tUESDAY tUNES: PRAYER

tUESDAY tUNES features Sheku-Kanneh Mason, a 27-year-old British cellist who won the 2016  BBC Young Musician award delivers Prayer from his new album. It is powerful and tugs at one's soul strings.

Take a  listen to PRAYER.

MONDAY MUSINGS: ALL THE WORLD IS A STAGE

MONDAY MUSINGS reflect a wonderful weekend ending enjoy- ing LifeQuest's Improv Class's production of Lady Susan by Jane Austen. The seating in the round was filled for the Sunday matinee.

Lady Susan was actually published after Austen died in 1871. The story revolves around a flirtatious, scheming widow (played by friend Anne (center) who has been kicked out of her friend's house for her coquettish behavior with the married man of the house. Shameless! She ends up on the estate of her brother-in-law (played by my junior high buddy Alan) and sets her sights on his 17-year-old son, trying to marry off her own daughter and ends up with a wealthy husband of her own. Thank goodness the play is cleverly told through letters as the actors are all LifeQuest members (translated 'seniors'.) I loved the director's disclaimer "to be aware that the actors'ages may not always correspond with characters portrayed." Wink, wink...

What a hoot it was, and another example that "All the World is a Stage." 

Well done to all the thespians in LifeQuest's Improv class and their instructor and director, Wayne Chapman.

FOTO FRIDAY: DANCE AS IF NOONE IS WATCHING

 

FOTO FRIDAY gives a big shout-out to Tim, Anne's hubby for catching this moment of joy of us dancing as if no one is watching...  That's the best way to dance!

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY: GEORGIA ON MY MIND

TBT: FALL IN THE END OF THE RAINBOW VALLEY 2014

TBT: 2014 Fall in the End of the Rainbow Valley
For 20 years Natureman and I were so fortunate to share and marvel at the most beautiful sights without ever leaving home...  We never took any of it for granted... 

I washed the dishes with this fall view:

The chicken coop on the left where I encountered more than fresh eggs and chickens inside; add those unwanted guests, i.e., opossums, raccoons, a snake, and even a white weasel. On the right: The Tractor, a 1952 Ford, which helped clear and grade our one-mile road besides pulling/hauling a lot of stuff. Next to it was the pile of 9 cords of wood, which would be used for heating our home, the 1890s barn, which housed our goats and barn cats with 100 bales of hay in its loft, and the stunning, ever-changing valley's hillside... 

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: DEATH BY CANDY ?

My initial thought of what I'd write about today changed within a matter of a minute so that other topic can just wait for another MIDWEEK MUSINGS.

Tuesday is one of my catch-up days as I don't have any classes that I need to be at a certain time. I had a couple of errands in mind, and it is that first one where today's topic changed. I needed small snack Ziploc bags to package a chocolate trail mix treat I had made for a Halloween luncheon I was attending. 

 After living in the middle of nowhere for 20 years,  folks know I avoid going to the supermarket as much as possible. Anyhoo, I have my system of navigating the Kroger parking lot since I hate going up and down lanes looking for a spot close to the door. Instead of turning early, I wait to turn down the next-to-last aisle even though speed bumps are along the road until the turn. I made my turn and proceeded cautiously. It's easy for folks to back up without really looking both ways, right?  I saw a couple of open spots ahead when, out of the corner of my eye, a grey flash made me brake hard. Someone was speeding diagonally through the lanes via open parking spaces. The driver didn't even hesitate after almost hitting me.  I pulled into one of the open spots and sat there dumbfounded for a bit.  As I headed to the store door, I turned to see where the person had parked. That silver car was right in front of a chiropractor's door, but the driver hadn't emerged right away. My brain gave the driver a minute of grace, poor thing's in pain... But when I glanced back, a lanky blonde emerged, swishing her ponytail as she headed to the nail salon door. 

The grocery store mission had those mini snack bags on a top shelf and the search for a taller employee ensued. It gave me time to cool down. The decision was made to not let this incident go.

After making the purchase, you know me, I headed to the nail salon. The only customer was a 50-ish blonde sitting with her work binders at the pedicure chair. I introduced myself as the person she almost hit cutting through the parking lot. She spewed indignation,  " You mean you came all the way over here to tell me that?" " Yes, I did, because I wasn't sure you realized that you could have caused a terrible accident, and instead of criticizing me, perhaps there should be some remorse/ recognition of your wrongdoing." 

"Oh, "she blurted out unapologetically,"I'm sorry." 

Who knew that needing those baggies would prove that candy can kill us?

MONDAY MUSINGS: ARKANSAS GEMS

 Arkansas is known as the 'Diamond State' but there are other gems like our Jazz scene. I was fortunate to have enjoyed some of these gems at an Evening of Jazz, a fundraiser planned to benefit both Jericho Way and Opportunity House under the umbrella of DEPAUL ARKANSAS.

Jericho Way is for people experiencing homelessness in Central Arkansas. About 150 people/day have served meals,  the use of showers, laundry facility, a clothing closet (where I brought my Dad's clothing), phones and computers, case management, and housing placement. 

Jericho Way lives up to his name as a safe place where people can find care, as it has also expanded into housing with a"13 houses campaign placing homeless into refurbished homes where tenants pay 30 % of their income. 

We were treated to music by highly acclaimed state musicians including The Rodney Block Collective, American Idol alum Nia Renée, saxophonist Grady Nichols, and Pattern Blu with classic jazz.

Kudos to two of our community members who were named 2026 Chatillon Award Honorees: City Board Director Kathy Webb and Kevin Howard from the Dept. of Housing and Neighborhood                                         Programs.

What a delightful evening filled with donations of good music, food & drink. People doing good. 

Thanks to all those who donated to help homeless folks have a brighter future. Arkansas's best gem are all those who help make our state a better place to live.

tUESDAY tUNES:TIMELESS THE WORLD OVER

tUESDAY tUNES is a song that seems timeless like Engelbert Humperdinck's Quando Quando sung here by the duo of Cece Trương and Tuấn Dũng in a band Poppy Hills Musique in Viet Nam.

Quando Quando