Oh My Blog Is Way Behind

But you should see the rest of my life.

I seriously started writing this one month and a day ago. I'm a lliittttllle behind on things.
This is the meme for the Oh My Blog award that mommmymommymommy at Kiss ( Keep it Simple Sister)
Sweetly passed to me in practically another lifetime and that I passed on to some Very Cool People Here

There were several choices to go with this award.
(a) Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight, or for as long as you can focus.
I've been so tired if I had one drink I'd fall asleep in one minute.
(b) Write about your most embarrassing moment.
Umm, No.
(d) Make your next blog a ‘vlog’/video blog. Basically, you’re talking to the camera about whatever.
I cannot I am incognito....and I can't find my video camera. Hardly ever use it. I prefer watching life the first time ; )
(e) Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make up,
etc) and post it.
Once again incognito...and dandelions don't wear make-up. I thought about taking a picture that shows you the state of my toe nail polish right now but I actually never got the chance and I need to get this ball rollin..

So! I chose (c) Write a “Soundtrack of your childhood” post.
I love this meme because music has surrounded my entire life. The only problem I had was not completely filling the page and stopping at my childhood. So I narrowed it down to a difficult 10 and stopped at age 13. I truly have a soundtrack to my life and my memories and emotions are nearly always associated with songs. I truly could write a post every day about a different song and how it corresponds with my life. As Biggest says, Mom has a song for every occasion and emotion but you never know what it might be.

My home was full of music. My mother knew countless songs and strange and funny ditties that she performed in the kitchen. I remember her holding me in the big white chair and singing Too Ra Loo Ra when I was little.  My father would listen to the radio and whistle along to orchestra music. He was the most amazing whistler. It was simply beautiful and he tried hard to teach me but alas, I can't even whistle for the dog. My brother closest to me in age sang and played guitar and was also involved in musical theatre. We spent much time "competing" with each other over the acoustics in the bathroom. I also was born into a house full of teenagers and rock music.....was ever present.

So the soundtrack of my childhood started  something like this:

1. I Got You Babe. My sisters and brothers had the song dedicated to me on the radio the day I was born. Maybe my parents had been talking to them about tightening our budget with a new baby, idk; )
2. Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water album. My sister would play this album or her Peter Paul and Mary album for me to go to sleep to. I liked Puff the Magic Dragon and Blowin in the Wind because I could picture that little dog sailing around on that boat but Bridge was my favorite. It May have embedded melancholy into my psyche but I still know every word to every song and love them all.
3. Close to you Burt Bacharach. Now remember I had really old parents, yeah they were my age when I was little. Ancient. They dragged me all over the place on Sunday drives and would sing this song to me whenever it came on. Of course I wasn't a totally spoiled princess who thought the song was really about me (isn't that another song?) what are you talking about?
4. The theme from Laurence Welk. Ok. Once again, old parents. My first ambition in life was to sing on the Laurence Welk show when I grew up. It looked like the ultimate to me. But seriously it is why it occurred to me to try to sing in the first place so I give it credit. Plus those outfits they wore were Divine. Unfortunately the show ended before I got there. See, if they had waited it would still be a hit. I could be the Champagne Lady and wear ball gowns and boa's and recline on a sofa and...oh nevermind
5. The music of Oklahoma; The first musical I ever attended and from that moment people could say I was in love.
6. The Music of The King and I.  The first show I participated in and I Whistle a Happy Tune which was my first solo in a recital. I hated that song, I preferred 'I Have Dreamed' and 'We Kiss In A Shadow' which I think are the best songs in the show but my voice teacher didn't think it was appropriate for my age. I was thirteen.
7. Country Roads by John Denver: I remember my brother who is closest in age to me playing his guitar and singing this and other songs including those he wrote himself. (I miss that by the way and wish you still did it. Happy Birthday on Tuesday. You don't look a day over 54. Or at least you won't until Wednesday xp, love you ; )
8. More Than a Feeling by Boston. 1st album I ever bought.
9. Free Bird of course because where I grew up I think there is actually a law on the books that says you can be hung if you turn it off
10. And Last of all, this is my favorite "kitchen song" from my mom. 

This is sung to the tune of Turkey In The Straw. I have never heard it anywhere else. She learned it from her father, God knows where he picked it up. Has anyone else ever heard this? I'm beginning to think my grandfather made it up himself.

Oh there was an old man
And he had a wooden leg
And if he didn't have tobacky
then tobacky he would beg
Said the first old man
would you give me a chew
Said the second old man
I'll be damned if I do
If you save up all your money
And you pile up your rocks
you will always have tobacky
in your old tobacky box

From the woman who didn't think Brandy, (You're a fine girl) was an appropriate song to be my favorite as a child. That is the kind of influence I was raised with.


P.S. Big B, I have anonymous set so if you sign out you can comment without you're personal info showing.


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In Which I Have Skills

This meme goes along with the Master of Karate and Friendship Award that was very kindly bestowed upon me by this Fabulous blogger Lee the Bubble Bath Queen and which I passed on here Yes, I Have No Bananas. Which you must go back and check if you have not because ...um...there aren't any bananas there for you but you need to go anyway : )

The meme involves listing 6  things I do well. I had to edit of course. I threw out taking my bra off with my shirt on and sleeping with a cat on my head because with enough practice anyone can accomplish these feats.

What I do well:

1. Iron. I can iron a blouse perfectly. A skill I picked up while watching the ladies at the dry cleaners where I had my first job as a clerk. How often do I use this skill? Once or twice a year if anyone gets lucky.
2. Fold shirts. Also a skill I learned at the cleaners and further perfected at another job where shirts had to be perfectly aligned in cubes. How often do I use this skill? Never.
3. Walk in heels. I'm a natural. In high school I was able to run track in 3 inch cork wedges....and a peasant dress ( I wasn't real big on dressing out). How often do I get to show off this skill? Twice in the past two years when I got to a chance to wear my favorite, gorgeous alligator pumps. To funerals.
4. Losing earrings. I have two pairs and a special collection of about 8 singles. Why do I keep these? I have one extra hole in my head and sometimes I use it.
5. Writing letters or stating my opinion. I write a mean letter. Sometimes literally but not always. I have an opinionated side that can be rather sarcastic or sometimes soapboxy. I don't do it much here. I think I am much better at it than I am at the stuff I write in my blog. I guess I could write a blog in that form too but I have to be worked up about something. So where do I use this skill? My local newspaper of course. Or maybe one day I will share my "letter to the cops" with you. It was a mama bear thing after Biggest began to straighten up.
6. Driving. The reason? I'm a nervous neurotic wreck if I go beyond my easy little 2 lanes at 35 mph local roads. So I avoid this as much as possible.  I have been driving 27 years ( I didn't start till I was 18) I have never had a ticket or accident, Ever. Draw back: I am so anal about being careful that I totally fail at instructing my daughters. They make me a nervous wreck. Because the two oldest still can't drive I use this skill .......more than anything else in my life.

So these are my Awesome Skills.  I can even drive and wear heels at the same time, lose an earring while I'm ironing, and compose a letter while folding a shirt.  But I still think none of this compares to taking off my bra while leaving my shirt on and balancing a cat on my head........

I Can Too!!!!!

Just ask the cat.

P.S. I will be traveling a lot to work on an out of town project this week starting tomorrow and I'm already behind in blog visiting so I feel like a total blog following crudface because my skills do not include driving and reading blogs at the same time but I will be traveling back and forth and come by whenever I can : )

2010 All Rights Reserved