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My.Daily.Diversion ~ Post Eighty-Five: My Playlist

14 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by duckykoren in Entertainment, Music, Rock, Rock And Roll

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album, Beatles, Bible, Birthday, Bruce Springsteen, Canada, CD, CHUM, CHUM radio, Cleaveland, CNE, Def Leppard, Donovan, Elton John, epitome, epoch, fathers, favourites, Grandmother, Hold Me Know, Husband, Jennifer Juniper, Karen Carpenter, Leo Sayer, Lotus, Mail, Music, playlist, Radio, Revival, Rock, Rock and Roll, Ron Sexsmith, Someone save my life tonight, Stadium, Sugar bear, Teenage, The Boss, The Carpenters, The Nylons, The River, Thompson Twins, Thunderstorms, Top Ten, Toronto, WalkMan, When I Need You, whistle, whistling

There is a CBC radio show that I listen to every Sunday night on my drive in to work from 9:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

It’s called ‘My Playlist’.

Each week a different Canadian music artist hosts and presents a playlist of their favourite and most influential songs. That’s where I was introduced to some artists that I’d never heard before, Ron Sexsmith being one of them.

In light of the obvious fact that I will never be a guest host on this show I thought that I might use this form of social media to have a little fun and present a playlist of my own with songs which have meant the most to me through my life.

Like you, I have hundreds of songs to pick from, however to make this short list, I decided to choose those which have always had the greatest emotional impact on me.

Here goes…

1. The very first song that I remember hearing on the radio that gave me an emotionally happy response was ‘A Lover’s Concerto’ by The Toys. That was 1965 and good old Toronto’s CHUM AM radio. To this very day, when I hear it start to play, my heart still does backflips.

2. For some reason, it irks me when I ask someone who their favourite band is and they reply the Beatles. To me that’s like asking someone what their favourite book is and they say the Bible. I consider both ‘Beatle’ and ‘Bible’ answers are winners by default. In my world, they are the epitome of both worlds and not to be reckoned with. That’s just my opinion. Please don’t send me any hate mail. Further, I could not fathom a playlist that did not include the Beatles, and so I chose ‘She Loves You’. Just because… ya, ya, ya.

3. As a young girl, I always loved to hear my Father whistle. If he was whistling, that meant that he was content and happy and this was how I preferred him. His favourite whistling tune was Donovan’s ‘Jennifer Juniper.’ He whistled it so much, that I promised myself if I ever had a little girl that I would name her Jennifer. Well, I did. And I did!

4. Elton John’s ‘Someone Save My Life Tonight’ was my teenage angst song of choice. It always seemed to come on the radio when I was in crisis mode. Both the melody and lyrics soothed me to no end. In 1987, I attended his concert at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. It was outdoors and thunderstorms pummelled us with no mercy. Yes, he did finally sing this song. I had ‘a moment’. It was an epoch in my life.

5. Leo Sayer’s ‘When I Need You’ is on my playlist because it is the song my husband and I chose to be ‘our song. ‘Nuff said.

6. I love Def Leppard’s ‘Hysteria’. To me, this song is the epitome of desire. I’ll just leave it at that.

7. The first rock concert that my husband and I ever attended was Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The River’ Concert back in January 1981. At that time we had been married for over three years and had a six month old baby. That was our first real outing after having become parents. The next day’s morning papers called the non stop event: “A four hour rock and roll revival.” I have another sweet story associated with this album…. Frank’s birthday was a few weeks after the concert. When my Grandmother asked me what Frank wanted for his birthday, I told her he would really appreciate Bruce Springsteen’s ‘The River’ album. That was easier said than done because my Grandfather being a Baptist minister didn’t want to be known for giving away rock albums for birthday presents. However, at my Grandmother’s behest they did reach a compromise. They gave him twenty dollars to buy whatever he wanted. He bought himself the album. And so, for the above reasons, choice number seven on my playlist is Bruce Springsteen’s song from the very same album, ‘The River’.

8. Karen Carpenter’s ‘Rainy Days And Mondays’ is the anthem of my younger teenage years. I loved the Carpenters and even had the good fortune to see them in the summer of 1975 when my cousin from Cleveland drove all the way to Canada in his Lotus to take me back to the States to see one of their concerts and then back home again. Some parts of my childhood really sucked, but that particular adventure was definitely a shining moment in my life. Unfortunately, Karen Carpenter’s untimely death makes it hard for me to listen to any of their songs anymore even to this day. I’m still not over it. Don’t think I ever will be.

9. The first time I ever saw the Thompson Twins was their ‘Lies Lies Lies’ video. I thought it cute, but it didn’t grab me. Then one day in 1983 while doing housework I found myself making beds while singing the lyrics to ‘Hold Me Now’. I couldn’t remember where it came from, or who sang it. I only knew it as a pretty melody. A day or so later, I heard it play on the radio and finally solved the mystery. I have loved that song ever since. I played it throughout my entire second pregnancy and then rocked my newborn baby girl to sleep with that song. I did get to see them in Hamilton January 1st 1988. My life was complete.

10. One day, my husband came home from one of his business trips with yet another new toy. It was this gadget called a CD Walkman. I had never seen one before. I wasn’t impressed. Next thing I know is he puts a set of headphones on me and pushes the button. I will never forget what happened next. The most incredibly clear, rich and intensely beautiful music that I had ever heard filled my head. It was an acappella group called the Nylons and the song was ‘Love This Is Love’. I have been in love with them ever since. After attending many of their concerts I finally got to meet them. Now, many years later only one original member is still with us. After buying every CD that they ever put out, I played them till the plastic virtually crumbled. Thank God for downloading.

So there, you have it, in a big nutshell. I promised to limit the playlist to ten and that didn’t cover the Doobies, ELO, 10cc, Bad Company, Styx, Bread, Jim Croce, Queen, Howard Jones, Steve Winwood, Gowan, Metallica, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Mister Mister, Moody Blues, and the best band ever, next to the Beatles of course… The Eagles. However, the ten I chose had to score on the emotional level and not so much on music artistry, style, and content.

In closing, I would love to hear your playlist… Be it ten selections or only one.

Choose wisely…

My.Daily.Distraction ~ Post Eighty One: The Lord Is My Pace-Setter

11 Sunday Jan 2015

Posted by duckykoren in bible, Faith, Family, Grief, Psalms, Religion, spiritual

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Apollo, Archives, Aunts, Bible, Brazil, Faith, Family, First Lady, Grandmothers, Green, Lord, miracles, Pat Nixon, Psalm 23, psalms, Religion, scrapbooks, Tante

It’s an funny thing…

The less I look for miracles, the more I find them.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that I find miracles on a daily basis. The trick is to be open to the possibilities, and then having the presence of mind to recognize a miracle when you see one.

Every now and again, my eyes fall upon a spiral bound green school book scrap-book which sits in one of my bookshelves. It is part of my grandparent’s archives which has been in my keeping for almost a decade now.

This rather ordinary looking notebook is the account of a North American visit made by my great-aunt (my grandmother’s sister) in 1972. It was during this visit that I met her for the first and only time. I was amazed at how much she reminded me of my grandmother.

I knew her as Tante Annie.

That was the last journey she made away from her home in Brazil where she spent her life working as a nurse in a seniors home caring for the ill and dying.

This scrapbook is filled with newspaper clippings, ticket stubs, letters, stamps, and various dried foliage. It is identical in nature to the scrapbooks my Grandmother kept.

This well preserved scrapbook is like a time tunnel back to the days when Pat Nixon was the First Lady, air travel was pleasurable, and the Apollo Moon landing was still fresh in our minds.

It’s unfortunate that this scrapbook is likely one of the last Earthly markers of life, as she passed away in September 1974.

Inside, her green scrapbook, I once found a colourful card cut out and carefully pasted onto one of the school-book’s pages.

It is simply titled “Psalm 23”.

This passage has been a constant denominator in my life. I have memories as a very young child whenever adults gathered to remember a loved one who has passed on these verses would be recited in unison to help battle the loss and grief.

The last time I ever saw my paternal Grandmother, Oma Schon, we read it together as we sat on her bed. I’ll never forget her tears as she closed her Bible.

The 23 Psalm was read at the passing of both my parents.

However, here is a version that I have not read before.

It goes….

“The Lord is my Pace-Setter, I shall not rush;

He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals.

He provides me with images of stillness,

which restore my serenity;

He leads me in the way of efficiency

through calmness of mind,

And his guidance is peace.

Even though I have a great many things

to accomplish each day,

I will not fret, for his presence is here.

His timelessness, His all importance

will keep me in balance.

He prepares refreshment and renewal

in the midst of my activity

By anointing my mind

with his oils of tranquility.

My cup of joyous energy overflows.

Surely harmony and effectiveness

shall be the fruits of my hours,

For I shall walk in the pace of my Lord

and dwell in his house for ever.” *

I consider this reading passage as a gift from my Tante Annie, to be read, treasured, and to remember her by.

I hope that somehow, some way, you may find it useful too.

❤

*Translation of the Japanese version by Toki Miyashina from Psalm 23, copyright by K.H. Strange, 1969, and published by The Saint Andrew Press, Edinburgh

My.Daily.Distraction Post 47: Grandfather’s Diaries

05 Friday Dec 2014

Posted by duckykoren in Baptist, Church, Faith, Family, Religion, Theology

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Baptist, Bible, Blogging, Books, Church, Faith, Family, Journals, Sermons, Writing

My grandfather would have loved blogging

In fact there is no doubt in my mind that had the internet been around in his day, he would’ve had one of the biggest Bible study blogging sites on social media.

I know this because he was a prolific notetaker. Further, he had journals for every day, week, month and year since the 1930’s.

And I know this to be true because I am the one who now has them stacked up and overflowing in my bookcases.

In the course of writing weekly sermons for his Baptist congregations, at least three times a day he would take his place behind a large wooden desk. Then he would open his journals and Bible and then proceed to read and write and write and read.

Even after he retired, he continued his Bible studies and shared his insights as an invited guest speaker at churches.

I didn’t quite get it when I was a little girl.

Now I get it.

The fortunate thing is that he had so many journals and note books.

However, unfortunately his vast collection of notes are unreadable, they are written by hand in German, Croatian, Portuguese…

Anything but English.

I know that things happen for reason.

Maybe the notes are not for me to read.

The joy I get as I brush my fingers over the pages which held his concentration is a blessing beyond any words that a legible page of scripted ink can offer.

I don’t really have to know what written words mean, because I know how the story will ultimately end.

It’s a good ending.

And how do I know this?

It’s something my Grandfather taught me.

It’s called faith.

My.Daily.Diversion ~ Post 9: ‘Let My People Go’

10 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by duckykoren in Family, Humour, Movies, Quotes, Religion

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Bible, Cousins, Family, Fun, German, grandfathers, Humour, Insight, Moses, Music, Poetry, Rhymes, Songs, The Ten Commandments, Verse

One never knows how a story will present itself or when.

Case in point:

It was not that long ago when I was relating to a friend a story about my Grandfather, who was a tailor by trade until he was called into the ministry.

Grandfather had a flair for good humoured drama as demonstrated by one of his favourite Charlton Heston quotes from the movie ‘The Ten Commandments.’

He also had a talent for making up little jingles and verses.

One of his favourite rhymes went like this:

(Oh… If only I could hear him bellow this out like he had when I was a child)

“Let my people go…

…Dann sind wir alle froh!”

Unfortunately the humorous German punchline does not translate all that well into English.

But let me take a shot at it anyway:

“Let my people go…
Then let the good times roll!”

(Actually, that turned out pretty good.)

So now, on with my story:

After I had finished explaining my grandfathers penchant for talking in rhyme using the above example my friend utterly floored me with his response:

“Gee, your Grandfather was the world’s first rap artist.”

I was completely undone with his wonderful and witty insight.

Long story short…

You cannot imagine how much this truthful iconic statement will be a continual source of joyful warm fuzzy giggles until the end of my days.

Unless of course, you’re one of my dear cousins.

In that case of course…

I hope my friend’s insight brings you the same joy as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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