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Saturday, June 29, 2013

My Last Playlist

Not long ago our daughter approached my 73 year old husband with a question.  She was very hesitant and asked him not to be upset with her, but then asked, "What kind of music do you want at your funeral?"  Somewhat taken aback he started thinking about it.  And since then, so have I.

I decided that I should make "My Last Playlist."  Maybe you want to start creating yours, too.  So far I only have five songs in my playlist, but it's a start.  

The first is Key Largo by Bertie Higgins.  This is "our song" for Ron and me.  The wonderful old motor sailer that we spent so many happy hours on was named "Key Largo", and we just have to hear this song to wisk away the past 30 years.

The second is a song by John Denver called "Matthew."  When Steve and Kathy were little and we were living on the ranch in Alzada, we had a car with the old-fashioned tape player.  We had only one tape for a long time, and it was one of John Denver's. For some reason that I never figured out, the song titled "Matthew" touched something in me, and i would be driving our road going to pick the kids up at school, or something, with tears streaming down my face.  Ever have that happen to you?

A new song that I added is Titanium by The Piano Guys.  I just love their music.  It is a beautiful blend of classical with some of the most popular songs of today.

Fourth on my playlist is "American Pie" by the great Don Maclean.  One of the best songs ever written, in my opinion, deserves to be on everyone's favorite playlist.

Phil Collins recorded the theme song for a popular television show called Miami Vice.  One summer I played it over and over as we cruised the Chesapeake Bay on Key.  I was in love and hope and poassibility were "In The Air Tonight."

As I add songs to my last playlist, I will post them to this blog.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Thoroughbred Racing

Churchill Downs

In early May every year women in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee start looking for "THE" hat. The hat they will wear to the greatest race in sport - the 8th race atChurchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.  I have dreamed of being there when another three-year-old Thoroughbred made history.  And that may happen someday.  In the meantime, Ron and I visited Churchill Downs on a brief hiatus from working on our dear friend's house in Bethel, Ohio.  We drove to Louisville on Thursday morning and arrived at the racetrack in time for the first race.  Here are some photos from that dream-fulfilling day.











Sunday, June 23, 2013

Can I Be Myself?

I have just finished reading Andrew McCarthy's book, The Longest Way Home, and it has made me want to examine my life - my feelings, my thoughts, my belief system - rather than continue to make decisions based on someone else's beliefs.  Too often I make a choice based on the cost of something.  Living with DH for so long has installed in my brain a calculator that instantly knows when something is too costly, not in my opinion, but in his.  He doesnt even have to be present.

Here are some simple examples: we were at Lowe's and I saw a new product: a sports towel that when wet stays cool and keeps you cool. Since I have always had a problem with sweating rivers when it's hot, my friend said "buy it," but it was $14.99 and I knew that DH would say, why do you need that? He would say that any hand towel would do just as well.  So I didn't buy it.  Now, after reading Andrew's book, I am ready to be myself and decide things based on what I think, what I feel, rather than just avoiding DH's judgment and criticism.

Another example is "The Chair."  For twenty years I have wanted a really super comfortable overstuffed armchair.  I just have visions of sitting in such a chair, maybe with a slipcover, reading Anne of Green Gables to my granddaughters.  And not long ago I saw "the chair" on an episode of "Big Bang Theory." It was perfect.  So I started shopping online.  Without a time-consuming search I found one at Macy's.  It costs $700.  DH wants to buy all our furniture at Goodwill.  He would sit on a pillow on the floor rather than spend more than $50 for any piece of furniture.  All these years I have lived with those constraints.  But no more.  I intend to buy my chair.