Blue Smoke

Last night I got to cross another thing off my bucket list by seeing Dolly Parton in concert (I had seen her at the Grand Ole Opry some years back but she only sang three songs and didn't have much time). I must confess I had a big goofy grin and tears in my eyes because I was so very happy and thankful I was able to be sitting there listening to her sing and tell stories as only Dolly can. I will attempt to retell some of those but my apologies because I'll not write them near as good as she told them. The concert was about two hours long and she sang songs from her new album, Blue Smoke (if you don't have it yet go buy the CD or download it), as well as some of her most well known and loved hits from the long extensive career. I'll be honest I was a little worried when the concert started because the sound wasn't good at the venue I was at and I couldn't hear the first song but thankfully it got straightened out. Enough about that, let's get to the details of the concert!

She told how she and her husband are soon to celebrate 40-something years of marriage and how it was the only marriage for either of them. She said I've been married to the same man all these years but as many things that I've had nipped and tucked my husband swears he's been married to at least three different women! Before she sang the song Jolene she told how a woman really had been flirting with her husband then she said I kept my husband and made enough money from the song to buy a couple of wigs. One of, if not, my favorite songs by her is Coat of Many Colors and she talked a little about her mom before she sang that. You could tell how much she loves and misses her mom. She played the auto harp on that song and before she started singing she said every time she sings that song she feels like she's holding her mom in her lap while she is playing the auto harp. She talked a lot about her faith in God and sang a medley of religious songs including my favorite, Precious Memories.She said how she thanked God everyday for her blessings and for her fans because they have helped her live her dreams. Her grandpa was a preacher and she told how he would sometimes tell her not to wear that makeup because she wasn't going to get into heaven with all that and she told him, well I really do want to go to heaven but do I have to look like hell. Her father couldn't read or write and that inspired her to start her Imagination Library program that is now  world wide. She sang a lot of songs that were influenced from being raised in the mountains and talked about her dad She talked about him and how he was a farmer and he went up north to Detroit to work at a factory but he missed the mountains, his wife and family so came back after a couple of weeks. As she was talking you could tell she was trying to hold back the tears and she said I don't want to get all emotional so she then went to sing the song Smoky Mountain Memories (a beautiful song by the way). I loved how she said that she thinks one of the best gifts God gives us is memories because with beautiful memories no one ever really leaves us and if we miss someone or start missing home we can just go back and pick up a memory that can take us back to those people and places. Before she started singing one song she said I have to sing this song every time or someone gets mad. Then she asked do you all like sad songs, I love them but this one just made me plumb pitiful. The song was Little Sparrow, a song I love but will have to agree with her about just how sad it is but some of my favorite songs are just absolutely, unbelievably sad. Now to some more of the funny little things she did/said. She played the banjo, dulcimer, harmonica, penny whistle, guitar and fiddle. Oh, but I can't forget the saxophone, on one of instrumental parts of a song she brought out a little (literally) saxophone and said I got this little saxophone and I'm feeling a little 'saxy' and I'm going to try to play it for you. I've been practicing. When she was playing the banjo during one song a string broke and after she finished she said I don't have time to change it but I got one more song to sing and play the banjo so I'm just going to play a four string banjo for you. Lastly, as she was taking the guitar strap over her head to give it back to the person that was getting it from her she started fixing her hair and said I don't want to break my hair. Some of the songs she sang from her new album included: Blue Smoke, Don't Think Twice and Banks of the Ohio. Then some of her other hits she sang included: Why'd You Come In Here Looking Like That (love this song), Two Doors Down, Old Flames Can't Hold A Candle To You and 9 to 5. She sang I Will Always Love You as her encore. It was a great show and if I never get the opportunity to see her again in concert, but I hope I do, I'll always cherish this concert. I recently saw an interview with Dolly and the interviewer mentioned how she was worth a lot of money and Dolly said, 'I count my blessings not my money.' I respect and love her talent but also that she has never forgotten where she came from, helps people and just all around seems to have a genuine sweet and caring personality to go with that amazingly positive attitude.

As if this wasn't long enough already here is a video of one of her songs from her new cd Blue Smoke.

Phases

  Since it's Throwback Thursday, I wonder who was so bored they decided to come up with those different things for each day of the week (and I thought I had no life!), I thought I'd write something kind of throwback based. Have you ever heard an old song you used to love or seen a picture from way back and you can't help but think, what kind of phase was that?! Although it's funny, or funnier, when you realize some of those things are just what was in style at that time. It's odd how things so quickly look dated even when I look at pictures from 5-10 years ago things look so different, even dated. It's like when you watch a movie from even the 90's when someone is using a cellphone that was top of the line back then. In a couple of days it will officially be 12 years since I graduated high school and can I just say that went by fast. Looking back, even since graduating, it's amusing to reminisce about all the phases I've went through in life. I think some phases are automatically ones you have to go through in your life. Those may be the most embarrassing ones to have to look back on as well! Some I stayed in way longer than I should have others I don't think I stuck with as long as I should have. Either way all in all each phase I went through, for whatever reason, has gotten me to where I am now. I won't call where I am now a phase exactly because I think I'm finally where I have a better understanding and acceptance of who I am. I do however hope that I continue to grow and change more into who I am because it'd be boring if I just say well this is good enough I'm staying here and I could always use some kind of improvement/change in some area. Oh, if that girl back in 2002 could've only known what she would become in 2014, I think she'd be mighty happy, surprised and proud. So here's to all the phases we go through in life and the hilarious pictures, stories and lessons they teach us.   

I found a couple of interesting things while passing time on the internet and thought why not share them here. One I suppose could make you think and one may make you laugh (if you are easily amused like I am anyway.) I don't know who wrote/said either of them or I would give credit where it's due.First the serious then the funny, cause one should always end things with a laugh when possible.

A wise owl lived in an oak; The more he saw the less he spoke; The less he spoke the more he heard. Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

Now to show how easily amused I am:

Boy : My father's name is Laughing and my mother's name is Smiling.  
Teacher : You must be kidding?  
Boy : No that's my brother. I'm Joking.

This Post Has No Title....or does it?

You know how when people are around little kids they say something along the lines of, 'We have to be careful what we say around (insert name), (s)he is like a little sponge. They repeat everything you say or do.' I find it odd in a way how we are conscience of this around children but in reality does this ever really stop? I think as we get older we just get a bit more sneaky at how we absorb these things. I for one am apparently so sneaky at it that I don't even realize I have done so until I catch myself saying or doing something like I have seen from someone else. I am also known to frequently over use catch phrases I'll hear on my favorite television shows and most recently noticed I picked up a mannerism. So congratulations are in order for me for reaching the next level in my weirdness, or that sponge like absorption of what we see/hear never really does end, or both. It's great that people are conscience of it around children but really why should it stop there? If I don't want to say or act a certain way around a child why is it suddenly okay to say or do that thing around an adult? It seems a bad influence is a bad influence no matter the age of the person you are around. In my personal experience it has made me realize I really don't need to say that or act that way. It has often made me realize how often I do say or act a certain way. I guess why we're not so conscience of it around adults is we think they are grown they can act how they want and they aren't even paying attention anyway. Which is kind of true to a certain degree because it seems like so often as we grow it is even more about me, me, me at least until you mess up and then they notice and remember every detail! Those kinds of people are in a whole kind of different category of their own. I think the real problem, and where I tend to fail at, is not how I act when I know people are around and watching but instead how I am when I think no one is watching. I guess if you want to know a persons true character watch them when they think no one is watching them. I'm a person that tends to stay more in the background and observe and I do that with people a lot. In fact, I've learned a lot by doing this...good and bad examples of how to handle situations. There are at least two people that, whether they know it or not, have been great examples to me in what it truly means to have and keep your faith in very difficult circumstances and have just been very influential. Not to put them on a pedestal because they are human they are going to have bad days and just do those humany wumany things. I guess I'm just realizing how I have never really stopped absorbing things so maybe I should be a bit more responsible and conscience of what and how I act whether anyone is watching or not. Not to mention it gets exhausting trying to be 'normal' and hide ones weirdness and awkwardness! The great thing that I'm learning is that I can be me, the real me that I used to hide, and still be respectful around people. Being respectful, a good example doesn't mean you have to lose your identity or uniqueness, you can even still laugh and have fun.

The New Me

Every so often an idea will come to mind and I'll attempt to write a poem, if you want to call it that, cause I'm not really sure it fits into the category of poem...or writing but either way I'll write it down. Generally when these ideas show up they have to do with my faith/religion. I don't share them to force my beliefs on people because I can't, nor would I if I could, force my beliefs on anyone. I just live my life the best I know how, treating people the best I can. With all that being said, or technically typed, here is the recent 'poem' I wrote.

The New Me

Unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees 

It's the truth I want to believe 

Not chained by traditions 

Just to say I have religion

Time to destroy my disguise 

No more feeding these lies 

I was living a masquerade 

Not letting the old me fade

You can't hide a city on a hill 

Lord help me stay in your will

 Being led by the Shepherd 

Only way I'll make it in this world

Put my old way of thinking aside 

Now using the bible as my guide 

My wants no longer my goal 

God's grace has made me whole

No longer carrying a heavy load 

But walking down a brand new road

 Led by faith not by sight 

The love of Christ is my light

Written by: April Donahue

5/11/2014

Best Gifts in Life

To often in life people get so focused on how many material possessions they can give to people in their life that they end up spending so much time trying to afford these things they miss out completely on being in the lives of the people they care about. There is nothing wrong with material items or working a little extra and saving to get that extra special gift for someone. It's always nice to get to give someone that gift they've wanted for a long time and see the look on their face. However, I was thinking (like I too often do),at the time these may seem to be the best gifts to give but we often overlook and rarely give the best and long lasting gifts. In fact, I think so often people don't even realize they are even gifts. The things I'm talking about include but are not limited to calling/texting/emailing just to say hi when you are thinking of someone, taking time time to talk or just listen, laughing because let's face it one never can laugh to much or to often, etc. Basically, we need to take more time making memories together by doing things together because the excitement of that new gadget can only last a moment but a memory of an evening talking with a friend, well that can last a lifetime and no batteries are required! My memory isn't always the best but it never fails to be there and remind me of things people said or did for me at the exact time I need reminding. Often times I'll hear a song, see a cardinal, or some other seemingly simple thing and it makes me smile because it reminds me of special people in my life and the amazing gifts they have given me by helping me and being there for me in some way and in the end that's the best gift one can ever receive. I hope I give those kinds of gifts to people. I realize this is fairly similar to a post I wrote back around Christmas last year but apparently I needed the reminder and figure I'll go ahead and post it.

A wise person knows that there is something to be learned from everyone - Unknown

Mother's Day

I saw a definition recently for mother as treating someone with kindness and affection and trying to protect that person from danger or difficulty. To me that is the most accurate definition I've ever read for a mother. Now here's hoping I can write what I want to say how I want it to come across....To many times I think people stay to focused on you have to have carried and delivered a child to be a mother but that aspect does  not automatically make you a mother or give you any right to that title. Just like when people describe a mother as the teacher, doctor, listener, referee, etc. there are many people that fit and fill the role of a mother in a persons life. For me my grandmother was the mother figure in my life. Based on this definition to me a mother can be a step mom, adopted mom, grandmother, aunt, cousin, or even the single father that is stepping up and being both parents to that child. Whatever the proper title that person carries that is in your life they can also hold a place in your heart as your mother because they treated you with kindness, was always there for you and did every thing in their power to protect you from the dangers or at least prepare you for those trials you may face in life. I always feel bad this time of year for the people that have lost their mothers, for those that long to be mothers but for whatever reason haven't been able to, and for those that have lost a child and no longer get to receive those hugs and gifts on Mother's Day. For those that fall in any of those categories I hope that this and every Mother's Day you live to see that you have peace and fond memories of your mother or child that you don't have with you and for those that don't have children I also hope you have peace and I hope that you have a child in your life that you can be that influence to and be able to help guide them in their life.  Because being a mother isn't about carrying and delivering a child it is about being there. I myself don't have any kids and highly doubt I ever will but I've realized that there are kids that have been placed in my journey through this life that I hope in some way I can help encourage, show them kindness and influence them in some positive way. Not to step in the way or take away anything from their parents because I wouldn't do that at all but I do believe that everyone is placed in your life for a reason and it is my sincere hope that I can always treat people with honesty, kindness and leave some kind of positive influence on them that lasts a lifetime. So this Sunday  I say Happy Mother's Day to the mothers out there including but not limited to the step mothers, grandmothers, aunts, friends, cousins, fathers, and anyone else I forgot and may I say thank you for stepping up and being a mother to that special child and person in your life. I couldn't end this without saying thank you to my grandmother who gave me so much love, kindness and wisdom. I miss you dearly but I cherish the memories and love you showed me. I'm still not entirely sure I was able to properly convey what I wanted to say but may we always remember to never take for granted those that step up and are those important figures in our life that help, or do their very best anyway, to guide us and keep us on the right pathway in life.