March 17th, 2022
“Maidin Mhaith”, or “Good Morning!” in the Goidelic language of the Insular Celtic branch of the Celtic language family, which is a part of the Indo-European language family. Irish is indigenous to the island of Ireland and was the population’s first language until the late 18th century.
Big week for the McCann Clan!!! It started with the news that we had lost a family member they day before the gang from TX was to arrive. Uncle Richard (on my wife’s side) left us and his loss was hard on all of us but especially to his brothers and sisters. We kind of rode a roller coaster of emotions throughout the week and were able to get some closure by attending his funeral remotely. We will miss you Richard! RIP.
Sean, Jenny, Asa and Chloe arrived on Saturday! It is the first time that our extended family has gathered in too long. All the old people smile and exclaim, “ You have gotten so big” 🙂 Big Hugs! Kids are thinking, “You have gotten so old!!! Seems there is a lot more to hug than last time! I wonder what texts and posts I missed during the flight!”.
This week I learned some stuff:
• March 24th is the 83rd day of 2022. Just 285 days till Christmas! Today in 1607, one hundred-five English settlers under the leadership of Captain Christopher Newport established the colony called Jamestown at the mouth of the James River on the Virginia coast, the first permanent English colony in America; Today in 1844, Samuel Morse sends the message “What hath God wrought” (a biblical quotation, Numbers 23:23) from a committee room in the United States Capitol to his assistant, Alfred Vail, in Baltimore, Maryland, to inaugurate a commercial telegraph line between Baltimore and Washington D.C.; In 1883 on this day, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City is opened to traffic after 14 years of construction; Today in 1961, Freedom Riders are arrested in Jackson, Mississippi, for “disturbing the peace” after disembarking from their bus; Today in 1962, American astronaut Scott Carpenter orbits the Earth three times in the Aurora 7 space capsule; In 1976 on this day, the Judgment of Paris takes place in France, launching California as a worldwide force in the production of quality wine; Today in 1999, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands indicts Slobodan Milošević and four others for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo; Today in 1696, Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, Polish-German physicist and engineer, developed the Fahrenheit scale host was born: Born today in 1879, H. B. Reese, American candy maker, created Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups; Tommy Chong, Canadian-American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter was born today in 1938; Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, artist, writer, and producer; Nobel Prize laureate was born today in 1941; Gary Burghoff, (AKA Radar O’Reily) American actor was born today in 1943;Today in 1944, Patti LaBelle, American singer-songwriter and actress was born; Valerie Taylor, American computer scientist and educator was born today in 1963; John C. Reilly, American actor (AKA Corpsman Dey who bought the “Dick Story” from the Star Lord) was born today in 1965; Elmore James, American singer-songwriter and guitarist passed away today in 1963; Sonny Boy Williamson II, American singer-songwriter and harmonica player passed away today in 1965; Today in 1974 we lost Duke Ellington, American pianist and composer; And lastly we say good bye to Dick Martin, American actor, comedian, and director most notably from TV’s “Laugh In” passed away today in 2008,
Website Update:
This week:
• Last week for our Vocabulary Quiz!
• Week 2 for our Musical Trivia Quiz!
• Just one recipe added this week, Garlic Chili Green Beans.
• The Home Page quote tis week is from Bob Dylan, ”Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.”
Writing, Ceramics, Stained Glass and Painting Update:
• I am painting again! But not as often as I should.
• I have paper edited 3 more chapters of Grandpa Stories. Progress towards being republished. Paper editing might be just a little fun as I relive the stories! Maybe it just sucks a little less.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• These new fangled checkout stations for restaurants! (Don’t judge! Its taken me years and years to get old enough to say that with a straight face.) Have you noticed that they take your money when you order not when you finish your meal. So you are asked to pay the tab and tip the service before you have had either. I waited on tables coming up and always tip heavily. If I don’t like the service I just don’t come back. But they way it works now you have no opportunity to express thanks for the additional little things that wait staff sometimes do.
• This week before our inspection, we did a test run and labeled all of our circuits on the new panel. We got to see our new batteries charging and our house run on just the batteries!! WhooHoo!
Music Update:
Today is Bob Dylan’s 83rd birthday. To celebrate the day I thought you all might want to her a sampling of his great music and poetry on UJT Radio.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right — As best as I can recall, this is the first song I ever heard by Bob Dylan. My friends thought I was a bit strange to love this music when Dave Clark Five were banging out those great songs. It was 1963. I was going on 12. I was just beginning to understand the value of just being me. Thanks Bob!
• Bob Dylan — Shelter From the Storm — This one come from “The Songs for Japan” compilation released in 2011. This one has always conveyed love to me. Perhaps even when we didn’t exactly deserve it as much as we just needed it. This one is originally from his, “Blood on the Tracks” album released in 1975.
• Bob Dylan — Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door — This has always been one of my personal favorites and it is one of Bob’s most commercially successful songs. This one came from the movie, “Pat Garret and Billy the Kid” soundtrack. I heard the song the first time at the theater. I was completely blown away. I couldn’t get the melody out of my head! Bob also had an acting part in the movie, as Alias, that I thought he did very well. The sound track was released in 1973. There was a big fight with the studio and most of the actors disowned the film released in1973. The “real” Sam Peckinpah edited version was eventually released in 1988 to world wide acclaim and is 126 of the best 500 films of that century. Aging sheriff, Pat Garrett (Coburn) is hired by rich cattlemen to hunt down his outlaw friend, twenty-one year old Billy the Kid (Kristofferson). Old Sheriff Colin Baker(Slim Pickens) is the character who dies to the sound of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. It’s a great movie if you can find it.
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Jammin’ Me – This on comes from the joint efforts of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Mike Cambell done during the 1987 True Confessions Tour they were co-headliners on. Its a great tune and by all accounts was fun for all concerned every time they played it.
• Bob Dylan – A Hard Rain’s Going to Fall — For me this was the definition of “Folk Music” and it opened my head and heart. It helped me learn that actions ALWAYS have consequences. This one also comes from, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” released in 1973.
• Bob Dylan – Black Diamond Bay – This one comes his iconic album “Desire” released in 1976. Such imagery!
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; Always remember… The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!