Book Recommendation: Before We Were Yours

This is another book that was recommended to me by my wife. When I read what it was about, I wasn’t sure I could get through it. There is something about the poor treatment of children that I have a hard time with. I wasn’t sure I could handle this emotionally. I added it to my “To Read” list.

It seemed like I kept seeing this book pop up on the “Must Read” Historical Fiction lists, on Facebook, and even in blogs that I follow on Word Press. I decided to read it and I was not disappointed. It was a powerful read that made me aware of some real terrible things that happened in real life.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong.

With each chapter, I got more and more engrossed in the story. As I made my way through the book the past and the present begin to slowly come together and many of the questions are answered. It was an emotional read, but I am glad that I picked this one up.

Tune Tuesday – Baby, I Love You

This song is one of many that takes me back to the first home I lived in. I remember my dad’s stereo system and the rack of vinyl albums he had on it. My dad and mom often played records on weekends as the cleaned the house. I wish I could remember the album that this one was on, but I can’t. It was obviously some sort of “Pop Hits” collection because I remember Steam’s Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye being on it, too.

“Baby, I Love You” was already a hit. In 1964, the Ronettes took it to number 24 on the charts. Andy Kim, however, had the bigger hit with the song (taking it to #9 in the US and #1 in Canada). I have always liked Andy’s version better.

According to songfacts.com: The song was written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. Barry and Kim often worked together, and one day Kim was in Barry’s office, where he discovered the sheet music. The song wasn’t big in Canada, so Kim had never heard it before. He started playing it on his guitar, and when Barry heard him, they decided to record it with Barry producing. It was used as the lead single and title track to Kim’s 1969 album.

The thing I love about his version is the sound of it. That entire intro was something that immediately struck a chord with me. It has such a unique sound. Songfacts.com explains just how that “sound” was accomplished:

Kim was ready to quit the music industry when he recorded “Baby, I Love You.” He hadn’t experienced any chart success since “How’d We Ever Get This Way,” which was on his debut album (also titled How’d We Ever Get This Way), released in 1968. Then, while recording “Baby, I Love You,” producer Jeff Barry (who cowrote The Archies’ #1 “Sugar Sugar” with Kim) got so frustrated that he shut the session down and let the band go. He instructed Kim to go to the “big room” of A&R Recording studios and to rent five guitars. Kim sat on a stool in the center of the enormous room and focused on playing guitar while Barry clapped the tempo in the studio. After Kim laid down recordings on the five guitars, and Barry patched those together for the sound we hear in the final recording.

Kim released “Baby, I Love You” on May 24, 1969 – the same day The Archies’ “Sugar, Sugar” went live. The songs were both milestones in Kim’s career. In 1974, he released his biggest hit, “Rock Me Gently.”

When I hear this one, I am taken back to when I am 5 or 6 years old.

Baby, I Love You

Have I ever told you
How good it feels to hold you
It isn’t easy to explain

And though I’m merely trying
I think I may start crying
My heart can’t wait another day
When you touch me I just got to say

Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na

I can’t live without you
I love everything about you
I can’t help it if I feel this way

And I’m so glad I found you
I want my arms around you
I want to hear you call my name
Tell me baby that you feel the same.

Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na

My heart can’t wait another day
When you touch me I just got to say

Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Baby I love you
Come on baby na na na na na
Come on baby na na na na na

Un-Four-Gettable Day!

Tomorrow – You’re Only A Day Away

I am really looking forward to tomorrow. It’s a pretty big day.

As I write this, my daughter Ella is heading to bed as a three year old, but will wake up as a four year old. Over the past week, my Facebook memories have been loaded with posts from 4 years ago wondering when she was going to make her debut into the world. I feel like it truly was yesterday that she was born.

This afternoon, Sam took her to the party store to pick out her “theme.” She wanted Barbie stuff. We have Barbie plates, napkins, banners, and table cloths. Nana was requested to make a Barbie cake for her birthday. Sam sent me a photo of it – truly amazing!

She is going to love it!!!

We are going to spend the day at the museum, go to Nana’s for cake and ice cream and finally, we are heading to the Daddy/Daughter Dance.

When she found out the dance was on her birthday, she was super excited. I am, too! She has a beautiful dress with light pastel colors on it.

I have a light blue dress shirt and I think I have a pink tie somewhere.

Last year we had such fun. The theme is Candyland. I can’t wait to spend the evening with my baby girl!

It doesn’t seem possible that she is turning four! My wife had me sign her up for T-ball tonight. Looks like I’m going to be taking some time off to be at those games this summer!

My Toby Keith Stories

I was sad to wake up today to see that Toby Keith lost his battle with cancer. He was only 62. He was one of those country artists who had continued success while others who came up around the same time faded from the radio. He always seemed to be able to come out with the right song (even the ones I didn’t care for).

Because of my years in country radio, I met him a couple times. The first time was at a Country Radio Seminar. This was a big conference with discussion panels, new artist shows, artist showcases and such. It was a such a cool experience.

One night I was standing in a huge room with a bunch of record and radio people. There may or may not have been some artist show going on in the background, I don’t recall. I had gone to the bar (one of the many throughout the hotel) and grabbed a drink. I remember turning around and Toby was standing right there in front of me. I introduced myself and he shook my hand. His hand engulfed mine! We talked about his music, our station and fishing. He was pleasant and humble and I remember him saying “let me know if I can ever do anything for you guys.”

I had the chance to do phone interviews with him a couple more times, but there was one time I will always remember. This probably happened at another Country Radio Seminar. I was in the bathroom and standing at the urinal. The door slammed open and in walks Hank Williams Jr, Toby Keith and Kid Rock. Hank walks up to my left, slaps me on the should and says hello as he uses the urinal next to me. Toby stands at the urinal to my right and Kid Rock is at the urinal next to Toby. I remember thinking, “What do I do in this situation?! I certainly can’t shake their hands!”

The talk of an upcoming tour made it sound like Toby was getting better, but as I have learned of the years – with cancer, you never know. He spoke of his faith as his source of strength through the battle. In one interview I watched he said something about how people tend to lean on their faith in the bad times, and the health issues made him realize just how important faith was at ALL times. I agree.

In a recent appearance he sang a song called Don’t Let the Old Man In. I have a feeling it will get a lot of airplay in the days ahead.

Like many who have gone before him – he lives on through his music.

Tune Tuesday: Cry Me a River

One of my followers mentioned a few weeks ago that I needed to post more musical posts. I’m hoping to revive Tune Tuesday with a classic.

I remember I used to hear Frank Sinatra talking about “saloon songs” and “torch songs.” This one would be considered a torch song. By definition, a torch song is “a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affected the relationship.” The term comes from the phrase “to carry a torch for someone.”

Arthur Hamilton published Cry Me a River in 1953. He said “I had never heard the phrase. I just liked the combination of words… Instead of ‘Eat your heart out’ or ‘I’ll get even with you,’ it sounded like a good, smart retort to somebody who had hurt your feelings or broken your heart.” The song was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald to sing in the movie “Pete Kelly’s Blues.”

According to Hamilton, he and singer Julie London had been high school classmates, and she contacted him on behalf of her husband, Jack Webb, who was the film’s director and was looking for new songs for its soundtrack. When the song was dropped from the movie soundtrack, Julie London released it in 1955 when she was at Liberty Records.

Julie’s version is a stripped down jazz version with a guitar and bass accompaniment. Her vocal is simple and beautiful. I will share her version here, but it is not her version that I like the best.

The version that I absolutely love is by Michael Buble’. I love the fact that he has brought back so many of the great standards and shared them with today’s audiences. His cover of Cry Me a River can be found on his Crazy Love album from 2009. It is the opening cut on the album and it gets your attention immediately!

He actually wrote the opening music of his version. It has been described as “James Bond-like” and that actually fits. I could hear it being used over the opening credits of a Bond movie. This arrangement paired with Michael’s vocal blow me away every time! Give it a listen!

Cry Me a River

Now, you say you’re lonely
You cried the whole night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

And, now, you say you’re sorry
For being so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried a river over you

You drove me
Nearly out of my head
While you never shed a tear, babe
Remember?
I remember all that you said
You told me love was too plebeian
Told me you were through with me

And now you say you love me
Well, just to prove that you do
Why don’t you cry me a river?
Cry me a river
‘Cause I cried a river over you
Over you

You say you love me, but you lie

Now, you say you love me
Well, just to prove that you do
Come on and cry me a river
Oh, cry me a river
I cried a river over you
I cried a river
Over you

I cried a river
Now you can, too
Cry me a river

Cry me a river

Thanks, Gabby!

In all the years I worked in radio I was star struck quite a few times. This weekend, I got to witness first hand my daughter being star struck and it was worth every second.

Laila Lockhart Kraner, the star of Gabby’s Dollhouse, did a meet and greet at a local furniture store this weekend and I took Ella and her cousin. She’d been counting down “how many sleeps” since I told her about it. Sunday was the big day!

She could hardly contain herself when she woke up. She was ready to go almost immediately. Sam had bought her a Gabby shirt to wear for the day, and she couldn’t wait to put it on. ”Gabby is going to love it,” she told me.

I left a bit early, figuring that it was probably going to be a bit crazy. When we pulled in, there were people waiting in their cars. It was about 10:15am and the event was supposed to start at 11. As soon as I put the car in park, Ella wanted to get out and wait at the door. Thank goodness it was like 50 degrees and sunny!

Turns out, we were the first in line. Other parents followed suit and lined up behind us. Ella kept staring inside the place, hoping to get a glimpse of Gabby. I was grateful that they opened the doors early. We were given a number (we were #2, despite being first in line) and that would be how we got to go to meet her.

They had the place decorated with lots of cardboard cut outs and such.

There were snacks and plenty of things to do. We went right into the balloon art line, where my niece got a unicorn and Ella got a dog.

They had a DJ there playing music and he was the one who would call our number. There were SO many people. Ella wasn’t quite sure what to do. It wasn’t long and they announced that Gabby was coming out to meet everyone and they played her theme song. I pointed her out to Ella as she came out and she was just in awe! They walked her over to a couch where she would be posing for pictures. Ella stood there and just watched her – star struck!

Soon after, they called out a range of numbers and it was time to line up to meet her! I snapped pictures with my phone, but my niece wanted me to take one with her phone, too. When they got up on the couch, Gabby said hello to her and I think she thought she was dreaming!

I fumbled with my niece’s phone and figured out the camera and asked if we could do one more picture, and she said “Sure!”

I guess that one is a little better.

I thanked Gabby for giving the girls the chance to meet her and we went off to get faces painted. Gabby has lots of cats on the show, so Ella had to get a cat.

Both girls asked where the play place was. I laughed and said there wasn’t one. So they decided to play “Hide from Keith” and they were all over the place! LOL I told them I knew there was a play place at the McDonald’s down the road and we went and grabbed lunch. At the play place, we ran into many other Gabby fans who were wearing cat ears and had faces painted. They played and had a blast.

When we left my niece said, “Uncle Keith, since we were both so well behaved, maybe you could take us to that Target and we could look at toys.” Needless to say, we went to Target, but I had to rope them both in when they began asking for $150 dollar Barbie houses and other stuff that was super expensive. They both picked a Barbie doll and we headed home.

My mother-in-law was at the house watching Andrew and was going to take my niece home with her when we got back. Ella was having such a fun time, she cried when she heard she was leaving. So I told her she could stay and I would take her home later that evening.

On the ride back home, Ella and Andrew both fell asleep in the car. None of us had dinner yet, so I drove through somewhere and we went home and ate. We stayed up a bit later than normal, so the food could settle a bit and after reading books, brushing teeth and saying prayers, we were off to sleep.

It was a fun and exhausting day, and I hope that Ella will remember it for a very long time. I know I will.

Book Recommendation: Killers of the Flower Moon

This title kept showing up as a “must read” by my friends. It also started showing up as a recommendation on Goodreads. Then I heard it was a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro and I figured it was time to check it out.

This book was fascinating, sad, and eye opening. I was completely unfamiliar with this story. David Grann, who wrote The Wager (which I really enjoyed), does a great job of presenting this true story almost as a “mystery.”

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history.

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.

Then, one by one, they began to be killed off. One Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, watched as her family was murdered. Her older sister was shot. Her mother was then slowly poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more Osage began to die under mysterious circumstances.

In this last remnant of the Wild West—where oilmen like J. P. Getty made their fortunes and where desperadoes such as Al Spencer, “the Phantom Terror,” roamed – virtually anyone who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered. As the death toll surpassed more than twenty-four Osage, the newly created F.B.I. took up the case, in what became one of the organization’s first major homicide investigations. But the bureau was then notoriously corrupt and initially bungled the case. Eventually the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including one of the only Native American agents in the bureau. They infiltrated the region, struggling to adopt the latest modern techniques of detection. Together with the Osage they began to expose one of the most sinister conspiracies in American history.

In Killers of the Flower Moon, David Grann revisits a shocking series of crimes in which dozens of people were murdered in cold blood. The book is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction, as each step in the investigation reveals a series of sinister secrets and reversals. But more than that, it is a searing indictment of the callousness and prejudice toward Native Americans that allowed the murderers to operate with impunity for so long. Killers of the Flower Moon is utterly riveting, but also emotionally devastating.

It was a very good read. If you love history or Historical Non-fiction, you will enjoy this one!

I’ve read mixed reviews on the movie, so I’m on the fence about watching it.

Finally! The Weekend.

It is Groundhog Day. The above critter is not a groundhog, I realize. Perhaps, I should have posted an appropriate groundhog picture? Hold on a sec ….

…. Ok, I’m back. I have one.

You’re welcome.

The kids each got to enjoy a special day today. Andrew got to spend the day at Nana’s house and Ella got to go shopping with mommy. They both had lots to tell me about their day when they called me tonight. Both Sam and her mom said that each kid is very different when they are alone. They obviously missed each other. Tonight at bedtime, Sam sent me this:

I don’t know what is funnier – the sunglasses, the fact that Ella is reading my Columbo book, or that Andrew is staring at a blank page! LOL

Our pup is growing so much. She is like a Moose! I turned on the TV the other day and was laying on the couch. She was laying on the floor next to me. I was scrolling my phone when all of a sudden she jumped up on the couch and on me. She obviously needed attention.

I am not a tattoo guy. I’ve never really felt the need to get one. I have heard that once you get one, you tend to get more. There are plenty of tattoo horror stories. People get one with a name of a lover and then they break up and stuff like that. I saw something online the other day that just made me shake my head.

I have posted about the excitement I had over the Detroit Lions season this year. I had hoped that they would win the Championship game and go on to the Super Bowl. Some people chose them to win it all. I really can’t imagine being so confident that I would go and get the following tattoo:

One can only hope that they can change that year to 2025!

Coming Soon:

I’m excited for the next round of Turntable Talk, which is going to be about great movie soundtracks. Which movie soundtrack would you pick as your favorite?

I’m also taking part in the 10th Annual Favorite TV Show Episode in March. It is hosted again by Terry of A Shroud of Thoughts. I’m going with one from a show I have written about before, but worth being featured again.

The Kid Has Good Taste

We had an 8 year-old patient in the sleep lab when I got to work today. He finished his overnight study and was in the middle of his day study. The day study (called an MSLT) consists of a series of 5 naps – 1 every 90-120 minutes. Once the nap is over, the patient has to stay awake until the next nap.

Now, for an 8 year-old patient, this can really be difficult. They are basically in their room that whole time. Yes, they will have breakfast and lunch in between a couple naps, but it’s not like they can go outside to play. We encourage parents to bring books, video games, tablets, or things that will keep the patient busy (and awake).

When I got to work, the kid had just finished his next to last nap. He was sitting on the bed watching a tablet or a phone. Through the speaker, I could hear the theme song to one of the great classic TV shows.

Yep. He was watching I Love Lucy! My co-worker said that he had been watching it all day! He was laughing and totally engaged in it. I thought this was fantastic!

A good show is a good show! I think about all the old shows I watched growing up because my dad introduced me to them. The Honeymooners, F-Troop, Get Smart, The Munsters, Batman, and the Jack Benny Show were all “must see” TV to me as a kid. I loved when I was home sick from school because they always played the Dick Van Dyke Show on the station out of Canada. Some of those shows were 10-20 years old by the time I was watching them – and my exposure to those shows set the bar for anything else I watched very high.

“This kid has great taste in TV shows,” I thought to myself. Kudos to him not getting sucked in to the garbage that most kids are watching today. I couldn’t help but wonder if he also liked old music or old movies. I bet he is a Three Stooges fan! I guess I kind of saw a bit of myself in this kid.

He has no idea, but he sure made me smile today.

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