Sibling Assignment # 53: The Disco Queen

This week our sibling assignment came from Raymond Pert: "For this week's assignment focus on one piece of music you listened to between the ages of twenty-five and thirty ( I fudged and used twenty-four). If possible, post a video of this song, but not required. I guess you could make your own video if you wanted to. With this piece of music, open the door to some aspect of yourself at this point in your life and what the song makes you think about in whatever way works for you."
Raymond Pert's tour down the early years of MTV and Phil Collins is here and Silver Valley Girl's poignant post is here.

It was the spring of 1979. I was living in my hometown and two-thirds through my second year of teaching. I had a circle of friends that knew how to have fun. We played on a town basketball team, danced late into the night at the local hot spots, and found reasons to have theme parties, birthday parties, and other gatherings. Most of us were single and at that time I had a stereo that played music loudly when I came home from school each day. Donna Summer and her album "Live and More" epitomized that time in my life. She was the Queen of Disco. She belted out lyrics that made lipsyncing with a perfume bottle work perfectly . She had moves that were too much for the Sunshine Inn in Kellogg, Idaho. As we emerged into adulthood we were trying to embrace responsiblity and hard work, but still wanted to hang on to the good times that were part of our lives after high school and/or college.

The song from the album that always takes me back to that spring is "Last Dance." At that birthday party in March of 1979 we played that song over and over again and everyone sang the lyrics until our voices were hoarse and did the best disco moves we knew. It was a time when things were easy. We had fun, enjoyed our friendships, worked hard, and laughed our guts out. Within a year many of us met our future husbands, times togethers were more adult, and we moved into a new era of music.

One day a couple of years ago I was at the drugstore in Kellogg picking up stuff for Mom. It was a difficult time for our family. I walked down the aisle and "Last Dance" began on the speaker system in the store. I smiled and took my time listening to the slow part at the beginning and waited for the beat to pick up and Donna to belt out those famous lyrics.

Whether is is on my MP3 player, at a class reunion, or just in a conversation with friends from that time period hearing those first few bars of "Last Dance" takes me to a time that was "too easy." It reminds me of singing the lyrics in my upstairs apartment on Mission Ave. I remember everyone yelling loudly when they heard those first few bars of the song where ever we were. This song was the best thing that happened to the movie Thank God It's Friday. It also won a Grammy and an Oscar for Best Song in 1978. I guess the Disco Queens of Kellogg, Idaho had good taste in music even then. Enjoy this live performance of Donna Summer's " Last Dance" and perhaps you can reflect on a time when things were easy.

Sunday Scribblings: Fowl

I had lots of foul things I could have shared today, but I decided instead to take the liberty of using a word that sounds the same. Fowl has been spotted all over our property. Above the cardinal brightens up the driveway.
These hungry fowl fly away every time I try to snap a photo.This time the little guy tried to blend in with the stand while feeding.It is not rare to have a woodpecker, but just rare to catch a photo of him feeding.

Something went "afowl" as this guy took off from the feeder.
I had to add my favorite fowl to the photo collection today. This is Mom's fried chicken from my brother's birthday dinner.

You can find other Sunday Scribblings using foul here.

Photo Hunt: Narrow

This week the topic on Photo Hunt is narrowWhen I return home from a trip to Kettle Falls, Colville, or Spokane I always travel narrow roads down the highway to my house.Around our area the Columbia River has become Lake Roosevelt, which is the water behind Grand Coulee Dam. You can cross the lake at a narrow bridge close to Kettle Falls or a narrow road to a ferry at Inchelium. Narrow roads, bridges, and ferry ramps are a way of life around me. Right now I am blessed that the snow hasn't stopped any of these options for travel.

Go here for other photo hunters illustrating the theme narrow.

A Gathering of Four Friends

"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away. " George Eliot

There are four of us that are dear friends. We are connected by teaching, learning, and my school. These three women have been an intrical part of making my school a better place. They care about our students. One works with me every day and the other two have been consultants that have been a support at our school. All of them are dear friends. JB is going through cancer treatment right now.
We traveled through the snow to her place tonight. We brought food, flowers, and encouragement. She is losing her hair, but not her strength or sense of humor. We reminenced, laughed, ate, and enjoyed that comfort of our friendship. We shared new learnings with JB from the conference we attended today. She asked questions and offered advice. It was a special evening gathering around the table with three other dear friends.

Snow in April?

I left home yesterday morning while snow was still hanging on the tree branches from yet another snowfall. As I gazed at the stark tree branches I did try to imagine the trees covered with spring buds in three months. As I adjusted my hat and put on my gloves I looked longingly at the garden gloves sitting close by on the shelf.

My principal and I traveled south to Spokane after school for a state education conference. As a passenger I witnessed cars in the ditch, cars sliding from lane to lane, and making 180 turns. I felt safe in VE's Jeep and I didn't care that she was only driving 40 mph. We arrived to the Snowy City safe.
After attempting to walk around the convention center it was easier to understand why the schools were closed down in this city.The sidewalks were either buried or covered with ice. As the shuttle bus driver negotiated the hill at our hotel he announced over his shoulder that he heard we were going to have snow until April. Snow in April?
Perhaps I should get used to the bare branches on the shrubs around my house... or imagine blossoms on the flowering plum with a dusting of snow.

Weekend Snapshots: Teacher Time

Those of us in the teaching field have certain cycles that are rituals throughout the school year. Around this time for many of us it is the changing of semesters. For me that means a weekend of reading essays, figuring grades, and scoring exams. My weekend photos have a narrow focus. Brewing a favorite blend of coffee and listening to some of my favorite music made the time pass in a pleasant way. I feel good. It is Sunday afternoon and I am all done with time to spare. I did take a break yesterday and took Lily on a tour of the greenhouse. She was excited to explore around the pots. I was excited to check my plants that are wintering over.


To find other weekend snapshots go here.