Dana, Hmmph

Fayetteville, NC

A Baby Changes Everything

Not just for Mary, who said "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word. Nor for Joseph, who  '...awoke from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife." Not just for me, 'for he will save his people from their sins." 

But for you, too. He changes everything for you, too.

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Faith_hill

September, Can You Believe It?

Today is the 1st of September. Can you believe it?

Here in the North Carolina Sandhills, it will be fall in just 4-6 weeks.

Already, the dog days have broken, and the days are clearer, brighter. So, let's celebrate with Frank and "September Song".

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Crazy - And I Can't Get it Out of My Head

Sometimes, a song gets inside your brain and just keeps rolling around. Usually, the only way to get it out is to go listen to it. Once, twice, however many times it takes to no longer matter to you.

Ah, but there's a problem when the song has so many different version. Which one are you listening to inside there? Which one is best? If you get rid of one, do the others disappear also?

Tough questions.

So, for the last 2 days, I've been singing "Crazy" to myself over and over again. And it won't go away.

The first time I ever heard "Crazy" it was done by Patsy Cline. She set the standard; she's the one everyone else will be compared to. Invariably, most pretenders fall far short of her performance. Check it out:

 

Now, before Patsy, country music was mostly cowboys and cry babies. She was instrumental in moving it more into the mainsteam; she was a pop star as well. "Crazy" was one of the crossover songs that propelled her to the top of both the country and pop charts. Written by Willie Nelson (before his own days as an outlaw country star,) Patsy did not like the song, and found it hard to sing. But she did it, and it became the biggest hit of her career. She does it so well; it's her signature hit. Any other artist would be "crazy" to try to sing it with the ghost of Patsy Cline all over it.

Anybody, that is, except maybe the guy who wrote it! Willie Nelson is a singer whose voice and vocal style you either love or hate. Still, his talents as a songwriter, singer and guitarist are phenomenal. He was and is a giant; achieving even greater fame than Patsy Cline. And, he sings "Crazy" like no one else could, even Patsy, and it's clear in this version of it that he owns the song:

So, which is better, and which do you play when you're trying to get it out of your head? 'Cause, they're both in there, and they're both pretty powerful.

Oh, pitiful me. Two is not enough; it never is.

Diana Krall also did her version of "Crazy" and in it she rips up any pretense the song may have as a country jig, and she beats you in the head with what she has turned into one of the most gorgeous old standard love songs of all time:

Here's a live version, with Willie Nelson and Elvis Costello. Not my favorite, mind you, just thought you might like to see them move.

So, there's my problem, in a nutshell. Which is the best, and which do I need to burn out of my head?

It's a trick question. There's no correct answer. I'll just keep singing it until it goes away by itself. And, I'm pretty sure I'll have to learn to play the steel guitar--isn't it awesome!

What a Difference a Year Makes

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Last year, on New Years Eve or there about, I posted a note about My Little. A year later, look what has happened!

We still call her Little, but she's overcome the low weight and growth problems she had in the early months and she's developed into quite a young girl! From being in the 25th percentile for the first part of her life, she has grown into the 75th-80th percentile in weight and height and she is still growing like a weed. Her doctor has no concerns about her now; he was quite concerned about her a year ago.

Faith eats like her Mom, and she does it often. Her favorites are tomatoes and avocado, fish, and sweet potatoes. Of course, just like her sister, she has homemade oatmeal every morning and she won't let you rest until she gets a bottle full of hot chocolate.

We lost her Abuela last year, on Christmas Day, but she lives on in this little girl. Faith had a special place in Abuela's heart. As little ones always do, she found a way under Abuela's skin and when Abuela died she had a happy heart because she had just made plans to come back here and help take care of Faith.

Not only because she inherited Abuela's dimple, but also because she spent many hours in Abuela's arms and lap, our Little Little will always have a special connection to her grandmother, and we'll always have a reminder of Abuela every time we look at this little girl.

Our Little Little.

Baritone, Done Well

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Who doesn't love to hear a baritone; it's just so rarely that you (I) do. It's not like the razor of a soprano or the stiletto of a tenor. More like a jackhammer or a fog horn--it vibrates right thru you!

Here, Alvin Slaughter sings "I Call the Name." Best turned up very loud and with your gospel shoes on...

Stop Child Trafficking Now

On October 3, Fayetteville, NC will host a 5k walk to raise funds for Stop Child Trafficking Now. It is one of 39 cities that will host walks that weekend.

Stop Child Trafficking Now is an organization dedicated to stopping child trafficking in a way different than most agencies. Rather than try to rescue children or remove the pimps who are the source of supply, Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow.org) believes that targeting the predators and pedophiles that are the demand for these services is a more effective way.

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SCTNow.org funds teams of former elite soldiers, state and federal law enforcement professionals and intelligence operatives to identify and target predators of children. These teams operate anonomously, and build packages against predators that can be turned over to authorities for prosecution.

These teams have training that local authorities will never be able to obtain, and they have the ability to focus on the predators. They are not stymied by corrupt authorities or politicians or distracted by never-ending workloads. They also have the skills required to operative secretly in countries world-wide.

You can help. If there is a walk in your community, sign up and participate. If there is not a walk near you, or you can't participate, you can contribute to any of those who are signed up. If you can't locate anyone near you, join my team or contribute here.  These funds will go a long way toward hunting down the predators and stopping them.

 
Posterous theme by Cory Watilo
  
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