I’ve posted many times about my love of music, especially singing. Singing with choirs and choral groups has been bringing me joy since I was a teenager. I’ve done a bit of solo singing as well.
Typically, I don’t sing much in the summer, because my church (and choir) go on hiatus. Yup, that’s right, Unitarian Universalists take the summer off (which is a good thing because our beautiful, historic churches are rarely air conditioned).
This summer I’m trying something new. I’m going to collaborate with a musician who plays the digital bagpipes—of all things. We’re going to get together and work on a few songs. If things go well, we may have some opportunities to perform next church year. One song she really wants to try is Skye Boat Song. I’m going to need to practice this one. I have no idea what it will be like to sing with bagpipes. I’ve sung with piano, guitar, and even organ, but this will be new.
I made Grilled Chicken Salad for my dear book group friends yesterday. This was the second time I’ve made it and I can confirm that it’s a good and reliable recipe.
1) Went to see a cover band. The band was called Tusk and they are a Fleetwood Mac Tribute band. They were really great musicians and played all the songs really well. It was a beautiful, warm night. I danced and had fun. Fleetwood Mac’sRumours album came out in 1977 and it was my junior high jam. I loved that album so much. I did my majorettes try-out to “Second Hand News.” Hearing it all again, 47 years later, I have to admit, it’s yacht rock.
Tusk playing “Go Your Own Way” – don’t they sound just like Fleetwood Mac?
2) Went to see Fly Me To The Moon in a movie theater. All the movies out this summer seem like they’re for twenty-somethings. This one looked like it was geared for my age group and it was. If you ever drank Tang or Tab, this movie is for you. I thought it was very entertaining. ScarJo’s luminous beauty, the US space program of the 1960s, and a couple of very solid jabs at the Nixon administration were highlights for me. On the downside, the portrayal of the creative, gay movie director seemed like an over-the-top caricature, complete with ascots and limp wrists. Also, the whole plot seemed to feed into the whacko, conspiracy-theory, alt-reality culture we’re now living in.
When we came out of the movie, I had texts from both of my kids telling me Trump had almost been iced. A quick social media search revealed that Trump had stood up after the shooting and dramatically urged the crowd to “fight” and Republicans were blaming Democrats for the entire thing. Conspiracy theories were already in full bloom.
3) On Sunday night, with a growing sense of despair about the inevitability of the United States’ descent into right-wing madness, I happened to watch a Netflix comedy special and it was SO FUNNY. I laughed and laughed. Leanne Morgan was the only female comedian who appeared in the lineup of Netflix specials, so I took a chance on her and I’m so glad I did. She’s exactly my age (born in 1965) and I just loved her references to the 80s and all things wife/mother/grandmother-related. She avoids politics entirely. This bit about Dexatrim being speed had me in tears.
I’m not an authority on anything, but I have plenty of opinions.
In my opinion, President Biden should resign now and let VP Harris take over. His condition is not going to get better. It is old age and it never reverses. He should not have run for a second term, but he did, so now our only viable option is VP Harris. I’m optimistic that she will rise to the occasion and beat Trump, as she has shown tremendous leadership on the abortion issue of late.
Adam Sewer of The Atlantic said what I am thinking: Biden Must Resign.
I wish someone would play Biden the Hamilton soundtrack this weekend. The song “One Last Time” is so poignant. President Washington stepped down (at age 64) for the good of the country. I think President Biden (age 81!) should do the same, but what do I know?
President George Washington depicted at 64 years old at the end of his second term in office. (www.MountVernon.org)
The fantasy older brother that you wished one of your friends had.
The TV character and the person who played him melded into one indistinguishable heart throb. And he could sing. And his hair feathered. And we loved him.
My piano is turning 50 this year and I still use it—maybe not daily, but weekly during the church year. I use it mostly to learn and practice my choir music.
Thanks to this prompt, I looked in my piano bench and discovered paperwork documenting that my parents purchased the piano on September 10, 1974. I was nine. They bought it so that my sister and I could take lessons. I took lessons for about six years with a couple of different teachers. I really liked playing the piano. I think I enjoyed it more after I stopped taking lessons. Then I could play what I wanted and nobody was nagging me to practice. I liked playing pop songs and singing along.
When my husband and I bought our first house, my parents gave me the piano because I was the only one who played it. They paid real piano movers to bring it to my house. My daughter took lessons on it.
When we moved to our second house, I had regular movers take the piano with the rest of our stuff and it got slightly damaged, but nothing major. My daughter took several more years of lessons on it after the move.
So here’s to you old friend. I promise to get you tuned for your birthday.
A well-used book of sheet music – nearly as old as the piano. I’m not sure who the “Do Not Remove” was directed at, but I guess it worked.
This is an easy one for me. I’ve been at the outdoor pool every day that it’s been open since Memorial Day weekend. Starting this week, it’s open every day. The lifeguards are mostly high school students and the seniors are out for summer. Woo hoo!
That’s “my” lap lane in the foreground of the photo.
That’s my tagline for today. This is the last birthday of my fifties. My sixtieth year—my sixth decade—starts now.
That’s right, GenX is gonna be hitting 60 in 2025. I found a couple of very 80s concert outfit pics from 1982ish. I saw both the Go-Go’s and the B-52’s live in Boston. I can’t remember which outfit was for which.
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