"That's The Way I Remember It"

As I'm getting older (as we all are) I'm finding that my memory of past events is not as clear as it once was.  I used to be able to remember conversations verbatim, I'd remember an entire event from start to finish, I'd remember family stories and history pretty clearly....at least I think I did!  The sad truth is that I can't do that anymore.  I'm not concerned that it is senility or dementia creeping up, I just think my mind is too full of "stuff" gathered over a lifetime!

My memories have always been important to me.  I suppose that's true of a lot of people, but I have always been aware that my past can explain who I am today.  I've always understood that some events are life-altering while others are trivial, mundane, and pretty much dull as dishwater!  But you never know when a memory will pop out of your psyche and serve to clarify or help you understand something that is happening in your life in the present.

For instance.....

As you probably know, I grew up in a couple of small towns in Florida.  They were both slow-paced, quiet little towns that were pretty typical of their time.  There weren't any "big" stores in either town, the biggest stores in town were grocery stores.  Of course, the "big" chains didn't exist back then.  No Targets, no K-Marts, no Wal-Marts, and no enormous shopping malls either.  Cities, both large and small, had a "downtown" where most of the commerce and retail businesses were located.  There might have been a "Dime Store" like Woolworths or McCory's but not in the towns where I lived.  What we had were family-owned drug stores, an independent department store, a dress shop or two, a couple of shoe stores, a stationer's, a kids' store carrying everything from clothes to toys to schools supplies for the infant to teenage set.  There might have been a restaurant or two, a post office, insurance companies, banks, and a movie theater.  It met our needs and we had no real complaints.

There were several bigger towns within a drive of only an hour or two.  We and most everyone we knew would make regular but not all that frequent visits to one of those towns (like West Palm Beach, or Tampa, or Orlando) a couple of times a year.  We'd make those trips for back to school, Christmas and other holiday shopping. summertime shopping, and any special occasion that required something new to wear, or a nice gift, or something specific like sports equipment or furniture.

There were catalog stores for the in-between kinds of things and we all used Sears, or "Monkey Wards", or Spiegel's.  The "dream books" came out twice a year plus a special one for Christmas, and for families such as mine (above the poverty line, but nowhere near wealthy!)  Those catalogs did, in fact, allow us to dream.  But everything purchased through the catalog certainly fit into the category of delayed gratification.  You would place your order (by mail!) and wait (and wait and wait, at least it seemed like that to a young girl waiting for her new school clothes!) and finally the package from Sears (or whomever) would arrive....always with some successes and a couple of failures (it didn't fit, the color was awful, the shoes were ugly, etc., etc.).  The returns or exchanges (also all done by mail) were difficult and annoying but there was no other choice.  The catalogs provided access to all sorts of things that were affordable (of huge importance) and that you couldn't find in small towns like mine.

For the day to day things, though, you accepted the lack of variety, limited items, and higher prices and shopped locally.  At least you did when you could!  For one of the other aspects of life in the South in those days (prior to about 1965), was that the stores that you did have in your small town were not open all the time!  Most retail establishments were open Monday through Friday (or Saturday), usually from about 8 until 5.  In addition, they closed on Wednesday afternoons and sometimes Saturday afternoons.  Nothing was open on Sunday except a few restaurants, a gas station or two, and all the churches!  I imagine that one could find bread or milk or a few such items in a gas station, I really don't remember for sure, but for the most part the limited hours were universal.  As I recall the drug stores had posted phone numbers in case of a pharmacy emergency, but I don't think we ever had one.  Still, it was available for those who did.  And NOTHING much was open on a holiday....even the "lesser" holidays like Labor Day or Memorial Day.

This situation meant that you had to plan ahead!  You had to make sure that your trips to the grocery store were complete.  If you needed something for Sunday night, you had darn well better get it by Saturday or you wouldn't get it at all!  I think it was those kinds of situations that led to the stereotypical "borrowing a cup of sugar" that we all did from time to time.

"That's the Way I Remember It" and it worked just fine!

About a year or so before I moved from Florida back to Chicago (where there were VERY different retail practices),  A few of the retail establishments in the small town where we were living began to stay open until 8:00 pm on Thursday evenings!  Oh my word, that was an amazing concession to the fact that not every one had free time during daylight hours to accomplish their shopping.  Those extra three hours felt like such a gift!  I truly believe that this change came about for the convenience of their customers, NOT for the profit or benefit of the store's coffers!  Nevertheless, it was the beginning of the end.

Before long stores began staying open every evening, even Saturdays; and then open a few hours on Sundays....SUNDAYS!  Then all day on Sundays.  Then REALLY late before Christmas (shopping at midnight?  Yep, I guess so!)  And then there were stores that began staying open 24 hours a day (the big box stores mainly, but not exclusively!)  Then most stores staying open, at least for a while, on the lesser holidays and soon we arrived at where we are today....there are generally only two days a year where the majority of stores are still closed -- Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Everything was Closed for the Holiday!

And now Wal-Mart is causing a flap by deciding to open their stores on Thanksgiving Day. The reality is that this has been coming for a loooong time.  The reality is that there atr  people who will go to shop there on Thanksgiving.  The reality is that eventually even Christmas will become a "shopping day".  The reality is that some people don't celebrate those holidays and to them they are just another day.  The reality is that Wal-Mart will stay open no matter how much of an outcry there is because the reality is that as long as people are willing to go there and spend money, more and more retailers will put aside their "principles" and open their doors to capture every penny that their customers are willing to spend.  The reality is that the 1950s are long gone and the world never goes into reverse.

And as for the employees of those retailers who have to work on those holidays, well, that's a shame but ministers and doctors and wait staffs and the police and firefighters and pilots and bus drivers and thousands of others have been doing it for YEARS!

The final reality is that if you don't approve of stores being open on Thanksgiving (or eventually Christmas), don't go there!   Spend your money another day!  It's really up to us, you know....

A Cappella

Well, this has been a heck of a week. Boston, Waco, Congress, Politics, the ongoing debate (or lack thereof) on gun control, abortion, the economy....all in turmoil.   Actually, it has seemed as it the whole country has been in turmoils since the elections back in November and then the shootings in Sandy Hook  in December.  It is possible that life in America (and perhaps the world)  has always been in turmoil, humans being the creatures they are, but in this day and age, it is nearly impossible for anything of any import to occur without the whole world knowing about it instantly.  We practically see things as they are happening and in fact, the bombings at the Boston Marathon were, I believe, actually broadcast as they occurred due to the proximity of the bombings to the finish line and, thus, the media and cameras that were located there.

Not only do we have continuous broadcast coverage on TV, Facebook (and Twitter and texting too, I suppose) has become a "man in the street" of sorts giving everyone who is part of Facebook a soapbox to throw in their information, opinions, rumors, gossip, reactions, and over-reactions instantly.

I don't know about you, but all this information floating around gets to the point where I find it overwhelming.  It becomes difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff, the true from the untrue, the fact from fiction. As you can clearly see by reading some of the comments related to any even vaguely controversial subject or opinion, Facebook provides a medium for the trolls to spill their vitriol and stupidity about anything.

All that adds up to more overwhelming and upsetting view of almost any topic that shows up.  It keeps us all on edge.

For years and years, I purposely did not read a newspaper or even watch TV news with any regularity.  I found it depressing and upsetting. I just didn't want to hear nothing but bad news.   I figured that if anything truly important happened, I would hear about it sooner or later.  I wasn't terribly well-informed, but I sure was less stressed by the state of the world.  The Internet has pretty much taken  away our ability to filter our intake of and exposure to the news of the day.  You hear about everything and you hear everyone else's opinion about everything and you realize that the probability of more than two people having exactly the same opinion on any subject matter is slim to none.  And everybody wants to say exactly why their own opinion is better than every one else's ....Ad nauseum!

Through Facebook, you also realize that there are a huge number of people out there  who are either purposely outrageous, vicious, and frightening or there are a huge number of very seriously disturbed people in our world!   You can say anything at all, you can lie, you can libel anyone (or slander, I can never remember which is which), you can exaggerate, you can insult, you can be cruel and awful, you can say the most horrible things....and no one can stop you!  You can write whatever you want with complete impunity!  No newspaper, magazine, television, or radio news program could get away with such tactics; but individuals can and do, on a daily basis.  This outrageousness stirs the pot and makes it really difficult to know what to believe about anything.

It should be freedom of speech at its finest, but it isn't!  In fact, way too often, it isn't even close!

To tell you the truth, it's beginning to scare the hell out of me!

"I Don't Want to Mention Any Names"

Don't you just love it when a name is witty, clever, and/or cute?  I am not, of course, speaking of people's names.  Who wants to be named Ima Hogg or Ura Hogg??  (They were real people!  Seriously!)  Yes, it's a clever word play, but not really nice at all!  Certainly not a nice thing to do to your children!

There are other areas however, where word play leads to a name of a business, (or a book, or a color) a real delight for those of us who love words and the use of them.

The very first time I remember  encountering a real-life cleverly named business was back in Chicago around 1972 or so.  (I'm sure they existed before then, but this was the first business I actually SAW that made me laugh out loud.  It was a hair salon on North Clark St. and was called "Curl Up and Dye."  I was driving by one day and saw it.  I had to pull over, I was laughing so hard!  Since that time I have come across the name in multiple places but to me, that's where it came from and all the rest are copy cats!

Since that time I've seen lots of other business with witty monikers.  I can't help but giggle when I see The Enchanted Florist, or Wok and Roll, or Cutie Pie!  Those are real businesses here in  Austin.  There are many others (that I can't think of right now) in Austin, after all "Keep Austin Weird" is more than a slogan!

The most recent one I saw was for an online retailer.  The name was "Ottoman Empire"  and they sell....ottomans and footstools!!  That is subtle and clever and effective!   Now if it's too subtle for you, just Google The Ottoman Empire for the "real" definition.

There is another online site that I came across recently called Mod Cloth.  They sell clothes (no surprise there!), but each dress is given a name.  And they really play around to come up with creative names.  They make me smile a lot....sometimes I even giggle!  For instances....

*  Light brown summer dress??      Safari the Eye Can See
*  A raincoat??                              Waterway to Go
* A romantic black top??               I'm in Louvre!
*  A Polka Dot dress??                 Dot a Worry in the World
*  A party dress??                         Master of My Fete!
*  A Printed Tee w/ 2 giraffes??     Neck and Neck
*  A bright orange dress??             Tender Loving Carrot
*  Swirly dress for dancing??         Outside the Box Step


And my personal favorite (so far)???


*A light weight short coat???        Hit the Bricks, Jack(et)!!   





Don't you just love it!??  Their clothes are cute too!  
Here's a link:   http://www.modcloth.com/  
 (Sorry, you have to cut and paste, for some reason my computer doesn't like to paste in links!  I'm probably doing it wrong!)

Keep Palm and Carry On Leggings
$27.99

I was going to write about some Nail Polish Colors and Names of Books (particularly mysteries), but that would probably be overkill.   I'll save those for another day.

Besides it is raining cats and dogs complete with lightening and very LOUD thunder.  I think it's time for me to get the heck off the computer!

"Things I Couldn't Say" ( aka Dear So and So)\

So today is Friday, and you know what that means!!  It's time to post a new batch of "Things I Couldn't Say" or Dear So and So.....because there are a few things I'd really like to have corrected please.  For instance....


Dear Writers Who Self Publish,

I have previously expressed my dissatisfaction with several things that go along with a Kindle e-reader, so you know that I am not and unqualified fan.  I like reading on the Kindle, its easy.  I like carrying the Kindle instead of big ol' heavy hardcover books, its easy.  I like being able to download several books to have choices at my beck and call, its easy (except for the navigating part....but that's a different rant altogether).  Because I am basically unwilling to pay more than $5-10 for a book on the Kindle (it must be a generational thing....even though I have access to the book, I do not feel that I have something actually in my possession), I find myself looking for things for $2 and under, which leads me to the free books and the $.99 books....and those frequently turn out to be works that have been self-published by their authors.

I can certainly understand the lure of making your book, or novella, or whatever available to the masses without having to deal with a publishing company.  Going directly to the consumer must seem so easy in comparison.

Unfortunately, however, the problem with not going through a publishing company is that although  you don't have to deal with the hassle, you don't get any of the services either....like EDITORS, or PROOF READERS, or HONEST CRITIQUES of your work.

Independently published e-books are almost always filled with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, incorrect or missing citations of factual information, poor punctuation, uninteresting sentence structure, etc.  Some, of course, are worse than others, but really, would it be that much of  a problem to work with an freelance editor or hire a proof reader so that your book is not an insult to the intelligence of your readers?    I am speaking here of the nuts and bolts of the actual writing.  I am a fast reader, but even at my speed all those errors practically jump off the page, yelling, "Hey, look at me!  I'm a doozy of a mistake!  Did you see this one???"  They are like road blocks that bring things to a grinding halt while we try to figure out what you were TRYING to say!

As to the content, writing ability, plots, characters, plausibility, structure, and so on....well, all I can say to most of you is...."Did you ever consider that all those publishers who declined to publish  your book, just might have turned it down for a very good reason???

I'm sorry, but just because you can type up a 10,000 word manuscript that your mother and your BFF like, doesn't mean you are actually a "writer".

Disgruntled,
Mel

************

Dear Amazon,

May I draw your attention to the above letter, please?  Does anyone have any control over books that show up in your inventory of e-books??  And if not, why not??  Most of these self-published works are so badly written that they are painful to read, much less finish. 

I think you owe it to your customers to provide information on the ebooks you sell.  It would be very helpful to see annotations such as  Unedited, Self-published, Short Novella, Christian perspective, or whatever so we know what we are buying. 

Self-published books used to be known as Vanity Press,  Even though there is no paper involved anymore, its pretty much the same thing.
Disappointed,
Mel

***********

Dear M-t-G,

I know that you are going to  audition for next year's Middle School Orchestra this Saturday.  Try not to be too nervous, sweetie.  Just play your violin the way you have done at your recitals.  You can do it!!  All they are really trying to learn is the level you are playing at, so they can put you into the right group.  You will be fine!!  Really!

With love,
Grammy

************

Dear Hammacher-Schlemmer,

My hat is off to you (if I was wearing a hat), you have outdone yourselves.  Your catalog has always contained unusual and strange merchandise that one would never expect to find.  I was very happy with the genuine Irish Shillelagh that I purchased for the Big Guy at Christmas, and the Christmas Popper orchestra was a big hit at our family's Christmas Day gathering.

But this time you have something truly unique, a one-of-a-kind, penultimate gift that could only be desired by an extremely discriminating buyer.  I commend your staff for offering this incredible piece of American History for sale in the open market.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  

......For those of you who don't receive the Hammacher-Schlemmer catalog, the item being offered is unbelievable.  Really!  It is a genuine (though never used) , PT boat from WWII!!  The PT Boat was built in 1945, but was never commissioned to sea.  (I think the war ended before that could happen).

It is in perfect working order, is sea-worthy, and contains all of its original armaments (disabled, of course).  It is being offered for the tidy sum of  1,000,000 American Dollars!  (There was no mention made of any additional charges for Shipping and Handling!)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

 Anchors Aweigh!
 Mel

************

Dear Kia Dealer,

You remember a couple of weeks ago when I made several appearances at your Service Dept, with a "Check Engine" light that wouldn't stay off?  Well, guess what??  It's back on....again!!!

Consequently,  I'll see you tomorrow!  Get ready!

Repeatedly,
Mel

**************

Dear Blogland,

http://3bedroombungalow.blogspot.com/ ), hook up with her Linky and add your own! It's a great way to blow off steam, and you can read lots of other letters even grumpier than mine!!

Your friend,
Mel

"Poetry in Motion"

Yesterday in one of my Dear So and So letters, I asked the question, "Does anybody even know what an actuary is?  I didn't really expect an answer, it was sort of a rhetorical question.  Nevertheless, the ever-popular "Anonymous" replied that she actually knew an actuary, but still didn't know what an actuary does!

 

For whatever reason, this exchange sparked one of my infrequent forays into "Poetry in Motion".  I was inspired to write:

 

 The Actual Actuary*

 

He was an actual Actuary,

At least that's what he said.

"Whatever that is", I did parry,

With not one clue in my head.

He said 'twas important, even very!

To keeping them out of the red.

 

Still I was a little bit wary,

and refused his wish to wed.

Such a man I could not marry

No matter how he "pled",

For he only worked at a mortuary

Just counting up the dead!

 

                                                                                         -- Mellodee625 

 

Not exactly "Poetry in Motion."  I'm certainly no Frost or Yeats or even Nash.  Still, it's a poem.  There may be very little motion and not much poetry, but as I told Anonymous, it's not all that bad considering the lateness of the hour!  lol! 

 

 

* Just a gentle reminder all written content of this blog is my personal property and created solely by me unless credited otherwise. As such, please respect my work as copyrighted and ask permission before use and provide appropriate citation and credit. Thank you!

"A Cappella"

Have you ever noticed this button at the tail end of my sidebar?  Were you ever curious as to what it means?  Well, evidently some are, because one of my new blogger friends asked me!  In answering her question, I realized that I should probably post the answer for anyone to see, because it is a great idea!


http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233



Blogging Without Obligation was a button I saw on someone's blog (I don't remember whose) very early on in my blogging history.  I was intrigued so I clicked on it and I was whisked away to "Down the Rabbit Hole".  The author is Tiffani and she is the one who developed  the idea.  Let me quote from her blog: 

After coming across what seemed to be the 4000th or so post on someone’s blog starting with “I’m sorry I haven’t posted in awhile.”  I decided it is time to rethink what makes a good blog and the expectations that have come to be part of it.  I am thinking that no one should utter those words again . . .and with that thought I give you Blogging Without Obligation.

If you feel the same way, feel free to grab the logo, make a logo or whatever you would like to do!   I release all the logos, thoughts and words mentioned here about this concept into the public domain.  Take the idea and run with it. . .or walk away. It is all good.

As I understand it, the button alerts readers that I will write when I can and when I have a good topic. It means I won't post just any old thing just to have something posted every day. It means I will write when I write and I won't keep apologizing for not writing every day or for a stretch of several days or even weeks! Guiltless Blogging! It sounded like an excellent idea to me!  

Tiffani gave a lot of great reasons for embracing the concept of Blogging Without Obligation. 

So why should we blog without obligation??  

* Because you shouldn’t have to look at your blog like it is a treadmill or a job.

* Because its okay to just say what you have to say.  If that makes for a long post, fine. Short post, fine. Frequent post, fine. Infrequent post, fine.

* Because its okay to not always be enthralled with the sound of your own typing.

* Because sometimes less is more.

* Because only blogging when you feel truly inspired keeps up the integrity of your blog.

* Because they are probably not going to inscribe your stat, link and comment numbers on your tombstone.

* Because for most of us blogging is just a hobby. A way to express yourself and connect with others. You should not have to apologize for lapses in posts. Just take a step back and enjoy life, not everything you do has to be “bloggable”.

* Because if you blog without obligation you will naturally keep your blog around longer, because it won’t be a chore.

* Plus, just think you will be doing your part to eradicate post pollution. One post at a time.

Doesn't that all sound logical and reasonable and guiltless??  To my mind, It also implies that I don't automatically follow everyone who follows me.  I only follow people whose blogs are interesting (or funny, or special in some way....)  

Because I like the idea of no obligation, I don't do giveaways or contests, or have sponsors, or try to sell anything.  I won't ask you to vote for me and I won't  endorse or test products for manufacturers either paid or unpaid.  If I think a product is good (or bad) I might write about it....but it's just my own opinion and no money changed hands.

Tiffani doesn't appear to be writing much anymore, but her blog is still out there and I hope more people are joining this particular bandwagon.  Here are some buttons she provided for use if you feel so inclined. 

<a href=”http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233″><img src=”http://www.tartx.com/images/bwo/bwologo.gif”>

 
——-

 

<a href=”http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233″> <img src=”http://www.tartx.com/images/bwo/bwologosmall.gif”>

 
——–

 

<a href=”http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233″> <img src=”http://www.tartx.com/images/bwo/bwologoverysmall.gif”>

 
——

 

<a href=”http://www.tartx.com/blog/?page_id=233″> <img src=”http://www.tartx.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/bwored.gif”>

——


So there you have it!  That's my philosophy of blogging.  Most of the time anyway.   If you like the idea, and want to join in, grab a button and start guiltless blogging!  If you don't want to be a part of it, that's okay too.  As Tiffani said, "It's all good."  I'm not trying to talk anyone into it, but buying into the philosophy sure helps me feel better on those days (or stretches of days) when I can't write a decent sentence to save my soul!!

Mellodee Musings.... may not post every day and it isn't going to be full of extraneous or exciting stuff....all you get is me.  But I'll give you the best I've got....just probably not every day!!

"Am I Blue?"

"Am I Blue?"  Oh, yeah, plus a bit disappointed, somewhat uncertain, and just a tad snarky.  Let me explain why.

On Monday I wrote about the horrendous wildfires that were appearing in various locations in Texas.  There was a cluster of fires of various sizes located in a U-shape around Austin, the closest of which was less than five miles from my house.  (That fire is now contained, so we are ok!)

Having been a blogger for two plus years now, I have visited many bloggers I follow when they experienced or expected some sort of potentially catastrophic event; everything from serious personal illness, family illness, loss, accident, and deaths, to hurricanes, earthquake, rains, winds, tornado, flood, blizzards, and other natural disasters.

 Bloggers, as a rule, are incredibly supportive, caring, and friendly individuals.When something happens with a blogger friend, there is usually an outpouring of offers of help, prayers, good wishes, and worry that arrive from followers, subscribers, lurkers, and friends!  Everyone seems to care.   Complete strangers in every way except for what they write on their bogs, still send loving messages in times of  stress and fear.  It's one of the loveliest things about blogging.  It always impresses me when I see it.  People are basically good and this kind of thing is evidence that that is true!

So after I posted on Monday about the fires all around us in a circle of about a 50 mi. diameter, as well as about packing up valuables and hoping our home would remain out of harms way, I more or less expected that there would be a bunch of comments in the next day or two.  After all, I had 47 followers, several others who checked in regularly without actually blogging themselves (my sister,  for instance) and still others who would frequently show up in the stats but never identify themselves or write or comment about anything.  I thought a few of these nice people would express some concern or acknowledgement of our dangerous situation.

Well, it didn't happen.  I got two comments.  One from JE at "Moment by Moment"  http://jimmyrf.blogspot.com/ and the other from Beth at "C. Beth Blog"  http://cbethblog.blogspot.com/  These two friends are my best blogging buddies.  They visit every day and comment on nearly every post.  I happen to know Beth personally (she was one of my inspirations to start blogging) and JE and I appear to have been twins separated at birth!

But, no other comments were received at all.  Not even from my sister! (She might actually be out of town, so I can't be mad at her.)  But I don't think any of my "followers" even read the post.  Well, I can understand that, I guess.  It was the holiday weekend and people get busy.  It didn't even surprise me all that much.  There certainly wasn't anything anyone could do about the fires and we didn't appear to be in any danger. 

Believe it or not, I am not sitting here with my nose out of joint because I wasn't flooded with warm fuzzies from concern from my blogger friends.  Well, not exactly.

What has disappointed me, made me kind of blue, and just a tad snarky is that this lack of response is becoming the norm....which makes me kind of question whether or not I should continue blogging at all.  I kind of feel like I'm talking to an empty room, you know?

Now to be fair, there are four or five others of my followers who will pop in with a comment from time to time and I am always glad to see them.  It's the others who have signed up as a follower and then completely disappear that bothers me (this is the snarky bit).  When I follow someone I read their posts almost daily and I comment when they have posted something that sparks a response in me.  I don't comment every day but I do comment frequently.  If there is a blog that has turned out not to be what I thought it would be,  I have stopped following them, rather than just ignoring their posts.

I guess the thing that has me questioning is that I don't know if people have been disappointed by my blog, or find me too outspoken, or don't like what I have to say.  (Yes, I am insecure and I want people to like me.)  I have mentioned that I don't make friends easily.  Is my blog an extension of that??  Is my blog too unfocused??  Are my posts just too darn long??  Or am I just boring?  I don't know and I wish I did. But at the moment, "Am I Blue?" is a question that gets an unqualified, YES for an answer.

"Is anybody there?  Does anybody care?"



P.S.  Of course, while I was writing this, another of my blogger friends stopped by and commented on Monday's post.  She is the lovely lady who writes  http://wsprsweetlyofcottages.blogspot.com/   Thanks, Mona.  Great timing!!  :)

"Writing Wrongs"

Following up from my last post....I hadn't originally intended to use something today from another's blog, but that was before I went to visit one of my favorite bloggers, Cass at That Old House.  If you love old houses and all things related to making a house into your own, you must go and visit Cass and her beautiful house!  She is quite funny to boot!

A few weeks ago one of Cass's daughters got married and Cass has been sharing all sorts of wonderful things related to the wedding.  Today she posted some photos from her daughter's honeymoon trip to China!  

This particular set of photos had to do with various English signs they saw in China.  Some were very funny (like the instructions you receive along with your latest electronic toy) and were definitely written by someone who's first language was definitely NOT English.  They were definitely "Writing Wrongs!!"

The last photo in the series may or may not have been of the same ilk. Take a look!

(This one is for you Little Sis! If anyone will think it's funny, I bet it will be you!!)

http://cass-thatoldhouse.blogspot.com/

SPOONY!  OMG, it made me laugh right out loud!  Spoony!!  Charles Schultz must be laughing too!  Either that or spinning!

Cass pointed out that this may have been done on purpose to avoid copyright issues.  I hope not!  I'd love for it to be just a random funny mistake, wouldn't you? 

But more than anything, the thing that would really set it off would be if it were a Spoonerism  (the reversal of syllables in a sentence or phrase.... like Hoobert Heever, or one swell foop!.....but I'm not really sure it is. (Anyone know??)  Usually a Spoonerism is mixing syllables from two or more words, and this is obviously only one word.  Nevertheless I choose to think of it as a Spoonerism because that just makes it absolutely perfect!! 

Thanks, Cass, for letting me borrow from you!  This is the best laugh I've had all week!

"Stealin"

I read a lot of different blogs, about a lot of different things, and I try to comment whenever I feel I have something worthwhile to say.  It will come as absolutely no surprise to anyone who reads my "musings", that I never write anything short!  So sometimes my comments get a trifle.....uhhhn....shall we say long?

When commenting I do try to be a bit more concise, but when the topic really interests me, or when I have a story to tell, or when I have an opposite point of view,  concise just doesn't cut it!  So I become a thief.  I will steal their idea, copy my own comment and drag it into my own backyard!  Sometimes I will be inspired to use the topic and my comment as the basis for an immediate post with a bit of embellishment.  Other times, I know it is a topic for another day and will somewhere down the road, use it for one of my posts.

Actually, it isn't really "Stealin'" exactly, it's more like copying their idea. There is not, however, a song called "Copy Cat" that I could find....though, there should be!...., so "Stealin" is sort of a substitute. 

If I end up using the idea fairly soon, I give credit to the original blogger, that's only fair.  But if I hold on to it for awhile before I decide to use it and I just use the topic, I generally don't credit it.  Just as a clarification, I do NOT, under any circumstances, EVER use the original blogger's post or photos without crediting and/or asking permission.  That, I think, keeps me from being an actual thief!

So, if you see a topic here that sounds kind of similar to something you wrote about, it could definitely have been inspired by your post, so if you look at it that way, it's kind of flattering, right?.  Does that sound like a questionable practice to anyone?  If  I did use your idea and it bothers you, please let me know and I will be glad to give you credit or pull it if you insist. 

I am a pretty honest person; I wouldn't want anyone to think I'm "Stealin'"!  I just use inspiration where I find it!!   :)

So, what do you think??



p.s.   Hey, look!  It's short!!

"I Write the Songs"

I wrote about writing a few days ago and since then I've been thinking about good writing a lot.  There is one  type of writer that I really admire more than almost any other....those gifted souls who write songs! 

Those who just write the words (lyrics) are more like poets than musicians, they could even be totally tone deaf!   The musicians who can create a beautiful melody might not be able to string three words together without help!  One without the other is still talented, but it only all comes together when it is a joint effort.  Nothing wrong with that!  I wouldn't mind having either of those talents.  Many many beautiful songs have been written by a songwriting team, each doing their share.

But the ones I consider the creme de la creme, the very top of the line music-maker, are the "words and music by" kind of songwriter.  These amazing writers have two very distinct talents and abilities....single-handedly creating music AND making it into a song to sing!  They write both the music and the lyrics!   It isn't easy to do, but sometimes it can lead to some wonderful music.

Many of you might not recognize the name Cole Porter, but he was the absolute best as far as I'm concerned.  Back in the 1930s he wrote great songs ranging from silly plays on words to wonderfully romantic to wildly satiric, witty, and memorable scores for some of Broadway's best-known musicals. I could write an entire post about this great composer.

Some of the more contemporary.....well, contemporary to me, that is, which could be anywhere from 1950s to about 1995 or so!  You might actually recognize some of them Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, Neil Young,  Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye,  Arlo Guthrie, John Denver,  Jim Croce, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, David Crosby, Donovan, Stephen Stills, Gordon Lightfoot, Carly Simon, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Emmylou Harris, Cat Stevens,  Harry Chapin, James Taylor, Rick Nelson,  Dan Fogelberg,  Dolly Parton, Elton John, Billy Joel, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and of course, the GREAT Carole King (thanks, JE!)  The list just goes on and on.   Most of these musicians were actually singer-songwriters.  They wrote the music, the lyrics and then they sang and recorded them (making millions in the process sometimes!!)  Talk about talent!  These folks have (or had) it in spades!!

Wouldn't that be a great career?  To be able to do it all, is probably the dream of every kid who ever picked up a guitar, or plunked out some melody on the piano.  Talent of this level is not that easy to find and only a very special few make it all the way to the top.  But the ones that do?   Boy, Howdy!

One of my particularly favorite songs (I have lots of favorites!) is "Leader of the Band";  words, music, and performed  by the late Dan Fogelberg.  This song brings me close to tears every time I hear it.  Written about his own father, Fogelberg's song is a great tribute to the man who fathered, inspired and guided him.  It is a love song of the highest order.  Read the words and see if they don't move you too. 

"Leader of the Band"

Words and music:  Dan Fogelberg

An only child alone and wild
A cabinet maker's son
His hands were meant for different work
And his heart was known to none
He left his home and went his lone
And solitary way
And he gave to me
A gift I know I never can repay


A quiet man of music
Denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once
But his music wouldn't wait
He earned his love through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band

My brothers' lives were different
For they heard another call
One went to Chicago
And the other to St. Paul
And I'm in Colorado
When I'm not in some hotel
Living out this life I've chose
And come to know so well

I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go
I thank you for the kindness
And the times when you got tough
And, papa, I don't think
I said, "I love you" near enough


The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through my instrument
And his song is in my soul
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
I'm just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band

Fogelberg's father was still living when the song was written and recorded.  I am so glad about that.   Can't you just imagine what his father must have felt the first time he heard it??   Fogelberg wrote from the heart and I know his Dad must have been as proud as any father could ever be.  I love these lines in particular, don't you?

He earned his love through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand

 Have you ever heard lines from a song that are better?   I haven't!

And that, my friends, is WRITING.  So yes, the writers I admire the most are the writers who can say, "I Write the Songs".   I wish I was one of them!