Isaiah 6:8

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Multi Tasking Hodge Podge for April

I, like Joyce, am doing the A-Z April Blog Challenge so there will be two posts on my Wednesdays for the month of April.  I hope you understand. When you read my post for Hodge Podge and you want to link up with Joyce then click here.   Please don't forget to visit the blogger linking before you, because comments make the blog world spin.

1. What does retirement mean to you? Are you planning for it, not thinking about it, looking forward to it, or dreading it?  I've actually thought quite a lot about this word, since I have hit a point in my life where I could retire.  I will be 62 next week and have taught over 25 years so I could actually retire.  What keeps me from retiring is that my husband is 3 years younger, I can't get Medicare until I am 65 and can't get full Social Security Benefits til I am 66....so onward I work.  When I went to the RSA (Retirement Systems of Alabama) seminar they told us to have a list of 26 things we wanted to do or accomplish and replenish them as we complete them.  That is no problem....the concept is there is a little fear on my part.....fear of not being useful.  So....until I wake up and don't want to go to school and teach I guess I will work  That is unless they pass this ridiculous law that requires all teachers to be trained in how NOT to have sex with students.....then I think "Welcome to Walmart" sounds like a plan.
2. It's International Guitar Month...do you play? Does anyone in your family play? What's a song you especially like to hear played on the guitar or a favorite song featuring the guitar?  DO I PLAY?  It was one of the first things I can remember my grandfather teaching us to do.  I love to play.  There are many of us in my mom's family that play, my grandfather could play anything with strings on it, and when he died I got his tater bug mandolin.  

 
I love any James Taylor music.  I love Dueling Banjos.  Anything played with guitar in it soothes my soul.
3. What's your comfort food?  Mrs. Betty Jeans homemade macaroni and cheese.
4. What's one activity or area of your life where you absolutely never procrastinate?
Cleaning up the kitchen after a meal.  People come in my carport door....straight into the kitchen.  I cannot stand dirty dishes laying around.
5. Who does the grocery shopping in your house? Does your local store bag the groceries for you or is it a do-it-yourself kind of place? Do you like someone packing your groceries?
Frank does all the grocery shopping and cooking in our house.  All the places we frequent bag the groceries for us and I like it.....as long as they don't put cans in with my bread.
6. What's the coolest thing you've seen in nature?  Deer in my front yard, bears at Cades Cove in the Smokies, a fox and her babies in my side yard, a baby calf being born.  These are a few of my favorite coolest nature things.
7. Share a favorite quote about home.
“If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with.”
L. Frank Baum, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
8. Insert your own random thought here.  My theme for the A-Z challenge is songs.  Today's letter is F and my song is For All We Know by the Carpenters.  I would love to invite you to click here and read my post....perhaps leave me a memory in the comment section of the post. 

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

E Is For Eye Of The Tiger

 
Day 5 of the A-Z Challenge and my favorite songs features the song played at all of our high school football games, Eye of the Tiger.  I teach at Randolph County High School and we are the Tigers.  In the south football rules.  It doesn't matter if it is college or a local high school there will be a crowd on game day/night. That is one of the things I found so amazing about living in Alabama is the fact that people who do not even have a dog in the fight STILL come to watch the local high school team play and the stands are FULL!  If this song cannot pump you up....nothing can! Whenever I hear this song I know football is going to happen!  Heck, it is song more than the school's Alma Mater!


Eye Of The Tiger!
Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance
Now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge
Of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the
Eye of the tiger
Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds
Still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge
Of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the
Eye of the tiger
Risin' up straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance
Now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge
Of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the
Eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger

 

Monday, April 4, 2016

D is for Dust In The Wind

 
Day 4 of the A-Z April Challenge is for Dust in the Wind.  This is one of my most favorite songs by Kansas.  Once, while recording in a studio I got to meet the guy who plays the fiddle solo in this song....it was pretty awesome. When I was much younger a couple of my students would come in to my classroom in the morning and we would play and sing.    One of my favorite songs they would play was "Dust in the Wind."  I told Richard and Rexton I wanted them to play...and sing this song at my funeral as my ashes were scattered into the sea off Mallory Square in Key West.  They both laughed, but promised they would.  Favorite songs come and go in my world.....this one is still high on my list of all time greats.  When I think about the lyrics they really touch my soul.  What say ye?

Dust in the Wind
I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Oh, ho, ho
Now, don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
Everything is dust in the wind
The wind

 

Sunday, April 3, 2016

C is for Cherish

 I
Day 3 of the April A-Z Blog Challenge and my song today is one of the greatest love songs from the 1960's.  The song is Cherish by the Association.  It was the first song I fell in love to for the first time at age 12.  His name was Mike.  He was a neighborhood boy and a couple of years older than me.  He never gave me the time of day, but the song remembers when.  Ahhhhh, unrequited love.   I am sure there are some more of you Baby Boomers out there who have danced a few times to this wonderful song.  If you have never heard it I included a link so that you can enjoy the sweet, soulful, melodious, harmonies of The Association.  If you have heard it....then enjoy a little side trip down Memory Lane with me and have a Blessed Sunday!  Peace Out!

Cherish

Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you
Perish is the word that more than applies
To the hope in my heart each time I realize
That I am not gonna be the one to share your dreams
That I am not gonna be the one to share your schemes
That I am not gonna be the one to share what
Seems to be the life that you could
Cherish as much as I do yours
Oh I'm beginning to think that man has never found
The words that could make you want me
That have the right amount of letters, just the right sound
That could make you hear, make you see
That you are drivin' me out of my mind
Oh I could say I need you but then you'd realize
That I want you just like a thousand other guys
Who'd say they loved you With all the rest of their lies
When all they wanted was to touch your face, your hands
And gaze into your eyes
Cherish is the word I use to describe
All the feeling that I have hiding here for you inside
You don't know how many times I've wished that I had told you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could hold you
You don't know how many times I've wished that I could
Mold you into someone who could
Cherish me as much as I cherish you
And I do cherish you
And I do cherish you
Cherish is the word

Saturday, April 2, 2016

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

Friday, April 1, 2016

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