Friday, September 20, 2024
FOTO FRIDAY: TAPAS TOGETHER
TBT: HAPPY 5th
TBT: Five years ago today we were celebrating Simon's betrothal to Leah.
Happy 5th, Simon and Leah!
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
TUESDAY TUNES: ANOTHER MASTERFUL MUSICAL JOHN
TUESDAY TUNES takes you my readers back to the end of August and my first exposure to a Cork musical legend...
Music was an integral component of my Irish adventure and song lyrics helped me understand the strong regional accents of English, my mother tongue.
Sometimes our group would be in local pubs / the musician(s) would come to us in our hotel. Imagine a private hour /more with local musical legends.
John Spillane was intense. No smile but a promise to win us over by the time he finished sharing his music/ maybe not. A dry, dry wit...
Mesmerizing and very talented. Listen to him spin his tale... These youtube videos give you a taste of what we heard...
My personal clips don't do Spillane justice...
Monday, September 16, 2024
MONDAY MUSINGS:SALAM, SHALOM, PEACE
I have had the honor of serving on the planning committee since I moved back three years ago and it actually was the Temple's turn to be the location host. Yet, due to the unrest in the Middle East, Westover Hills graciously offered to be the location host again to help cultivate that 'culture of peace.' One might otherwise worry about neutrality ...
Despite an ugly rainy evening about 200 area residents came together to break bread (naan actually) with a delicious vegetarian Middle Eastern meal and to listen to words of peace.
Our stories of Cultivating a Culture of Peace were delivered by :
Rev. Marie Mainard O'Connell Rabbi MarkBiller
Founder& Organizer Synagogue Agudath Achim
The Queer Collective Presbyterian
Dr. Jay McDaniel
Hendrix College
Imam Mohammed Nawaz
Madina Institute & Mosque
sorry no pic...
Blanche Finzer
LR Central HS
winner of 11 Grade essay 2023
All of their words of peace resonated...
The dinner tables were donned with seasonal mums, copies of essay and art winners from all over Arkansas. There were ~ 4000 submissions from elementary through high school students. We can always use readers if you'd like to volunteer next year...
Attendees last night also created bookmarks
The organizations had informational tables. We also have a new partner this year with the Arkansas Culture and Dialog Center.
Below is Temple B'nai Israel's table which featured the holidays...
The dinner tables were donned with seasonal mums, copies of essay and art winners from all over Arkansas. There were ~ 4000 submissions from elementary through high school students. We can always use readers if you'd like to volunteer next year...
The wisdom of their words gives true meaning to 'out of the mouth of babes' and I may add out of the artist's 'minds' as well. These citizens will do better than past generations if their entries are any indication of future Peace.
Attendees last night also created bookmarks
of peace which 
they in turn exchanged with someone they did not know...
they in turn exchanged with someone they did not know... If we start at home, the chain reaction of understanding our commonalities can become not only reflected in our local but national and world policies as well...
.
.
May we all help work for peace.
May it come sooner rather than later.
Our ending song says it all...
Friday, September 13, 2024
FOTO FRIDAY: I SEE 'RED'
When I made the move south, my 50th bday gift to myself did not. Cherry, a red '89 Mazda Miata, was the purchase after 20 years of promising myself a red sportscar at reaching that half century milestone.
After spotting it on Milwaukee's Lakeshore Drive with a 'for sale' sign in its front window on my birthday week in 2004, I was hesitant and Natureman shocked me by uttering the words, 'Get it.' We put some 30K miles on it during 20 years tooling around as soon as the top could go down and before it was tucked away during winter. I have missed crispy fresh air in early spring and fall in a convertible.
Move to this August 21, Natureman's birthday no less, an ad popped up on Marketplace. I heard Natureman saying " Get it." So I did.
Meet Red, isn't she a beaut? She has some mileage on her, just like me. But she is automatic so no shifting nor fighting putting on her top with a terrific sound system and a CD player.
How did John Smith, my Ireland tour leader, know to gift the participants an Irish CD ?
Come help me make new field trip memories...
Happy 70th to me!
Thursday, September 12, 2024
TBT: 10 YEARS AGO IN the END OF THE RAINBOW VALLEY
Compare my Arkansas setting today awaiting rain from Francine to dampen the previous 80 degree day with a cooler day...
TBT: On August 12 2018, decade ago in End of the Rainbow Valley
"When it's rainy and dreary, what can one do? Read, cook, watch a movie/ all three. The book "I Hate to Leave this Beautiful Place," dinner's Swiss Chard Goat Cheese Lasagna with Morels with a garden salad and our movie is a romance- 'The Best Offer.' 🙂
Natureman started a nice fire to take the chill out of the air...
Wednesday, September 11, 2024
MIDWEEK MUSINGS: PLAY NICE
MIDWEEK MUSINGS this week comes on the heels of my Irish adventure and the first Presidential debate. What rang true in both is remembering we all have commonalities...
Many folks on the tour shared Irish ancestry but we all shared a love of music. So amidst the castles, beaches, cliffs and pubs, we were listeners. We listened to life stories and musical lyrics which reflected the same experiences...
It's time. Time to concentrate on those shared attributes to mend not only our personal daily lives but to take it to a higher level of also playing nice on both our country and world playgrounds.
We all have the same basic needs...
If a group of people who didn't know each other from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Missouri, Oregon and Wisconsin can get along, aspirations for a better future for all is possible...
* Thanks Ewa for capturing our Kumbaya moment
Tuesday, September 10, 2024
TUESDAY TUNES: ALWAYS A JOURNEY , NEVER A DESTINATION
A musical legend, Cyril O'Donoghue passed unexpectedly during our group's visit to Ireland. Cyril was one of the musicians who would have shared his music during our stay in Clare County as he and our group leader, John Smith, were good friends. John paid his condolences last week by playing a song at Cyril's memorial.
Here's a tribute I listened to and thought many would like to hear. Over 1000 people came to remember him and many more the world over will grieve Cyril's absence, his passion and contributions to the music world, specifically Irish music. May his music live on in those he touched and continue to influence ...
May Cyril's memory always be for a blessing.
Monday, September 9, 2024
MONDAY MUSINGS: RIDGES, RIDGES EVERYWHERE
As our southern Ireland tour group was exposed to many of nature's ridges, my time readjustment being home included a new Netflix release called Rebel's Ridge. A ridge in a different setting / would this situation be similar across the big pond with a different population.
It escalates into much, much more after an unnecessary police stop and charge, absconding all his bail and business money. (Let's talk after you watch it...Police brutality, etc...)
Now, I am not just physically recharging, my emotions are going caddy wonkers too.
It made me think few minorities were present in southern Ireland's smaller towns. A white Irish population definitely reigns and I have never seen so many natural redheads. It made me wonder if the dark-haired kids or the redheads rule their playgrounds. AND if there are darker-skinned children, do they get chastised more frequently in their classrooms?
Ridges exist all over, don't they?
Kids are just kids. But kids no matter where they live, learn from adults to model appropriate behavior. The protagonist in Rebel's Ridge had been taught well.
Do you have the privilege to be so lucky to not have to worry about it?
Friday, September 6, 2024
FOTO FRIDAY : TOOTSIES GETTING A GOOD WORKOUT
FOTO FRIDAY: Wallking on all different types of surfaces this trip. Hiking through fields, on cobblestone, through bogs, sandy beaches, very uneven large rocks, etc...
Can you tell these tootsies need good footwear?
Thursday, September 5, 2024
TBT:BREAKFAST 2010 & ELSEWHERE
Since the Irish fix really big breakfasts and lots of eggs
let's look back how big I was eating this TBT in the End of the Rainbow Valley
Definitely didn't have white/ black pudding which is either goat/
sheep's innards as they do here. I tried it and it's salty not bad but once will do me. I usually have smoked fish and cheeses and bread of course. Porridge on the colder morns...
Here's our guide Tomás's choice savory for sure!
Wednesday, September 4, 2024
MIDWEEK MUSINGS : LET'S NOT TALK POLITICS?
This week's musing has been on my mind this week as we were asked by our group leader 'not to talk politics' as we are on a trip to enjoy Ireland specifically their music. In my ear, Natureman's voice is saying: "Everything is political."
How can we be in a country that has so much history affected both politically and in its religiosity and not draw political conclusions? Granted the Irish 'do' want to talk politics with us even if we are not supposed to talk amongst our group, I have had some interesting conversations with locals here.
With the election getting into full swing, we have some soul-searching to do as a nation. I was asked this question by an Irishman, " Why is this race so close?"
We're not talking politics: You are just reading James J Smith's poignant comments…
THE CLOSENESS OF THIS PRESIDENTIAL RACE SAYS MORE ABOUT THE COUNTRY THAN THE CANDIDATES!
I don’t know about you, but I often get asked this question, “Why is this race so close?” To most of us there is no question about which candidate has a brighter vision for America’s future, and which candidate wants to drag us back into the past. Kamala Harris speaks of an America that treats all Americans equally and fairly with dignity and respect. Trump rambles and verbally wallows in a word salad leaving those who can stand the lies he spews, to wonder what the hell he is talking about!
Donald Trump is not a mystery person, he has been on the public stage for the past nine years, and longer than that if you go back to the 1970s. He has a long record of racist acts committed against Black people in New York, City regarding his rental properties and the hateful ire he directed toward the “Central Park Five” in 1989. Multiple accounts of unwanted sexual encounters on women over the years because “When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything… grab ‘em by the p--.” Yes, this is the guy that tens of millions of Americans support, this 34-count convicted felon, this leader of an insurrection to overthrow the peaceful transfer of power because he didn’t want to leave the presidency! How can a guy like this be considered again for president of the United States? For that to happen he must convince millions to believe he is for them, he must sell the lie that current America is passing them by, and he will bring back the America that they were the majority in. Saying racist, divisive things have no power if the ears hearing these things don’t believe or share these views. This is America, and it has a racist track record since its beginning that has deep roots. So yes, racist, divisive words will find ears receptive to them! Trump has managed to find those people and sell them on the idea that Black and Brown, Queer people, non-Christians, and Democrats, are enemies of the state along with the mainstream media.
Comparing Kamala Harris to Trump is a no-brainer for most, she has an impressive resume while Trump has a Rap Sheet! The thing that blinds Trump supporters to her qualifications to be president are racism and sexism! That’s all Republicans got to go with stirring up “White Fear” of the scary Black woman! The fact that candidates so starkly different are basically tied in this race, speaks volumes about this country. Trump is a selfish, narcissistic, criminal, with empathy for no one. America is a transactional enterprise for him as is our way of life. He would sell us to the highest bidder if he could, he cares nothing about this country or its people! Millions want to follow this man even though if he had his way, he would “terminate the Constitution” and replace it with Project 2025. They would follow him despite all the things I mentioned, because of the one thing he has firmly made them value, THEIR WHITENESS!
White people will soon be the new minority and Trump has done a masterful job of playing on that fact to stir up “White Fear” of the other. Republicans have seized the moment to use it as a vehicle to drive home their racist policies of voter suppression and attacks on LGBTQ+ Rights and to further their relentless attack on women. Meaningful border legislation could have been passed, but Trump told Republicans to kill it, does that sound like a man who wants to secure our southern border? Trump the man is no secret, we know what he is about. Kamala is introducing herself to a lot of the country. What she has shown so far should be enough to convince America the choice is clear. Stop drinking the orange Kool-Aid Trumpers, the future of your country is at stake!
Sunday, September 1, 2024
TUESDAY TUNES: CONTIGO APRENDI
I enjoyed the music at O' Sullivan's last night where they were dancing Irish jigs and reels. Great fun. A local asked me to be his dance partner in the group line dance and had us heading out the door into the street. What a hoot!
I also met a lovely family of Spaniards and it was destiny that this song was on my feed this a.m. Pablo Alborán melts me with Contigo Aprendi ( With You I Learned)... Take a listen. He's also pretty easy on the eyes.
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