Hope to see you there! ~ d
In Memory
In Memory of the Poppy, the People, the Purpose.
The Poppy Flower, specifically the Flanders Poppy with its delicate orange-red petals, which grew wild on the Belgium battlefields of World War I, came to symbolize remembrance, resilience, and peace and has been internationally associated with Memorial Day ever since.
The Flanders Poppy was first commemorated in a poem written by Canadian lieutenant colonel John McCrae called “In Flanders Fields” in reference to how quickly the flowers grew around the graves of fallen soldiers on battlefields.
American Professor Moina Michael was so inspired by McCrae’s poem she resolved to wear a red poppy year-round to honor those who had died in the war. She then wrote a poem of her own in response and distributed silk poppies to friends and colleagues as she campaigned to have them adopted as official symbols of remembrance by the American Legion. After seeing the poppies at a convention in 1920, Madame E. Guerin was inspired to sell them in her native country (France) to raise money for orphans of war.
Known originally as Decoration Day, Memorial Day has been observed here, in the United States, since the spring of 1865, which marked the ending of the Civil War, a years-long battle that freed the slaves and claimed more lives than any other conflict in American history. It also necessitated the creation of the country’s first national cemeteries.
Mary Ann Williams, a former soldier’s wife, and frequent civic activist, is noted as the first proponent for Memorial Day as a national holiday to decorate the graves of American soldiers killed in the line of duty.
General John A. Logan proclaimed, “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,”
The National Moment of Remembrance Act passed in 2000, asks everyone across the nation to pause and remember at 3:pm (local time) on Memorial Day
May 26, 1983: “I don’t have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world.” ~ President Ronald Reagan (ThoughtCo.com)
On a Sunday
This post is for subscribers
BOTB Results – May 2023
Contenders and votes for May 1st Battle
“Wind of Change” Piano VS Saxophone
Piano = 1 vote
Saxophone = 8 votes (including mine)
My sincere condolences to the piano. In what I mean as a gesture of uplifting consolation, I present to you a cover of a song released by the Allman Brothers in 1973 – back when I was only 15 years old, and a gallon of gas was only 39 cents…and that’s all I’m gonna say about birthdays.
Thanks for your patience folks; I’m off to see how the other battles went. Hope you do the same 😉
Lock your doors and hug your Mom!
Footer Image:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB May
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle of The Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied, and the winner revealed on or about the 8th day of the month.
I’m doing this post from the summer house, where half of my files have not or will not transfer. Bear with me, folks; this should be interesting 😊
On this day in 2006, Guinness certified a new world record for the most guitars playing at once when 1,581 axe people simultaneously performed the Jimmy Hendrix version of “Hey Joe” in Wroclaw, Poland.
During a press conference held in 1975 at the 5th Avenue Hotel in New York City to announce the Rolling Stones’s upcoming American Tour, the Stones themselves came down the street playing live from the back of a flatbed truck! I doubt anyone would try that in New York (or anywhere?) these days…as times, they are a changing.
Change is the theme for this battle. The hauntingly beautiful song was written by Klaus Meine and Rudolph Schenker. The Scorpions released the single, which became a worldwide hit in January of 1991. As of last year, the band still performs the song live with lyrical changes reflecting current world circumstances.
So, there you have it, Folks. Which do you like best? After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB April Results
Contenders and Votes for April 1st Battle of the Bands
Rhythm of the Rain
Gary Lewis and the Playboys 4 votes
Dan Fogleberg 5 + 1(me) = 6 votes
Originally released by the Cascades in late 1962, the song rose to #3 on Billboard’s Top 100 the following spring. Their version of Rhythm of the Rain was used in the soundtrack of the 1979 film “Quadrophenia”, loosely based on the Who’s rock opera of the same name. Several references of the Who appear in the film as ‘Easter Eggs’. Did anyone see the film?
Speaking of Easter Eggs, are you coloring any at your house this weekend?
Don’t forget to hop around and see how the other battles went:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB April 2023
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle of The Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on or about the 8th day of the month.
Here it is, April already. If only in name. You sure can’t tell by the weather. The season tries to change every day, but winter refuses to let go. Not a week after I put away all the quilts and throw blankets, I woke up to this:
But mostly, we’ve had a ton of rain. We pay closer attention to bridge conditions these days, now that our rivers are actually running. It’s as if winter has been practicing for the biggest April prank ever.
Have you ever been pranked?
On this day in 2017, Bob Dylan finally accepted the Nobel Prize in Literature awarded to him the year before. I, for one, honestly wondered if he’d walk up as if to claim his award and say “April Fool!” instead. It was April 1, 1970 when John Lennon and Yoko issued a prank press release stating the two of them were having sex change operations.
Known for collaborations on songs such as “Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool”, songwriter Jack Keller, passed away from leukemia on April 1, 2005.
So many themes to choose from for today’s battle…here goes!
So, there you have it, Folks. Which do you like best? After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB March Results
Contenders and Votes for BOTB March 1st, 2023
“Send Me An Angel”
Scorpions 4 votes + 1 (me) = 5 for the win!
Real Life 4 votes
Not a bad outcome, wouldn’t you say? Hope you’re up for one more “Angel” song 😉
Don’t forget to see how the other battles did!
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB March 2023
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle Of The Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month), give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on or about the 8th day of the month.
On this day in 1997 a Motley Crue fan who suffered permanent hearing damage after a concert in New Jersey had his lawsuit thrown out of court by a judge who ruled that the fan knew the risk he was taking when he sat near the stage. Have you ever experienced temporary hearing loss after a concert?
On a different note, having celebrated about as many birthdays as lives well-lived last month, I’ve settled on “Angel” as a theme for this month’s battle.
So, there you have it, Folks. Which do you like best? After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB February Results
Contenders and votes for BOTB February 1, 2023
“California Dreamin'”
Singer/Songwriter Sia : 2 + 1 (me) = 3 votes
Shut Up and Kiss Me : 8 votes For the win!
It’s a safe bet we’ve all heard at least one song written, maybe even performed, by Australian-born Sia, but you won’t likely see the shy songbird in concert because she often sings behind the curtains while her dancers take the stage and bring her songs to life. Meanwhile, from the same US coast (at about the same time) that inspired the Mamas & Papas, The Beach Boys formed arguably the only band capable of withstanding the British invasion of The Beatles. While staying viable was by no means easy, they still managed to add a few cover tracks to their ever-growing list of hits. For your listening pleasure (and because Stephen brought it to my attention) here’s The Beach Boys:
Don’t forget to see how the other battles did!
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
Winter Daze
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle Of The Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on or about the 8th day of the month.
In case you’re curious, this is what prompted my “Winter Daze” theme song for this battle:
So, there you have it, Folks. Which do you like best? After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
It just wouldn’t be right without a nod to the Mamas and the Papas (Cheers!) Has anyone seen the “San Andreas” movie?
BOTB January Results
Contenders and votes for BOTB January 1, 2023
“Sunday Morning Coming Down”
Delila of The Last Internationale 1 vote
Jason Todd Herring 6 + 1 = 7 votes
Having covered the likes of Howlin Wolf, Dylan, Seeger, and Guthrie, I thought Delila’s folksy rock sound would have garnered a couple more votes than it did here. It wasn’t for lack of talent, to be sure. Way back before I’d heard any other than Johhny Cash’s mournful version, I thought listeners ought to be provided free tissues just for listening. I voted for Jason because I think his upbeat rendition lightens the mood considerably 😉
Don’t forget to see how the other battles did.
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB – January 2023
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle Of the Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest, where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month), give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on the 8th day of the month.
Happier New Year, everyone! Top songs this time last year were “Easy on me” by Edele and “We don’t talk about Bruno” by the cast of Encanto. At some point during a year full of idiocies and ironies, Mick Jagger released a song that does a good job describing the fallout called “Strange Game” for an AppleTV+ series called Slow Horses.
We lost a few of the good ole greats; Meatloaf, Don Wilson (Ventures), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Jerry Lee Lewis, and a host of other youngsters gone too soon.
Sometimes time itself has a way of sidelining our achievements – while in progress. For instance, did anyone catch Tony Bennett’s final live “I get a kick out of you” show a year or so ago with Lady Gaga? The last concert I ever took my dad to was when Tony Bennett performed at the Desert Diamond Casino, just outside of town. Sweet memories.
There’s only one reason I chose the song I’ve selected for today’s Battle of The Bands, and that is because it’s Sunday!
Written by Kris Kristofferson, Ray Stevens first recorded the song that Johnny Cash would take to #1 on the Billboard US Country chart in 1969. Johnny’s version is the one I remember best, especially the way he sang the line about children singing in Sunday school. I believed he meant it. However, not counting his own version, more than a dozen artists had recorded the song by 2013, when Kristofferson remarked in an interview that it was the song that allowed him to quit working for a living.
So, there you have it, Folks! Which do you like best? After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
A Day in the Life
Some days are just going to challenge you – no matter who you are.
BoTB Christmas Results
Contenders and votes (and one ruling) for December 1, 2022,
Christmas BoTB – Winter Wonderland
Anna Kendrick and Snoop Dogg 1 + 1 = 2
Michael Buble and Rod Stewart 4
Earth Wind & Fire 1
All around great turnout for Mike and Rod, wouldn’t you say? I’m pleased to see that nary a contender went unnoticed 😉 That’s the spirit, BoTB participants!
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
BOTB Christmas
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle Of the Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest, where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month), give listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on the 8th day of the month.
Happy December, everyone! This is the first time in a long, long time that at least one local radio station hasn’t started playing Christmas songs right after Thanksgiving dinner. I am officially shocked yet only somewhat dismayed because, to tell you the truth, sometimes, by the time Christmas rolled around, I was kind of tired of hearing Christmas songs. If you just gasped, I don’t blame you 😉 I don’t really have any favorites, but there are some I like less than others. For no other reason than a collective need for levity, I am featuring artists covering the oft-understated wonders of the season 😉
After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – Jingle Jangle Jungle
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Lest We Forget
Last Kiss – Results
Contenders and votes for the October 1, 2022 Battle of the Bands – Last Kiss:
J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers vs. Pearl Jam
J. Frank Wilson – 7 + 1 = 8
Pearl Jam – Zip + zero = Nada
Am I supposed to feel defeated by a shutout, a landslide, a runaway, or a blowout? Well, I don’t (this time) because the truth is I really love the Frank Wilson version 😉 So, with nimble fingers and a tune in mind, I’m off to see how the other battles did! See you all soon 😉
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
Last Kiss
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle Of the Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on the 8th day of the month.
Known in some circles as The White Knight of Soul, not even Wayne Cochran’s flamboyant stage presence (laughably gigantic white pompadour and outlandish outfits) nor the fact that he wrote the song featured in today’s battle was able to garner the singer of “Blue-eyed blues” and the C.C Riders more than a single that didn’t quite chart in 1961. He tried again in 1963, under a different label with similar results.
A year later, J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers revived the song and took it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100’s in June of 1964. This was the version I must have heard a hundred times as it and other treasures continuously played in the room of my (then) teen-aged aunt.
By the time I was a teen and finally trusted not to contaminate or damage anything, I was allowed access to my aunt’s outstanding collection of what we now know as “Golden Oldies”. As time went on, I heard the popular teen tragedy song less and less and had all but forgotten about it until I heard it playing in my own daughter’s room! I could not believe she’d come across the age-old hit by Wilson and the Cavaliers.
As it happened, my daughter was listening to a new version performed by Pearl Jam after vocalist Eddie Vedder found the old version in an Antique Mall in Seattle, WA, and convinced the band to try it. Their cover and subsequent release in 1999 (also) eventually climbed to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100s and remains Pearl Jam’s highest-peaking single.
So there you have it, folks. Which do you like best?
After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Debbie – The Doglady’s Den
Creepin’ it Real
New Release!
Chapter book for ages 5-8
ISBN 9798848409956
Paperback: $6.99 | ebook $3.99
Blurb
Oscar the ghost dwells happily in his cozy cottage, where he hides from creatures that lurk in the dark. After a mysterious message arrives, he must find the courage to go out and discover what’s waiting for him. Will he be brave enough or will the monsters send him rushing back home?
About the Author
H.R. Sinclair is a left-handed hermit prepping for the squirrel apocalypse. She writes fantastical stories and visits cemeteries for inspiration.
Blog: https://www.iamhrsinclair.com/blog/
Newsletter: https://www.getrevue.co/profile/hrsinclair
Twitter: https://twitter.com/southpawpov
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrsinclair/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7548000-h-r-sinclair
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/h-r-sinclair
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/iamhrsinclair/_created/
Happy Halloween!
Frightfully Fun results
Contenders and votes for the October 1st Battle of the Bands – Frightfully Good Tunes:
J. Geils Band – Title song of the movie Fright Night – 2 votes
Harry Belafonte – Jump in the line (Shake Senora) from the movie Beetlejuice – 3 votes
We would have had a tie in this battle had yours truly not remembered to vote at the last minute!
Be sure to check out all results for Battle of the Bands:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – www.jinglejanglejungle.net
Frightfully Good Tunes
Hey, hi! Glad you stopped by 😉
The Battle Of the Bands (BOTB) is your basic Which-do-you-like-best contest where the one that gets the most votes wins. All you have to do is show up (the 1st of every month) give a listen and cast your vote in the comment section. Votes will be tallied and the winner revealed on the 8th day of the month.
In honor of Halloween, I’m going with associated scary (or not) movie soundtracks. If you’ve seen the movie, all the better! Pick which one you like best.
After you vote, and before you go – I highly recommend visiting the rest of the BOTB participants – they’re pros! And a few of them hold two battles a month! Here’s where to find them:
STMcC – Presents Battle of the Bands
Arlee – Tossing it Out
Cathy – Curious as a Cathy
John – The Sound of One Hand Typing
Mike – Mike’s Ramblings
Mary – Jingle Jangle Jungle
Fun fact: While the movie itself all but tanked, Ennio Morricone (of spaghetti western fame) a relative newcomer to Hollywood blockbusters was given free rein to compose the score for the “Exorcist II” and delivered arguably his best weirdly creepy scores for the “Heretic” soundtrack . He later won an Oscar for his musical contribution to “Hateful Eight” using leftover scraps from “The Thing”
Have a thought? Drop a line in the comment section. Thanks for stopping by the stream!
Sounds of September
Hello again, friends!
With my vote for Daughtry, we had a three-way tie in our very first BOTB until a music-loving member of Gen Z stepped up to post his vote for the best September song; leading to a win for Earth, Wind and Fire! Released by RCA Records in 1978, the song “September” was recently included by Rolling Stone magazine at #65 on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. Thanks, everyone, for participating!
Fun fact: In terms of music tastes, Gen Z Americans tend to believe “old is the new cool” and despite the stereotype of excessive users of technology (staring at phone screens while sitting next to friends and or family,) Gen Z (Zoomers) overwhelmingly prefer face-to-face conversations.
It’s Hug a Greeting Card writer day! If you can’t find one, it’s also Read an Ebook day!
Happy Autumn!
The Odd Uneven Time
“August rain: the best of summer not yet gone
and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.”
Sylvia Plath
Hello, Friends!
Happy Autumn! As summer insists on ending, I continue to revel in the recent thrill of having our rivers running bank-to-bank with August rain. Getting that much rain during monsoon had become such a rarity that this year’s deluge actually enticed people out of their homes to gape in awe at flooded streets and floating lawn furniture. A couple of adventuresome folks took kayaks out for a swift-water ride down the Rillito River and got their picture in the local paper. I don’t suppose they received an award, but they should have. Why, I can remember a time when monsoons, like we had this summer, were the norm and just about every afternoon there’d be small fishing boats riding the waves on Alvernon Way, quite a busy thoroughfare back in the day. And there was that time…
“Rushing water charged through the arroyo like a prize bull out of the gate at the Rodeo. Rosie was amazed and amused by the items in its tow: an oven door, a mate-less shoe, tree branches, food wrappers, lawn chairs – and sometimes, careless kids. Rosie had no intention of becoming one of the latter.
“Well? Are you coming?” Manny called from the opposite bank, his voice barely audible above the roaring water.
Rosie fiddled with the rope in her hands. You’d think she’d never done this before by the way her stomach churned. Somehow it had been more enjoyable when she hadn’t yet discovered what could happen if she let go of the rope too soon, or worse if she didn’t swing out far enough. Steeling herself, she took three steps back, checked her hold on the rope, took five running steps and swung clear across the arroyo – and back again.
Rats! She grimaced at Manny’s laughing face and tried again.
“Let go!” Manny yelled. “I’ll catch …“
It was not the most elegant landing, but they both laughed as they rolled on a cushion of crabgrass and mud. Thunder rumbled in the distance reminding them that monsoons were indeed upon them, flooding streets daily and causing typically dry riverbeds to overflow into arroyos such as the one they sat beside. Rosie knew they should be heading for cover before they found themselves running for it. She stood and brushed off her well-worn jeans.”
~Excerpt from “Owning Up” by dee Kay
Has weather ever inspired you? Has weather ever caused an event that inspired you? Something about September always seems to want to either gently coax, or drag kicking and screaming, every little memory right to the surface. Some say having to let summer memories go makes it harder to settle into autumn. Maybe it does, a little. But let go anyway, even if you don’t have a Manny on the other bank, you do have a memory bank in which to store those precious moments for all time 😉
So let’s celebrate September, shall we? In this, my inaugural attempt at participation in a musical bloghop called “Battle of the Bands” – otherwise known as BOTB – I hope to encourage at least one cool September memory from at least one of these cool September songs to resurface for at least half of all who care to cast a vote.
Did the songs stir any memories? We won’t know if you don’t say 😉
“Hop” being the operative word here, you’re invited to hop on over and see what battles the other participants have posted for your enjoyment!
http://stmccpresentsbattleofthebands.blogspot.com/
https://thesoundofonehandtyping.com/
https://www.jinglejanglejungle.net/
https://tossingitout.blogspot.com/
Just imagine what we’ll come up with for next month – see you on the 1st!
Biggest Fish Brightest Star
Hello Friends,
The last super moon of the year is upon us tonight and I, of course, am stoked! The August full moon was named “Sturgeon” because that’s when the Algonquin tribes (first nation aboriginals of southeastern Canada) gathered around the Great Lakes and other large bodies of water to fish for enormous prehistoric sturgeon. While they do have their own original language, today’s Algonquin tribes speak French or English, and live and dress just like anyone else in today’s modern world. An enduring reminder of Algonquin cultural spirituality is the creation of the original “Dream Catcher”
With all the much-needed rain we’ve been getting, temperatures are cooler and tomorrow’s ending of the old “Dog Days of Summer” might actually have gone unnoticed had I not just mentioned it. You’re welcome 😉 “Dog Days” is basically a catchphrase for extended periods of extreme heat, but it’s also a reference to Sirius, the Dog Star (the brightest star visible from earth) located within the Canis Major – or Greater Dog constellation. In summer (July 3 – August 11) Sirius, in perfect conjunction with the sun, is so dazzling in brightness that ancient Romans were certain it caused the hottest days of summer. In actuality, days are always warmer when earth is tilted more directly towards the sun, as it is this time of year.
I love the name Sirius, from the binary star system to XM entertainment! However, a gal’s gotta do what she has to do to share her love of a big full moon. Thank you, Youtube!
“The moon is magic for the soul and light for the senses”
Now then, do you have a Dreamcatcher? Have you ever fished for Sturgeon? Are you a fan of Sirius? Do you have a favorite “moon” song?
What You Fear Most
Hello, friends!
How’s your summer so far? Monsoon is well underway in my area, as are daily flood and lightning warnings. A reporter interviewing a member of a family of self-proclaimed “lightning people”, in this case almost everyone in the family has been struck by lightning at least once, elicited a rather bold declaration from the member with regard to her latest strike:
What you fear most is what you attract.
Not such a powerful statement if your greatest fear is running out of chocolate chip cookies. You’d likely survive a snack attack. But can you really attract one? Sure, I could annoy a dog enough to earn myself an angry bite, but how could you attract a speaking engagement if you’re terrified of public speaking? If I found myself accompanied by a spider in a darkened elevator stuck between the highest floors of a skyscraper, could I have unwittingly appealed to the odds of fate? Or do things we can’t predict just happen sometimes? Like, lightning strikes… and falling stars.
Some of us are afraid of the unknown. As for me, I’m more curious than afraid. I think this quote sums it up fairly well: “We do not have a fear of the unknown. What we fear is giving up the known.” Indeed.
It is with that thought in mind that I offer the following music video as a tribute to our dear friend, “Mrs. Mildew”; mentor, confidant, and co-commiserate on subjects ranging from books to cat food. Her recent passing has left a scar and a lasting memory.
Every writer fears rejection. Yet, therein lays the motivation to move on, muddle through.
There is freedom waiting for you
on the breezes of the sky,
and you ask “What if I fall?”
Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?
~ J. M. Barrie
Tributes and Tributaries
Hello, friends!
Here we are in the heart of May when showers of spring on the run glisten like diamonds in the pre-summer sun as we chart our courses and cultivate plans; convinced that solutions aren’t out of our hands. That kind of thinking is fuel for the mind, strength for the soul, as well as the warmth of hope in the hearts of us all. Here are a few reasons why I think so:
As if being Queen of England wasn’t impressive enough, Queen Victoria (“Victorian” era) was also somewhat of a trend-setter as, when in mourning the death of her husband, Prince Albert, Queen Victoria wore a locket that contained a daguerreotype picture of the king along with a lock of his hair. Soon, everyone was wearing a Mourning or Memorial locket. Before long, an entire jewelry industry was created, including heart-shaped lockets called “Keepsakes”
Does anyone remember how important a locket was to a fictional FedEx engineer who was stranded on an uninhabited island for four years? Does anyone remember the name of the movie?
In keeping with a celebration of Inventors in May, I was delighted to discover that not only did Robert Fulton invent the first commercially successful steamboat in America, well before the “Clermont’s” maiden voyage down the Hudson River; Fulton had earned his first wages painting intricate portraits for lockets! But his passion was steamboats, and even a submarine or two. He’d become an icon in the industrial industry, responsible for the expedient transportation of passengers and wares along our nation’s tributaries, who worked up to the day he passed away from pneumonia in 1815. Upon news of Mr. Fulton’s death, businesses closed for a day and both houses of the New York State Legislature voted to wear black clothing for the next six weeks; the first time such a tribute had ever been paid to a private citizen.
Another private citizen had a vision (since childhood,) to one day alleviate the burden of having to scramble for change whenever the postmaster came around. Englishman Rowland Hill eventually became a school teacher and a social reformer who never forgot his vision of postal system reform. His proposal of a pre-paid postage system led to his invention and subsequent distribution in May of 1840 of the original postage stamp! It was called Penny Black and featured an elegant engraving of Queen Victoria (yes, the same one I mentioned earlier in this post) who celebrated her 21st birthday that May.
The 1984 Guinness Book of World Records listed two Arizona boys, Marc and Ben as having built the largest penny pyramid in recorded history. Comprised of 104,000 pennies, and standing 22 inches tall, the pyramid was something to be proud of. However, right below the listing in Guinness’s book are notifications that Guinness would accept no further challenges to the record as the U.S. Mint feared future competitions could cause a national penny shortage.
Don’t miss the total eclipse of the moon tonight, The Full Flower Moon occurs tomorrow (May 16th), though it already looks full enough for me 😉 Thanks for stopping by the stream!
Your thoughts? We’re listening!
A Word For May
Hello, dear readers,
Wishing everyone a very happy month of May! It’s “Get Caught Reading Month” and I hope you do.
I’ve designated “Velocipede” as my favorite word of the month. It was the name given to most any bicycle built in the early 1800s. While there seems to be some debate over which came first, the French designed Velocipede or the British engineered Penny Farthing of the late 1800s, the Penny Farthing was arguably the safer of the two. However, brakes were unheard of at the time. Do you recall learning how to ride a bike? How many falls did you take before balance took over?
What’s your word for May?
Do you ever wish your phone would stop spell-checking every time you want to text like you speak? Those automatic word substitutions have me editing what I say before I even say it. Maybe that’s a good thing 😉
Until again, dear friends, happy hug your cat day, and don’t forget to call your mom on Mother’s Day.
Poems in April
Hello, dear readers!
April is National Poetry Month
There’s a Poem-A-Day challenge going on at Writer’s Digest, if you’re interested.
Here’s one of my favorites:
Oh, to be in England
Now that April’s there,
And whoever wakes in England
Sees, some morning, unaware,
That the lowest boughs and the brushwood sheaf
Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,
While the chaffinch sings on the orchard bough
In England—now!
And after April, when May follows,
And the whitethroat builds, and all the swallows!
Hark, where my blossomed pear-tree in the hedge
Leans to the field and scatters on the clover
Blossoms and dewdrops—at the bent spray’s edge—
That’s the wise thrush; he sings each song twice over,
Lest you should think he never could recapture
The first fine careless rapture!
And though the fields look rough with hoary dew,
All will be gay when noontide wakes anew
The buttercups, the little children’s dower
—Far brighter than this gaudy melon-flower!
~ Robert Browning poemhunter.com
And one of mine:
Cadence of My Heart
A trench coat in the shadows
of the Carolina rain
he waited on the tarmac
I trembled on the plane.
A long awaited summit
emotions sharp and deep
uniting kindred souls at last
commencing ‘dad and me’
I noted every nuance
his wisdom, scorn and wit
eyeing every corner for
a place that I might fit
To bask within his quiet calm
to memorize his stride
defy the odds and doubting minds
of those who would divide
Two souls that brooked the tests of time
together and apart
he remains my guiding light
the cadence of my heart.
Love you dad!
Do you have a poem to share?
30 Minutes
Hello friends,
It’s not often the first 30 minutes of a day sets the pace for the rest of it. But that’s what happened to me the other morning. It began with me gazing at a view of a spectacular watercolor sunrise as the coffeepot hissed and sputtered. I’m well aware the machine is on its last legs and that every pot may be the last. I patted the lid encouragingly as a hummingbird hovered at a window with a western view where a full Wolf moon clung to the sky in defiance of daybreak. I’d drag my feet too if I were a moon. Instead, I stepped out to the patio for a better view of celestial comings and goings, where a slight breeze swayed palm fronds in rhythmic accord to cheerful birdsong. It’s still sweater-weather here, mid-sixties or so, but the temperature was perfect that morning. When coffee was ready at last, I lingered at the window with my first cup and marveled at how nature had effortlessly made me feel I’d already had caffeine.
To my astonishment, during the course of this exceptional half hour, the wind had picked up considerably. Dark clouds cloaked the western sky (Goodnight, moon), and the temperature had dropped eleven degrees! Moments later, raindrops dotted the garden bridge planks.
But wait, there’s more.
While checking the newspaper for the day’s weather forecast, I ran across a remarkable double-obit where an elderly widower had given a hilarious and most heartwarming eulogy for his wife at her funeral before passing away himself, 30 minutes later.
There are times when I know we humans are irrefutably not the masters of this universe. I think that’s a good thing.
Believe it or not, the aforementioned coffee story was not a segue into National Caffeine Awareness Month, though it very well could be;-) In addition to March into Literacy Month, March marks the celebration of Women’s History, Irish-American Heritage, Frozen food, Peanuts, Ladders, Umbrellas, Optimism, and Supply Management.
And I haven’t even mentioned St. Patrick’s Day! You just can’t trust those Leprechauns. Case in point: Use your wishes wisely. As the story goes, Seamus of County Mayo wished to be the richest man on a tropical island. Once granted, Seamus realized there was no place to spend any money – and no people on the island to converse with! He had to use his third wish to get back to Ireland. Some say this is where the phrase ‘Luck of the Irish” originated. 😉
A bit of Irish humor:
Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died.
He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney. “Did you see the paper?” asked Gallagher, “They say I died!!”
“Yes, I saw it!” replied Finney, “Where are ye callin’ from?”
And, here’s a thought:
“Where do thoughts go when they’re forgotten?” ~ Sigmund Freud
Your thoughts? We’re listening!
Seasonal Soul
Seasonal Soul
Sculptured by the gentle streams, flowing ever on
Through temperamental winds that scream
where rivers used to run
Sun has kissed the lines that crease
the smoothness of my skin
though secrets, sweet, are thus released
there’s so much more within
Believe in me, my eyes beseech
Enduring strength and mettle
Nestled in a summer stream
I am but a pebble.
diedre Knight
Jellybean Kisses
In the Presence of Children
The wind is a feather that tickles your face
and brings the smell of flower fumes
clear from the neighbor’s house.
He knows this because he’s the ninja
with the most eggs in his basket.
The little hunter will keep looking till bedtime,
because that’s what hunters do.
The magician has cast a spell to hurry up
and find all the eggs,
because he needs to eat chocolate – now.
While the miniature carrot-top is elbow-deep
in the ice bucket; eating ‘ice-tubes’,
because her favorite color is red.
Random observations delivered with whimsical flair,
and fairy laughter as they lean in to plant
jelly bean kisses on the keeper of half-eaten Peeps.
Their company is a pleasurable retreat; I’m consumed
by a palpable sense of sweet and utter peace.
Because children at their magical best
hold our heartstrings in their hands.
~ Sonrisa Lockhart
For anyone who ever had a moment they could not let just slip by and recorded it in song or prose or watercolored strokes on canvas – we applaud you! Share a moment or a thought, if you like. We’re listening!
That’s a Wrap
Hello, readers!
In honor of All the News that’s fit to Print Day, here’s a bit of old news:
It’s International Women Inventors Month! And on February 10, 1943, Vesta Stoudt, while working at an ordinance plant during WWII, came up with an idea of improving the way ammunition boxes were sealed to provide quicker access for use by soldiers. When plant bosses were less than impressed, she wrote to President Roosevelt and described how well she thought duck cloth would seal the seams. Contrary to the plant bosses, the president was impressed and sent the duck tape idea to the War Production Board for immediate implementation. The idea not only worked well on ammo boxes, but it also proved helpful in fixing leaks, repairing equipment, and even closing wounds on the battlefield. Ms. Stoudt received a War Worker Award from the Chicago Tribune for her idea, which wasn’t called Duct Tape until years later when it was used to repair duct work successfully.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine an application for which Duct tape wouldn’t work. For instance, you can repair a tear in your camping tent or fix a cracked and leaky garden hose. It takes the place of tweezers for splinter and tick removal and can keep you from scratching an itchy insect bite. Duct tape works as well as an ordinary lint and pet hair roller and can even keep your floors safe from scuffing during furniture rearrangement.
It’s one thing to become a living legend, but to have missed the historic moment (February 10, 1972), when minor rocker David Bowie virtually (temporarily) morphed away as Ziggy Stardust made his Earthly Debut is to forever wish you could have been among a group of about 60 young Londoners fortunate enough to witness it. One audience member quipped, “Bowie brought theater to a humble pub gig…I couldn’t blink for fear of missing something – nothing would ever be the same,”
“The Artist always has the masters in his eyes” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Happy February!
Shivers and Short Stories
Happy 2022, dear Readers!
Farmer’s Almanac (.com) suggests we bundle up for a “Season of Shivers” across much of the United States during what “may well be the longest and coldest winter we’ve seen in years,” Global warming is so last year 😉 Having spent the entire week after Christmas feeling snowbound, I couldn’t wait to get back home to sweater-weather in southern Arizona. While the temperature (43) was higher here than it had ever managed to get up north, it was still a shock to find the miles had not outrun the winter chill.
Fellow writers, take a gander: It’s Book Blitz Month! Have you ever wondered, as I have, what to do with all those short stories; written and left to forever litter the decks of a Ghostship adrift on a sea of unrealized dreams? Shannon Lawrence has just released a lifeboat of a book filled with treasurable advice and priceless information!
Whether you’re looking to add short stories to your repertoire as a solo pursuit or in addition to novel writing, The Business of Short Stories covers every aspect from writing to marketing. Learn the dynamics of short story writing, where to focus your editing efforts, how and where to submit, how to handle acceptances and rejections, what to do with reprints, and how to market yourself and your stories online and in person. The information in The Business of Short Stories has been distilled from over a decade of short story publishing experience so you don’t have to learn the hard way. You’ll find information on submission formatting, cover letters, querying a collection, sending proposals to writing events, how to create a website, SEO, social media, and so much more. This is an invaluable resource for short story writers.
There’s never been a better time to get into short stories!
Author Bio: Shannon Lawrence has made a career of short stories, with over a decade of experience and more than fifty short stories published in magazines and anthologies. In addition, she’s released three horror short story collections with a mix of new and previously published stories. Her true-crime podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem is going into its third season.
Her website and social media:
Website: www.thewarriormuse.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewarriormuse
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thewarriormuse
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewarriormuse/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/shannon-lawrence
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/shannondkl
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shannon-Lawrence/e/B00TDKPOAO
Podcast Website: www.mysteriesmonstersmayhem.com
Gratitude is Long Remembered
Hello everyone!
I love this time of year, don’t you? As we count our blessings this holiday season, may we also make our blessings count.
I was delighted to see Christmas decorations adorning a drive-thru window the other day. But, I was also curious, why so early? We haven’t even celebrated Thanksgiving yet. I said as much to the sweet lady who handed me a bag of tacos, my personal precursor to a week-long turkey binge. She shrugged in response, gesturing with her eyes at any one of the busy workers behind her. Someone there wasn’t feeling very thankful.
This time of year, what’s not to be thankful about?
The weather here is unusually warm but not unbearable. It’s International Novel and Memoir Writing month. Authors Jonathan Swift and Mark Twain were born in November.
Children’s author (and winner of two Newberry Awards), Elizabeth George Speare, was born November 21, 1908. All four historical fiction novels (for children) were highly successful, most notably her impeccably written manuscript for “The Witch of Blackbird Pond,” which reportedly required only one change before being sent to print.
Numerous noteworthy events occurred in Novembers past.
November 21, 1934, Ella Fitzgerald secured her future as a legendary Jazz singer by bringing down the house on Amateur Night at the Apollo in Harlem.
Did you know that as President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, he was in the middle of a minor bout of Smallpox? And, although the president spoke for only three minutes, his rhythmic delivery of compelling remarks was interrupted five times by applause.
And who can forget such an occasion as the three-day harvest feast shared between early American settlers and Native Americans, an event that to this day serves as a reminder that it’s not so much why we “break bread” together. It’s that we do.
In November of 1935, the first edition of the board game Monopoly went on sale.
But giving thanks – or being grateful – isn’t all about history. Why, just this month American Girl Dolls, the board game Risk, and good old-fashioned sand were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
The culmination, earlier this month, of a journey perhaps not found on bucket lists (though epic just the same), revealed a blue trash barrel belonging to the city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, washed up 3500 miles away; on a beach on the west coast of Ireland!
A little levity is always in order during hectic times, right? Reader’s Digest shares some comical Thanksgiving calamity stories. For instance, a woman rushed into a store on her way home from work, hoping to pick up a centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table. Not finding what she needed, she confronted the store manager, “Are you out of your gourds?!” to which he replied, “Why? What did we do now?”
How about you, dear reader? What smells the best at Thanksgiving dinner? (besides your nose) Do you have a favorite side dish? A special movie you watch every year?
Until again, stay safe, be happy, and write well!
Streampebbles 