TBT: YEARNING FOR THOSE COLORS

TBT: This was a pic from my kitchen sink window in the End of the Rainbow Valley in 2013. I love the fact Natureman had placed the spent sunflowers in the bird feeder for the birds too. We fed the birds year-round in the new house and it was such a joy to watch them at the feeders.

 I'm not sure what is going to happen this year in Arkansas as the temps have just dropped to 60's this week. It's been unseasonably warm and it's been so dry that fires are predicted...

Keep your Fall colors coming because I have a feeling ours might not be happening...

MIDWEEK MUSING: VOTING EARLY

By November 6  our votes will be showing us all what our country wants... It is scary because the 2 candidates couldn't be more different. 

I will be voting early as I will be in the air on the 5th and if there was a delay and I arrived too late to vote, I'd be devastated. 

Then there's a part of me that doesn't believe absentee votes are really even counted.  Grrr. An atmosphere of distrust in general regarding anything political which deters folks from voting. The right so many people fought for...

Encourage everyone you know to vote. You all need to be part of what made this country great. Each vote is important. WE have to believe that.

TUESDAY TUNES: ARKANSAS from Irish Lips

 TUESDAY TUNES: Is not a song I've heard before, have you? Well the guitarist asked our group as we took over the front space in one of the local bars what states we were from. Little did I suspect that Arkansas would be in a tune from his lips! 

Turn out your volume and enjoy parts 1, 2 & 3

It mentions Memphis and Lake Pontchartrain also places I visited this past year. Is it autobiographical? It's too long a clip to download all 3 minutes but you can tell it was great fun.

Two other wonderful photos from our musical pub on the 31st of August... There were 3 siblings and spouses on our trip so one of them took a picture of the patrons of days of yore and substituted her in-laws heads.  Priceless?

And the other special thing concerned my Frida Kahlo earrings that day with more than one person commenting about Frida memorabilia in the bar. 

Funny thing I had my pic taken with her.

MONDAY MUSINGS: A DAY OF AtONEMENt & YES, GRIEVING

Religion serves many purposes. While there are historical answers as to why we perform certain rituals, ultimately, it's up to the individual which ones to embrace. 

In my home I light a Yizkor candle in memory of my parents and other relatives that have preceded them since they no longer can... 

This past Saturday, Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement, I was invited to light one the Temple's seven candles in my Dad's memory since this is the one-year anniversary of his passing.

It truly was a blessing for my presence at this particular Yizkor, the memorial service, at Temple as the service's music in addition to its pianist and vocalists was accompanied by string quartet of Symphony members. The music went straight to one's soul.  

This afternoon service's purpose is to praise the Almighty to tighten the souls of those who have passed to past generations and for us to remember and honor them.

We were reminded by the Rabbi in his sermon re: Grieving Personal  Loss Amidst a Grieving Community. What struck a chord with me was the terminology "disenfranchised grief" which our Jewish worldwide community is experiencing after October 7th 2023. This collective grief is not recognized as mourners since we are not 'first degree' relatives. Fascinating subject matter re: the Circles of Bereavement.

I have attached the link for those who might want to hear more...

Grieving Personal Loss Amidst a Grieving Community

May we all find peace in both our own hearts and the hearts of others the world over in this coming year of 5785...

FOTO FRIDAY: NOTHING 'PETIT' ABOUT IT

 

FOTO FRIDAY this week took place on Petit Jean Mountain only a little over an hour down the road. 

I can't remember the last time I was there but my couchsurfer Adriana from Colombia had it on her list of places to visit.

So this past Sunday on an unseasonably warm fall day off we went with a picnic lunch. Adriana borrowed my umbrella for shade.

Still too early to see fall color but we had expansive vistas that remind one why Arkansas is called the 'Natural State.'

 

There's no way I could just pick one pic for this FOTO FRIDAY...

TBT: Hail, Hail, The Gang's all Here...

TBT: A little over a month ago I shared 10 days with these guys in Ireland seeing southern Ireland and listening to great music.  Besides each other's company, we also were blessed with wonderful weather and scenery.

One is never too old to make new friends and create new memories.

Kudos to our Irish guide Tomás who kept us on track and who I assume took this group pic...

Extra big thanks to John and Jo Smith (seated front center) 

for all your planning and time for this wonderful Irish experience... 

Please accept our heartfelt condolences for the recent loss of your son-in-law, Tim Waller.* He, too, embraced a love of music and contributed to the Coulee music scene which I, like so many others, enjoyed for 20+ years...

*If you'd like to donate monies to help with Tim's medical expenses, let me know and I will provide you with the info.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: A LABOR OF LOVE

MIDWEEK MUSINGS and here is an empty canning jar, not just any 'ole canning jar but a special one. Not many folks have leaky eyes over an empty mason jar... 

This one was special as it held the last of the green beans I canned with Natureman... 

It represents 20 years of memories of planting, growing and picking thousands of beans. They not only fed our household, but our families and friends as well. 

A true labor of love...

So when I opened this last jar to make one of my contributions to our family Rosh Hashonah holiday meal last week, I knew I had to do something different. It couldn't be for green bean casserole as we were having a meat meal nor with my usual doctoring with anise seed and butter, It had to be something new as I embark on this New Year with my extended family here in 'da Rock.

Here's a new recipe for you, dear readers,  even though this recipe called for fresh beans...  

Try them, you'll like them.

May all our labors of love be fruitful... Happy New Year.

MONDAY MUSINGS: WE WILL DANCE AGAIN

A year ago during a Nova Rave concert the euphoric crowd and world changed forever as missiles descended upon their fest grounds along the Gaza Strip followed by Hamas gunfire, torture and kidnapping. It was October 7th when the number of murdered Jews was the highest  since the Holocaust.

Our Jewish Community spent the evening commemorating last year's October 7th atrocity by watching a documentary called We Will Dance Again with video footage of the horrors and survivors's personal accounts.  It was 6 hours before Israeli soldiers came to the survivors' rescue. 

A young Israeli couple who had lived here in Little Rock were interviewed by phone before our viewing and answered questions re: their feelings which included : being more worried, feeling things are more dangerous and the noticeable increase in antisemitism. It is difficult to digest what has happened and now the children's Dad is back on the frontline for the past 5 months. Their young children were told their Dad was out protecting the land of Israel. 

The Jewish Holocaust saying is " Never Again." Yet, after the October 7th Nova Concert, the phrase now is We will Dance again.

This young man's angelic face became the face of those who perished...  Innocents just partying in their modern  Woodstock. 

I didn't bring enough kleenex.

One Year

FOTO FRIDAY : SMILE

 

FOTO FRIDAY:Holiday cheer being together this week.

And it's so quiet as they are all on the road... 

 Soon to be updated ... since son-in- law's pic is on another phone.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS : HOLIDAY JOY

Musing today as sundown tonight marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashonah.  As all holidays there is a traditional meal/two with family/friends. We dip the apple slices in honey with hopes for a sweet year. 

One might think everybody should be joyous during holidays but this year many families will have empty seats around their tables. Whether the absences are due to war, accidents, illness/ old age, they will be missed. 

My brother and sister-in-law will be hosting this year's potluck dinner for 26. This will be my family's first New Year's holiday table without my Dad. Even though last year he was quieter than usual,  he managed to eat his mashed potatoes with his cup of hot tea and have some dessert. 

May we bless the memory of our loved ones by sharing family stories. 

Best wishes for a more peaceful world ...

Shanah tova. Happy New Year!

TUESDAY TUNES : CLARE COUNTY & LUKA BLOOM

TUESDAY TUNES takes us back to Ireland this week and Luka Bloom  and the ...THE BEAUTY OF EVERY DAY THINGS

Enjoy and remember to see the beauty...

Here's my personal clip of Luka performing for us in Ennisty Falls.  Nice acoustics, right?