Saturday Night Serenade–Easter Thoughts

Happy Easter!
Don’t you just love a long holiday weekend?  And the chance to get together with friends and loved ones to share customs, traditions, and a nice big dinner?

Easter is really a tale of two holidays–one all about hidden eggs, colorful baskets, and fun treats, the other about something a bit deeper.

Mr. R and I consider ourselves to be more spiritual rather than religious.  To my way of thinking, spirituality is more about being grateful for your blessings and wanting to pay it forward, and less about following a rigid set of regulations and judging others who don’t quite measure up.

I love Joan Osbourne’s One of Us.  It poses an interesting question: What if God was one of us?  What if that homeless person asking for spare change was God?  What if that person on Facebook with different politics was God?

Would we treat them differently?  Would we be more kind, more compassionate?  When Jesus was actually on earth, we weren’t especially kind.  Something to think about, anyway.

For Easter, I also want to share my favorite song of the holiday.  It’s a moldy oldie by the late Keith Green.  When I was a teenager, his music meant a lot to me.  Sadly, he died in a plane crash in 1982 at the age of 29.

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, I hope this holiday weekend finds you surrounded by loved ones.  Be sure to tell them how much they mean to you.

Happy Saturday night!

Saturday Night Serenade–Keeping It Simple

Are you ready to ‘Spring forward’?  It’s my least favorite day of the year.  I won’t be right for about a week.  What is it about one little hour that impacts so much?

Time changes and time zones are complex.  I teach English online.  During standard time, China is 13 hours ahead of my time zone, but when it’s daylight savings time, they’re only 12 hours ahead.  I forgot about the time change and now I have a class booked at 9pm next Saturday night.  And military time?  Forget about it.  Even scheduling this post required me to count on my fingers, LOL.

It’s nice to boil all of life down to the simple things.  That’s what Thomas Rhett does in tonight’s serenade, Die a Happy Man.  Ever stop to consider what’s really important to you, those things that matter more than anything else?  I’ll bet they’re not things.

So remember to turn your clocks forward before you go to bed tonight.  Your phone and other electronics will do it automatically, thank goodness.  And say goodbye to that lost hour of sleep.  Sigh.

Be sure to hug those you love.  Happy Saturday night!

P.S. If you’re interested in finding out more about the easiest side-hustle you ever did (you can even do it in your pajamas), hit me up.  😉

Saturday Night Serenade–All For You

Happy February!  This time next week, we’ll be talking about Valentine’s Day.  I feel love songs coming on…

But for now, can you think of a song that just makes you happy when you hear them?  All For You by Sister Hazel is one of those for me.  I’m not sure whether it’s the melody, the harmony, the hook, or what, but I love this song.  And I always sing along, no matter where I hear it.

Last time I heard this, we were seated outside at one of our favorite restaurants.  My folks were in town visiting and Mr. R and I had taken them to dinner in downtown West Palm Beach.  Duffy’s is a local sports bar and grill, and there are several locations, but this one is in the heart of West Palm on Clematis Street.

As we sat there watching the world go by, I became aware of a couple of homeless guys standing not far from our table, one of whom was sipping his libation from a paper sack.  At first, I was a bit nervous until I realized they’d gathered to watch sports on the big televisions inside the restaurant.

I wondered when the staff would come to shoo them along.  Then something surprising happened.  One of the servers approached the men and spent a few minutes chatting with them, joking and laughing about the football game.

Instantly, I felt ashamed of my attitude.  Because you know what?  There but for the grace of God…

So I’m moving into this second month of the year with a greater appreciation for what I have, and, hopefully, more compassion for those around me.  Which makes me happy.

I hope you’re happy where you are this weekend, and that you’re staying warm.  I believe there’s a big game or something on television.  😉  Be sure to hug those you love.

Happy Saturday night!

Okay, I couldn’t resist…

Saturday Night Serenade–When All Hell Broke Loose

It’s been a week, hasn’t it?  Just last week I was giddy, happy about our anniversary.

My friend Danielle has had a rough couple of months.  Realizing it was a huge mistake, she called off her wedding.  Then last Friday, she lost her job.  So she headed off for the weekend to blow off a little steam.  In Las Vegas.

When I woke up Monday morning to the news about the mass shooting, I went crazy trying to get in touch with her.  She’d marked herself ‘safe’ on Facebook, and eventually, I heard from her.  She was in a different part of the Strip, and was completely safe.

Then came news about Tom Petty.  He was dead.  Then he wasn’t dead.  Then he was dead again.  For Pete’s sake, can we please get these things right?

I’ve never been a huge fan, but he’s one of those artists you come to realize has been the soundtrack for a lot of your life.  This song, American Girl, seems to encapsulate a lot of what we’ve had to wrap our heads around this week.  This version is from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it’s stellar.

Any good news?  Danielle returned home safely.  She’s not married to a guy she doesn’t love.  Oh, and she starts a great new job on Monday.

I’m hoping tonight finds you and your loved ones safe and sound.  Hug’em tight, because you just never know.  If you’re on the Gulf Coast, please take care.

Happy Saturday night!

Saturday Night Serenade–I Don’t Get It

It’s happened again.  We’ve lost someone who seemed to have it all.  At his own choosing, apparently.  And so we wonder why.

Tonight’s serenade is footage from that last night, that last performance, and as we watch, we know now that these were his last few hours on earth.  We search his eyes for clues.  Did he know?  Was it all part of a plan?  Or was it just an impulsive thing?

We search the lyrics.  Was there some underlying message of despair?  All grunge songs are pessimistic, aren’t they?

The reality is, there’s no way we could have known, no way we could have realized what was going on inside.  Deep down in the pit of our souls is where each one of us faces our own worst enemy, ourselves.  If we’re blessed, we have people around us we can trust and confide in, those who won’t judge us if we cop to being less than fabulous all of the time.

We’ll probably never know the whys.  The best we can do is hope that Chris Cornell has finally found the peace that eluded him in his day to day life.

And we can remember that life is a fleeting thing, to be grasped and appreciated.  We can remember to say the things we need to say, mend the fences that need mending, and hug those we love.

Happy Saturday night!

Black Hole Sun

In my eyes
Indisposed
In disguise
As no one knows
Hides the face
Lies the snake
And the sun
In my disgraceBoiling heat
Summer stench
‘Neath the black
The sky looks dead
Call my name
Through the cream
And I’ll hear you
Scream again

[Chorus:]
Black hole sun
Won’t you come
And wash away the rain?
Black hole sun
Won’t you come?
Won’t you come?

Stuttering
Cold and damp
Steal the warm wind
Tired friend
Times are gone
For honest men
And sometimes
Far too long
For snakes

In my shoes
A walking sleep
And my youth
I pray to keep
Heaven send
Hell away
No one sings
Like you anymore

[Chorus 2x]

(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)

Hang my head
Drown my fear
‘Til you all just disappear

[Chorus 2x]

(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
(Black hole sun,
Black hole sun)
Won’t you come?
Won’t you come?
Won’t you come?

Saturday Night Serenade–Hozier

I know we’re not quite to Fall yet, but it’s September and that always makes me nostalgic for cooler breezes and bright-colored leaves, for pumpkins decorating porches and mantles, and hot cider in large mugs.  We don’t get much in the way of Fall in South Florida, but it all seems so romantic.

With that in mind, for tonight’s serenade I’ve chosen this romantic song and video by Hozier.  It reminds me that true love overlooks the frailties and faults in others, not to our harm, but in a way that extends a little slack to our partners who are less than perfect from time to time.

Plus, I’m a sucker for a man-bun, so there’s that.

Tonight, curl up with the one(s) you love and think about them with renewed appreciation–after all, none of us is perfect.

If it’s cool where you are, even better.  Happy Saturday night!

 

Saturday Night Serenade–Bonnie Raitt

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Saturday Night Serenade–All You Need Is Love

Who doesn’t love love?  I love love.  And I love this movie, Love Actually.  I know.  It’s a Christmas movie.  And it’s August now, and hotter than ‘old Miss Hot and she died hot’, as my dad would say.  But the sentiment is here.  All you need is love.

When misunderstandings and disagreements inevitably come along, we need to remember that we come from a starting place of love.  Mr. R. and I were married in our back yard nearly five years ago.  We were married there twice, actually, the first ceremony a very private affair conducted by a friend of ours, a dotty little Wiccan.  There was sage and a feather and water and soil and a tiny bell.  It was deliciously weird and wonderful.

Our formal wedding (well, more formal than that, anyway) was held a few months later, a huge celebration with all our friends.  And when the deed was done, I had someone press ‘play’ on the iPod to play this song.  I wish we could have had the choir and the brass and all, but it was beautiful, nonetheless.

Here’s to all the hopeless romantics out there.  Because all you need is love.  Happy Saturday night!

 

Launch Day!

My new book Rannigan’s Redemption Part 2: Running Rogue is out today on Amazon, iTunes, B&N, Kobo, & Smashwords.  It’s the continuation of the story of the complicated relationship between highpowered Manhattan attorney Michael Rannigan and Maggie Flynn, the smart, spunky redhead he hired straight out of law school.

Michael Rannigan is running rogue. Since Maggie’s abrupt departure from the law firm of Murphy, Rannigan, & Metheny, he’s been in a tailspin. As he limps along in the new normal, he misses her more than he ever imagined.

Maggie misses Michael as well. But she makes the best of her new job at the District Attorney’s office. Occasionally they cross paths in court, each assessing the other. Like Michael, she finds herself making questionable personal choices.

When opportunity knocks for Michael he leaps at it, maybe as much to avoid Maggie’s absence as anything else. The fact that his decision impacts everyone else at the firm doesn’t slow him down at all.

Then comes news that shakes him to his core. Now that he’s burned all his bridges, who will be there to help him pick up the pieces?

This is what I came home to today.  My sweet wanted to surprise me for Launch Day.  It’s reason #497 I’m the luckiest girl on the planet.

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

The old year washes away as the New Year rolls in.  2015 was an eventful year for us.  I can scroll back over the posts from the past year and see something of a time capsule.

• My baby got married and moved nearly 1,600 miles away.
• We started taking better care of ourselves due to Mr. R.’s health scare in May.  And yes, even I’m working out and eating ‘vetch-tables’ now.
• Mr. R. was unceremoniously dropped by his company of over 14 years.
• He accepted the same position with a better company a couple of months later.
• I published two books.

We remain grateful for all our blessings and look forward optimistically to all that 2016 will bring.  There will be more books published, the next one  in February.  Mr. R. will continue to grow his professional skill set as different responsibilities are added to his repertoire.  I will continue to work out and maintain an uneasy alliance with ‘vetch-tables’.

And we’ll continue to meet every challenge together, as each other’s best advocate and biggest fan.

Happy New Year!