Category Archives: Living well

Music wraps my soul in a blanket of peace

I’ve spent a considerable amount of time (about 20 years) away from the airwaves of contemporary music.

I’ve enjoyed brief stints with bands like Spin Doctors and Smash Mouth.  But mostly I was immersed in the world of Raffi and Jungle Jam and Veggie Tales.

Then suddenly my youngest is 15 and I realize I have no idea what sort of music is out there anymore.   I had had  brief contact with band names that made me scratch my head  (Death Cab for Cutie?  Decemberists ? Imagine Dragons?).

I have recently been branching out and searching for bands that I like.   Truly didn’t expect to find so many.

Thanks to my closest friend,   my young facebook friends,  and Pandora   I’ve made some pleasing discoveries.

My number one favorite is Mumford & Sons.  There is not one song that I fast forward.  Not one.   Yes, they do drop the occasional “F-bomb”…I survive because their lyrics are rich with the deeper stuff of life.   Their songs contain lines like, “If only I had an enemy bigger than my apathy, I could have won.”    or how about “It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart…but the welcome I receive with the restart”  ( “Roll Away Your Stone” dig the banjo!).

This video is missing keyboardist, Ben.   Here’s one with all four of these amazing musicians.    Awake My Soul.   Favorite lyric: ” How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes. I struggle to find any truth in your lies. “

ahhh…  never get tired of them.

Another lesser-known band is Needtobreathe.  In my heart,  a very close second to Mumford & Sons.

Outsiders.   Favorite lyric, “Just ’cause I’m wrong it don’t make you right.”

Why am I telling you this?

Because I figure there are others of you out there who are ready to find some good tunes.

Lastly:  This one is fun.

 

Buh-bye Merlin.

Remember Merlin?  The Chihuahua?

It didn’t work out.

I’m heartsick over it.

The poor little guy was just too damaged.  He would not warm up enough to even mildly trust the men in my household.

I had to be out of town for 12 days and it was necessary for Batman to assume primary caretaking responsibilities.  Merlin simply could not handle it.

We did learn some important things about him to help his chances of getting adopted again (and this time permanently).

He is trainable  and willing to please…as long as there are no adult males present.   He simply cannot function when there is an adult male nearby.

Did I mention how heartsick this makes me?

I had fallen in love with the little dude.   He was so sweet.  He loved music.   He wasn’t yappy.    *sigh*

hold me

So, I actually DID turn 50 someplace warm!

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

My birthday started with sunrise just outside our condo in Punaluu, HI.

Me.  A cup of hot tea. The glorious sounds of the waves and a breathtaking view.

I had hoped my family would enjoy it with me.

They would have if I hadn’t been out earlier and believed that it was just too cloudy for a good sunrise.

Batman had actually gotten up and was getting ready to come out when I went in and told him about the disappointing clouds.    Then I went back out…just in case.   That’s when I noticed the little sliver of light on the horizon.

I thought about running back in.  Yet didn’t want to miss a second.   So, I was granted the honor of this private moment of splendor.   I did take pictures.

They pale.

The real thing was stunning.   Tears welled up.   They were a mixture of bliss and humility.  Awe and reverence.

That moment will stay with me forever.

One of the best birthday gifts…ever.

 

 

Dear Internet, It’s not me. It’s you.

You are wasting my life.

You are teaching people (me, included)  how to be openly caustic to one another without the possibility of any consequence for their hasty (and often ill-informed ) words.

You are creating a whole lot of busy-bodies who spend way too much time barfing out opinions  like Pez candies.

You are making it commonplace for me to sit around opining about the choices of other people whose lives are nothing like my own  and  I am supposed to feel comfortable evaluating their motives with abandon.

I do not like who you’ve encouraged me to be.

I’m taking my personal code of ethics back in hand and I refuse to let you pressure me  (or lull me) with the mantra of “everybody’s doing it”.

I don’t care.

I’m done with you!  (Did you hear my foot stamp?!)

Well…  hold on a second.

*clears throat and shifts in seat uncomfortably*

I’m not entirely done with you, sir.

I still have fun blogging and visiting with friends on Facebook Groups I belong to.

I’m just refusing to let you make me feel obligated to fill my days with YOU, Mister Internet.

Okay,   there’s  Pinterest.   You did good there.   Thank you for that.

But seriously.

You cannot control me any more.

Got it?

I’m gonna go back outside and finish turning the old vegetable garden into a shade garden (and photographic evidence will be shared).

I WILL  figure out how to make a string garden.

Tea cakes will be baked!

Life will be lived more fully.

You have been notified!