March 18th, 2021
“早晨 (jóusàhn)”, or “Good Morning!” in Cantonese, a variety of Chinese spoken in Hong Kong, Macau, southern China, and a number of other places, in traditional characters and Yale Romanization. We have been in some form of lockdown for about a year now here in California but Governor Newsome is working on a return a modified normal by April 1st. I got my second shot on March 16th. Yeah!
I hope everyone had a great St Patricks Day!! We did the traditional corned beef and cabbage. Our home is tinged green with Dollar Store St. Patty’s day decorations and every one wore green! I have added my favor Irish shanty for your pleasure to UJT Radio.
This week I learned some stuff:
• We got a new card game this week. “Exploding Kittens” is a little more fun than “Unstable Unicorns” because it is a little less complicated. The first game always takes longer because you need to read the directions and all the cutesy cards but even the first game was fun.
• March 18th is the 77 day of 2021. Just 282 days till Christmas! Today in 1766, the British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act; On this day in 1874, Hawaii signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trade rights; Today in 1941, the War Relocation Authority is established in the United States to take Japanese Americans into custody; On this day in 1959, the Hawaii Admission Act is signed into law.; Today in 1965, Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, leaving his spacecraft Voskhod 2 for 12 minutes, becomes the first person to walk in space; Today in 1990, Germans in the German Democratic Republic vote in the first democratic elections in the former communist dictatorship; Today in 1837, Grover Cleveland, American lawyer and politician, 22nd and 24th President of the United States was born; Kicking Bear, Native American Lakota tribal leader was born today in 1846; Edgar Cayce, American mystic and psychic was born on this day in 1877; Today John Updike, American novelist, short story writer, and critic was born in 1932; Charley Pride, American country music singer and musician was born today in 1934; Today in 1936, F. W. de Klerk, South African lawyer and politician, 2nd State President of South Africa, Nobel Prize laureate, was born; Born today in 1970, Queen Latifah, American rapper, producer, and actress\;Johnny Appleseed, American gardener and missionary today in 1845; And finally, Chuck Berry, American guitarist, singer and songwriter passed away today in 2017.
Website Update:
This week we made the following changes:
• A New UJT Vocabulary Quiz!!!
• Last week our new Musical Trivia Quiz !!!
• This week I added the lyrics for the Irish Rover so all the lads can sing along!!!
Writing, Ceramics, Stained Glass and Painting Update:
• I finally start back to work on my stained glass projects this week. You would think I would start to get better at it at some point!
• I attended my watercolor classes for the first time in awhile this week.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• This week we used our heater for the first time in over 4 years. After we went to bed, my daughter turned it on and the unfamiliar first time heater run smell woke us up thinking there was fire. Usually we just bundle up on those nights when winter comes to our temperate part of the world (i.e. goes below 50 degrees outside or I call it, “long pants weather”). But when it got down to 43 outside, my daughter acted, keeping us all from freezing to death in our beds 🙂
• We have been struggling trying to find a mattress that works for us. It takes a while for a person to get acclimated to a new bed. On the other hand you don’t to keep acclimating to a mattress that just doesn’t work for you. We are on our 4th try.
Music Update:
Once again, yours truly takes you on another meander through the dusty cobwebs of my music library.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• The Clancy Brothers – Irish Rover – I think it might just be illegal to listen or sing along with this song sober in Ireland. So hoist your glasses and catch up lads and lasses! Remember to belt out the chorus and the part about “Mick McCann…the Skipper of the Irish Rover”. And Smile in your bonny green sweaters, me dears! (You can find the lyrics here.)
• Men at Work — Who Can It Be Now? — This cut from their 1981 release, “Business As Usual” prominently features Greg Ham’s saxophone.
• Eric Clapton — Train to Nowhere (feat. Mark Knopfler & Don White) — This album features some truly great artists and the wonderful songwriting of JJ. “The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale” came out.
• Fleetwood Mac — Over My Head — This is a Christie McVie song that surprised the band when it became a big hit in 1975 when it was released on their “White Album” or “Fleetwood Mac”.
• Venice — Thats the Way It Is — From the vinyl !!!!! This just an all round pretty song. I like the guitars and harmony so much. Its from their, “Venetian Vinyl” which is kind of greatest hits album released in 2015.
• The Moody Blues — Lovely to See You — These guys have been doing it so well for so long its hard to believe. This is from their most recent live album, “Lovely to See You(Live)” released in 2005.
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!