Kids' Shows - My Childhood

 

 As one who was born in the '60s and lived most of her childhood in the '70s, television was huge to me.  Children's television was just coming into popularity, and I was the perfect age for it.  I remember so many of the shows with great fondness.  Now, I'm not talking about your Saturday Morning cartoons; that's something completely different.  These were shows that were made not only to entertain, but to educate and help the kids of the day be aware of their world.  Following are a few of my favorites.

Sesame Street

Who doesn't know Sesame Street?  However, my memory always defaults to the original run, pre-Elmo and Grover, and with the original Gordon.  I can still remember a lot of the bits, from the pinball game counting to 12, the other counting show with the guy always falling down at the end, the Ladybug Picnic, One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others...etc.  "Being Green".  "I Love Trash".  "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ" (pronounced "Abcadefgueejeckelminopquerstuvwitz" by Big Bird)...and, of course, "Rubber Duckie".  I even had the album!

 

Mr. Rogers Neighborhood

As a child with an excellent imagination, I loved riding on Trolley to the Land of Make Believe. Lady Aberlin and Henrietta Kittycat were my friends, and I adored the odd Lady Elaine and her Museum-Go-Round.  And overseeing all of this, the trolleymaster himself, Mr. Rogers was there with gentleness and grace talking TO us (not AT us) and singing his lovely songs.  I also loved waiting to see how Picture Picture was going to greet me every day!

The Electric Company

Set aside the unbelievable cast, including Bill Cosby, Morgan Freeman and Rita Moreno.  This show was hip for those too young to know what "hip" was, and mostly focused on reading.  With recurring characters like Easy Reader; Fargo North, Decoder; Jennifer of the Jungle; Letterman; and the original live action Spiderman!  "HEY, YOU GUYYYYYYYYYS!!!"

Zoom

Tracy. Nina. Tommy. Nancy. Kenny. Jon. Joe.  Seven regular kids dancing barefoot across an almost empty stage...then they start to sing: Come on and Zoom, Zoom, Zoom-a-Zoom!  They acted out skits, sang songs, taught us crafts and Ubbi-Dubbi.  They encouraged you to write to them at Zoom, Z-double-O-M, box 350, Boston, Mass...Oh Two One Three Four!  One of my favorite segments was when they sang "The Cat Came Back".  When they came out with an album, I got it...and I still have it (the song "Always Friends" is my favorite).

Captain Kangaroo

The Captain & his friends (including Mr. Green Jeans and Moose) seem to ride on the ragged edge of my memory.  For some reason, I remember Mr. Green Jeans the most...and the ping-pong balls.  But I remember the Captain being big, gentle, and kind...and I loved that.

Pixanne

This one is an even earlier memory, but I remember my brother & I always watched it.  Pixanne was another one that resonated with my imagination: a pixie in a magical forest.  Afterwards, my brother & I would play: I would be Pixanne, he would be Pixandy (a creation of our own minds).

The New Zoo Revue

Henrietta Hippo, Freddie Frog and Charlie Owl lived in a lovely little town with a gazebo in the center, and were helped in learning life lessons through stories and songs with the help of their human friends Doug and Emmy-Jo.  The costumed characters were a little on the odd side (with huge, googly eyes), but they were sweet: Henrietta was oh-so feminine, Freddie naive and adventurous (and a little clumsy), and Charlie, of course, intelligent...to a point.  It's the New Zoo Revue, coming right at you!

Villa Allegre

I'm kind of cheating with this one.  I didn't watch it regularly, but only when I stayed home sick.  I would search the PBS channels to find it and would be so glad when I did!  It was mostly in Spanish - often 2 characters would converse, one in English & one in Spanish - so I didn't understand a lot, but I got the basics down...and one of the main characters (pictured) was always so kind and comforting...like a hug.

A few Honorable Mentions:  Jabberwocky; Romper Room; Boomtown; Major Mudd

Hey, Hey...we're the Monkees!

 

 

Micky Dolenz.  Peter Tork.  Michael Nesmith.  Davy Jones.  Four young men brought together by circumstances to make a TV show, became a band, then became legends.

 

People underestimate them.  "Pre-Fab Four" they're called.  Their talent was constantly called into question.  I don't understand how.  Micky has one of the most incredible, distinctive voices and a comedic genius.  Nez is no slouch in the vocal department and is a wonderful songwriter (and eventually started the gears turning for the inevitability of the original MTV).  Peter could play so many different instruments and was smart enough to "play dumb".  Davy had old-school performing razzmatazz.  

I was very young - just a toddler - when they first hit the radio airwaves, then the TV screens.  I was hooked right away...as my baby book can prove.

I never lost my love for them.  I remember being in gym class in the mid '70s...long after the show ended but before any of their reunions.  My gym teacher would sometimes play albums during class.  Whenever she played the Monkees, my classmates didn't have a clue, but not only did I sing along, I knew which song was going to play next.  I was so glad when MTV started to play the show in the '80s; I even recorded my favorite episode.  My husband eventually got me the entire series on DVD, and I got several albums on CD (although I still have my original vinyl).  I was saddened when Davy died; devastated when Peter died (he was my favorite).  I never got to see them all in concert, but DID have the opportunity to take my daughter to see Micky live for her 15th birthday, as she had become a fan by watching my DVDs with me.

Sadly, Micky and Mike decided that it was time to retire the Monkees; their final tour came to an end recently.  It had been over 50 years, and they could still pull in an audience.

All that said, I've got a couple of Top 10s here: my favorite songs, and favorite episodes.

Top 10 Songs

10. The Girl I Knew Somewhere - Written by Michael Nesmith, sung by Micky Dolenz, off of the album Headquarters (Side note: Nez's version, which I have on the "Infinite Tuesday" CD, is also very good.)

9. Love is Only Sleeping - Written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, sung by Michael Nesmith, off of the album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (Side note: this is the song that caused my daughter to fall in love with the Monkees' music)

8. Zor and Zam - Written by Bill and John Chadwick, sung by Micky Dolenz, off of the album The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees (Side note: this is the last Monkees song to play on the series, and the last song to play on the group's original 5 albums)

7. For Pete's Sake - Written by Peter Tork, sung by Micky Dolenz, off of the album Headquarters (Side note: it became the closing theme in season 2)

6. Goin' Down - Written by Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Davy Jones & Diane Hildebrand, sung by Micky Dolenz, b-side to the single "Daydream Believer" (Side note: who hasn't tried to sing along?)

5. Circle Sky - Written & sung by Michael Nesmith, from the Head movie soundtrack (Side note: I actually prefer the live version from the movie itself, which is unusual for me.)

4. Birth of an Accidental Hipster - Written by Noel Gallagher & Paul Weller, sung by Michael Nesmith & Micky Dolenz, off of the album Good Times!

3. Sometime In the Morning - Written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, sung by Micky Dolenz, off of the album More of the Monkees

2. Randy Scouse Git - Written & sung by Micky Dolenz, off of the album Headquarters (Side note: released in England as "Alternate Title" because the title means something rude in British slang)

1. Words - Written by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, sung by Micky Dolenz & Peter Tork, off of the album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.

Top 10 Episodes

10. The Spy Who Came In from the Cool (S1/E5) - The group ends up involved in a spy ring after Davy buys a pair of red maracas.

9. The Monkees in Manhattan (S1/E30) - The group tries to help produce a Broadway musical.

8. The Case of the Missing Monkee (S1/E17) - Peter and a professor mysteriously disappear!

7. Art, for Monkee's Sake (S2/E5) - Two art thieves try to use Peter & his painting hobby to steal a priceless painting.

6. I Was a Teenage Monster (S1/E18) - A mad scientist tries to steal the group's musical talent & implant it into his created monster.

5. One Man Shy (S1/E13) - Peter falls in love with a debutante, but is too shy to approach her.

4. The Card-Carrying Red Shoes (S2/E9) - A ballerina falls for Peter, as her manager tries to use her to steal a priceless microfilm.

3. Fairy Tale (S2/E16) - It's a fairy tale...one you have to see to believe!

2. Mijacogeo aka The Frodis Caper (S2/E26) - The Evil Wizard Glick is trying to take over the world through television.

1. The Devil & Peter Tork (S2/E20) - Peter unknowingly buys a harp from the Devil; the price...his soul.

 

Happy Halloween

 

I'll admit that Halloween is not my favorite holiday, but I do like scary movies.  Not so much "slasher" movies: of the Big 3 ("Halloween", "Friday the 13th" & "Nightmare on Elm Street"), I've only ever seen "Halloween 3: Season of the Witch" and "New Nightmare".  I prefer my scares more subtle, and one can't go wrong with horror comedy!  Scares and laughs at the same time?  I'm in!

Anyway, in the "spirit" of the season (pun very much intended), I've decided to list a few of my favorites, in 3 categories: General Horror/Thriller, Zombies, and Comedy.  Since (with one exception) it's hard to pick favorites, I'll not rank them, but list them in good old-fashioned alphabetical order.  Also, there are a few repeats, because I couldn't decide which they fit in better, so why not both?

General Horror/Thriller

• The Babadook - I'll admit that the kid in this movie drove me crazy, The movie itself is a good scare-fest.  Both slow burn frights and jump-scares a-plenty, it's a twist on grief and recovery.
• Bram Stoker's Dracula - Both a straight-up fright and an erotic thriller, if you can get past Keanu Reeves' accent, it's a thrill.  Two words: Gary Oldman.
• Carrie - Quite possibly my all-time favorite movie of any and all genres!  Underneath the blood and jumps, it's actually a great anti-bullying story.  While, yes, I'm talking about the original, I also enjoyed the remake.
• Les Diaboliques - The movie that made me enjoy watching movies with subtitles.  Unfortunately, I must honor the disclaimer on the movie that says not to give anything away. (You've got to love a movie with that kind of disclaimer!)
• Dracula (1979) - I was about 14 when I first saw this, and Frank Langella made one very beans of a sexy vampire to me.  The ending still sticks to me, even after all these years.
• The Invisible Man (2020) - I was surprised how much I liked this movie!  I didn't know what to expect.  It had to many twists and turns, and you wonder through the whole thing how it's going to resolve itself...or if it even does.
• It Follows - The Little Movie That Could.  A not-very-well-hidden lesson in "safe sex", but it moves and has characters you get to like.
• Tourist Trap - Probably my biggest "guilty pleasure".  It's not a great movie - I'm not even sure if it's a GOOD movie - but for some reason I really like it.  When I was a teen, I probably watched it every time it came on The Movie Channel.  Oh, and yes, I've watched it recently.
• Us - People can be as "hipper-than-thou" and say they saw the twist coming a mile away, but I sure couldn't.  This one kept me glued to the edge of my seat...and that voice...*shudder*
• Wait Until Dark - Probably the movie that made me fall in love with psychological thrillers.  This and "Carrie" have my favorite movie endings of all time.

Zombies

• 28 Days Later/28 Weeks Later - I'm lumping these two together because it's my list and I can! I won't get into arguments about how these aren't "real" Zombie movies.  I just enjoy the scares.
  
• Anna and the Apocalypse - A Zombie Horror Christmas Comedy Musical?  Yes, Please!!!  Definitely one of the most original concepts I've come across.  Also, the music is really, really good!
• Day Of the Dead - The third Romero Zombie flick has a sympathetic character in Bub the Zombie.  Now, while George Romero IS the Godfather of the modern Zombie movie, Bub is the REAL reason this is on my list.
• The Dead Don't Die - One of the best casts in a Zombie movie.  It's almost unbearably meta, but in the best way possible.  I'll admit that, at first viewing I didn't like how it ended; it took a second viewing for me to "get" it...then it shot up in my estimation.
• Life After Beth - This one also has an original plot, where a boy discovers that the girl he likes has become a Zombie.  It's cute, sweet, funny, and scary.
• Little Monsters - A teacher and a slacker take a bunch of children to a theme park/zoo, only to find themselves in the middle of a Zombie Apocalypse.  This movie is hilarious!  You'll never hear Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" the same way again.
• Night of the Living Dead - One simply can not have a list of Zombie movies and not include the Granddaddy of the Modern Zombies!  They're still coming to get you, Barbara!
• Shaun of the Dead - If you can't tell by now, I tend to like my Zombies on the lighter side.  I wasn't sure I'd like this...but I do.  I really do.
• Train to Busan - OK, THIS one is more of a traditional Zombie horror, but it's a non-stop ride, if you'll forgive the train metaphor.  It will keep you riveted; there's not a single slow moment.
• Warm Bodies - R is a Zombie.  Jules is a living girl.  They fall in love.  Their "families" try to keep them apart.  Yes, it's a modern Zombie Romeo & Juliet...and it's a wonderful, fun movie.

 Horror Comedies

• Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein -This classic comedy by one of the greatest comedy duos of all time is never-ending fun.  Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, and the Wolfman all come to the party.
• Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man -The duo returns, trying to help a framed boxer reclaim his innocence.  I'll admit that the ending freaked me out as a small child, but now I love it.
• Anna and the Apocalypse
• Beetlejuice - Don't say his name 3 times!  Tim Burton and Michael Keaton tell a wild, wonderful tale of a couple who end up haunting their own home, when they make the mistake of seeking the assistance of the titular boogie.
• The Dead Don't Die
• The Final Girls - This tongue-firmly-set-in-cheek movie plays on so many horror tropes, putting them in the forefront, when a group of teenagers end up sucked into a classic B-movie horror which starred the late mother of one of the girls.  The effects are wonderful, but it's really the humor that carries the whole movie.
• Ghostbusters - What else can I say, but...Who Ya Gonna Call?
• Little Monsters
• Shaun of the Dead 
• Tremors - While I don't know if I'd call it a true comedy, it's certainly funny, and is a loving homage to B-movie creature features.  Reba McEntire and Michael Gross are an absolute riot as a survivalist couple.
  
  

Stevie Nicks...The Albums

Stevie Nicks, as I mentioned in a previous blog, is my all-time favorite singer.  While talking about my previous Stevie post, I was asked to put her albums in my order of preference.  This was a daunting task, as I usually just jump and buy whenever she releases a new album and don't think about whether I like it more or less than any of its predecessors. I'm just glad for the music!  However, I'm not one to shirk from a challenge.

I've buckled down and listened to all of her albums back to back (well, over the course of time), and below is my ranking, and why.  I'm also putting my top 2 favorite songs, and, for a twist, my least favorite of each album.  I am not including Greatest Hits packages (I have 4), any of her Fleetwood Mac releases, nor (after a lot of thought) Buckingham Nicks.  I just wanted to focus on her solo work.

Here we go:

8. Street Angel (1994)

This is an album which, for all intents and purposes, should not have been made.  She had some health issues & was not at the top of her game here.  While there are a few good songs on here, there are a few misfires.  Some songs suffer from repetition, odd vocal choices, and...a Bob Dylan cover?  Cool fact: Dylan himself plays on that track!  David Crosby also sings on the title track.  Favorite songs:  Street Angel & Blue Denim; Least favorite: Just Like a Woman.

7. 24 Karat Gold: Songs From the Vault (2014)

This is subtitled "Songs From the Vault" because that is what it is.  Every song on this album was written years ago, during the making of previous albums.  It's a fun album - there's some really sweet nuggets in here - but they're definitely "second tier" compared to the ones that actually made the albums.  Lady A sings along on one track.  Side note: I can't help but wonder if Taylor Swift got her idea for calling the songs she's adding to her redo's of her albums "From the Vault" from this.  Who knows?  Favorite songs:  Cathouse Blues & Lady; Least favorite: Belle Fleur.

6. The Other Side of the Mirror (1989)

I'm not sure what to say about this album.  It's just kind of...there.  I like the nods to Alice in Wonderland.  With one or two exceptions, she really doesn't get too experimental.  There is also another questionable remake.  I'm not against her doing remakes, but she really should choose better.  Her choices for guest artists were a little unusual as well:  Bruce Hornsby and Kenny G.  Favorite songs: Whole Lotta Trouble & Doing the Best I Can (Escape From Berlin); Least favorite: I Still Miss Someone (Blue Eyes).

5. Trouble in Shangri-La (2001)

It took seven years for her to get her mojo back after "Street Angel" (releasing the 3-disc "Enchanted", filled with greatest hits, b-sides & rarities, in between), and did she ever!  Shout out to Sheryl Crow for saving this project, both co-producing and adding vocals.  THIS is the Stevie we know and love.  Bold writing choices, and a nice balance between rockers, ballads, and in-betweens.  My only complaint - and why it's so low - is her choice of Natalie Maines as a duet partner, making that song the only "skip" (meaning I skip over it) in her entire discography.  I REALLY don't like her.  Other guests are Lindsey Buckingham, Macy Gray, and Sarah McLachlan.  Favorite songs: Fall From Grace & Planets Of the Universe; Least favorite: Too Far From Texas.

4. Bella Donna (1981)

Her first solo album, and what a way to start a new branch of her career!  Her songwriting is wonderful, there are some killer harmonies (a little overdone in my "least favorite"), and great guests, Tom Petty and Don Henley.  This one has my all-time favorite Stevie Nicks song on it.  Favorite songs: Edge of Seventeen & Bella Donna; Least favorite: Think About It.

3. The Wild Heart (1983)

Anyone who thought that "Bella Donna" was a fluke must have been greatly surprised to hear this one.  It took the promise of her first solo outing and cranked it up to 11.  What is amazing is that she released this while going through great emotional turmoil.  At least she had her old buddy Tom Petty returning, and Prince played on my favorite track, albeit uncredited.  Funny story: the day before the album was to be released my husband & I went shopping.  In the music department we saw a box that was open; in it was copies of this album.  We figured, it was on the floor & open, so why not?  When we got to the register the cashier told us that we couldn't buy it.  We said, "It was out on the floor, and the box was open.  that told us that it was available."  The manager agreed, so I actually got it the day before it was released! (Oh, and the clerk who took the box out early got a stern talking-to.)  Favorite songs:  Stand Back & If Anyone Falls; Least favorite: I Will Run To You.

2. Rock a Little (1985)

At this point she just kept getting better and better.  I have to admit that I was hard-pressed between #2 and #3...but this one has a better personal story, which I will get to.  She gets a little more experimental here, really rocking out, then pulling back to gentle ballads: the final track is so soft and sad, and trails off...and off...and you can still hear soft slight instruments, almost like in a dream.  Also, there are no major guest stars in this one...just a LOT of guest players!  Now for the story: I had had a really crummy day and was in a really rotten mood.  I got home from work.  My husband was home, and a dear friend of ours was visiting.  I heard "I Can't Wait" playing & thought that they had the radio on, but then I looked at their smiling faces, then down at the turntable, where the album was playing.  My husband had gone out & gotten it for me as a surprise...just because.  Favorite songs:  The Nightmare & I Can't Wait; Least favorite: Rock A Little (Go Ahead Lily).

1. In Your Dreams (2011)

It took 10 years, with the release of yet another Greatest Hits package AND a live album, before releasing what is easily her best album to date.  Dave Stewart took the reins (no pun intended, looking at the album picture) as co-producer, also adding guest vocals on a couple of songs; the only other guest is Lindsey Buckingham, in one of the starkest, simplest songs on the album.  She is truly up to form in this, proving herself that the label of legend is not misplaced.  There is not a single weak track on this album, making ranking the songs themselves a most difficult task for me.  Powerful, fun, and definitely worth the listen.  Favorite songs: Wide Sargasso Sea & Ghosts Are Gone; Least favorite: Everybody Loves You.

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.