Well, deep, sweet, and cute.
Someone is happy things are undogged. We keep telling him we hope to have a dog someday. And it’ll be okay.
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Just sit right down and… Name that tune! 😁
My stream didn’t start there. Earlier I thought of just how often Grammarly and the autocorrect monsters point out my constant use of this word.
I just don’t understand why. Take the above sentence without that word. I don’t understand why. It somehow it loses oomph. It sounds bland.
Is it just me?
I think it is an unjustified word flag by grammar police. It’s just unfair!
Nothing is finished. The weather has made my favorite things uncomfortable if not downright pain. But progress goes slow. One second spent on projects you feel passionate about is still progress! So here are some things still moving forward.
And prayers for the safety of my adult kids driving over the river and through the woods, or some such. Weather will be rain/snow, etc. I’m worried but can’t wait to see everyone!
I have no idea what to write about and really I’d prefer playing around with uke, vi, and toot. I’ve discovered Christmas carols for all my instruments. Piano is the most fun right now. But the others are fun and challenging. I try to keep them all fun so I don’t give up.
Poor, Sammie. His favorite spider toy got stepped on and broke. Funkle Chris has already ordered a replacement. Random Sammie pics:
That’s the toy that broke.😥
Okay, time for strings and toots!
Wanting to see and learn music from Wicked, I went on my usual deep dive as I tip-toed to Oz. When I get into a musical, I go all in. I did that with Les Miserable, Phantom, and Into the Woods. Now I find Wicked and Hamilton calling. So first, The Wizard of Oz got my attention. Even though I just finished reading a book by Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel’s father, Oz wins the in-depth first.
What got me started was the movie was on television on Sunday. I’ve always felt the show was presented for me, personally, as it always aired around my birthday. Yes, I’m a Sagg. Some years, I skipped it. But I decided to watch it this year because of all the Wicked hype.
I started to read Wicked but wondered what I might be missing from the original books.
So I’ve started reading The Complete Wizard of Oz. I have it on Kindle and Audible, but I am sure you can get it on Libby.
Already, I see names, places, and situations that Wicked mentioned that we never saw in that old but beloved movie. One I found interesting is the choice of Kristin Chenoweth. She is the good witch of the north. In the books, she is small in stature. So Kristin fits.
With The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (written 1900), the first book now checked off from a sleepless night of constant listening, and the second, The Marvelous Land of Oz (written 1904), well underway, I am happy with my new reading and future musical pursuits.
Does anyone know where I can see the illustrations? I thought I’d see them in the Kindle version, but they don’t seem to be there. I read a few of these to my kids when they were little, and I remember finding the pictures charming, if not a bit disturbing.
Anyway, back to the yellow brick road!
I was always moved to the front because of talking. Can I help it they want to talk to me? Even the teacher at the desk in front. I think of it as a super-power!
Relentless: My Story of the Latino Spirit That Is Transforming America by Luis A. Miranda Jr.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lin-Manuel Miranda was the one I thought of when I put this on hold on Libby. I want to get better acquainted with Hamilton and the music. I admire that composer; I’m not yet in love with the musical like everyone else. Still, the picture on the front of the book should have given me a clue. This guy has to be older than the Lin-Manuel I saw on a talk show. No. Luis A. Miranda Jr. is Lin-Manuel’s father.
There is a lot to learn from this man and his son. Their passions lead their lives. Music, acting, movies, and stage plays inspired the father. And they were transferred to the rest of the family. This is the part of the memoir I loved the most.
Learning about Puerto Rico and the differences in types of Hispanics cleared many questions I had over the years. And I learned a lot about different types of activism to help others. But here is where I started disconnecting. Was it me or the hours at night I was listening? Before long, I was lost in a sea of politics. Still, I found the enthusiasm Mr. Miranda Jr. displayed during these parts at least made me pay attention. Whether or not I agree didn’t matter. It was inspiring to feel his spirit.
How does one thank those who have given you the most? Especially when they’re gone. In this case, I’m embracing the passion and challenges. Though I’m not naturally gifted. My mother blanketed me in lessons and learning discipline to practice. Or as I convinced my inner child, playing.
Sammie the Spidercat the furry lapcat who now can blanket my legs as I knit, crochet or scroll.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
With this cast: Jot Davies (Narrator), Chloe Massey (Narrator), Olivia Dowd (Narrator), Aoife McMahon (Narrator), Sarah Ovens (Narrator), Rich Keeble (Narrator), Lucy Foley’s story plays out like an old radio mystery theater.
I finished a book before I was ready to go to sleep. Since it was a Libby audiobook, I tried to find something else to get me to sleeping time. I saw this one about a wedding guest list. The blurb made it look interesting. I don’t much like murder mysteries, but with the setting in Ireland, I thought it would at least whet my travel desires. It worked!
All the actors gave such depth to the story that probably, in a paper book, it would still be great. The accents enriched each character. And what a single narrator-type book would do, I never felt lost as to who was talking.
There were so many types of people at this wedding. And life-like relationships that we learn about that happened and caused some incidences at the wedding that one doesn’t expect. We don’t start with a body and try to figure out who did it, but the other part of the mystery is who will die and why, then asking the who. This makes it the best mystery I have ever read/listened to.
This was readily available on Libby. If you get the chance, I think you’ll like it, too.
Darswords 
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