Cool Music and Art!

I am SERIOUS about music

You are the music while the music lasts.
T. S. Eliot
I am a music lover. It may sound cliché, but I do have very eclectic taste, and I listen to almost everything. I can see the merit in so many songs, bands, and genres, and I want to absorb it all. It KILLS me that I am not an expert on ALL music. I want to be a bottomless vessel of music knowledge, filled to the brim with first hits, previous bands, and best songs. I want to be able to spout appropriate lyrics just at the right moment during intense conversations, and make interesting music analogies to support arguments. In the spirit of the above quote I will make a music commitment. For 365 days I will blog about music, songs, instruments, bands, lyrics, and anything else I think is significant to the love of the tune. I am by no means an expert, though that wish lives in my heart or hearts. Please help me by sending suggestions, music information, interesting lyrics, pictures, rants, and raves. So while the music lasts, I’ll be the music- blogger ;~ )

March Madness?

This is Spar-ta! Chris took me to see 300 this weekend and I was floored! We had to wait until 10:00pm to get a ticket because all the earlier shows were sold out. I was very tired and wondered how I would stay awake through a two hour movie! HA! I couldn't have slept through that movie even if I had been up for a week prior! It is an amazing movie! It makes me want to paint pictures in vivid comic book colors! It makes me want to go back to school and major is ancient historical battles! It makes me want to be a Spartan woman (I think maybe I was in another life!) It makes me want to wash clothes on the abs of those scantily clad Grecians! Even if you haven't been to the movies in 10 years, you must go see this movie. Don't wait until it goes to video! Don't wait 10 years for ABC to put it on the Saturday night movie special. Don't wait until you can buy it for 5 bucks at the thrift store! SEE IT NOW! If you are still skeptical, check out the trailer below. I have many favorite lines and parts that I would recommend to you, the viewer, but I want you to notice the unspoken power of the Spartan queen when she gives King Leonidas the nod to do what he must to send the message to the Persians!

Oompa Loompa Doompadi doo I have another story for you….I love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and as a kid I was a little obsessed with the book and the movie. When Nestle created the Wonka candy line… I was first in line. I have been a fan ever since. Nerds, Runts, Fun Dip, Tart and Tinys (remember how they were little cylinders?!), and Bottle Caps were all given their fair shot as being my favorite Wonka candy. I was enamored, though, with the Everlasting Gobstopper, a jawbreaker that changed colors and seemed to last forever, hence the name. I think I liked the way it changed colors more than the actual flavor. It was FUN to eat, like the book was FUN to read, and the movie was FUN to watch. As I grew older my palate matured and I discovered the Wonka Bar. I love candy, but this is my all time favorite. The reason I reminisce about such things is because I was reminded of my fondness for the Wonka Bar by a very thoughtful gift today. At work we have the staff morale building Secret Pal program. If you don’t know about Secret Pals I’ll give you a quick run down. You choose a name from the "hat" and buy little gifts for that person during the week to brighten their days. Of course someone reciprocates your good deeds by getting you little gifts too. You usually fill out a questionnaire about your likes and dislikes, allergies, and whatever else you want your person to know about you. I was pretty thorough, but forgot to mention the ever loved Wonka Bar on the most recent list of favorites. That’s where a good secret pal does some research on you and asks around. I was lucky enough to have some coworkers remember my rabid passion for Wonka candy. Today my secret pal left me a pink polka dotted bag (very cute all by itself) full of TEN Wonka Golden Crème Eggs! I almost died with excitement because this was a new candy I had not tried. They are….incredibly delicious! Very much like my favorite Wonka Bar, but with caramel in the center. It makes me think of Veruca Salt and how she wanted it all, but couldn’t have it because she was a bad egg. I, obviously, am a very good egg.

Hemingway's library

Libraries are great! Being a public school teacher, I have visited my school library on many occasions, but I haven't been to a public library in a while. I went today in search of bilingual children's books for a student who doesn't speak one word of English, and some drama duos and monologues for my forensics team. I hit pay dirt with the Spanish literature, not so good with the drama. It seems all the monologues were not "age appropriate". The librarians were helpful and knowledgeable. The library was inviting and well lit (reminding me of a Clean Well-Lighted Place). This brought back memories of when I was a kid and would trek to the library, a mile away, on boring summer days, or visiting Grandma is the summer (where my husband will contest is the HOTTEST place on Earth) and sitting in the air conditioning reading and playing board games with my cousins. AWWWWW nostalgia! I'm glad my children were as exciting about the outing as I was. Even my thirteen year old was excited about the possibility of checking out "music".

"Like CD's?" I asked.
"No, like books of sheet music!" he replied.

Duh, MOM, you know you have a little Mozart on your hands. Alyssa was winning over all the library staff, too. She helped the library's security officer clean up the children's section. She beamed the whole time and received accolades from the librarians when she finally approached the check out desk. Over all it was a nice way to spend the evening. Next outing the MUSEUM!

Presidents and Tea Parties

The Boston Tea Party it was not, but nonetheless very enjoyable. In celebration of the long President's Day weekend Alyssa, Sarah, and I had a "Teddy Bear Tea Party"! We made a reservation at The Painted Lady and had a very nice time! I had a pot of Golden Tipped Deejeerling and Alyssa and Sarah had a pot of Apricot. Sarah insists I should be English because of the enthusisam of my tea drinking. I drank all of my pot and about 3/4 of Alyssa's pot. I guess being an "English" teacher sets me up for that! BAD JOKE! I hope everyone has a great long weekend!

V-Day!

Hugs and kisses! Happy Valentines Day!

Smart Art!

http://webexhibits.org/colorart/

Check out this site! This site allows you to create your own 'Marilyn' prints in real time on screen with an embedded flash file. Very Cool! It also has some other neat interactive pages dealing with color and art! I love it!

Running on Empty

There is always so much to do and never enough time to do it! I feel like I am constantly on the go! I need a vacation, a maid, a personal assistant, a nanny, etcetera, etcetera. Any volunteers?

Humble Pie

I saw this video the other morning. If anyone knows me, they know I am a huge Johnny Cash fan. Johnny Cash was an incredible musician, as well as a very organic public figure. No matter how much he had, he was humble. He gave roots to inventive music. Johnny could take something old, and make it new, make it his own. I believe that is why he is such a figure of inspiration for many artist today. I read all over the web how some people hated this video. They didn't get how a man who wore black because of his support for the poor and downtrodden could be honored by a bunch of rich celebrities, some not very humble at all. Maybe you won't get it either, but I did. If anything, enjoy the song. It's amazing.

Gabe is going to be a rockstar!

My big baby is so entertaining! He's the one singing, though he is a virtuoso on the viola too! He really has some musical talent. Check him out at his school program. They left his group for last....because they always leave the best for last!

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HUH?

Ok, I am going against my better judgment and starting a blog. I have dabbled with a myspace blog and have created a few other websites for work and play, but this is going to be my personal, mind on the web, blog. Even if nobody reads it, Even if nobody comments, even if it is a huge failure and I only get this one post up, it will be mine. That alone is comforting.