Month: June 2009

Is this a mixture of styles, or what??
I think of “Sweet Caroline” as our song (Keith & mine), since my middle name is Caroline:)
Not sure about the sweet part (standing on shaky ground with that word), but the rest of the lyrics fit our story:)

I included the top 50 to get in a Beach Boys’ song, Keith favorite group:)
I loved The Beatles & CCR:)
Number 41 became one of our favorites, & we finally saw Arlo a few summers ago at Regency here in Cary:)

Evidently “In The Summer Of ’69” was not even thought of til 1984, when written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.

1. Build Me Up Buttercup – Foundations
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
2. Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
3. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye – Steam
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
4. More Today Than Yesterday – Spiral Staircase
(Billboard High Chart: #12)
5. Mah-Na-Mah-Na (Mahna Mahna) – Piero Umiliani
(Billboard High Chart: #55)
6. Son Of A Preacher Man – Dusty Springfield
(Billboard High Chart: #10)
7. My Way – Frank Sinatra
(Billboard High Chart: #27)
8. Proud Mary – Creedence Clearwater Revival
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
9. Something – the Beatles
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
10. Sugar Sugar – Archies
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
11. Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette
(Billboard High Chart: #19)
12. Touch Me – Doors
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
13. Honky Tonk Women – Rolling Stones
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
14. Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
15. Hooked On A Feeling – B.J. Thomas
(Billboard High Chart: #5)
16. I Can’t Get Next To You – Temptations
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
17. Come Together – the Beatles
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
18. Grazing In The Grass – Friends of Distinction
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
19. Traces – Classics IV & Dennis Yost
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
20. Hawaii 5-0 – Ventures
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
21. It’s Your Thing – The Isley Brothers
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
22. My Cherie Amour – Stevie Wonder
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
23. Hot Fun In The Summertime – Sly and the Family Stone
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
24. Someday We’ll Be Together – Diana Ross and the Supremes
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
25. Everybody’s Talkin’ – Nilsson
(Billboard High Chart: #6)
26. Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
27. Everyday People – Sly & Family Stone
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
28. Crimson and Clover – Tommy James and the Shondells
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
29. Time of the Season – Zombies
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
30. Down On The Corner – CCR
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
31. Twenty Five Miles – Edwin Starr
(Billboard High Chart: #6)
32. Worst That Could Happen – Brooklyn Bridge
(Billboard High Chart: #3)
33. Love’s Been Good To Me – Frank Sinatra
(Billboard High Chart: #75)
34. Ruben James – Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
(Billboard High Chart: #26)
35. A Boy Named Sue – Johnny Cash
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
36. Gimme Gimme Good Lovin – Crazy Elephant
(Billboard High Chart: # 12)
37. You’ve Made Me So Very Happy – Blood, Sweat and Tears
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
38. Give Peace A Chance – John Lennon
(Billboard High Chart: #14)
39. Get Back – Beatles
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
40. Wedding Bell Blues – The 5th Dimension
(Billboard High Chart: #1)
41. Alice’s Rock and Roll Restuaraunt – Arlo Guthrie
(Billboard High Chart: #97)
42. Stand! – Sly and the Family Stone
(Billboard High Chart: #22)
43. Isrealites – Desmond Dekker and the Aces
(Billboard High Chart: #9)
44. Green River – Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)
(Billboard High Chart: #2)
45. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday – Stevie Wonder
(Billboard High Chart: #7)
46. Put A Little Love In Your Heart – Jackie DeShannon
(Billboard High Chart: #4)
47. These Eyes – Guess Who
(Billboard High Chart: #6)
48. Jingo – Santana
(Billboard High Chart: #56)
49. I Can Hear Music – Beach Boys
(Billboard High Chart: #24)
50. Memphis Underground – Herbie Mann
(Billboard High Chart: #44)

The summer of 2009 is turning into a summer of weddings for Keith & me:) It’s probably not an unusual number, but for some reason this summer each wedding seems to be a welcome, uplifting, break in routine for me. It’s a time to think of hope & great joy; of a family being created, of the eagerness of two people embarking on a lifetime of dreams to be dreamed, and God willing, fulfilled together, even disappointments & sorrows to be weathered together:)

This photo was taken June 13th at the reception after Amanda Corbin’s marriage to Justin, a handsome young Charlotte policeman. The previous weekend Caroline Hanson wed Nathan from Nashville, and July 11th Stephen Haynes will marry his sweetheart. All three are from our church family.
We’ve also been invited to Peter Lanier’s wedding (son of longtime friends) which will be held in Boone the 18th of July, the same day that friends & I are giving a wedding shower for my dear friend Kathy who will walk down the aisle August 22nd:)

Maybe the reason I’m feeling nostalgic about these weddings in 2009:
Forty years ago Sunday, August 3rd, 1969, on the hottest day you can imagine (and the most sultry), Keith & I were married in a tiny country church in the Sandhills of NC. We were so young, 22 & 19. A simple ceremony & frugal; cotton dresses–white for me, yellow & orange for the bridesmaids, we carried daisies, had no photographer. Rev. Green officiated, a pastor from a nearby town standing in for my vacationing preacher. No reception. And then off we went to live in upstate NY, a place my mama thought was on the other side of the world!

What an adventure!
(Little did we know Woodstock would be such an historical event, as we moved into a mountain cottage less than 50 miles of Max Yasgur’s 600 acre Farm 2 weeks before it all began!)

Forty years later (could it be that long!)I’m thankful to celebrate a milestone anniversary:) And to celebrate with 3 great children, a wonderful DIL, & Cameron’s girlfriend Holly:) We are blessed.
Besides trying to find a B&B in the mountains for a weekend get-away in the fall, we’re thinking of going to The Melting Pot in Raleigh with Cameron & Holly, Seth & Kelley & Skye–don’t you think that’s appropriate for a hot & humid August anniversary?:)

 
I just finished watching Jon And Kate Plus Eight.
Rumors were rampant Jon and Kate were separating. I secretly hoped it wasn’t true. Skye and Alexis suggested wouldn’t it be great if they announced they were having another baby–imagine how uplifting that would have been, or kooky in a joyful kind of way! What a story that would have been:)

As the show unfolded it became evident they were splitting up, calling it quits. A beautiful family countless folks have watched and adored, broken.
I was hoping to hear “We’re seeing a counselor, talking to our pastor, praying, working through it”—but, none of that was mentioned:(

Is there hope?
I didn’t sense any….
Jon separate, Kate separate, both trying to be brave in the midst of deep hurt and sorrow.
Is it just “another family bites the dust”?
It’s discouraging…..
I am sad for all ten of them, especially the dear Eight.

 
Saturday afternoon, May 30th, Seth, Keith, & I met off Poole Road in Raleigh to bike the Neuse River trail. It seemed a good idea. A trail along a river is usually pretty level terrain, maybe even shady, or so we thought. After leaving the parking lot at the trail head we realized right away we’d be traveling a rough gravel road. Much of the time it followed the river, but often it snaked away & wound back towards more hilly terrain. For a brief time the trail merged with a paved road which surprised us with a very steep hill! After pushing my bike up the “mountain” we headed downhill again to a beautiful area of swamp, or wetlands, spread out in every direction. Wooden bridges had been built to cross the swampy area.

All in all, the trail was about 3 miles long, so we covered 6 miles in close to 2 hours. (Seth could have done it in less time; Keith & I haven’t ridden much this summer:)) We stopped often, walked our bikes often, & few spots were easy-going.
Thank goodness we didn’t have many bugs:)

The photo here shows some shade next to the river, but we didn’t find many places like this.
I must admit I would rate this trail near the bottom of my favorite area trails for amateurs’ list.

Today I went to a funeral at Westover UMC in Raleigh.
The service was for Carol Hines Watson.
Carol was a strong, talented, Southern lady who possessed faith, foresight, & leadership. She was a charming lady:)
She was also the mother of my good friend Anne.

Twenty years ago my family left Westover UMC. It was heartbreaking to leave that church but circumstances pressed us, ushered us (and over 100 other friends), to pack up & move on.
Suffice it to say that our basic beliefs were being tested (Carol & husband Roy left with us, then returned to Westover friends after a time)

I had not been back, til today.
I must say it was humbling.
Time heals much.
Regrets & unforgiveness have been erased long ago.
A sense of melancholy overcame me (besides grieving for Carol’s husband Roy & Anne).
Why?
Maybe it was how things should have been or could have been at Westover.
Maybe it was because Keith & I grew spiritually while there (with Kenneth Sexton as pastor & precious Rosamond his wife).
Maybe it was that twenty years had passed so quickly.
Maybe it was because my children were born while we attended Westover & spent part of their childhood there.
Maybe that our New Life Class was such a precious tight knit group for many years, & we were sent out to worship separately.
Maybe it was all the above?

I firmly believe God has a purpose for all things, so when doors are closed & other open, when our lives take a turn in mid-stream where we’re so comfortable & we’re driven to another part of the river, there’s a reason.

I admit it was a sweet feeling to see Rev. Kenneth Sexton in that pulpit again:) Did twenty years melt away?
For a few minutes:)

I’m a better person for Kenneth, for those years at Westover, and for being nudged to another place where people of faith love & care for one another–I’m at Peace:)