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There are plenty of videos with this beautiful song out there, but I absolutely LOVE the photography used in this one – it’s full of the people and things that make America such a great country:
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(“Simple Gifts” from “Appalachian Spring” by Aaron Copland, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and conducted by Leonard Bernstein, is available in CD and MP3 formats)
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Many of you who know our family know that Paul, Rebecca, and I have to eat gluten-free. Rebecca was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in April, 2008, and after we converted our kitchen to accommodate her condition we discovered that we felt a whole lot better as well.
Now, in most cases GF cooking isn’t that much different from regular cooking; I’ve found different GF ingredients and products that our family really likes (and some we’d rather not talk about) and it’s been pretty easy to adapt most things.
However, gluten-free baking is another story altogether.
Wheat gluten has a wonderful property of stretchiness that non-wheat products simply can’t match. When it comes to baking bread/rolls/etc., it can be a real challenge to figure out how to do things right; most gluten-free bread dough is really more like cake batter, which makes it impossible to knead/mold into shapes.
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Today would have been my friend Becky’s oldest son’s 39th birthday. Jonathan left us much too soon (a car accident in 2001), but he left lots of great memories behind for those who loved him best.
One of the things that his family ran across while looking for things to include in his memorial service was a poem that he had written in one of his classes about a leaf falling to the ground. It gave them great comfort, and ever since then whenever Autumn rolls around I like to think that Jonathan is surrounding everyone who knew and loved him with his presence.
Every time I hear this song, I think about Jonathan and his family:
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(“Autumn Leaves” sung by Eva Cassidy is available in CD and MP3 formats)
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The story goes that as Benjamin Franklin emerged from Independence Hall at the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 18, 1787, a woman asked him, “Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?”.
Mr. Franklin replied, “A republic, madam – if you can keep it.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, in looking over the events of the past few months, I would submit to you that Mr. Franklin’s Republic is still intact.
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Just ask my family – I’m one of the original “Fanilows“, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’ve been hooked ever since I heard “Mandy” on the radio in 1974 (what can I say? Other girls my age went gaga for Donny Osmond – Barry’s always been “my” guy).
“When October Goes” is one of my absolute favorite Barry Manilow songs. I first heard this song on his amazing “2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe” album*** – I managed to wear out the cassette tape from rewinding it to hear this song over and over and over…..
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Have a great day –
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***”When October Goes” is available in CD and MP3 formats – there are lots of good songs on the album (including duets with Sarah Vaughan and the “Velvet Fog”, Mel Torme).
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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Something pretty for an October day:
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This beautiful arrangement of Towles van Zandt’s original is from Lyle Lovett’s “Step Inside This House” album (available in CD or MP3 format).
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Yes, Virginia, there IS a “Mother-In-Law Day” – who knew?
It seems that since 1934, the fourth Sunday in October has been designated as the day when we honor the women who have been the target of a lot of good-natured ribbing through the years.
Paul and I are both lucky – we have great mothers-in-law, and we love them very, very much.
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It was 35 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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The Fat Lady Has Sung
Koch's Tour 