Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label entertainment. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Auld Lang Syne


Another "copy cat" blog post, but I was very happy to find this to share.

Listen up!

This was put up on YouTube on Nov 13, 2013.

Here's all the information describing it which is quite a lot and including many facts I did not know.

No copyright is claimed in [the music].
Arista/Legacy's 2012 compilation The Classic Christmas Album is not the first collection of Kenny G's holiday recordings -- he's had two prior, both compiling highlights from three albums -- but this set whittles down his seasonal tunes to a compact 16 tracks. As expected, most of the big Christmas carols and seasonal standards are here: "Winter Wonderland," "White Christmas," and "Silver Bells" sit alongside "Silent Night," "Do You Hear What I Hear," and "The First Noel." Perhaps there are no surprises, but any listener looking for a consistent collection of Kenny G's Christmas songs will find this quite enjoyable. (Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine for Allmusic)
http://www.allmusic.com/album/release...
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song. It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Boy Scout youth movement, in many countries, uses it as a close to jamborees and other functions.
The song's Scots title may be translated into English literally as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago", "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".
The phrase "Auld Lang Syne" is also used in similar poems by Robert Ayton (1570--1638), Allan Ramsay (1686--1757), and James Watson (1711) as well as older folk songs predating Burns. Matthew Fitt uses the phrase "In the days of auld lang syne" as the equivalent of "Once upon a time..." in his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language.
The song begins by posing a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten, and is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships. Thomson's Select Songs of Scotland was published in 1799 in which the second verse about greeting and toasting was moved to its present position at the end.
The confusion over the song is arguably almost as much of a tradition as the song itself. As revelers stumble and mumble through the verses--singing the "auld lang syne" part much louder than the rest of the song because it's really the only part people know--someone always asks what the words mean.
The title of the Scottish tune translates to "times gone by" and is about remembering friends from the past and not letting them be forgotten.
Despite its strong association with New Year's Eve, "Auld Lang Syne," written by Robert Burns in the 1700s, was never intended to be a holiday song. Guy Lombardo is credited with popularizing the song when his band used it as a segue between two radio programs during a live performance at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York in 1929. By coincidence, they played "Auld Lang Syne" just after the clock hit midnight, and a New Year's tradition was born.
The song, and the confusion that comes with it, has been immortalized in countless movies and TV shows.

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you'll buy your pint cup !
and surely I'll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we've wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there's a hand my trusty friend !
And give me a hand o' thine !
And we'll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

sound recording administered by SME
(thanks for allowing this to remain)
"The AUDIO content does not belong to me. I do not profit from these Videos and/or Slideshows. I do not own copyrights of the images, which are from free websites. This is strictly for Educational use and Commentary purposes."
Copyright Disclaimer--"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Auld Lang Syne


Tuesday, April 14, 2015

No Big Deal, But Wait!...

...It Was A VERY BIG DEAL!

We are so glad we considered it a big enough deal to show up for our youngest granddaughter's graduation from Baptist College of Health Sciences.

This graduation was a big deal beyond our expectations. It had been a long time since we had been to a college/university commencement ceremony, and we were so proud to see Sarah receive her diploma after four years of studies. She is now a Radiation Therapist. Having said that, we've told you pretty much all we know. When I saw her with a book entitled Anatomy when she was in her first year, I knew she was going to learn all kinds of "stuff" I did not know and didn't want to know. Did I say we are proud of her? It's more than that, but hard to express our feelings. It would have been such a shame to have missed her graduation after her studying for four long years to attain her diploma.





The above photos are of the interior and exterior of Bellevue Baptist Church in Cordova, Tennessee, where the commencement ceremony took place. To say it is a large church does not describe what this church is like. I have to use the term "mega church" to attempt to explain what it was like. So many people attended this celebration that not even enough programs were printed for the occasion. The prelude, procession, and the awarding of the diplomas and honor awards were all so very impressive. The commencement speech was the best I'd ever heard. Special music was "You Lift Me Up" by a violinist and soprano, that did exact what it's title says.

Some photos from our trip >>>>>>>
Trip for Graduation


Definitely was a BIG DEAL!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Warming up in time for St. Pat's

Just for general information, we've completed another year of residence in Alabama, which totals seven.

We just about "wore ourselves out" celebrating Saint Patrick's day on March 17.

Slowed down a whole lot on taking photos. Here they are:
March of 2015

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Kenny Chesney @ Flora Bama

We both remember our first visit to the Flora-Bama. BUT, we had different reactions to it.

Mine was = BEEN THERE DONE THAT.
WDS was = GOTTA DO THIS EVERY TIME WE COME TO THE BEACH.

Guess who won out ...

It is so good to see this video of Kenny's concert in August of 2014.

KENNY CHESNEY: LIVE AT FLORA BAMA

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Double Barrel Post


WHEN? Sunday · March 17

WHERE? Fairhope, Alabama · find us on the map

We missed this event our first year here in 2008 and last year in 2012, but have attended every other year we've lived in South Baldwin County. It offers over 200 exhibitors from across the nation. Live entertainment is included, along with many booths offering food and refreshment. All of this takes place on the streets of beautiful downtown Fairhope.


Admission is free to the festival, and the only expense for us was two dollars each way from the Piggly Wigley parking lot on BRATS (Baldwin County Area Transportation System), plus our food and drink at the festival itself. A person could spend lots of $$$ on many interesting and unusual items and some great art, but we curbed our appetite for spending.


About David Tate, the artist who painted this years artwork:

We wanted you to know about the artist who painted this year's artwork because David Tate is originally from Mississippi.

The Planning Committee for the 61st Annual Arts & Crafts Festival has selected the official artwork to be printed on festival posters and T-shirts. The artwork was created by local artist David Tate and features the most popular site and destination in Fairhope, the Fairhope Municipal Pier and rose garden. The impressionistic acrylic painting is bright and colorful and is a scene depicting the view of the pier from the Henry George Park on the bluff.

Tate’s work was chosen after a year of research by the committee to pick just the right work of art for the popular festival that brings an estimated 350,000 people to the downtown area for the three-day Eastern Shore Chamber event, which takes place March 15, 16 & 17.

"The moment I saw David’s work I knew that I wanted him to be this year’s festival artist,” said Debbie Floyd, festival chairman. “His paintings exhibit the calm and restful nature that exemplifies this wonderful little town called Fairhope. When I look at our poster, I can feel myself standing on the bluff with a summer breeze blowing through the trees. I hope everyone who sees it feels the same way."

“That is my favorite view,” said Tate. “I enjoy the sun sets and listening to the Baldwin Pops perform there.”

A native of Columbus, Miss., Tate and his wife, Rhonda moved to Fairhope in 2003. The couple has been married for 42 years, and they have two grown children and one grandchild. Tate did not pursue a career as an artist until retiring from the retail industry, moving to Fairhope and finally taking art classes locally. Although he knew at a young age he could draw, the inspiration developed upon moving to the haven for artists.

Tate said he spends many hours every day painting and has found his niche. His works are exhibited at the Fairhope Artists Gallery, "The moment I saw David’s work I knew that I wanted him to be this year’s festival artist,” said Debbie Floyd, festival chairman. “His paintings exhibit the calm and restful nature that exemplifies this wonderful little town called Fairhope. When I look at our poster, I can feel myself standing on the bluff with a summer breeze blowing through the trees. I hope everyone who sees it feels the same way."

“I’m excited about having my work selected for the official artwork this year,” said Tate. “It makes me feel good any time someone is interested in my work.” During last year’s festival Tate said he sold more than a dozen paintings. He will once again have new works on display during this year’s festival inside the Fairhope Artist Gallery, 18 S Section St Fairhope, AL 36532, (251) 990-8763.


Here's a very sentimental video that says much about the town of Fairhope.
Fairhope Song Video

The weather was beautiful and since it was St. Patrick's Day, there were many activities vying for attention and participation.

We left the festival in a mood to continue enjoying ourselves and stopped at Magnolia River Bar and Grill in Magnolia Springs before returning home.

Here's some photos from the day's activities Luck of the Irish



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Home of Claude Monet

Ever since I visited the Waverly Mansion near Columbus, Mississippi, I have known I loved to visit old homes. Today was the first time I knew this much about the home of the painter, Claude Monet, when I received a powerpoint attached to an email. At that point I thought of numerous people who would probably enjoy viewing it.

As luck would have it, I found the same show on YouTube and made an immediate decision that if I ever did travel to France, this would be a place I would want to visit.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Our Trip to Branson, Missouri


We've been RVing since 2004, but this blog did not begin until April of 2007. We were reminded of a very enjoyable vacation we took before we even had an RV. It took place in 2001 in Branson, Missouri.

Branson is known for their many theaters and live shows to enjoy. We took in at least three of those shows, and I've found some photos from that trip to share.
Branson 2001

We did look much younger back then. After all, eleven years does make a difference.

While in Branson, we also spent a day at an amuzement park -- Silver Dollar City.

The most spectacular and most expensive show we saw was a dance show similar to River Dance. If you ever have a chance to see such a show, you'll never forget it.



Apparently Branson will be celebrating their 100th year next month.

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Coastal Choral Snowbird Serenade


WHEN? Saturday · February 25

WHERE? First Baptist Church of Gulf Shores, Alabama

WHAT? Coastal Chorale

This afternoon's Snowbird Serenade performance featured many familiar songs along with several others I had not heard, and all were beautifully done.

The last song performed was "The Phantom of the Opera Medley" for which the scene was set at the beginning of the concert when all the members had on masquerade masks.

Perhaps you can get a feel for it by watching this video:
The Phantom of the Opera

I always enjoy seeing this group perform. This time, my friend, Roger, went with me, and it was his first time to attend one of their performances.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Light Show @ Texas Church

WHEN? Tuesday · December 8

WHERE? White's Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake, Texas

WHAT? Holiday Light Show

My sister referred me to this show taking place through Christmas Eve. I have friends and relatives in Texas who may have the chance to see it in person because Southlake is a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth and considered part of the Metroplex. For us, it looked like something to share via "armchair travel" on this blog. Not only may you find the YouTube video a very entertaining experience, you may even want to look at information on the church's website about this event.
Celebrate the Light 3-D Christmas Spectacular


Monday, December 5, 2011

Final Coastal Choral Performance of 2011


WHEN? Sunday · December 4

WHERE? Spirit Center at Foley United Methodist Church

WHAT? Coastal Chorale Christmas concert

Reviews:


"Fabulous ... unbelievably good."
- maedeans


"In a class with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians and The Ray Conniff Singers. They sing with a masterful blend of their voices."
- The Perpetual Vacationers


"Still wonderful entertainment - and still some funny stuff like "Chopsticks Theme and Variations" - like everything else, the price had to increase from $10 to $15"
- MDS

This afternoon's Christmas performance featured some familiar Christmas songs along with several others we had never heard, and all were beautifully done.

If you missed this last performance, never fear, they will perform again in February of 2012:
SNOWBIRD SERENADE

"The Music of the Night"

Thursday, February 23, 2012 - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 24, 2012 - 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 25, 2012 - 3:00 pm
Saturday, February 25, 2012 - 7:30 pm
Sunday, February 26, 2012 - 3:00 pm

(Serenade performances at First Baptist Church, Gulf Shores)





Their first number was an oldie from the 50's. Maybe this video will put you in the Christmas spirit. BTW, Santa Claus was there...

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Fourth Annual Oyster Cookoff


WHEN? Saturday · November 5

WHERE? Gulf Shores, Alabama

We attended last year's Oyster Cookoff at The Hangout ,but the milder temperatures this year made it more enjoyable.

We knew the "lay of the land" which was about the same as it was last year outside The Hangout in the Beer Garden with teams set up in booths cooking oysters to vie for honors with judges. When we arrived, we found some friends at about the same table in the garden. An event for entertaining all ages, it was a good chance to "people watch."

The three categories for the competition were: Oyster Rockefeller, Cajun Oysters, and Chief's Choice Raw. I had a couple of the first two categories but left before the final competition began. Recorded music was played until around 1:45 when The Rantmakers, a band from Nashville, Tennessee, began performing live on the stage. They were very good. I had hoped to show you a video of one of their songs, but I did not punch the right buttons on my camera. I did manage to get a photo of one of the band member's bare feet, which was sort of like Jimmy Buffett's concerts. I love anything that laidback and could not resist including such a photo.

Check out our photos on Flickr at:

Fourth Annual Oyster Cookoff at The Hangout

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

National Aviation Museum



WHEN? Wednesday · November 2

WHERE? Pensacola, Florida ·

WHY? Practice by Blue Angels

Ever since we've been living in Lower Alabama, we've been meaning to visit the Aviation Museum in Pensacola again. Today we combined that with also seeing the Blue Angels practice behind the museum.

We can now tell you that this was just as enjoyable as the air shows put on annually at the Pensacola Beach without all the traffic congestion. We will tell you that the air shows at the beach include other air planes as well as the Blue Angels. In that respect, they are special. We are considering going to an actual air show at the museum later this year to see how that is from the standpoint of the close visibility.

It is just about impossible to take photos of the Blue Angels because by the time one hears them they are already gone because of their speed. That is why we started taking videos instead. Even those are the typical amateur non-award-winning variety, but they do prove we were there :)


National Aviation Museum and Blue Angels Practice.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

40th Annual Shrimp Festival



WHEN? Thursday - Sunday · October 13-16

WHERE? Gulf Shores, Alabama · find us on the map

WHY? 40th Annual National Shrimp Festival

This blog post must begin with our disappointment in this year's festival. It has to do with economics. We are retired and on a fixed income. With the price of everything going up, we will probably not attend anymore Shrimp Festivals.

It sounds good that there is no admission to the event, but the best way to attend is to catch a shuttle, so we parked in Bruno's parking lot in Gulf Shores. Then, our first surprise came. The price was $2 a person; last year it was $1 a person.

We had specifically arrived near lunch time to seek out the same meal we had eaten last year. We did not really find it, but one booth had what they called a Paella Dinner for $15 (for one person). Last year a similar meal that was better than this one was $8. We shared the one meal while listening to J.B. Melody on the East Stage.

Anything we saw to possibly purchase had higher prices. One jewelry booth told me they were paying more for what they were selling. So that is what it is about -- inflationary prices across the board.

To see the few photos we took, visit 40th Shrimp Festival of 2009 on Flickr.

As we write this, three more days are left to attend this annual festival in Gulf Shores.

Friday, September 30, 2011

On the Road to Texas and Back

We've been back from Texas for four days, but it's been a little more difficult to recover because we set off foggers right before we left to rid the place of pests. Even though it was an excellent time to do this, making sure things are safe to use -- like washing all the dishes, in addition to washing a week's worth of laundry has kept us from telling you about our fun-packed trip.

Rather than a blog post that really covers it, we're resorting to showing you photos we took, like we did on our trip away from Alabama last spring. You can see them on Flickr at:

On the Road - Sept. 21, 2011
On the Road ~ Sept. 22, 2011

On the Road ~ Sept. 24, 2011

On the Road ~ Sept. 26, 2011
On the Road ~ Sept. 27, 2011

You may have noticed there are no pictures for Sept. 25th. We are saving perhaps the best for last. That afternoon we went to see a live musical at Theatre Arlington entitled "FOREVER PLAID." The four men performing had done this musical many years ago and said they wanted to do it again before they were in wheel chairs. What a treat it was. This YouTube video gives you a good example of what variety this show contained, but you would have had to be in the audience to have the full benefit.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

7th Annual Balloon Festival



WHERE? Foley, Alabama · find us on the map





As I discovered from talking with my Flickr friend, Brody, not all hot air balloon festivals are equal or the same. We waited quite a long time today before any balloons showed up. If you had seen the dark storm clouds in the sky, you would not have wondered why. For awhile, we thought they would not show up at all. And, when they did, the sun still was not getting though on a regular basis, so not many photos of them were worth keeping.

See our photos on flickr:

Balloon Festival 2011

To see some really professional photos taken on various days of the festival, see Brody J's photos on flickr:

Foley Balloon Fest 2011

The website for the festival is very informative, and we encourage you to visit it not only for information about this year's festival but also some facts about upcoming balloon festivals.

Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival

Saturday, June 4, 2011

2nd Annual Bald Eagle Bash


WHEN? Saturday · June 4, 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

The Weeks Bay Foundation hosted the Bald Eagle Bash again this year, and the party was held at the waterfront Tonsmeire Weeks Bay Resource Center (old Lulu’s location) at the Fish River Bridge on U.S. Highway 98 in Fairhope.

The unique taste of Alabama Wild Shrimp was prepared by these great restaurants under the resource center’s building:
Beckwith Camp and Conference Center
Big Daddy's Grill
Bimini Bob's
Blue Marlin Restaurant
Bluegill Restaurant
Fly Creek Café
Islamorada Fish Company
Jesse's Restaurant
Les Roux
LuLu's at Homeport Marina
Tamara's Downtown
The Tin Top Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Wintzell's Oyster House

Over 900 people attend this party with great food, great music by Locust Fork Band, and, best of all, a great cause for preservation of "one of the most beautiful and diverse environments on planet earth ... in Baldwin County" (Phil Norris in THE PELICAN POST, Spring 2011).

Title sponsors for this year's event were BBVA Compass and the Coastal Land Trust. Other sponsors are shown on a sign among the photos from the event, which may be viewed on Weeks Bay Foundation's Facebook.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Been on the Road

... and in the air at times.

Have you missed us?

Hope not.

It's been so much trouble to fool with the photos, we're just going to show them to you and let that do it because we really don't feel like doing a blog post. Seems like maybe it's too much trouble to go into detail.

Does that make sense? Well, it does to us right now because we have things to do and places to go in Lower Alabama.

Here's the photos from a week of travel in Mississippi, Tennessee, and the upper part of Alabama.

Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Restaurant with lots of good atmosphere

WHEN? Thursday · May 12

WHERE? Daphne Alabama

We cannot imagine we'll ever run out of different restaurants in our area to experience. This one hadn't even been recommended to us, but we could not resist the atmosphere of being located on Mobile Bay in Daphne. When we do eat out, lunch is just about always the meal we choose. The restaurant has a Bahamas theme, and I really don't know if they ever have some music to go with the theme, but that was all the atmosphere lacked on our first visit. If some Calypso music had been in the background, we'd have felt like we were on a cruise because the weather was perfect to be out on the "deck".

2009 Cozumel cruise

We expect to return with friends to try other items on their menu. We noticed that certain side dishes seem to be standard, which is probably the reason their service is fast. The handcut Potato Fries and Island Slaw get good marks from us.



The photo at the top is actually from a cruise we took in 2008 with some of our new Lower Alabama friends.

We have a few photos we took on two different visits while dining here, which you may view at:
Bob Baumhower's Compleat Angler Seafood Grill & Bar

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Porch Swing in Tupelo

WHEN? Wednesday · April 20 ·

WHERE? Tupelo, Mississippi

We're both Elvis fans. I'm a fan of Elton John as well, but did not know about this song by Elton until I saw this:

Elton John · Porch Swing in Tupelo

Video Description on YouTube:
An emotional tribute to Elvis Presley and his beautiful birthplace in the South. This tribute focuses on that part of the young man, who turned out to be king, that will always belong to the timeless peace and eternal wonder of places like Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S. and on the contrast between the life Elvis had, when he grew up, and the life he lived, when he died. Once again a proof of what fame can do to people - but we would never have been without his wonderful music, talent and charm!

Back in May of 2010, we made our pilgrimage to the area where Elvis was born and lived. We took in Graceland in Memphis and stopped by Tupelo on a peaceful Sunday morning. While there we took some photos, which may be seen on Flickr at:
Tupelo, MS ~ Birthplace of Elvis
Elvis and Graceland
For some reason, it seems we've been blogging about fountains lately, so now we include our video of the Fountain of Life in Tupelo at Elvis' birthplace.


If the video above doesn't work, try this Flicker link:
Elvis Birthplace Fountain of Life

Saturday, April 16, 2011

The Dubai Fountain

WHEN? Anytime via armchair travel

WHERE? Dubai, United Arab Emirates



My thanks go to Tom for sending this link to me because I'm sure not ever going to see it in person. For more information on this amazing fountain, look at what Wikepedia has to say.

The Dubai Fountain

YouTube has many videos of this fountain. You might want to watch this one also.
Dubai fountain (UAE) - "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston