"Funny How a Melody Sounds Like a Memory"

Follow my blog with Bloglovin {Day 29,  Topic: 5 Songs}

Music is everywhere in my life, attached to most of my memories. I've always found it funny how a song can be connected to a moment in time, even if that particular memory isn't an important one, but simply just life. So what songs do I share? There are so many to choose from....

Childhood...

 

My childhood is marked by songs by The Beatles, Elvis, and The Beach Boys. Music is one of those things I never forget and I can still remember the lyrics to almost any song even if I haven't heard it in years. But stronger are the memories attached to these songs. What I think of when I hear songs from my Cocktail Soundtrack tape, who comes to mind when I hear songs by The Voice of the Beehive or The Bangles, or the mental picture I see when I hear Kokomo. But I am going to share a lesser known song. When I was young I had 2 favorite tapes- a recording of Shel Silverstein reciting his poems and Barry Polisar's Naughty Songs for Boys and Girls. I had them up until a few years ago when one of the boys' music players pulled the tape and I couldn't wind it back. But this one is one of my all time favorites: Never Cook Your Sister in a Frying Pan....and when I hear it I can see my younger self, my room, my toys, my tape player...

 Love...

 

Being a rather empathetic person I love most any love song. I can feel the feelings, good or bad, regardless if there are any similarities to my life. There are many, many songs out there that remind me of my love. But there are two song that I would say are "ours".

The fist takes me back to 17 years ago, at age 16, falling in love with my future husband. I was dating someone when we met, so we started out as friends. Head Over Feet came out right around that time, so it was on the radio all the time and the lyrics just spoke to me. And it didn't take long for me to fall head over feet for Paul....

 You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

And then there's Remember When,  which describes...

Our past- Remember when I was young and so were you, And time stood still and love was all we knew 

Our present- Remember when the sound of little feet, Was the music we danced to week to week

And our future- Remember when we said when we turned gray, When the children grow up and move away, We won't be sad, we'll be glad, For all the life we've had, And we'll remember when

Sadness...

 

I've mentioned my struggle with depression a time or two. It's a part of who I am, some days a bigger part than others. I know many people who surround themselves with happiness when they are feeling down- happy books, people, movies and music- but that's not how I work. I tend to surround myself with sad things and music is the front runner. Listening to sad music, while it may make my feelings worse for a moment, works as sort of a release. And I end up feeling better because of it. There's something about not feeling so alone. Hearing the lyrics, you know that someone else, somewhere out there is feeling just like you.

And 2 of the songs I listen to most are:

Runaway Train, by Soul Asylum. This one came out back when I was in middle school and it's been with me ever since.

 "Can you help me remember how to smile
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded
Life's mystery seems so faded "

And finally, the #1 song. If I could pick just one to share, a theme song of sorts, this one would be it. It's the song I play on repeat when I have bad days. It's the song I feel deep inside. And the one I can identify with the most....so if you ever want to know what's going on inside the head of someone who suffers from depression, this is it:

Full of Grace, Sarah McLachlan

I feel just like I'm sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I'm pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace

So those are my 5 songs. What songs are on your life's playlist? (And in case anyone is wondering, this post's title [ "Funny How a Melody Sounds Like a Memory" ] comes from the song Springsteen, by Eric Church)

Motherhood and Then Some

Day 6 of Blogging Everyday in May. Topic: If you couldn't answer with  your job, how would you answer the question 'What do you do?'

I am not sure what my technical job title would be. When filling out paperwork I am forced to check the not employed or homemaker box (both of which I hate, by the way). So what do I do, exactly?

I am a wife. I am a parent. A mother.

I am a hairdresser. A mediator. A first-aid administer. 

I am an English teacher. A science teacher. A history teacher. 

An art teacher. A gym teacher. A music teacher.

I am a memory maker. A photographer.  A memory preserver.

I am a party planner. A travel agent. A maid. 

I am a baker. A decorator. A caterer.

I am a farmer. An animal caretaker. A animal midwife. 

I am a gardener. A cook. A food preserver. A seed saver.

 I am a writer. A blogger. And right this very moment, I will stop and be a story teller to a sleepy little girl with a Dora book in her hand. 

Rain, Rain, Rain...

It rained today. And yesterday. And a few days last week.  The clouds are low and the mountains invisible.

At least it is green now, which isn't quite as bad as the brown, muddiness of all the winter rains we had.

The yard seems to have turned into a series of small rivers and waterfalls. The creek has reached it's limit and overflowed.

The goats are cold. And wet. And pretty unhappy.

So are the chickens.  They sit on my milk stand in the shed, huddle in corners of the coop, or shiver in the goat's hay. Our top hat chickens look particularly pathetic.

 Not all of us are upset about the rain though. The ducks are having a wonderful time!

And tomorrow's forecast is rain. And the next day after that. I know in the summer, when it is hot and dry I will be wishing for rain. But for now, I am ready for it to move on and let the sun shine.

Be Who You Are....

This has been one of my favorite quotes since first read it years ago. We, myself included, waste a lot of time worrying about what other people think about us and it doesn't matter if that person is a perfect stranger or your best friend. But the truth is no matter what you say and do, your best friend will love you anyway and you will never see than perfect stranger again, so why do they get to control who you are?

April Showers Bring....Rising Creeks

It was a wet winter. It's been a wet spring.
 

 And that means the creek at the bottom of our pasture has more water.

The kids, both human and goat, have been going down almost daily to play in the water.

 Finding newts and salamanders. Building dams. Making a "moss floor".

Sometimes their boots will get stuck in the mud. Or Annika will slip and be covered in water and mud.

Have you played in a creek lately?

This post is part of the Blog Every Day in May blog challenge. Click below to find a list of blog topics or to link up!