Days of Yore...Really Bad Yore.

Okay, I dared. Now it's YOUR turn. Everybody post their graduation pics by the end of the week!

An Acute Case of Nostalgia

For those of you who grew up with The ELectric Company, a couple of Tom Lehrer's finest!

Song For A Winter's Night...

The lamp is burnin' low upon my table top
The snow is softly falling
The air is still within the silence of my room
I hear your voice softly calling
If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter's night with you

The smoke is rising in the shadows overhead
My glass is almost empty
I read again between the lines upon each page
The words of love you sent me

If I could know within my heart
That you were lonely too
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter's night with you

The fire is dying now, my lamp is growing dim
The shades of night are lifting
The morning light steals across my windowpane
Where webs of snow are drifting

If I could only have you near
To breathe a sigh or two
I would be happy just to hold the hands I love
Upon this winter's night with you
And to be once again with you


-Words and music by Gordon Lightfoot

In Good Company...

So my house isnt quite as small as once I thought. After five days playing host to lots of company, I feel like I am finally in my element and ready to start planning more parties at home. I've never felt like much of a success in that arena before but things went really well so maybe I'll reconsider. I've already made plans w/ two couples to come have dinner in December...yay me!

Wednesday night, my good friend Barbie came and stayed w/ me since hubby was spending the night away (enjoying that show I already mentioned on a previous entry and making me very jealous). We had a nice quiet night of Project Runway, the game of LIFE, and Miller Chill. It was really fun staying up until 2am again, talking. Thanks, cinnamongirl!

Thursday, I did a quick cleaning job and prepared for my next set of company. Craig and Sarah (with their little beauty, Violet) had originally planned to stay in a hotel but since we're so far from the nearest one, I made room for them in Victor's room and they were able to stay here..and I'm so glad they did! Sarah is one of my favorite people, so easy to talk to. We made a quick trip to Wal Mart for some games and last minute items so when Toby and the kids came later that evening, we had JUST ENOUGH food for everyone (but no surplus).

It must be noted that I love to cook for my family but I've always shied away from cooking for guests. This time though, I made myself do it and I just loved every minute of it. Thursday night I made Chicken Parmesan, baked potatoes (brush some sesame oil on the skins prior to baking...so yummy), salad, and garlic bread. Friday morning I got up and made semi-homemade Cinnamon Latte rolls (courtesy Sandra Lee of the Food Network) and for lunch I prepared another Paula Deen recipe, Taco Soup. It was all very successful, I think. Josh and Mo came for dinner that evening (and brought food with them) so we provided a few extra store-bought side dishes and I made a double layer pumpkin pie, which is quick and easy. Thanks again for the ham, Mo, it was AWESOME! I wanted to gnaw on the bone like a dog...ha.

All six of the kids were surprisingly good, especially since they were kind of confined to the house due to the cold, wet weather. We put them to bed at a decent hour still, and were able to enjoy grownup talk and cards until relatively late. Very nice.

Saturday morning, Craig and Sarah said their goodbyes and I was able to make it to the bookstudy...late, of course. Afterwards, Toby and I took all our kids to McDonalds to eat lunch and then we went to the (gasp) Outlet Mall in Lebanon. My van fit everybody just BARELY and the kids were all very well behaved. We even took them to Wal Mart to buy some necessaries and got away with only minimal 'kid' purchases. This was the first time my brother and I have ever been anywhere w/ just us and the kids. It was so great to spend time together like that. When I come to Memphis, I usually end up spending the little time I have w/ my parents at their respective homes so we don't really get the chance to do that. I'm hoping he can make it up here more often now.

Saturday night was the now-famous hayride that Barbie's parents put on every November. It comes complete w/ bonfire, chili, marshmallows, homemade wine, and lots of nice people. The actual hayride was even more of a hoot than usual because Barbie and I sat side by side singing Janis Joplin at the top of our lungs, heedless to the annoyed glances of our fellow passengers...except for Chad who sang along...good for you, man! We rock! My Nathan was so happy to be on the hayride he sat in stunned silence. It was so sweet. We liked it so much, John took us all on a second hayride later (an oh-so-memorable one, wasnt it Barbie?)...hee hee. And I finally tried elderberry wine (but w/out the arsenic)!

Sunday morning, we made it late to the meeting (really really late) and enjoyed good conversation w/ friends at the local Mexican restaurant before heading home so Toby could pack up youngn's and clothes. He left by late afternoon along w/ our other houseguest Michael (who is a regular in this establishment) and we were finally on our own again, as a family. It was so wierd.

But I can't wait to do it all again.

My Neck of the Woods

My husband found a very cool website last night that had some pictures of our itty bitty town, Pleasant Shade, from the air. This photo was taken in the late eighties so there are a few more buildings since then. Our house was, of course, not built yet but it would be to the far right, just out of the shot. I know we have a beautiful view but this one surely takes the cake. Makes me think of the 'old country' overseas.

It also was really interesting to discover that originally, Pleasant Shade was a pretty happening spot. A diagram he found shows that there used to be a furniture/cabinet shop, barber, market, several restaurants, a pool hall, garages of various types, and a dance hall. Now, there is nothing to speak of in the area except a tiny post office and a tiny country store. Even the school has been closed. It's a shame too because wouldnt it be great to have a dancehall close by? Ha.

September Lullabies...

Last year I posted the lyrics to this- one of my favorite songs- for my friend Heather and her new baby, Ava. I'm so inlove with the lyrics that I'm shamelessly posting it again for myself. No baby yet, by the way. But I'm starting to feel very ready for the weight of that little body on my heart and that fuzzy little baby head under my chin:

PALE SEPTEMBER
lyrics by: Fiona Apple

Pale September
I wore the time like a dress that year
The autumn days swung soft around me like cotton
on my skin

But as the embers of the summer
lost their breath and disappeared
My heart went cold and only hollow rhythms resounded
from within
But then he rose brilliant as the moon in full
and sank within the burrows of my keep

And all my armour falling down
in a pile at my feet
And my winter giving way to warm
as I'm singing him to sleep

He goes along just like a water lily
Gentle on the surface of his thoughts his body floats
Unweighed down by passion or intensity
Yet unaware of the depth upon which he coasts
And he finds a home in me
For what misfortune sows, he knows my touch will reap

And all my armour falling down,
in pile at my feet
And my winter giving way to warm,
as I'm singing him to sleep

The Soundtrack of My Life...my choice. :)

My friend, Moose, decided to add a little 'post script' to her 'Soundtrack of my life' blog entry by including the ones SHE would choose. I thought I'd do the same.

This is the soundtrack of my life...by choice, not ipod. :)

The Soundtrack of My Life :

Opening Credits: "Into the Mystic-Van Morrison"-okay, this is my theme song ...my brother and I danced to it at my wedding and it's always reminded me of being young...and 'Dream a Little Dream',the Corey Feldman flick. LOL

2. Birth: "Doomsday"-Mephiskapheles-after all, us 1975 kids had a lot to contend with

3. First Day At School: "Kindergarten"-Faith No More-seriously one of my all time favorite songs.

4.Falling In Love: "Buttercup"-Brad. Yes, my hubby and I have 'a song'. This one is it.

5. Fight Song: "Cocaine Blues"-Johnny Cash...yeah, that's right. I said it.

6. Breaking Up: "You Will Be Loved Again"-The Cowboy Junkies...just rips my heart out and stomps it flat.

7. Prom: "C'mon Eileen"-Dexy's Midnight Runners- Okay so I didnt go to prom...but if I did, I'd be really mad if this song didnt play.

8. Life: "Ain't That a Kick in the Head"-Dean Martin...another perfect song and one of my very favorites

9. Mental Breakdown: "Twisted"-Joni Mitchell

10. Driving: "Puke and Cry"-Dinosaur Jr.

11. Flashback: "Release Me"-Pearl Jam

12. Wedding: "Thank You"-Tori Amos...the song we danced to and a brilliant cover of a brilliant song

13. Birth of a Child: "Pale September"-Fiona Apple...'and all my armour fallen down/in a pile at my feet/ and my winter giving way to warm/ as I'm singing him to sleep'

14. Final Battle-'Tear it Down'-The Old Crow Medicine Show...'when you feel the mule kickin' in your soul/ you gotta tear it down'.

15. Death Scene: 'Song of the Siren'-Liz Frazier...that's a pretty idea.

16. Funeral: "Nessun Dorma"-Luciano Pavoratti OR "Clementine" by Bobby Darin...either one would be fine. :)

17. Ending Credits: "My Gal is Red Hot"-Billy Lee Riley and His Little Green Men

The Times-They Are A-Changin'...

Aye Me. Nostalgic feelings. Today I found a tape in my junk drawer labeled "Sunnier Sessions" and realized it was a compilation tape that I'd made for my husband long before he was such. One side was called 'Carthage/Gatlinburg' and the other was called 'Memphis'. It consists of songs and sound clips that I associated, at the time, w/ our budding relationship and the time we spent together in those respective cities.

The first thing on the 'Memphis' side was a hilarious sound clip from the great Mike Myers movie, 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' in which Mike's character is singing a poem at the local speak-easy. Does anyone remember this hilarious bit? "Harriet. Harrie-it. Hard-hearted Harbinger of Haggis..." Classic stuff and just a great movie-back before Myers ruined himself and all of America w/ Austin Powers and Shrek (no offense anybody :) ). Anyway, I believe it came out around the weekend I threw my graduation party and a large group from Nashville came to the party and ended up staying for a long and fun-filled weekend that I'll never forget. So we saw the movie and spent the rest of their visit quoting lines from it, making it an instant classic of sorts. I aquaint that movie and the time surrounding it with the silly and carefree cavorting of that weekend-the Dr Seuss t-shirt my husband bought me and that I promptly began wearing almost daily (with cut off shorts, black and white striped tights, and docs, no less), the Dr. Giggles poster he wrapped it in, a patchouli-scented bead of some kind that fell off his necklace without his knowing and which promptly began to spend nights under my pillow, small hilarious photos from the Mall of Memphis photo booth of the whole group of us trying to shove each other into the picture, blanket tosses, , Paul singing 'Oh Lottie Pick a Bale of Cotton' from his pallet on the living room floor, eating lucky charms marshmallows out of a large bowl whilst playing all night games of Spades, 'Say Anything', 'Singles', and finally my mom kicking the whole group out of the house on Tuesday when they had evidently overstayed their welcome...haha.

Then there is the music. As I listened to my compilation tape this morning I was shocked how much the songs I chose WERE representative of those times and how there is little chance I'll think of anything else when I hear them. Smashing Pumpkins ('Mayonnaise' especially), Dinosaur Jr (The Wagon, Quicksand), Tool (Sober-which we listened to probably 200 times on our way back from Gatlinburg once), Primus, Belly, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. It was fun to take that little trip down the famous 'Memory Lane' this morning and I just wanted to share it for the sake of those who were there and those who SO should have been. :)

To all my old cronies, ' HEAD, MOVE!'

12 Years and Still 'Twitterpated'...

On May 20, 1995, the old man and I got 'hitched'. We were married at The Magnolia Room in Overton Square (Memphis) at the ripe old age of nineteen. Two and a half kids and one house project later, I can honestly say we've made a nice little success of us. I guess sometimes even teenagers know what they're doing. :)

( Listen honey, they're playing our song! So help me, it still makes me swoon. )

Song Title: Buttercup

Artist: Brad

http://www.badongo.com/file/3151684