Wednesday Wild Card: This just in…

Apparently, my niece has taken up snake handling.

Wednesday Wild Card: Wedding Songs

My friend and champion blogger (she loves to be called that), Sarah, is celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary this month and has issued a challenge to her friends to write about the songs that were in their weddings. If we write our stories and link them to her blog she will read them all and then choose a random winner to receive an Amazon gift card. Whoohooooo!

So… now I’m in a quandary. I mean, if she’s going to choose a RANDOM winner, then all I really need to do is write any old half-baked blog post with the songs listed in it, right? But no, that just wouldn’t be right. I must uphold the high writing standards that this blog has strived so hard to maintain. (cough)

Glenn and I got married in December 1992. I did most of the planning, because that is what the girl does. And the wedding day is all about the girl, right? The guy just has to show up.

So. Songs. I am not against tradition, but I remember wanting to try to choose some songs that people didn’t normally hear at weddings. Because heaven forbid the music started playing and someone said “oh, I’ve heard this one, this is boring” and then everyone made a mass exodus out the back door. That would have been embarrassing!

You will laugh, because two of the songs probably fall squarely into the category of “songs people have already heard” although perhaps back then they weren’t completely overplayed just yet. My very dear friends, Rick and Jennifer Dunn, each sang a solo as the service was beginning. Rick sang “I Will Be Here” by Steven Curtis Chapman. I chose that one simply because I liked it. A friend had introduced me to SCC’s music a few years before, and once I had heard that song I knew I would want it played at my wedding.  Jennifer sang “Doubly Good” which I think is an Amy Grant song. I had heard it sung at her wedding (Jen’s… not Amy Grant’s) a couple years prior, and I liked it.

Now, the really sad part about those first two songs is, I never got to hear either one of them. In a sad turn of events which is a mystery to this day, the tape recording that was made of our wedding service was lost immediately after the event, never to be seen or played. Plus, we did not have a wedding video made. Which is a story for another day.

As the bridesmaids came down the aisle, I had Vivaldi’s “Guitar Concerto in D Major,” play to accompany them. And the inspiration for that song? Sesame Street. Yes, the reason I was familiar with that tune was,as a child watching Sesame Street I had seen a video as part of the show… it was a montage of flowers and landscapes and the like… and “Guitar Concerto in D Major,” as the background track. To this day when I hear that melody I first see a close up of colorful flowers with raindrops falling on them. In later years I discovered the song on a record or tape that my Dad had, and I would play it and remember those images from the Sesame Street video.   It’s a lovely, light tune that I thought would work nicely for the bridesmaids. And so it did. At least I think so. I never really got to hear it since I wasn’t in the room at that point!

My processional was Pachelbel’s Canon. A popular tune, yes. But I loved it, and it was better than the wedding march! I first fell in love with the Canon after hearing it at the National Air and Space Museum. Indeed. When the museum first opened, their feature film, “To Fly!,” was the main attraction in their IMAX theater, and I saw it countless times. Pachelbel’s Canon is featured prominently in the soundtrack.

Then in the midst of the service, right after we said our vows, there was a prayer. Immediately following, a men’s quartet from our church sang “Sweet, Sweet Spirit” a cappella. My favorite part! (Well, other than the whole getting married to the love of my life thing.) I chose it because I thought the lyrics and message fit nicely at that point… and also, who doesn’t love to hear four-part harmony?

So there you go! The recessional was just an instrumental piece that my Dad helped me pick out, but it had no particular significance.

Sarah… pick me! pick me!    And… happy anniversary to you and Randy!

Wednesday Wild Card: Cadillac Man

Photo dated 1986. This is my Dad at one of the many car shows he used to attend. Here he is shown with one of his 1949 Fleetwoods (he had two that were identical, I have no way of knowing which one this is).

In case you were wondering, he is wearing utterly typical “Dad” attire. There was a time when he also favored a certain leather flight jacket so much that if he had only had a whip at his side, he could have been Indiana Jones. Except for the lack of daring adventures.

Just thought I’d pull this one out in honor of “Happy Birthday, Dad” week.

Wednesday Wild Card: Dinner Conversation

[Heard last night over a highly praised and rapidly consumed supper of pancakes, sausage and fried apples...]

Aaron:  “I’m going to weigh myself after supper and see if I’m over 100 pounds!”

Brent: “You don’t weigh that much.”

Aaron: “I’m in the 80s…”

Brent: “I’m in the 90s.”

Aaron “That’s because you’re FAT.”

Brent: “I’m not fat. I’m building muscle mass.”

Wednesday Wild Card: I’ll Show You Mine if You’ll Show Me Yours!

Here’s a fun exercise that I came up with all by myself. I challenge you to publish in your blog (or, send me via blog comments, or via email or Facebook) a complete list of all the albums you have on vinyl. The rules are simple: you need to list everything. Don’t be selective in order to avoid embarrassment. Just lay it all out there!

When you read my list below, you will note that I am an avid collector of “Greatest Hits” collections.  I guess that means I’m too lazy to get to know many groups by anything more than their top songs.  Shameful, I know.  You will also surely see some odd entries that will make you scratch your head, like, “what was she thinking, buying that album?”  But, that’s the fun of doing this project!

So, here goes… [deep breath] I now present you my collection of vinyl record albums:

• ABBA: The Singles
• Air Supply: Greatest Hits
• History of America|Greatest Hits
• The Association: Greatest Hits
• The Beatles: Love Songs
• Pat Boone: Greatest Hits  (I know!)
• Boston
• Bread: Manna
• Bread: Baby I’m-A Want You
• Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians: Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars
• Michael Card: Present Reality
• The Carpenters: Close to You
• The Cars: Greatest Hits
• Peter Cetera: One More Story
• Chicago: If You Leave Me Now
• Chicago: 18
• Chicago: 19
• Chicago: Greatest Hits 1982-1989
• The Chiffons: Best of the Chiffons
• Nat King Cole: Best of
• The Harry Connick, Jr. Trio
• Crosby, Stills & Nash: So Far
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Déja Vu
• Crosby, Stills & Nash
• Crosby, Stills & Nash: Daylight Again
• Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: American Dream
• The Doobie Brothers: Minute by Minute
• Eagles: Greatest Hits 1971-1975
• Eagles: Greatest Hits Vol. 2
• The Very Best of the Everly Brothers  (I know! I know!)
• The Everly Brothers: 24 Original Classics
• Dan Fogelberg: Netherlands
• Dan Fogelberg: Greatest Hits ** This is the very first album I ever bought!
• Dan Fogelberg: Souvenirs
• Dan Fogelberg: Windows & Walls
• Dan Fogelberg: Exiles
• The Four Freshman: Voices and Brass
• George Harrison: Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989
• Herman’s Hermits: The Greatest Hits
• The Hollies Greatest Hits
• Indigo Girls
• Al Jarreau: Breakin’ Away
• Al Jarreau: L is for Love
• Billy Joel: Greatest Hits
• Billy Joel: The Stranger
• Howard Jones: Dream Into Action
• Howard Jones: Action Replay
• Journey: Greatest Hits
• Best of Kansas
• Come Dancing with the Kinks: Best of the Kinks 1977-1986
• Huey Lewis & The News: Fore!
• Little River Band: Greatest Hits
• The Manhattan Transfer: Brasil
• The Manhattan Transfer: Vocalese
• Johnny Mathis: Greatest Hits
• Johnny Mathis: Heavenly
• Bobby McFerrin: Simple Pleasures
• The Monkees
• Then and Now: Best of the Monkees
• Anne Murray’s Greatest Hits
• The Great Roy Orbison: All Time Greatest Hits
• The Platters: Anthology
• The Platters: More Encore of Golden Hits
• The Police: Every Breath You Take | the Singles
• Restless Heart: Wheels
• Simon & Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits
• Steely Dan: Greatest Hits
• James Taylor: Greatest Hits
• James Taylor: Never Die Young
• Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite
• Best of 3 Dog Night
• Toto: Fahrenheit
• Toto: Past 2 Present 1977-1990
• The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
• The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3
• Randy Travis: Always & Forever

And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this little peek into my music collection. If this exercise has raised some burning questions in your mind, like why does she have a Randy Travis album? or maybe who are “The Four Freshmen?” … well, I will gladly attempt to answer your inquiries… IF you are willing to share your own list of vinyl record albums

Now… let’s see yours!