My list of things.

Lindsey Stirling. Love her.


The 5 Browns. I saw them live. Be jealous.


Herb Alpert. He still rocks.

--I can remember my dad and I listening to him when I was little. I love that my dad has always encouraged my love of music.

Music Man. 76 Trombones. End of story.

Oklahoma. Possibly, one of my favorite musicals. Altho, every time I am reminded of one, I remember how THAT one is my most favorite. Whether I saw it with my band, or played it in the pitband, or in concert band/jazz band/marching band, I have yet to come across a musical/piece of music I have not loved, or memorized most the lyrics to.

Ragtime. Chicago.

Moulin Rouge. My FAVORITE musical. EVER. I know I said this about "Oklahoma", but this is my favorite. Hands down. It's a category all its own. Period. I have watched it a million times. I have memorized every word to every scene. I have the soundtrack. In high school, on the way to school/work, my friend (equally as band geeky) would sing (loudly/badly) to all the songs.

Gone with the Wind. My favorite everything. My favorite movie. My favorite book. My favorite everything. I have watched this as much, if not more, than Moulin Rouge.

Elton John.  I <3 him. I have his greatest hits collection. Which I remember blaring and singing loudly/badly in the beautiful warm weather the year I lived in Florida.

Billy Joel. Another of my great loves.

Angela's Ashes. Love this book. Not real sure why. I have a few more by this author, and his siblings, but they remain in my stack of books that is growing taller by the day. Added on to my NookColor book collection, which seems to be growing faster than I can read.

Friends. I'll admit it. I have watched every episode, a million times. I own every episode on dvd. I counted down to the final episode of this show. I crawled into bed with my best friend, and we cried when it ended. We were pathetic. However, it will always be my favorite show, and I will not be afraid to admit it. I still chose to watch re-runs of this show over any others.

Gwande. Excellent reads. If only I had time to read the more of his books that I have already started.

Summer Sisters. SSVA. A book I worshiped. My best friend/Summer Sister and I read this book. We thought we lived this book. It was everything to us.

Go ask Alice. Another book my friends and I poured over. Spent our time in lunch reading. (Yes, we were THAT group).

Candide. First discovered this book in school, when we learned about Voltair in Global Studies. Bought a used french/english version of the book. Now own it on my Nook. It's a must read.

As I lay Dying. William Faulkner. My mother is a fish. Another book I read in high school, loved and still love today. One of my favorite things has always been to read the 'classic' writers. Or, pretty much, anyone not still alive today.

Beowulf. Read this in one of the many lit. classes I took. I spent hours reading the many poems/stories, many that weren't required.

Auschwitz. An interesting view of concentration camps from a doctors point of view. Very good read.

Salmon Rushdie. A fun read.

Slaughter-house five. One of the many I am halfway thru.


The Front Porch Prophet. The title intrigued me. So, I am reading it on my NookColor.


Ray Bradbury.  Farhenheit 451. Heart this book.


Animal Farm. 1984. Other great reads.


I Used to Know That. Best Free Friday book I could ever acquire on my Nook. Buy it. It's worth it.

I could list every book that I have ever loved. But, I will spare you. This list could go on for days. Every book I have ever read, I truly believe, has impacted me in some way. Even if just for a few months, a few days, a few moments.

This started off as my posting about Lindsey Stirling, because I discovered her a few months ago, and I love her. Then I remembered that I also love The 5 Browns, and had never posted about taking my Dad to see them for his birthday. Then I remembered about Herb Alpert because I was thinking about my dad, then thinking of trumpets, obviously would lead to trombones, which of course could only lead to one thing--76 Trombones in the Marching band-- which led to me thinking about music in general, then books-which I love second to music, and so it goes. Kind of like my favorite book as a child,

appropriately edited by my Grandmother. :-)

"Without music, what is life?"--Author Unknown

Wow. I'm getting creative. If you call "creative" stealing good quotes from books. 

--as stolen from "Sing me home" by Jodi Picoult.

Don't tell me if I'm dying, Cause I don't wanna know, If I can't see the sun, Maybe I should go...

So, I am having issues sending pics from my phone to here. hmm.

Vin has no idea when he will be done. It is 1818 now. Great. Another late night. I am starving. Kinda. I just really like to eat. I really am trying to watch my calories, since we are camping in a little under 2 weeks. No more beer or wine until then. To high in calories. I think that is part of the reason why I gained like 10 lbs in a year. Nursing school makes me drink. haha. Altho, I'm not lying. ha.

I received a card today, in the mail from Heather's mom, Janet. She had a stroke in February or March, maybe April. I am bad at remembering dates. I went and saw her a couple times and sent her flowers, and she wrote me a card herself! I am so proud of her improvement, and she's not even my mom. haha. She was in the ICU at upstate, and then the rehab floor, now she's at St. Camillus in Oswego, and she will be going home June 29, in time for their wedding in July!! I am so glad I got to see them. And. They live literally like a quarter mile from Jami and Thane! I wish we could buy the house next door to the Goldberg's, cuz then we would have all our friends right near us (and Heather and I could carpool to school. Except, she's ALWAYS late. haha), minus the Green's who live across the bridge.

June 29th is my parents 25th Wedding Anniversary. I am thrilled to be making it to our 3 year, in August, much less our 25th! I am so incredibly lucky to have a whole family, all of who get a long, and I really should count the blessings and be thankful for all of them.

So, Jami just told me this really funny story about what happened at Ponderosa with Rowan. I am sure she will post about it, but I will tell the short story because it made me LOL. They were at Ponderosa after Rowan's tball game, and some kid in the next booth was screaming and crying, so Rowan stood up on the booth and yells "OH NO, DADDY DO SOMETHING!!!" HAHAHAHA.

So. This Labels thing. What does it do? I think I labeled one post a while back (by while back, I mean like 3 days ago), but I always forget to, and I am still not real certain what it does. haha.

I am so freakin' excited to be going to camp. Holy Moly. Words can not express my feelings of ecstasy about how near it is!! We got everything, but Vin's fishing license, and our cooler (which should be arriving soon). We have to get groceries and some small stuff, but we have our screen tent, the tent, the ax, the rooftop bag, and the air mattresses, and lanterns and crap. OOOHHH and we bought APPLES TO APPLES. I am SOOO EXCITED to get to play that!! I only played it once at a Game Night at Carly's house with the Crouse girls (and all two of the Crouse Boys), but it was so fun!!

Ok. Now it is 1831 and still no word from Vin. Yay. ha. I am glad we don't live in Fulton anymore. Altho, when we did at least I had like 45 minutes notice of when he would be home, and I could make dinner. Now he works a mile away and I don't know he's out until he gets home. So, I don't make dinner when it's this late and we are just lazy and rely on delivery or Lucky Sevens.  And I wonder why I gained weight? ahaha.

So. I love female singers of the 'rock/souly/whatever' genre. Melissa Etheridge. Joss Stone. Alanis. Definatly Alanis. I looove Alanis. Joan Jett. Lisa Loeb. The cranberries, altho they are a group. or whatever.  I love her so much, as well. I love them all.

Ok. On a sidenote. I am sick of our drug dealing neighbors. They cause to much traffic. Seriously, there are always cars pulling up in front of their house, for like 3 minutes, and then leaving. like, all day long. Seriously, do they think everyone around here is an idiot? We know what they are doing. Altho, it bothers me cuz whenever we are outside, rolo runs over to greet the drug seeker. ha. Good thing the driveway and back yard and door we use are on the 'quietish' side street. Thank God our driveway isn't on Midler. We would have Roadkill Rolo. Haha.

Ok. I am hoping Vin gets home soon. It is 1837, and I am sick of screaming "Go play in your room Gracelyn!!! and STOP Dragging your sister around by her legs! (who by the way, doesn't complain about being dragged around.) and STOP SCREAMING! LEAVE HER ALONE Almost time for their bed. They wake up sooo early that they go to bed at 7ish. Which works for us, cuz we are (usually) in bed by 8ish. Altho, Vin has been working so late we haven't been getting to bed til 830-9ish, and then I have to read before bed, so I haven't been falling asleep til 10 or later. ok. Until tomorrow <3