Miss Americana

 

 Note: I needed to update this as Taylor has been a very busy girl!

I'll be the first to admit that I did not start out as a Taylor Swift fan.  When I first heard her, I thought, her voice was so-so...but it was kind of "been-there-done-that".  After all, there was Tanya Tucker, Leann Rimes...

Then my older daughter became a fan.  We got Taylor's self-titled album for her.  When she was 6, she wrote a Happy Birthday letter to Taylor, including a photo.  At the last moment, I threw in a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and didn't expect anything after that.

After a few months I was checking the mail when I noticed a letter addressed to my daughter.  I recognized my own handwriting and was confused for a moment...until I saw the Nashville postmark.  Taylor answered the letter!  While the letter itself was a form letter (with a picture in the body), you could almost hear Taylor's voice in the words...but across the top, in Sharpie, was a hand-written note thanking my daughter by name!  (My daughter's reaction: "SHE SPELLED MY NAME RIGHT!!!"

That was it for me.  I became a fan.  My girl is 18 and STILL a fan.  As a matter of fact, it seemed like, every time Taylor changed her style, it was usually a little bit after my daughter changed hers. [Added note: In 2023, our girl is STILL a Swiftie; we got her tickets for the Eras Tour Concert Movie for her 21st birthday.]

 You've gotta love an artist who grows with you.

I also love how it's not all about her.  The dragons she has faced for other artists are numerous, but she stood her ground, made her point...and others reaped the rewards.

That said, here is my take on each of her albums, in order of preference...from "least" to Best:

11. Evermore (2020):  I was a little disappointed with Evermore.  Coming out so soon after Folklore, it felt to me more like outtakes.  Most of the songs are sung in her lower register, making them kind of whispery and droney.  Also, it felt like she "discovered" "bad words" in Folklore and really pushed it in Evermore; I found most of the vulgarity to be gratuitous.  Favorite track: No Body, No Crime (Honorable Mention: Marjorie)

10. Lover (2019):  This album is sweet, fun, peppy and bright...but also a little bit forgettable.  It kind of came and went (thanks, Covid), which is sad, because I loved its optimism.  I also wish that she hadn't decided to get "political", but that's my issue...not hers.  Favorite track: Paper Rings (Honorable Mention: Me!)

9. Reputation (2017):  Following up the spectacular 1989 was a hard thing to do, and she does it admirably.  It ranks this low because it was very dark; but considering what-all was going on in her life at the time, it's understandable.  Favorite track: Getaway Car (Honorable Mention: Look What You Made Me Do)

8. Red (2012):  Funny thing about this album.  It used to be ranked much lower, because I didn't like its confusing, almost schizophrenic vibe (Is it country?  Is it pop?)...only to find out that she did it on purpose!  Realizing this, it moved up in my estimation.  Favorite track:  All Too Well (Honorable Mention: Begin Again)

Red got "Taylor's Version"-ed in 2021, just a few months after "Fearless".  I really don't have much to say about this except, like the other TVs, it reaped the rewards of  hindsight and production.  Favorite vault track: All Too Well (10-minute version) (Honorable Mention: I Bet You Think About Me

7. Taylor Swift (2006):  As I mentioned, when it first came out, it was kind of "been-there-done-that"...until I realized that she wrote or co-wrote every song.  When I saw her perform "Should've Said No" during an award show, I turned to my husband & said, "Within 5 years, she's going to win Entertainer of the Year."  She did it in 3.  Favorite track: Should've Said No (Honorable Mention: Mary's Song (Oh My My My))

6. Midnights (2022): In the middle of Taylor's quest to reclaim her first few albums, painstakingly re-recording and pulling out "vault" tracks, she surprised us with an album of all originals.  It's fantastic that she can still be creative and original while revisiting her past.  This album has a similar feel to "Folklore" except a little harder.  I love how each song represents a different midnight in her life.  Favorite track: Anti-Hero (Honorable Mention: You're On Your Own, Kid)

5. Folklore (2020):  What did YOU do during the pandemic?  Taylor surprise-released not one, but 2 albums!  The first one is definitely the better of the 2.  The production is so rich, the writing so clever, and she was in wonderful voice.  A pleasant surprise.  Favorite track: Betty (Honorable Mention: August)

4. The Tortured Poets Department (2024): Another entirely new album by Taylor, she upped the ante by making this one a double album.  While I'm not overly fond of her more recent minimalist style - bare instruments, singing in a soft, lower register - it's hard to complain when the songs are so well written and the lyrics so descriptive.  With lines like, "Who uses typewriters anyway", "Now is not the time for typos" and "You look like Stevie Nicks in '75", there are stories told, broken hearts revealed, and a lovely little stab song. For normal people, there isn't a single skip track (the prettiest song on the album is triggering for me, so I don't count as normal).  Favorite Track: The Tortured Poets Department (Honorable Mention: loml)

3. Fearless (2008/2021):  The album that started the phenomenon.  This is a tricky one, as she has re-recorded it for...I won't waste space, and just say justifiable reasons.  Songs like "Change" were improved, but I was a little disappointed with the new "Fifteen". Favorite track, 2008: Forever & Always/2021: You All Over Me (Honorable Mention 2008: Fifteen/2021: Superstar)

2. 1989 (2014):  I wasn't sure what to expect when I heard that she was pretty much leaving country and going straight pop, but this was the way to do it.  I was so impressed with this album and the transition.  This album practically crackles and feels so alive.  Favorite track:  Out Of the Woods (Honorable Mention: I Know Places)

1989 got "TV'ed" in late 2023.  The production was so improved that some songs, like "Out of the Woods", actually made me cry.  There were only 5 Vault tracks this time.  Favorite vault track: Is It Over Now? (Honorable Mention: Now That We Don't Talk)

1. Speak Now (2010):  Never mind the fact that, at not-quite-21, she wrote every single song on this album herself...no co-writers.  Never mind the perfect straddling of country and pop.  Never mind the range of emotions, from silly (the title song) to touching (Never Grow Up) to fierce (Better Than Revenge) to singalong fun (Mine).  This album is my favorite because:  we had pre-ordered it for our girl for her 8th birthday.  Just a few days before her birthday, my husband ended up in the hospital and almost died.  The entire time he was in the hospital both of our daughters slept with me every night, and we had music playing on loop all night.  When she got the CD, she offered it to her Daddy to listen to that first night; however, every night after that, until he came home, this was the album in our player...and I never got sick of it.  I STILL haven't.  Favorite track: Haunted (Honorable Mention: Long Live)

Since the original writing "Speak Now" has gotten the Taylor's Version treatment in 2023.  I was of 2 minds of this.  While I was glad that she was finally owning this beloved album, the original held so many memories for me.  I needn't worry.  TV benefited from the added years, richer vocals, and imaginative producing.  Favorite vault track: Timeless (Honorable Mention: I Can See You)

She's not just an album artist; she has released a number of outside tracks as well.  She has worked on movie soundtracks ("Fifty Shades", "Valentine's Day", "Cats") and some "outside" numbers as well.  Some of my personal favorites include "Beautiful Ghosts" and her version of "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" from "Cats", "Safe and Sound" from "The Hunger Games" (with Civil Wars), and "Ronan" (which will break your heart).

The Boob Tube - Television

 

I am truly a child of the television age.  I don't remember life without television.  So many childhood memories of the family gathered in the living room, watching shows, movies, specials, etc.  I loved watching awards shows with my mother (and now, with my daughter).  I loved game shows, like "Name That Tune" and "Don Adams Screen Test".  I would get up early on weekends to watch all of the wonderful Saturday Morning Cartoons.  I even enjoyed the final moments of the test patterns in the morning, with its easy-listening instrumental jazz playing.

Movies are wonderful, but it's an all-in-one thing.  It starts, it plays, it ends.  Sometimes, there is a sequel.  Nowadays there are franchises.  However, TV shows are continuous.  You get together with the main characters to see what happens next, for a resolution to occur...unless you see the dreaded words, "...to be continued..."

I couldn't even begin to list all of my favorite shows.  There have probably been hundreds, from long-lasting ones (like "Sesame Street" or "Happy Days") to one-season wonders (like "APB" or "No Ordinary Family").  Here, I just want to mention 10 shows that mean a lot to me...literally the first ones that popped into my mind.  I love them all, in no particular order...except the first one IS my #1.

Quantum Leap (1989-1993)

This is easily my all-time favorite TV show.  It truly has something for everyone.  With only 2 main characters bouncing through time, you never know what you're going to get.  One week it could be a murder mystery; then the next week, a musical comedy; then, horror; then, a rom-com.  There is history, geography, science, and always drama.  Scott Bakula as Sam and Dean Stockwell as Al play off of each other beautifully.  The finale broke my heart more ways than I care to mention.

Favorite episode:  What Price Gloria? S2-4

The Monkees (1966-1968)

I don't remember a world without the Monkees in it.  They're even mentioned in my baby book!  Mike, Micky, Davy and Peter entertain me in so many ways...with their music, their comedy, their camaraderie, and their colorful world.  Peter Tork was probably my first crush.  The fact that I love watching it now just as much as I did as a child speaks volumes.  Side note: it was my thrill and pleasure to take my younger daughter to see Micky Dolenz...LIVE!...for her 15th birthday.

Favorite episode:  "The Devil and Peter Tork" S2-20

Starsky & Hutch (1975-1979)

As a child, I was never one for "cop shows".  Sometimes someone would watch something like "The Rookies" or "Emergency", and I'd usually go do something else.  However, when this show was first advertised, I wanted to see it.  I made a deal with my mom that I could watch the show in their room if I was really quiet.  I never missed an episode.  The funny thing is, when my husband & I were dating & getting to know each other, this was the first TV show we found we had in common!  Side note: I have 2 David Soul albums.

Favorite episode:  "Starsky's Lady" S2-19

Eight Is Enough (1977-1981)

Here was a show that I could almost completely relate to.  Yes, "The Brady Bunch" had a lot of kids, like my family, but it was a blended family.  Here was a family with 8 biological siblings!  The kids also tended to interact like the kids from a large family.  I won't get into the whole "stepmother" thing - I've never had a stepmother - but I thought that their choice to do that instead of recasting or canceling was a good call.  This show always made me feel at home.

Favorite episode:  "Yes, Nicholas, There Is a Santa Claus" S2-13 & 14

 Family Ties (1982-1989)

This was one of my younger brother's favorite TV shows.  He was a HUGE Michael J. Fox fan.  I always think of my brother when I watch it.  I'm currently re-watching the entire series with my girls.  I had forgotten how absolutely genius this show is!  The way they can hit an extremely dramatic moment, then add just the right touch of frivolity to lighten it up is incredible...and then there's the physical comedy!  The chemistry between all of the main characters is so tight; even in the first episode, one would think that they had all worked together before.  The affection they all have for each other is obvious (and was confirmed in a recent reunion special I watched).  Side note: the living room lamp now lives in Tina Yother's (Jennifer) living room!

Favorite episode:  "A, My Name is Alex" S5-23 & 24

 Miami Vice (1984-1989)

The first thing I ever knew about this show was hearing an ad for it in my parents' bedroom one night when I came home.  I was curious.  My husband & I were dating when it first came on & we'd watch it together; we watched it together almost every episode after, right up to the end. We related to some of the characters, and it was just an exciting show to watch.  We stuck to it, even when it got a little weird...like the episode that had something to do with aliens, peanut butter, and James Brown.

Favorite episode:  "Junk Love" S2-7

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

I don't know why we started watching this show.  My husband & I were certainly not in its key demographic.  Two similar shows came out at roughly the same time: this, and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch".  We watched them both, but stuck with this one.  It became a "date night" show: everyone who knew us knew not to call us when it was on.  This was a show that was a whole lot better than it had a right to be.  Oh, and no: our younger daughter is NOT named after the main character!

Favorite episode:  "Once More, With Feeling" S6-7

This Is Us (2016-present)

This show was THE "water cooler" show when it first came out.  I knew so many people who watched it & loved it.  Even my boss, who isn't really a big pop-culture person, told me that I should see it.  I really don't know why I didn't.  I always meant to.  Finally, one summer, I decided to give it a shot...and was hooked on the very first episode.  I'd tell my girls about certain points of each episode.  I guess they got sick of hearing about it, because they asked if they could watch it.  Now we watch it together.  We are totally invested with the Pearsons and their lives.

Favorite episode (so far):  "After the Fire" S4-17

The Good Doctor (2017-present)

This one is a bit of a switch.  My husband and/or I have introduced our daughters, to some level, to every show above.  This one, our older daughter got into it, and finally talked me into watching!  We now watch it together every week.   I view doctor shows like I do police shows:  I'm generally not into them.  This one is so different.  The show isn't so much about an autistic surgeon, but about a surgeon who just HAPPENS to be on the Autism spectrum.  Dr. Murphy is simultaneously lovable and exasperating.  The supporting characters are all flawed, but you take them to heart.  Well...maybe not Dr. Reznick...  Side note: I confess that I turn my head during the surgery scenes.  Every time.

Favorite episode (so far):  "Claire" S3-3

Villa Alegre (1973-1981)

This is the strangest one on this list.  I'll be honest, I remember very little about this show, although I can still hum the theme song.  The only time I ever watched it was when I was home from school, sick.  I would search it out and watch it.  I couldn't understand most of it, as it was mostly in Spanish, but something about the show grabbed me.  It gave me something to look forward to when I wasn't feeling well.  Just seeing this picture gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling...and puts the theme song firmly in my head.  ♫ La lalala la-la-la lalala La la-la-la-la...Villa Alegre! ♫

My Dad

My father has now rejoined my mother.  I guess he felt that 2 years apart was enough, especially after 67 years of marriage.  He died on June 6, which is also the anniversary of his mother's death.

Dad was Superman, and always the handsomest man in the room.  He definitely was my hero when I was growing up.  It seemed like he could do anything.  I especially loved watching him with Mom.  I loved seeing them getting all "gussied up" to go out, and every Saturday afternoon, after he got home from work & had lunch, they would go into their room & close the door.  It was understood that we were NOT to go in there unless there was blood or death!  Mom later confessed to me that sometimes they'd just nap, or just talk...but that's romantic, too.  I also remember every Labor Day weekend the 2 of them would take off...just the 2 of them.

He was very much a "hands-on" father.  I remember so many things:

One summer (it was 1973), he took us ALL for a week at the beach.  I remember one day, the weather wasn't great.  One thing I did to keep busy was wrote myself a schedule.  I ended it with "Bedtime".  The next time I saw that list, there was a line added to the bottom; it was 1/2-hour earlier than my bedtime, and was labeled "Bad Time".  It was in his handwriting.

I guess I might have been a bit of a brat when my younger brother arrived, just weeks before my 8th birthday.  I was the "baby" for so long.  Dad decided to remedy that.  Saturday evenings he would take me - JUST me - out for pizza and bowling.  We would have so much fun.  We stopped after a while.  Our family had a tradition that graduation from Junior High was followed with a special day, doing whatever the graduate wanted.  My choice: pizza and bowling with Dad, one more time.

One of my household chores was sweeping the cellar stairs.  The stairs were wooden, with a rectangle of carpeting in the middle.  There was about an inch between the carpeting and the vertical part of the step that always was full of dust & dirt.  Anyway, Dad told me that, if I found any change in that dirt, I could keep it.  I usually found pennies, but occasionally I'd find nickles & dimes, or the rare quarter.  It was many years later that I figured that he probably "seeded" the steps.

One time I had an assignment for music class.  I had to research a music-based job other than singer or musician.  I asked Dad to take me to the library so that I could research.  Instead, he took me to the local radio station and let me interview an actual disc jockey!

When I was taking Driver's Ed, Dad would let me drive home.  He'd give me directions: turn here, turn there.  Normally, at one  point he'd tell me that I needed to practice my parking, so he'd direct me to a parking lot, and I'd park the car.  He would then look at the sign that said "Haywards Ice Cream" and say, "Well, look where we are!  Since we're here..." and we'd have ice cream.

He had a very distinctive way of diving into a swimming pool.  He'd get up on the diving board, looking for all the world like a great (amateur) diver.  He'd bounce a few times, then take one BIG bounce...then he'd land on his butt on the board, bounce off, and PLOP into the water.  That never failed to make me laugh.

He had a great sense of  humor, but sometimes it was a little odd.  My favorite joke of his was, "When I die, if I could come back as something, I'd want to be a flower...so I could be a rein-carnation."  Anyway, one Christmas Dad decided to take our big light-up Santa, that usually stood on our porch, and put him on the roof.  My younger brother & I were watching TV, when suddenly we saw him fall down past the living room window to the ground.  We ran into the kitchen as he was coming in, holding his arm (which wasn't pretty...that's all I'll say).  Mom was getting ready to take him to the hospital.  I saw some red on his coat collar, and started to laugh.  My brother picked up on it, then Dad did.  We were all laughing.  Mom was upset & asked us what was so funny.  Dad calmly said, "What did you do before I took Santa out there?"  She answered, "I touched up Santa."  He asked, "What did you use?"  She answered, "Lipstick."  She still didn't get the joke, but the 3 of us thought that Dad with lipstick on his collar from Santa was hilarious.  (Maybe you had to be there...but it still makes me laugh.)

Another injury joke. (I apologize if I get any details wrong about this; it's not my story, but I loved hearing it.)  Dad injured  his hand at work.  He lost part of one finger and needed a skin graph.  Unfortunately, the hospital was pretty full, so they put him in the maternity ward.  After his skin surgery, he looked up at Mom, smiled, and said, "It's a girl!"

I'll admit that, as much as I love him, he easily intimidated me...even as an adult.  One day my husband & I were visiting Dad & Mom.  I was talking to Mom in her room; my husband was watching the NASCAR race with Dad.  My husband let me know when it was getting near the end of the race.  It was one of the closest finishes up to that point.  At the checkered flat, Dad said, "[Jeff] Gordon's got it."  I said, "No!  It was [Kevin] Harvick!  His first win!"  I then clapped my hand over my mouth.  Almost 37 years old, and still afraid of contradicting my father!  He only laughed (especially after the commentators confirmed that I was right).

He loved being a grandfather, and our girls loved their Pepere.  So many times I remember going to visit, and both girls would climb up on his big ol' chair with him.  He told me once that, whenever he needed to buy a new easy chair, he always made sure to buy a super-strong one, for just that purpose.

As much as I love him, talking to him was not so easy for me.  However, there was a period of a few years before he had his strokes when suddenly conversation became so nice and easy.  I'm thankful that, during that easy time, I was able to tell him "Thank you" for some of the above instances.

Again, thank you, Daddy...and I will always love you.

Let's All Go To the Lobby...Movies!

I love movies.  I could sit and watch movies for days on end.  I don’t mind seeing movies over and over.  I’m also a bit of a cinema-nerd: I absolutely love the art of making movies.  I love a great crane shot, or a dolly zoom; I love special effects and figuring out how the writers came out with exactly those words.  Lighting, timing, cinematography, stunts…anything that makes a movie…well…a movie.  All that said, here are some of my personal favorites, or ones that hold some significance for me.  I’m listing them in MY chronological order: the order I remember seeing them in.

West Side Story (1961) – This is going first only because I don’t remember exactly when the first time I saw it was.  I do remember begging my mother to let me watch it on TV; she said I could, if I took a nap so that I could stay up to watch it.  Now, I don’t nap.  I STILL don’t nap.  However, I made an honest attempt to nap, and I guess that was good enough, because I got to watch it.  I love musicals – of course I had seen “The Wizard of Oz” and “The Sound of Music”, but this was probably the first time I discovered that a musical could be dark and gritty as well.  At my wedding, I walked down the aisle to “One Hand, One Heart” from the soundtrack.

101 Dalmatians (1961) – This is the first movie-going experience that I remember, and I remember it as if it was only yesterday, even though I saw it in 1969.  I remember wearing my little “Dalmatian” coat to the movie, and I remember sitting my little stuffed Dalmatian, Lucky, by the door, promising him that I would tell him ALL about it when I got home…then, when I got home, I remember picking him up, and dancing him in circles into my room, in order to describe every detail.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) – THIS, however, is, was, and most possibly always will be, my favorite Disney Animated movie.  I must have seen it during its 1971 re-release, but it grabbed my heart and never let go.  Fun fact:  Lady (and some pictures that decorated my bedroom in my childhood) is the main reason I have long hair.

Once Upon a Time (1973) – This little-known animated movie holds a very sentimental place in my heart: it was the first time that I got to go to the movies with JUST my friends: parents dropped us off & picked us up, but Taffy, Karen, Christine & I got to go in alone.  I remember the theatre being almost empty, and we all sat near the front.  I remember loving it…and then never seeing it again.  A few years ago my husband found it on DVD for me & I decided to show our daughters (our older daughter was exactly the same age I was when I saw it).  I popped it into the player, we snuggled on the couch…when I was suddenly hit with the thought:  what if it’s totally lame, and I only loved it for the experience?  Thankfully, it was just as enchanting as I remembered…and they loved it.

Carrie (1976) – If hard-pressed to tell what my all-time favorite movie is, I would have to say this.  I remember the ads catching my attention; but, since I was only 12 and it was rated R, I couldn’t see it.  My sister did, and (remember: this was in the years before home theatres or even VHS), since we figured I’d never get to see it, she told me ALL about it.  My sister is an excellent storyteller, so, when I DID finally get to see it, I felt like I watched it before…except she DID leave out one teensy-weensy little detail about the very ending…which made the ending that much  more delicious.  You don’t want to know how many times I’ve watched it, and I will confess that I find it almost cathartic (having been bulled horribly in school).  Oh, side note: I DO like the 2013 remake.

Logan's Run (1976) – Speaking of movies that you don’t want to know how many times I’ve seen…This movie and “Titanic” rank as the only movies that I saw in the theatre more than once.  I really couldn’t tell you why this one ranks so high with me, but I love it and still pull it out once and again…and again…

The Rescuers (1977) – This was the first movie that I got to take my little brother to…just the 2 of us.  For that reason alone it belongs on this list…and makes me cry every single time I watch it.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978) – OK, don’t judge.  I KNOW this movie is a stinker, and that even the cast hates it.  However, I was about 13 when it came out, and had mad crushes on Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees AND Peter Frampton.  Seeing them both on the BIG SCREEN was a teenage girl’s dream come true.  I remember that I watched it alone: my mother went to the adjoining cinema to watch “Eyes of Laura Mars”.  The movie hit me so hard, I actually had trouble standing up when it was over.  Yes, I have it on DVD; and yes, I watch it again.  Every time I do, the little 13-year-old girl comes out to play.

Grease (1978) – I don’t think I saw more movies than I did during the years 1977-1980, and a lot of times, it was with friends.  However, when I think about my early-to-mid-teen years and seeing movies with friends, this is the first one that always pops into my mind.  The music!  The dancing!  The colors!  The story!  Whenever I hear “We Go Together”, tears of nostalgia form…and I smile.

Wait Until Dark (1967) – In 1979 I flew – all by myself – to visit my sister in Texas.  It was a great visit, and I’ll never forget it.  I especially remember one night she & I sat & watched this movie.  She didn’t give a spoiler, but she DID warn me that I would jump & scream near the end…but asked that I try not to, as her husband was asleep.  Well, THAT part came!  I jumped, and before I could make a sound, she clapped one hand on my shoulder & the other over my mouth!  It was such a great movie that it ranks as my 2^nd-favorite thriller…

Les Diaboliques (1955) – …only to be surpassed by this one.  When my husband & I were dating, his father introduced us to this little foreign gem.  You have to love a movie that has a disclaimer at the beginning, asking that you not give away any details of the movie after you watch it.

Precious (2009) – I know this is an odd pick.  It holds no nostalgia, and it’s not a “happy” movie.  As a matter of fact, it lands on most critics’ and movie lists’ “Movies You Can Only Watch Once” lists for its dark subject matter.  However, this one hits all of my “cinema-nerd” buttons.  Incredibly acted, wonderfully directed, and, while, once again, not a “happy” movie, it has one of the most simultaneously “down” and “upbeat” endings of just about any other movie I’ve seen.  Oh, and I HAVE watched it more than once.

Now, I don’t “love” every movie I see, and there have been movies that I saw and hated (“Fargo” comes to mind), but I have to admit that there was ever only one movie that I deeply regret having seen…one of those “Well, that’s an hour-and-a-half that I’ll never get back” movies.  That dishonor goes to 2012’s “Spring Breakers”.

Books

Although I don't have as much time to devote as I'd like, I still love to read.  I'm talking physical books.  I don't have a Kindle and, while I wouldn't turn one down if it were given to me, there's something about holding a physical book...flipping pages...using a bookmark...the scent...it's oddly satisfying.

The first favorite book I can remember is "Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure".  It's about a vain lion whose mane catches fire, and the lengths he goes through to get it back.  I first read it in first grade.  I went to a 3rd grade reading class and, whenever we had "free read time", I would run to the books and grab Hubert before anyone else would.  When, near the end of the school year, I ended up in the hospital, my teachers gave it to me.  I still have it.

While in the hospital, I also got a ton of "Big Little Books".  Those little bite-sized nuggets were wonderful.

In 3rd or 4th grade, each person in my class was assigned a different book by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Mine was "Little House On the Prairie". I was immediately hooked.  Eventually, my mother got me the entire collection...book by book.  It seemed to take forever, but I would read the new one as soon as I got it; I would read the books I had in chronological order, fitting the new one in its place.  Unfortunately, my mother didn't get them IN chronological order!  The last one I got was "By the Shores of Silver Lake"...which was #5 of the 9.  Once again, I still have them, although "Little House in the Big Woods" - the first one I got - has a masking-tape spine.  I still love Laura; a few years ago my husband gave me a wonderful book titled "I Remember Laura", with interviews of people who knew & loved her!

My mother knew that I liked to read, and would often get me books.  One book she gave me when I was about 10 or 11 was "Karen" by Marie Killilea.  It's a true story about Marie's daughter, Karen, and her battles with having Cerebral Palsy.  It's not an easy read: it took me 3 tries to get past the word "infinitesimal" on page 2!  However, once I got past that, I found a story rich in love, faith, and humor.  I have read it - and its sequel, "With Love, From Karen" - several times.  It wasn't until just a few years ago that I found out that I was actually named after this book!

I still love to read.  Some of my other favorites:

• The Bible, which I have read - cover to cover - several times.
• Most of the early works of Stephen King, including "Carrie" and "The Stand".
• "Swan's Song" and "They Thirst" by Robert McCammon
• Most of V.C. Andrews, including the Dollenganger saga and "My Sweet Audrina".
• The Dragonriders of PERN series by Anne McCaffrey
• The Belgariad and the Mallorean serieses (is that a word?) by David Eddings.
• The Bad Girls of the Bible series by Liz Curtis Higgs
• The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins
• The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
  
• "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb
• The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
• "Maus" (I and II) by Art Spiegelman
• "A Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
• "The Final Girl Support Group" by Grady Hendrix 
• "How To Find Love in a Bookshop" by Veronica Henry
• "Run Rose Run" by Dolly Parton & James Patterson
  

I also have a soft spot for biographies and autobiographies, including:

• Mick Fleetwood
• Wynonna Judd
• Naomi Judd
• Roger Daltry
• Peter Frampton
• Elton John
  
• Jimmy Webb
• Mark Miller
  
• Patty Duke
• Chuck Norris
• Danny Trejo
• Eric Clapton
• Patti Boyd
• Mackenzie Phillips
• Maria Von Trapp
• Helen Keller

I also love re-reading books; to me, it's like revisiting old friends.  Granted, I usually like a little time to pass before a re-read...but that just gives me the opportunity to read another book!

(Updated on 4/17/2025)

Just Like the White-Winged Dove...

 

Stevie Nicks is easily my favorite singer.  I remember my introduction: my sister & I had gone to the local record store and she bought a Fleetwood Mac album.  I don’t remember if it was “Fleetwood Mac” or “Rumours” – pretty sure it was “Rumours” – but she played it when we got home and I was hopelessly hooked.  Over the years I studied about this incredible band that originated in England and discovered their early, blues stuff.  Fleetwood Mac quickly became my all-time favorite band, but I always ended up coming back to Stevie's solo stuff.

Oddly enough, I find it easy to pick my favorites of her songs, both solo and with the Mac.  This is my Top 10 list of each, as of today.  She’s still recording, so anything is subject to change.

Top 10 Stevie Nicks Solo Songs:

10)  Desert Angel, from Timespace – This is both powerful and sweet at the same time.  Stevie is a staunch supporter of our armed forces, and she wrote this soon after Desert Storm began.  The plaintive “come home” at the end gets me every time.

9) Cathouse Blues, from 24 Karat Gold – This song is just so much fun!  It’s catching Stevie in kind of a silly moment…pure joy.  You’ve got to love a line like “I wear the highest of high-heel shoes”.

8) Ghosts Are Gone, from In Your Dreams – I find that I really lean on the hard, powerful songs more than the ballads, and this one fits the bill.  The opening guitar riff is PURE rock power!

7) I Can’t Wait, from Rock A Little – Once again, one of her strong, powerful songs.  The first time I heard it, I was blown away by the power.

6) Whole Lotta Trouble, from the Other Side of the Mirror – This one is more of a bluesy, jazzy number, with horns, no less.  You can’t help but sway to the beat.

5) Stand Back, from The Wild Heart – Stevie synth-pop.  ‘Nuff said.

4) Fall From Grace, from Trouble in Shangri-La – I didn’t consciously pick songs from different albums, but each album seems to have one huge, stand-out, power ballad…and this is Shangri-La’s.

3) The Nightmare, from Rock A Little – See?  Rock A Little is a bit of an underrated album.  This song definitely fits the title, as the build-up is like a nightmare building up its terror.

2) Wide Sargasso Sea, from In Your Dreams – I’m a sucker for story songs, and this one has a wonderfully tragic story, with one of the most powerful endings of any of her songs.  It builds…and builds…and builds…and then just stops…”but you’ll never forget that kiss”.

1) Edge of Seventeen, from Bella Donna – I have loved this song since the very first time I heard it, and even with her extensive catalog, including b-sides and soundtrack additions, nothing has touched this in my heart.  I hear that opening Waddy-riff and my heart just leaps for joy.  My absolutely favorite version, however, is the one she does with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.  Unforgettable!

I give an honorable mention to "One More Big Time Rock'n'Roll Star" (b-side), "Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You" (Rock A Little), and "Gold and Braid" (Live cut)

Top 10 Stevie Nicks songs with Fleetwood Mac:

10) Freedom, from Behind the Mask – Easily the rockiest song from this album, it almost resembles a spinning top.  The lyrics are rather biting:  “look at me with daggers, it won’t do you any good; all the looks that you’ve used on me won’t work now that you’ve fallen”.

9) Beautiful Child, from Tusk – The softest and sweetest song in her Mac catalog, it’s both uplifting and sad at the same time…”I’m not a child any more…”

8) Gold Dust Woman, from Rumours – My opinion: this song is stronger lyrically, musically, and topically than “Dreams”…but “Dreams” gets all the press.  It’s a hard song to listen to, it’s so confessional…but that’s part of its magic.

7) Sara, from Tusk – Of course, I mean the FULL version, not the chopped-up radio mix.  It’s an odd love song…odder if you know the story behind it.

6) Straight Back, from Mirage – This has a “Sisters Of the Moon” vibe, in its intensity.  I absolutely LOVE the overlapping lyrics, which she also uses that style in “Beautiful Child”, but you don’t miss a word.

5) Sisters Of the Moon, from Tusk – Take the musical style of “Straight Back” (yeah, I know this came out first), add the confessional tone of “Gold Dust Woman”, mix well, add an unforgettable keyboard riff…and voila!

4) Silver Springs, b-side to “Go Your Own Way”, also released on “The Dance” and the special edition of “Rumours” – The most popular song that nobody has heard of.  So full of heartache, but with a warning…”you’ll never get away from the sound of the woman that loved you”.

3) Storms, from Tusk – This one is a hidden gem.  Just a soft, sad lament.  A grossly underrated song from her discography.  “Never have I been a blue, calm sea; I have always been a storm.”

2) Gypsy, from Mirage – This song is the very essence of Stevie Nicks.  I think that this is the best song that, if someone asks you, “What’s the big deal?” you put this on and it answers the question perfectly.

1) Illume, from Say You Will – Another hidden gem.  This song is about her experience with 9/11.  Both the lyrics and the music tell of her pain, fear, and anger.  I find that most of her Mac stuff is softer, but this one rocks as hard as her hardest solo stuff.

I give an honorable mention to "The Second Time" (Behind the Mask), "Welcome To the Room...Sara" (Tango In the Night), and - of course - "Dreams" (Rumours)