Tributes to Lou Christie and One of Our Own #MusicMovesMe

And yet again...

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.)   

Our head host is Xmas Dolly, and our co-hosts are Cathy from Curious as a Cathy, joined by the knowledgeable Stacy of Stacy Uncorked and, last but not least, me.

Every other week we have a theme, and this is one of those weeks. Today, our theme is "You Pick", and it is my sad duty to blog about another induction into Rock and Roll Heaven.  It's also a sad duty to pay tribute to one of our own towards the end of today's post.

First, I cover the induction of Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco (stage name Lou Christie) into Rock and Roll Heaven.

The singer better known as Lou Christie died June 18 at the age of 82.  He was one of my favorite artists back in the 1960's and here are several selections from his hits.

His greatest hit - Lightnin' Strikes, complete with go-go girls. This song made it to #1 on Billboard's charts.   Love that 60's vibe! 

From 1969, I'm Gonna Make You Mine, which I never realized until researching this post that it was a cover. 

Rhapsody in the Rain 

Finally, Lou Christie's 1973 venture into country music with his cover of Beyond the Blue Horizon, a song from 1930.

And now, it is my sad duty to say goodbye to one of #MusicMovesMe, Patrick Weseman, whose blog Adventures in Weseland was a regular participant in our weekly music meme.  Patrick was a former sports reporter for his local paper and was currently a special education teacher in San Francisco.  He was also a Gulf War veteran.  He was only 56 years old at the time of his passing on June 16. 

At one time, he worked as a counselor at the California School for the Blind. I read he took his students on field trips to allow them to experience things others may not have thought those without vision or with only limited vision could enjoy.

Almost every week, without fail, he posted about music, or what he found in his latest travels.  He also participated in other blog hops.  

Patrick loved to attend local outdoor concerts and sporting events.  I was honored to have been his friend on Facebook.

Not only had he posted his music post on the day of his death, but he visited my blog (and other participants' blogs) and commented.   This is his last music post from the day of his death.

A post with some selfies. 

May he forever rest in peace.  Judging from the tributes on his Facebook wall, Patrick made a difference in many lives.  His will be a great loss to his California community.

Perhaps he is being named an honorary member of Rock and Roll heaven for his devotion to learning, and to music.  In the meantime, he has taught his final lesson to us all:  things change in a moment.  Let's all live the best lives we can, and, when we finally leave this world, leave it a better place.

And that's another sad wrap.

Join me again next week with anther episode of #MusicMovesMe. 

 

Miniatures with Much Meaning

It has become a holiday tradition for me to feature the miniature houses - dollhouses if you will - of Bobbie King, which are displayed at a seasonal museum called Hanukkah House in Binghamton, New York.

Let me take you into this miniature world, or memories in little boxes (Thank you, blogger Alice Gerard, for inspiring the format of this year's post). 

Why are these houses special? 

First, let me show you.  The exhibit had two houses this year .  One was a pink house.

Another view.

A miniature in white.

It's time to take you through the front door.

But first, you may want to stop off at the porch.

Now, take a look inside.

How about a closeup?

Or two?


So, who was Bobbie King?  Why are her houses special?

Roberta King was a member of the congregation that runs the museum and mother of 10 who taught English for immigrant adult education classes at Binghamton's American Civic Association - until the day she was murdered, with 12 of her students and co workers. April 3, 2009 is a day no one in Binghamton will ever forget.

Her family refused to surrender to hate.  Instead, they continue to permit Hanukkah House to display her dollhouses (and extensive doll collection) each year for the community to enjoy.

If you are in the Binghamton area, I invite you to visit Hanukkah House.  In this season of hate there is no better thing to do.  If you aren't in our area, there may be a museum or exhibit that you could visit that is similar. We must not forget how easily hate can grow and destroy.

I plan, later this month, to show that exhibit and other items on display at Hanukkah House.

Have you ever collected dolls? Or worked on miniature houses as a hobby?

Local Saturday - A Freshly Minted Teacher

Last night, my spouse and I took my mother in law to the wake of her son's wife's mother. (Now that is a mouthful, and I wish there was a word in English for that relationship.  If there is, I don't know the word.)  The funeral home was packed - it's a large family and the deceased and her husband had many, many friends in the area.

At the end of the receiving line, after the deceased's husband, my brother in law, his wife and her sister and brother and their spouses, were the nieces and nephews.  I don't see them much, and so was pleased to find that one of them (in her 20's) started, this past September, as a teacher at the local high school.

A freshly minted teacher.  I think she will be an excellent one.

But (and, of course, we didn't tell her this) I hope she survives what is becoming an increasingly rocky profession.

I have two cousins who work in the New York City school system.  One is a special ed teacher, one is a school psychologist.  My late best friend from childhood was an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn for many years.  Another cousin was a speech therapist in New York City schools.  A cousin of my spouse's is a retired elementary school teacher and another of his cousins is a high school French teacher in Florida.  For some reason, the teaching talent escaped me, although my mother had high hopes for me becoming a teacher before she passed away way too young.

But, I've heard too many of their stories, especially from the ones who retired.

In the days when my best friend taught, teaching started out as a high calling.  Now, I'm not sure what it is.  I know I count teachers as among the readers of my blog, and I could let them speak for themselves, if any of them cared to.  I am not a teacher and am not qualified to blog about that profession, except as the mother of someone who was educated by the public school system.

I hope my niece in law (again, wish there was a name for that) experiences what teaching should be like - it can be rewarding and should be.  Her hopes are high.

I hope she is not disappointed.