That’s Why I Love Him

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“What made me love thee? let that persuade thee
there’s something extraordinary in thee.
I cannot: but I love thee; none but thee;
and thou deserves it.”
William Shakespeare

One of my favorite fretted instruments is the banjo. After all, you can’t help but smile when you hear the sound of a banjo.

For Mother’s Day 2014 my son bought concert tickets for us to see “Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers” at the Hollywood Bowl. The concert was fantastic.

I was so inspired by the concert, that I decided it was time to learn to play the banjo. I didn’t own a banjo, but there’s a music store near my son’s apartment, and they just happen to have used banjos. After hearing the store owner play one of the banjos, I bought a used 21 fret, open back, 5-string banjo. I was absolutely thrilled to start learning to play the banjo.

However, when I got home with my fretted friend, my husband was not as thrilled as I was. His response was, “you’re not going to practice that thing in the house, are you?”

Relationships are all about compromise. We are both supportive of each others hobbies and interests. He likes me to go with him to the shooting range and go to car shows. And because he knows how much I enjoy banjo music, he has become more supportive of my banjo playing.

After lots of practice and lessons on the banjo, he now wants me to learn to play the guitar and the mandolin.

That’s why I love him.

Happy Valentine’s Day To Everyone

Shine On

Explore – Dream – Discover

Posted on February 11, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by
the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain

Twin sail boats sailing along the Esplanade bay.

Shine On

Happy Birthday Mozart

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“I pay no attention whatever to anybody’s praise or blame.
I simply follow my own feelings.”
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born January 27, 1756 and died on December 5, 1791

He was the most prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He began composing and performing before European royalty at the age of five. Composing over 600 works of music, he is among the most enduring and popular of the classical composers.

Happy Birthday Mozart.

Shine On

Funny Girl

Posted on January 25, 2015 by Chronicles of a Blogaholic

“People
People who
need people
Are the luckiest
people in the world.”
Bob Merrill

Funny Girl Album Cover from 1966 Broadway Show

Funny Girl Album Cover from 1965 Broadway Show

One of my all time favorite musicals “Funny Girl” was on television the other night. I was just a kid when my parents brought this Broadway hit album home in 1965. It didn’t take me long before I had every lyric of every song memorized.

“Funny Girl” became a huge hit, not only as a Broadway Musical but also as a movie. I was too young to see the Broadway version, but I was the first in line at the movie theater with my friends when it was released in September 1968.

I can remember sitting in the movie theater singing along with Streisand as she sang each and every song. My friends were blown away that I knew all the lyrics. Especially since I hadn’t told them I knew all the music. I just thought every kid knew the lyrics. Guess I was wrong.

To my surprise, when I watched the movie the other day, all the lyrics came back to me. How is it I can’t remember what I made for breakfast two days ago, but start playing the music from “Funny Girl” and I start singing along without missing a note or lyric. Guess I’m just a funny girl.

Shine On