Being the first grandchild and niece on both sides of one's family has certain perks and privileges, a fact that I learned the day that I was lucky enough to have been born into that blessed position. I'm the first to admit to having been spoiled by my grandparents and having experiences that other kids my age never got, thanks to my aunts and uncles who dragged me along with them on their various adventures. One of those adventures was my very first concert which I attended with my Aunt Naomi and a couple of her friends in 1965. I was nearly six years old at the time and every bit as much in love with The Beatles as my mom and aunt.

I don't remember a lot about the concert except that it was loud, full of crying and screaming girls, and that some of the girls peed their pants from excitement! My aunt bought me a purple t-shirt from that concert, and somewhere my dad has a picture of me wearing it. I'll have to ask him to scan it so that I can post it (he's on vacation in Colorado at the moment).

The video I have chosen is from The Beatles first US concert at Shea Stadium in New York because it gives the feeling of excitement that we experienced when we saw them in California.

Starting when I was about 12 years old, a Saturday afternoon ritual began in my family. My parents would give me and my two younger sisters $1 each and drop us off at the Park Theater in Gardena (a neighboring city) for their Saturday afternoon matinee double feature special. With that single dollar, we had enough money to buy a ticket, a snack, and a drink.

My parents weren't the only ones thrilled to get rid of their children for a few hours on Saturday afternoons. The theater was always packed with kids ranging in age from about 5 or 6 to 14 or 15. It wasn't unusual for me and my sisters to find friends from school at the theater, so we always had someone to hang out with while we were there.

During intermission, the owner of the theater held a drawing and gave away 5 prizes: a bicycle, a camera, a pair of movie tickets, and two items from the concession stand. All the kids held onto their ticket stubs in anticipation of that drawing. I won a camera once, and my sisters won things like a free hotdog, a free drink, and free candy. Those definitely were the days!

Our Saturday movie day was made all the better if one of the two films playing was about Billy Jack.




One Saturday, during our Christmas break from school, and probably planned for parents to do some shopping without having to worry about or deal with dragging their kids along, the theater held a Billy Jack marathon -- three movies starring our favorite half-breed former Green Beret. We kids were thrilled!

Billy Jack was our hero. His character shaped my understanding of what a hero is and what a hero does. He still does -- Billy Jack is still my hero.

"One Tin Soldier" is a 60s era anti-war song written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. The Canadian pop group Original Caste first recorded the song in 1969. The track briefly reached limited popularity locally and reached Number 34 on the American pop charts in early 1970.

"One Tin Soldier" tells the abstract story of a hidden treasure and two neighboring peoples, the Mountain People and the Valley People. The Valley People are aware of a treasure on the mountain, buried under a stone; they send a message to the Mountain People demanding those riches. When told they can share the treasure, the Valley People instead decided to take it all by force. After killing all the Mountain People, the victors move the stone and find nothing more than a simple message: "Peace on Earth." Ironically, the valley people destroyed the treasure in pursuit of it.


The Billy Jack connection:
Jinx Dawson of the band Coven sang the song at a 1971 session with the film's orchestra as part of the soundtrack for the Warner Brothers movie Billy Jack. Jinx asked that her band, Coven, be listed on the recording and film, not her name as a solo artist. This Warner release, titled as "One Tin Soldier: The Legend of Billy Jack," reached #17 on Billboard's Hot 100 in fall 1971, only to be pulled from the charts as it was moving up by the Billy Jack film producers due to legal squabbles over the rights to the recording. The full Coven band then reluctantly re-recorded the song for their MGM album. Thus the MGM album containing a second version of this song displayed their whited-out faces on the cover, contrived again by the film's producer Tom Laughlin. The recording then hit the charts again in both 1973 and 1974 near the end of the Vietnam War and the release of the film The Trial of Billy Jack. The Coven recording was named Number One All Time Requested Song in 1971 and 1973 by the American Radio Broadcasters Association. A slightly different version recorded by Guy Chandler (titled "One Tin Soldier (The Legend of Billy Jack)") charted in summer 1973 (Wikipedia).

• The Official Billy Jack website

The films:

1. Born Losers (1967)
   
2. Billy Jack (1971)
   
3. The Trial of Billy Jack (1974)
   
4. Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977)
   

When I first saw this week's theme, I struggled to come up with a song that would fit it. Not wanting to go with the obvious -- a song by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons -- I had to really wrack The Brain for a while. Considering that The Brain usually ignores me and just takes control, this was no easy feat!

As I scrolled through the nearly 23,000 songs on my iTunes, hoping that at least one would jump out at me as having something to do with winter, my favorite season, that wasn't a Christmas song, I kept hearing Willie Nelson's version of "Moonlight in Vermont" from his Stardust album playing softly in my head. I hummed along with myself and continued to scan the iTunes list.

Frustrated at not finding just the right song, I needed a little more inspiration than humming and began to sing the lyrics of "Moonlight in Vermont." And then, The Brain had a lightbulb moment: the song mentions falling leaves, ski trails, and snow light. Duh, it's the perfect song which explains why I've been humming it for well over an hour!

Because once is never enough for such a beautiful song, I've compiled three different versions, two vocal and one instrumental, for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!



Version #1: Ella Fitzgerald (Did I mention before that I love Ms. Fitzgerald? I think so!)



Version #2: Willie Nelson



Version #3: Nat King Cole Trio

Here goes nothing!

27. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?

I prefer to sleep because I never seem to get enough of it.

28. Do you look like your mom or dad?

I have my dad's eye and hair color, my mom's face and body shape. The older I get, the more I look like my mother, though.

29. How long does it take you in the shower?

Because I am conscious of the fact that where I live there is a serious water shortage, I do my best to get in and out of the shower in under 15 minutes.

30. Can you do the splits?

Of course -- I can split hairs, bananas, stocks, and cards when playing Black Jack.

31. What movie do you want to see right now?

I'm waiting to see the new Disney animated film which I think is called The Princess and the Frog or something like that.

32. What did you do for New Year’s?

The same thing we always do -- stay at home and away from all the drunk people.

33. Do you think The Grudge was scary?

I have no clue what The Grudge is.

34. Do you own a camera phone?

My iPhone has a camera on it -- not a great one, but a camera nonetheless.

35. Was your mom a cheerleader?

My mom was the best kind of cheerleader there is -- she rooted for and cheered on her daughters.

36. What’s the last letter of your middle name?

E

37. How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

I average about 3 hours per night.

38. Do you like Care Bears?

Not really; I'm a little old for that.

39. What do you buy at the movies?

A ticket to get in and nothing else. Everything is so overpriced at the theater.

40. Do you know how to play poker?

Yes, I do.

41. Do you wear your seat belt?

It's the law in California.

42. What do you wear to sleep?

A nightgown.

43. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?

The Beach Boys and Mattel Toys "happened" in my hometown of Hawthorne, California.

44. How many meals do you eat a day?

Usually just one.

45. Is your tongue pierced?

Does forked count?

46. Do you always read MySpace bulletins?

I don't use MySpace at all.

47. Do you like funny or serious people better?

I like them equally, but I prefer serious people who can be funny when appropriate.

48. Ever been to L.A.?

Uh, I was born and raised in a suburb of Los Angeles.

49. Did you eat a cookie today?

No. Do you want to share one?

50. Do you use cuss words in other languages?

Very, very rarely. My mom taught me and my sisters that people who use foul language are only showing the world how stupid they are because they have such a limited vocabulary that they can't find a more effective word to use instead. I agree with her and very seldom say cuss words in any language because I don't want people thinking that I'm stooopid!

51. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?

I buy music from iTunes.

52. Do you hate chocolate?

Is it possible for people to hate chocolate?

53. What do you and your parents fight about the most?

I don't fight with my father -- we are both way too old for that.

54. Are you a gullible person?

Not any longer.

55. Do you need a girlfriend to be happy?

Nope; I have a husband.

56. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what what would it be?

I would teach just like I did until I retired a few months ago.

57. Are you easy to get along with?

People tell me that I am.

58. What is your favorite time of day?

My favorite time of day is the very early morning like 2-5 am.

Participants will post a picture, story, song, poem, recipe, craft project, piece of art – anything, really – that tells us something about your city/town, state/province, or country for that week's topic. Our hope is that through this weekly meme, we’ll learn more about our countries and cultures.

This week's theme is EATING OUT, so tell us abut or show us the places where you go to eat outside of your home in your part of the world.

Here goes nothing!

Eating out has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Whether it was the Sunday gatherings with family or the dinner out Thursday nights with my parents and sisters, I have always enjoyed eating away from home. The Amazing Egyptian Dude, on the other hand, grew up with a tradition of always eating at home so when we got married, we had to strike a compromise on dining out. Over the years, he's kind of gotten used to it and although he'll complain about the cost every now and again, we eat out once or twice a week on average.

At the beginning of the week, we had dinner at a restaurant owned by one of our customers. The Karma Cafe serves delicious homestyle Moroccan cuisine. One of these days, I am going to remember to carry the camera around with me but until I do, I have to rely on our cell phones for photos when we're out and about. Sorry -- the quality isn't all that great in some of them.



Gabriel, the owner and chef at Karma Cafe, served us a cornucopia of delights. We started with za'atar and bread. Za'atar is a blend of herbs, spices, and sesame seeds mixed with olive oil.


Then we had the most amazing falafel I've ever eaten. I don't know what they do in Morocco that's different, but they definitely have an edge on the falafel there! The falafel was followed by samples of kebab and shawarma with hummous.



Next came Moroccan lentil soup. I am not much of a soup eater, but even I had to concede that this stuff was delicious!



Finally, the entrees. I had Tagine Chicken, and the AED got the Fish Pastilla. Both were heavenly!


The delicious lentil soup proved to be our downfall -- we each ate a full bowl and had no room for the entree other than a few bites. We brought the leftovers home and had a great meal the next day, though. And for me, that's the best part of eating out anyway!

Post about 5 favorite things from the past week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy: favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, great internet finds, etc., etc. Be as detailed as you like, the more detail the more fun for those of us visiting. Susanne, the hostess, just asks that it be kept family friendly. To see entries from other participants or to play along, click here.




1. Humor can brighten an otherwise dreary day.

A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked a blonde stewardess to take care of them for him.

She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in a very haughty manner that he was a lawyer, and proceeded to rant at her about what would happen if she let them thaw out.

Needless to say, she was annoyed by his behavior. Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, "Would the gentleman who gave me the crabs in New Orleans, please raise your hand?"


Not a single hand went up ... so she took them home and ate them.

Two lessons here:

1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are.
2. Blondes aren't as dumb as some folks think they are.



2. Patience is a virtue. Or so I have been told! It's been a long summer, and I have missed my favorite TV shows. This week has been one filled with commercials designed to torture people like me, people who are anxiously awaiting the commencement of the fall season. Honestly, between the Dancing with the Stars and Grey's Anatomy commercials, I am on a countdown to Monday!

3. America's Got Talent, but we're not quite ready for the opera. I don't want to play like Kanye West and attack a deserving talent just because I am not happy with the outcome of a vote; however, I have to say that even though I liked Kevin Skinner and rooted for him, the finals for America's Got Talent turned out just as I predicted they would. Several weeks ago, I commented on Thom's blog that I had a feeling that although Barbara Padilla ought to win, that Kevin Skinner would win. Maybe I should work for a psychic hotline!




4. Times may be tough and things may be ugly, but hope remains. I have to say that I am eternally grateful to my mother, whom I lost when I was just 17 and she 37, for teaching me to be thankful for what I have, no matter how little it is, because I will always find someone who has less and when I do, it is my moral duty to share what I do have with them. I find it so distressing to see how selfish, self-centered, and self-serving people have become in these tough economic times. I sincerely hope that those who do not want to see any reforms made to our health care system never find themselves faced with the decision of buying food or medicine, paying to see a doctor or paying the mortgage/rent, or putting off necessary care because of a lack of funds to pay for it.


5. I hope.

"Sanity may be madness but the maddest of all is to see life as it is and not as it should be." --Don Quixote

"I have learned two lessons in my life: first, there are no sufficient literary, psychological, or historical answers to human tragedy, only moral ones. Second, just as despair can come to one another only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings." --Elie Wiesel

"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything. " --Arabian Proverb

And...here we go!

1. My car may be 10 years old, but it still feels new to me.

2. The weather has been so strange recently that it's hard to tell what is coming up next.

3. Lately, things seem to pile up around me faster than I can get rid of them.

4. Telling you that a certain location is one of my favorite 'hiding' places defeats the whole purpose of having a hiding place.

5. What happened to people having basic manners and treating one another with respect?

6. I can't believe it when people tell me that conquering Mount Laundry is not impossible!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to playing games online with my sister, tomorrow my plans include an attempt to scale Mount Laundry and Sunday, I want to enjoy the Eid celebrations with my family!

I'm sad, genuinely sad, at the death of Mary Travers. After my mom's youngest brother introduced me to the music of Peter, Paul, and Mary, it became a staple in my library of albums and later, CDs. Their songs informed my earliest concept of justice with "If I Had a Hammer," while "Puff the Magic Dragon," a song I still can't listen to without tearing up, helped me to understand that the transition from childhood to maturity would be painful. I can't think of a time when I didn't have Peter, Paul, and Mary songs to brighten my day, remind me of happier times, or make me wish for better ones.

The world has lost a treasure, and I feel as though I have lost an old friend.

My list is inspired by song from the Dixie Chicks' album, Taking the Long Way.




I hope . . .

(1) . . . that the people who face the possibility of losing their homes will find the help they need in time.

(2) . . . that I will one day scale Laundry Mountain, conquering it once and for all.

(3) . . . that the fleas of a thousand camels will infest the armpits of Kanye West for his lack of civility during and after the VMAs.

(4) . . . that General Motors' new marketing plan succeeds in helping to rebuild buyers' confidence in their products so that the company doesn't go completely under.

(5) . . . that the cold I am fighting off doesn't amount to much of anything.

(6) . . . that this latest stock market rally lasts long enough for folks to recover at least a significant portion of what they lost when it collapsed several months ago.

(7) . . . that summer leaves soon so that fall can arrive!

(8) . . . that more people will start to live by the notion that wanting for your neighbor what you want for yourself is a good thing.

(9) . . . that the heatwave we're supposed to experience over the next few days isn't bad enough to trigger more fires.

(10) . . . that in our upcoming gubernatorial election, we Californians will remember that just because someone has experience on the big screen doesn't mean that he or she will know what to do in the big house in Sacramento!

(11) . . . that our latest container, which is scheduled to arrive at the port in Long Beach in the second week of October, doesn't have a long and drawn out hold up at Customs -- we need the products in it like last week!

(12) . . . that I get a chance to learn how to sync my Google calendar to my iPhone this weekend.

(13) . . . that the Muslims of the world have a wonderful Eid celebration! For those who don't know, Eid is the holiday that comes at the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting.

Jientje from Heaven Is in Belgium, the creator of this meme, writes: "As long as people have been around, they have tried to communicate with each other. As a means of getting the message across as clearly as possible, idioms and sayings have found their way into our language. Now, because "a picture paints a thousand words", I thought it would be nice to make this a new photo challenge. The idea is to choose an idiom, or a saying, ( even slang is allowed) and illustrate it with a picture.

My theme for this week is apples.

Here we go!

When someone is the apple of your eye, he or she is your favorite person, the one you desire the most. This "apple" is The Amazing Egyptian Dude showing off the refrigerator he chose for us a few months ago.

On September 4th, two very important members of my family had a birthday: Aunt Nola and Marlowe. I'm too polite to reveal Aunt Nola's age, but I can tell you that Marlowe is now 7 years old.

When I first brought Marlowe home from the breeder, he was 7 weeks old. The breeder didn't want to let him go for at least another week but after talking to me and learning that I had plenty of experience with cats, she let Iman and me bring the little fluff ball home ahead of schedule. At first, it was hard to tell who was more attached to whom -- he to me or me to him. So laid back, even as a kitten, Marlowe loved to be groomed, quickly adapted to regular baths, and didn't protest when he had to wear the bib to help keep his ruff clean.


As an adult, Marlowe is a a gentle giant. He may be twice the size of his housemates, but he doesn't bully anyone about it. His favorite pasttime is being brushed to the point of drooling ecstasy.



And when he's had enough attention for a while, he'll curl up on the coffee table and show the world what a truly sweet kitty looks like.

It is hard to not be drawn to a movie set in your home city, state or region. Share on your blog movies set in your part of the world and then link back to The Bumbles. And don't forget to visit your fellow participants!

And here we go . . .

I was born, raised, and still live in Southern California, the capital of the film and television industry in the US. Lots of movies are made here, and it's not uncommon to find a film crew in a random neighborhood at any time; it's just part of living in SoCal. Remembering movies that are set in Los Angeles or California, though, is a different story. It turned out to be a little more challenging for me than I thought it would be, but here's what I managed to come up with:

Boyz n the Hood (1991): Set in South Central Los Angeles, which isn't too far from where I grew up, this film is made all the more tragic because of its unfortunate realism.

Freedom Writers (2007): Based on the true story of Erin Gruwell, a young teacher from the perfectly planned city of Irvine (the first "Stepford" community in the OC, as I call them), who gets a taste of real life when she teaches a group of high school students in Long Beach. Despite the disparities in their life experiences, Erin finds a way to reach and connect with her students so effectively that her classroom model has now spread across the country with incredible success. As an educator, this movie resonates with me in so many ways. We need more teachers like Erin Gruwell!

Gidget (1959): Gidget learns to surf at the beaches of Venice and Santa Monica. Who doesn't love Gidget?!

Paint Your Wagon (1969): I love this film! Set during California's Gold Rush, this musical comedy starring Clint Eastwood -- who sings in it -- and Lee Marvin is a movie that everyone should see for reason other than to laugh like a fool.

The Aviator (2004): Multi-millionaire Howard Hughes, the enigmatic subject of this film, lived and worked in Southern California. In fact, my father, mother, grandmother, 2 aunts, and 3 cousins all worked at, and many retired from, Hughes Aircraft, the defense contracting company he built in El Segundo.

Pulp Fiction (1994): This film provides a glimpse into the seedier side of life in Los Angeles. It's on my list of frequently played films.

Changeling (2008): I didn't care for this one very much, but it is set in Southern California.


Have a great week, everyone!

A while back, I made a list of Songs to Cry By for another meme in which I am a regular participant. It didn't take me long to come up with the songs to put on the list, but it took me hours to whittle it down to a measly thirteen of them! I am such a sucker for sad songs that the largest play list on my iTunes is the one called Tear Jerkers. Choosing only one heartbreaker song is torture for someone like me, but here goes nothing!

Don't forget your tissues!





Lyrics:

I know you loved him
A long time ago
Even now in my arms
You still want him I know
But darling this time
Let your memories die
When you hold me tonight
Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
Than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Maybe I've been a fool
Holding on all this time
Lyin' here in your arms
Knowing he's in your mind
But I keep hoping some day
That you'll see the light
Let it be me tonight
Don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
Than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Don't close your eyes
Let it be me
Don't pretend it's him
In some fantasy
Darling just once
Let yesterday go
You'll find more love
than you've ever known
Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

Just hold me tight
When you love me tonight
And don't close your eyes

While the Amazing Egyptian Dude is attending his weekly "class" with the other old farts, I'm cleaning up and reorganizing my iTunes library. Now this is quite a monumental task because I collect songs from everyone which I add to the collection of my own music that I have burned onto an external drive where the iTunes library is stored. Sometimes I end up with several copies of the same song, especially if it's an old standard, but I never seem to find the time to clean them up and delete the duplicates. As I click and trash, I am listening to tunes that I didn't know I had or had forgotten about. That's how I came across the song in the title of this post. It is just to beautiful for me not to share!

Post about 5 favorite things from the past week. It can be anything that tickled your fancy: favorite quotes, posts, happenings, scriptures, recipes, pictures, great internet finds, etc., etc. Be as detailed as you like, the more detail the more fun for those of us visiting. Susanne, the hostess, just asks that it be kept family friendly. To see entries from other participants or to play along, click here.



1. Jokes from friends always make my day.

Bob Hill and his new wife Betty were vacationing in Europe... as it happens, near Transylvania. They were driving in a rental car along a rather deserted highway. It was late and raining very hard. Bob could barely see the road in front of the car. Suddenly the car skids out of control! Bob attempts to control the car, but to no avail! The car swerves and smashes into a tree.


Moments later, Bob shakes his head to clear the fog. Dazed, he looks over at the passenger seat and sees his wife unconscious, with her head bleeding! Despite the rain and unfamiliar countryside, Bob knows he has to get her medical assistance.

Bob carefully picks his wife up and begins trudging down the road. After a short while, he sees a light. He heads towards the lig ht, which is coming from a large, old house. He approaches the door and knocks.

A minute passes. A small, hunched man opens the door. Bob immediately blurts, "Hello, my name is Bob Hill, and this is my wife Betty. We've been in a terrible accident, and my wife has been seriously hurt. Can I please use your phone?"


"I'm sorry," replied the hunchback, "but we don't have a phone. My master is a doctor; come in and I will get him!" Bob brings his wife in.

An older man comes down the stairs. "I'm afraid my assistant may have misled you. I am not a medical doctor; I am a scientist.. However, it is many miles to the nearest clinic, and I have had a basic medical training. I will see what I can do. Igor, bring them down to the laboratory"



With that, Igor picks up Betty and carries her downstairs, with Bob following closely. Igor places Betty on a table in the lab. Bob collapses from exhaustion and his own injuries, so Igor places Bob on an adjoining table.

After a brief examination, Igor's master looks worried. "Things are serious, Igor. Prepare a transfusion." Igor and his master work feverishly, but to no avail. Bob and Betty Hill are no more.

The Hills' deaths upset Igor's master greatly. Wearily, he climbs the steps to his conservatory, which houses his grand piano. For it is here that he has always found solace. He begins to play, and a stirring, almost haunting melody fills the house.

Meanwhile, Igor is still in the lab tidying up. His eyes catch movement, and he notices the fingers on Betty's hand twitch, keeping time with the haunting piano music.. Stunned, he watches as Bob's arm begins to rise, marking the beat! He is further amazed as Betty and Bob both sit up straight!

Unable to contain himself, he dashes up the stairs to the conservatory.

He bursts in and shouts to his master:



3. In the midst of all the animosity and ugliness that permeates our nation these days, I have been thinking a lot about Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Both of these amazing leaders, one Republican and one Democrat, saw our country through its two roughest periods: the Civil War and the Great Depression and World War II. In rereading several of their speeches, I find inspiration for these troubling times:

"The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me." -- Abraham Lincoln ("Speech on the Sub-Treasury" delivered in the Illinois House of Representatives, December 26, 1839)

"The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1932

4. Because I hope for a brighter tomorrow, this song has been stuck in my head for a few days.



5. Last, but not least, I am grateful to have survived what has turned out to be a very, very rough week.


Happy Friday, everyone!