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Turntable Talk – The First Time’s the Charm!

It is time for another round of Turntable Talk, hosted by Dave at A Sound Day. This is the 12th round that I have participated in and it has quickly become one of my favorite “features” to participate in. There has not been a topic that Dave has presented that has not been interesting for me to explore. This round is no exception. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out his site and read the contributions of other music lovers, too!

For this round, Dave’ says, “This time around I’m calling it “First Time’s The Charm.” Let’s look at an artist whose debut really impressed you. It can be one that just knocked you out first time you heard it when it was brand new, or one you went back & discovered later. As long as it showed a band or singer that hit the ground running.“

In talking with one of the other participants this week, I mentioned that with each topic, one choice always seems to hit me immediately. Then I begin to think about other possibilities, and without fail I always seem to come back to the first choice. This time around, I decided not to consider anything else and go with the first thing that came to mind.

It is 1989. In our living room is the shelving unit that contains my dad’s stereo system. One shelf holds the receiver/amplifier while the cassette deck and Sony Mini-disc players sit on top of each other on the shelf above that. Two speakers sit on top of the unit. A turntable sits on a shelf that slides out on the top left of the unit. Under that, on a shelf all by itself is a Sony CD player.

My dad calls me out to the living room and says, “Keith, you’ve gotta hear this!” My dad has certainly played a major role in sharing great music with me. The above phrase was spoken by him to me more times than I can count. Oh, the music he introduced me to! I would have to say that 9 times out of 10, it has always been something that I have really liked. The CD he popped in the player was the debut album from The Kentucky Headhunters.

The group started back in the late 60’s and called themselves “Itchy Brother.” In 1980, the group was almost signed to a record deal at Swan Song Records, which was a small label founded by the band Led Zeppelin. However, Zeppelin drummer John Bonham died that year and the label folded. Itchy Brother disbanded in 1982. In 1985, there was an attempt to reunite the group. This attempt led to a few new members joining while some original members decided not to be a part of the group. Now missing some of the original members, a new name was chosen for the band – The Headhunters. It didn’t take long to find out that there was another band using that name, so “Kentucky” was added to the name.

The group decided to take out a loan to record a demo. That demo included some original songs and some cover songs. They had hoped to press copies of the demo to sell as merchandise at their live shows. It didn’t take long for that demo to get noticed by folks in Nashville. The group was not really interested in signing a record deal, but their manager suggested that they talk with producer Harold Shedd at Mercury Records. They were signed to their deal in 1989 and the demo was released as their debut album “Pickin’ on Nashville.

I hadn’t intended on listening to the whole album that day, but when my dad hit play, I really liked what I heard. While they certainly had a Southern rock sound, it wasn’t really completely Southern rock, if that even makes sense. It is kind of a mixture of country, Southern rock, a bit of blues, classic rock, a little rockabilly, and maybe even a little bit of metal. It was like nothing I had heard in some time. It was a very unique mix of various styles and types of music.

The first cut on the album was a cover of Bill Monroe’s Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine. Bill’s version has a very bluegrass feel to it. The Headhunters had me from the opening guitar lick. Then I was really digging the harmonies of the group. The guitar solo had a rock/B.B. King feel to it, which I just loved. The debut single reached number 25 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart, the first of 4 Top 40 singles for the band.

The second single from the album is probably their best known song, but not quite their biggest hit. It almost didn’t make the album, though. Dumas Walker is a song that is about a Kentucky hangout. The lyrics tell of hanging out there eating a “slawburger, fries, and a bottle of Ski.” Folks in Kentucky knew that a slawburger was a burger with cole slaw on it, and a bottle of Ski is a soda that is a lot like Mountain Dew. The record company wasn’t too keen on it, though.

Producer Harold Shedd felt that the song was too local. He felt like no one outside of Kentucky would connect with the song. He asked band member Richard Young if they would be willing to leave the song off the record. After much discussion, Young says that he convinced Shedd to keep it on the record. He said that Shedd was missing the point – that every place had their own “Dumas Walker’s and they can relate to that!” He was right. The song was a top 20 hit for the band in 1990.

Another thing that helped get the band recognition was CMT (Country Music Television), which was the country version of MTV. The early headhunter videos are a blast to watch. How could anyone possible turn off a video set in a bar with people playing marbles, the lead singer juggling bowling pins, and the drummer banging on his drum kit with no shirt and a coon skin cap on!? Incidentally, the video was nominated for the CMA video of the year in 1990.

Richard Young says that the group had a “magnetism that people just couldn’t resist” and compared it to watching the old Monkees TV show. He said, “People want to be entertained. If you can’t hold their eyes, they will wander.” Watch a few of their videos and you will certainly be entertained.

The third single from the album was another cover song. This time it was a cover of Don Gibson’s “Oh, Lonesome Me.” Gibson’s version is very typical 1960’s country. The Headhunters version kicks it up a notch with a driving beat and video that really fits the “Monkees” description above. This song peaked at number 8 and would be the band’s only Top 10 hit. The fourth and final single from the album was “Rock and Roll Angel,” which is mostly forgettable.

The band enjoyed great success in 1989/1990 because of their debut album. In 1990, they won the Academy of Country Music’s Top New Vocal Duo or Group Award , The Country Music Associations Vocal Group of the Year, and the CMA Album of the Year. They also won a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group that year.

Sadly, their follow up album Electric Barnyard was a major disappointment. It was certified gold, but the singles released to radio didn’t get much airplay. Citing creative differences, Ricky Lee Phelps and Doug Phelps left the group in 1992 to form their own band, Brother Phelps.

The band has continued to tour with a variety of different members and their last album was released in 2021. They never really enjoyed much success after that debut album. That being said, I believe their fresh sound really paved the way for (and had a big influence on) some of the more recent country singers who have a more “rock” sound.

One thing I think is important to mention is that the Kentucky Headhunters hit the scene at a very unique time in country music. In 1989, this new group stood out during a time that also saw country music’s amazing “Class of ’89” hit the scene. They were in the thick of things at the same time that Alan Jackson, Clint Black, Travis Tritt, and a dude by the name of Garth Brooks were getting their debut’s as well. The fact that they made waves amongst those guys is a testament to that first album.

It is hard to say what factored into the decline in popularity. Was it hard to get airplay with all of those other big names taking off? Was the music that followed just not good enough? Did the loss of the Phelps Brothers put the nail in the coffin for the band? Maybe it is a little bit of each of those things. The Kentucky Headhunters recorded 9 studio albums, but you really only need to get their debut, Pickin’ on Nashville. It is as good as it gets.

May I Have This Dance?

It was one of those things you want to record and play over and over again!  There were moments where I felt tears in my eyes.  Memories of this night will be forever etched in my mind.

I got home a few minutes ago from my first Daddy Daughter Dance.   I picked up Andrew from my in-laws, and by the time we hit the expressway, both kids were snoozing. I brought them in and put each of them to bed. Ella went back to sleep immediately, while Andrew is still dozing off and on.  He wakes up every so often to be sure I’m still in the room.  I figured while he did this, I would write about my special night with my daughter.

When Ella woke up today, she said, “It’s a Daddy-Ella Dance Day!  She was very excited.  At naptime, I laid Andrew down and gave Ella a bath. The hardest part for her was waiting.

Sam woke up earlier to help so Ella’s hair.  Normally, she wants braids and such, but today, she just wanted a bow in it.  Nice and easy. Sam put her dress on as I was getting dressed.  As I caught site of her in the dress, I got emotional.  She looked so beautiful.  Today was a day I’ve been waiting for all my life.

I put my shirt and tie on and Ella said, “You look amazing, Daddy!” Talk about feeling loved!  Wow, I didn’t expect that from her.  It really made feel special.

After we were dressed, Sam wanted to get some pictures.  First, both of us standing

Next, one of me holding her.

Can you tell we were both excited?

I had stopped at a florist shop and got her the corsage on her wrist.  Too bad the band was so big!  The nice thing is that it is silk.  It will never fade.  I hope she keeps this in a special keep sake box or somewhere to always remember our first “date.”

We dropped Andrew off at Nana and Papa’s house, and we headed to the dance.  Once we got there, we checked in and got to play, “How well do you know your daddy?”  We sat back to back and they had questions with answer cards.  Her question was “What is your dad’s favorite sport?”  I know she has seen me watch baseball and football, so I guessed she said baseball.  She did!  She won a golden egg with a toy in it.

Since we were early, I decided to go upstairs and get the professional photos taken.  They had me sit in a chair and had Ella stand in front of me.  They snapped a couple and will send them to the house when they are finished.

We walked back downstairs where they made a little necklace with sand and glitter in it, the also had her pick a small key, which they glued to  heart that says, “You hold the key to my heart!” The next craft was a head band with flowers in it. All very cool.

We then walked to the gym.  Not many people were there yet, but the music was playing.  Whatever the song that was playing when we walked in faded and the DJ played “Let It Go” from Frozen.  This was our first “official’ dance.  Appropriate song choice really – she loves Frozen.

Anyone who has ever taken a 3 year old to a dance or party knows that there is no stopping them.  After our first dance, all she did was run around the dancefloor.  She would occasionally join a group of girls who were holing hands and dancing in a circle. She was sliding on the floor, jumping, laying on the floor, and bumping into people countless times. This went on until I asked if she was hungry.

Standing in line for the buffet, Ella kept saying, “But I want food NOW daddy!” Patience is not something she has mastered yet. We grabbed chicken strips, meatballs, chips, cookies, and cheese cubes.  Half way through dinner, we called Sam to let her know how much fun we were having.  As she sipped on pink lemonade, she quipped, “You know, Watermelon juice is my favorite!” which had us both laughing out loud.

At dinner, Miss Davison and one of her court members came over.  “Daddy! Real life princesses!  They were so sweet and nice to her.  When they were leaving the room, she yelled, “Bye Princesses!:

Back to the gym where the music is and the running around continued.  It was fun to see her interacting with other kids. “Hi!  I’m Ella!  Want to dance?”  I chased her around while “What Does the Fox Say,” “Cupid Shuffle,” and “Baby” from Justin Beiber played. 

For the last song of the night, the DJ played “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” from Billy Ray Cyrus.  I picked her up and told her it was the last song.  She put her head on my shoulders ad we just swayed.  It was the perfect final dance and the perfect final dance partner. The emotions were overflowing at this point, and I enjoyed every second!

When the dance was over, we walked back to the car and buckled up.  As we left the parking lot, she simply asked, “Daddy?  Can we do another dance tomorrow or really soon?”

Absolutely, my sweet princess!  Absolutely!

Thank you for making daddy feel so special!  Thank you for an amazing memory I will never forget!

No Shake For You!

After I took Ella for bloodwork recently, we drove thru the McDonald’s.. I had promised her a Happy Meal for lunch.

Now, I rarely eat at McDonald’s. If I do, I might get a Fish sandwich. I’m just not a big fan. However, I’m a sucker for a Shamrock Shake!

After ordering her lunch, I asked for a Shamrock Shake. It was 11:45am. Lunch time for the most part, right?

The lady on the speaker replies, “I’m sorry, sir, but we are unable to make shakes at this time as we are cleaning the shake machine.”

It’s at this point that all the jokes about the shake machine at McDonald’s come to mind. The Shamrock Shake IS your big promotion right now. All the TV and radio commercials sing the praises of the “minty goodness” that is the Shamrock Shake! Can someone explain why they choose the lunch rush to clean the machine? I mean, the place is open 24 hours. Why isn’t someone cleaning it at 2am?!

Sigh. Maybe next time.

I Gotta Find My Boogie Shoes

Back in September of 2019, just 5 months before Ella was born, I wrote the following:

Over the past 30 years, I have DJ’d thousands of weddings and hundreds of Daddy/Daughter dances!  At weddings, I have watched countless times as two special people shared their moment in the spotlight. At Daddy/Daughter dances, I have watched dads wonder just what their little girl is screaming about when Justin Beiber or Taylor Swift start playing.  I have then watched as they finally get a slow song to dance with their little girl.

As a father of boys, I never understood the bond or the feelings involved with those dances.  I know I have a few years yet, but time will fly and soon enough I will be able to relate to those dads I have watched over the years.  To say I am excited as I look forward to that first dance … is quite an understatement.

Now, Ella and I have done silly dances at home many times. However, the first “official” Daddy/Daughter Dance is coming this weekend! We’ll be dressing up and heading out to our special night out together. I know that I am excited about it, but I found out just how excited Ella was when I woke up for work tonight.

Sam took the kids out the store this afternoon. While they were out, Ella found the dress that she wants to wear to the dance. When I woke up, I was barely out of the bedroom and she was running at me! She couldn’t wait for me to see her dress. Sam had found a dress as well, but Ella insisted on the one she brought home.

She is going to look absolutely beautiful! I’m sure that Sam will be doing something really nice with her hair for the evening. I may stop at the store to try to find a tie that matches her dress. I also think I want to buy her a corsage for the dance. Maybe that it taking it too far. She’s three and may not keep it on, but I want her to know how special she is and how happy I am to be going to the dance with her.

I probably won’t remember to take pictures as I imagine getting way too emotional. I prepaid for pictures that will be taken at the dance and am excited to see how they turn out. It will certainly be a night I will never forget!

Silly (and Spooky) Kid Stuff

If you are a parent, you know that your children are always a good source of stories to share. Here are a few of mine from the past few days:

Tea Party Gone Bad

While Andrew took a nap recently, Ella and I were in the living room playing with her Disney Princess Barbie dolls. She brought me the Mulan Barbie and she had her Moana Barbie. She sat them both across from each other and then grabbed a tea pot and tea cups. She set them in front of each doll. She then brought over this mushroom/muffin looking toy (she obviously thought they looked more like muffins). This is when things went awry!

I started to make Mulan (who she had given to me) drink her tea. I made slurping sounds and then did a loud fake burp. This made her laugh. Then I did it again. More laughter. Then I made really loud slurping sounds and the cup ended up on Mulan’s head. She started to do the same thing to her Moana. I was laughing just as hard as she was, especially when she was making her fake burp sounds.

Pausing Pap

Andrew has been using CPAP for over a week. Here’s the thing, it is supposed to help him sleep better. However, because of his age and the limited masks that he can use, the one he has works – when it stays on. Basically, mom and dad are the ones who aren’t sleeping now. Sam and I find ourselves pulling it back on his head or fighting him to get it back on. It is a struggle.

We e-mailed his doctor about it and we’re gonna take a break for a day or two to see if that helps. The good thing is that his apnea is mild, and we were only anticipating him wearing it for less than a year. The doc told us, if he lets us put it on – use it. If not – don’t.

All in all, whether he is rested or not, he is still giving us plenty of smiles!


Toddler Vocabulary Lesson

Ella did the cutest thing the other day. We had misplaced the TV remote and I asked her to help me find it. She reached he hand up to her eyes like she was looking through binoculars and said:

“Daddy, I can’t find the remote. I will have to use my ‘oculars’ and look for it!”

Hardest Part of Parenting

As a father of four children, I have taken each of them in for shots more times than I can count. There is always that look of, “How could you let them hurt me like that, Daddy?” after they get poked. It kills me every time.

Last week, Ella had her three year old well visit. We noticed that she is bruising very easily. She jumps around a lot and (as most toddlers do) bumps into just about everything. The bruising concerns us a bit, so her primary doc wanted to run some bloodwork to make sure she is ok. Sam was with her at that appointment and she was told she could just go next door to the lab to get the blood draw.

Ella was extremely scared and voiced that numerous times. I guess they poked her a couple times and could not get the draw. They were going to try to do the other arm and Sam said, “No, we’ll do it another day.” Ella had been through enough. So, today, it was my turn to take her to get it done.

I had picked out a short sleeve short for her, but she wanted to wear a dress. There were no sleeves on it and so the tourniquet the wrapped on her arm bothered her a lot. She sat in my lap and said she was scared. I did what I could to keep her calm, but after the first poke, she moved and wound up blowing the vein. The tech decided to try the other arm. In my head, I decided I would let them try one time and if they didn’t get it, we’d leave.

They found a good vein, got the poke and Ella and I took deep breaths and counted to 5 (over and over). That helped a lot! Once they were done and pulled the needle out, she was still crying, but she looked at the techs who did the draw and said, “Thank you.” They offered her a pack of graham crackers, and she was all better.

Hopefully, the test results will be normal.

Heavenly Visitor?

I’ve never been one to believe in supernatural stuff, but today something happened that made the hair on my neck stand up. I’m still scratching my head over it.

When I woke up for work today, Sam asked me what my oldest son called my mom (he is the only one of my kids who knew my mom before she passed away). I told her that he always called her “grandma.” She asked further, “Did he ever call her Grammy?” He didn’t. My ex’s mom was “Grammy,” but my mom was always “Grandma.”

I asked her why she wanted to know. She proceeded to tell me that Ella had said something to her today and when Sam asked her where she heard it (or maybe it was who told her that), she replied, “My Grammie in heaven.” So this peaked my curiosity and I asked her what else she had told her. She said something about princesses, but Sam and I think she was just talking about the princesses that we got for that Tonie.

The longer I sat in the living room drinking my first cup of coffee, the more I wondered about what she said. I have no pictures of my mom hanging in the house. I don’t have photo albums that we can look through. All the physical photos I do have are in a box and the rest are digital. For some reason, this really bugged me. So I took it a step farther.

I grabbed my phone and opened up my Facebook page. I went to the photo albums and found one that contains pictures of my mom. I pulled up one from before she got sick and opened it on my phone. I showed Ella this picture:

It had been a few minutes and I was sure she had already forgotten our mention of my mom. I asked her, “Ella, who is this?” Without missing a beat, she said, “My Grammie in heaven.” I was dumbfounded. I truly don’t know that Ella has seen but one or two pictures of my mom, yet she recognized her immediately.

When we found out that we were going to have a baby, my wife bought a special onesie that brought me to tears.

Who am I to question whether or not mom and Ella still talk?

Morning Miscellaneous

The anecdotes in the blog today are a hodge podge of things that really wouldn’t work as a complete blog, so I thought I would just throw them together here in one. Please forgive the randomness …

Missed Milestone

Somewhere over the last couple weeks, I neglected to mark a milestone. I would have never guessed that I would post over 900 blogs when I started this site, but I have! Many of you have been here from the start and I thank you for reading. Thank you for reading about everything from diaper changes to my favorite movies and music. Thank you for listening to my many rants. Thank you for supporting the many changes my life has gone through and for your wonderful encouragement.

Maybe I have enough written to compile that book I have been meaning to write?

No More High Chair

Andrew has officially outgrown the high chair. I admit, it was nice to be able to put him in there and know that he would stay in one spot while he ate, however, it was time. So Sam and I brought out Ella’s table and now they can eat together. The above picture is in the middle of the living room temporarily while we rearranged the room.

We Got a Tonie

A funny thing happened this week. My wife was telling me, “I think I wanna get one of those Tonie Boxes.” I had no idea what she was talking about. She told me that it was like an Alexa for kids. You place this “Tonie” on the top and it reads books or plays stories. I had no idea what it looked like, but I pictured a small speaker with like a flash drive on it or something.

That same day – not 2 hours later – a box was out on the porch. My friend Margaret had sent the kids a birthday/Christmas present. I opened the box and I saw what looked like a package you might find a set of books in. Nope, it was a Tonie! My wife and I looked at each other in disbelief.

When I called Margaret so the kids could say thank you, I told her the story of our conversation and the arrival of her box. She couldn’t believe it. She told me that she saw it while walking through Meijer. She had no idea if the kids would even like it, and made sure to include the gift receipt in case we wanted to take it back. She included a few extra Tonie characters in the box and they kids love it!!

There are many Tonie characters you can get that tell stories and play music. You can even create your own content. If you have a little one, it is worth it!

Family Comedian

My daughter, Ella, is a constant source of laughter. Many times that comes at my expense. The following conversation took place this week:

Ella (with a hairbrush): Daddy, can I brush your hair?

Me: Baby, I don’t have any hair to brush

Ella: Yes you do!

I posted this picture on my Facebook and a friend commented, “Throw that brush away! She doesn’t want to catch the BALD!”

Parental Funny

I saw this posted on one of the Instagram pages I follow and got a good chuckle. ALL parents can relate to this!

Have a great weekend!

My Daughter Listens to Snoop Dogg – and I’m Ok With It …

(Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images)

Ok, let me rephrase that:

“My daughter listens to Snoop Dogg and I’m ok with it – But only if it’s the song with Doggyland!”

Yeah, I’m sure I don’t want my three year old daughter listening to some of Snoop’s rap stuff, however, there is one song that she listens to that we’re totally ok with. Have you heard of Doggyland? No? Don’t worry, I hadn’t either. So I looked them up.

Doggyland is a 3D animated series co-created by Snoop Dogg that features a colorful cast of dogs in a vibrant world where they sing, rap and dance to fun and educational songs. Basically, it is hip hop inspired takes on kids songs and nursery rhymes presented by Snoop Dogg.

Every night since she was a baby, Sam and I put Ella to bed with some affirmations. “Ella is brave. Ella is Beautiful. Ella is Strong. Ella is Smart. Ella is loved!” We change them up a bit for Andrew and he gets affirmations, too.

I have no idea where Sam found this song, but one of the Doggyland songs is called the Affirmation Song and Snoop is featured on it (of course). Ella loves it. Here are the lyrics (it’s kind of a call and answer with repetitive lines):

The Affirmation Song

⦑ Intro: Snoop Dogg ⦒
Affirmations are a positive statements that help bust a challenge and overcome
When you not feeling good and have negative thoughts, so repeat after me, come on everyone

⦑ Verse 1: Snoop Dogg & Doggyland ⦒
There is no one better to beat than myself
There is no one better to beat than myself
Today is going to be an amazing day
Today is going to be an amazing day
My feelings matter
My feelings matter
I get better every single day
I get better every single day
I choose to feel happy
I choose to feel happy
My family loves me so much!
My family loves me so much!
I care about others
I care about others
I learn from my mistakes
I learn from my mistakes


⦑ Hook ⦒
Affirmations are fun and cool
They help us heal and they help us grow
If you love to learn and wanna keep feeling good, let’s say some more
Follow me, let’s go!

⦑ Verse 2: October London & Doggyland ⦒
I am responsible
I am responsible
I get better every single day
I get better every single day
I’m surrounded by love
I’m surrounded by love
Every problem has an answer
Every problem has an answer
I deserve to feel good
I deserve to feel good
Anything is possible
Anything is possible
I believe in myself
I believe in myself
I can control my own happiness
I can control my own happiness

⦑ Outro: Snoop Dogg ⦒
Now we know some new affirmations that we can choose, and learn to say
So next time you need a little inspiration to help you more have a positive day (positive day)


Affirmations
Affirmations (affirmations, affirmations, affirmations)

Remember Stuart Smalley from SNL? He’d look in the mirror and say, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”

As silly as this comedy sketch was on SNL, there is something to be said about offering up daily affirmations. What’s so wrong with reminding yourself that you are special or that you choose to be happy? It can’t hurt to remind yourself that you have control of your feelings and how to react to them. It will only make you feel better to remind yourself of how blessed you are and how much you are loved. So, go ahead, look in the mirror, crank up Snoop Dogg, and recite those daily affirmations!!

Book Recommendation: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

No one really wants to be home sick. However, one of the bonuses of it is having some time to read. This book was something that was popping up often in my “Good Reads” app. After reading the brief synopsis of it, I decided it was one that I had to get. I had my library save me a copy and after finishing the book I had been reading, I dove right into this one.

The title grabbed me immediately. As an Italian, I immediately thought this might be some sort of mobster story. It wasn’t, but it certainly did not disappoint! If you love a good mystery, you will like this one a lot.

Benjamin Stevenson is an author who was unknown to me before picking this up. I have since learned that he is actually a very popular (and award winning) stand up comedian from Australia. This isn’t his first book either, so I have a feeling I will be checking his previous works out in the near future.

The Harper Collins website describes the book this way: “Knives Out and Clue meet Agatha Christie and The Thursday Murder Club in this “utterly original” (Jane Harper), “not to be missed” (Karin Slaughter), fiendishly clever blend of classic and modern murder mystery.” It is funny that it is described in that way, because I compared it to the movies Clue and the classic And Then There Were None.

Before I go on, let me say that I loved this book! It really has the feel of a classic murder mystery, yet set in present day. What makes this story different is that the author actually speaks to the reader throughout the story.

The narrator is Ernest Cunningham. He is a self-published author of a book on how to write a crime novel/murder mystery. As the narrator, he tells the reader that he is not a fan of various literary tricks used in novels today (like and unreliable narrator) and promises to be as reliable and truthful as possible as he relates the story. He constantly breaks “the fourth wall” as he tells the story.

Synopsis from Google:

Ernie Cunningham, a teacher and crime fiction aficionado, is a reluctant guest at a family reunion held in a snowbound mountain retreat. Three years ago, Ern witnessed his brother, Michael, kill a man and immediately shopped him to the police. This was a betrayal no one in his well-known crime family could forgive and for the last few years Ernie has been shunned by his relatives. But now they are all gathered at the Sky Lodge Mountain Retreat to welcome Michael back into the fold after his release from prison. However, on the eve of Michael’s release, the body of a man is found frozen on the slopes. While most assume the man simply collapsed and died of hypothermia during the night, Ern and his step-sister Sofia spot a strange detail – the man’s airways are clogged with ash. He appears to have died by fire . . . in a pristine snowfield . . . without a single burn mark on him. With the local police officer, PC Darius Crawford, soon overwhelmed by the death of the man no one can identify, Ernie begins his own investigation. Particularly when Sofia points out that the death has the same MO as The Black Tongue serial killer recently in the papers… It’s up to Ern to discover whether one of his family is a serial killer, before his whole family end up dead…

Ernie is good about making sure you are “keeping up” and at times will “recap” things for you, which I found helpful. I am guessing that if you read the book in one sitting, the recap might be annoying, but I read it over a couple days and found it a good thing. I admit I had pegged two or three people as the murderer only to find out I was wrong. I was totally caught off guard when they were revealed.

It is witty, has suspenseful moments, great characters, and fun. This is definitely a book that I highly recommend reading if you love a good mystery. 5/5 Stars!

Musical Questions

Sorry to be absent, the flu hit our house and it’s been a slow recovery. Here’s something I saved from a week or so ago I think you will enjoy:

I believe Maggie over at From Cave Walls posted this last week. I saved the questions in a draft and am finally getting around to answering them. I’d love for my musical friends to answer them as well.

Do you choose to play music that matches your mood?

When I have absolute control over it, I think I tend to. I used to have a collection of cassettes in my car that were all “themed.”. I had one with fast music for cruising, one with sad songs on it for “those” days, a tape of love songs, etc…

When the radio is on, I punch around looking for something that connects with me. Maybe it fits the mood, but sometimes, I’m just looking for a favorite to sing along with.

Do you ever use music to change your mood?

Absolutely! I would say music is my “go to” when I need to change my mood. Music is really good for that.

Do you use music to relax or to fall asleep?

Yes. When I need to relax I often find a play list on YouTube or play a Pandora or Sirius XM channel.

I used to be able to play music in headphones and fall asleep, but I don’t anymore. Now, it is the music from my kid’s sound machine that plays. Sometimes it bothers me, but most of the time, it helps.

When do you like music with lyrics versus instrumental music?

I think both are good anytime, really. When I’m reading or studying, I tend to like light instrumental music.

Does music distract you if you are trying to concentrate?

Sometimes it does, and if that is the case, I will turn it off or lower the volume. However, as I just said, when I am reading or studying I find it doesn’t distract me at all (when it is the right type of music)

Do you like percussion arrangements with no other instrumentation?

Percussion is important – it keeps the whole song on time. Back in the 50’s there were plenty of “drum” features (Bongo Rock, Topsy Part 2, Teen Beat, Wipe Out, etc…) But they all had other instruments playing. If it’s just drums, it had better be good. Not saying I don’t like a good drum solo, but I can’t really pull a “just drum” song out of my head that stands out.

Do you listen to classical music?

Absolutely! I love it. There are so many fantastic pieces by Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Vivaldi, Chopin, and others that are worth listening to! I listen to it a lot, especially when I am working.

I also love listening to it in the car. It’s always cool when they play something we played in band class.

Do upbeat rhythms make you want to get up and dance?

There are very few songs that I will “fast dance” to. I dance worse than Elaine on Seinfeld! Jump Around by House of Pain is one I will get out for because all you have to do is jump up and down and it doesn’t matter!!

What music grates on your nerves?

I have some formats that I dislike, but there are the occasional songs from those formats that I do like. That said, Rap is probably my least favorite. At the same time, there are very few songs out today that I like.