Thursday, September 29, 2011

Thursday 09/29/2011

     I really haven't had too much to say lately so you haven't see a post for a couple of weeks. Still not a lot on my mind but I thought I would check in and just say  HELLO in case anyone is checking.

     Today I posted the following on facebook:
For those of you who love to laugh here is a clip of Madeline Kahn singing at a 100th birthday celebration for Irving Berlin. Today is her birthday. Hats off to a comic genius who died too young.
The song is "You'd be Suptised". Give a listen and have a chuckle.
     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVtT8it5E0U


     Well tomorrow is the last day of September and as the weather is finally changing and baseball playoffs are here I guess we are well and truly into fall. Halloween is right around the corner followed hard by Thanksgiving and Christmas and then into 2012. Time flies by so fast. I know my mother told me things would speed up as I got older but it has only been the last few years that things seem to go at warp speed.


      Here is a Quote of the Day for all my friends who love baseball even if their love of the game applies only to their own team: 
No matter how good you are, you're going to lose one-third of your games. No matter how bad you are you're going to win one-third of your games. It's the other third that makes the difference. ~Tommy Lasorda
(Just in case you folks didn't know...The Phillies rocked that middle third and had the best record in the sport with 102 wins and 60 losses.)

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Thursday 09/15/2011

     Today is my 63rd birthday and it was a lovely day.

     I just wanted to take a moment to say how blessed I've been in this life. I have a wonderful family. I'm grateful for each and every one of them. My siblings and I get along and love each other and know that we are lucky to have each other. Based on what I've seen from the families that I grew up with this is rarer than most folks would believe.
     I have a wonderful extended family as well. Uncles and cousins who add texture and color to the family tapestry. I may not see them often but I know that if I need them they would be there for me.
     I'm blessed to have wonderful friends in my life. There are friends that I have know for decades that are as precious to me as my family. There are other friends in my life that I may not know as well or as long but they add color and laughter to my life and are treasured.
     All in all I'm quite a lucky woman.


     I was just flipping around the channels looking for something to have on in the background while I fool around here on my computer. Piers Morgan is doing yet another show about Michael Jackson and who is responsible for his death. Am I the only person who thinks that he was primarily responsible for his own demise?  If the man had half a brain he had to know that the drugs he was on were not normal. I think that his doctors need to be held responsible for the medications they prescribed and administered but the patient is in part responsible for their own care. Someone needs to give these people who want to blame others entirely for his actions a reality check.  



     Here is my musical clip for today. This is the finale from the movie THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS. It features Ethel Merman, Mitzi Gaynor, Johnny Ray, Donald O'Connor, Dan Daley and at the very end Marilyn Monroe. This was one of those great musicals that Hollywood turned out back in the 50's. It's schmaltz in its purest form but utterly enjoyable. SO ENJOY ALREADY!   http://youtu.be/Flz89t5y3cg

   

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Sunday 09/11/2011

     Last night I put a post on facebook alluding to the fact that prior to 09/11 we went to sleep at night feeling safe and how we would never be quite that naive again. I also noted that I thought that I had already lived through the historical event of my lifetime with the assassination of  JFK.
     That thought lead me to consider all the history that I have been on this earth to observe.
           I remember the Berlin wall going up and falling down.
           The most afraid I was before 09/11 was the Cuban Missile Crisis when I was a freshman in high school.
           I remember the escalation of the war in Viet Nam when we went from having some troops on the ground as advisors to fighting and loosing a full fledged war.
     There was a lot of other history that happened in the last 60 or so years. I just hope that nothing in the future equals what happened in NYC 10 years ago today.

     So there are things in life that bring us down but there are also things that lighten our spirits and bring joy to our hearts. In that spirit I've again raided YouTube. I'm including 2 links here. The first is for a dance number that was performed for Jacques D'amboise by his children when he was presented with the Kennedy Center Honor. http://youtu.be/QM5-KfywTsE 
     The 2nd clip is Tim Conway and Harvey Korman from the Carol Burnett Show. There is something wrong with your funny bone if you don't find this amusing. http://youtu.be/SEGuVb-mtf0

     Not really much else to say. The Phillies and Eagles are both playing. I find it very disconcerting when the sports seasons overlap like this. This has been a record breaking year for our Phillies. They are the best team in baseball at the moment with more than 90 wins and less than 50 losses. By all rights they should win the World Series but I don't want to be too cocky and jinx them.

     Have a great day all and a wonderful week.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Wednesday 09/07/2011

     We are coming up to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I was in the hospital the days before the attack with one of my earlier bouts of cellulitis and on the day of the attacks I was at home and awake and watching Matt Lauer & Katie Couric on the Today show. When the initial report came in I wondered how was it possible for a plane to crash into a building in such clear weather. Then I saw the 2nd plane crash and realized it was going to be something that would change our lives forever. I saw things on the news that day that I hope to never see again. It was surreal. The people on the streets of New York that day reminded me of the people at the end of the movie Volcano. But this was REAL.
     Take a moment in the days ahead to remember the people in those towers that day. Those who lived who had their lives irrevocably changed and those who died who are mourned by those they left behind. And say a prayer for our country and those men and women both in the military and civilian life who spend their lives working to protect us from similar attacks. The very least we can give them are our prayers and thanks.

     I just happened to see That the Kennedy Center Honorees have been announced for this year. Here is a copy of the piece I saw:
    This year's Kennedy Center Honors belong to musicians and Meryl Streep -- the Oscar-winning actress known to favor us with a song or two. Streep, singer Barbara Cook, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins are the honorees at this year's 34th annual Kennedy Center ceremony. “This year, the Kennedy Center selects five extraordinary individuals whose collective artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world,” said Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein. The honors will be broadcast Tuesday, Dec. 27 on CBS. 
     This reminds me that THE EMMYS are 10 days away. Sunday Sept. 18th on FOX. Looking forward to it.   


     Well I can't think of anything more at the moment so take care and take a moment for yourself everyday to feed your soul. Look at something beautiful or listen to a wonderful piece of music or speak to a friend and laugh. These are things that make life worth living. 
     

Monday, September 5, 2011

Monday 09/05/2011 LABOR DAY

     It is Labor Day 2011. This is a day set aside each year to recognize and honor workers and the labor movement for their handwork, dedication and their contribution to economic and social growth and development.
     Now if that doesn't impact your life think about your grandparents or your great-grandparents and how they worked six or seven days a week for a wage that we would laugh at today. Think about the men and women who died because of unfair and dangerous work conditions.
     Thank your lucky stars that you can picnic or shop or just relax today because of those who have gone before you.
     Quote for the day: 
Sometimes it's important to work for that pot of gold. But other times it's essential to take time off and to make sure that your most important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which color to slide down on the rainbow. ~Douglas Pagels, These Are the Gifts I'd Like to Give to You

     My sister Karen had these thoughts to share on the day:
so today is labor day..thank God.the summer flew by and all the kids will be back in school..the new shows will start..everything i like will be cancelled in 2 wks,..and will be replaced with some new reality crap..which leads me back to labor day..hope everyone one who is celebrating today understands what this day is all about..not just cookouts but the people who work in this country..granted that num. has dwindled in the past few yrs. but not because people don't want to work but there are no jobs to be had. even the min.wage jobs are few and far between, there are being taken by adults who can't find work,not just teens. how anyone can support a family or even just 1 person on these wages is beyond me.so on this labor day i think of how lucky i am ..and how if it was not for UNIONS i don't know what my life would be like.which leads me back to reality crap..the only reason for the plethora of this type of programming is that you don't have to pay people with no talent as much as you would an actual actor..so try not to watch this crap and maybe we could actually have another season of MUST SEE TV! hope everyone has a wonderful day! 
     
     Her comments made me think of a story about Mike Rowe that was on SUNDAY MORNING yesterday. He's the guy who does DIRTY JOBS on the Discovery Network as well as commercials for Ford and paper towels. Anyway he has done a lot of jobs most of us would find repugnant in the course of his show. He pointed out that there are a lot of jobs in this country for skilled labor. People will always need plumbers, electricians and carpenters. We will always need people who farm and cook and sew. We have to realize that not everyone is cut out to go to college and work in an office or at some nice white collar job. We need to celebrate the person we call in the middle of the night when we can't fix something for ourselves. Think about all the jobs you would never want to do and then wonder where the person who will do that job in the future is going to come from. 

     I put a song link on facebook a few minutes ago. It's for Bette Midler doing SISTERS with Linda Ronstadt. It is one of the songs on Bette's album of Rosemary Clooney songs. The song is on youtube at  http://youtu.be/CeL-ivLW4ac. Take a moment and listen to it. It is sure to cheer you up. I have this song as a ringtone on my phone for my beautiful sisters.    

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Thursday 09/01/2011

     Today is the first day of September. 
     This is what I think of as the beginning of the year. Children and parents are getting ready for school to begin again and for the most part vacations are over and new projects are on the drawing board. The summer is winding down and we are looking forward to changing our wardrobes and turning off our air conditioners for a well deserved rest. The seasons will change and Halloween and Christmas decorations will begin to make their way into the stores. 

     Here are some quotes regarding the big event of the month... The return of children to school! 
          I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework. ~Lily Tomlin as "Edith Ann"
          Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. ~Edward Everett
         A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops. ~Henry Brooks Adams

     I read something recently and it concerns how a parent is perceived by their child to view the fact of the adult child's homosexuality. This may or may not be an issue that you or someone in your life has had to deal with but I thought I would share this because I find it to be so insightful:
     “Parents of gay children lose their hope of a normal life for their children. Or at least what they perceive as a normal life for their children. … Parents are ashamed to admit they are ashamed. It tarnishes them, too. They do lose a child to homosexuality. But you need to understand that children lose their parents through their own shame. We run away because we have disappointed the hell out of you. We are perfect until it all comes out, and then it’s a godforsaken mess.”