Aww…some Mondays

Monday’s Music Moves Me

I am having significant issues with trying to access Curious as a Cathy’s website. I keep getting a strange message that says a security risk is involved. I had to wait until others posted so I could get the theme for the day. Turns out that the theme is free choice week and Xmas Dolly is our conductor.

Today is also Flag day, which is probably the most overlooked and under celebrated patriotic holiday in the U. S. A. I do have a flag that will fly in front of our house today but I will resist the temptation to use this free choice post to conjure up additional patriotic songs. Instead, I will wonder into some of my favorite music. Recently I put a stereo system together in the home office. I bought a receiver at a local flea market, scored some great Bose 301 series V speakers from a local online garage sale, and added my own 5 disc CD changer. I think CD’s will follow a similar path as Vinyls. Why throw hundreds of perfectly good CD’s away just because I can bluetooth my music now? I still like the sound of my stereo that fills the room and I still like the music that I have owned over the past twenty years, so I am keeping my collection alive and well. Here are a few of my favorite artists in the collection.

First up is Eric Clapton. I have been a fan of Eric since his days with Cream. He has gone from iconic rock guitar/vocalist to iconic blues guitar/vocalist. His music is ageless. Enjoy.

Next up is a duet. Who would have thought that rocker Robert Plant and blue grass queen Alison Krauss would ever get together for an album of duets. The album is Raising Sand and the song I choose is “Gone, Gone, Gone”.

It seems that iconic artists like duet albums. One of Ray Charles last albums was Genius Loves Company. The album took some of Ray’s greatest hits from his country albums and added a new dimension with a guest vocalist. My choice is Ray and Diana Krall singing, “You Don’t Know Me”.

Well that’s what I’m listening to these days and I am enjoying the trip through my CD collection. Have a blessed week.

Wordless Wednesday

At the time of this posting it will be three weeks since my knee replacement surgery. At the end of two weeks I transitioned from a walker to a cane for 99% of my needs. Driving is still a few weeks away, so I am unable to get out and travel to new places and photograph new events. Therefore, I have been digging back into the archives and pulling some of my old images out and posting them for Wordless Wednesday. This is my 2011 Nissan Frontier. I took this photo the day I bought the truck and it only had 11 miles on it. 10 years and 59,000 miles later, I still own this little work horse. One great feature is that Nissan has not changed the body style of this truck in 16 years, so you have to know your Frontiers to know exactly what year you are looking at. I love this little truck and see no reason to trade it for a newer model.

Since this truck is timeless, I though it only appropriate to produce a timeless Black & White image or two.

Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

Flying High

The past five years I have come to have a new appreciation for track and field not only because our youngest grand daughter competed at the varsity level but I competed on the intramural level in high high school. Our grand daughter is a high jumper and has earned a college scholarship. I was a long jumper and didn’t catch anyone’s eye at the next level. The field event that has always fascinated me is pole vault. Back in the stone age, a young man from our high school set the state record at 13 feet, 4 inches. It seemed to be an insurmountable height in 1965 and he made the regional news. Today many high school vaulters are flying over 16 feet and it is not unusual for the record to be a close to 17 feet high. One has to admire a teen who picks up a fiberglass pole, sprints down the runway, jams the pole into the ground and propels himself two stories into the air.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This a freedom of choice week at 4M, which only seems appropriate for the first patriotic holiday of the year. Memorial day was originally established to honor those who gave their lives in service to this country. A soldier does not pick his adversary nor the cause of the conflict. He/she does not select the location nor the length of the battle. The warrior trusts that their government has determined the cause is just and that freedom is at risk. The combat soldier does not know if tomorrow will be the last day that he draws breath, but he/runs to the conflict and is prepared to give his last full measure of dedication and service to his country and the cause. Despite all of our troubles, we still live in “America the Beautiful”. Have a blessed Memorial Day.

Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

I had some doubts about getting this post completed on time. I am writing this on Saturday and I had a complete knee replacement last Tuesday. I won’t bore you with photos of staples and scars, but let’s just say that all is going well and the pain is not as bad as most people would describe. I will probably have the other knee done after the first of the year. Okay, that’s enough of public service announcements.

Aww…some Mondays

If you spend much time watching Food Network and you watch Pioneer Woman, you will know that this is “The Mercantile” in downtown Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Recently we took a day trip to visit this place and drive out to “The Lodge” where all of the cooking magic happens. I will say that the food here is awesome.

Pawhuska is a small oil and cattle town about 40 miles north of Tulsa and about a three hour drive from our home. The Lodge is about twelve miles outside of town. The ranch is approximately 120,000 acres and managed by seven families.

This is what part of 120,000 acres looks like from the deck of the lodge. I can only imagine watching the sun rise from here.

I am standing in the entry that Pioneer Woman’s family often enters the lodge from when they come on to the show. That counter in background is where most of the food eventually sits at the end of each episode.

The lodge is approximately 3200 square feet and contain a huge pantry, production room, and several bedrooms that I am sure staff occupies during taping of the shows. It is a very simple exterior but the interior is beautiful.

Of course no trip to the lodge would be complete without a photo of my own favorite Pioneer Woman. I guarantee, she can cook with the best of them. All in all, it was a great day and I would make the trip again once my knee heals.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Our guest host at 4M for the month is Mr. John Holton from The Sound of One Hand Typing. This week is songs in honor of the annual Eurovision song contest. I have to admit, I have no idea what that is, but I will post something appropriate, none the less. Here is the 2013 winner.

And this is the 2010 winner. That’s all I got. Have a blessed week.

Aww…some Monday’s Music Moves Me

Final Meet

Even though our youngest granddaughter is now in college, I still like going to the local high school track meets. With a few facility exceptions, I can get to the locations that give me some of my better images. Recently, the state championship track meet was held at a local school so I grabbed the camera and headed out. Here are a few images.

Relays are always fun to watch and often provide some of the most exciting moments in the meet. Here, two true local rival schools head down the home stretch in search of the gold medal.

I was a long jumper in high school, so the event holds a special place in my heart. Timing is just as important as speed in this event if you’re going to maximize your distance.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week at 4M is a free choice week. I think I will wander back into inspirational music. Hymns of the faith and Contemporary Christian music have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. These songs can soothe our souls, bring us to our knees in prayer or make us ready to charge the gates of hell with a water pistol.

The Bible tells us that no one is righteous by his own works. In fact, scripture says the there is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10). The Good Book also tells us that when we accept Christ as our Savior, we are a new creation and have a new nature, however, our old sinful nature never completely leaves us, but sets up a position of rebellion in our souls. God has provided a suit of spiritual armor for this battle, but we have to put it on and use it daily. Living a life committed to Christ is not easy and failure on some level is a daily occurrence.

Still, I cannot begin to count the blessings that God has sent my way. He has allowed me to be born and raised in the greatest country on earth during what will surely be considered the golden age of America. He has blessed me with a loving wife, daughter, son-in-law, four grand children and endless memories of my family. The Lord has healed me of two different types of cancer. He has allowed me to choose and work at a career that I loved and retire in a beautiful part of our great nation. God did not shower me with great wealth, but he has given me a life that is comfortable in retirement. There is not enough time or space to list the ways that God has shown His love for me, even when I was less than lovable. Every time I think about how much God loves me, a song of praise and worship comes to mind.