Hey, FUNdementalist: Don't get upset...At least today's the first day of the week...according to some keepers of time (in a bottle...in a book...on a scroll...)...SO, at least stay for the opening set and see: If the music moves ya... If the Rocks that Roll ignite the fire in your soul... If the tunes help Roll away the Dew from your insides... ...then you'll have two good eyes AND BE ABLE TO SEE... ...and, if you're still not sure...maybe a little confused...there's a PLAYLIST at the end...so you can take the show on the road...and listen to the music play... HOW & WHY...NOW I started this post last April (2022)...There are several "reasons" for posting this now. The likely match that lit the fuse...my MUSE...was listening a few days ago to Starship's "We Built this City"...This song connected me to recent conversations with my therapist and caregiver who's been encouraging me to see myself as a tree...a tree that, in order to survive, must maintain contact with its ROOTS. This exploration began as a lens through which to see my SPIRITUAL journey...and, with the recent passing of my sister JULIE, it's become a looking glass through which to view my membership in my NATURAL FAMILY. FYI - I used to call JULIE "my Irish twin" since she was born 364 days after me. I was always the oldest but I'm younger than that now... We are now SIX. To meet Julie, please visit my memories in three posts about her. For an initial exploration into the role of our ROOTS, please check out this link: Transcend and Include - Center for Action and Contemplation --[Richard Rohr writes:] David Benner, a friend and wise teacher, has been a part of several Christian traditions over the years, including fundamentalism, evangelicalism, and now contemplative Anglicanism. Of the spiritual journey he writes: Identifying and embracing your lineage is an important part of any pathway to greater wholeness because it involves remembering your own story. All the parts of your journey must be woven together if you are to transcend your present organization and level of consciousness. For myself, the great challenge was re-embracing traditions that I have grown beyond and that offered—even at the time—an oppressively small worldview. I did not want to be an ex-evangelical or an ex-fundamentalist. Too many people live that life of dis-identification, and I did not want to share their anger and “stuckness.” It was essential, therefore, for me to identify and embrace the gifts that had come to me from these traditions. This was the way in which I came to know that everything in my life belongs, that every part of my story has made important contributions to who I am. And the same is true for you. [1] [more at the above link] My Back Pages - Bob Dylan Cover by The New Love Generation (OV,HQ) 2018 (04:45) April 2022 Draft Post - UPDATED ORDER OF THE SERVICE (with links) FIRST: A word from our sponsor: Wharf Rats Opening Set: Roll Away the Rocks Intermission Sunday School Sermon: Throwing Stones Coffee Break/Discussion Second Set: Roll Away the Dew Dismissal: Go Make Ripples Playlist FIRST - A word from our SPONSOR: Wharf Rats: Sober Deadheads Back from the Dead? - Advice for those in RECOVERY...slow down and listen to the music play... Local Folks: Join me every Thursday @ 11 AM at Witches Brew Coffee House in West Hempstead, NY (311 Hempstead Turnpike - across from the Fire House) for a closed AA meeting. Practicing the spirit of SERVICE, the coffee shop opens an hour early to serve those trying to "Dew" life one day...one cup...at a time. A lot of veterans...a lot of wisdom...emanating from "practicing these principles in all our affairs". Wharf Rats Facebook Page [About] This is a group of Music, Magic, Recovery, Service and Love. I want this to be a pure Wharf Rat page where we carry the message and not the mess. There is no ruling body of the Wharf Rats, no single person in charge, no governing board, no membership lists and no official organization. Just a group of individuals helping each other. For more information on the Wharf Rats go to WharfRat.Info. Feel free to invite your friends. There are some amazing people here. The Grateful Dead - Wharf Rat [Hartford ‘77] (LYRICS ON SCREEN) (10:00) Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Wharf Rat" - David Dodd The shape of the story told by the song is recursive—a sort of passing-of-the-torch for the down-and-out. The narrator whose voice frames the story is well on his way, from the sound of it, to being out there on the street, looking for spare change. In fact, he already doesn’t even have a dime; all he has is some time to listen. (Brings to mind the old saying, “I’m so poor, I can’t even pay attention!”) Hunter and Garcia both had a certain amount of experience to draw on in writing and singing about being homeless, on at least semi-indigent, living in cars in their early years of first acquaintance, crashing where they could. The fact that Hunter has Garcia sing a song, one of whose characters is named August, seems possibly significant in light of Garcia’s birthday: he would have been 71 years old this week—born on August 1, 1942. There are other examples of songs in which Garcia sings lyrics, crafted by Hunter, which seem like personal cautionary tales: “Althea,” for example. So is this August West a character Garcia might have become had he not made other decisions? “Wharf Rat” was first performed by the Dead on February 18, 1971, at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. This is another of those shows that included a number of firsts: “Bertha,” “Greatest Story Ever Told,” “Loser,” and “Playing In the Band.” This is the beginning of the songwriting period in which Hunter and Garcia collaborated on a series of great story songs set in an America peopled by outlaws, the down-and-out, and a range of more or less disreputable characters. The song always seemed to me to be partially aimed at the Deadheads. As a group, we were perhaps more in danger of falling victim to our addictions than mainstream society. And the fact that our own 12-Step group, of which I am a proud participant, calls itself the Wharf Rats, speaks volumes. tOM's add: So...pay attention...especially to those who may know you better than you currently know yourself...In my case, Eileen has and continues to perform this role... Slooooooow down and watch what kinds of rabbit trails you follow...stay on the path...one step at a time...Stick with the CHOCOLATE bunnies...Avoid certain WHITE RABBITS...AND, always remember to say GRACE before meals...SLICK, Huh? Opening Set: Roll Away the Rocks... Yesterday (Holy Saturday 2022), while spending quiet time keeping vigil in the tomb, I was musing about the Easter morning rock and imagining Augustine forming a band called The City of G-d and releasing a single called "We Built this City on Rocks that Roll." It's about the obstacles to love and our participation in their removal... ...as some have said about the door to our heart...it opens from the inside... Since there isn't yet such a song, imagine alternate lyrics as we take a ride in a Starship...from the Constellation Jefferson. I selected this particular video because it features sacred music venues from around our shared world. A little later in this adventure we'll go INSIDE this music cathedral where we'll see the DEAD raise people to NEW LIFE... We Built this City - Starship (04:26) The Church of Rock & Roll - The Congregation (03:33) Intermission Time to head back to the candy counter... Grateful Dead ~ Candyman 10.3.87 (06:49) Release the children to Sunday School...Let the Child in you go FREEEEE... CHILDREN'S CRAFT TIME Like music and also like to build stuff...??? Here's another...The Etsy seller forgot to update the text in the DropDown box...: ))) Maybe they also sell candy... The Guilty Club - Waiting (Lego Stop-Motion Version) (03:33) --even includes glow-in-the-dark pieces...FAR OUT!!! CHILDREN'S MUSIC TIME The Grateful Dead's 'Ripple' by The Barton Hills Choir - #DeadCoversProject (03:59) --Meanwhile upstairs the grown ups are "dewing" their version... --See "Furthur" down in this post for Playing for Change's Ripple. Barton Hills Choir Austin TX YouTube Channel Sermon: Throwing Stones Grateful Dead - Throwing Stones (Official Music Video) (04:38) Coffee Break/Discussion... Throwing Stones - Lyrics - dead.net Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Throwing Stones" (2013) - David Dodd [Selections follow] Wouldn’t it be great if, someday, this song became irrelevant, an artifact of a barbaric time? But somehow, no. It hangs in there, and doesn’t recede into irrelevance. Not to dwell on it too much, it seems worth noting that the 1982 Israeli conflict was just one of many at the time--the ongoing Iran-Iraq War, the Soviet war in Afghanistan, not to mention the Falklands War between Argentina and Great Britain. Additionally there was plenty going on in Central America, with revolutionary movements in El Salvador and Nicaragua facing opposition from US-funded military efforts. After all, where does the song’s title come from? Given Barlow’s theological background, it’s likely taken from the biblical tale of Jesus, told in the Gospel of John, defending a prostitute who is about to be stoned to death, challenging the crowd: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Or, maybe it derives from the folk idiom, “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” Either way, it’s an admonishment to look first at yourself before criticizing the world—to refrain from hypocrisy. And where did that put all of us who sang the song, who relished the lines about politicians throwing stones, while we, we were on our own? Is there a little bit of irony waiting to be uncovered as we live with the song over the years? I don’t know. I like to think that one of Barlow’s tricks is to plant time bombs of exploding consciousness in his lyrics, but once again, just as with the phenomenon of hearing Hunter’s songs differently over the years, maybe it’s an internal thing, and not intentional. (Although I do think Hunter engaged in a conscious practice of writing songs that would resonate differently at different stages in our lives—part of the magic of his songwriting craft. I wouldn’t put it past Barlow, either.) Sermons in Stone... Second Set: Roll Away the Dew... Honoring my friend Steve’s “There’s a Grateful Dead song for every occasion” …Here’s one that features “roll away the dew” - “dew” being seen as a metaphor for obstacles…being asleep…resisting the call...basically anything that hinders our active participation in love. Our intentions matter...they activate transformational energies that help us awaken... Franklin's Tower - Grateful Dead (09:50) Principal Celebrants: Jerry Garcia - guitar, vocals Bob Weir - guitar, vocals Phil Lesh - bass Brent Myland - keyboards, vocals Bill Kreutzmann - drums Mickey Hart - drums, percussion Also from Franklin's Tower... ...and dance like no one's watching... Sorry, the uploader of the following video has succumbed to the lure of merchandising, SO...the following and his other "Grate" mash up offerings are now pay-per-view... Grateful Dead - Marx Brothers Mash Up, 'Franklin's Tower of Marx Brothers Power' Roll Away the Dew - Fan perspectives (03:47) --Premise: [Video maker] asked a bunch of folks at the recent Change Rocks show at Penn State what some well-known Hunter lyrics meant to them. ReBOOT camp - Training with the Dead (02:40) To all my friends... Dismissal...Go be Ripples of Gratitude & GRATEness... Slooooooow downnnnnnn...this might be an extendddddddded exit...OR, existentially...for those who follow Jean Paul Sartres... For starters, did you hear the one about the baseball game between the Grateful Dead and the Jefferson Airplane??? "STICK" around...see next link... The Story of "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead (04:53) --Story of the song "Ripple" by the Grateful Dead includes interviews with Phil Lesh, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman and more...! Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Ripple" - David Dodd [NOTE: I included his whole post] After all these years of thinking about the song, even now, when I put my mind to it, new things surface. I realized, just now, that despite the song’s American folk song quality, I think of it as something from the Far East. Something inherently Asian, and I think that’s because of a couple of things. Early on, I read somewhere a description of “Ripple” as having a gentle, Taoist bent. And then there’s the fact that the chorus is a haiku. Vaguely Buddhist /Asian imagery is conjured by Hunter in a number of his early songs, especially. Think of “China Cat Sunflower,” with its copperdome bodhi. That simple reference to Taoism long ago sent me looking for information about the Tao, and it has proven to be a very rich vein indeed. Same with haiku—I have written dozens of haiku over the years, and without “Ripple,” my experience with the form might have remained at the third-grade level. But the poetic allusions in the song are not entirely from the East. Perhaps the primary source for the song comes from the 23rd Psalm, with its reference to “still water,” and to a cup that may be full or empty. The deceptively simple language of the song leads us to contemplate sources beyond our immediate knowing—whether human or “not made by the hands of men”—as well as the interplay of life and death. This song has comforted me through the death of both my parents, with its lines about the road between dawn and dark being no simple highway. Each of us has our individual path, for our steps alone. That might seem like a frightening thought, but I find the universality of it a comfort: we’re all in the same boat. There are lessons about leadership in this song that I wish everyone who aspires to that role would take to heart: “You who choose to lead must follow, and if you fall, you fall alone.” I had the honor and pleasure of being in the backing chorus for the First Fusion concerts Bob Weir collaborated on with the Marin Symphony Orchestra a couple of years ago, and got to sing “Ripple” with him in a small group as part of the encore set, followed by “Attics of My Life.” I love to play the melody and changes on the piano, and on banjo. It’s part of my small repertoire of songs I think I could play in my sleep. What place has “Ripple” had in your life? Has it helped you through anything? Have you sung it to your children as a lullaby? Have you played it around a campfire? These are just a few ways the song has lived in my life. There are mysteries in the song. I’ve had emails from many people over the years, proposing ideas about the ripple of the title—where does it come from? How can a song be played on a harp without strings? (And I don’t think it was actually a harmonica…) What is the fountain? Who made it? (A girlfriend once joked with me that clearly, since it wasn’t made by the hands of men, it must have been made by women.) Your thoughts? Feel free to offer some interpretative speculation! It doesn’t matter if your thoughts are broken—let there be stories to fill the air! Ripple (Grateful Dead) feat. Bill Kreutzmann | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:41) --Worldwide Ripples...featuring Jerry's youngest daughter - Keelin Garcia -an artist; drummer Bill Kreutzmann; Jimmy Buffett at Montauk Point, NY; David Crosby; the Chicago Children's Choir and a host of musicians from around our shared world... "May the four winds blow us safely home..." PLAYLIST FOR BEING RIPPLES tOM #music #humor #Easter #GratefulDead #Steve #WharfRats #JeffersonStarship #Starship #JeffersonAirplane #GraceSlick #Eileen #PlayingForChange #BartonHillsChildrensChoir #ChicagoChildrensChoir #JeanPaulSartre #RichardRohr #CenterForActionAndContemplation #BobDylan #TheNewLoveGeneration #DavidDodd #TheCongregation #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #AA #recovery #BillKreutzmann #KeelinGarcia #JimmyBuffett #DavidCrosby

Happy Birthday Eileen Song (00:51) Let's get right onto the dance floor... The Temptations - My Girl (02:57) This next one's here because as we awoke, you started our day together with some beautiful ballads from John... Sunshine on my Shoulders Makes Me Happy. - John Denver. (03:35) You included this classic as we were starting our day together... Bellamy Brothers - Let Your Love Flow (1976) (03:08) Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles (02:05) Here Comes the Sun - The Beatles (03:10) GuruGanesha Band - A Thousand Suns - Introducing Paloma Devi (07:04) Ella Fitzgerald - Sunshine of your Love (Cream cover) (05:27) Earthly Origins of the Girl I Love... Wednesday May 28, 1952 @ 2:10 PM After graduating from your nursing program at Molloy with a focus on mental health, you were back there again...as an employee in this now psychiatric facility.. Metaphorically, below is one way to interpret this return...Likely inspired by the fruit of our physical and mystical UNION...our son JOHN...as this land is one of the MANY places he's taken us..."FURTHUR"... ...THERE AND BACK AGAIN... Concerning Hobbits (02:59) LIFE IS LIKE A LABYRINTH...ISN'T IT? This Phil Lesh album "appeared" in the search results...likely inspired by our recent collaboration with our Labyrinth Lady - Janet Rudolph...See further down... First track on this project...perfect for your birthday! Celebration - Phil Lesh (04:48) Celebration in the wind Open the doors, let the show begin Come like lightning, come like rain Come on the double with your ball and chain Come with your trouble, your sweat and strain Check 'em all at the door with your grief and pain Celebration, like days of old When everything was solid gold Silver, diamonds, pearls and wine Blood and roses, both yours and mine Sunlight shining on a midnight line That opens and closes like a holy shrine Let a fresh wind tear through your soul Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole Give you reason to believe again But finish that prayer before you say Amen Celebration, one on one Hold your judgement till it's done Until the last wheel is spun and still The final sunbeam sets on the hill The curtain not only fallen but burned The very last lesson studied and learned Celebration, the ball's in play There was never no yesterday Just one time the spirit moves Proving whatever the spirit proves Nothing to win and nothing to lose Stepping on nobody's blue suede shoes Let a fresh wind tear through your soul Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole Give you reason to believe again But finish that prayer before you say Amen You say there's nothing left to celebrate Just stolen elections, corruption and hate Come on, come on let the good times roll It means more now than you'll ever know Begin again, don't you ever give up Tryin' to fit the ocean in a six ounce cup Begin again as though the world will hear Speak your truth both loud and clear Speak it like a beast howling in the wind Speak it from the heart like an innocent child Speak it from the mountain, speak it from the plain Speak it like the whistle on a northbound train Speak it with honor, speak it with pride Speak it from the meadow by the riverside Speak it from experience, speak it from fame Speak it from the gutter with an unknown name Speak it from the rooftops of the town Speak it from the tenements tumbling down Speak it from the podium, speak it from the stage Speak it from the prison in tones of rage Speak it in the tongues of gods and men Say it, say it, say it, say it again Speak it from the pits or from heaven above In celebration, baby, speak it with love Celebration, you know it's true There was no one until there was you You say where, I'll say when, we'll Get it together and begin again Like recognition of lovers and friends In celebration that never ends Celebration - in full sweet swing Of everyone and everything That causes hopes and dreams to rise Bringing love light to your eyes Bringing laughter to your heart Celebration, let it start Let a fresh wind tear through your soul Swallow your sorrow and deliver you whole Like a breath of summer in a winter land Blowing rhythm so simple, hearts can easily understand BRENTWOOD LABYRINTH My first encounter with these powerful pathways was after one of my monthly Men2Men circles on the sacred Brentwood grounds of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Guys, come join me on every second Saturday. We feature good companions for the foxholes of life and good vittles: We eat in the Sisters' cafeteria...Lots of hot and cold options! On one Saturday after our circle, I made a left turn instead of a right... Note: See link at the end for two posts about Thera Farm. JANET RUDOLPH: LONG ISLAND & THE WORLD'S LABYRINTH LADY... A while later, I connected with another Long Island trailblazer - Janet Rudolph - and Eileen joined me and others at St. Francis Church in North Bellmore for some more labyrinth wandering, wondering, meandering... 1692 Bellmore Avenue North Bellmore, NY, 11710 United States Website The Magic of the Labyrinth by Janet Maika’i Rudolph Janet's Facebook Page EXTRA HELPINGS Watermelon T-Man: THERA FARMS: FOOD & MUSIC THERApea (Aug. 2022) Family Farms: Feeding America One Crop at a Time (Feb. 2023) Eileen, May Our Wonder Years Continue...TOGETHER & with Friends... Snatam Kaur - Long Time Sun (09:13) Trevor Hall - MOON / SUN (Live in Concert) (04:13) #music #humor #Molloy #TerraceHeightsHospital #HolliswoodHospital #Temptations #JohnDenver #BellamyBrothers #Beatles #GuruGaneshaBand #EllaFitzgerald #PhilLesh #JanetRudolph #Men2Men #labyrinth #SistersOfSaintJoseph #TheraFarm #StFrancisEpiscopalChurch #TrevorHall #SnatumKaur

Hi! Eileen and I are inviting you to spend a relaxing few hours on Long Island where we will be gathering with some friends from a Baha'i Fellowship for a time of quiet reflection on the beauty of ordinary life. Afterwards, some of us will feast at the on-site Hidden Oak Cafe. We will meet at 11 AM...in or close to this covered seating area: “Creating a space for prayer, poetry, inspirational writing and fellowship.” You can just leave your decision to join us to your morning inspirations… And, by all means, feel free to bring along something...someone that provides you with inspiration… If you decide to join us, just send up a flare (text) and I’ll look out for you. Bayard Cutting Arboretum State Park, Great River (02:12) News 12 video (01:40) "If you feed them...they will come..." Hidden Oak Cafe Bayard Cutting Arboretum Songs of the Forest Carnegie Hall - The Orchestra Sings - Simple Gifts Lyrics Video (01:11) Frederic Chopin - Mysterious Forest (02:55) John Denver - Poems, Prayers & Promises {HD} (04:30) Park Info Arboretum Website tOM #music #forest #BayardCuttingArboretum #BahaiFellowship #Shakers #Chopin #JohnMuir #HiddenOakCafe #JohnDenver

Starting the party with that great song from 1967...when you were just...(see below) Happy Together - The Turtles (02:47) ...You were just 17...British Bubblegum... Why The Beatles Sang ‘She Was Just 17’ on ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles (02:56) Life is a shell game... Just because of you know who... ...and the House always wins...or does it? Now, to your physical card's wisdom... Swim with the current... Go with the Flow - Finding Nemo Musical (Disney) (01:23) Be a good navigator... Calls for a song... "You, who are on the road.. Must have a code that you can live by...And so, become yourself..." Teach Your Children | Playing For Change Band | Live in Brazil (07:04) Kids Sing "Teach Your Children" to Graham Nash - San Francisco Community Center Children's Chorus (03:55) Stay calm under pressure...Location...Location...Location... Be well traveled... Knowing your enjoyment of jazz...a song for your travels... Journey Well Traveled Somethin' Smoothe (05:46) Think long term... Age gracefully... Spend time at the beach... ...and dress appropriately...(I have a license to ad lib...) Repeat the lessons when needed... Grateful we're not DEAD... 1977...and you were just 27...and on Eileen's birthday: May 28... The Grateful Dead - Terrapin Station [Hartford ‘77] (11:06) When life gets tough...Don't worry about keepin' your head ABOVE water...Learn to breathe UNDERwater... The Little Mermaid - Under the Sea (from The Little Mermaid) (Official Video) (03:26) Yellow-green submarine flying in the water, sea turtle (02:10) Unusual Yellow Turtle May Be the Only One in the World (01:27) BREATHING UNDERWATER: The Poem (02:17) Poem by: Sr. Carol Bieleck, RSCJ (from an unpublished work) Read by: Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM His book of the same name drew me to the wisdom of 12-Step spirituality...and I'm forever grateful... Art imitating nature...we all live in a... The Beatles - Yellow Submarine (02:45) #music #humor #birthday #Peggy #TheTurtles #TheBeatles #FindingNemo #Disney #GratefulDead #TheLittleMermaid #PlayingForChange #turtle #CarolBieleck #RichardRohr

This morning (mourning) as I was waking up thinking about you, this song started playing in my mind...Reader: I emphasized in RED the words that speak to me now... ...As with all things we see and hear...we see them as WE are rather than as THEY are... Box Of Rain Lyrics By: Robert Hunter Music By: Phil Lesh Look out of any window Any morning, any evening, any day Maybe the sun is shining Birds are winging, no rain is falling from a heavy sky What do you want me to do To do for you to see you through? For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago Walk out of any doorway Feel your way like the day before Maybe you'll find direction Around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you What do you want me to do To watch for you while you're sleeping? Then please don't be surprised when you find me dreaming too Look into any eyes You find by you; you can see clear to another day Maybe been seen before Through other eyes on other days while going home What do you want me to do To do for you to see you through? It's all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago Walk into splintered sunlight Inch your way through dead dreams to another land Maybe you're tired and broken Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken and thoughts unclear What do you want me to do To do for you, to see you through? A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through Just a box of rain, wind and water Believe it if you need it, if you don't just pass it on Sun and shower, wind and rain In and out the window like a moth before a flame as And it's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare And it's just a box of rain, or a ribbon for your hair Such a long, long time to be gone and a short time to be there Before you listen to the version included here...please read the backstory article below (first link) to see how amazingly appropriate this is for me and my family NOW as our sister Julie - my "Irish twin" (364 days younger) - is now in hospice in Charlotte, NC...and mostly sleeping, as the very caring staff is keeping her medically comfortable and managing her pain...as she prepares to "inch her way to another land..." Plus, through these final months, weeks and days, a member of our family has been by her side...(see "By My Side" below) As I just learned in writing this post, bassist Phil Lesh wrote the music to comfort his Dad who was dying of cancer. Longtime Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter then composed his always-appropriate words to express Phil's heart to his Dad... The following article also includes a video of the band's performance of "Box of Rain", as well as a video of Phil talking about the song's origins...I've included separate links for both below the link to the Far Out article. The Story Behind the Song: The burden lifted by Grateful Dead's 'Box of Rain' - Far Out The Story of "Box of Rain" by The Grateful Dead (02:26) Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain (Philadelphia, PA 7/7/89) (04:42) Earlier today, while the song played in the background, I started composing my eulogy to my sister...More to come... Oh! Finding this song at this time proves once again what my friend Steve has always said, "There's a Grateful Dead song for EVERY occasion..." Three Generations... l-r: Sister Cathy, wife Eileen, me, son John, Mom/Grandma (seated), sister Peggy, Julie (seated) and Merle Langs, John's piano teacher/mentor. Photo taken at one of Merle's students' recitals... Box of Rain - Wikipedia [from the article] In later years, the song was a favorite and the crowd would shout "Let Phil sing!" to hear the song According to lyricist Hunter, Lesh "wanted a song to sing to his dying father and had composed a piece complete with every vocal nuance but the words. If ever a lyric 'wrote itself,' this did – as fast as the pen would pull." Lesh practiced the song driving to the nursing home where his father lay with terminal cancer. "Box Of Rain" by Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band (06:47) Steve Forbert - "Box Of Rain" (Official Music Video) (05:11) And here's a video of the song accompanying a drive along a country road... Steve Forbert - "Box of Rain" (Grateful Dead Cover) (Lyric Video) (05:13) "Box Of Rain" 2020 remix - Barton Hills Choir (05:27) We're all walking each other home... "Walk into splintered sunlight..." By My Side By My Side - Godspell (03:49) Liminal places...Thresholds...Doorways... "...you can see clear to another day..." Magic Kingdoms...1975 Three of my sisters (Julie, Mary & Cathy) flew to California, did some sightseeing and then rode back with me to New York in my VW Bus...where I reconnected with the girl I was destined to marry: Eileen. Best "I do" I ever made... l-r: Julie, Cathy l-r: Julie, Cathy l-r: Julie, Cathy l-r: Cathy, Mary Sister... Grateful Dead - We Bid You Goodnight - 9/26/91 (02:55) 9/26 is your birthday... Previous posts JULIE, Help is on the Way (May 3) Julie, sending you rainbows... (Mar. 24) #music #Julie #Mary #Cathy #PhilLesh #GratefulDead #RobertHunter #RamDass #Disneyland #SteveForbert #BartonHillsChoir #Godspell

Reader: Sending love & music to my brother as he travels to Charlotte to keep vigil with our sister who's involved in a tug of war between earth & heaven.. Grateful Dead Charlotte Sept. 26 (Julie's birthday) (from the Facebook post) “We will get by, we will survive....” On September 26, 1987, “Touch of Grey” entered the Top 40 charts. It would go on to peak at #9, putting the Dead in the Top 10 for the first time. Grateful Dead Parking Lot @ Charlotte Coliseum Oct 1989 (06:01) --this YouTuber captured a lot...a parking lot...full of fun in these 6 minutes...ENJOY THE RIDE... Grateful Dead - Help On The Way / Slipknot! / Franklin's Tower (Washington, DC 6/14/91) (24:44) Help is on the Way Paradise waits On the crest of a wave her angels in flame She has no pain (our prayer) Like a child she is pure, she is not to blame Poised for flight, wings spread bright Spring from night into the sun Don't stop to run She can fly like a lie, she can't be outdone... ...Without love in the dream it'll never come true Franklin's Tower In another time's forgotten space Your eyes looked from your mother's face (1) Wildflower seed on the sand and stone May the four winds blow you safely home Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew Roll away the dew (1) 74 years ago...safely inside Mom's belly... Life's Short...Eat Dessert FIRST... Julia Burns ("Nanny") - our sister Julie's namesake - was an amazing baker. As I remember it...she'd leave her Brooklyn apartment, take the "A" train to the last stop: Lefferts Blvd - to help her daughter - our Mom - take care of the 7 of us. She'd come down 123rd Street in Richmond Hill loaded down with the familiar green and white boxes from Ebinger's Bakery. This next link is both a tribute and a hint to those sisters in our family who inherited her sweet culinary skills... Before You Bake Brooklyn's Legendary Cake, Heed A Warning - npr/wnyc (from the post about Ebinger's Blackout Cake) But it would all be worth it for her grandfather's reaction — or so she thought. She explains how she felt at the time: "I'm so excited, I'm explaining this is the Ebinger's Blackout Cake of his youth. This is the cake, this is the recipe!" As she waited for him to respond, she wondered what he would call his favorite part of the cake: "Would he single out the flavor, the texture, the delicate layering of the different components?" After all her effort, what did he pick? " 'Lemon,' he said." She couldn't believe it. "Really? You like lemon, old man? I'll give you a lemon!" Years after she made the chocolate cake for her lemon-loving grandfather, Workman made it again to see if it was as arduous as she remembered. It was. She says it's like having a second child: "It doesn't hurt any less, but you know what you're getting yourself into." When life gives you LEMONS...Eat CHERRIES... Live - not stuffed... Charlotte the cat delivers her first litter... P. T. Class Our family will know what recent conversation prompted this... Shore 'nuf...We're all going somewhere...sometime... God's Heavenly Shore - Nothin' Fancy (02:25) When I leave this world and go to heaven's shore There to be with the ones that have gone on before I will leave behind this troubled mind For there I shall worry no more Chorus Oh, there'll be no pain I've been told No burdens to hold No sorrow, no sufferin' up there No storm clouds will rise No tears to fill my eyes When I walk on God's heavenly shore When that trumpet sound in heard from all around And heaven's gate is opened up wide I will cast my eyes beyond that cloudy sky And walk onto heaven's great shore Chorus repeats twice Grateful Dead - Touch Of Grey (Official Music Video) [HD] (04:52) Jersey Shore... Steve Forbert - "Box Of Rain" (Official Music Video) (05:11) Box Of Rain Lyrics By: Robert Hunter Music By: Phil Lesh Look out of any window Any morning, any evening, any day Maybe the sun is shining Birds are winging, no rain is falling from a heavy sky What do you want me to do To do for you to see you through? For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago Walk out of any doorway Feel your way like the day before Maybe you'll find direction Around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you What do you want me to do To watch for you while you're sleeping? Then please don't be surprised when you find me dreaming too Look into any eyes You find by you; you can see clear to another day Maybe been seen before Through other eyes on other days while going home What do you want me to do To do for you to see you through? It's all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago Walk into splintered sunlight Inch your way through dead dreams to another land Maybe you're tired and broken Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken and thoughts unclear What do you want me to do To do for you, to see you through? A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through Just a box of rain, wind and water Believe it if you need it, if you don't just pass it on Sun and shower, wind and rain In and out the window like a moth before a flame And it's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there Believe it if you need it or leave it if you dare And it's just a box of rain, or a ribbon for your hair Such a long, long time to be gone and a short time to be there Julie, sending you rainbows... ROAD TRIPPIN' TUNES... Mike, since you'll be on the road for a long time, here's some additional music to accompany you... Surf Music Compilation (45:13) surfing with the pogues (an outer banks playlist) (44:46) --you and I spent some time in this North Carloina surfing paradise... Best Driving Rock Songs | Great Road Trip Rock Music | Classic Rock Songs (1:43:47) Chillin'...Uhh...Watch the road... : ))) Meditation Compilation #22 | 55 minutes handpan music | Malte Marten (54:06) Hang Massive - Luminous Emptiness [Official Video] (06:38) Hang Massive - The Secret Kissing of the Sun and Moon [ Official Video ] (08:29) MERCY MISSION COMPLETE PLAYLIST (of all songs in this post) #music #Julie #Charlotte #GratefulDead #SteveForbert #JerryGarcia #NothinFancy #RamDass #MalteMarten #HangMassive

This started as a birthday greeting to a young family member who's a musician, teacher, partner, son, brother, community member...and...a fellow human being - one that I'm glad to share our planet with... Mike, As an English teacher, please overlook my dangling preposition...BUT not my dangling conversation (see end) wishing you much success in your many roles... IF... Lookin' for a tune about change brought me to Eric...HOWEVER, he's asking "IF I could..." That's a start...I liked this YouTuber's visuals...You can see Eric live at the end... Change the World - Eric Clapton with Lyrics (03:56) THEN...BE... Be The Change - Luminaries ft. Trevor Hall (Official Music Video) (04:32) MC YOGI - Be the Change (Official Video) (05:06) "Be The Change" - Donna De Lory (Lyric Video) (04:33) Donna's "One Love" raised up this ONE... One Love – 1World Children's Chorus: Celebrating Bob Marley - led by his son Ziggy (02:56) Now, let's take this love and spread it all over our world... One Love (Bob Marley) feat. Manu Chao | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (05:07) BIRTHDAY GUY Mike Duffy Music (Facebook) Facebook link FYI - Mike's Grandfather Frank Duffy played accordion. And Mike's brother Glenn plays sax and keyboard. They're an All-in-the-Family musical family... STAYIN' AFTER CLASS Ya gotta see this guy live...and his playmates are as outrageous as Eric at laying down the tracks... Eric Clapton - Change The World (Live Video) | Warner Vault (06:20) Deva Premal and Miten with Manose and Rishi: Shine Your Light (07:55) Rising Appalachia - Harmonize (Official Music Video) (05:31) --sisters Leah and Chloe are always making beautiful music together and with their friends... Here's one for the English teacher...Haunting images capture the raw emotions with a James Dean-like feel...Emily Dickinson...Robert Frost... The Dangling Conversation - Simon and Garfunkel (02:48) Simon & Garfunkel - Homeward Bound (Lyrics) (02:30) "ALL OF MY LESSONS THEY COME IN THE FORM OF A SOUND..." Trevor Hall and The Great In-Between - all of my lessons (Official Music Video) (03:17) --Trevor is one of my favorites. Got to experience him live on Long Island... #music #humor #MikeDuffy #EricClapton #Luminaries #TrevorHall #MCYogi #DonnaDeLory #1WorldChildrensChorus #ZiggyMarley #PlayingForChange #BobMarley #DevaPremal #Miten #Manose #Rishi #RisingAppalachia #SimonAndGarfunkel

This week West Hempstead’s Witches Brew Coffee House on Hempstead Turnpike across from the Fire House celebrated 27 years of dispensing great beverages, food and atmosphere to all who walk in their front door and are greeted by their welcoming employees. Makes me remember this show and how their welcoming spirit makes me feel each time I walk through their front door… Witches Brew Crew: You’ve URN’d this Customer’s Certificate of Appreciation Menu (T of C) Welcome Just like New York City: Classic Cup Life’s short: Eat Dessert First!!! Caffeinated Illumination/Epiphanies Caffeinated Chuckles Grateful Animals Skatin’ thru life Giving back to the Community: AA Meetings every Thursday @ 11 AM Just like New York City: Classic Band Me and My Uncle Riding that train…Just like NYC Subways... What’s brewing on Halloween? New Employee Interview Test Who follows who??? Sequitor Non-Sequitor??? It’s Greek to me??? Final resting “Grounds”…Good to the last drop… There's a Grateful Dead Song for Every Occasion... Encores/Extra Sets… Now Go out...Spread JOY…BE the change... Welcome All is welcome here - Deva Premal and Miten (05:47) Among the staff are music enthusiasts and one in particular who follows the same band as I “Dew”… (or, "Dew" they follow us???...This has been an age-old question and I think the best answer is: "Depends..." If you're intrigued by it, you can get off this post's beaten path and go below deck to the "Who follows who link" where you might get some inspiration) These musings on following also led here: Just like New York City: Classic Cup Authentic New York City ceramic coffee cup design with an eco-friendly twist. --(from the site) Attention current New Yorkers, ex-New Yorkers, and those of you who long to be New Yorkers: Now you can enjoy a classic symbol of the Big Apple in an environmentally-friendly way with the Ceramic Greek Coffee Cup. This reusable version of the iconic "We Are Happy To Serve You" paper coffee cup is styled precisely upon the original disposable version found throughout New York. Exclusively licensed from the company that manufactures the paper edition, the 10-ounce Ceramic Greek Coffee Cup's design is 100% accurate and even features a "paper crease" for added realism. Both dishwasher and microwave safe. Life’s short: Eat Dessert First!!! Nanny, my Irish grandmother, used to say this and she was an AWESOME baker of sweeties. Witches Brew adheres to this wisdom by positioning their dessert showcase right in front so passers-by can see what they’re gonna leave room for. When I’m in an extroverted mood and I see patrons pausing to decide…I’ll say something like this… “Substitute EITHER/OR thinking with “BOTH/AND…” Music to my MOUTH…YUM!!! Lots of alternative choices for satisfying your sweet TEEEEEETH!!! One of the secret ingredients: Caffeinated Illumination/Epiphanies... Here's one of several helps inside to light the way for your path...to delicious and healthy food... Under the influence... You can find my friend here... Caffeinated Chuckles Note that flower...it has a special place in this post... Grateful Animals One of their current employees is studying to be a veterinarian. AND, the Brew features lots of vegan and vegetarian options, including desserts. They are helping me change some habits... What the Grateful Dead Had to Do with the Rise of the Veggie Hot Dog - Vogue Skatin’ thru life… Several employees dig the keep-on-truckin’ vibe and ride these conveyances to and from the Brew House. Here’s one to compliment your front window’s John Lennon blackboard message: Animated GIF for above Paul McCartney - Getting Better (Live in the USSR) (01:37) Katastro - Scarlet Begonias (Official Video) (02:50) Nike SB | Nyjah | 'Til Death (11:06) The Brew even has a house brand...board: Giving back to the Community: AA Meetings every Thursday @ 11 AM Here’s the link from the Nassau Intergroup site. --Enter through the door in the rear lot. Please do not park here or in the Fire Department lot across the street. Use street parking. Thanks! Just like New York City: Classic Band Ramble on Rose - Grateful Dead - 10-31-1980 Radio City, NY set2-05 (07:36) --Halloween…a sacred time…See more below… Add lyrics re would you like your brew hot or cold? At the last gathering of a new crew I’m part of, my new friend Brian was telling a story and he mentioned this next scene and the song “Ramble on Rose.” Geez, you can’t make this stuff up!!! So’s I tells him about this post I’m brewing and how it already includes this song. So, he searches his phone and pulls up this shot from him in San Francisco at the 2015 Dead and Company show in San Francisco. Each attendee was given a rose and the band played on...with that song. After a rain delay, Mother Nature joined the special effects team and offered this American Beauty… And, how cool is this? Brian worked for this guy for a stint…Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. Me and My Uncle Brian and his Uncle Phil have been going here for a long time…I'm now enjoying hanging out with both at the Brew... They've been Brew Crew members since the beginning...Shown here with Nonna: Family Beaneology: Nonna --> Anna --> 2 daughters: Natalie & Alabama STONED Glass Window...Note the visages... Me and My Uncle (Live at Jahrhundert Halle, Frankfurt, Germany, April 26, 1972) · Grateful Dead (03:04) Riding that train…Just like NYC Subways... For Deadheads - current & prospective - some underground fun...Where else but NYC??? Grateful Dead-Iko Iko 3-18-90. NYC Subway Dance Party (08:07) Social Experiment : Blast Grateful Dead on Subway and see what happens (05:49) ...and a little child shall lead us... Coyote & Crow at Bedford Ave. Williamsburg NYC 11/2014- "Me & My Uncle" Grateful Dead Cover (02:17) What’s brewing on Halloween? THE WICKEDly good WITCH OF THE WEST hempstead (Oct. 2022) From Manic to Mindful Monday's-with a little "1 cup-at-a-time" help from our friends at Witches Brew (Jan. 2022) New Employee Interview Test Please come prepared...for anything and everything... New Employee interview test Who Follows Who??? Greetings, Pilgrim, your search has ended...or just begun..." (old TV coffee commercial slogan). An age-old conundrum...not for the feint of heart... If not knowing the answers to life's important questions can make you feel BLUE...Take a break for awhile and play: Grateful Dead - Opening Sequence / U.S. Blues (Winterland 10/74) In this clip from the movie, this image reminds me of a cash machine and the JOY we experience when it lights up and says we're not overdrawn. FYI - Witche$ Brew is CA$H-ONLY... Speaking of pilgrims...Newcomers shouldn't be picky... SEQUITOR GD & G-d: Grateful Dead & Bible - Chapter 1: St. Stephen (feast day Dec. 26) Non-Sequitor??? It’s Greek to me… FYI - The Brew's cole slaw is awesome!!! Final resting “Grounds”…Good to the last drop… Last Rites: Remembering those customers who've had their last cup…or are preparing to... Ghost Urns: Bringing Humor to Death --Death doesn’t have to be so solemn, and these ghost urns are just the thing to bring a little humor to the next great adventure Would You Get Your Coffee At A North Carolina Funeral Home? --(from the site) With next week being Halloween it’s all about the spooky. So I have to ask. Would you get your coffee at a funeral home? No, not while you’re sitting there planning a funeral. Just your average everyday coffee run. Well, you can in Concord. It’s called Coffin House Coffee. And it’s a coffee shop that’s literally inside a funeral home. There's a Grateful Dead Song for Every Occasion ...so says my friend Steve and he's never been proved wrong...I'm forever GRATEFUL to Steve - a fellow surfer - who taught me how to care for my "beast of burden" - a 1965 VW Microbus. That introduction led to my career..."playing with cars..." Here's today's example: The Attics of My Life: Joy Within the Melancholic Lyrics of John Keats and The Grateful Dead - Susan Peterson Who'd a thunk I'd find a connection between this Keats' ode that I used in this post's title AND the Grateful Dead? This latest find simply reinforces my GROWING awareness of how VAST is their reach into all aspects of life... Here's a summary of this researcher's inquiry into melancholia.... ABSTRACT This essay is a culmination of intensive research exploring the commonality between Dr. John Keats’ poetry and the lyrics of The Grateful Dead. As this is the 50th anniversary of The Grateful Dead, it is appropriate to celebrate that with a scholarly paper. In teaching my course The Grateful Dead as Poets I discovered compelling intersections between English Romantic poetry and the lyrics of The Grateful Dead. These findings are useful and important because the work of the Dead spans five decades and endures in ways that assure their place in literary history as well as the music world. The importance of The Grateful Dead cannot be overstated. They bring hope, love, joy and philanthropy to the world, as did the English Romantic poets. There is much yet to explore; this essay is about only a few of the many Grateful Dead lyrics. 'Attics Of My Life' by the Barton Hills Children's Choir (04:25) --seeing these young people singing these wonder-filled words...gives me hope for our shared future... "and closed my eyes to see..." And I offer these thoughts about dreams to my barista who recently shared on this subject... Attics of my Life Lyrics By: Robert Hunter Music By: Jerry Garcia In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal. Full of tastes no tongue can know, and lights no eyes can see. When there was no ear to hear, you sang to me. I have spent my life seeking all that's still unsung. Bent my ear to hear the tune, and closed my eyes to see. When there was no strings to play, you played to me. In the book of love's own dream, where all the print is blood. Where all the pages are my days, and all the lights grow old. When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me. In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed. When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold. When there was no dream of mine, you dreamed of me. NOW, here's John Keats in his own words... ASMR Relaxing Bedtime Stories- Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats. Join me to fall asleep and relax! (03:06) Lyrics ENCORES/EXTRA SETS… Deva Premal & Miten: All is Welcome Here - LIVE- Lausanne 2018 (06:16) A few years ago, I enjoyed these folks at NYC’s Town Hall. It was Miten’s first show since his heart attack. So glad he recovered so he could keep on dispensing musical medicine…. Grateful Dead [4k50p Remaster] - Me and My Uncle - 1981 03 28 (pro shot) Rockpalast Germany (03:01) Now…Go out...Spread JOY…BE the change... #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #Nanny #JuliaBurns #BrianBarry #GratefulDead #DeadAndCompany #MickeyHart #RollingStones #Cheers #DevaPremalAndMiten #MaryPhillips #skateboards #animals #JohnKeats #SusanPeterson #PaulMCcartney #Jesus #Katastro #Nike #Nyjah #NYC #subway #funeralhome #urn #NassauIntergroup #AA #AlcoholicsAnonymous #JerryGarcia #RobertHunter #BartonHillsChoir

"I'm goin' where the climate suits my clothes..." Alternate take: I'm goin' where the temperature matches my age..." WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR??? A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - Singing on the Subway Scene (4/10) | Movieclips (02:06) --beginning at 00:34 Mr. Rogers shares with his interviewer what he calls the most beautiful word in sign language: FRIEND. Fellow Passengers: When we're riding the rails, be sure to pay attention to that sign on the subway car door. Ah, but when our lives are goin' OFF the rails, follow these recommendations: Bill Withers - Lean On Me (Live in Chicago, 1972) (04:04) Added April 14...After writing this post, Eileen and I re-watched the film and I re-visited the post to add these two songs...One sung from a man's perspective and another from a woman's... James Taylor & Carole King - You've Got A Friend (BBC In Concert, 11/13/71) (05:04) Carole King - You've Got a Friend (from Welcome To My Living Room) (06:27) The 59th Street Bridge Song - Simon & Garfunkel (01:46) --Nov 14, 2011 Elmo and Grover cover The 59th Street Bridge Song at the Library of Congress tribute to Paul Simon in 2007. Here's the view from in front of the venue: "ENCORE!" The crowd called out for more" Peanuts Gang Singing "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" by: Simon & Garfunkel (02:26) One more with Paul and Art so I can include it in the WALKLIST at the end of the post. The others are marked for kids only and can't be shared. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) (03:12) Out walking around town... "DON'T FOLLOW LEADERS...WATCH YOUR PAWKING METAWS..." Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues (Official HD Video) (02:15) How Julius would cross that river today (Stop & Shop "pawking" lot): The die is cast... [History buffs: "Alea iacta est"] --I studied Latin for 4 years at Power Memorial Academy in NYC and then 2 more at our "graduate" school in New Rochelle: Iona... --At Power, we had a teacher for Latin named Brother Phillips. Out of his earshot, we used to joke that he was so old, he had taught Julius Caesar to speak Latin. --Eesay elowbay... ...NOW... ...THEN... IGPAY ATINLAY... "DO YOU SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH?"... If this was a qualification for elected office... How'd George and a lot of the other officials ever get elected??? LIAR LIAR - Jim Carrey - Court Scene (01:04) "It's a beautiful day in my West Hempstead neighborhood..." Ant Colony...Subdivision...Be mindful of where we step...OR... Pink Panther to dead ant… | Dad Jokes (0:09) After a Grateful Dead concert... Ants carrying away the Dead & Dying [HD] (01:46) Nearing home...just kicking down the cobblestones...covered with children's sidewalk chalk artistry... Simon and Garfunkel - Homeward Bound (1966 - Live) (02:13) PREHISTORIC WEST HEMPSTEAD Spotted this fella in the middle of the street while I was out walking on Meredith Lane. Hmm...It's a dead end street...guess nobody told this critter that dinos are passé... The real deal...see next section... CLIMBING THE WALLS... Italian Wall Lizard - Herp Quest #13 (Herpetology Education) (04:55) How Garden City (& West Hempstead) became home to these tiny lizards --Hey, Gumba's - Yeah, I'm talkin' to youse...Don't get upset that these creatures come from Sicily...I'm not makin' any comparison...as I value my legs...Just the way they are... :))) --As I watched this video, I learned that I share an important evolutionary adaptive trait with "podarcis siculus" - WE ARE BOTH OMNIVOROUS. --And another clarification: Herpetologists are persons who study these ancient beings. It's a process called "herping." NOTE: They are NOT called... HERPEES (also in the Italian Wall Lizard video) One of my favorite desserts (spelled with 2 s's - b/c we always want seconds). Oh...this deSSert also has a double consonant: "nn"...Nice! NOTE: These wall lizards are different from Lounge Lizards...though some who've encountered the latter might disagree....: ))) NY LIZARDS Located in nearby Garden City, they are part of major league lacrosse. Facebook OF TEACHERS & LOUNGE LIZARDS... Buster The Lounge Lizard 1 (06:00) With apologies to all my teacher friends : )))) --Lemme know when you're having a garage sale of all the confiscated items. Geez, back in my day, I'm sure the nuns & brothers had a ton of these: "We sure could use a man like Alfred Neuman today..." : ))) All in the Family / Archie Bunker's Place Opening Credits (01:39) WALLS: KEEPING SOME PEOPLE IN AND SOME OUT... ...SEE ME AFTER SCHOOL...IN DETENTION... Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 (The Wall) - 1080p Remastered (05:42) Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall, Part Two (Official Music Video) (03:18) DANCIN' IN THE STREETS...COSMIC CARDIO... We're never to old... Amazing Dancer with Street Performer in The Hague, Netherlands (03:53) We'll still be dancin' when we're DEAD... 'Dancing In The Streets' (432Hz) Grateful Dead Live @ Cornell University '77 (17:00) We know "Jerry"...but what about "Tom"??? Read on... Grateful Dead - 06/06/1970 Dancin' in the Streets (16:53) Tom Constanten (Grateful Dead 1968-1970) NJ native Grateful Dead pianist Tom Constanten plays on with Dose Hermanos GRANDPARENTS: Once upon a STORYTIME... Pearlie - White Shade of Pale / Flower Talk (24:05) WALKLIST (all songs) #music #humor #SimonAndGarfunkel #Peanuts #ProcolHarem #Jeep #WestHempstead #dinosaurs #lizards #JimCarrey #TomConstanten #dancing #Italy #Sicily #AlfredENeuman #AllInTheFamily #ArchieBunker #latin #igpayatinlay #PinkFloyd #school #teachers #Pearlie #TomHanks #FredRogers #neighborhood #JamesTaylor #CaroleKing #BillWithers #MrRogers #NYLizards

Table of Contents In the Beginning Baby Apparel...Paraphrenalia Chillin'...nap time...bed time...any time... School Daze Sports Who said history is a DEAD subject?... Grateful Care of Animals Saturday Morning CarTUNES... Enhanced Cartoon Characters Play Dates Holidaze Safety And a little child shall lead us… When you get older...but not losing your hair... Mindful Self Care: Tye Die...Tai Chi... Those were...these are...the good old days... "Weir" known by the company we keep... Non-Sequitor (sort of...can you find the thread???) Plan a Head...Family Planning...for future new lives... We bid you Good Night... In the Beginning... ...as it was at the End...This is all that you need to know... ...It's also the final test question Welcome to our planet...Third ROCK from the sun... Baby Apparel...Paraphrenalia Grateful Dead Kids - Etsy.com Bobbleheads Pink Christmas: Grateful Dead’s Care Bears Coolers Are Back In Stock for the Holidays Chillin'...nap time...bed time...any time... Casey Jones - Lullaby Renditions of Grateful Dead - Rockabye Baby! (01:09) School Daze Hopefully, your caregivers will include musical education. Here's why... Music Empowers: SPREAD MUSIC NOW The Grateful Dead and the Culture of High School - HuffPost Sports FYI - "27" is a significant number..."27 Club"... BTW - Today - 4/27 - Witches Brew Coffee House is celebrating its 27th year...YAY!!! Who said history is a DEAD subject?... Creative ways to learn days of the week Grateful Dead - Mason's Children (12-28-69) Grateful Care of Animals If she/he gets an indoor pet... ...or keeps one in the yard... Saturday Morning CarTUNES... Very Looney Tunes (1:14:16) Be sure to click "Subscribe" for more fun from this YouTuber. You can also click HERE to see their YouTube channel. Goldilocks and the dancing bears Seems nobody's yet combined these two in a meme...but I did locate Goldie (or a piece of her)... Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds (Official Video) (03:12) Magic School Bus: Retro/Update Enhanced Cartoon Characters Grateful Dead-Ripple (Grateful Dead meet Charlie Brown) (04:12) Re-imagining other children's classics... White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland) Jefferson Airplane (02:53) Play Dates What Is Rock and Roll Playhouse? (01:28) A Grateful Dead Father's Day at The Rock and Roll Playhouse | 6/16/19 (02:40) The Rock and Roll Playhouse's Music of The Grateful Dead for Kids :: Brooklyn Bowl :: 11/11/18 (1:03:04) Gnarly Marley 2023 Earth Day Celebrations Holidaze Safety Let your little ones safely enjoy Halloween candies like Gummy Bears by making them at home… Source When they get older, take them into NYC for this annual scarefest St John the Divine Halloween Extravaganza 2008 Procession of the Ghouls (09:39) --I went with a friend in 2018. To bring some balance to the Forces of Darkness, I dressed as St. Francis of Assisi, complete with a bird's nest atop my head. --at one point in the evening, they show a classic horror film on a big screen... ...in the sanctuary above the altar And a little child shall lead us… When you get older...but not losing your hair... Church & State State Get involved in voting...and despite what some adults might tell you...you have choices: VOTE: Headcount.org - Let our voices be heard --Bob Weir is a national spokesperson. Headcount volunteers set up stations at shows and concerts where they encourage folks to register to vote. Church Another area where you'll be asked to choose is spirituality...don't settle for religion...despite it's Latin root ("re-ligio" - to join together)...most are simply saying "Hooray for OUR side" or "My way or the highway" YES, the Grateful Dead are a KULT… Yes, "Weir" a cult…a KULTure of KINDness… Atheists Don't Have No Songs - Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers feat. Edie Brickell (03:03) Aging with Grace... When I'm 64 Lennon/McCartney arr. Billingsley (02:53) "Every summer we can rent a cottage in the Isle of Wight If it's not too dear We shall scrimp and save Grandchildren on your knee Vera, Chuck and Dave" Mindful Self Care: Tye Die...Tai Chi... Tai Chi, Green Building and The Grateful Dead: A Sustainable Golden Braid --Coincidentally, three of the greatest loves of my life, Tai Chi, Green Building and The Grateful Dead all embody elements of Integration, Synergy and Collaboration. It is through doing Tai Chi, practicing green building and playing Grateful Dead Music, that I weave my thread. And it will be so inspiring to hear how others are doing their weaving and how we can assist one another in this most important personal and collective mission of Sustainable Living, referred to here as The Golden Braid. As it is written in the Dead Song, Terrapin Station: "I can't figure out if it's the end or beginning, but the Train's put its breaks on and the whistle is screaming." Practices for martial...marital...balance... HYPERFLY + The Grateful Dead (0:32) Those were...these are...the good old days... 89 year old grandma Mrs. Cox sings Grateful Dead from the nursing home. (04:03) --Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart has worked for yours with neuroscientists on using music to help people with cognitive impairment. He tells a story that his grandmother was able to remember his name when he played for her... "Weir" known by the company we keep... Non-Sequitor (sort of...can you find the thread???) On my monthly trips to my alternative medicine doc in CT, I pass a town that causes my 5th-grade male mind to chuckle. How 'bout yours??? How is Mianus (my-anus) not the oddest name in CT? Plan a Head...Family Planning...for future new lives... Mickey Hart - Music to Be Born By (0:48) --he recorded his son's heartbeat IN UTERO...and quips that he's the world's YOUNGEST recording artist. : ))) We bid you Good Night... The Dead like other performers covered Gospel classics like this one. First, we'll hear from the Motherland... Soweto Gospel Choir Blessed in Concert: I Bid You Goodnight (04:23) Next, from the Meadowlands... We Bid You Goodnight (encore) Grateful Dead 10 16 1989 Meadowlands, NJ (05:34) #music #humor #grandma #grandpa #GratefulDead #Goldilocks #dancingbears #BobMarley #WitchesBrewCoffeeHouse #RockAndRollPlayhouse #BartonHillsChildrensChoir #Peanuts #CathedralOfStJohnDivine #school #MickeyHart #HunchbackOfNotreDame

“The most radical thing we can do…is to introduce people to one another.” --Building Bridges of Brookhaven This post grew out of comments people have made to me in the past week, after I mentioned positive groups I’m spending time with. They expressed an interest in getting to know some more about other people in groups on Long Island that are working to connect people to one another and address social issues that are keeping people apart…because, at some level, we've each been caught in the illusion of separation... START HERE... Symphony of Science - 'We Are All Connected' (ft. Sagan, Feynman, deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye) (04:11) Lyrics from this video: My intention here is two-fold: 1. To introduce all of us to groups that are helping me experience my connections - especially with people that I used to think were VERY different from me...I thought this way for some or all of these reasons: they had different skin color, lived in different neighborhoods, were from a different culture, worshiped different versions of G-d... 2. To connect folks in these various groups - or any other seeker - in ways where we can support the work each group is doing. For example, if one group is holding a public presence somewhere or supporting an action another group is doing, WE can lend OUR bodies as a sign of solidarity… Here are the groups: · Poor People’s Campaign of Long Island (part of NYS PPC) · Multicultural Solidarity of LI’s Diversity Friendship Listening Circles · Building Bridges in Brookhaven · Baha’i Fellowship of LI · West Hempstead Public Library’s Conversation Circle MY PERSONAL TRAIL OF CONNECTIONS TO THESE GROUPS As best I can recall : )))... I read a Daily Meditation from Richard Rohr about the re-emerging Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) and decided to check it out. See upcoming post for more about the work of the organization he started: The Center for Action and Contemplation (CEC ). It was my participation in the PPC that led me to meet people who were also part of other groups trying to “make a difference.” One of these is Multicultural Solidarity of LI and their Diversity Friendship Listening Circles (MCS). MCS included and introduced me to members of Building Bridges of Brookhaven. MCS also helped me connect with some South Shore folks from Long Island’s Baha’i Fellowship. This past week, I reconnected with the West Hempstead Public Library’s Conversation Circle and am glad I did. My past and present participation is enabling me to meet folks who are helping me SEE – in some cases for the first time – SEE the world through their eyes…that have experienced life in ways I’m only now beginning to understand…only beginning…This awakening is happening as WE listen to one another’s STORIES…as WE share meals…as WE work together to make a difference…right where we live… POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN ON LONG ISLAND (part of NYS PPC) (from member Janie Lynch, with my added emphasis) The Poor People’s Campaign, started by Martin Luther King Jr. not long before he was killed, is a movement intended to bring together the strength of all the forces of good, with impacted people leading the way, to combat the 5 evils that plague this country: poverty, racism, militarism, ecological devastation, and the distorted moral narrative. This is not another organization competing for our time. It is a movement bringing people and siloed organizations together, changing the narrative by changing the narrator. Website: LinkTree Contacts (co-chairs): Susan Karbiner: jkarbiner@aol.com Michael Zweig: michaelzweig1942@gmail.com MULTICULTURAL SOLIDARITY OF LI’S DIVERSITY FRIENDSHIP LISTENING CIRCLES Facebook Facebook About: Our signature program is our Diversity Friendship & Listening Circles. We have revived Zoom circles. Our FB group is a small part of what we do. Opinions and projects posted by other orgs and individuals are not necessarily ours. Please embrace our 4 rules. We also try to do all the other wonderful things multicultural/ anti-racist orgs do. Our board of 12 is 75% global majority. Contact: Joel Diamond: Multiculturalsolidarity@gmail.com Logo: BUILDING BRIDGES IN BROOKHAVEN Website Their story of origins Facebook Email: buildingbridgesbrookhaven@gmail.com BAHA’I FELLOWSHIP OF LI Website Contact: Harriet Fishman harriet9@gmail.com WEST HEMPSTEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY CONVERSATION CIRCLE Website (Eventkeeper page) About: Conversation Circle - Virtual Conversation Circle is essential for staying connected with what is important in our lives. Sit and chat for a spell with friends and neighbors. We pose a question or topic and give everyone a chance to respond. We learn from each other, share experiences and wisdom, and clarify goals and values. These conversations foster deeper knowledge and understanding as we talk about money, improving society, medical issues, any concerns of the day and any topics which arise. Our authentic conversation ends with sharing positive humor to uplift us and enable us to have happier lives. All are welcome to join our conversation each week. Have a topic you'd like to discuss? Join us and share it with the group. Weekly with Sandy Hinden. Registrants will receive a copy of Sandy's book, 7 keys to Love. This class is virtually attended through Zoom. Registration is required. REGISTER HERE Contact person: Roseanne Dorfman WHPL Program Coordinator Library general number: 516-481-6591 SONGS FOR EXPERIENCING OR CONNECTEDNESS I've deliberately chosen some of these versions of the songs because they feature children...I spent over 30 years in Sunday School (never graduated : )))) ), and still have a heart for our young people...For they are inheriting the world we've passed along to them...Let's do our part to demonstrate life skills that can sustain life...help it THRIVE!!! WE’RE DIFFERENT…WE’RE THE SAME… Sesame Street: We’re Different, We’re the Same | Read Along Series (05:57) WE ARE FAMILY… We Are Family - feat. Barney💜💚💛 | Music Video (03:12) GET TOGETHER… This version is from a “No Nukes” action in NYC in 1979. I selected it because in preparing this post, I learned that nuclear disarmament was an initial motivation for forming Building Bridges in Brookhaven. Get Together - Jesse Colin Young - No Nukes 1979 (04:28) MARCHING TOGETHER MUSIC For What It’s Worth – Buffalo Springfield (02:49) --I’m closing with this favorite…a classic that echoes this invitation…FYI – If I’m ever stranded on a desert isle and can get only one channel…Playing for Change would be my choice… The intention of this verse is echoed in the "The Weight" song that follows... The Weight | Featuring Ringo Starr and Robbie Robertson | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (05:46) In the "Symphony of Science" song and video, we were told that we are made of "star stuff"... Crosby, Stills, Nash (& Young) || Woodstock (We Are Stardust) (04:25) My prayer is that we would come together...experiencing our interconnectedness... ...until then...I wish... Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (with lyrics) (05:20) RESOURCES FOR EXPERIENCING OUR CONNECTEDNESS... “The greatest illusion in this world is the illusion of separation.” – Albert Einstein The Illusion of Separation - Center for Action and Contemplation Partners in Healing What is the Illusion of Separation? "The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation. Things you think are separate and different are actually one and the same. Aang: Like the four nations? Guru Pathik: Yes. We are all one people. But we live as if divided.” ― Guru Pathik 33 Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes & the Illusion of Separation (Love Meditation)​ “We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” --Thich Nhat Hanh Two from this article for the upcoming celebration of Earth Day: “You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. In that insight of inter-being, it is possible to have real communication with the Earth, which is the highest form of prayer.” - Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes “If you truly get in touch with a piece of carrot, you get in touch with the soil, the rain, the sunshine. You get in touch with Mother Earth and eating in such a way, you feel in touch with true life, your roots, and that is meditation. If we chew every morsel of our food in that way we become grateful and when you are grateful, you are happy.” - Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes Here's the YouTube video from this article. It contains 10 quotes to help us connect to ourselves and everything else... Thich Nhat Hanh Quotes | Selected Quotes from Thich Nhat Hanh (HD Quality) (03:12) Richard Rohr Reorders the Universe – The New Yorker (2020) Here are a few sections from the article that relate to the contents of this post: From this article: He started a radical Christian community in Cincinnati, called New Jerusalem, but, by the mid-eighties, he began to feel that it wasn’t sufficiently focused on global social action. He returned to New Mexico, where he started the Center for Action and Contemplation, in 1987, and the Living School, a two-year, low-residency religious-studies program, in 2014. In the center’s early days, the staff held weekly protests at a nuclear-weapons research facility and worked with a women’s cooperative in Mexico. One of the benefits of Rohr’s work is its attempt at radical inclusivity. “Jesus without worship of Christ invariably becomes a time- and culture-bound religion, often ethnic or even implicitly racist, which excludes much of humanity from God’s embrace,” he writes. According to his teachings, you don’t have to follow Jesus or practice the tenets of any formal religion to come by salvation, you just have to “fall in love with the divine presence, under whatever name.” For young people who have become disillusioned with the conservative churches of their childhood—which preached Christianity’s supremacy over other religions and taught that nonbelievers would go to Hell—his message is especially welcome. Tim Shriver, a longtime student of Rohr’s and the chairman of the Special Olympics, told me. “He’s trying to create a new ur-understanding of religion that isn’t bound by separation, superiority, and fighting.” (with my underlines) Poffenberger [director of the Center for Action and Contemplation] has been attempting to apply the principles of movement ecology, the study of what makes social movements succeed, to Rohr’s wide-ranging ideas. “It’s not just about one’s own individual spiritual journey,” he said. “It’s how that’s tied to social transformation.” He is hoping, for example, to harness Rohr’s large following in support of youth climate strikes and the Reverend William Barber’s Poor People’s Campaign. Perhaps, Poffenberger thinks, as adherence to traditional religions dwindles, social action will become a more relevant form of spiritual practice. #music #humor #science #BuildingBridgeInBrookhaven #PoorPeoplesCampaign #PoorPeoplesCampaignLongIsland #CenterForActionAndContemplation #RichardRohr #MulticulturalSolidarityOfLongIsland #BahaiFellowshipLongIsland #WestHempsteadPublicLibrary #SesameStreet #JesseColinYoung #BuffaloSpringfield #PlayingForChange #RingoStarr #RobbieRobertson #CrosbyStillNashYoung #PinkFloyd #ThichNhatNanh #TheNewYorker

STAR DATE: PESACH (Passover) 2023 (4/5/23) Yesterday, as I was out walking in the warm sun around my West Hempstead neighborhood - clad only in a t-shirt... : ))) That is, above my waist - I passed a lot of school-aged children PLAYING...and very animatedly. Many sported yarmulkes, as our town has a lot of Jewish families and congregations. As the musical and punning parts of me were under a 70 degree summer spell, I must have also channeled Alice Cooper and mused "Shul's out for the Summer." So, let's see where this meandering takes us...FYI - If you came here to hear Alice...she's below deck in DETENTION... LIVE FROM NEW YORK (Brooklyn variety:))) IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT! Shul: The word “synagogue” is the Greek parallel to the Hebrew term beit knesset, “house of gathering.” It is also referred to as a shul, a Yiddish word related to the English word “school,” thus named since Torah is studied there as well. Synagogues can be found virtually wherever there are Jews and have been in use since the Babylonian exile. Shul’s Out Forever? Millennials Customize and Curate Faith To Create Their Own Judaism - By Debra Nussbaum Cohen (Haaretz) for Forward --interesting perspectives on how younger generations are finding new and creative ways to practice their faith TOGETHER. (From opening paragraph) New York’s Jews are finding creative new ways to connect with Judaism independent of synagogues – from musical Shabbats for young families in an upscale Brooklyn condo building to pot luck suppers and lots of singing with hundreds of 20- and 30-somethings around the corner; and from a monthly Ecstatic Mincha that pairs dancing with prayer to a private Kol Nidre service for Russian families on the Upper East Side. This article introduced me to the Baal Shem Tov - the 18th-century founder of Hasidism - depicted below in the next three images: DRESSING FOR PRAYER Tallit: The Jewish Prayer Shawl - Chabad.org --exploring the traditional garment used while in prayer As with other faith traditions, there is room for personal expression...for a personal appreciation of the Great Mystery... ...Blending Rasta dreds and Hebrew threads (the strings are called "tzizit). --see Rally Rabbi article below for mention of "Jewmaican" Source: http://andrewjacobs.org/judaism/rastatallit.jpg Come, Mr. Tallit Man, tally me banana! Please allow me some "unOrthodox" but holy artistic license... Working Out with a Banana! Banana Rabbi Introduces - TLPS! --don't be fooled by this young man's age or the guy wearing the banana tallit...as there's a lot of wisdom to be found...Listen in... SHORT STORY Talisman Banana - issuu WHAT FOLLOWS SCHOOL? SUMMER CAMP! Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (Camp Granada Song) with Lyrics Sing-Along, Allan Sherman, 1963, updated (03:04) Return to Camp Granada (03:13) THOSE WHO FAIL HISTORY ARE DESTINED TO REPEAT IT...IN SUMMER SHUL... Ah! But you're in for a treat...Rabbi Tuckman will be your teacher... Here's his CV (curriculum vitae): ...purveyor of sacramental wine (00:45)... ...and mohel extraordinaire (02:57)... History of the World Part 2 Teaser Trailer (2023) Hulu (02:05) PREPARING FOR SUMMER SHUL: HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT History of the World Part 1 Official Trailer HD - Mel Brooks (1981) (02:45) If you study and do well, you'll earn a field trip to a baseball game...where your host will be a special Rabbi known as the "Frisco Kid" - see below... YOU GOT DETENTION AFTER SCHOOL...WITH ALICE... Student-made video... Music Video: Alice Cooper - School's Out (03:58) And the teachers countered with... Schools Out By Alice Cooper Teacher Music Video (03:50) BASEBALL'S A DEAD SPORT... Rabbi in Profile: The Frisco Kid, the Grateful Yid, The Rally Rabbi (2007) Berkeley, CA — He hangs out with rock stars, cruises the city on a three-wheeled “Mitzvah Bike” and blows the shofar to rally crowds at major league ball games. It’s all a far cry from Crown Heights, where this spiritual leader earned his rabbinic ordination. See this "Grate" article for more innings... And now for something completely different...BUT, from another ON-HIGH authority already part of this post... "What kind of God do you have?" - The Frisco Kid (01:21) SCHOOL'S A DEAD END...SO, LET'S TAKE A FIELD TRIP TO THE DEAD ANIMAL FARM... In Camp Granada, Allen mentions a few animals that have been seen at Grateful Dead shows...(Remember, I asked for an artistic license)... Alligators Bears Aunt Bertha ALLIGATOR Song: Grateful Dead - Alligator 1968-01-22 (15:00) BEARS Again, the Band never did a song about these furry, dancin' critters, but that didn't stop them from becoming a major Dead icon...This tune can be used to introduce our next generations to the Grateful Dead. To this point, I wear my dancing bears whenever I'll be around children... In the spirit of the Old Testament commands in Dueteronomy and Exodus... ...Tie them as a PHILactery... (bassist Phil Lesh) Song: Teddy Bear's Picnic (Jerry Garcia and David Grisman) (04:04) About: Dancing Bears Origins - David Dodd/Dead.net Bear Dancing to the Grateful Dead - Grateful Dead (02:46) Grateful Dead Bears - Are They Really Dancing? BERTHA Song: Grateful Dead - Bertha (Orchard Park, NY 7/4/89) (07:17) About: According to Grateful Dead "theologian/historian" David Dodd, he recalls some folklore about this song's origins: Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Bertha" - Dead.net As a cool fan, here's my take on it...from a series of posts from 2022's "Jerry Garcia Week" celebrations. Jerry Garcia Week: 9 DAZE OF HAIGHT – Day #8: HUNTER Fan Appreciation Day…”Let there be songs to... MORE PASSOVER PASSOVER 2023: Shalom Sesame --"What's different about this night?" Why, spending it on Sesame Street... #music #humor #Passover #shul #MelBrooks #GratefulDead #BaalShemTov #Hasidim #tallit #yarmulke #AliceCooper #DavidDodd #Brooklyn #AllanSherman #RallyRabbi #FriscoKid #GratefulYid #JerryGarcia #DavidGrisman #PhilLesh