Speaking of songs, how about . . . . .?

"Friendship, friendship, just the perfect blendship . . . "

I can hear Ethel Merman's braying in my ears as I think of this classic song.  Her charm has always eluded me.  Why is she so heralded when her voice was awful:  abrasive, brassy, nasal?

 However, the song is funny and warm-hearted, and hits on an essential truth. Friendship is good for what ails you.

Thanks, pals!  You know who you are.  Probably.  Sometimes we don't know the difference we make in other people's lives,

The Power of Song - Here's to you, Reb Shlomo!

For the past couple of weeks I have had Chassidishe nigunim swirling around in my head.  It all started with reading tehillim (psalms), which I love to do.  I keep on meaning to memorize more of them, but haven't gotten around to it.  The ones I do know by heart, I love to be able to recite to myself when the moment calls for it.

At any rate, when I was reading psalms, I came across the phrase "Essa eynai el heharim"  "I lift up my eyes to the hills," and the melody I knew from college days jumped into my mouth and I started singing.  What a pathway to heaven!

Once I remembered "Essa eynai," I started to recall other songs:  "Pischu li sha'arei tzedek,"  "Am Yisroel Chai," "Romemu Hashem" . . .  Why couldn't some of these be incorporated into a Taize-style service? These are all songs by Shlomo Carlebach, a charismatic neo-Chassidic troubator who, starting in the late sixties, I believe, started touring college campuses with his music and his message of connection to G-d.  I met him when I was at Brandeis, and spent quite a bit of time with him.  His loving warmth was like a balm.  (There were reports later in his life that were very serious, but that was not my experience.)

At any rate, I am grateful to get those joyous nigunim back into my life.  There is a place for solemnity, but we shouldn't forget about just plain, flat-out joy,  and Reb Shlomo's music is one way to experience it.

A blast from the past

This morning my brother e-mailed me a drawing I made when I was 17, quite some time ago!  I had forgotten about it, but the minute I saw it, I remembered it and remembered all the circumstances surrounding my drawing it.

Birthday surprise

I came home from work today quite tired and somewhat dispirited.  I pulled into the driveway, grabbed my various bags, and decided to head over to the front of the house to pick up my Town Topics newspaper, delivered on Wednesdays.  When I got to the front door, I stopped dead in my tracks.  There was a beautiful bunch of flowers and a box of Lindt chocolates.  I knew at once they were fro m Twinerik, aka the Mystery Chocolatier.  My eyes welled up with tears of emotion at his remembering my birthday, and marking it in this way.

The most important part of the birthday present I discovered once I got inside, however; a card from my friend Twinerik with the most incredibly positive message one could imagine.  At that point, the tears spilled over, I was so moved.

Last year Twinerik saved my birthday; he made it again this year.  Thanks, Twinerik.

Posh, passionate Peonies!

This bouquet of peonies from *************** is so beautiful, I can't stop wondering at its lushness.  It is incredibly beautiful.