What's So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?
Ann is blue. Since Ann did me the favor of putting in a good word for me with a certain cute high-schooler in 1984 (who I would go on to date, be mercilessly dumped by, maintain a long friendship with and ultimately bribe with a motorcycle, er, marry), I'd like to do a good turn. I recommended to her on Facebook to try some loud, happy music. Then, having dishes to do in the vicinity of the boombox anyway, I turned up AK's Springtime 2008 CD. As it played, I washed and sang along, and thought how perfect these songs were for someone who might be blue. Some songs are decidedly Spring'y. Some not so much. They span many years and at least a few musical genres, so I'll post the playlist here for anyone who might at sometime become blue . . . and have iTunes . . . and a CD burner . . . and a boombox.
1. Talkin' Harvest Time Blues by Stephanie Davis
2. Soak Up the Sun by Cheryl Crow
3. Don't Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
4. Family Affair by Mary J. Blige
5. Peace Love and Understanding by Elvis Costello
6. Fighter by Christina Aguilera
7. Church by Lyle Lovett
8. This Little Light of Mine by The Steeles
9. Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
10. Bassoon Concerto in A Minor by Some Orchestra Somewhere
11. I'll Be There For Your/All I Need to Get By by Mary J. Blige and Method Man
12. Lets Make a Better World by Dr. John
13. You're Only Human (2nd Wind) by Billy Joel
14. Keep'n it Real by Shaggy
15. Lean on Me by Bill Withers
16. I'll Take You There by The Staple Singers
17. You Get What You Give by The New Radicals
18. September by Earth Wind and Fire
Take what you will, add your own favorites and make your own Blue Remedy playlist. Personally I'm not a big Aguilera fan (yes, she can belt like a mikky fikky . . . ) and I am still a little tired of Don't Worry Be Happy (if you lived through it, you get it). But some are just brilliant. I dare you to NOT slink around or shake your thang to the Take You There bass line. I dare you to not sing along to September. And I would dare you to research it yourself, but I've already researched it, and there is no more moving version of Lean on Me than Bill Withers' original.
Here, we hang in there. Lux Graphics is back in business as I apply for more straight jobs and re-reassess my career options. In a very fundamental way, it blows. I trusted some people it turns out I oughtn't (is that a word?) and was led down a dark hopeless path. I figured it out in time and got off the path, but somewhere along the line misplaced my hope. If you see it, please hit me on the celly, stakes are high. I have a new, additional calling at church, working even more with the young men. Schedule-wise it's a good thing I'm on a self-employed schedule again.
AK is getting more writing work and enjoying her law office job I think. She's busy with the PAC job and her Relief Society presidency job but finds both as rewarding as they are taxing. I don't like to share her with everyone else like that, but it makes my heart sing to see her as a happy . . . as Thomas so succinctly put it . . . Useful Engine. Isn't that all we ever want from life, to be a useful engine?
Max is wrapping up football. This league is really wonderful and it's too bad he'll probably be too big to play next year. Some days it's like the Land of The Misfit Toys Football League, and he does fit in. All days, the coaches and the other players really pull together and get behind each other. That's what keeps Max wanting to go back I believe. He's the epitome of an awkward pre-teen, but going to a small academics-heavy middle school will help him survive the middle school years I think. Still playing piano, still learning percussion. He's doing a math-themed academic olympics thing at school on Saturdays (heaven forbid we hang out TOGETHER more than one day a week . . . ) and he's genuinely enthused about anything science-related. Which bodes well for his future career prospects. Much better than an interest in, say, Philosophy . . .
Twinks are a trip. Both are pushing independence boundaries, but in different directions. Milo seems to by trying to (melo)dramatically define himself, like a very small lost, lamenting artist. Ben is experimenting with anger and resistance.
Showing mad ri'SPECT to Dy . . . kiss those babies!
1. Talkin' Harvest Time Blues by Stephanie Davis
2. Soak Up the Sun by Cheryl Crow
3. Don't Worry Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin
4. Family Affair by Mary J. Blige
5. Peace Love and Understanding by Elvis Costello
6. Fighter by Christina Aguilera
7. Church by Lyle Lovett
8. This Little Light of Mine by The Steeles
9. Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
10. Bassoon Concerto in A Minor by Some Orchestra Somewhere
11. I'll Be There For Your/All I Need to Get By by Mary J. Blige and Method Man
12. Lets Make a Better World by Dr. John
13. You're Only Human (2nd Wind) by Billy Joel
14. Keep'n it Real by Shaggy
15. Lean on Me by Bill Withers
16. I'll Take You There by The Staple Singers
17. You Get What You Give by The New Radicals
18. September by Earth Wind and Fire
Take what you will, add your own favorites and make your own Blue Remedy playlist. Personally I'm not a big Aguilera fan (yes, she can belt like a mikky fikky . . . ) and I am still a little tired of Don't Worry Be Happy (if you lived through it, you get it). But some are just brilliant. I dare you to NOT slink around or shake your thang to the Take You There bass line. I dare you to not sing along to September. And I would dare you to research it yourself, but I've already researched it, and there is no more moving version of Lean on Me than Bill Withers' original.
Here, we hang in there. Lux Graphics is back in business as I apply for more straight jobs and re-reassess my career options. In a very fundamental way, it blows. I trusted some people it turns out I oughtn't (is that a word?) and was led down a dark hopeless path. I figured it out in time and got off the path, but somewhere along the line misplaced my hope. If you see it, please hit me on the celly, stakes are high. I have a new, additional calling at church, working even more with the young men. Schedule-wise it's a good thing I'm on a self-employed schedule again.
AK is getting more writing work and enjoying her law office job I think. She's busy with the PAC job and her Relief Society presidency job but finds both as rewarding as they are taxing. I don't like to share her with everyone else like that, but it makes my heart sing to see her as a happy . . . as Thomas so succinctly put it . . . Useful Engine. Isn't that all we ever want from life, to be a useful engine?
Max is wrapping up football. This league is really wonderful and it's too bad he'll probably be too big to play next year. Some days it's like the Land of The Misfit Toys Football League, and he does fit in. All days, the coaches and the other players really pull together and get behind each other. That's what keeps Max wanting to go back I believe. He's the epitome of an awkward pre-teen, but going to a small academics-heavy middle school will help him survive the middle school years I think. Still playing piano, still learning percussion. He's doing a math-themed academic olympics thing at school on Saturdays (heaven forbid we hang out TOGETHER more than one day a week . . . ) and he's genuinely enthused about anything science-related. Which bodes well for his future career prospects. Much better than an interest in, say, Philosophy . . .
Twinks are a trip. Both are pushing independence boundaries, but in different directions. Milo seems to by trying to (melo)dramatically define himself, like a very small lost, lamenting artist. Ben is experimenting with anger and resistance.
Showing mad ri'SPECT to Dy . . . kiss those babies!
posted by Chris at
2:37 PM
3 Comments:
Love.
Awesome blog. Awesome post.
I had a killer playlist for you, but it vanished into the ether. I think the universe doesn't like my music.
Not to worry: yours rules.
You gotta love the little boundary pushers. James is ten, now, and I found myself thinking, "Wait, no. He can't be ten. Max is ten. Wait... no... he's not ten anymore. Crap." *sigh* Then I erupted in a string of cliches (can't do the accent mark, sorry).
Sounds busy up your way, but good. Don't leave your Hope out there all alone too long, okay? Winter's a-comin!
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