The upside of Quarantine

In early March, the first confirmed cases of COVID-19 showed up in Michigan... a challenge for a lot of people in many ways.  For me, being retired, it has not been as hard as it has been for some.  I have been using my time sewing, organizing, bingeing TV, and taking rides for photo ops (away from people, with mask in hand in case I need it). I made some masks and surgical bonnets before starting a few doll dresses that have been on the back burner for a bit

What I'm most excited about is investing in a CD player - yes, you read that right - in this day of mp3 players, I got a CD player! One that loads up to 5 CD's.  Why?  I started organizing my media stuff; you know CDs, DVDs and even Cassettes.  As I'm looking through my beloved music that hasn't been played in years, I decided I needed to do something about it.  Now I know I could easily upload and convert them all to mp3 files, but the time involved turned my thoughts in a different direction.  I had this tax rebate that I could use to get a player!  So I did.  I'm in musical heaven again.

I'm a folk music lover.  A seed planted in my youth when a folk revival in the early sixties hit mainstream radio took root and stayed with me ever since.  I love all kinds of music (even Opera LOL) but folk music speaks to me in a way no other music can.  I like to sing and I tend to rate songs on their 'sing-ability'.  A good melody that's easy to join in on is most important to me. Folk music fills that bill in spades.

One day, way back in the '90's, I was in line at the credit union, surfing channels on the car radio, when suddenly I heard something that sounded suspiciously like a folk song.... I had stumbled on the Folks Like Us show on Detroit PBS radio!  The show was hosted by a local singer/songwriter, Matt Watroba.  Every Saturday after that I tuned in whenever I could and listened to the music of my soul.  I have Matt to thank for introducing me to the finest folk musicians from all over America, Canada, and indeed the whole world.

I already had a love for those sixties folks - Peter, Paul, and Mary, Tom Paxton, The Kingston Trio, Chad Mitchell Trio, The Smothers Brothers, Joan Baez, etc, etc, etc.  Then suddenly there was this whole new well of troubadours to learn to love, thanks to Matt.  Most notably, Stan Rogers, Anne Hills, Eric Bogle, Cheryl Wheeler, Steve Goodman, oh this would be a VERY long list if I named them all.

Anyway, what got me to thinking about this of course was the new CD player and a giant stack of CDs which are now all nicely put into 3 new CD holder books.  Today, I chose to play one of my all time favorites that I haven't listened to in at least 3 years - Tom Russell's anthology, The Man From God Knows Where - a most amazing collection of songs chronicling his ancestry back to the pioneers who came to America from Ireland and Norway.  It's one of those unique, unexpected even, productions that deserves every accolade you can think of - it's THAT GOOD.  And yes, Matt introduced me to it and I'm forever grateful.

The Man From God Knows Where

So as I laze away yet another day in quarantine, I am listening to the music that makes not only my heart sing, but my voice too.  Where would the world be without music?

Find more about Matt here:  Matt Watroba.net

Play Music on the Porch Day

Invocation for Peace

These are frightening times for people like me.  Recently I came upon this speech given by the Pope and I felt compelled to share it.  If everyone took it to heart, what a world it could be.  

INVOCATION FOR PEACE

WORDS OF POPE FRANCIS

Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness.

Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands. Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”, and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam! 

~ Pope Francis

Vatican Gardens
Sunday, 8 June 2014

Read the whole address here:  Invocation for Peace