March 7th, 2019
“Mmoro (sg) Mmorong (pl)” Wishing all a fine “Good Morning” in Sesotho (Southern Sotho) a language spoken in Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia and Zambia.
Its been raining almost every day for a couple of weeks now. This is what we call winter in San Diego. The flower fields are beginning to bloom in Carlsbad. There are about 50 acres of “Tecolote® Giant Ranunculus that bloom from like early March through April in about ever color and shade available in the rainbow 🙂 Its a huge tourist thing here rain or shine folks walk the fields surrounded by color.
This week I learned some stuff:
• Today is National Cereal Day! So get bowl and spoon ready and pick your cereal to celebrate your day.
Website Update:
• New Vocabulary Quiz!! Woohoo!
• Last week for the “New” UJT Music Trivia Quiz.
• I added the lyrics for “If I Could Be Anywhere” by Jackson Brown.
Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• I chickened out on the half-sheets so I am working 2 or 3 9x12s that I am not particularly happy with. I hosed my Flamingo and had to start over.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• I messed up last week. I sent out the UJT Update featuring new music samples without actually uploading the songs for you to here. Old Guy Moments… seem to come more frequently than when I was a younger old guy. Anyway, I hope you got a chance to visit the site and listen to UTJ Radio after Sunday morning as I think the selections were worthy. Just the delivery execution was a bit wobbly last week.
• I did not see this coming. There are more Dollar type stores in the United States than Walmart or Starbucks locations. For many rual Americans, these stores are the main provider of their food stables. Most of these stores do not have refrigeration. So virtually all the food they sell is processed. Hopefully, they are growing their own meats, dairy and vegetables.
• I have had a great run. And I really don’t want to end any time soon. But for the last several years when I have my annual physical in the spring, I wonder, “Is this the one?” I mean is this the doctor’s appointment that will clarify and quantify the life I have left. I don’t talk about it with anyone but in my head that fear is there. Don’t get me wrong. I understand that this ride has to end and we all have to go home but I fear those last few turns and living with the certainty up close. Death is part of what makes our lives miraculous whether we live just a short while or into our 80s. As a young boy, there was no such thing as death until my first puppy died. As I got older, I knew other people died, especially growing up with Vietnam. but not me until I lost my first close friend. Then you kind of relive those times with your kids, until your folks pass. Then your brother. With each passing day now, when I log on to Facebook, I learn of one of my peers in high school or EDS has passed on. On top of all that I know just how unkind I have been to this body of mine. So each spring, I make the appointment and dread the day.
Music Update:
A lot of cool covers in this batch:)
Go to this week’s UJT Radio program.
• QuickSilver Messenger Service — Happy Trails — This is the title track for their iconic 1969 release. All the cuts were live performances from concerts at Fillmore East and Fillmore West. For my particular bunch of hippie types, this cover of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans theme song by a bunch of spaced out long hairs, was just spectacular.
• QuickSilver Messenger Service — Mona — I fell in love with John Cipolina’s very different style of guitar as soon as I heard their “Happy Trails” album for the first time. “Mona” is a cover of Bo Didly’s song but the way they do it is very different.
• Bruce Hornsby and The Range — Mandolin Rain — From the Vinyl !!! This great musician is a favorite of many great musicians. This one comes to us from his “The Way It Is” album released in 1986.
• Jackson Browne – If I Could Be Anywhere – This is another great song written by a great songwriter from his “Standing In the Breach” album released in 2014. It’s a thoughtful song. I love the three minute instrumental refrain at the end. Take a moment and read the lyrics. I did and it gave me pause for thought.
• Eric Clapton — Everything Will Be Alright — This is from his “Clapton” album released in 2010. This is just a very very tight composition oozing into the BIG BAND genre.
• James Taylor – Walking Man – This is the title song from his 1974 release. This is one of the songs that never was that popular but always spoke to me some how.
• The Mavericks — San Jose — This song really reminds me of Roy Orbison. This strange eclectic Tex Mex Country band hails from my home town Miami, Fl. They may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I like them.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come!
As always, thank you for being my friend!