Monday, February 15, 2016


                Wishing for an encore

David Bowie: "I don't know where I'm going from here, but I promise it won't be boring."

The news crawl caught my eye as I was halfway out of the room. It said that David Bowie had died. I sat down and turned the sound up when the news report started. It seemed unbelievable. Ziggy Stardust dead? Suddenly I needed to listen to his songs again. To hear "Let's Dance" and "Heroes." And "Dancing in the Street" with Bowie's proud and booming shout of UK. My mind drifted back to watching the film "Labyrinth." 

"Time passes and you must move on. Half the distance takes you twice as long. So you keep on singing for the sake of the song...after the thrill is gone." Frey/ Henley

And seemingly, in a blink of an eye, there was another news crawl that Glenn Frey had died. I recalled being 19 and going to an Eagles concert. Frey's music accompanied me as my twenties became thirties, and beyond. I thought how, after all these years, I still enjoy listening to "The Long Run" and that "The Greeks Don't Want No Freaks" still makes me laugh and sing along.

"Looking back, we've touched on sorrowful days...you will find peace of mind if you look way down in your heart and soul." M. White/V. White/Stepney

The first serene notes of Earth Wind & Fire's "That's the Way of the World" always put me in a reflective mood. Maurice White, a gifted songwriter and musician, was also a founding member of Earth Wind & Fire. We have him to thank for giving us "September" and "Shining Star."

Paul Kantner: "You can't just sit around and make protest albums all your life; eventually it comes to the point where you have to do something."

The world became quieter still when Paul Kantner (Jefferson Airplane) and Dan Hicks (Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks) both passed. As 2015 drew to a close, there was news that Natalie Cole and Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) had also died.

                                           David Bowie - 1947-2016
                                           Glenn Frey - 1948-2016
                                           Maurice White - 1941-2016
                                           Paul Kantner - 1941-2016
                                           Dan Hicks - 1941-2016
                                           Natalie Cole - 1950-2015
                                           Scott Weiland - 1967-2015

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Rock/pop biographies and memoirs are in abundance. It's easy to learn more about the stories and people behind the songs. Check out books by or about: Paul McCartney, Ronnie Spector, Gregg Allman, John Fogerty, Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia, DeeDee Ramone, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Jim Morrison, Ringo Starr, Ronnie Wood, Karen Carpenter, Dave Stewart, Keith Richards, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Joe Perry, Janis Joplin, Chrissie Hynde, Linda Ronstadt, Carly Simon, Warren Zevon, Pattie Boyd, Rush and Earth Wind & Fire.

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Monday, February 1, 2016

    Love Your Heart in February (and always)

Confucius: "Wherever you go, go with all your heart."


February is dedicated to heart health, and includes the celebration of Valentine's Day with all types of artwork and symbols of the heart. We sing songs about the heart, cross our hearts and hope to die if we tell a lie, and vaguely worry about random chest pains. But how well do we know this muscular organ that keeps us alive? 

Consider this about the heart:
*a normal heart valve is about the size of a half dollar
*our hearts beat about 100,000 times a day
*each minute your heart pumps 1.5 gallons of blood
*a woman's average heartbeat is faster than a man's heartbeat by almost 8 beats a minute. (From the Cleveland Clinic

Did you know that a man's heart weighs about 10 ounces and a woman's heart weighs about 8 ounces? (From WebMD)

Every year in the United States about 735,000 people have a heart attack. (From Centers for Disease Control)

Which day of the week is the most common for heart attacks? No surprise - Monday. (From the Journal of Epidemiology

Let's love our hearts and go for a walk while listening to a playlist created just for this hard working muscle.
Song suggestions
Young at Heart - Frank Sinatra
Unbreak My Heart - Toni Braxton
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Elton John & Kiki Dee
Your Cheatin' Heart - Patsy Cline
Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty
Heartache Tonight - Eagles
Open Your Heart - Madonna
Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin
Heart of Gold - Neil Young
Heart and Soul - Ella Fitzgerald
Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart - Judy Garland
I Left My Heart in San Francisco - Tony Bennett
One Small Heart - Mary Chapin Carpenter

 "Hold me in your thoughts, take me to your dreams...keep me in your heart for a while."  Keep Me in Your Heart - Warren Zevon (1947-2003)


                             
                                   February Days

1       - National Freedom Day (Lincoln signed resolution to end slavery)

2       - Groundhog Day

3       - The Day the Music Died (1959 -- near Clear Lake, Iowa)

6       - Take Your Child to the Library Day

7-12  - Children's Authors and Illustrators Week
         - Freelance Writers Appreciation Week

8        - Chinese New Year (Year of the Red Monkey)

9        - Mardi Gras

10      - Ash Wednesday

14-20 -Random Acts of Kindness Week

14       -Library Lovers Day
           -Valentine's Day

15       - Presidents' Day

29       - Leap Day. Celebrate an extra day!! 

                                           * * * * *

Enjoy new books by Jonathan Kellerman, James Patterson, Debbie Macomber, J.D. Robb, Lisa Gardner, Jo Nesbo, Phillip Margolin, Ian Rankin, Chrissy Teigen, Carrie Fisher, Ethan Canin, Stephen Coonts, Yann Martel, Will Shortz, Danielle Steel, Joyce Maynard, Diana Gabaldon, Jeffrey Archer and the Dr. Who Coloring Book. 

February is American Heart Month, Library Lovers Month, National Black History Month, National Haiku Writing Month, National Mend a Broken Heart Month, Spunky Old Broads Month.


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