What's On My Music Lists?

I have two players on my computer that have some things in common, but the Windows Media Player has more of my pre-computer collection.  (CDs I have owned for awhile and uploaded just to my machine.)  I also have an Amazon Cloud Player that I can access from my phone.
These are the albums I own on each.  Make of it what you will, but I'll just tell you that my taste is EXTREMELY eclectic.

On Cloud Player:
Abba (by Abba, of course)
All That Echoes by Josh Groban
Another Parcel of Steeleye Span
As Time Goes By - Rod Stewart, Great American Songbook
Banger For Breakfast by Wicked Tinkers
Cats- the Original Broadway Cast recording
Choral Music - Beyond Chant,- Music of Palestrina & others
The Definitive Rod Stewart
Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly
The Essential Leonard Cohen
Reuiem: Faure - Rutter Arrangement
Fly Me To The Moon Rod Stewart, Great American Songbook
From The Mighty Oaks by Ray Thomas (Don't ask.  Suffice it to say it reminds me of an old friend)
Gold Tom Jones 1965-1975
Greatest Hits Vols 1 and 2 by Billy Joel
Highwayman - Jennings, Nelson, Cash, & Kristofferson
It Had To Be You - Rod Stewart Great American Songbook
Modern Times by Al Stewart
Pacific Rim Soundtrack
Drift (Pacific Rim) featuring Blake Perlman
Past, Present and Future by Al Stewart
Phantom of the Opera - Original London Cast Recording
Queen  Platinum Collection
Red Roses For Me - Pogues
Rutter Requiem
Frank Sinatra - Best of the Best
Stardust - Rod Stewart, Great American Songbook
Super Trooper - Abba
Thanks For The Memory - Rod Stewart Great American Songbook
Time - Rod Stewart
Trio - Parton, Ronstadt, & Harris
Trio II - Parton, Ronstadt & Harris
Under The Influence - Straight No Chaser
Very Best of Harry Belafonte
Year Of The Cat by Al Stewart

If that isn't weird enough, here's what's on my Media Player that ISN'T on the Cloud Player

The #1 Soprano Album - Great Arias by the Great Voices
28 Irish Pub Songs - Various Artists
Beaches Soundtrack - Bette Middler
Bells of St. Genevieve, Baroque masterpieces
Blue Moo by Sandra Boynton
Brave Soundtrack
Callas: La Divina - Maria Callas
 Cool Celtic 2 Various Artists
Dirty Dancing Soundtrack
Empty Sky - Elton John
An Evening With John Denver
Greatest Hits - Chicago
Greatest Hits -  Bangles
Grunt - Pigorian Chant by Sandra Boynton (wherein pigs sing in pig Latin, and all other creatures sing in actual Latin.)
Heart & Soul- 50 Years of Motown Hits
Hits Vol. 2 - Abba
Hits Vol. 3 - Abba
I Love A Sing Along Scottish Favorites
An Innocent Man - Billy Joel
La Divina 2 - Maria Callas
A Little Jazz Mass
Love & Liberte by Gipsy Kings
Mozart Portraits - Cecilia Bartoli
Mysterium - Sacred Arias- Angelina Gheorghiu
News of the World - Queen
A Night At The Opera - Queen
Of Love and Hope- Music and Poetry from Beauty and the Beast - Ron Perlman
(Don't judge.  I could listen to that voice all day...)
Philadelphia Chickens - Sandra Boynton
Precious Friend - Arlo  Guthrie and Pete Seeger
Some People's Lives - Bette Middler
Songs of Love and Parting - Robin Williamson
Tales Of Mystery and Imagination - based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe - Alan Parsons Project
Very Best of Elton John
Vivaldi Gloria and Magnificat
When Irish Eyes are Smilin' - Various Artists
Wilson Phillips - by Wilsonn Phillips, of course.

We own MANY more CDs that are not uploaded to the various music playing devices in the house.  They are played on the CD player in the living room, or on the computers, or the boom box we own, but usually, I play the stuff that's already on the computer. The Sandra Boynton albums are for children, really, but they are so witty and fun that adults won't mind them, either.  So, if you need kids music that won't drive you insane, try those.  (Blue Moo is my favorite.  B.B. King singing the One Shoe Blues is priceless!)
Mowed the lawn to the accompaniment of the Traveling Wilburys.  Took my morning walk with Highwayman.  The song Deportee, originally written by Woody Guthrie, made me realize that some issues in our lives here in America hang on for a long time.  This song was written about migrant workers, Hispanic migrant workers, and sadly, it is about as timely today as it was when Woody wrote it. (In the late '40s.) 
A lot of times when I walk lately, I've played the soundtrack from Pacific Rim.  It has great walking music. 
The Pete Seeger / Arlo Guthrie album Precious Friend is from live concerts they did in 1980, I believe. I got to go to the one in the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.  It was a BLAST! 
The Tales of Mystery and Imagination album, by Alan Parsons Project and based on the works of Poe I was introduced to in a P.E. class at Los Altos High School.  Our Modern Dance Class used it for several exercises.  I found the Pogues because of Michael Ornstein, and because of them being on my Pandora feed, I heard Flogging Molly, and Drunken Lullabies. 
Some days, I feel very nostalgic,and I listen to Sinatra and Tom Jones.  Reminds me of happy family times, 'cause Mom listened to them on the radio when I was little. 
Of course, Billy Joel, Rod Stewart, and Elton John bring back my high school and early college years, the opera albums help me learn new pieces, and Abba is what Matt and I listened to a lot when we were dating.
The Great American Songbook Albums done by Rod Stewart are just relaxing to listen to.  The arrangements are lush, and  the songs suit his voice, for the most part.
Gipsy Kings are just FUN.
I like the Trio albums by Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris because the songs are beautiful, their voices blend so beautifully, and the harmonies are glorious.
So.  Now you know more about me than you want to know, probably.  What's on YOUR mp3 player?

As Ever,
Katie

Sharing Your Caring

When we are little, it seems impossible that we could forget the things that define our whole universe of existence.  Impossible to imagine all the details, sensations, thoughts, facts, fancies that crowd into a lifetime of years. 
And yet, we all too often do forget.  We forget the joys and small smiles shared with loved ones we may only meet a few times in life, but we do remember the love.  At least, I hope we do. Surely the love remains imprinted on our hearts, for us to find and warm ourselves with when we really need it.

I always thought so.  In my own experience, I have often remembered the love of a special neighbor who spent time with me, my grandpa that I only saw a few times, but wrote to almost every week, Sunday School teachers, and school teachers and aunts and cousins that I only saw once in a while, but that I knew cared about me, about who I was and how I was doing. 

Sometimes in this life, we get bogged down in the sludge of routine and responsibility, and it begins to weigh very heavily on us.  We forget that there are people all around us, and even people far away, who care about us, love us, and wish us well.  We forget that our family is there for us, they do love us, and we forget sometimes how much we love them as well. 
It shouldn't, but quite often it does take a traumatic event to make us remember.  Our recent tornadoes were one such.  I have told family and friends that they are important to me more clearly and more often than I would have before.  You never know.  You might not get another chance.  No guarantees in this life. 

There is one person I know, who fights so hard against a disease trying to steal her life away, she keeps on in the face of pain, she shows her caring in the warmth of her smile and in her voice, always gracious and caring of others.  Life is precious to her, she reminds me how precious it should be to all of us. 

We have lost another person, one I didn't know as well as I would have liked.  I can't help thinking he would have fought harder against the darkness if he'd known my friend who walks so stubbornly in the light.  We never truly know the battles another faces.  All we can do is love them, and let them know they are loved.  I tried to do that.  Hope he knew.  I'll miss him a lot, even though we hadn't seen each other in years, we communicated on the Internet now and then.

It sounds so trite, but it is true.  You should tell the ones you love that they are loved, that you care about them and what happens to them.  Sometimes it isn't easy, and you feel silly, or maudlin, or presumptuous, even.  Still, you should tell them.  Better yet, show them.  Do little things to show your appreciation.  There is no such thing as too much love,  not when it really is love. 
My husband used to leave sticky notes in odd places around the house before he left on a trip.  (He went TDY a lot when we were first married, and I spent a lot of time missing him.)  I'd drop him off at the base and come home to go about my business, and find a note inside the lid of the washer, or on the spice rack in the pantry, or on my filing cabinet.  (Sometimes in my lingerie drawer.) 
I knew wherever he was (and sometimes, he couldn't tell me) he was thinking of me and loving me. 
I hid notes in his bags, sometimes in his flight jacket or flight suit pockets, inside his "MAC purse"(the zippered notebook most of the airlift crew members carried), wherever I thought he'd find them when he needed to remember that I was thinking of him, too.

Little things, but they add up.  Sometimes just the fact that he starts dinner before I get home, or does the dishes, that reminds me how much I am loved.  (And how much I love him, I tell you there is nothing so sexy as a man who does dishes. Especially if he does them without being asked.)

How can I be more appreciative of the ones I care about?  How can I let them know I sincerely do care? This is going to be an ongoing quest for me, and I hope to do better at it than I have in the past.

Poems

To One Lost Too Soon.
By Carolyn Kay Armistead

So much pain
Hides behind a ready smile.
You try in vain
To push the hurt away for awhile.
The darkness creeps around
And you let it steal the light.
You let yourself be bound
You surrendered the fight.

Don't let the darkness win
Open your eyes, look around you
Let the light shine in
Because love does, in fact, surround you.
Yes, it hurts when your heart breaks,
Yes, it's a place we've all been,
As Cohen says, that's what it takes,
That's how the light gets in.

Alas, you surrendered early,
A fight many wage against odds
Steeper than any you'd ever see
Making deals with any gods
That would allow them to cling
To the precious light of life
The only true thing
In the midst of all this strife.

 These things I would have told  you
If you had only asked.
In my heart I still hold you
Even until the last.
Perhaps now you understand
Perhaps now the way is clear
Love is close at hand
Even when you are lost in fear.



To A Valiant Warrior
By Carolyn K. Armistead

You inspire us all
Your strength is amazing
You look so small
But your courage is blazing.
The beast is trying to destroy
Your body and claim your life,
But you reach for victory
Your goal beyond the strife.
You remind us daily
Of all we take for granted
Never giving in to the wailys
Your sights on life planted.
The light that shines from you
The beauty of your soul
Warms all of us around you
Know that we support you in your goal.
How I wish our lost boy
Had the chance to know you
You would have given him joy
And helped him see what is true.
That light and love surround us
That hope is always near
Joy whispers that it has found us,
If only we open our ears and hear.


May any who need these words find them and hear them.  Love does surround you.  You have only to look and see.  Reach out your hand, love and joy and light are waiting to embrace you.

Fan Behavior

No,  I don't mean fan like ceiling fan, or exhaust fan, I mean like fanatic, faithful follower, adherent, enthusiast, groupie.
There are fans of all sorts of things out there.  Sports fans, fans of TV shows, genre fans, music fans, fans of authors, you name it.  All of these fan groups are supportive of the objects of their interest.  They buy tickets to games, movies, concerts, events where their idols appear.  They buy memorabilia, pictures, t-shirts, toys, cds, dvds, books, just about anything to support the team/show/star they are fond of.  Go to any social media site, and you will find all sorts of fans in groups, or individually, either on Face Book pages, or following their idols on Twitter, or haunting websites and chat rooms about their favorites.
Fandoms are the separate little kingdoms of each type of fan.  Star Trek fandom is probably one of the largest and most active out there, but Doctor Who fans, also known as Whovians, are a very large fandom, also. (These also overlap, Trek fans also being fond of The Doctor in many cases.)  Star Wars has a large fan base, and they are also pretty active.  Most of these fandoms are fun to participate in, and most people are nice, at least in the Star Trek fan groups I have associated with.  That being said, there are trolls everywhere.

Fandom tends to fall into two general camps overall.
FIJAGH, or "Fandom Is Just A Goddam Hobby"  - Mostly folks like my husband and I that enjoy our enthusiasm, but do not base our ENTIRE life upon the fan experience.  (Though we DID meet in a Star Trek fan club...)
and
FIAWOL - Fandom Is A Way Of Life.  These are the die-hards, the fans that live and breathe for their favorites.  Some of these people's zeal would put the most earnest missionaries to shame.  They are the fans that go to EVERY convention, the ones who have ELABORATE costumes, the ones who get a little scary to talk to sometimes...
But most people in BOTH camps are kind, generous, and caring, especially of fellow fans. 
Perhaps the kindest, most dedicated, and most true to the tenets of the program they admire are Classic Beauty and the Beast fans.  These are people who, more than 25 years after the show first aired still have an annual convention, still write and share fan fiction, are very active online, and the best thing of all, they raise money at their conventions and at Winterfest Online for charity.  Each convention chooses a worthy local charity, one that exemplifies the principles of the show, and they raise money through the dealers' room and the silent auction and straight donations to support that charity. I have not ever heard of a group of fans doing something like this with such regularity, and so generously.  This is NOT a really large group, and yet, they raise decent amounts to donate.

 I have come across few fan groups that are openly antagonistic, but you will , as I said, find "trolls" or troublemakers in almost any group.  You will find "snobs" who think THEY are more dedicated fans and therefore will not associate with "lesser" fans, but I haven't found any of those in BATB fandom.  There are a few Trek fans like that, especially  when you get proponents of different types of Star Trek together.  I like the Original Series best, but I do not DISLIKE the other series that came later.  Some of the later fans openly detest the Original Series, which to me is a bit like hating your grandparents.  You came from them, you better have some respect, 'cause everything about you started there...
Since I have been on social media and finding some of my favorite actors on line, I have seen some fans who perhaps know these actors from other roles, who are downright nasty both to the actors and to other fans.  Now, how can you call yourself a fan and be rude and disrespectful to that person?  Doesn't seem logical to me.  A fan is a supporter, someone who enjoys the work of an actor, musician, artist, or sports star, not a critic.  Your job as a fan is to be SUPPORTIVE, to show your appreciation.  You are not a critic, and really, if you disagree with someone, just stop reading the posts, or don't say anything if you can't say something nice. (Basic manners you should have learned from your Momma.)  As for attacking other fans, hey, the social media page isn't a place for you to vent your cruelty.  I know of at least one star (William Shatner) who has blocked and banned people for being rude and crude to others on his feeds.  He shouldn't have to be enforcing such discipline, as though his fans were a bunch of unruly recruits at StarFleet.  It is to his credit that he does, though.

Some fans, myself included, have been quick to encourage when people we follow are seeming to be down or discouraged.  One celebrity thanked all of us who had sent him encouragement and support, saying he was overwhelmed by how much we cared.  I, for one, responded that hey, that's what fans are FOR!
True fans don't rub it in when you have a setback, they don't desert the team when it loses, they stick around and keep believing.  Sports fans are perhaps the best example of this.  True Sooner Fans will always root for OU, no matter what.  The Sooners could be playing the worst football EVER, and Sooner fans will still come to games, still cheer, and still love their team.  I have seen it over and over since we moved here.  (And we are only about 7 miles from Norman, our best friends are OU alums, as are many, many other people we know.)

So, to the actors, writers, and musicians that I admire (ahem, Ron Perlman, Elton John, William Shatner, Rod Stewart, Michael Ornstein, Wil Wheaton, Anne Lamott, Kurt Sutter, Katey Sagal, Josh Groban, to name a few) know that you have my support, and I will still root for you no matter what.  I appreciate your talent, and I will be here.
 To my fellow fans, I will support you, also, and as long as you are willing to play nice, so am I.  If you are going to be mean, though, you will be ignored and blocked.   Life is too short to waste energy feeding trolls.
Love to all my fellow PerlGirls, ladies, you are the best!

Katie

Another Miscellaneous Wednesday

 "The sun whose rays are all ablaze in everliving glory
does not deny his majesty, he scorns to tell a story.
He won't exclaim "I blush for shame, so kindly be indulgent" 
But fierce and bold in fiery gold he glories all effulgent. I mean to rule the earth as he the sky; we really know our worth the sun and I."

 - Gilbert and Sullivan, from The Mikado





 The air so hot
The sun so hot
The pavement sizzles
My shoes feel like
They could melt.
The air so thick
I'm sweating
Just standing here.
Glasses won't stay
On my nose,
Summer is NOT
My favorite.

We have been fortunate this year in Central Oklahoma.  We have not already had long runs of 100 degree days.  Only the last few have been quite that hot.  We've had plenty of rain, so not as much danger of wildfires, either.  Just that I was getting used to the cooler weather.  To now be blasted with this withering heat is so unfair.  Especially when I have to walk twice a day in order to get enough exercise.
Thanks be to God for air conditioning.  Civilization would cease to exist completely here without it.

Been thinking about songs and lyrics a lot lately.  Friends have been playing a type of "Name That Tune" by quoting lyrics.  I stumped some with words from Sandra Boynton's "Faraway Cookies" from Philadelphia Chickens.  I love that album, mostly because it makes my friend Melodie laugh.  Melodie got me started listening to it when we were working in the library together one day.  Melodie is fighting cancer now, and anything that makes her laugh or smile is important to me.  I can usually cheer her up by singing "I got those Dinosaur Blues.  From my hat to my shoes..."  She remembers our afternoon of listening and laughing, and she will at least smile.  She is amazing.  She is working her usual schedule, and still seems to have her usual great attitude toward everyone.  She is generous and caring, and I have always said I want to be like Melodie when I grow up.  Ever since I met her 14 years ago, I have been glad that I know her.  She is the most Christ-like Christian I know.  She has a truly loving heart.

At least the new sorting machine at the library is working this week.  It is so much faster and more interactive with the customers than the old one was.  It will print a list of what they turned in, if they want it.  It makes our lives easier not having to rush out to the other side of the library to empty the short sort bins several times a day.  This sorter feeds items into our work area, and has 7 bins instead of two, so it is easier for us to do the necessary sorting and/or double checking more quickly and efficiently.  The technology is not replacing us, it is merely making our jobs easier, at least as long as the power stays on and it keeps working!  Shorty had to be briefly revived last week when the new sorter decided it had a faulty circuit board.  Shorty has now been retired once again. Poor little machine was never meant to live in a cupboard, but we made it live inside our book drop cupboard.  It is a wonder it has lasted as many years as it has, and really has worked pretty well in spite of the few glitches we had now and then.

This hot weather has made me vaguely depressed.  Every now and then I just feel kinda down and out of sorts. No good reason for it other than it's too darn hot.
Have been working hard at voice lessons on a new depth developing in my voice.  Supporting the sound properly is a real workout right now as things adjust.  As things get stronger in the new area, I won't have to push quite so hard to get air out, and it will be easier to control and maintain.  Now, it gets wobbly when I run low on air, and the high notes haven't stretched into the right spot yet for the new resonance.  Vocal tweaking is so much fun.  Add my allergies into the mix, and I've been having LOTS of fun.  Looking forward to seeing how this develops.  To think 11 years ago I started lessons, and had "a little pipsqueak soprano voice" as Karen would say.  Now I have a fuller, more controlled soprano voice,and it's getting richer and fuller all the time as we work on it.

As it is getting late, and I am running out of miscellany to write about, I guess I'll call this one good.  Wish I could write more, but it's been too hot to be very inspired, so none of the poetry has gone much of anywhere lately.
As Ever,
Katie