You've Got a Friend

My birthday was in March, but what I wanted as a gift were tickets to this concert.
Friday night I had the pleasure of enjoying the music of James Taylor and Carole King's - Troubadour Reunion Concert.
I had fun taking pictures too and thought this one turned out pretty good.
It was so fun to watch them as they shared song after song and know they
have a special friendship.

You've Got a Friend

When your down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
And you know where ever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring , summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a friend.
If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, Spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter Spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend.

Strong Women - Maya Angelou

The first time I noticed Maya Angelou is when she read her poem, On the Pulse of Morning, at President Bill Clinton's inauguration on January 20, 1993.  Since that time I have read several of her books and been struck by the fact that eventhough she had a rough early life, she was strong and rose above all the hurts and struggles.  She was a singer-dancer in New York City.  Her compassion and commitment lead her to respond to the fiery times by becoming the northern coordinator of Martin Luther King's history making quest.  Later, she became a professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

I definitely recommend getting to know Maya Angelou through her books and you will be touched by her strength.

One of her poems from Phenomenal Women

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.

I say,

It's in the reach of my arms,

The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stand or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash of my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much

But they can't touch

My inner mystery.

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's in the arch of my back,

The sun of my smile,

The ride of my breasts,

The grace of my style.

I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need for my care.

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That's me.

Happy Birthday

Today is my Aunt Arlene's 90th birthday.
Tea has been prepared for her birthday
and set under an apple tree in the orchard, the orchard she and her husband once farmed.
Today we will serve a nice green tea along with apple bread, a recipe another aunt developed.
We will carry it out into the orchard in my grandpa's (my aunt's father) lunch pail.
There will be fresh pressed apple juice in grandpa's thermos and tea served in
a lovely Franciscanware teapot.
Won't you join us for this very special celebration.
What else can we bring to this very special party?
Happy Birthday to my Aunt Arlene!

Gardener's Dream

 

The first weekend in May each year finds me at the Canby, Oregon fairgrounds.
It is a gardeners dream, full of plants for the garden.
There is everything you can imagine such as tomato starts and lavender, but there are the surprises too.
Cute bird houses and planter ideas are there.
I always stop by one tent that has plants to attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Plants have come home now and will soon find a new home in my garden.
Now if it would just stop raining, so I can go into the garden and make room for new plants.
I just know the hummingbirds and butterflies are waiting.

Love in the Sand

Love written in the sand
will soon wash away
Some loves are here to stay
and some loves are for a day

Sending you much love always

Mac Attack

 

http://mactweets.blogspot.com/

 

My favorite Golden Book as a child was the Bunny Book.

It had the colors of the rainbow in it and the story was so precious.

I am playing with the Mac(Attack)Tweets today and thought of this book and the rainbow.

I would design a macaron in colors of the rainbow.  When I see them lined up in the sweet shops they look like rainbows to me.  Don't they remind you of a rainbow?

Strong Women - Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc in Paris, France

from thinkexists.com/quote

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.  by Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc in Portland, Oregon

From http://www.maidofheaven.com/
Joan of Arc is one of the most remarkable people to ever live and her name is easily recognized by virtually everyone in the world today. Joan's life and history are also the best documented of anyone that has ever lived outside of modern times however most people are not aware of all that this simple young woman from a small town in eastern France accomplished in her life and death. Joan saved her people and united all of France by winning several important battles at Orleans and Patay in what is now known as the Hundred Years War. Joan completely reversed the course of this war and kept France from becoming a colony of the English. Greatly celebrated by her own people she was hated by the English who ultimately captured her and rigged a trial under the auspices of the Church to justify burning her at the stake (at age 19). Twenty-five years later the illegality of her trial was revealed in another trial held by the Church that completely exonerated her and declared her a martyr. In 1920 Joan became an official Saint of the same Church that had once called her a heretic and executed her by burning her at the stake. She remains one of the most beloved figures in all of history.

from Wikipedia:

Joan of Arc was not a feminist, yet often wore men's clothing. She operated within a religious tradition that believed an exceptional person from any level of society might receive a divine calling.
Doctrinally speaking, she was safe to disguise herself as a page during a journey through enemy territory and she was safe to wear armor during battle. The Chronique de la Pucelle states that it deterred molestation while she was camped in the field. Clergy who testified at her rehabilitation trial affirmed that she continued to wear male clothing in prison to deter molestation and rape.Preservation of chastity was another justifiable reason for crossdressing: her apparel would have slowed an assailant, and men would be less likely to think of her as a sex object in any case
She referred the court to the Poitiers inquiry when questioned on the matter during her condemnation trial. The Poitiers record no longer survives but circumstances indicate the Poitiers clerics approved her practice. In other words, she had a mission to do a man's work so it was fitting that she dress the part.She also kept her hair cut short through her military campaigns and while in prison. Her supporters, such as the theologian Jean Gerson, defended her hairstyle, as did Inquisitor Brehal during the Rehabilitation trial.
Joan of Arc's religious visions have interested many people. The consensus among scholars is that her faith was sincere.


Another woman that lived with Passion.