Talk Thursday: The Long Way Home (a week late)

You know how you store those special moments in your life and take them out in your old age to pet them dearly? Wait, you’ll get there so take your Ginko. Some of my fondest memories revolve around music or involve music – crap in this case what’s the difference? I love music, I love my daughter, and some of my dearest adult memories are in the car singing with her.

Once upon a time I had this kewl 200SX. I loved it, bought it used and took the best care of it I could… which is to say, I wasn’t very good to it at all. When I married ex-number two we traded it in for a Chevy Luv 4by4 (the exact sequence of events is pretty fuzzy in my memory.) Music in the 200SX was pure Pat Benetar, Thin Lizzy, and Blondie… that much I remember. In the long run, because what woman ends up with the better vehicle, I ended up with a faded white VW Bug that we bought in a storage unit sale for $283 – note there was also a chest of drawers and a bureau in the unit, the Bug was in need of an engine and love.

Before you could say Chevy Luv I was driving a mildewy faded VW Bug that had definitely seen better days. Psam hated that car, I’m fairly certain it was the aromatic combination of oil and mildew that lovingly wafted through the small vehicle (I really tried to not use the heater for this very reason, but have you ever tried to NOT use the heater in a VW – yeah you understand.) Music in the VW was pure KZEL and well I and Psam were past Blondie, she wasn’t hot on Thin Lizzy, and I had a copied cassette of Supertramp.

Keep in mind that Florence is a whole five miles from Siuslaw River Bridge to Heceta Beach Road and at the time Highway 101 was just two lanes in most places. In my defense I must remind you that Supertramps’ Take The Long Way Home is the better part of five minutes, so if you wanted to hear the whole song, you took Rhododendron drive, past the dump, along the Siuslaw River and up 35th street, ergo we took the long way home. Hey it could have been worse, I could have played all 8 minutes and 52 seconds of American Pie, then we could have drove the che… VW past… crap it loses a lot in the translation…. Oh oh, I know she loves Alice’s Restaurant… I mean it’s only eighteen and a half minutes long – we could have driven all the way to Mapleton – and Psam loves all those

eight-by-ten colour glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one

and Arlo was driving a VW microbus, red not faded white.
But no, I had Supertramp and a oil soaked mildewy wafting faded white VW – Psam had to hold her breath or puke, and really I’m glad she has good lung power.



BTW, did you know that March is Sing With Your Child Month? No lie, some of my happiest times of parenthood were singing in the car with my daughter… we had a very special sound track that started with Nino Tempo and April Steven’s Deep Purple, included Sonny and Cher’s The Beat Goes On, Gladys Knight and the Pip’s Midnight Train To Georgia. Those were some of the best days of my life.



Sith,
Cele

Ack! It’s a Tuesday in August

Ack! It’s a Tuesday in August, worse I think there’s more than one.

I had all these wondrous ideas about last Thursday’s Talk Thursday topic. It was a stroke of genius – 7 topics, one week. Well I let that one slip by. Maybe yet.

Today is Burp’s ninth birthday. Nine, can you believe it? It’s blown by and that scares me. Psam’s childhood seemed like a fleeting moment and I miss it so much. But as the Beatles would say, Ob la de, ob la dah, pass the bong. Except please don’t, I’m allergic. Really I need a new saying. Ob la de, Ob la dah, I’ll take another margarita isnt’ catchy.

So, anyway, today is Burp’s ninth birthday. My thing is to call family and friends in loving hit and run episodes of the notorious Birthday Cake Polka. Except, I only sing part of the song that I remember from my childhood. Aren’t people lucky? Lately I’ve begun playing the Sheriff John mp3 where he sings the whole thing with the correct lyrics. Burp was my most recent victim.

I adore him. Saturday night he gets to have a birthday sleep over. Oh, Psam you gutton for punishment. A living room full of sugar addled seven, eight, and nine year olds – what joy. They are having a movie marathon – Toby Tyler or 10 Days in the Circus and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. He borrow those and the Last Starfighter from Ducky the last time he was here. All three movies are Ducky’s favs, Burp seems to love them too, he said Willy Wonka was better than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Sadly, Burp’s grandma hasn’t figured out what to get him for his birthday, besides tickets to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and I get those for free. Back to school clothes seems like a cop out, needed, but a cop out.

I know Ob la de Ob la dah. Life goes on – onnnnnn - la la how the life goes on.

It’s Tuesday night and in a total stroke of stupidity I went to Grocery Outlet to find what tasty dash of hell I could eat to make my thighs and butt fatter. Who came up with the Dove Ice Creams that have the layer of solid dark chocolate on them? I bought one and stuck it in the freezer. When the munchies hit me I pulled it out. Deviously chuckled to myself because Ducky wouldn’t be able to catch me eating it.

And, what the bloody hell?

Who’s friggin’ bright idea was it to freeze a layer of unbreakable dark chocolate on top of the ice cream? I suspect a dieting guru. Truly. A diet genius. It was rock hard. While I was hit by a wave of late summer-spring-cleaning I let it thaw. An hour later the chocolate layer is still hard as a rock and the ice cream is less than milk shake consistency. My hips and butt have been saved to blossom yet another day.

Ob la de, Ob la dah, life goes on brah! La la - did you know John hated this song?

Life at work has been crazy. We have just finished our huge Summer Entertainment Giveway (tickets to everything we could get our grubby little hands on, given away everyday, with a massive grand finale drawing on the final day – which would be why it’s called the finale drawing.) You know what thirty drawings are followed up by? Thirty phone calls – and you know how I love the telly. Then I get to address and lick thirty envelops. Oh what joy and fun. No wonder I’m fat. Now were are in the final leg leading to Friday’s Hot 100 Radio Auction. You know what that means? I got to put 100 (plus warm up) items on the station’s website. Turn it all into reams of paper work and then sniff dry markers until they are all sold (the hot 100 - not the dry markers – really who came up with those things they reek?). This is all followed by thank you letters to our Summer Entertainment Giveaway venues, and FOOTBALL SEASON!

I’m taking vacation in September. I think I will be really, really tired.

Paul said it best, “Ob la de, Ob la dah, life goes on brah! La la how my life goes on!

Sith,
Cele

Odds and Ends Revisited & Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band

Oh so many things, so little time to blog, but what the heck, chores be damned.

Ducky is gone Tuesdays and Thursday nights, I honestly believe that is part of the reason our relationship has lasted so long. It’s not like I have the best track records, but this guy is totally a keeper. His night’s gone are two of the reasons I will always have a dog, it holds any potential loneliness at bay. It also gives me the opportunity to have Thursday – girls night out, and the chance to misstate a fact or three on Tuesday nights, when I say, “I got three laps done on the cross-trainer, I think tomorrow night I’ll go for four. The lo-fat salad was almost too much for dinner.”

Instead of saying, “I munched on a grilled cheese sandwich and peanuts, while I was blogging, followed by a three truffle chaser.” I know, I know may lightning strike. Okay, crap, it was five. Leave me alone it was not six.

Saturday night the radio station sponsored Joe Diffie at Three Rivers Casino. We had a great time, the concert was very enjoyable, the crowd could have been a wee bit bigger. But then again the Bellamy Brothers had played the night before and the three-day Oregon Jamboree was well underway in Sweethome, drawing crowds with the likes of Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, the Oakridge Boys, Travis Tritt, and Miranda Lambert. My favorite lyric?

If the Devil danced in empty pockets,
he’d have a ball in mine.
With a nine foot grand, a six piece band,
and a twelve girl chorus line.
I’d raise some loot in my three piece suit,
selling one dance for a dime.
If the Devil danced in empty pockets,
he’d have a ball in mine.

Or maybe you’d prefer…

Cause and effects, chain of events
All of the chaos makes perfect sense
When you’re spinning round things come undone
Welcome to the Earth, third rock from the sun.

Great lyrics. Fabulous energy.

Sunday night we went to see Ringo Starr and his All-Starr band at the Cuthbert Amphitheatre in Eugene. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it many times again, this is my favorite venue. The band included Walter Palmer of the Romantics, Rick Derringer of the McCoys, Edgar Winters but no White Trash (Frankenstein was it amazing), Gary Wright, Richard Page of Mr. Mister, and Gregg Bissonette. We met Pinecone, the Crown and Bridge guy, the Landlady (not theirs, my nephew Arnie’s Landlady,) and several others at the top of the grassy berm just as the sun was hovering above the horizon. You know that moment, right when it hits golden peak. Ringo called it’s “God’s Light” which I thought pretty kewl – and I guess he would know it was shining right in his eyes. We rocked out and watched the loonies and free spirits in the crowd dance to the music. What a night. I would show you the pictures Pinecone took (because I didn’t take my camera) but she’s notorious for taking these fabulous shots and keeping them among her pixel count for eons.

So you get a shot of my nose instead. I’m sporting this “come from nowhere” bruise on my nose. Truly, I’m not sure how it happened. And it hurts enough I should. It wasn’t there Saturday night. I didn’t see it Sunday. Yesterday I really didn’t look in the mirror, until Ducky offered an exhausted me dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant. I went in to brush my hair, check and make sure the old makeup was gone and noticed the bruise on my nose. Where the heck did that come from? And darn don’t touch it, ouch, I said don’t touch it. I, for the life of me, don’t know how I got it. It straddles the bridge of my nose, about the location of my sunglasses, but I never put them on this weekend. Today it rides a bit less down the sides of my nose towards my cheeks than it did Monday. Today it’s also a bit brown rather than the fuzzy gray and pink of last night. No idea.

Despite hours of watering my lawn is dead. I don’t know why. It’s not like I don’t water it for hours on end, three to five days a week. I had it aerated, I give it Scott’s Lawn plus, or Turf builder with water saver… a big sarcastic oooohhhhhhh. But, nada. Sad sad sad. The good part, it will be green again by mid October without any effort from me. See why I love the rain?

And finally here is a shot of the glorious bouquet that Ducky got me for our anniversary last week. The roses are slowly being removed as I wrap and dry them. The double lilies are browning, the Speedwell remains amazing. And the carnations are still spicy smelling. I love flowers…and chocolate too. Have I mentioned truffles lately?

Sith,
Cele

PS if Pinecone ever sends me those pix, I'll addenum. Tata

Please Stand Against The Performance Tax

When I turned eight my parents gave me an AM / FM Radio. There hadn’t been much music in our house before, except for Lawrence Welk on Saturday nights. Well that isn’t totally true, I can remember being about five or so and having a worn out 45 stack turntable and two singles: The Lion Sleeps Tonight by the Tokens, and Andy’s Williams’ Moon River. The needle was missing so you had to put your ear close to the turntable and listen. It was worth the effort.

Several of my friends had their own record players, their parents had “Hi-Fi’s”, and I had the car radio or my dad singing, King of the Road. I love music and the gift of the radio was a turning point in my life. I listened to music every moment I could. A devotee to KHJ I grew up listening to Charlie Tuna, Robert W. Morgan, and the Real Don Steele. I knew the words to every song, a fact driven home to me in 1970 when the Beatles broke up. Every pop station on the dial played 24 hour Beatles marathons or worse “Non-stop Beatles Weekends.” I hated the Beatles. Really, fifty-eight charting songs in the US and I probably liked three of them.

Suddenly it was all Beatles all the time. ARGH! What’s a Folkie / daytripper to do? It’s not like I could turn it off, I’m a radio addict. And then the worst of it hit me, I friggin’ knew every word to every song. If someone tells you that learning by listening in your sleep doesn’t work, send them my way. That three songs Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, and Golden Slumbers realistically swelled to ten songs with the inclusion of In My Life, Here There and Everywhere, Norwegian Wood, Yesterday, Something, Rocky Raccoon, and Lady Madonna. I think it could get worse, I mean I am a child of the sixties, and if my politics and yard are any clue, I’m a Flower Child of the sixities.

Suddenly the Beatles were a begrudged inclusion into my repertoire of appreciated music. But the whole point is if it’d not been for radio I’d have not fallen in love with Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young; Cat Stevens; the Moody Blues; Climax Blues Band; the Doors, Marvin Gaye; the Supremes, Sonny and Cher; the Temptations; the Miracles; Bob Dylan; Peter, Paul, and Mary; the Rolling Stones; the Beach Boys; The Animals and all the other groups whose albums and 45s are stored in my guest bedroom closet. I was allowed to use half of my allowance and babysitting money on the buys of my choice. My choice was the music I heard on the radio. I bought concert tickets to the groups that I loved from radio.

When I was young I tried to figure out how they got all the bands in the radio, then I grew up. Now I work in the radio industry and have a better insight into what it takes to air your favorites and the new up and coming acts over the free airwaves. When Isay “free” I mean you listen to commercials that pay for us to be on the air with a product your want to hear on your radio. True a lot of people today buy Satellite Radio, but rumors abound that even satellite is going to begin selling commercial load. Time will tell.

Now, under pressure from the recording industry, bills are in both the House - H.R. 848 and in the Senate - S 379. Both bills have passed through committee and are potentially headed for the floor.

The Free Radio Alliance cites a series of facts on their website - that everyday 173 million Americans reply on free radio daily for music, news, and information updates. They state a bevy of figures that radio provides to the economy, to public service, to everyday life. We buy the music we play (well for the most part, country music gives us the music free.) As a small radio station on the Oregon Coast (actually two stations – four airwaves) we pay large monthly fees to ASCAP, BMI and / or SESAC to air the music you hear over the airwaves. Twice a year we report what we play so they can pay out royalties from our fees to the composers and lyricists who make that music possible. Do you know why all stations don’t stream on the internet? The cost is too prohibitive. Soon small broadcasters will be forced to pay double or more the royalty rates paid today, those increases will create a chain reaction that will see the end of small and hometown broadcasters.

If any part of my story and / or arguments touch a place inside of you. If you listened to the events and coverage 9/11 all day long at work on the radio, if you tune into the local high school football, basketball, and baseball games, your favorite college games, heard the OJ Simpson verdict, if you tuned into X-minus One, Burns and Allen, or the Cinnomon Bear, if you can look in your spare bedroom and see a hundred CDs, LPs, 45s, cassettes, or even 8-tracks bought because you heard a song on the radio please lend your support to No Performance Tax dot Org by signing your name.

Thank you,
Calista

Talk Thursday: Dog & Pony

I’m not sure what Dog and Pony actually refers to. While I do have a dog, he’s more like a tank; I’ve not had a pony since I was a kid and well really it wasn’t mine. He was my aunt’s boyfriend's, Cowboy George had won Little Joe and the ranch he was on in a poker game. The same way he lost it. True story.

While I have a tank yet no pony I do have a story to tell. I love music, my two (almost life long) favorite groups: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Sometimes Young and the Moody Blues. I have seen CSN and have tickets to see them again at the Cuthbert on September 11th. I’ve yet to see the Moody Blues. But then that is part of the story.

Several weeks ago Pinecone called me on a Wednesday night to ask if I thought mom would enjoy seeing the Moody Blues at the Cuthbert. As my childhood roommate, Pinecone grew up with enforced- ram it down your throat, hours long Moody Blues listening sessions through out her formative and teen years- yes, until I moved out. I guess it stuck. She’s seen MB in concert four to five times, once with full accompanying orchestra – I am so jealous.

But what was she thinking? Mom would constantly yell at me to turn it down, turn it off, go outside in the fresh air. I’m thinking had the phrase, “Get a life” been popular I’d have heard her say that several times, too. “Pine,” I said, “I don’t think so.” Then I began to think, remember the time I thought she’d like So You Think You Could Dance, and I was way wrong? “Pine, what do I know, maybe she will, ask her.”

“Do you have a Moody Blues CD you could give her?”

“Well, yeah, duh!” Sometimes with my vocabulary you’d never guess I’m 53.

That Thursday night I met Mom and grandma for dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. When she sat down I hand mom the Best of MB and said, “Pine wanted you to listen to this, if you like the Moody Blues she wants to take you for your birthday. “

Taking the CD my mom said, “I enjoy the Moody Blues.”

Grandma chimes in, “Me too!” In unison I get, “They were on PBS, they were great.”

WTF do I know. Statement, not a question?

Fastforward...

Monday night, Ducky has just gone to bed when my cellphone rang. At first all I could here was musical “Wa-Wa-Wa” until Pinecone’s voice comes on the line and say, “Our mother wanted me to call you. Here.”

And what did my parental unit want to say? In essence, “Nee-neer, nee-neer, nee-neer.” Pine tells me, that besides rocking out to the Moody Blues all night long in a sweltering 99 degrees, she got a total kick out of people watching. She was a bit surprised and curious about what the people behind them were smoking. While she did notice it “smelled different” she didn’t truly notice until security spoke with them.

No dog and pony, just Pinecone and mom.

Sith,
Cele

100 Things About Me – 2009

1) I am peaceful,
2) Well maybe not if you’re one of my exes.
3) I’ve been eyeing a solar water fountain for my new garden since last summer
4) It is the only thing I wanted for my birthday
5) Well, except chocolate and that is a given.
6) I got a lot of truffles and a chocolate bear for Valentines day.
7) Let’s just smear them on my hips, that’s where they will end up.
8) For years, really years, I’ve only drunk Celestial Seasonings’ Bengal Spice
9) Now suddenly adore their Apricot Peach Honeybush,
10) A box of Perfectly Pear White tea is waiting, patiently to be opened.
11) What, suddenly at 53 I am embracing change again?
12) What’s that all about?
13) Wow, I didn’t come to snakes until number 12, that may be an improvement.
14) I have a freakish memory
15) When I was a child… er an older, I would make myself fall asleep by naming all the kids in my childhood neighborhood
16) House by house, street by street.
17) My favorite place to be is in my hot tub
18) Watching the stars
19) Hey, I didn’t say these were all facts you don’t know about me.
20) I am annoyed at the people who are perpetuating this economy
21) In the mean time I’ll keep shopping.
22) I have a Bassett,
23) He was named after a mellow, folksie music guy, Arlo
24) There are moments I hate him (my dog, not the folksie music guy) – which makes me cry
25) Really, he is incapable of being house broken,
26) He’s a retaliatory pisser.
27) I’m still not a vegetarian
28) I have begun liking my steaks pretty darn rare,
29) I will refrain from sticking Arlo on a spit and roasting him.
30) My dog, not the folksie music guy.
31) There are moments that I really miss my dad
32) He once put electric wire in his house because his dog couldn’t be house broken
33) He too, was a retaliatory pisser
34) It must run in the family.
35) I love the frosting on bakery birthday cakes,
36) And those really good mini cupcakes you can buy these days.
37) But we should just smear those on my butt too.
38) Despite the butt, 53 isn’t too bad so far.
39) BTW Natalie’s birthday is Tuesday.
40) Thank God my butt size is much smaller than my IQ.
41) Have you noticed there are fewer people who blog consistently over their out put of last year?
42) Sad, to paraphrase a folksie dude, “Where have all the bloggers gone?”
43) Being at peace with myself translates in to boring
44) I don’t mean to be boring, I just don’t get out much
45) I love it at home, with Ducky.
46) The last movie I saw in a movie theatre was Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull
47) I think the last movie before that was Second Hand Lions.
48) I told you I don’t get out much.
49) For vacation this year I think we are going to Vegas
50) a reunion of sorts for the people from my childhood neighborhood
51) You know how I say friends are gifts we give ourselves?
52) This year I gave myself the gift of renewed friendships
53) Such as Pammy, the girl who grew up the street from me
54) People are songs to me
55) Pammy is three songs: Angel on my Shoulder, Something Stupid, and Never On A Sunday.
56) And I am lucky she doesn’t remember what a bitch I was as a kid.
57) Last summer I put a courtyard around our hot tub.
58) This summer I have to pull it up and redo it….
59) There are so many waves in it you could hang ten on the south forty.
60) Last year I started a Teen Volunteer program at our local hospital
61) Five months later I may have our first teen volunteer
62) The speed of some progress is five slph (slug lengths per hour)
63) I may give up patience as my only virtue.
64) I am addicted to over the counter sleep aids.
65) Sad, but true, and I’m not likely to kick the habit soon
66) Addiction free lack of sleep is highly overrated.
67) I can get more work done on a Saturday air-shift when no one is there
68) Than in a whole day at work Monday through Friday.
69) Again folks, my name yelled loudly does not mean, “Come here quick my computer in put isn’t out computing.”
70) I cut my own hair
71) I burn out on hobbies
72) Except gardening, it appears.
73) My favorite flower is the Nasturtium and all it’s viney glory.
74) Jane Austin rocks
75) So does Duffy, Jason Mraz, and Five for Fighting
76) But Crosby, Still, Nash, and Sometimes Young
77) Is my favorite group
78) Followed by Cat Stevens.
79) I buy a minimum nine boxes of Girl Scout Cookies a year
80) One for each year I was in scouting
81) My favorites are Samoas.
82) I once had a monkey.
83) I phone flirt (everyone tells me so.)
84) I love deeply and forever
85) I can’t hold a grudge
86) Crap, I don’t want to hold a grudge.
87) I do at least two Suduko puzzles a day
88) Sometimes up to five or six
89) My best friend in childhood was my radio
90) As a child my half of the bedroom was immaculate; my sister’s really, really not so.
91) Today she is a better house-keeper than me.
92) Once, long ago, I was a negative personality
93) Not anymore (thank you husband number two)
94) Now I strive to always be cheerful and glorious
95) Some people find this grating – others love it.
96) You can’t please some people at all
97) But I still try.
98) In my fifties I am becoming a clothes horse
99) But all my shoes are still black
100) except my moccasins.
101) Wow, I only mentioned snakes once, that is truly progress.

Sith,
Cele

Winter Folk Festival, A Deux – er Part II

It had been my intent to write this post two weeks ago, right after the Winter Folk Festival. In it’s ninth year the festival brings together folk musicians, folk music enthusiast, folk crafters, and usually food.

Now I’m not sure what dog biscuits have to do with folk things, but I bought some great wheat and corn free all natural dog biscuits. Arlo has this bad, infection creating allergy to most things grain, i.e. wheat, corn, soy. Paws Nurti Bones Peanut Butter Shortbread are made of organic brown ice and tapioca flours, peanut butter, baking powder, mangosteen juice. Now I’m not sure what mangosteen juice is, but Arlo loved the biscuits. I’d missed picking them up Saturday, so Ducky and I made sure to hit the stand before the Sunday show. If you’re interested in wheat and corn free dog biscuits, she ships – she doesn’t have a website, but I have her email.

Saturday’s Winter Folk Festival headliner had been Tom Paxton who will receive the 2009 Lifetime Achievement award this month from the recording academy. Sunday’s was Barry McGuire and Tom York (formerly of the Byrds) Trippin’ the Sixties. McGuire had come to the Winter Folk Festival a few years ago as a member of The New Christy Minstrels, I’d always enjoyed McGuire, but this show turned me into a near McGuire-esque groupie. So imagine my delight at his show.

I cried from the opening notes, knowing the words to every song, but one. I can’t remember what song that was, I think something by Tim Hardin, but which, no clue.
He opened with Green Green weaving a story about himself, his music, his friends, their music, the stories behind each song, about the drug/music life style of the 1960s, and the politics of the nation. He wove them together in a musical tapestry that dug deep into my heart and moved me back to my early teens. A time when most of a generation was moved to public action, believed in giving of themselves, volunteering, speaking out, and believed in something. He spoke about the friends he had that died far too early. It was a magical afternoon.

That Sunday afternoon McGuire said his most famous song (one he doesn’t receive royalties for anymore) was as relevant today as it was in the sixties. Maybe more so.

The Eve of Destruction



He rewrote and rerecorded this updated version – he does not perform this version in his show

Eve of Destruction 2012



Monday morning at work we were talking about the weekend, the music, the concerts when one of the guys (our morning DJ) made a comment that will have me shaking my head for years to come. And I paraphrase, “It was too political. Left wing politics, why do they have to throw politics into it and ruin the music?” Yes, this was a child of the sixties, he apparently didn’t get the note.

I looked at him in shock and said, “Dude, it’s folk music, it’s politically driven.”

He said, “No it’s not. Example, songs like Blowing In The Wind, Tom Dooley, and MTA.

Really, he said that.

Sith,
Cele

2009 Winter Folk Festival – pt I.

Every January my town celebrates Folk Music. I love Folk Music (which is why I use caps, where no caps should be) I LOVE FOLK MUSIC. I am not an authority, I do not know all Folk Music, but what I know I love.

My mother and I made a day of it, okay really it was just half a day- but it counts. We started with lunch out, fish and chips at the Beachcomber—Lovejoys was closed (bummer.) And then it was onto the Florence Events Center for folk arts, folk crafts, and great Folk Music.

I make sure I take in this festival every year for two reasons, yes as I said the great Folk Music, but also for birthday shopping. I usually find the best little birthday presents there. But not this year, the kewl things I found, I had found in 2006. So no neat birthday presents from there for this year. But, the music wow.

Mom and I wandered the booths peaking and seeing, and the entire time I could hear great music coming from the theatre speakers, I was anxious to get inside and listen. After deciding which booths we needed to hit after the music we went inside to hear Calaveras. Sadly we were too late to get more than three songs, but oh were they worth it.

The second to the last song of their set took me totally by surprise. In truth I can’t remember what came before or after in their set for the second to the last song was – simply amazing. The song was about relationships that are parted by the conclusion of life on this plane and the sweet belief we shall be reunited on another.

In a clear voice she (Victoria Blythe) began singing…

“I am standing on the edge of the water…”

Chills swept up my back, goose bumps raised with the hair on my arms, my heart swelled, and my tears flooded quietly over the brim.

“And I am watching the wild birds fill the skyAnd I am longing to be lifted up among themI am not dying I’m getting ready to fly.”

In the dark theatre tears silent ran down my cheeks before my fingers could wipe them all away. The clear notes of their voices raised up to the rafters and I thought my mom would shake her head when she found out I was crying. But as the song finished I turned to her and said, “That is what I love about Folk Music it grabs you by the heart and answers something in your soul.” It was with those words I saw my mom (I think for the first time in my life) crying.

She looked at me, as she wiped away her own tears, and in a voice choking on tears she said, “I could just see your dad, free flying with the birds just as he loved.” I am pretty certain the song haunted her well into the night.

Sadly I could find recordings of the song, but no video to share with you. Visit Calaveras on their MySpace webpage, Ready to Fly is the second song on their playlist.

http://www.calaverassongs.com/music-2.html

Sith,
Cele

Playing for Change

This evening as I gathered music news for tomorrow's airshift, I made my usual stop at Rolling Stone's Rock Daily and found this great clip.

Ben E. King never intended to record Stand By Me the world would be a less soulful place had he not. The song paid him back by becoming his biggest hit. Stand by Me hit number one in 1961 and has long since gone gold. It reappeared in the top ten again, this time in 1986 when it was featured in the film of the same name. I think the Playing for Change version does it heart warming, toe tapping, sing a long justice. And it's a partner of RedWire. I hope you enjoy.



Sith, and toe tapping
Cele

Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

Being female allots me those days where I can be emotional. Days where Hallmark and long distance call commercials tend to make me sob at the drop of a hankie. It just gets worse in menopause and there’s not enough chocolate in the world to make it better.

Tonight, Tuesday, as is the norm it is quiet. Ducky stays off the highway (ergo he’s in Eugene), the house is quiet, and I am compiling my Wednesday Links. Because I listen to music all day long at work, I tend to not (despite a great collection of cds) to play anything that would disturb the quiet at home. But today was one of those days. At 11:26 I had programmed in John Flynn’s Dover into my rotation, the song rips my heart out. So there I sit at 11:30 with tears clogging both my throat and eyes, and an interview to do on-air. The best laid plans of mice and me. So tonight the quiet was quite loud and I went looking for a CD to pop into the ROM. David Bowie won’t cut it, Matchbox Twenty’s in the truck, and well the hell is my Jason Mraz?

So instead of rocking out I opt for the Brothers Four. You know me, I love folk. First I bounce around with Tie Me Kangaroo Down, then Whiskey in the Jar comes on and I think of my daughter Psam (no she’s not into the whiskey jar – but she’s probably the only person I know who use to collect versions of Whiskey in the Jar then played it for her toddler.) Then right after a rousing rendition of Woody Guthrie’s This Land Is Your Land (which makes me think of my grandson – who knows most of the words – LOUDLY) the Brothers Four prelude the next cut with, and I quote, “Many times there are perfect songs for the perfect time. This song is probably more perfect now than for any time, we wish peace to the world” and then they began playing Pete Seeger’s Where Have All The Flowers Gone? And I began to cry for the world. They sang in beautiful four-part harmony, in rounds of glorious words, heartbreak, hope, and the circuits of time.

Someone please pass the friggin’ chocolate.

At this moment of my writing the current death toll in Bush’s face saving War for oil, er I mean the battle against Terrorism (if it’s against terrorism how come Bush and Chaney are still in office, and not incarcerated somewhere? And where will they hold the war crimes trials against them? Crawford, Texas seems appropriate we could send the idiot back to his village.)

American deaths: 4109
Iraqi deaths: Between 85,153 & 92,883 (there is no official count – because apparently no one deems this important)

The cost in American dollars: $531,154,284,979.00 (but that was like so yesterday)

Below is a related item from the Iraq War Coalition Casualty website

They have this great ticker that I could not get to work on my site, so I STOLE the info for you from the ticker...

Rumsfeld 01 / 2003 The war: "Something under $50 billion for the cost."
· Fact: Now over $531 billion. Every year costs more

Rumsfeld 02 / 2003 "The war: "It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months."
· Fact:Insurgency could go for 12 years. –Rumsfeld, '05.

Wolfowitz 03 / 2003 I think it'll go relatively quickly, …
Weeks rather than months.
·Fact: Iraq war: as long as WWII on this Nov. 24th.

Bush 05 / 2003 Iraq: "can really finance its own reconstruction
· Fact: We paid for it, and the lights go out 16 hours/day.

Bush 05 / 2003 "Good news to the men and women who fought ... their mission is complete.
· Fact: Over 2500 Americans have died since then.

Bush 07 / 2003 Some feel like they can attack us -- bring 'em on.
· Fact: Tough talk … sent the wrong signal. –Bush, '06

Rumsfeld 07 / 2003 I don't do quagmires.
· Fact: Troop cuts? Maybe spring 2007. –Gen. Abizaid

Bush 11 / 2003 We've reached another great turning point.
· Fact: Insurgents "expanding attacks." —Gen. Abizaid

Cheney 06 / 2004 Two days ahead of schedule, the world witnessed the arrival of a free and sovereign Iraq.
· Fact: 'Ahead' and secret — afraid of insurgents.

Bush 01 / 2005 Tomorrow the world will witness a turning point in the history of Iraq.
· Fact: More ties to Iran—Shiite extremists elected.

Rumsfeld 02 / 2005 On January 30th in Iraq, the world witnessed ... a major turning point.Tomorrow the world will witness a turning point in the history of Iraq.
· Fact: Iraqi casualties up: 51 before, 58/day after. –DOD

Cheney 05 / 2005 They're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.
· Fact: Not so. –Abizaid 12 more years. –Rumsfeld

Bush 05 / 2005 You got to keep repeating things over and over and over ... to kind of catapult the propaganda.
· Fact: Bush's most repeated phrase is — "I repeat..."

Bush 12 / 2005 This will be recorded as a turning point in the history of Iraq ... and the history of freedom.
· Fact: After 2005, sectarian incidents up 500%. –DOD

Cheney 12 / 2005 The elections were the turning point. … 2005 was the turning point.
· Fact: Election caused sectarian violence upturn. –DIA

Cheney 03 / 2006 Q: Do you still believe the insurgency is in its final throes? Cheney: Yes.
· Fact: Insurgency strong, potent, viable. –DOD –GAO

Bush 05 / 2006 This is a turning point for the Iraqi people.
· Fact: More ties to Iran Shiite Prime-Minister elected.

Bush 05 / 2006 We have now reached a turning point in the struggle between freedom and terror.
· Fact: 42% increase in Iraqis killed.

Cheney 09 / 2006 If we had to do it over again we would do exactly the same thing.
· Fact: Iraq fuels jihad. —All US Intelligence !

Mind Numbing, thank you Zfacts

I do pray for peace for the world. November can't come fast enough.
Sith,
Cele

John Flynn and Dover

It’s Talk Thursday and I’m suppose to be writing about “The Fiery Place”. I thought and thought and can’t think of a fiery place. But stay tuned, it could happen.

In my job I get to meet great, I mean really interesting people. This afternoon I interviewed, and was given the appropriate serenade ONAIR ah, the life of a DJ is hard, by an awesome singer songwriter, who before last week I’d never heard of.

Singer Songwriter John Flynn was dressed appropriately in black and carried a well-traveled guitar case in his left hand. And when I say well traveled I mean a beat up, water stained case stuck many times over with fragile stickers that the airlines apparently failed to read on several occasions. His smile was lovely, his grip nice, and his butt is a topic for another log. He opened the case, while wondering aloud if he should have checked it before leaving the terminal, the airlines are kind of hard on equipment. He pulled the guitar out of the case, strapped it one, and began tuning it up over queries and small talk.

Normally interviews are about ten minutes long, sometimes five if the interviewee is boring, talentless, or stinks. John Flynn was none of the above, the interview ran a good twenty minutes or so and included two songs. I love a man that sings to me. He is friends with Kris Kristopherson, Arlo Gutherie (you know the guy my dog is named after), and Willie Nelson. He’s written for some of the biggest names in the music industry, and he is incredibly down to earth. He is one of the few sincere people I’ve ever met who truly walks the talk.

He sang this song for me…er and my listeners. The acoustics were much better on air. Dover is his latest cut from his Two Wolves CD. This song gives me chills and tears in my eyes.



You can find out more about John Flynn and his beautiful music at www.johnflynn.net or at his myspace page where you can listen to more.

Sith,
Cele