August 23rd, 2018

“Pyeri iiđeed” Wishing you a “Good Morning”in Inari Saami, an Eastern Sámi language spoken in the municipality of Inari in Finland.

The Great American Read is still running. I am still voting. Are you?

I have been reading quite a bit lately. I just finished the first of Gary Paulsen’s “Hatchet” Series. Its a great story about a 13 year old boy whose pilot dies while flying over the Canadian wilderness on the way to spend the summer with his dad. The boy manages to survive the crash with just the Hatchet his mom gave him. The boy in me really liked this story. I would rate it as good a story as Robb White’s “The Lion’s Paw”. I have started on the second book in the series.

Our watermelon vine has flowers on it !!! Keep your fingers crossed.

This week I learned some stuff:

• Today we have another twofer!! It is NATIONAL SPONGE CAKE DAY and NATIONAL RIDE THE WIND DAY!! Woo Hoo!! When i found that out I realized that not only have been remiss in my riding of the wind(unless you could my falling on my ass while fishing then did have a very short ride). And I cannot remember the las time I had Sponge Cake. I think it might have been 5th grade. Anyway today is the day to catch up on all that.
• Not all tie-dye kits work the same. As I reported, we have had a couple of tie-dye parties over the past few months. Darrian got me a really nice kit for my birthday. We created some really nice shirts that faded out almost completely as soon as washed them. I got out my internet magnifying glass and tried to find out why our tie-dyes died while others live. I found out about soda ash. We hadn’t soaked our shirts in soda ash before dying. So got some soda ash and soaked my limp tie-dye shirt before I tie-died a completely new and different design. Again, following the directions. And the results were only marginally better so I am thinking the dyes might not be the same dyes as I have used back in the 1970s. Stay tuned. I will solve the Mystery of the Disappearing Tie-Dyes!

Website Update:
• New Vocabulary Quiz!!!
• Second week for the “UJT Music Trivia Quiz” !!!
• This week I added a new recipe for Quiche, Shaken Not Stirred. Try this one, it is easy, tasty and demonstrates your commitment sophistication simply because you didn’t call it Omelet pie.

Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• I really meant to restart my classes last week but while I was doing other stuff the semester ended and we don’t start back up initial the first week in Sept!

Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• Aretha has left the building! The Queen of Soul reached so many with her music. For me it was Aretha, The Supremes and Otis Redding that opened my eyes to the beauty of “Black Folks” music as my bigoted Grandma used to call it. Man O Man! That lady had her a voice!!! The range and power of her singing was stunning. RIP Aretha! The song of the world is a little softer and sadder without you in the choir.
• I usually don’t remember my dreams but just as I was waking up, I dreamed my Grandma Margret walked into the room I was in with her died auburn hair all done up like she was just coming from the beautician. I could feel my face warming to a big smile as I watched hers light up. Me being able to see her again just made us both so happy. We hugged real tight and both exclaimed how much we missed each other. Her skin was so soft, just like velvet and she still had that famous twinkle in her eye as she smiled up at me. She died around this time of year, right before her 80th birthday as I recall. She was living in assisted care near my brother Pat and his family for the last years of her life. I guess its been well over twenty years ago now. I was nice to see that smile in her eyes again.

Music Update:
As always, I try to find something to make the UJT Radio mix work for everyone. Go to this week’s UJT Radio program.

• Aretha Franklin — Respect — This song has become the rallying theme song for people reaching and demanding due consideration. Released on her “I Never Loved a Man the Way That I Love You” album in 1967, this song was written by Otis Redding.
• Andy Davis — Earth & Venus — This one comes from his “Let the Woman” album released in 2007. I like the way his guy puts a song together. I hope you do too.
• The Youngbloods — Sunlight — Another blast from the past. I have featured this song on UJT before but it has been awhile. This one comes from their “Elephant Mountain” album released in 1969.
• Cat Stevens — Father and Son — From the Vinyl!!! This song is haunting for me. I cannot really explain it. Maybe it connects me to some of my earlier distance between my father and I. In any case, its a great song from his “Tea for the Tillerman” album released in 1070.
• Boz Scaggs — Mixed Up, Shook Up Girl — This is a bonus track from his 2013 release entitled. “Memphis”.
• Rick Fines — Half Full Cup — Oh man! This guy is just sooooo fine! I love the song and the picking. This is another cut from his “Solar Powered” album released in 2006. You have to listen to the whole song to hear all of its gifts!
• Tom Petty — Crawling Back to You — Another haunting song. this one is about Tom’s star crossed love affair with LA. Its a great song from his “Wildflowers” solo album released in 1994.
• Steely Dan — Time Out of Mind — A sweet jazzy anthem to musical tightness!!! This one comes from one of their most unsung albums, “Gaucho” released in 1980. There are just so many fine nuances inside this particular 4:14 of time.

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!

James
Under the Jacaranda Tree URL: http://www.jfmccann.com