"Bits and Pieces" (update)

Just little bits of this and a few pieces of that....

I should have started writing this earlier but as always time gets away from me.  This needs to have a September 9 date/  I think I have finally figured out how to make Blogger post the date I want rather, than the actual date, we'll see.  Anyway, a bunch of stuff today.

1.  Today, September 9, is the 89th anniversary of my mother's birth.  She would have been 89 today.  She left us in November 11 six years ago.  Even though it's been six years, I think about her a lot and I keep thinking, "I wish I could ask or tell Mom ______; she would know, or remember, or enjoy."  There is a lot of family history that no one knows anymore.  Her stories and experiences and memories gave me an appreciation of life in the 1930s and 1940s.  Mainly, though I just miss her.  She could make me laugh and she always laughed when I tried to be funny.  She was loving, and generous, and fun.  Sometimes even an old girl (like me) really needs her Mom! 

Mom, me, and Little Sis - 1963

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2.  Last night I had the opportunity to see Michael Feinstein in concert.  It was, I believe, the 4th or 5th time, I've seen him perform in person.  He is a wonderful musician, pianist, singer, and teller of tales.  He is the living repository of the great songs from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s (and beyond).  My mom would have loved it, that was "her" music and she probably knew every song he sang! (I only knew about 2/3 of them!)   Last night the program was an all-Sinatra celebration.  Frank Sinatra recorded hundreds of great songs and many became strongly identified with him.  He worked with all the great songwriters of that period and there were LOTS of them and they were very prolific.  It's the kind of music you can actually sing and understand.  The songs are like memories of your life.  Feinstein did a great job.  He worked with an 18 piece swing orchestra made up of local musicians that came together just for this event.  They sounded every bit as good as the Dorsey, Goodman, or Whiteman orchestras from back in the day!  (I guess they don't call Austin the Music Capital of the World for nothing!)  Feinstein has the kind of talent that I would love to have even a little piece of.  He just sits at the piano (or stands at the mike) and lets those old songs rip!  And believe me, there wasn't a soul there who wasn't tapping a foot or swaying and enjoying every note he sang! 

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3.  Tomorrow night (Saturday) will be another music night.  This time it will be the Austin Girls Choir starring Maddie-the-Great!   (Well, ok....she's not really the star to anyone but us, still...)  It's the first concert of this school year.  Looking forward to hearing them again.  They may not be as talented as Sinatra or Feinstein, but you can be pretty sure that these girls enjoy singing almost as much as Ol' blue Eyes ever did!

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4.  Can you stand yet another weather update??  (If not, skip ahead, it's ok!)  Well, the temperatures have dropped a lot from 2 weeks ago!  Highs have only been in the 90s and lows are now dropping into the 50s at night!  But we still have no rain!!  Austin's total rainfall for the year is currently 16"-20" BELOW normal!  And there is no end in sight.  But at least most of the fires are either under control or out completely!  Of course, what comes next for those areas is clean-up, rebuilding, and recovery.  Certainly not an easy task.  I am very grateful we were never in any real danger and all those who were less fortunate and were caught in the conflagration have my heartfelt condolences over their losses.  The worst of it is, of course, that until we get some serious rain and the drought ends, things just keep getting drier and drier, so wildfire danger is just as bad as it was before the fires.  We haven't unpacked our papers and photos and things and we won't till that danger has moderated significantly!


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5.  The other day I wrote about feeling blue over my lack of commenters and questionning if I should just quit writing.   Well, I got some lovely responses, all pretty much saying they enjoy my blog and I should continue.   After everyone's kind words, I am pumped up enough to keep on keeping on!  I want to clarify however,  I absolutely understand how overwhelmed one can get when following a lot of blogs.  Reading and commenting on everything is impossible and can really use up a lot of time.  I do NOT expect anyone to comment every day or about every post.  A lot of it doesn't require a comment or deserve one!!

The people I don't understand are the ones who sign up as followers but have never visited again!  They never read or commented after their first visit!  If they aren't interested in what I write, why did they sign up??  I'm not looking to inflate my followers for advertising income (I don't have ads.)  I don't try to sell anything to anyone so there is nothing to buy.  I don't have contests or giveaways (mainly because I don't understand how they work, and besides I'm not trying to bribe people to read my blog.)  I'm not too interested in the "If you follow me, I'll follow you" kind of exchange. 

If I like a blog, I will follow it.  I will read it pretty regularly.  I will comment when I have something to say.  I don't follow people so that they follow me back.  The only kind of followers I want are those who want to read what I have to say!   The kind that will comment from time to time if I hit on something that strikes a chord in them! 

I love having followers and readers who have some type of reaction to the words I type!  I love that they come back occasionally or regularly.   I'd love it even more if they would say something now and then, just to keep it from getting too quiet around here, you know??

I would be extremely remiss if I did not publicly thank my very good blogger friends who hastened to assure me that it's not just me!  They individually wrote some lovely things and boosted my bruised little ego back to the point where I'm out of the downward spiral.

I'm grateful to Mona, Jim, Laurie, Manzanita, Theresa,  Beth and Sandy!  You guys are the BEST!!