition.

U - "Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers. Oh come on. The list wouldn't be complete without this classic. The master of romantic declarations.

V - "Venus in Blue Jeans" by Jimmy Clanton. Ah, the innocence of early rock n roll music. Romance and cheese combined with a liberal hand in such pithy metaphoric phrases as "Mona Lisa with a ponytail". Yup.

W - "Where Are You Now?" by Jimmy Harnen. Gahhhhhh! Okay, I have to cite this comment from About.com, because it's damned funny and spot-on about this song. "There's a reason you've probably never heard of Jimmy Harnen. It's probably because he never sang again because some angry music fan tracked him down and tightly superglued a pacifier to his mouth, to industrial specs."

X - "Xanadu" by Olivia Newton John and ELO. My salute to the disco era. It wasn't all about dancing. There was also ... rollerskating. (note: Wasn't Andy Gibb a doll? *squee!*)

Y - "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers. I'm not picking on them. Honest ... they just did so many noteworthy lovesongs.

Z - "Zip Code" by the Five Americans. 60's pop is fun. Reminds me a little of the Monkees. The B-man likes this enough to dance to it. Repeatedly ...

Endings

2009-10-16T16:27:00.002-03:00

Zack, I pray every day that the demons that haunted you have finally left you in peace. It's peace that has been denied those of us you left behind when you took your life this week. Did you know that you would be missed? That grief would overwhelm this small community? Did you know you had touched so many lives in your 16 years of living? You've hurt a lot of people by this act and, no matter how desperate you may have felt, it wasn't right. I'm angry. Angry that the system let you down, angry that we couldn't help you, that we couldn't even see that you needed help, and I'm angry at you for thinking that suicide was the only way to resolve your problems. Right now, there is such great sympathy in my heart for the people you left behind - your family, your friends, your girlfriend - that I don't have much feeling left for you. Mostly just anger. I want to know if you thought about the people who love you before you did this. Did they factor at all in this decision? It's hard to believe you would have followed through if you had imagined the grief they feel now. You took a lot more than your life this week, Zack, but we'll pick up the pieces in time. The lessons you have taught us have been well-learned and you will be remembered though perhaps not as you might have wished to be. Be at peace.

Thanksgiving

2009-10-12T07:23:00.003-03:00

We celebrated 2 full weeks without incident yesterday. Cautiously optimistic that the current cocktail of meds is holding the seizures at bay, we pray a multitude of times every day that we can quickly force this into remission. It's just a matter of time. Money. Insurance. Now I can start looking at what this will mean for my sweetie over the longterm.

My close friend Rhonda has been a godsend - all three of her kids grew up with epilepsy and she's been able to talk me down many times. Her daughter Kyla, who is like my own daughter in a lot of ways, has spent time with the B-man talking to him about coping, especially at school. She encouraged me to put him back into tae kwondo and she swore that it would help him keep petit mal seizures at bay. Hmmm ... he's been back at it for just over two weeks ... I wonder.

So I've been less self-involved and my thoughts have not been consumed with my sweet boy's condition in recent days. I know I have not been a good friend to the people who are supporting me and I'm trying to spend more time reaching out. That's one awful character trait that I need to battle in myself - the urge to go to ground when things get rough. Something personal to work on.

Blessings on you, my dear ones. Thank you for sticking with me, even when I was pushing you away. Muuuuuuuuuahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Update

2009-09-24T10:55:00.002-03:00

Sorry I haven't had time to blog since school started again. between work and Brennan's appointments, time is being eaten in big gulps each day. Hope all is well with everyone.

Just a quick update: we have a diagnosis of an unusual type of epilepsy (don't have the paper here at work and can't remember the name, but I'll update this when I have time) and are working on balancing B-man's meds right now. Some days are better than others and we're working towards success. Every day is a blessing now and he will live a relatively normal life once we have it in remission. Thank you for all your prayers and positive thoughts.

Quickie Update

2009-09-07T00:21:00.002-03:00

Five more porn posts got caught in my comments moderation web, but the last one is a week old, so perhaps they've moved on. I'm going to give it about another week before removing moderation. Thank you all for the "real" comments. I could feel the commiseration ...

Biggest news this weekend is our Vinny and Nancy's wedding. I hope their lives are filled with immeasurable happiness. The B-man and I toasted their celebration last night with a bracing glass of sparkling ginger ale. You'd have to search for a long time to find a kinder soul or greater friend than our Vinny and I get choked up trying to express how happy I am for him and his darling Nancy, so I'll just stop now while I'm ahead.

Speaking of my little B-man, we are 2 days seizure-free and cautiously praying for it to continue in a similar vein. On the negative side, we are awaiting test results and his doctor has gone on vacation for 3 weeks. Although I am usually fairly even-tempered, this has me a little uptight. (maritimers' understatement) No matter, we do what we must to beat this thing.

Finally, we're back at school on Tuesday this coming week. Although I love my job, this year my mind's not ready to go back just yet. Wonder why?

Have a wonderful Labour Day. Blessings and peace to you and your families.

Comments Moderation and Online Prostitution (did I get your attention yet?)

2009-08-30T14:32:00.003-03:00

As most of you are aware, my blog has lain fallow for a while. This summer, I started receiving comment notifications from someone(s), written in Japanese. After I received about 12 for the same blog post, I grew curious and looked into it. Turns out, someone was booking Japanese prostitutes using my blog. I notified Blogger, deleted the posts and turned on my comments moderation again. Hopefully, it's only temporary until the "talent agency" is shut down or, more likely, relocates to a new site (giggle). However, as a sort of community service, I thought perhaps I should let you all know about it, so you can be aware that this thing can and does happen. Maybe I'm twisted to find it funny, but I suspect I'm not the only one laughing about it. (You KNOW who you are - I don't have to name names ...)

2009-08-26T13:47:00.003-03:00

I first consciously noticed it last Christmas. A blank stare for a few seconds. A clumsy step or trip and he'd fall down. Forgetfulness. It wasn't often and it wasn't serious, or so I thought. In June ... that's when the nightmare struck. Seizure. Again and again. Several in a day, sometimes so tiny they would have gone unremarked except there were the big ones, the thrashing on the floor and grinding teeth ones that terrified both of us and sent us scrambling for an answer. Tests upon tests and none of them are showing us what's wrong. Epilepsy? Or something else? We don't know yet. I'm not sure what God has intended, but it's hard to believe this is His plan for my brilliant, vibrant, joyful little boy. Right now, I'm trying to keep my cool, keep things as normal as possible for a 6-year old who really needs release from the fear that lives with us 24-7, even if that release is momentary. Photos by the thousands because I don't know what the future holds for him ... for us. Whatever it is, I'll do whatever it takes to give my son a normal-as-possible life. People protest against stem-cell medical practices but I can tell you that, if faced with that decision, I'll TAKE that solution and thank God that it was available for my child. There are some situations that transcend all previous moral evaluations. Live in the now - what a way to learn that lesson ...

Prayers would be apreciated.

LOVE

2009-06-24T18:53:00.000-03:00

Love can be something so beautiful that it fills your life and makes you feel that nothing can harm you ... but sometimes it feels as though the love you have isn't enough.

My post is for all out there who are seeking love of a specific kind and can't seem to find it. I hope you are able to find happiness and fulfillment with the love you have right now.

*****

Love is all we have, the only way that each can help the other.

~Euripedes~

*****

The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.

~Henry Miller~

*****

And love can come to everyone, the best things in life are free.

~Lew Brown~

*****

We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.

~Friedrich Nietzsche~

*****

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.

~Arthur Rubinstein~

*****

All love shifts and changes. I don't know if you can be wholeheartedly in love all the time.

~Julie Andrews~

*****

Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a growing up.

~James A. Baldwin~

*****

The best proof of love is trust.

~Joyce Brothers~

*****

Love is always bestowed as a gift - freely, willingly and without expectation. We don't love to be loved; we love to love.

~Leo Buscaglia~

*****

A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.

~Thomas Carlyle~

*****

The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.

~Gilbert K. Chesterton~

*****

The art of love is largely the art of persistence.

~Albert Ellis~

*****

You don't have to go looking for love when it's where you come from.

~Werner Erhard~

*****

The hardest of all is learning to be a well of affection, and not a fountain; to show them we love them not when we feel like it, but when they do.

~Nan Fairbrother~

*****

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

~Tom Robbins~

*****

Love is what you've been through with somebody.

~James Thurber~

*****

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.

~Peter Ustinov~

*****

Love conquers all.

~Virgil~

*****

HAPPY 55TH BIRTHDAY VINNY BOND!

2009-06-16T10:08:00.003-03:00

B-man and I hope that your cake is yummy

and that you get to double-dip your candles, too.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Vinny!

House Updste

2009-06-16T10:04:00.003-03:00

After only 2 weeks listed online, my parents have sold their house for the asking price. They were overwhelmed by the interest, but I knew it would be that way. We are going to miss it, but I can see how relieved my parents are and that's what matters. Now we have to get them moved into their new apartment ...