The Ultimate Price #MusicMovesMe

It's Monday and it's time for music!

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)   We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.  Why not join us?  You don't have to sing, or play an instrument.  All music lovers are welcome. 

Today's theme is "Remembering our veterans with songs of inspiration, thanksgiving and praise".

This is a hard theme for me, because I am the daughter of a man who served in the Army Air Corp in World War II and struggled the rest of his life with the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury. Additionally, I have known or met several combat veterans over the years who struggled with alcohol abuse and/or PTSD.  

Our veterans of all wars paid a high price for helping to safeguard the freedoms we've enjoyed, including those hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of soldiers who never returned from war.  We must all treasure and safeguard these freedoms else we are in grave danger of losing them.

So I am going to go in a different direction today.   This may be a hard post to read, but I hope you'll listen to at least one of the songs.  TRIGGER ALERT: war violence.

First, a song from my childhood.  I even bought the album this song was on.  From 1966, Barry Sadler, and his hit Ballard of the Green Beret.  This pays tribute to American soldiers but let me extend this to all those who fight for freedom. 

Dire Straits and their 1985 song Brothers in Arms.

Big and Rich pay tribute to a battle fought on November 8th, 1965 with 8th of November.   The song, in part,  discusses some of the price our combat veterans pay.   

Because this is the anniversary of Kristallnacht (November 9-10, 1938) I will include this song from Rush.  This is 1984's Red Sector A, written by the son of Holocaust survivors.  

Evil can start small, and if it is not stopped, it can end in unimaginable horror. The Holocaust was one such part of history.   I grew up among some Holocaust survivors (including my best friend's parents, who were German Jews) and, while my spouse was in military service, we met a man who helped liberate one of the camps. This video is hard to watch, but I hope you will stick it out.

 And that's a wrap. 

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me - hopefully, a happier episode. 

Countryside Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

The friend I call my Guest Photographer lives out in the countryside and sent me some beautiful fall pictures she took at the end of October.  Here are a couple with shadows.

Alas, the winds of November have come and these leaves are probably all gone now.

Joining up with Lisa at This and That - A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday. 

 

Early November Sky Moods #SkywatchFriday

November has arrived and, with it, coming attractions of the gloom of the winter months where I live in the Southern Tier of New York.

Let me assure you this photo, taken November 1, was taken in color and no filters were applied. 

Another view, taken near the first photo.

Let's jump now to November 4.  The sun has made an appearance.  Enjoy said sun while we can.

Some fall color is still visible. 

November 4, after raking some leaves in late afternoon, I saw the almost full moon.

The last colors of sunset.

Oh, those moods of early November. 

Joining Yogi and other skywatching bloggers at Skywatch Friday.

The Temperature Afghan #WordlessWednesday

I've called it quits on a two year old crochet project. 

I promised you periodic updates on my temperature afghan for 2023 (yes, 2023) to keep me working on it.  

First, a refresher on what a temperature afghan is.  You don't have to crochet it, and you don't even have to make a blanket.

A temperature blanket uses colors to record highs and low temperatures (more on that later) over a certain period of time.  They can be used to record temperatures for a year, perhaps a calendar year, or the first year of a baby's life (to be presented as a birthday gift).   Some knit these, some quilt these.  Some make scarfs or sweaters.  The variations are endless.

So, in other words, Nature determines the colors and patterns of your work.

Here are the colors I used to represent the high for each day.

0 F (-17.8 C) and lower:  Pale Plum.  It would be most unusual where I live to have a high less than zero F, and, in fact, 2023 did not offer such a high.  But we did have a low of -5F (-20.5 C) one night so I decided to include a strip of low temperature color and high temperature color for that day.

In addition:

1-21F   Dark orchid

21-32F  Royal blue

33-43F  Turquoise

44-53F  Spring Green

54-66F  Kelly Green (think of St. Patrick's Day)

67-77F  Bright Yellow

78-88F Carrot orange

89-99F  Pretty in Pink

100F (38C) and above - Fruity Stripe (shades of pink - a variegated yarn) I didn't have to use it.  Thankfully.

I was working on it last year, when the fickle finger of fate landed on my spouse and me, and I had to abandon the project for a number of months.

This month, I started to work on it again, and realized it was so big that I really needed to end it.  So, I am ending it on the row I had abandoned in 2024, and here is the finished product. 

The temperatures at the bottom started at January 1 and it worked up to the top, using the color scheme.

I don't know what I will do about July 19-December 31, 2024 but it won't be part of this afghan. 

It's so big I couldn't get a really good picture of it with my iPhone, but I hope it gives you a good idea. I'm happy I did the project but I did miscalculate the size.  I have already found a use for the leftover yarn. I bought enough (at the late, great JoAnn Fabrics) to finish the project.

And now, I'm on to something else.  I've already started it and I'll make it a post one of these days.  Maybe.

Joining Sandee at Comedy Plus for her #WordlessWednesday.

A Pancreatic Cancer Musical Tribute #MusicMovesMe

 It's Monday and it's time for music.  It's also time for a topic that is not happy, but is necessary.

Today I am joining up with other Music Moves Me bloggers (and you can join us at the linky above). We are a group of music loving bloggers who blog about music each Sunday or Monday (or even later in the week). If you have music to share with us, you are most welcome to join! (Music Posts Only-meaning at least one music video, please! Otherwise, your post link may be labeled "No Music" or even removed.)   We have occasional theme weeks, but you are welcome to ignore the theme and use music of your choice.  Why not join us?  You don't have to sing, or play an instrument.  All music lovers are welcome. 

Today's theme is "You Pick".

November is pancreatic cancer month.  At least two of my relatives on my father's side, and one on my mother's, died from this cancer, one of the most deadly known.  There are a number of celebrities who have died from pancreatic cancer, including Alex Trebek (beloved game show host), actors Joan Crawford, Patrick Swayze and Michael Landon, and astronaut Sally Ride.

Today, I want to pay tribute to people in the music world who died from this dreadful disease.   In so doing, I included various musical genres so there is something for almost everyone.

Composer Henry Mancini died at the age of 70 from pancreatic cancer in June of 1994, less than four months after his diagnosis.  For his tribute, I chose the Theme from the Pink Panther, a song popular right now because of the jewel heist at the Louvre. 

Aretha Franklin died from pancreatic cancer in 2018.  Her most famous hit may be 'Respect" but I am choosing another song, Think, here featuring the Blues Brothers.

I had blogged recently about D'Angelo, who died in October at the age of 51 after a prolonged, private battle.  The cause of death has been revealed as pancreatic cancer.  Here is one of his songs, Lady.

Luciano Pavarotti, operatic tenor, sings "Nessum dorma".

Next to last:  I had to include actor Patrick Swayze and The Time of My Life final dance from the movie Dirty Dancing.  

Finally, soul singer Billy Paul, age 81, who died in 2016.  Here is his 1972 hit "Me and Mrs. Jones".

And that's a wrap.

If you are interested, here are some facts about pancreatic cancer.  

Join me again next week for another episode of Music Moves Me. 

End of Foliage Season Shadows #ShadowshotSunday

We managed to have sunny day on October 26 and 28, and I took these shadow pictures.

Later in the week, we had rain and then some gusty winds.  The leaves are hanging on for now, but yesterday was gloomy. Halloween night was unpleasant and, maybe for that reason, we had no trick or treaters.

Joining Lisa at This and That - A Blog, for her #ShadowshotSunday.
 

Farewell to October #SkywatchFriday

Today is the last day of October, and I decided to feature skies and fall color from the last week of October rather than have a Halloween-themed post.

Yesterday, it rained.  Today we are under a high wind warning.  By tomorrow, these leaves may well be mostly gone.  Another fall foliage season gone. 

Fall is so fleeting.

Burning bushes.

Tomorrow, we welcome (well, not me) November.

Joining Yogi and other skywatchers for #SkywatchFriday.