Countdown: 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1

With yet another year having passed, it is again time for celebration of America's independence. Let us not forget those who have fought or are fighting for our nation; they are the epitome of the human spitit called freedom! Salute to America in recognition and honor of her independence: July 4, 1776.

Let's begin this year's Countdown:

5 - In God We Trust 
4 - Star-Spangled Banner 
3 - Pledge of Allegiance 
2 - Remember Our Troops 
1 - Happy Independence Day

In God We Trust: 

Stand by it!  

Having faced acceptance, as well as controversy, this is still the official motto of the United States of America. The phrase appears to have originated in "The Star-Spangled Banner", written during the War of 1812: And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

 

The patriotic song God Bless America has become an iconic symbol of the United States of America originally written in 1918 by Irving Berlin while he was serving the US Army at Camp Upton in Yaphank, New York. In 1938, with the rise of Adolf Hitler, Irving Berlin, who was Jewish and a first-generation European immigrant, felt it was time to revive it as a "peace song," and it was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938, sung by Kate Smith on her radio show.

Listen to the original FIRST broadcast radio performance of
"God Bless America" sung by Kate Smith.

America was founded on hope, faith and courage. 

Voyage to America

A strong-willed people from very diverse backgrounds crossed treacherous waters, enduring hardships unimaginable to us today. Hope, faith, and courage remained resolute even in the face of serendipitous challenges. 

  

 

Hope for an improved life

Led ships to set sail for America

Why did they leave their homes, 

Those ancestors of our generation?

Great fortunes some would seek

While others simply settled for freedom

All were hard-working folks

Laborers with varied education

Some traveled as prisoners

Many were indentured servants

Each hoped for a better life

Built on faith’s determination 

Faith the Christian cornerstone

Inspired stabilization of belief

Preparing for the unexpected

Confirmed a watchful eye of conviction

Enormous challenges emerged

Within an era of self-belief

All answered their call to duty

When courage was commonplace 

Courage to overcome

Took strength larger than life

An innate part of who they were

Hearts and minds did embrace

Thousands of years of descendants

Left their mark for generations to come

Enduring sickness and hardships

With perseverance and innovation

Each has a name, a family

And they are still all together

So who do they proclaim to be?

Our ancestors—Our foundation

 ©2013 Awakenings

Sharla Lee Shults

Do you have your recipes for a 4th of July crowd?

Patriotic Berry Trifle

♫#1 Hits, One Hit Wonder & a Legend Remembered♫

Music of the day, any day can mesmerize, energize and synergize. It can be the slowest of songs, the fastest of songs and anything in between. It is you, it is me, it is us. It is the laughter, the smiles, the tears all the while reaching the depths of the soul. Accompanying the songs are the memories, remembering the best of times, the worst of times and everything in between. It is happiness. It is sadness. It is life.

Today in Music History: June 30

1962 Mike Sarne and Wendy Richard were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Come Outside'. Richard went on to become a famous TV actress.

Songfacts: The novelty song "Come Outside" topped the UK singles chart for Mike Sarne in 1962; written by producer/composer Charles Blackwell, released on Parlophone and backed by "Fountain Of Love", it knocked Elvis off the #1 spot and stayed in the charts for a respectable nineteen weeks. The song is a duet of sorts between Sarne and a then youthful Wendy Richard, who didn't sing but played the would-be girlfriend/conquest who Sarne kept asking her to come outside to see the lovely moon (among other things). Richard's replies including "What for?" were delivered in a broad Cockney accent by the Middlesbrough-born actress who trained at the same academy as Noël Coward.

1973 George Harrison knocked Paul McCartney from the top of the US singles chart with 'Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth'. His second US No.1, a No.8 hit in the UK was the opening track on his 1973 album Living in the Material World.

Songfacts:  Harrison (from his autobiography I Me Mine): "Sometimes you open your mouth and you don't know what you are going to say, and whatever comes out is the starting point. If that happens and you are lucky, it can usually be turned into a song. This song is a prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it."

 1973 Slade were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Skweeze Me Pleeze Me', the group's fifth UK No.1 and second single to enter the chart at No.1.

Tidbits of Music Trivia...

1977 Marvel Comics launched a comic book based on the rock group Kiss.

Claim:   Blood from KISS band members was mixed with the red ink used to print the first KISS comic book. Check this out at snopes.com...fr-e-e-e-eaky!

1978 United Artists released The Buzzcocks single 'Love You More'. At 1 minute 29 seconds, it was the second shortest single ever released. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs 1960 hit 'Stay' was the shortest hit at one minute 28 seconds.

1979 One hit wonder Anita Ward started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Ring My Bell', also a UK No.1.

They say every living person on the planet is here for a reason — and if your reason just happens to be adding your name to that much discussed list of one-hit wonders, then so be it. I just had a look on Wikipedia and have to say their description is a little harsh: "A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success." Well, I can think of worse ways to earn a living.

And like everything in life, some one-hit wonders are better than others. In this modern age, we don’t even notice one-hit wonders; we don’t really pay close attention to the charts anymore. What’s at No.1 this week? Anybody know? 

Back to Today in Music History:

1979 Tubeway Army started a four-week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Are 'Friends' Electric'. The song by Gary Numan was the first electronic/synthesizer-based record to become a hit in the post-punk era.

1990 New Kids On The Block started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Step By Step'. The group's third US No.1, a No.2 hit in the UK. Their album 'Step By Step' also went to No.1 on the UK album chart today.

2001 Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mýa and Pink were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Lady Marmalade'. A hit for LaBelle in 1975; then it was at No 1 in 1998 for All Saints. This version was from the Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge.

Remembering a Legend...

Chet Atkins: Mister Guitar

2001 American guitarist and producer Chet Atkins died in Nashville aged 77. Recorded over 100 albums during his career, produced records for Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves and Waylon Jennings. Was a major influence on George Harrison and Mark Knopfler.

With more than 35 million copies of his 75-plus original releases sold, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Chet Atkins was one of the most successful guitarists in history; as a country music producer, he was largely responsible for the pop-oriented "Nashville Sound" of the '60s. Read MORE...

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...

Tomorrow is Another Day

Today's History Lesson...a Pulitzer Prize

Only a few days ago, Today's History Lesson focused on June 27, 1939 when one of the most famous scenes in movie history was filmed. This scene contained a curse word, 'damn', which miraculously, considering the times, passed the firm censors. It was only three years earlier almost to the day when the story that inspired the film is published...finally.

This Day in History: June 30, 1936

MITCHELL, Margaret. Gone with the Wind.
New York: Macmillan, 1936.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell was rejected by 38 publishers before making it to the printing presses. The book won Mitchell the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1937. Even with such acclamation it has been dubbed offensive and vulgar by some even to the point of being banned. The scandalous language with bold characterizations met disapproval yet went on to become a bestselling literary classic and blockbuster movie.

Gone with the Wind was popular with American readers from the outset and was the top American fiction bestseller in the year it was published and in 1937. As of 2014, a Harris poll found it to be the second favorite book of American readers, just behind the Bible. More than 30 million copies have been printed worldwide.

In her own words, Margaret Mitchell wrote...

If Gone With the Wind has a theme it is that of survival. What makes some people come through catastrophes and others, apparently just as able, strong, and brave, go under? It happens in every upheaval. Some people survive; others don't. What qualities are in those who fight their way through triumphantly that are lacking in those that go under? I only know that survivors used to call that quality 'gumption.' So I wrote about people who had gumption and people who didn't."

NOTE:  There are many "first" types of books out there but ... a true, true first edition of "Gone With the Wind" was published in May of 1936 by The Macmillan Company. Many people are not aware that only 10,000 copies of the true first were printed. 

• The heroine of Gone With the Wind did not start out with the name Scarlet: It was an Atlanta belle named Pansy O'Hara.
• Mrs. Mitchell wrote the novel on a Remington manual typewriter.
• Margaret Mitchell died 10 years later after she was struck by a speeding car while crossing Atlanta's Peachtree Street.
• Scarlett, a relatively unmemorable sequel to Gone With the Wind, written by Alexandra Ripley, was published in 1992.

A Lesson Learned...

To all writers who have, or possibly will, receive rejections, take a lesson from some of the greatest writers of all time. Publishers sometimes just get it wrong...miss the point, thus, lose out all the way around. A rejection should not mean giving up but instead moving on. Just as Scarlett O'Hara faced a life without Rhett Butler, tomorrow is another day!

In other words, Give Up Giving Up!

Soda or Float...what's the diff?

When was the last time you had an old-fashioned ice cream soda, aka float? Its classic recipe is soda water, flavored syrup and vanilla ice cream. When you explore different recipes of flavorable ice cream sodas some are classified as sodas, while others are recognized as floats. You will even find an ice cream soda float! Some resources even post ice cream floats made with various sodas. What's the diff?  For the ice cream soda...the ice cream is put in the glass first, then soda is poured over which could be any flavor soda (root beer, cream, orange, etc), whereas the ice cream float...the glass is (nearly) filled with soda first and a scoop of ice cream is floated on top. Whichever you prefer, just enjoy!

June 30 is another celebration of...

National Ice Cream Soda Day!

Oh, my! 

There is some conflict as to date on this one. One website recognizes its celebration on June 20, while another today June 30, and yet another reflects July 20. Goes to show you even the Internet can mess up the facts. After all, it is generated by human hands! 

Celebrate all three!

Regardless of the date, with the summer heat, the ice cream is already melting as soon as it is out of the freezer so let's give it a little boost with a splash of soda and celebrate! Ah-h-h! It is absolutely possible you missed your fill on June 20 and there is plenty of time to prepare for even another celebration in July!
 

Outstanding! You can celebrate this GREAT treat today but not on this day only! It is a terrific coolant to any summer day and with July 4th just around the corner, get patriotic!

  Independence Day Ice Cream Soda Bar Ideas

Don't forget the cherry on top !

yum, yum, yum . . . yummy!

♫Music of Yesterdays♫

It is always so interesting to learn something new about the music of yesterdays...the songs, the artists, the times. So often we listen to the songs but don't take note of what's behind the melody. Each song has a story, each recording artist a biography, each musical era a sign of the changing times. Many of the songs and recording artists started abroad with hits that spanned the mighty oceans. Others became 'top dog' in their countries of origin but never made it big in the US. Yesterday's gone but not the memories! From nostalgic times to modern times, emotions are preserved in music while alterations in rhythm often produce variances from the simplest to the most complex.

Today in Music History: June 29

The song has been covered numerous times by multiple artists but there is nothing more nostalgic than listening to the original!

1961 'Runaway' was a No.1 Billboard Hot 100 song made famous by Charles Weedon Westovery, professionally known as Del Shannon, in 1961. The song was written by Shannon and keyboardist Max Crook, and became a major international hit making the No.1 spot on the UK singles chart on this particular day in '61. It was a No. 1 hit in the US maintaining the top spot for 4 weeks prior to this date. It is No.472 on Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time from 2010.

 

1968 The Small Faces started a six week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake', a concept album with a round cover designed to look like a tobacco tin. The album featured the hit 'Lazy Sunday'.  The band is remembered as one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s. With memorable hit songs such as "Itchycoo Park", "Lazy Sunday", "All or Nothing", "Tin Soldier", and their concept album Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake, they later evolved into one of the UK's most successful psychedelic acts before disbanding in 1969.

Small Faces were the best English band never to hit it big in America. Outside Europe, all anybody remembers them for is their sole hit, "Itchycoo Park," which was hardly representative of their psychedelic sound, much less their full musical range -- but in England, Small Faces were one of the most extraordinary and successful bands of the mid-'60s, serious competitors to The Who and potential rivals to The Rolling Stones. [Source: Small Faces Biography]

 

1991 Jason Donovan had his third UK No.1 single with 'Any Dream Will Do' a song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice for the 1968 musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. This song was in the show right from the beginning, but Tim Rice didn't realize its potential. Donovan was playing the lead role in a new London production of the musical.

In 1969, Lloyd Webber and Rice used the popularity of their second rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, to promote Joseph, which was advertised in America as a "follow-up" to Superstar. Riding on Superstar's coattails proved profitable for Joseph, as the U.S. Decca recording of Superstar had been in the top of America's charts for three months. The first American production of Joseph was in May 1970, at Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York. Following this, according to Lloyd Webber's Really Useful site, "there followed huge interest from colleges and schools." [Source: wikipedia.org]

 1994 Oasis made their debut on BBC TV's 'Top Of The Pops' performing their new single 'Shakermaker'. This song would become the subject of a plagiarism suit, with Oasis paying $500,000 in damages.

The song bears a strong resemblance to the 1971 The New Seekers song 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing', which was featured in a famous Coke commercial where children gather on a hilltop to sing. Noel Gallagher cited "irony" as his defense and after losing, joked, "Now we all drink Pepsi."

2003  Singer Beyoncé started a five week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Dangerously In Love', also a US No.1. Beyoncé rose to fame as the lead singer of Destiny's Child. She released her first solo album a year before the group disbanded. In addition to her music career, she has appeared in several movies, including Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Pink Panther and Dreamgirls.

 

2008 Ne-Yo was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Closer' the American R&B artists second No.1. Ne-Yo explained the inspiration behind this track to The Boston Globe September 18, 2008: "I knew I wanted to do something that was very much U.K.-inspired, very much along the lines of house, trance, techno, but I knew I couldn't do a straight-up house record or a straight-up techno record. I had to do something that had elements of it but still had elements of R&B, which is my base, and that's exactly what that track was. (Stargate) played the track, and it was exactly where I wanted to go, anyway. I think that's why we work. We're getting to the point where we finish each other's sentences musically."

And the music goes on beating with the rhythm of the changing times...