LOL

My latest favorite discoveries on "Fail Blog"... Enjoy some giggles!

musical humour

A colleague shared this with us at work today... Very fun...


Or how about this spoof of "Jesus Take the Wheel"?


Then there's his take on the song, "I Can Only Imagine"


They just keep coming...


More on Youtube... Enjoy!

worth the wait

My "birthday present" from my parents - a note-by-note keyboard Billy Joel book - arrived in the mail today. (My birthday was months ago, but that's a whole other story, right Mom?) :-)

In it, there were a couple of songs I hadn't heard before. Presumably they were all hits at some point, but let's face it, I was pretty little when most of his stuff was REALLY big. At any rate, this is the song that nearly brought me to tears while I was playing & singing it through for the first time... It's been a while since a song did that to me, so I had to share it.

And as I played through it on the piano for about the 10th time tonight, I thought two things mainly - how beautiful it is to open ourselves up to the risk of loving someone (as per the lyrics), and that I think I "do music" in my life because it opens me up - to new ideas, new melodies, new richness. Incidentally, the guest speaker at the high school grad I attended today spoke of music's power - so a little "synchronicity" happening for me today, I suppose.

At any rate, two things I want to be grateful for tonight - among many others. 1) For Billy Joel for doing what he does so well. 2) For my parents, and the generations of family before them, for sharing the gift of music...

Life List

So, I think I added something to my life list today: Being a part of something like this...


Not necessarily dancing, though - just something that is unexpected, but brings people together, puts a smile on people's faces, brightens their day and gives them a great story to tell... How fun!! (Thanks for showing me this, Shauna!)

Here's another example:


Of course, it could also be a lot simpler...

In the Presence of Greatness...

I have been a fan of Elton John and Billy Joel for almost as long as I can remember. To see them in concert this past weekend was nothing short of a dream come true. And with 2 full months from the time of the purchase of the tickets to the time of the concert to anticipate, I was a little worried they wouldn't live up to my expectations. I was right. They exceeded my expectations. Four hours straight of their biggest hits mixed in with some very impressive improvisation, and a few witty remarks on the part of Billy Joel makes for a VERY entertaining evening!! (And I think the 25000 or so other people there that night would agree!)

One of the friends I went with put it like this: Everyone knows they're famous. Everyone can hum along with a few of their songs. And they're good songs. But then you see them perform live and you realize WHY they're so famous. It's because they're geniuses. I sat listening, soaking it in, and trying to absorb the fact that it was all really happening. That I really was lucky enough to be there. And that they've been playing some of these songs for longer than I've been alive!!

Here are a few samples of what we heard - the light show was the same, so I'm thinking this was just elsewhere on the same tour.

Pianoman (the finale to the 9-song encore)... Sorry - the videographer insisted on singing along... :-(



My Life - approximately the same distance from the stage that we were.

3 more reasons

Here are 3 more reasons I wish my TV stations aired "Britain's Got Talent"....Enjoy

Andrew Johnston


Paul Potts


Connie Talbot

Early morning inspiration

So I got up extra early this morning (6:30 is REALLY early for me) to get ready for a class I have to teach in a couple of hours... But to ease into the pain of having to think that early, I couldn't resist a quick visit to Facebook to see what was up. There, I found, a friend had posted this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

I've watched it three times and it still gives me goosebumps (the good kind!)... I especially like the little smirk she gives as she's waiting for the intro to finish - it's like she knows something the judges don't! :-) The more clips I see from this show, the more I wish it was a show I got on my "peasant vision" TV.....

Right Where I Need to Be

Hmmmm... over a month since my last post. Ya. Sorry about that.

Ever feel like the universe is speaking to you? Like all signs are pointing to go, and there's nothing to do but seize the opportunity in front of you? Last month I heard about some beginner guitar classes happening in my community. Group adult classes, guitars provided, once-a-week, for a reasonable length of time, at a reasonable price (ie, low commitment required).

Now, if I had an official "Life List" or "Bucket List" as some call it, learning to play guitar would be on it...near the top, actually. But the hold up has been that "guitar" isn't high enough up my list of upcoming somewhat-major purchases to warrant having been purchased yet. So the "guitars provided" bit was what clinched it for me. So I signed up.

And I've been excited about it ever since. But we had our first lesson tonight, and ... I'm even more excited now! It came pretty easily, which I attribute mostly to my background in music. But I knew I was right where I needed to be when one of the songs the instructor had us start learning was one of my favorite songs - and one that I've had to have other people play for me when I've performed it. Turns out, it can be played with only 3 chords... not like the recording exactly, mind you, but it got me way more excited about the idea of practicing in between lessons! Okay, Universe, I get it already!! I'll buy a guitar!! :-)

But until I get time to shop around a little, anyone got one I could borrow?? ;-)

I've been waiting for this

I thought I had posted about Sheena Grobb before but apparently not... I have become one of her biggest fans over the past year (helps that she grew up in my hometown and we used to sing in choir together), and I really think she's the next big thing.

I saw her in concert last month and was once again blown away. I was very tired, and tired often equals emotional for me, but I was crying/teary-eyed through about half the concert. She announced that night that she would be releasing a free download of one of her songs and I've been anxiously waiting because it was my favorite song from the night. She's asking people to spread the word so she can get some more publicity about her upcoming album, so check it out!! www.sheenagrobb.com (click on the graphic) Enjoy!

looong overdue

Father's Day came and went a while back, and as with mother's day (only moreso), I am *very* tardy in my recognition of that fact. My dad did get the usual visit, small gift & card, with the appropriate sentiments, and I should say before I go further that I don't do that stuff out of obligation, but out of appreciation. (Hence the not really caring about the specific date of fathers day).

Dad, I think I basically said it all in the card, but for those of you who don't know my dad, here's what's so darn great about him.

1) He's patient. Not to say he never gets angry, but when he finally gets exasperated, it's warranted. ;-)
2) He's musical. Mom is too, but it was Dad that was up there on that stage at all those local talent shows playing guitar so I could sing my little heart out.
3) I'm trying to find the word here... rock solid? steady? grounded? There is just something about his presence in my life that makes me calmer and I think somewhat more grounded myself than I might otherwise be.
4) He's respectful. Perhaps the most significant thing he taught me, without even saying it directly, was that I deserve respect. Again, mom taught me that too, but I think it has a different effect coming from a significant male role model...
5) He is probably the hardest working man I know. And another significant lesson I learned from him was to follow my heart - when I was in high school, he quit his job of 20+ years, and decided to farm full time & run his own business on his terms. I'm sure that wasn't a simple decision to make, but I'm also quite certain it was the right one for him, and I know we all benefitted from a much more relaxed dad that first harvest!
6) He lives his faith. His actions are grounded in his values. I have learned a lot about integrity from my dad.
7) He's a very handy guy to have around.... Installing light fixtures, doing garage renovations, installing flooring... Much like my wish that I had paid more attention in the kitchen with my mom, I wish I had followed my dad around doing those tasks a bit more too!

I could go on and on, but I'm sure even this much has managed to embarrass him... Sorry dad, but I think the whole world should know that my dad really *IS* the greatest dad ever. ;-)

Advice for Life

I was in my car for a total of about 5 minutes today, and managed to catch this on the radio. I'd forgotten about it since it first came out about 10 years ago, but it's so good, I didn't want to forget about it again. So I'm posting it here for future reference when I need some really sage advice about what's really important in life. And now I'll just let it speak for itself. Enjoy.

Every Minute

I spend a lot of my spare time a) on the phone with my mom or my boyfriend, b) online with my brother or my boyfriend, c) "facebooking" with a variety of friends and relatives, and d) actually having face-to-face contact with friends & family near and far. Needless to say, these relationships are very important to me. I often lament the fact that I am some distance away from many of these significant people, but I also really value the ones that live close by. This week I went for drinks with a couple of friends from work one night, and I was reminded again how lucky I am to be surrounded by such warm, caring, and fun people, who allow me to be entirely me.

Tonight I was playing piano and came across a piece by Sara Groves that I hadn't played in quite a while. It nearly moved me to tears (yet again), and I wanted to post the lyrics here to say thanks to the people I love for loving me back. :-)

Every Minute (Sara Groves)
I am long in staying; I am slow to leave
Especially when it comes to you, my friend.
You have taught me to slow down and to prop up my feet.
It's the fine art of being who I am.
And I can't figure out why you want me around;
I'm not the smartest person I have ever met.
But somehow that doesn't matter.
No, it never really mattered to you at all.

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome,
at the risk of self-discovery,
I'll take every moment and every minute that you'll give me.

And I can think of a time when families all lived together,
four generations in one house,
and the table was full of good food and friends and neighbours;
that's not how we like it now.
'Cause if you sit at home you're a loser;
couldn't you find anything better to do?
Well, no I couldn't think of one thing
I would rather waste my time on than sitting here with you.

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome,
at the risk of self-discovery,
I'll take every moment and every minute that you'll give me.

And I wish all the people I love the most could gather in one place
and know each other and love each other well,
And I wish we could all go camping and lay beneath the stars
when there's nothing to do and stories to tell.
We'd sit around the campfire and we'd make each other laugh,
remembering when.
You're the first one I'm inviting; always know that you're invited, my friend.

And at the risk of wearing out my welcome,
at the risk of self-discovery,
I'll take every moment and every minute that you'll give me.
I'll take every moment and every minute that you'll give me.

Ordinary Miracle

So simple. Such a great way to see the world. Sarah McLachlin is one of those artists that couldn't help but become famous... (This song is from the Charlotte's Web soundtrack, apparently.)

On Prayer

My thoughts on the act of prayer are still under construction. I have rarely prayed for anything for myself... I am far more comfortable asking things for others. And I think this is really about taking time out of a busy day to think about someone other than myself. It's about being less self-centred (and becoming self-centred is a really easy thing to do when one lives alone).

And it's also about recognizing that as much as we wish it sometimes, certain things are simply not under our control. It's about releasing what isn't mine to hold. I often end my prayers with "thy will be done," to remind myself of that.

Not long ago, I came across the video below: A Living Prayer by Alison Krauss. The simplicity of the song took my breath away. But what especially struck me was right in the song's title. The idea of BEing prayer, rather than just SAYing prayer.

Genuine Genius

Ben Folds is my latest hero. I read somewhere that he describes his music as, "punk rock for sissies," so I guess I'm a sissy. This guy can do anything when you put a piano in front of him - including making me cry with his perfect lyrics, and the amazing images he has in his videos. This guy should be a lot more famous than he his. Check it out...