Good Reads

 I love to read. I even read junk mail. I will read any book or magazine I get my hands on.

My mother loved the Lord of the Rings series. On January first every year she treated herself by reading it again.

Usually if she liked a book I would read it and enjoy it as well. For instance I loved the Mrs Polifax series. And I introduced her to Silence of the Lambs. She was not impressed. But usually we liked the books together.

I have tried to read Lord of the Rings at least half a dozen times. I cannot get past the first chapter. I have no idea what the problem is. So I have never read this iconic series.

I would be interested to know if there are books others have a problem reading.

Wake Up!

 I wake up slowly in the morning. I watch the trees from my window as I lounge in bed. Usually there are birds flitting around just to make my life more enjoyable.

Then I watch the morning news and some other programs that I regularly watch. I then get dressed and go into the kitchen for breakfast. 

It is the way I like to start my day. I feel awake and a bit pampered.

I also know that not everyone is such a slow starter. My youngest sister actually growls if you so much as speak to her before she is awake in the morning. Slow starter.

My siblings and I learned when we were very young not to shake my father or get too close if we had to wake him. He had served in the Navy during WWII. Aboard the ship he had to get up and be ready to go immediately. That training never left him. 

When Daddy woke up he jumped straight up to his feet and stood at attention. If you were too close he might knock you right over!

As I said we learned to stay far away. He was an immediate starter.

That training came in handy for me. I married a man who had 4 brothers. All 5 of them were full of vinegar. They loved to pick on each other.

I already knew not to get close when waking a sleeping man. My husband would wake up swinging his fists to ward off whatever foolishness was coming his way.

So my children also knew not to get close to a waking person. Do you wake up fast or slow?

Tunes

 What kind of music do you listen to? 

I listen to all kinds of music depending on my mood. I do have favorites. I do love music.

For instance if I am in the mood for a light-hearted instrumental I might pull up a minuet. Franz Joseph Hayden composed some lively minuets. 

Music played for barn dances is fun. We usually think of square dancing when we think of this type of music but there are also slower dances for couples. My grandparents played at barn dances. When I was young a couple I knew used to take a couple of us girls to square dances.  My favorite to watch was "Swing Em Like Thunder".

There are a lot of fun songs and dances from the Roaring 20's.  The Charleston and Black Bottom come to mind. And Bety Boop's "Boop-oop-e-doo" is still well-known.

Big Band music has a lot of favorites for me. Some bandleaders were Lois Armstrong, Count Basie, Les Brown, Cac Calloway, Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, Phil Harris, Bennie Goodman, Dizzy Gillespi, Louis Jordan, Guy Lombardo, Glenn Miller, Vaughn Monroe, Ozzie Nelson (Ricky's dad), and so many more. Louis Prima is my favorite. And Brian Setzer is the newest member.

 Many famous singers came from Big Bands. Doris Day and Keely Smith popped into my mind right away. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra began as singers for Big Bands.

Big Bands played some of the smoothest music ever. They ushered in the age of Swing which led the way for newer sounds.

Country Western Music has existed since early times. The original Jimmie Rodgers was also known as the singing brakeman. He sang early Country Music and could yodel with the best of them. He is not to be confused with Jimmie Rodgers who sang "Honeycomb". Both are favorites of mine.

The Carter Family sang early American folk music. They began in 1927 and descendants are still singing today. June Carter eventually married Johnny Cash who is a famous singer too.

Early Country singers were the singing cowboys like Tex Ritter and Roy Rogers. Dale Evans who married Roy Rogers was also a prolific songwriter. She wrote the theme song for their television show one day on the way to filming their television show.

A lot of the early Country singers were the first Rockabilly performers. Bill Hayley and the Comets performed perhaps the most famous song of the fifties with "Rock Around the Clock".

At the same time religious music was popular. Depending on the religion a person followed music was a way to help a person worship' Some hymns were more sedate while others worshipped with more effusive joy. What was called Negro spirituals were also a precursor to our next step in music.

These spirituals were used during slavery to send messages that the owners would not understand. Some gave instructions to escaping slaves while others let them know what was safe and what was not. 

Anyway music in the Black community consisted of spirituals and raucous and sometimes raunchy music. Often there was a strong background of drums or pounding piano that was so attractive to young people.

We entered the age of Rock and Roll. Singing groups like the Platters were popular. Single performers like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Ricky Nelson. I remember them all. This is my favorite music.

In cities young men would gather on street corners to harmonize. Thus were formed the Doo-Wop groups we all loved.

We have since experienced Heavy Metal, Hair Bands, Grunge, Rap and Punk Rock. All have their own merits. 

As I said it depends on my mood what I listen to. My favorites are music from the fifties and sixties and The Irish Rovers. I also have a passion for silly songs. What do you like?

Ear Worms

 I have read several posts lately referring to popular songs and people commenting that the song gets stuck in their heads. It is called an ear worm.

It is so annoying to have a song running over and over in your mind. When the song Poison Ivt was popular It stuck in my brain whenever I would hear it. As a matter of fact I can feel it starting right now. I should have stayed away from this topic!

There is a way to rid yourself of an ear worm and you will be surprised how easy it is. Just look directly at a person near you and sing a catchy part of the song. That transfers the song from your brain to theirs.

Late at night while you're sleeping Poison Ivy comes a-creeping around.