"It Was a Very Good Year" by The Brothers Four

A couple of days ago I wrote a blog post for today and scheduled it.  But I decided this morning I need to write a different blog for today.  I need to write a special post about what an amazing year 2014 was.  (I have moved the original post I made for today ahead to Jan 2nd.)

If you have been reading my blog in the past few months, you know I have mentioned that this year has been quite the roller coaster ride.  I have been debating whether it was possible that your best year ever and your worst year ever could be the same year?  But I have decided 2014 was the best year ever, there were just several very bad things that happened this year.

I feel like I am 100% better than I was one year ago...  in fact I will go so far as to say I am 200% or even 300% better than I was last year at this time.  While I certainly still have problems from the MS, I can say my memory is definitely better, my thinking is clearer, my hands are even better.  This morning I even trusted my right hand to carry a cup of hot coffee.

One of the things that I feel was major part of my improvement is loving myself and doing the best I can to take care of myself.  Even with MS I still feel amazing and wonderful.  And changing how I felt about myself, changed how I view the world.

The other major thing that helped me was all the support I got.  I was going to all the people who helped me, but the list is so long...  I will try to do that as soon as I have more time.  I forgot the rec center is closing early today and I haven't got my final jog for 2014 in yet....  gotta run (literally).

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbL5HegH0GU
YouTube (Frank Sinatra): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHJ3iZpfBRI

"War" by Edwin Starr

Here is a song that I have meant to to post for a long time.  Yesterday's post reminded me, so I thought I might as well do it now, lest I forget again.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d8C4AIFgUg

"Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon

Damn, I almost forgot I wanted to post this song.  Unfortunately war isn't over.  It would be so nice if the human race could stop hurting each other and learn to love and accept one another despite our differences.  I think one of the most wonderful things about the human race is it's diversity.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4Uu0OlmTg

Here's a birthday message from Yoko Ono on John Lennon's 70th birthday:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhd2v4sAyNg

" Viva! (Viva Tirado)" by The 5th Dimension

I'm feeling better this morning, last night I think all of the stress and eating less than healthy caught up with me.

This is a great song that I had completely forgotten about.  It starts off Tape #25 of my "favorites" cassettes from the 70's (see my post from March 1st, 2013).  I loved hearing this song so much, I couldn't wait until I get to posting the songs from Tape #25 to post it.  (I'm currently only starting to post songs from Tape #7.)

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhxUljtb10

"Little Altar Boy" by Carpenters

I'm not sure why I had a new found attraction to this song this year, I've played it many times.  Maybe it's just the beauty of Karen's voice.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lt87fGKaSA

"Snow" by Claudine Longet

Here is another great (obscure) song from the famous "Something Festive" A&M sampler album (I mentioned it in my post two years ago).  Yes we had a white Christmas this year and "all I see is snow" this morning.

Rachel Update 2016-12-20: added another video and a cover photo of the album.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIXXq7XiV1Y
YouTube (vinyl): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQeIAazpNGw

"My Christmas Card To You" by The Partridge Family

This has always been a favorite, and really says what I would like to say to everyone.  I'm even looking out the window at the softly falling snow.  :)

To you and all your family, your neighbors and your friends
May all your days be happy with a joy that never ends
May peace and love surround you
at Christmas time and all the whole year through

May your life be filled with sunshine, may your every wish come true
May you find the sweet fulfillment in everything you do
May your days be blessed with the very very best
both now and the whole year through

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDstBj8h8UI
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blClzgifrdU

"This Time of the Year" by Brenda Lee

I wanted to do a "something old, something new" thing for these last two days before Christmas.  This is a favorite from the old Brenda Lee "Merry Christmas" album.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-VjFYm4pME
YouTube (single): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsaamjsFkKU

"I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas" by Gayla Peevey

I think I will post a few Christmas songs for the next few days.  I just *LOVE* this song, it is so much fun!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGLGJV01C0Q
YouTube (cartoon): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oOzszFIBcE

"Rollercoster" by Everything But the Girl

As I mentioned in my post a couple of weeks ago, this year has been quite the roller coaster ride.  There have been days where I've felt better about myself, life, and the world around me.  And then some of the worst things ever have happened this year.  It is unbelievable how much grief getting robbed has caused, I'm still dealing with the fallout.

Anyway, the actual theme of this EBTG song is different of course, but I was thinking again this morning about what a roller coaster ride I have been on and it reminded me of this song.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQZNZ44ooZA

"Illusion" by Boz Scaggs

I realized after I posted yesterday's Boz Scaggs song I have never posted my favorite Boz Scaggs song (this one).  Boz Scaggs has a ton of great songs, but I think this one tops my list.

What you gonna do when your dream falls through?
Run away, why don't you just run off and hide once again in your dammed illusion.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuMeMIyIWTA

"Runnin' Blue" by Boz Scaggs

Rachel update 10-Feb-2017: I was walking/jogging/running again last night and was again enjoying this song on my MP3 player.  I couldn't remember if I had posted it, but I see I did.  Weird to think that I've been doing that for this long.  My knees were okay last night, but I've been having more trouble recently dragging my right foot.  Especially as I get tired.  :(

I fixed the title "Runnin'" instead of "Running" and added a few more links...

YouTube (Topic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omYrXaJzTuE
YouTube (live 1988): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt9Zf7YO7wk
YouTube (live 2010): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkwEp7wl-L8

Original post:

Another great song I was enjoying yesterday while walking/jogging.  It was mostly walking since my left knee seemed to be most unhappy.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNSjOZJ1nOI
YouTube (live, long version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4C3zc2YsF8

"Run Through the Jungle" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

I was enjoying walking/jogging to this song this morning.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbI0cMyyw_M
YouTube (Vietnam War): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bf_xZVhaAKs

"I've Found Someone Of My Own" by The Free Movement

I don't know why this song popped into my head the other day, perhaps it was on one of my "favorites" cassettes I was playing (see my post from  1-March-2013).  I don't know.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWGpGUUB2lY
 

"Knocking on Forbidden Doors" by Enigma

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/wassily-kandinskys-148th-birthday-why-the-painter-is-being-celebrated-in-a-google-doodle-9926484.html

I'm (Rachel) finishing this post three and a half years in the future.  I don't remember the details, I remember thinking the art was interesting so I saved the link.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoWYqSFQmIY
YouTube (Vevo): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9ZgVkJIexI
YouTube (Topic): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT2a8Vh1_wk
YouTube (lyrics): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMk_aMHTOhY 
YouTube (extended): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAQM_9YPJG4

"Sunny" by Frank Sinatra

Another song that I love from the cassette I posted the song from on Saturday.  Frank's version is just so sultry.

Note: all three links appear to be the same song, just different photos.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XE7cVhqMSg
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0eLaePiM6o
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-k-hetAqKE

I might as well include the original hit version by Bobby Hebb, it is a wonderful song as well.

YouTube (Bobby Hebb): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubvYQxTXO3U

"A Big Red Kite" by Lobo

I was thinking this morning how utterly complex and stressful and fraught with danger the world is today.  Yesterday I uploaded that video for the mystery song from my cell phone to YouTube.  Later I looked and discovered my f'ing cell phone downloaded every freaking thing from this account to my cell phone.  NONE of which I wanted on my cell phone.  Argh!!!!  I so f'ing HATE it when devices do shit automatically, without ASKING me if that is what I want.  I want to be in control of what my devices do.

Please support GNU (http://www.gnu.org/) and the Free Software Foundation (http://www.fsf.org/) they may be the last hope for us to keep control of all of this digital junk.

Life seemed so much simpler 40 or 50 years ago.  I agree that a lot of things are better now, but so many things are so much more complicated.  Anyway, I was trying to think of a song about life being simpler then.  The only song that came to mind is this one and that really isn't what it is about, but it is a great song and so until I think of something better... let's go fly a big red kite.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBo5QwEaczE


 

"What the World Needs Now" by Steve and Eydie

I've decided that this is one of my favorite versions of "What the World Needs Now".  It was on an old reel-to-reel tape that I got from Cliff Peterson at the Hi-Fi Shop in Ogden as I described in this post back on 5-August-2011.

I unfortunately could not find this version on YouTube, and I have not been able to find the original reel-to-reel tape.  I copied the reel-to-reel tape to cassette tapes back in the seventies and I have made a video of playing this song from the cassette and will be putting it on YouTube as soon as I can reduce the resolution (I don't feel like uploading a 600 MB file to YouTube).

"Superstar" by Carpenters

I was playing a carpenters record yesterday, while fixing the lock on the door.  I was reminded what a great song this is.  That time seems so "long ago and far away".

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EezQX8_QPRQ
YouTube (live TV): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmmaIGiGBg
YouTube (Carol Burnette Show): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4J4SOO73B0

"More, More, More" by The Andrea True Connection

Yet another lousy night of sleep.   Too f'ing exhausted to go jogging this morning. :(

Anyway, I really enjoyed listening to this song last week while I was jogging.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlJGrIyt-X8
YouTube (album version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPF4xuqNMn8

"Red Rubber Ball" by The Cyrkle

I've told many people that this year has been quite the roller coaster ride.  I was listening to this song the other day and thinking...  wishing... hoping "the roller coaster ride is nearly at an end".  Unfortunately this morning I'm not so sure.  :(

I think the worst effect of MS is how it made my brain function slower, that it sometimes takes hours or even days to logically think something through.  Therefore there are many, many more cases of "morning after" syndrome.   Like Jimmy Buffett described in my post last month.

YouTube (live TV): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbDKN0dk54M

"Only Love Is Real" by Carole King

I listened to this song about ten times this morning while I was jogging.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oP6W1MaxJLI

"People" by The Tymes

Rachel  update 14-Mar-2017: added live TV video + link to my post on 13-Mar-2017 of Barbra Streisand's version.

I've decided I just love this version of this song from the "Rocks Greatest Hits" album (see last Tuesday's post).  I consider Barbra Streisand's version one of my favorites, but I have been rockin' to this version the last week.

This is a good song for today because family and friends coming over to help fix up the house.  Just a huge, huge thanks to everybody who has helped us and always help us!!!!  Love to all of you!!!!

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGsAaNB-QH8
YouTube (live TV): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0ef45iAV_8

"If You Don't Want My Love" by Robert John

I've played this side of the "Rocks Greatest Hits" album (see last Tuesday's post) about a dozen times in the last few days.  I just love this song.  I just love the "Now" <ahh> "now" <ahh> "you say we are through" thing.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz2THnQC8Ds

"Light Sings" by The 5th Dimension

Yesterday's Post reminded me of this, another great song by The 5th Dimension.  This song is so positive and uplifting, I love it.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxXxX5Z0f0g

"Love's Lines, Angles and Rhymes" by The 5th Dimension

I was listening to this while jogging yesterday and thinking what a great song.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xHwDI2rzko
YouTube (TV): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMF5eIyMsEc

"That's Life" by Frank Sinatra

Had some rough days, but I decided I need to pick myself up and get back in the race.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIiUqfxFttM

"Suzanne" by Leonard Cohen

Playing another compilation record this morning, this wonderful song came on.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otJY2HvW3Bw
YouTube (live): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIssqxixYp0

"Slip Slidin' Away" by Paul Simon

I put the Paul Simon's Greatest Hits vinyl record on while I was working on the sink.  When I heard the first few bars of this song, I remembered how much I love this song.  And it was the absolute PERFECT song for today.  I was feeling like I was losing it all day.  I was definitely slip slidin' away.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUODdPpnxcA