One of my favorite bands of the last few years is “Sons of Bill.” Formed in Charlottesville, VA, by five guys, three of whom are brothers (and sons of a guy named Bill), they fit squarely in the popular Americana or Roots Rock genres. When I had a radio show on WEVL in Memphis, they … Read more
Last weekend, in honor of Ellen’s birthday, we attended the Billy Joel concert in New Orleans. He put on a great show, he played all the hits, and his joy was palpable. But what I will remember most about the concert was not Mr. Joel himself, but the other musicians who played with him. Between “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant,” “River of Dreams,” and “Only the Good Die Young,” he and his band played a lot of covers (songs written or made famous by other artists).
Every year we are in search of the perfect Christmas. We fill our lives with lights, decorations, parties, gifts, food, family and friends to help us achieve the perfect Christmas. Yesterday, Matthew reminded us that the first Christmas was anything, but perfect. It was a scandal, it was life-threatening, it was lonely, it was anxious, it was despondent, it was oppressive.
As confirmation approaches this weekend, I am reminded of when I went through confirmation as a youth at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Memphis, TN. I remember being so excited to officially join the Episcopal church. This was my first big step into growing into who I am today. While I honestly don’t remember everything we learned in our confirmation class, I do remember the feeling of how important this step was in my journey through life.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year if you are a parent. If you are a student, chances are you’re dreading the days ahead. However, that blanket statement does not apply to everyone. There are those students out there who eagerly look forward to the start of a new school year and new opportunities to learn. They are to be commended on their eagerness. The start of school begins routines again.