Happy Birthday to “The Other Woman”

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Today is “Lola”‘s 9th birthday, so I thought I would re-run this post from 2012:

Her Name Is “Lola”…..

….and whatever Lola wants, Lola is gonna get.
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The Lovely 10%: The happiest members of a movement you won’t hear about on the news

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

One of the lucky ones…. (Click on picture for more information)

(October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month; this post – originally posted in 2011 –  highlights just one more thing that many people don’t know about the DS population)

As many of you know, our youngest daughter, Rebecca, was born with Down syndrome.  When we found out that we were (surprise!) expecting a fourth child, we made a conscious  decision NOT to have certain prenatal tests done.  I will freely admit that I am not nearly as noble as I would like to think that I am; I didn’t want to even entertain the idea of someone asking me if I wanted to make a “choice”.

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Posted in Annual Posts, Down syndrome, Family, Occupy Wall Street, Think about it, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

“October” by Eric Whitacre

Posted on October 1, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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“Fall” in Texas doesn’t really start until mid-October most years.  Around that time, blustery winds blow in, and the leaves start to swirl around.  The temperatures start 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)
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Posted in Annual Posts, Classical, Just Because, Music, Texas | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Somber Remembrance – Thoughts on the Anniversary of 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

I suppose every generation has its share of “Where were you when….?” moments – those “somethings” that happen that are so big, so life-altering, and which affect so many people that the vast majority of them have a memory etched into their mind of where they were when they heard the news, how they felt when they heard the news, and how it changed their life forever.

I can still remember that morning – it started off like any other morning. Rachel had gotten up early and was already dressed and on her way to high school with her friends, Michelle and Sarah were getting ready for school, and Paul was getting ready for work. I was resting in bed, waiting for Rebecca – who had turned 2 months old the day before – to wake up for her morning bottle.

Paul came into the bedroom and said he had just heard on the radio that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and it was on fire.

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Posted in Annual Posts, I Love America, Think about it | Tagged , | 2 Comments

For Bev – “Again Someday”

Posted on September 9, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

(l to r) Bev and Me, 1964

(l to r) Me and Bev, 2004

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Today would have been my little sister’s 59th birthday.
Miss you like heck, Sis….
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(“Again Someday” by Blackmore’s Night – available on CD or MP3)

Posted in Annual Posts, Contemporary, Family, Feelin' Sorry for Myself, Growing Old Sucks, Music, Special Occasions | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Four Years Later

Posted on September 7, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

We miss her so much.

Michelle Elise Koch – 1991-2017

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Posted in Family, Feelin' Sorry for Myself, Michelle | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

“Over The Rainbow” (Eva Cassidy)

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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This is one of my favorite arrangements of this beloved song –

It’s just a beautiful, soothing song, don’t you think?:
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(“Over The Rainbow” by the incomparable Eva Cassidy – available on CD or MP3)
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Posted in Annual Posts, Contemporary, I Love America, Inspirational, Just Because, Michelle, Music, Tuesday Tunes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

“Hallelujah” – k.d. lang

Posted on September 5, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

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There are so many wonderful versions of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” out there – originally covered by John Cale, the version performed by the late Jeff Buckley is perhaps the most well-known of them all (the song has also been covered by Bon Jovi).

I think the first time that I heard this song was on the movie ““>Shrek” (sung by Rufus Wainwright). There is an amazing 4-part arrangement out there by the Norwegian quartet Lind, Nilsen, Fuentes, and Holm.  Heck, it even sounds good in Italian when performed by Il Divo.

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Posted in Annual Posts, Contemporary, Inspirational, Just Because, Michelle, Music, Tuesday Tunes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“The Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre

Posted on September 4, 2021 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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“Be Still My Soul”

Posted on September 3, 2021 by Teresa in Fort Worth, TX

Honestly, one of the most beautiful arrangements of this beloved hymn:
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(Performed by the BYU Concert Choir, from their CD “All Creatures of Our God and King” from Tantara Records, directed by Mack Wilberg. This is also available at Amazon, but that link doesn’t have samples available for listening.)
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Posted in Annual Posts, Inspirational, Just Because, Michelle, Music, Religious | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment