May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day. Except for the terrible storm this morning, I am having a wonderful Mother's Day. Oldest son did not have to work today, so all my guys are home. Dear husband took me to Walmart last night and let me pick out an indecent amount of flowers. I picked out some annuals for my flower pots and a few perennials for my small rock garden and another little clump of flowers for up on the hill near the bee hive. I bought my mom two hanging baskets for her porch.

This morning we were watching CBS Sunday Morning. It has been one of my favorite shows for years. I called the boys into the living room to watch a segment on Neil Diamond. Both of our boys are really good at impersonations and voices and they both do a mean Neil Diamond. Better, than Neil Diamond himself! While we were waiting for the Diamond segment there was a segment on Mother's Day by a photographer that had photographed mothers and their children. While the pix were being displayed, Baby Mine was playing in the background. Baby Mine has always been my favorite lullaby. Instead of seeing the pix on the screen, my mind's eye was flashing visions of my boys when they were precious babies. They are both taller than me now, and I am happy and content with our life where it is at this moment. As I type this they are in oldest dear son's bedroom admiring his new iPod dock. They have always got along, despite being nine years apart. I can hear them laughing and talking and it is one of the sweetest sounds in the world. Hope you are as blessed as I am this Mother's Day.


Baby Mine

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what you say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine

If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for
The right to hold you

From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine

Listen to melody here.

April 19, 2008

Anytime we travel, our trips always include a trip to the "record store". If we are in Gatlinburg, we always go to the Rhythm Section. The Rhythm Section is the tiniest little store crammed full of audio cassettes, CDs, DVDs, and even some vinyl. The walls are covered from ceiling to floor with music. We have recently discovered another store for finding music gems: The Disc Exchange. We wandered in after youngest dear son's doctor's appointment and didn't want to leave. I never made it out of the Folk Section. I ended up buying two CDs.

The first one is Songbird, by Eva Cassidy. Here is a youtube clip of her singing People Get Ready. You can also hear it streamed here. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.

I also bought an Elizabeth (Libba) Cotton CD called Shake Sugaree. I first heard her sing on Austin City Limits. Being left-handed and not allowed to restring her brother's guitar, she learned to play by holding the guitar upside down. This means that she was also picking the strings backwards. She picks the bass strings with her fingers and the treble strings with her thumb. She has a very unique style.

This is what is written on the back of the CD which was produced by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings:

Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1895-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at about age 11 and sang it nearly 80 years. Through her songwriting, her quietly commanding personality, and her unique left-handed guitar and banjo styles, she has inspired and influenced generations of younger artists. Cotten was declared a national Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984, and was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as a "living treasure". She received a Grammy Award in 1985 when she was 90. You can click here to hear Freight Train.