Happy Halloween!

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

I love Halloween – it’s the only night of the year when you are allowed to wear a costume without being in a play:

I’ll be rocking this “Maleficent” costume tonight…

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Posted in Contemporary, Holidays, Just Because, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Hurricane Relief

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

When Paul saw this young lady’s plight, he immediately volunteered to fly to New Jersey and help her personally:
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He’s sure she needs to be held in her hour of need……
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Posted in Humor, I Love America, Inspirational, Just Because, Think about it | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Sacred Watch

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Amidst all of the alarms being sounded about the hurricane that is battering the upper Atlantic Coast, please take time to say a special prayer for the men who are standing their sacred watch in Washington D.C.:
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My dedication to this sacred duty
is total and whole-hearted.
In the responsibility bestowed on me
never will I falter.

May God bless and keep these men safe in their vigil.
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Posted in I Love America, Inspirational, Think about it | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“The Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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In 2004, Eric Whitacre set Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Seal Lullaby” to music:

Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us,
And black are the waters that sparkled so green.
The moon, o’er the combers, looks downward to find us,
At rest in the hollows that rustle between.

Where billow meets billow, then soft be thy pillow,
Oh weary wee flipperling, curl at thy ease!
The storm shall not wake thee, nor shark overtake thee,
Asleep in the arms of the slow swinging seas!

Rudyard Kipling, 1865-1936

His arrangement is absolutely breathtaking:

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In hectic and chaotic times, music like this truly calms the soul….

(“The Seal Lullaby” is available in CD and MP3 formats)
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Posted in Contemporary, Just Because, Music | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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It was 26 years ago today that our lives changed in the space of an instant. One second we were a couple, and the next we were a family. It still never ceases to amaze me how seamlessly that transition occurred, and how it felt like things had always been that way.
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Posted in Family, Messin' with my kids, Special Occasions | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

I Must Have Done Something Right…..

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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Well, I have now made 52 complete revolutions around the sun.  In this age of the Internet, I have received many well wishes from dear friends – both old and new – and family members.  What a treat it is to reconnect with all of them!

My parents sent me a birthday card (with a nice check in it!), and I got a card from my grandmother (who still finds it hard to believe that her oldest grandchild is over 50…..).

Sarah went out and bought breakfast for me, and when I opened my e-mail this morning, I found this from Rachel:

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Posted in Family, Just Because, Messin' with my kids, Special Occasions | Tagged | 4 Comments

I’ve Got Your Flu Shot Right Here…..

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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So Paul got a flu shot at work a couple of days ago….

The flu shot: The viruses in the flu shot are killed (inactivated), so you cannot get the flu from a flu shot. Some minor side effects that could occur are:

  • Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot was given
  • Fever (low grade)
  • Aches
  • Nausea

If these problems occur, they begin soon after the shot and usually last 1 to 2 days. Almost all people who receive influenza vaccine have no serious problems from it.

Soreness? Check.
Fever? Check.
Aches? Check.
Nausea? Check.

I don’t know which is worse, the flu or the reaction to the flu shot.

All I know is, I’ve got a grown man looking pitiful and whimpering “I don’t feel good….” on my couch right now.

They may need to add “Head injuries from cast-iron cookware” to that list of side effects.

I’m just sayin’…… 😛
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“October” by Eric Whitacre

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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“Fall” in Texas doesn’t really start until mid-October most years.  Today, we’ve got a blustery wind blowing in, and the leaves are starting to swirl around.  The temperatures are getting nippy (for Texas), and the dogs want to be outside longer as the days get shorter.

I love this time of year.  Apparently musicians both classical and contemporary do, too – here is the hauntingly beautiful “October“, composed by Eric Whitacre.  Originally written for a wind orchestra, it translates beautifully to a string arrangement:

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“October” (wind orchestral arrangement) is only available in the MP3 format.
(Mr. Whitacre has an amazing body of work; I just discovered him today….)
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Posted in Classical, Just Because, Music, Texas | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Music from “Sherlock” – “Sinnerman”

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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Thanks to a trial subscription to Amazon Prime (which we subsequently upgraded to a full membership), we have been able to watch a bunch of shows online that we’ve really been wanting to see.

One of those shows is the delightful BBC series “Sherlock“, a fast-paced, contemporary retelling of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries. If you haven’t had a chance to see it, I highly recommend it – both of the gentlemen who portray Holmes and Watson work very well off of each other; the casting for the series is top-notch.

Benedict Cumberbatch (whose voice will make you melt) is absolutely riveting as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes and Martin Freeman does a marvelous job as his put-upon sidekick John Watson. Rupert Graves (who has been a favorite actor of mine since seeing him in 1985’s “A Room With a View“) has a recurring part as Inspector LeStrade, and Andrew Scott is spot-on perfect as Holmes’ criminally psychotic, brilliant arch-nemesis Moriarty.

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Her Name is “Lola”….

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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….and whatever Lola wants, Lola is gonna get.
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Posted in Contemporary, Family, Humor, Just Because, Music | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments