With a Little Help from an Old Lady

Last night, the two teenagers and I were indulging in our only reality show - "American Idol". We tend towards either detective shows, horror or history, but we do like to watch this one reality show (with apologies to fans of other reality shows - they just don't appeal to us). Both boys are band students, and big fans of music. Years ago we ditched the DVD player in the car in favor of music. We even have a system worked out. Slots 1, 3, and 5 in the car's CD player are for their music choices while hubby and I get slots 2, 4, and 6. It works well this way - we alternate selections so neither the old nor the young get exhausted by the choice of the other group (at least as long as I don't have Pink or Adele - neither seem to appeal to my sons). Along the way we discover music we can all agree with. I'm a fan of Linkin Park, and Radiohead now, while they enjoy the Beatles, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones - all the classics. 

So you can imagine the shared horror and shock when one of the American Idol contestants admitted that he had NEVER heard "Let It Be" by the Beatles!!! How is that even possible in someone with a gift for music? Then another contestant comes along and isn't sure she's ever heard my favorite Beatles song, "She's Leaving Home". Wow - I knew the state of education in American was in crisis, but I had no idea it was THIS BAD!

So with apologies to Mary - who is the true musician, and an incredible musical talent - I have to list a few albums from my youth that I just think are a must listen. Please add to the list - I need to make sure I'm adequately educating my teenagers!

1 - Beatles - "White Album"

2 - Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

3 - Beatles - "Rubber Soul"

4 - Carole King - "Tapestry"

5 - Michael Jackson - "Thriller"

6 - Rolling Stones - "Rewind (1971-1984)" 

7 - The Who - "Quadrophenia"

8 - Pink Floyd - "The Dark Side of The Moon"

Yeah - The Beatles get three slots and the Rolling Stones get a greatest hits compilation. What can I say - we had good music - really good music.

 

Being Stevie Nicks

 She did it to me again, alone in my living room, she sang for me. And I sang back. I can’t sing a lick, but I can sing Stevie Nicks.

Mentoring American Idols, there she was. Unbelievable. The chic who sang my high school heartache out, “alone in my room I will not wait for you.” And she loved the idols I did, Phillip and Elise. I’d take you any day Philip, you with your heart that comes out your mouth, and Elise, a chic who rocks Led Zeppelin. What a star.

So Stevie already had me at hello, but then she had to go and give advice to one of the girls who has a voice bigger than her passion. “My mother died two months ago. I have no problems.” Sing that, she said. Feel that. Damn you Stevie Nicks, still singing my story.  Alone in my room, she made me sing again. 

Thank God for her. There’s no one like her. She is my past, and she’s still with me.

And That's the Way of Life

Some days you wake up and you just know what you want to write about. And some days you wake up with TOO many ideas swirling around your head almost like the leaves. Do I write about the obnoxious landscaper next door who has decided that the leaves in that yard are labeled as mine and as such deserve to come back home? Maybe I should write about the funny "American Idol" comment made by my younger teen while watching it. Or I can write about the incredible improvement at assignment completion we've seen from the older son since the famous 'no Xbox for you' incident of 2011. Then there is my trip last weekend to the parents and the bittersweetness of it all or watching our older son walk into his school wearing his junior ROTC uniform and the wonder of how he got that old. I know I could get empathy for the fact that hubby is taking a vacation day today, and bless his heart, he really believes that my days are so open ended that I can accompany him anywhere to do anything his heart desires with no impact on my schedule...


The idea of writing today is sorta the way life is...there's the good, the bad, and the ugly all mixed in with the huh, the why's, the why not's. So maybe I'll just expand on a couple of things:


American Idol - it's our one and only reality show. The teens are musically inclined (they've been in band since 5th grade and there's no end in sight). My home state of North Carolina continues to do me proud. There've been several contestants, and even winners (Scotty, Fantasia, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry are a few), and the other night three more moved through. Prompting the following comment from the 13 year old, "So are you the ONLY North Carolinian who can't sing?" For the record, my Momma can't sing either so I am in FINE company. So there. Oh, and I totally recognize that while he did NOT get his ability to sing on key and play an instrument from me, that snarky, sarcastic sense of humor...oh, I KNOW where THAT came from.


The Xbox incident, well, I wrote about that in "Possum Momma Lives". And it worked. The child brought home straight A's (which was NOT the point, but he won't understand that until probably his 40's), and he is doing a MUCH better job with keeping straight his requirements. All it takes is the ability to unplug and to tune out the whining...incredible parenting skills which are totally underrated.


I'll touch on my parents and the ROTC uniform when I feel ready for a cry. Because that's how life is - you touch on what you're ready for, and you work your way through the other...while accompanying hubby to Best Buy and sneaking glances at your own to-do list.