Endless Possibilities

My youngest son, Paul, visited his Dad and me last week. Both of my sons live in another state and their careers keep them on the road a lot. It is wonderful when whatever they are working comes close enough to us to spend time together. Most of the time we travel a couple of hours to see them but Paul was in a town only about thirty minutes away. He was even able to spend one night with us.


This was made extra special by the fact it was the week before Father’s day. My boys are Daddy’s boys; always have been. Why shouldn’t they be? They have a wonderful Dad. Paul even bought us a present- a GPS. That has been great. I can’t wait to use it on a trip.


Speaking of trips, one night we went over to watch Paul work. He is a sound engineer. This summer he is doing Christian youth camps for Student Life. The people who work with teen-agers in church youth groups are very special. Too much drama and hormones for me. Then add in the wild tale told by the lead singer of the band performing at the camp and it makes for one interesting evening.


Seeing Paul do the job he loves was the best part. He had to struggle to get where he is today but life is getting better for him all the time. I always knew he would overcome his problems because Paul is a strong person. At this point in his life, I think he is beginning to discover his strength.


Paul left yesterday. After this gig is over in August, he’ll be working with his older brother in the fall. I hope that tour comes close enough for us to go. If not, we won’t see Paul again until maybe Thanksgiving or Christmas. We keep up by phone and computer. I am so proud to see and know Paul as the person he has grown up to be. I have been so blessed to have been a part of the amazing journey of Paul’s life. I can’t wait to see what else he’ll do. With his talent and strength, the possibilities are endless.

What's Good For You?

I was reading a post on an email string the other day written by a lady who attended a lecture by Suzanne Somers on health, hormones, and all the other stuff Ms. Somers is pushing these days. Bless her heart, this dear lady threw out all her Febreze after hearing Ms. Somers speak. According to the lecture, Febreze has chemicals that can be harmful to the human body the same way as preservatives in food.



Ms. Somers, along with quite a few other celebrities earn a nice income by telling us regular folks how to look and feel young by following their recommended lifestyle. The buying of books, DVDs, and CDs are encouraged to teach the method used by the stars. Of course the number one secret of what Hollywood celebrities believe keeps them young is never discussed in any of this material. That brings me to my question- why is plastic surgery not harmful to the body?


Now I am sure stars like Ms. Somers don't want us to know about their plastic surgery. Let's face it, when your face no longer moves or resembles the face you had when you were younger,it is very obvious. The public is not blind or stupid. If the chemicals used in preserving food are bad to eat, how can putting chemicals, like botox, in your face, breasts, or thighs be healthy? Never mind putting your body through purely elective surgery. That can't be good.


Maybe since I don't have to depend on my looks, thank goodness, to keep my career going, I don't understand. That's why I'm asking. All I want to know is how someone like Ms. Somers can preach keeping chemicals out of your body and home but use them on her own body? Any type of cosmetic surgery is doing something to to the body that nature never intended to be done. Bodies are supposed to age, not be filled with chemicals to make them look plastic. (Note to all celebrities: all your "people" you pay are lying to you. You don't look younger - you look gross.)



I'll keep my Febreze. I like the way it makes my house smell. I look at it this way: if all the stuff that has gone into body over the years that I had no idea would harm me when I used it hasn't killed by now, a little Febreze isn't going to hurt. If anyone can answer my question about why plastic surgery is healthy and Febreze is not, I'd like to hear from you. Maybe Ms. Somers can explain it to me. If it involves buying one of her books I guess I'll never know. Unemployed blog writers like me can't afford celebrity self-help books.


Oh well, it's not like plastic surgery will ever be an issue for me. Just one of those things I was thinking about in my gracious amount of spare time. So I wrote about it. Maybe one day I'll write something and collect royalties checks like Ms. Somers does. I can promise you I won't be pushing some philosophy I don't follow. I'd rather be broke and honest. At least I'll be able to sleep at night.

Past Dreams 1964

Dreams do not always come true but in some strange ways, they can be fulfilled – just not in the expected manner. The dream of my heart when I was growing up was to see The Beatles perform live. I admit I am giving away my age, and yes, I am old: old enough to be a first generation Beatles fan. None of the Beatles’ tour came to the town I lived in so the local radio station promoted bus tours to larger cities taking fans to Beatles shows when the group played the US. I begged my parents to take me; always holding out hope that one would lose their mind and give in. Never happened.



This past week-end I went to see a band called 1964. The band is billed as a Beatles tribute band; the best Beatles tribute band according to a 2005 Rolling Stone review. This was repeated quite a few times during introductions and intermission. Think Beatles from their first Ed Sullivan Show appearance. 1964 wear the suits, ties, boots, and hair from the year the band’s name is taken. All the music is from the years The Beatles toured, 1964 – 1966, in the U.S. The band is very good. They should be they have been doing this for twenty-five years. It’s a fun show. The music is great. 1964 even stays in character between songs, using what sounds like vintage Beatle patter



The show I attended was outside in a park. A charity event, only 2000 tickets were available. Beatles shirts adorned quite a few concert goers; not only on older folks but on younger people also. A teacher brought his “Beatles class,” which looked like middle school boys. (It had to be from a private school. Our public system would never fund a class that cool.) Judging by the number of teen-agers who sang along, not missing a word, I’d say Beatle music is alive and well, even if it can’t be purchased on iTunes.







Time has changed the fresh faces of 1964 I saw back in the 1980s at a local university. I sat up front at the park the other night. Maybe the next time I see 1964 , I’ll sit further back, close my eyes and it will be 1964 – the year again. For a brief second, the wish of my ten year self will come true. I did see George Harrison and Paul McCartney perform in person when I grew up. So fifty percent of my dream came true. The moral, and you knew one was coming, is never give up on your dreams, no matter how they come to be fulfilled.

Precious Memories

Once upon a time, back in the 1970s, everyone didn’t have digital cameras, small cam corders, or even cell phones, never mind ones with cameras. Unlike now, filming an event any time or any place was not available to everyone. Film was used in every type of camera. Home movie cameras using 8 mm film were the only thing available to the general public. Zoom lenses for these cameras were not even something most people thought about. Usually home movies were taken of family events. Some Elvis fans used their home movie camera to record a different, very important event in their lives – Elvis’ concerts. Quite a lot of these films are out floating among fans. I received a very special one recently.


March 17, 1976 is a day that holds very precious memories for me. On that day I received my first scarf and kiss from Elvis Presley. In was in Johnson City, Tennessee. Elvis played Freedom Hall behind the high school for three nights that spring. I was present for all of the concerts. My scarf and kiss happened on the first night. Also that night I gave Elvis a pair of sunglasses. He wore these glasses on stage and joked about them. For years I had great photos of Elvis wearing the sunglasses while he was talking to me. Quite a few wonderful photographers were in the audience that night. Sadly I only have one not so very good picture of Elvis kissing me. A policeman’s hat blocks Elvis’ and my faces. All that can be seen is Elvis leaning down and the back of my shirt.


A few weeks ago, after thirty- three years, I got to see the kiss and the scarf. Like I said at the beginning, the 1970s were like the dark ages in terms of filming a concert by a fan. Compared to the technology of today the 8 mm film that is on the DVD I received appears primitive. The most important thing to me is that the film exists! As a participant, I was there when the event took place, of course, but I could only re-live it in my mind. Now for the first time, I can see the actual event. I saw the scarf and kiss captured on film as it happened. The kind Elvis fan who sent my husband the DVD was actually trying to get us footage of Elvis with the sunglasses. He no idea of the hidden treasures the DVD held.


As for the sunglasses, there are very brief shots of Elvis taking the glasses from me and passing them to Charlie Hodge. (I was told by one of the bodyguards that Elvis kept the sunglasses and played with them in his hotel room.) The CD of the concert that came with the DVD contained another gem- Elvis talking to me! I had handed him the sunglasses over the heads of women standing at the stage while Elvis gave out scarves. After everyone was seated, Elvis looked at right at me. He asked, “did you give me these glasses?” Elvis put the glasses on and kept on talking about how they made him look like Elton John or Isaac Hayes. (A few days later I received a personal thank you written by Elvis for the glasses.)


These are wonderful memories that are as fresh for me now as they were that March night over thirty years ago. To be able to see and hear the events anytime I want is an amazing gift; a gift that comes from someone who only wanted to help a fellow fan. Only a fan could understand how much this means to have these DVDs and CD. Every time I watch or listen, Elvis is alive for a few moments. Sirius radio slogan for its Elvis channel is “we never forgot.” This is the way it is for all Elvis fans who saw Elvis perform live. The atmosphere and excitement of the performances were never captured the way it really was for the audience. Like most fans, I am thankful for what remains and all our memories.

Mother Nature is Playing Tricks!

The sun is shinning bright and the temperatures are at near record highs outside. Spring? Is spring here? No. It is still February. In fact, it is not even Valentine’s Day. Today and this week is suppose to be wonderful weather-wise. But I’m not fooled. Spring is not here. I don’t even think it is just around the corner. Mother Nature is playing a trick on us. She is luring us unto a sense of a false spring.

I am not the only one not buying into this false spring. A few weeks ago, the groundhog saw his shadow. Six more weeks of winter weather is what the sign tells us. One of our local weathermen is also seeing through Mother Nature’s trick. He has warned us to enjoy the nice weather- he predicts a return to winter between the 18^th and 20^th of February. I marked that on my calendar to see if he is right.

While I am enjoying the warmth I am not going overboard. No shorts or flip-flops for me. I’m still thinking maybe one good snow is still in the cards. I live in a bread-and-milk-state. If one drop of snow is predicted people run to the store to stock up on bread and milk. If snow actually falls, everything closes. Snow days are like major holidays for us. Right now we are all enjoying a preview of what’s to come when the time is right. Back to winter will be hard to take. We’ll adjust. What choice do we have? Under our blankets and coats we’ll be dreaming of the return of warm sunshine. Makes spring all the more worth waiting for and very appreciated when it arrives – for real.

Simply Having

I had a wonderful Christmas. It wasn’t about stuff- you know, what presents I got. Not to say I didn’t get great presents; I did. No, this was more about being together with my family. When I was a kid Christmas was all about getting. Getting that present I longed for day after day. As time went on it became about finding the right gift for people I loved. Then children came along and Christmas was all about them. Childhood relived through a child’s joy.

This year was different. Having both of my sons home for Christmas was better than any gift. Now that they are grown and living in another state, I always think the Christmas will come when we won’t all be together. That hasn’t happen yet but I still cherish every Christmas we are together.

Times are hard for people right now. Problems? We all have them. For a couple of days it was great to put daily problems on the back burner; to enjoy being with the people I love. That’s what life is all about isn’t it?

A Special Time

This is a very important week for me. I am graduating from college. Monday night was my last class. I started college about five or so years ago from scratch. When I graduated from high school I did not go on with my education- I got married. Still am, to the same guy. No Child Left Behind pushed me to college. I worked as a teacher assistant. In order to keep my job I was either going to have pass a test or get two years of college credit. Figuring that I was already doing most of a teacher’s job, I’d go the whole way and get a degree. That way I could make more money. Nice plan but I had no idea what the future would bring as I started taking classes.

Now I have finished all the classes. Friday night I am going to a reception to celebrate obtaining my degree. Then in a few weeks, my diploma will be mailed to me. I do not have the Education degree I started out to get. My degree is in history. My concentration is Education. If I take a few more classes, I can teach. Do I want to? I’m not sure. At this stage of my life, I am trying to figure out what I want to do. At one time I had everything all planned out. That was nice but things don’t always go the way we plan.

I want to thank all the people who supported me during my college career. My husband and sons were very supportive. Going to college was the only thing I ever remember my Mom telling me she was proud of me for doing. Many of my friends and co-workers helped me out. I am being encouraged by my family to go and participate in the actual graduation ceremony next May. My oldest son was able to advise me on something he has done that I have not. He told me when he graduated from college, he found out that walking in the ceremony wasn’t something you did for yourself- you did it for your family. I had never thought of it that way. Maybe I will do it. I have a couple months to make up my mind

I will have spare time again. Nothing hanging over me that has to get done. Maybe I get back to doing some things I have neglected. Get back to writing. Is it time to write that book about Elvis I have always thought about doing? Keep this blog up, if anyone reads it. I am learning about Facebook. My kids tell me it’s a way to keep up with what they are doing. Some of my Manilow friends may be happy I can be online more but some may not. I was not a big hit over on the Network but then tolerance for anyone who thinks outside the box is unknown over there. It’ll be different and an adjustment to be out of school. My husband says I’ll miss it. I will miss parts of it. I enjoyed learning and stretching my mind. My education has changed me for the better. The rest of my life is beginning. I have no idea where I’m headed but I’m ready. One of the main things I want to do is stay in better contract with my friends. Be prepared- you all may get tired of me. I’m back!!