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1. Thankful for a mild cold winter so far. The lows are hitting the 30's and high are low 60's. Other than winds, we are okay. So sad to hear about the damaging weather in the US. I finally turned on the heater mostly for the hubby who tends to run cold and I hot.
2. Thankful that all my family is doing well overall. Both my sons have some health issues and are working with their healthcare providers. But things could be worse. Grands are all doing well.
3. Thankful for the Senior fellowship at my church. We all bring something to share and coffee and water is provided. It is a good way to meet new people. We pray over those that are sick. We talked about some issues and prayed over each other. Then we played bingo. Our senior pastor sat at our table to play a few games during his break. We were in our mid 30's when we started going to our church. Now pastor and I are a couple of years from 70!
4. Thankful for gluten free options for our granddaughter. Though expensive, she can enjoy her pasta and not get a stomachache and ill feeling. I make her what we call Sopa and they call Mexican macaroni and cheese. I get pasta and semi-brown it in oil and onions. Then I add seasoning, tomato sauce and 3 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Then I lower the flame and let it cook the pasta until ready, but still a bit firm. The grands like to add shredded cheese. I take what I want while it is still soupy and add lemon juice. To make a meal, I add ground beef and zucchini to it, but grands like it plain. It was one of the first things I learned to make when I was around 12.
5. Thankful to be able to meet up with some longtime friends today in Old Town Orange.
Saturday 9: Hotel California (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) In this song, Don Henley called the hotel's front desk and asked, "Please bring me my wine." He was told they haven't had wine since 1969. When did you last have a glass of wine? My husband got a glass at my 50th reunion and I took a sip. I preferred my water mixed with fruit juice.
2) The lyrics refer to wine as a "spirit." That is incorrect. Wines are fermented, not distilled, and have a lower alcohol content than spirits. When "Hotel California" was popular, listeners who were into wine called radio stations to let them know about the mistake. Are you a wine aficionado? Are any of your friends or family knowledgeable about wine? My sister worked for a winery in Temecula CA. She did wine tastings for private and public events. Back in the 2002, a few of my online Bible study friends were reading Secrets of the Vine, based on John 15, by Bruce Wilkerson. I told them about my sister, and I asked them if they would like to go on a tour and we did. You can read about it here.
3) In the song, Henley sings about looking for the door that will take him "back to the place I was before." Don says that refers to a loss of innocence and a longing for a simpler time. When you think about "the good old days," where does your mind wander to?
The 70's when I was a teen, a college student, married in 74, Disco days. I graduated from college in 77. Our first son was born in 1981. Here is a picture of us prior to going to a disco in Newport Beach with a few couples. It was a fun time and we never did the drug scene.
4) With five #1 singles, six #1 albums, and six Grammy awards, it's generally agreed that the Eagles were one of the most popular groups of the 1970s. Which decade produced most of your favorite songs? I would say the 60's and 70's. I loved the Motown sound and soft rock the most.
5) The Eagles were formed in 1971 when four of them happened to find themselves hired to play back up for Linda Ronstadt. The men found they really hit off and wanted to keep working together when the gig with Linda was up. Tell us about how you met someone important in your life. That is a big question and there are a few people I could list. My friend Lissette helped me get through the trauma of infertility and miscarriage. My supervisor Vera encouraged me to get back to church on a regular basis. We had taken the kids in the 80's, but I still felt distant. In the early 90's we found a great church. It was my cousin Joanie that really opened my heart to grace and truth in love.
6) The Eagles are still on the road, filling big arenas for their Long Goodbye tour. One explanation for their enduring popularity is that their music spans genres. They scored hits on the rock, pop and country charts. Other popular categories of music include classical, gospel, jazz, Latin, reggae, New Age, and rap. Which do you listen to most often? Which did you listen to most recently? Christian radio station in my car today. Hubby and I like to listen to Oldies when we go for long drives. In the 1980's we went with my siblings to hear Linda Ronstadt when she was touring with her band singing Canciones de mi Padre(Songs of my father) We don't normally listen to Mexican music unless we go to a wedding or gather together for memories of our younger days. Edie Gorme is another singer that we enjoyed because our parents would play her album when they taught us to slow dance. You don't have to understand the words to feel the song in your heart.
I played Classical music for years, so I do listen to that on occasion. I love musicals and have watched many from the 50s and more. I actually like the series Glee. I love to watch the stories told through song and dance. I do not like heavy metal and most rap though I did like the rap part from Alexander Hamilton. I was lucky to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway with my parents and in Las Vegas with my husband. I feel most at peace listening to Christian music.
7) In 1976, when "Hotel California" was topping the charts, the trend in home decor was vibrant. Intense copper, bright pink and vivid avocado were among the popular colors for bath towels, mats and shower curtains that year. If we were to peek into your 2024 bathroom(s), what colors would we find?
Back in the 70's we were in an older home that had a mauve colored tub and we stayed with neutral colors. I have black, grey and white in my bathrooms now. I have a snowflake shower curtain in the guest bath right now. We did have a harvest gold refrigerator and stove in that first house.
8) Handbags were big in 1976. Not just in popularity but in size. Purses routinely had compartments on the inside and pockets on the outside. When you leave the house, do you travel light? Or do you prefer to carry a lot with you? I travel light. I have lightweight bags that I can use as a crossover. My shoulders can't handle heavy purses anymore.
9) Random question -- How different is your life today than it was a year ago: (a) a lot; (b) a little); (c) not at all? (B)A little. I am a bit heavier and not in any major pain. Last year I hit my knee after Christmas, and I had several injuries. I am praying I don't get hurt. My left shoulder still does not have full range of motion. Now I need to get back to exercising!
