I'm writing this at the request of SMID - who is sadly mourning an attack on her church because "they support liberals and gays".
Well, come on over because I can't recall a time when my Presbyterian home didn't open its doors wide open to people of all faiths, persuasions, colors, addictions, and convictions.
There were the usual summer services where we swapped houses with the Episcopalians down the street - believe me, we all may be Protestant but those JV Catholics lovely neighbors always had me confused. Nevermind, I finally caught on to the Book of Common Prayer... by late August. Today, I attend a local Episcopalian church because the reverend is a woman (love the gender neutral text!) and the congregation is predominantly gay.
The other thing I grew up with in my Presbyterian home were the presence of gay people. Let me rephrase that, the tolerance, abundance, and love of gay people. When the leadership of the church (not our local house but the big people in some capital place or somesuch) wanted to exclude gays from the clergy, all of our ushers wore pink triangles during services. Every single one. Imagine getting a glimpse of that when they passed the plate around.
Finally, our church preached against hate, nuclear weapons, and Ronald Reagan. Against poverty, discrimination, and well, Ronald Reagan. These were my Sunday stories. Couldn't tell you what the proverb or reading was. But I surely understood the lesson.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Support All Faiths
The Plucky Stuff
This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.
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Several years ago I went to a concert with my (yet to be) husband. On the program was the Ravel String Quartet in F Major. I was completely entranced by this piece. After the concert I said to my (yet to be) husband - "that sounded like something from a movie" which is to say I liked it, I REALLY liked it. The second movement had this wonderful vitality and eeriness.
Recently I went to a concert in a small (tiny tiny) French village with my sister. On the program were a Dvorak piece and a Brahms piece. Afterwards I asked my sister what she thought and she said "I like the plucky stuff". Exactly! That's what I like too - exactly what I heard in that Ravel piece years ago.
So here it is - pizzicato - aka "the plucky stuff"
Ravel String Quartet in F Major - 2nd movement "Assez Vif; Tres Rythme"
performed by the Hagen String Quartet
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
By The Sea By The Sea
This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.
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We took a drive out to Arcachon yesterday - one of those lovely (if sometimes a bit tacky) European seaside towns. A moonbounce, ice cream, sunbathers, and ticket kiosks.... they had it all.
Reminded me very much of that song from Sweeney Todd - our day had quite a bit less gore and psychosis. It was lovely.
and check out Looking Into for some interesting hood ornaments
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Been Around the World
This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.
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Due to various craziness going on right now I'm going to steal from SMID's post this week.
I love Lisa Stansfield too and fondly remember her heyday back in the 80's. As with much music from that era, I heard about it from my sister.
I'm currently on a last minute trip to France because I got a call last week saying that she was hospitalized and would undergo surgery. Thankfully everything went well and I am now here to take care of her for the next week. A pretty easy job when the recovery room is Bordeaux.
So now I'm thinking about how I traveled around the world to be with my [sister] baby.
Will have to play that song for her when she comes home from the hospital tomorrow. She will love it!
p.s. French keyboards are totally different - this posting took forever to type!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Monday, July 07, 2008
Oh Goodness
This post brought to you by Soccer Mom in Denial - posting every Monday on a different musical memory.
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This weekend my husband and I bought the Star Wars trilogy. The ORIGINAL trilogy - the one that has now been renamed Epsisodes IV, V and VI even though they are really 1, 2, and 3.
Flipping through the channels we occasionally stumble upon the airing of one of these three episodes and watch it until the end. The opportunity came up this weekend to patronize our local music and video store so we jumped at the chance to finally own the movies we so often re-watch.
Tonight we threw in Episode I or IV - AKA Star Wars. After years of knowing my husband, I did not know that he could quote the movie VERBATIM. What a shock.
So now when I hear this theme song, I'm reminded that I married one of the truly geekiest - and LOVABLE - men on the planet...
Sunday, July 06, 2008
A Tartish Tart
We visited our friends in their new home for a BBQ this weekend. They are big Red Sox fans and we are Yankees fans - so our get-togethers are always pretty lively.
The wife recently helped coordinate a wedding of another friend of mine - and as bribery (in addition to her fee) to take the gig I offered to throw in a tart.
It was all perfect - new grill, fresh tart - and to top it off, a Yankees-Red Sox game.
I think they had mixed feelings about the tart...
