I Want To Sing A Song

Amandas post for Saturday over at  Beth Moore's Living Proof Ministries Blog  was called "Songs in the Car" and it reminded me also of some truly wonderful times in my life when music + car = memories.  I grew up in South Florida and both sets of my grandparents lived in Alabama.  The drive...back before Interstates....took close to fourteen hours.  How do you keep two small children happily occupied in the back seat of a Chevy for that long?  The answer to the bonus round question for today....is SING!  My parents loved to sing.  I could sit and listen to my parents sing for hours.  My mother would start the Song Fest off with something like, "Oh You Can't Get To Heaven In A Rocking Chair" and before the trip was over we would be singing "Bally Hi"  from the South Pacific.  It is no wonder I have a reportoire of thousands of songs.  Just think about it....three minutes per song times 14 hours......do the math...that is a lot of songs...pretty close to 300.  When it was just the three of us, after my brother died, we still sang....there were new show tunes, big band hits, you name it....we sang it.  We would even take the hymnal from the house and sing every song in it.  I thought this was how everyone traveled.  All my mom's family did....they were all musical.  Later in life I discovered that some people actually prefer to travel in silence....what a rude awakening for me....and what a boring trip.  When my children came along....we sang....we have sat in the drive way to finish belting out our favorite line from many Sandi Patti or Larnelle Harris songs.  I was delighted when Kat began to experiment with harmony because that made the music even better......Even now that my nest is empty....Frank and I have sat in our carport....or in a parking lot...so we(mostly I...though he humors me a lot) can hear the last line of something.  I love it that Frank sings too.  It thrills me to hear his rich voice blending with mine.  I have planned trips....where music was a key element....going west....songs had a western flair....or they were about states we were traveling in or through.  Oh yes....music does rock my world.  This past summer I went on a Girls Gone Wild trip to Michigan....Kat and I had loaded our Ipods with much great music....I was driving....and when I drive...I love to bump it up...and get everybody singing....and it was sort of working....until one of the passengers...felt she could not text with the music loud enough to hear.  No problem....I am a team player....and we had just gotten started....so I turned it down low....and bumped the speakers to the front.  It was then requested of me to turn it down even lower....because again it was interfering with texting.  I turned it off....totally.  Excuse me for messing with your fingers with my music.  I was glad when we stopped for gas and I could shake it off....it would have been a long 6 days if I hadn't.  Music returned and things lightened up a bit.  I learned a great deal about sharing space and actually worked on some patience skills....but that is another post.  My fondest memories all revolve around music....so let me ask you....what do some of your fondest memories revolve around?  The kitchen, a fireplace, a repeated trip...would you share it with me?  I'd love to relive a memory with you.  Happy Saturday and be sure to come back tomorrow for my week in pictures.  This has been a fun week.  I can't wait to share them with you.

Beehive

I won two tickets to see Beehive Friday night at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. My friend Mary is going with me and I am so excited. We left Alex City about 4:30 and headed to Montgomery to see the play. I could hardly contain my excitement. We ate supper at Chik-fil-a. I have discovered some things I can eat there and still maintain a caloric count of 1200 calories. So we had a grilled chicken garden salad with berry balsamic dressing and it was yummy. I don't eat the tomatoes, sunflower seeds, or croutons...and we split one package of the dressing. We arrived at the Shakespeare Festival and I found J.T and Leanne from Mix103 and claimed my tickets. The seats looked good and they were. We were 8 rows from the stage in seats 10 and 12. We could see it all. As the other winners gathered it was fun meeting all the other winners and the grand prize winner sat behind us. She won a trip to the Day Spa because she was able to put her hair up in the best beehive. I could not do that...my hair is not long enough. The lights dimmed and the play began and we were taken on a trip back into the 1960's. When hair was high and music was music. I think I sang along to every song but one. My favorite scene was a bedroom one (don't get the wrong idea.) It was Christmas...and we were in Leslie Gore's room....and she was crying about "it being her party and she'd cry if she wants to." Brenda Lee came in and hurt her feelings and had to tell her,"I'm sorry, so sorry." Annette Funicello was there, Connie Stevens and Connie Francis....they sang all their best songs...and I was in heaven. You realize...I was under the age of 10 when these songs were popular....but I loved them. I had babysitters who listened to this music...and taught me how to dance the shag, mashed potatoes, the pony and a whole host of other dances. The end of the program brought me more up to speed. Women now had a voice, Kennedy was dead,Camelot was over, Vietnam was going strong. I had really arrived on the scene. This WAS my era of music. I was 15 when Woodstock took place and had planned to run away and attend Woodstock. I was going to hitchhick. My only drawback was I was terrified of my parents....so I stayed put in Florida....Woodstock went on without me. I had to hear Janis sing "Me and Bobby McGee on vinyl." Beehive was really a wonderful evening. If you get a chance to go see it you should If you are a fan of 60's music...this is for you. If you would hear a snippet of the play go to the Beehive My Space link.

Musical Monday

My favorite song for today is South City Midnight Lady by the Doobie Brothers. It reminds me of a time in the past when I was first finding out just exactly who I was....and if I even liked myself. When I hear it now...I think of L.A. and smile.



Like my choice of songs for Monday? If you do then follow the link and hear some more good music choices. Who knows you might want to make your own Musical Monday choice.

Be Thou My Vision

One of my other favorite songs is an Irish one written by Dallen Forgaill entitled Be Thou My Vision. I love Irish music....I love the flute sound, I love the fiddle sound, I love all the celtic goodies they can pack into the song....and yes...Michael Flatley and River Dance rocks my world. I wish I could dance that way....with so much passion and emotion....but alas....I was given a voice....not rhythm. I dance like an orangutan who has had too much caffeine. Back to the subject at hand. Be Thou My Vision....is another one of those minor chord songs I adore so much....but it goes ever so much deeper than that....the words of this song could be my prayer, my mantra, everything I believe....or want to believe about being a Christian. I am a teacher and within the confines of education....we are always looking for a vision.....or a mission statement. The words that follow....are my personal mission statement.....

"Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all."
Dal­lan For­gaill (translated from the Irish byMa­ry E. Byrne, Versified by El­ea­nor H. Hull)

As I sat here tonight and pondered these words and held them dear to my heart I decided to plug in my IPOD and listen to 4HIM's version of the song. I love it because they modulate between verses and three people sing it....it is so powerful. There is nothing I love more than writing with music playing in my head....and in my heart. The power and majesty of the words come swelling forth....Be Thou My vision....O Lord of my heart. Thou my best thought by day and by night......waking or sleeping thy presence my light.....I have to ask....how can someone not believe in anyone....who is the best thought you have all day.....whether you are awake or asleep....we should all keep our eyes focused on Him.....the Ruler of all. Amen and amen. Next time you hear this song.....or do it in church....don't just listen to the tune....listen to the words.....and understand the depth. Praise the Lord....He is my true vision.....now and forever.