B is for Bohemian Rhapsody

Day 2 of the A-Z April Blog Challenge and as I told you yesterday my theme is songs I love.  I think I can come up with at least 26 of my all time favorites from both the secular and spiritual genres.  Today's song is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen.  It was written by Freddy Mercury.  The lyrics are kind of nonsensical but the music makes me happy.  I especially love it when this song comes on while I drive, although I have to watch my foot on the gas pedal.  If you have never heard this song then click on the Bohemian Rhapsody link and take a listen. There is an ad you will have to skip....but the video is great!   Have an amazing Saturday!

Bohemian Rhapsody

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
A little high, little low
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooo
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters

Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye everybody I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, ooo (anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening me
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo Figaro - magnifico

But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Easy come easy go will you let me go
Bismillah! No we will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go - let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go let me go
Will not let you go let me go (never)
Never let you go let me go
Never let me go ooo
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me
For me
For me

So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh baby can't do this to me baby
Just gotta get out just gotta get right outta here

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters nothing really matters to me

Anyway the wind blows

A is for Agnus Dei

Today is the day.  It is April 1st and I am not fooling around, because this is the day the A-Z April Blog Challenge kicks off.  I am so excited.  I have thought for weeks as to what to write about all month and finally came up with songs.  I am a singer/song writer and lover of music, so I hope you will enjoy my month of music.  Happy Reading!

A is for Agnus Dei.  It is a song by Michael W. Smith and one of my favorites.  It is such a holy sound. The words are beautiful, but when added to the haunting sound of the song itself makes it a contender for one of the greatest songs ever.  But, don't take my word for it. Here are the lyrics and you can judge for yourself.  Be sure  listen to the song too!

 Agnus Dei

 

Alleluia Alleluia
For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia Alleluia
For our Load God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Holy Holy
Are You Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy
Holy
Are You Lord God Almighty

A-Z 2015 April Challenge - I is for Ice Cream



I was having a hard time coming up with an "I" word this morning so I asked one of my favoritest students in the world for an idea.  I asked her if I gave her the letter "I" what would it mean to her?  Her response was "I" is for Ice Cream.  Ice Cream brings back some wonderful memories for me.  On Friday nights when my father got paid we would go to Howard Johnson's for a clam strip dinner and ice cream.  My favorite was butter pecan.  Nobody made butter pecan ice cream like Ho Jo's did.

They had 28 flavors and I was a huge fan of most of them.  Ice Cream was always a special treat so I really looked forward to getting it. 

But alas you just don't find Ho Jo's around anymore.  Sigh!  Another piece of Americana has bit the dust.  As a child I remember many wonderful summer afternoons making homemade ice cream at my grandmothers.  I loved it when the ice cream provider got creative.  I have had grapico ice cream, (Grapico Ice Cream - 2 liter Grapico (or any other fruit flavor) and 3 cans of condensed milk. Stir together Grapico and condensed milk. Refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours until mixture is chilled. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions.) Yoohoo (Celia still makes this for me on special occasions),  (Yoo Hoo Ice Cream - 8 bottles of yoo-hoo and 2 cans (14 oz each) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)  Make sure the yoo-hoo and canned milk are very cold. Stir together in your ice cream freezer's canister. Proceed per manufacturer's directions.  This ice cream is yummy!)  of course I love all the standard flavors.  There is only one ice cream I have never liked and that is coffee.  I drink coffee....hot.  I do not like it cold or frozen and I do not like it in ice cream.  On the hottest day of the year....or coldest night....Ice Cream is my most favorite treat. 

A-Z April Blog Challenge - Z is for Zebulon, GA

The last day of the A-Z April Challenge has arrived and my traveling days are done until Summer starts.  Todays letter is "Z" and my place is Zebulon, GA.  It is located a short 45 minute drive from Atlanta.  Pike County has a rural atmosphere and simple, relaxing lifestyle and to me this makes it a gem waiting to be discovered. If you are looking for a place where you feel like you stepped back in time, visit Pike County. The county hosts numerous historic building including the courthouse on the square, the old train depot, the whiskey bonding barn(used as a wedding venue....that is why I was in Zebulon in the first place) , the circa 1900 jail in Molena and the Strickland building in Concord. The Meriwether-Pike County Scenic Byway celebrates the unique legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in west Central Georgia. During the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, FDR came to Warm Springs in hopes the therapeutic warm springs would help improve the condition of his legs, damaged by polio. This highway, a 55 mile route from Meriwether County to Pike County, is intended to provide an alternate route through the more beautiful areas of the state and to allow travelers to get off of the interstate highway and enjoy the rural atmosphere and hospitality that only Georgia can provide.   Enjoy the music of the area. The Hollenville Opry House is open on Saturdays for a mix of country, bluegrass and gospel music. The Williamson Music Barn has an informal jam session on Friday evenings and a stage show on Saturday evenings featuring gospel, country and bluegrass.  Shri Ram Chandra Mission - one of only four ashrams in the United States, this meditation center provides seminars, workshops and meditation training. Located just outside of Molena, on the side of a wooded mountain, come see if meditation is right for you during their Open House every Sunday.
Christmas in the country! Pike County combines a delightful atmosphere for the holidays. Enjoy the many Christmas parades, programs and events that take place during the month of December as we celebrate the season! Enjoy a “Jingle Bell Ride” with the Pike County Horse Club in December!  Zebulon was an interesting blast from the past.  If you ever pass through....stop.  It is a nice walk back into history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A-Z Blog Challenge - Y is for Yellowstone

One more day remains in the A-Z April Challenge.  Where has this month gone?  My travel letter for today is Y so I am taking you to Yellowstone National Park.   Yellowstone is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone, widely held to be the first national park in the world, is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful Geyser, one of the most popular features in the park. It has many types of ecosystems, but the subalpine forest is most abundant. It is part of the South Central Rockies forests ecoregion.  Native Americans have lived in the Yellowstone region for at least 11,000 years. The region was bypassed during the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 19th century. Aside from visits by mountain men during the early-to-mid-19th century, organized exploration did not begin until the late 1860s. The U.S. Army was commissioned to oversee the park just after its establishment. In 1917, administration of the park was transferred to the National Park Service, which had been created the previous year. Hundreds of structures have been built and are protected for their architectural and historical significance, and researchers have examined more than 1,000 archaeological sites. Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles. Yellowstone Lake is one of the largest high-altitude lakes in North America and is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera, the largest supervolcano on the continent. The caldera is considered an active volcano. It has erupted with tremendous force several times in the last two million years.  Half of the world's geothermal features are in Yellowstone, fueled by this ongoing volcanism.   Lava flows and rocks from volcanic eruptions cover most of the land area of Yellowstone. The park is the centerpiece of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the largest remaining nearly-intact ecosystem in the Earth's northern temperate zone.  Hundreds of species of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles have been documented, including several that are either endangered or threatened. The vast forests and grasslands also include unique species of plants. Yellowstone Park is the largest and most famous megafauna location in the Continental United States. Grizzly bears, wolves, and free-ranging herds of bison and elk live in the park. The Yellowstone Park bison herd is the oldest and largest public bison herd in the United States. When we were there one of these huge bison's put his head right into the car....right beside me.  I thought I was going to have to climb out of the car on the other side.  Forest fires occur in the park each year; in the large forest fires of 1988, nearly one third of the park was burnt. Yellowstone has numerous recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, boating, fishing and sightseeing. Paved roads provide close access to the major geothermal areas as well as some of the lakes and waterfalls. During the winter, visitors often access the park by way of guided tours that use either snow coaches or snowmobiles.  If you get a chance to visit Yellowstone, you must.  If you have a chance to stay at the Lodge then do it.  I wish I had.  That is the one thing about being there that causes me some regrets.

Old Faithful eruption

A field of bison alongside the road

Animals just off the road. 

The Lodge.  I wish we could have stayed there.

When he wants the road....everyone else waits.....patiently! 

A geopool with the skeleton of an animal at the bottom.

A-Z April Blog Challenge - X is for Xenia, OH

 

 

Xenia, OH is a city in and the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio 21 miles (34 km) from Dayton and is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area, as well as the Miami Valley region.  Xenia has a few nickname(s): "City of Hospitality", "Bicycle Capital of the Midwest", "X-Town." The real name comes from the Greek word Xenia (ξενία), which means "hospitality".  One of the historical facts that fascinated me about Xenia is that many of its residents supported the Underground Railroad in the years before the Civil War.  Xenia is not someplace I would want to put on my Bucket List of Places to See Before I Die....but it was interesting and I am glad we took a rest stop there.  The name, the history, the people made the stop worthwhile. 

 

 

One of my favorite things.... covered bridges

Family Tree Genealogy place!

 

I am always fascinated by Native American History and Tecumseh has always been someone I have loved reading about. 

The reason I remember Xenia, OH.  This was one of the darkest days in the history of the town....yet the town survived.  They have an amazing spirit.

A-Z April Blog Challenge - W is for Washington State

We are nearing the end of the April A-Z Blog Challenge and I have really enjoyed being part of it and the Unconventional Alliance.  I have visited some really great blog posts during the month.  Today in keeping with my theme of travel I am taking you to Washington State.  I was fortunate enough to have been a National Endowment of the Humanities fellow one summer and was able to attend school at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA for several weeks.  During my stint in Washington I was able to see a good bit of the state during weekend travels that some of my classmates and I took.  It is a beautiful place and I hope someday I get the chance to go back and see it again.  Washington is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States located north of Oregon, west of Idaho, and south of the Canadian province of British Columbia on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Named after George Washington, the first President of the United States, the state was made out of the western part of the Washington Territory which had been ceded by Britain in 1846 by the Oregon Treaty as a settlement of the Oregon Boundary Dispute. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889.  Washington is the 18th most extensive and the 13th most populous of the 50 United States. Approximately 60 percent of Washington's residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the center of transportation, business, and industry along the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea, an inlet of the Pacific consisting of numerous islands, deep fjords, and bays carved out by glaciers. The remainder of the state consists of deep rainforests in the west, mountain ranges in the west, central, northeast and far southeast, and a semi-arid basin region in the east, central, and south, given over to intensive agriculture. After California, Washington is the second most populous state on the West Coast and in the Western United States.  Washington is a leading lumber producer. Its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa and white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar. The state is the biggest producer of apples, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries, and ranks high in the production of apricots, asparagus, dry edible peas, grapes, lentils, peppermint oil, and potatoes. Livestock and livestock products make important contributions to total farm revenue and the commercial fishing catch of salmon, halibut, and bottomfish makes a significant contribution to the state's economy.Manufacturing industries in Washington include   aircraft and missiles, shipbuilding and other transportation equipment, lumber, food processing, metals and metal products, chemicals, and machinery. Washington has over 1,000 dams, including the Grand Coulee Dam, built for a variety of purposes including irrigation, power, flood control, and water storage. Although its official, unambiguous name is "The State of Washington," the state's name is often reversed and referred to as "Washington state" to distinguish it from Washington, D.C., also named for George Washington. Another nickname is "the Evergreen State." Its largest city is Seattle, situated in the west, followed by Spokane, located in the east, and its capital is Olympia.  I whitewater rafted(nearly drowned) while I was there, I saw Salmon swim upstream (pretty amazing), I saw the Colombia River and watched speed boat races, went to Pikes Market(watched them throw fish from the boats to the market), climbed Mt. Ranier, saw Mt. St. Helen, went up in the space needle (big feat for someone who is severely claustrophobic), ate Walla Walla Sweets(onions that are to die for), ate salmon cooked on an open fire, met some amazing people, attended an amazing church, and visited L'ecole winery.  I saw waterfalls, forests, and nature at its finest.  We packed a lot of sightseeing in a few weekends.  I loved this place and could so see myself living somewhere other than Seattle.