Aww Mondays

“One of these days I’m gonna be a show stopper!”

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a free choice week at 4M so I am going to wander off of the dance floor and into the inspirational genre of music. Inspirational music can mean a lot of different things to different people. One could stay in popular music and say that Old Blue Eyes recording of “My Way” is very inspirational. Others, including some sports teams, might declare that “We Are The Champions” by Queen is the ultimate inspiration for conquering one’s adversaries. I choose Christian music for my inspiration. My preference is Gospel and the Hymns of the Church. Many of the hymns are inspired by verses from the Bible and music is one of the best ways to memorize Scripture.

In times of trouble people turn to all types of resources for strength, perseverance, comfort and inspiration. Regardless of the situation that I find myself in, I only need one thing. Just give me Jesus. He will provide everything else.

One of the early hymns I learned was Blessed Assurance. Even most Christians have spent time doubting their salvation. The truth is, if one has truly repented of the sin in their life and sought forgiveness from the only one able to forgive that sin, salvation and the gift of eternal life is available. That doesn’t mean that we won’t disobey and disappoint our Creator, nor does in mean that we have “fire insurance” and are free to do do whatever we please. It simply means that if one has sincerely sought eternal life in Christ, it is available.

Life provides many choices and there are a multitude of avenues that I can travel, but there is only one way to arrive at the throne of the King of kings. Given the choice and using scripture as my GPS, I choose to travel the Holy Highway. It is not a super-highway. It is a narrow road and is filled with ups and downs, but it is the only road that leads to the throne of grace. Have a blessed week.

Maybe the coolest bird bath/feeder combo I have ever seen.

Aww Monday

These two give a whole new meaning to the “Dog Days of Summer”. I am linking to Sandee at Comedy-Plus.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

I am a little behind in my post preparation. Last week week we had a cousins reunion and spent four days at the lake. It took a couple of days of rest to recover from all of the activities, but everyone had a great time. Time spent with family is priceless.

Now on to the business at hand. It is Labor Day and that is the theme for this week at 4M. Our honorary hostess Mary from “Jingle, Jangle, Jungle” has challenged us to build a playlist that spells Labor Day. Let’s get on with it shall we!

The first song not only starts with the letter “L” but begins with the word Labor. Regular readers of this blog know that I have a passion for inspirational music, especially Southern Gospel and the Hymns of the church. My few regular readers also know that I do a Christmas Music Marathon every year from Thanksgiving through Christmas day. One of my favorite groups in the Southern Gospel/Bluegrass genre is The Isaacs. This song is new to me, but I am sure I will be using it again during my eleventh annual Christmas Music Marathon.

Next up is a blast from the past with a little country/bluegrass twist. The group is Pure Prarie League and the song is “Amie”.

Country music is filled with songs about love lost and early rock ‘n roll had plenty of country musicians crossing over into this new genre. Out of that blend came the beginnings of hillbilly rock. One group with classic harmonies and all the tools to become rock ‘n roll legends were the Everly Brothers and for the “B” in Labor, I give you Bye Bye Love.

As long as we are stuck in classic rock ‘n roll and country cross-overs, we might as well pick “Only the Lonely” as the “O” in our Labor Day play list.

Labor Day always falls on Monday and sometimes it rains so let’s finish up the first word in our theme with “Rainy Days & Mondays”.

For many of us Labor Day has always been the official end to summer. Back in the stone age our summer vacation from school would begin the Friday before Memorial Day and end the Tuesday after Labor Day. During those lazy, hazy days of summer, we spent a lot of time day dreaming. While the Monkees were the first to release Daydream Believer in 1967, I personally preferred the alto voice of Anne Murray.

Okay, it is no secret that Dwight Yoakam is one of my favorite country artists of all time. For the “A” in day I have chosen a song that blends a little bit of Western Swing, a little bit of Do-Wop, and a a whole lost of classic Yoakam in “Always Late With Your Kisses.”

And that brings us to the final song in this tribute to Labor Day playlist. I began this post with an inspirational song so I think I’ll end it with one as well. One of the hottest artists in Christian music today is Lauren Daigle. Her most popular song to date is, “You Say”. Well, I say, “That’s a wrap.” Have a blessed week.

High School Senior

(Youngest Grand Daughter)

Aww Monday

Today is National Dog Day!!! The image above is a portrait of our dog Lucy. My wife had it painted and presented to me as a birthday present last year. No, Lucy is not a rescue dog but I think she believes that I am her rescue human.  She is a 2-1/2 year old American Cocker Spaniel and every day is made a little happier and a little better because she is in the family.

Whether she is inspecting a bug, taking a nap, playing fetch, looking like the “House Princess”, or tolerating a selfie portrait shoot, Lucy is my pal for life. She is the fourth cocker spaniel I have had in my lifetime and will always be my favorite breed. There is a store here in town that makes healthy dog treats on site, so I think I’ll stop by and get Lucy a pound of snacks.

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Since this week at 4M is free choice, I think I’ll continue the National Dog Day theme with songs feature dogs in some way. Since Lucy is our “House Princess” how about a song from “The King” himself.

Of course, if your going to bring a pet into the family you need to be aware of the cost. There is the purchase price or adoption fee, then there is the food, annual check-up at the vet, vaccinations, grooming, toys etc. One thing I would say, “Don’t buy your pet at a pet store because they are likely to come from a mill. Rescue the animal from a local shelter or purchase directly from a reputable breeder. Also micro-chip your pet as it will make them much easier to locate if they should wander off. So, what’s the answer to the question…How Much is That Doggie in the Window?

Dogs love their pet humans unconditionally and all they expect is the same in return. So, if you want to know, Yes, I love my dog. Have a blessed week.

George W. Bush Library – Dallas, TX.

Aww…Some Monday

Back to Back

Friday evening was the annual high school sports kick-off for the local high school. The players of the fall teams are introduced, the junior high and senior high football teams scrimmage and the spring sports collect their rewards from the previous spring. The ladies track team won their second consecutive state championship, so our youngest granddaughter now has two rings with her senior year still in front of her.

The girl is a conference champion and state runner-up high jumper so we are looking forward to a great final season and possibly add a third ring to her collection. It’s going to be Awesome!!!

Looking for a 3-Peat!

 

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Our guest host, Mr. John Holton of “The Sound of One Hand Typing”, has selected a theme this week that honors the invention of root beer! The first letter in the titles of our song selections must spell Root Beer. That means there will be eight videos, so I guess I need to get on with it.

R

 

O

O

T

 

B

E

E

R

Club Soccer 2011

 

High School Senior 2020 (On Right)

Aww…Monday’s

“But I don’t wanna be a show dog, I wanna be a play puppy!”

Linking with Sandee at Comedy-Plus

Monday’s Music Moves Me

I closed out my July co-hosting duties with a look at the blues. I really like the blues as a genre of music. The whole genre has undergone some serious changes over the years, but thankfully there are still those who practice the pure and simple branch of the music. Today the blues is generally considered a band of several guitars, a drummer, and maybe a keyboard player. Occasionally other instruments are thrown in like a horn section or a harmonica. Back-up singers are always a plus for some of the tunes that need a little more gospel sound. Before amplified guitars and electronic keyboards, the soul of the blues was often provided by a tearful trumpet, sexy saxophone, or the cry of a clarinet, but it all began kind of like folk music, with a few acoustic guitars, maybe a drum and the pure vocals of people who were living the blues daily. My previous post featured some of the most popular male artists of the genre. Today I want to give the ladies equal billing, but first, I want to share with you what the blues looked like in the beginning. Two modern greats reach back and strip the blues down to a pure and simple song. I could listen to this all day. Enjoy.

Now let’s take a look at a few of the ladies who sing the blues. First up is Memphis Minnie. Minnie was active from around 1920 -1950. She was a vocalist and guitar player equal to any male counterpart of her day. Memphis Minnie and her husband, Kansas City Joe wrote and recorded this song in 1929. Minnie is playing lead guitar.
While she wore a sometimes frilly dress and pearls on stage, Minnie was known as a tobacco chewing, hard living woman. You might recognize the song as a Led Zeplin number,but it is straight out of the depression.

Blues legend Etta James burst on the blues scene in 1954. Her music had a little jazz influence and that is no wonder since the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Ertha Kitt, and Sarah Vaughn were popular. Etta sang and toured until 2012. This video is from a 1975 performance.

For those of us who were children of the sixties one of our rock heroines was Janis Joplin. The truth is, Janis was a blues lady extraordinaire and her biggest hits were decidedly bluesy.

The female presence in blues is alive and well with artists like Susan Tedechi. Susan is a first class guitarist and vocalist. Another instrument that you hear has become an anchor in a blues ensemble and that is the venerable Hammond B3 organ.

I am going to close out this post with another current bluesy lady, Samantha Fish.
Samantha is also a lady that can pick a guitar and blow the roof off the place. The blues are alive and well.

Hometown After Dark