Batman Shelf

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“Patience and tenacity are worth more
than twice their weight of cleverness.” 
Thomas Henry Huxley

If you are lucky to be the parent of a son born in the mid-1980’s, you remember how much they admired Super Hero’s. From Batman to Superman the costumes, pjs and action figures were scattered around their bedroom. My little boy was no different. However, he wanted a display shelf that would show off his most prized Super Hero possessions; a display shelf only fitting for a museum.

After searching relentlessly for months for a Batman style shelf and not finding one, I did what I do when I can’t find exactly what I want. I design and build it myself.

First I designed and figured out the dimensions for the shelf and made a paper template of the exact size and shape. Never having constructed a custom shelf before, I attempted to enlist my talented woodworking husband. My husband was a masterful carpenter; with his power and hand tools always ready in the garage for his magisterial skilled hands. His designs always clean and beautiful, to match the potential of the wood for the task at hand.

Hubby was very busy at the time, but was confident I could build it myself, so he set up his Dewalt table mounted jigsaw for me to cut the wood. He patiently taught me how to use the jigsaw with some scrap pieces of wood. His final instructions were to practice for a few hours until he returned before cutting the beautiful poplar wood I bought for the project.

After 20 minutes of practice, I decided I was skilled enough to cut the final pieces needed for my shelf. Needless to say, hubby was not happy with me when he returned and saw what I had done. Mostly he was angry because I might have lost a digit or two. I can’t say I remember every detail, but I do remember an argument ensued, with wood flying everywhere in the garage. After he calmed down, he was impressed with my little Batman shelf I had created. In fact, he even helped me sand and smooth the edges before I spray painted it glossy jet black.

When my son returned from his father’s house that weekend, I had already mounted the shelf on a wall in his bedroom. He was so impressed he didn’t believe his mom had build the shelf and not bought it somewhere.

To this day, when my son needs help locating something he desires, he calls me to find it for him. So far, I’ve always been able to come through for him. He admires his mom’s patience and tenacity when it comes to getting a job done. And he will always remember and appreciate the time I made his dream Batman Shelf.

Shine On

Phantom of the Opera

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“We never said
Our love was ever green
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me”
Andrew Lloyd Webber

Recently on the TCM network, they highlighted the work of the great Lon Chaney. I am quite familiar with Chaney’s work but one movie I had not watched was the 1925 silent film, The Phantom of the Opera. This American silent horror film was an adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel of the same name. I was captivated by this movie and Chaney’s performance as the Phantom.

What surprised me as I watched the movie, was how it transported me back to a time when I was honored to see live performances of The Phantom of the Opera not only once but twice. Back then, I was obsessed with the music and for weeks I played nothing but the Broadway soundtrack in my house, in my car and even on my walkman. My 4-year-old son became familiar with all the music as well and learned the lyrics to every song just like mom.

Sarah Brightman sang the iconic title duet and played Christine Daaé alongside Michael Crawford in the Ahmanson Theatre production of The Phantom. After watching the silent film and craving to watch a musical version of the movie, I found a 2011 video production on line.

As I watched this updated performance, I found myself remembering all the lyrics to this iconic music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. But, the music hit this musical empath emotionally different after 35 years, especially the opening song, Think of Me.

Thirty-five years is a lifetime to some people who never make it to thirty-six. Webber’s poignant lyrics to his song, Think of Me hit home; remembering all the people I have lost the last three decades since my first experience listening to the music from The Phantom of the Opera.

Shine On

If you would like to watch the Royal Albert Hall, London England production of The Phantom of the Opera, click on the link below: https://archive.org/details/The_Phantom_of_The_Opera_Full_Stage_Show

Thanks For Following

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“Appreciating others is a reflection
of celebrating oneself.”
Walt Whitman

It’s hard to believe
It’s been over a decade
Since that first blog post
On 2015 New Year’s Day

I began this blog
As a writing exercise
To practice each day
Writing whimsical prose

Through these many years
I never would have dreamed
My followers could grow
To 50,000 plus from Zero

Thanks to all who’ve visited
Who’ve liked and commented
Thanks for all your support
Thanks for following

Shine On

Rachmaninoff

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“Music is enough for a lifetime
But a lifetime is not enough for music”
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff

I listen to music daily. My music repertoire is extremely diverse. I listen to a variety of music according to my mood. Classical music I listen to when I write and it’s my background music of choice. The past months while working on my current novel, Without Warning, I only listened to Rachmaninoff.

The first time I heard his music was in the movie, The Seven Year Itch; where Richard Sherman (played by Tom Ewell) is a married man whose wife is away for the summer. He famously uses Rachmaninoff music as a cynical tool of seduction, while hosting his attractive upstairs neighbor, Marilyn Monroe in his apartment.

I was writing and half listening to Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 when it completely stopped me in my tracks. I recognized this same tune from Eric Carmen’s 1975 hit song, “All By Myself”. Carmen died in 2024 but some of you might know him as the lead vocalist of the Raspberries, with whom he recorded the hit “Go All the Way”.

Anyway, I looked up information about Carmen and his song “All By Myself” and lo and behold, the verse melody comes from the second movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. Apparently, when Eric Carmen composed his song, he thought Rachmaninoff’s copyright had expired, but he was wrong and later had to share royalties with the composer’s estate.

If you’re not familiar with Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff, he was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. He started playing the piano at the age of four. By the time he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, Sergei was already the author of the First Piano Concerto, the one-act opera Aleko and a number of piano pieces and romances. 

Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music. “Composing music is as vital for me as breathing or eating: this is one of the essential functions of life,” I love this quote and must agree wholeheartedly with Rachmaninoff.

Shine On

Bittersweet Song

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“Bittersweet song
Memories gone
Bittersweet song
Remembering you”
J R Malmquist

The music and lyrics I create always come from the heart. This song I just wrote and created is no different.

I continue to add songs to my Dragonfly album and here’s one I just uploaded for your listening pleasure titled, Bittersweet Song.

Taking my brain
Back to memory lane 
Thinking about you 
Warms me to my core

Once every minute with you 
Was never too long
Every kiss from you 
Was like a bittersweet song

Once every embrace with you 
Was like a blanket of love
Warming my heart
To the depths of my soul 

Bittersweet song
Memories gone
Bittersweet song
Remembering you 

Once you said 
I will never hurt you
But now you say I’m sorry 
I never meant to harm you

I forgave you 
For what happened
But I will never forget 
What you did

People that are hurt
Well they hurt people
I understand that 
Perfectly now

Bittersweet song
Memories gone
Bittersweet song
Remembering you 

Bittersweet song

Wrote and created by J R Malmquist
September 20, 2026

Shine On