Earth Days and Birthdays
Taking care of planets and husbands...the usual...
Greetings, fellow earthlings. Time to celebrate our beloved, beleaguered home base, and recommit to doing what we can to save it. I recently read, “Ours is the first generation to truly understand the damage humans have done to our planet, and the last to have a chance to repair that damage.” What an opportunity! For the sake of generations to come, let’s not miss it!
ARTICLE: SEVEN WAYS TO CELEBRATE EARTH DAY
A cool list of activities from Earthwatch, to observe the day (and help save the earth)…
SONG: HAPPY EARTH DAY
I love Tom Chapin (the late great Harry’s brother). His terrific music speaks to children and their grownups in a very special way. This is a song from his album Billy the Squid (and the title number is AMAZING too)…
STEVO’S FAVORITE THINGS (AN APPRECIATION)
Earth is 4.5 billion years old. My Steve is only 76. Everything’s relative, right, sweetie? Anyway, in honor of my dear hub’s birthday, I offer a few of his top choices…
BOOK: THE MOONSTONE BY WILKIE COLLINS
I find great comfort in re-reading my favorite books every few years. Steve finds great comfort in HIS faves too, and his #1 is this classic, written in 1868 by Wilkie Collins. The Moonstone is the prototype of the modern detective novel. I am sad to say that I haven’t read it yet (what kind of spouse AM I?) But honey, I swear—this is the year!!
MOVIE TRAILER: COOL HAND LUKE
While we’re on the subject, I also haven’t finished watching Stevo’s Numero Uno movie either. I know, I know! One of these days I’ll watch Cool Hand Luke, sound down, with subtitles, while listening to the audiobook of The Moonstone at the same time! I may get a bit mixed up, and think of Paul Newman’s character NOT as a free-spirited prisoner on a Southern chain gang, but rather as Victorian British servant Gabriel Betteridge. Does it really matter? It’s the thought that counts, right?
SONG “THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD AROUND”
And here is the perfect synthesis of Earth Day and birthday—Steve’s VERY favorite singers, Peter, Paul and Mary, performing a song about living in the world as one human family: Let every voice be thunder, let every heart be strong/
Until the world’s united. our work shall not be done.
Happy Birthday, honey!
STORY: STUMBLING IN THE DARK
I really love actor John Turturro. He elevates any movie he is in, from Quiz Show to O Brother Where Art Thou. Here’s John at a Moth storytelling event, telling a powerful personal story about his mentally ill brother. Well worth a listen!!
SCIENCE ARTICLE: THE HEALING SOUND OF MUSIC
I think we can agree that music affects our moods. I play upbeat pop (such as Mika’s silly and fun “Lollipop”) when my spirits need a boost, cool jazz (Grover Washington’s “Winelight”) for a mellow frame of mind, and classical for the widest range of feelings (from Beethoven’s late quartets to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti to Barber’s sublime, heartbreaking Adagio for Strings). But did you know that music can ACTUALLY, physically heal you? Makes sense to me! Check out this fascinating piece in Nautilus (and the book it references, I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine by Daniel Levitin, who also wrote This is Your Brain on Music.)
Here’s Brandenburg #3, featuring Sheridan’s dear friend (and incredible musician) Shunsuke Sato!
MUSIC: BRANDENBURG CONCERTO #3 with Shunsuke Sato and the Netherlands Bach Society
BLOG PREVIEW: FOR THE PLOT
I heard that the phrase “for the plot” is used to encourage someone to do something that will, if nothing else, add to their life experience. Clearly, my life has been adventure-deficient—but hey, what’s wrong with that?
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
I love this quote, because it reassures me that it is not (yet) too late to plant hope. Let’s seize every morning’s golden opportunity to make the world a better, more beautiful place, my friends!
