singinggrandma

A Cockamaimie Musical Download

Some months back, I watched Ken Burns’ remarkable series about country music. It was like a graduate course about the origins and evolution of this kind of music in the United States. I actually took notes. So many performers over so many decades were described, with videos of them performing, wearing outfits that were almostContinue reading “A Cockamaimie Musical Download”

Tail Wags

You can tell from the title of this blog post that I am a dog lover. The first dog in my life was a Kerry Blue terrier, who came to my family with the name Cheer. I was seven years old, and she was the only dog we ever had. Actually, the breeders where weContinue reading “Tail Wags”

Sisters (and Brothers) of Mercy

I went to Quaker Meeting this morning and found myself reflecting deeply on the words Leonard Cohen wrote many years ago in his “Sisters of Mercy” song: a masterpiece, in my opinion. When the human world goes crazy, as it has before and is doing now, it’s somewhat grounding for me to envison the incarnatedContinue reading “Sisters (and Brothers) of Mercy”

About Being Homeless

I have been fortune in life never to have experienced homelessness. It’s amazing what people can survive when they have to. And many don’t survive. Sometimes their circumstances have changed, for any number of reasons, some preventable and many beyond one’s control .Fire, flood wind, regime change, illness, loss of employment! Addiction! Being targeted withContinue reading “About Being Homeless”

Hard Times

I was briefly in Minneapolis last week while on the way to the Mayo Clinic with my daughter who had a severe cerebellar stroke four years ago. The impact on her life has been awful, but she has emerged with a remarkable degree of functionality. Our visit to Mayo yielded some really helpful suggestions, andContinue reading “Hard Times”

Young to Middle age to Old

Why is is surprising to get old? You just wait around for a long time, keep living your life, and after a while if you are lucky enough to stay reasonably healthy, you’re actually old. Which is to say that I am actually old. You may not be. Things that imprint on you early inContinue reading “Young to Middle age to Old”

Reflections upon Aging

Why is it we can feel shocked by where we are in the age span? I know I feel shocked by being almost 82. You would think I wouldn’t feel surprised, even though the number 82 has come about a day at a time. But I vividly remember being the youngest in my class inContinue reading “Reflections upon Aging”

Rounds Are Cool Music

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, people sang about things that don’t occur to us now. Well, now that I think again, one of the two rounds I’m going to publish on this blog today is a medieval marketing tune. The opening lines are, “Who’ll buy my roses? Who’ll buy my posies? Who’ll buy myContinue reading “Rounds Are Cool Music”

Strange Times for Music

A very talented quartet of young accapella singers, known as Windborn, have recorded a song in which they sing about the money they earn if a listener plays one of their songs on Spotify. The amount is .4 cents per play. Wow. What happened to value for value? These folks are trying to make aContinue reading “Strange Times for Music”

Butter and Sugar

I know sugar is addictive. I know sugar causes inflammation in the body. I know sugar can make you fat. And there was an era a few decades ago during which butter was a forbidden food. One was supposed to eat margarine instead, only for this to be disproved in time. But I love butterContinue reading “Butter and Sugar”