Coffee Talk

After much anticipation, Starbucks has made its way to Rockport. Contrary to what most of you might assume, I do not go there every day.
Since it has opened however, I have learned something about myself that came as a surprise. My favorite cup of coffee is not a tall latte' with two white sugars from Starbucks. Instead, my favorite is the cup of Folgers (black) I make myself every morning. For me, it truly is "the best part of waking up".
So, tell me, what is your favorite cup of coffee and who makes it?

Aqua Net and Rat-tail Combs

There's a lot talk in the media about the Polar Ice Caps melting lately and people want to know why. Well look no further, it's Sue's fault.
Some of my earliest memories include curlers, rat tail combs, Aqua Net Hair Spray, and Sue. Although she spent thousands of dollars each year on Aqua Net, and we can never prove the extent of the damage to the environment from the aerosol in those cans, I can always say one thing for certain: if her hair wasn't in curlers, Sue looked great.
I am so thankful my whole life has had Sue in it. If I were to have a "Legend's Ball" and honor the women who made the biggest impact on my life, Mom, Glory, and SUE would be the first three on the list.
Happy Birthday Sister Friend!

Nights in White Satin

Marla and Catherine Hanna

Twenty-one years ago today my brother David Lawrence Hanna married my friend Marla Michelle Martin. Marla asked me not only to be her maid of honor, but also to make her wedding dress. Naturally I agreed to all of the above, and I figured while I was at it I could make my own dress as well. I did not worry that I had bitten off more than I could chew because I had plenty of time. Yet there is one significant character trait of mine I forgot to factor in when calculating time to complete the dress - my tendency to procrastinate.
As a rule, I save for the last minute what could be planned and completed weeks in advance, and I am learning this is only acceptable when others are not involved, i.e. a bride waiting in the wings for her wedding dress.
One day, about a week before the wedding, David calmly asked me when I thought I might begin working on the bride's dress. Sitting there as he patiently talked to me, it came as revelation how completely inconsiderate I was being to my brother and future sister-in-law. Panic ensued; actually it had been ensuing in the bride for weeks, I was just catching up.
So I began cutting, fitting, sewing, ripping, pressing, hemming and all at break neck speed. Then, while sewing on miles and miles of white satin, in the wee small hours of the morning, I pricked my finger and bleed all over the dress. I tried to get it out with a cold, damp cloth, but it just smeared grayish everywhere.
So, in utter despair, I got up and walked down the street and sat on the steps of the Episcopal Church. As I sat there in my failure I noticed some kids had vandalized the neighborhood church. The little delinquents had spray painted the word SATAN onto the sidewalk leading up to the church entrance. I smiled as I read the word, because they had misspelled SATAN and instead wrote SATIN.
I took it as sign from above and was comforted with the knowledge that God was paying attention and involved in what was happening in our lives. I returned to my room to find the dress had dried white as snow.
I never doubted the dress would not be ready on time from that moment on. Granted I was hemming it in the dressing room of the church on the day of the wedding, but we all walked the aisle fully clothed.

Mr. and Mrs. David L. Hanna

The Other Two

Lady Madonna

The Beatles' tunes were intertwined through my growing up years and as I thought about my mother this Mother's Day the lyrics from one of their familiar songs kept rolling through my head: "Lady Madonna, children at your feet, wonder how you managed to make ends meet."
Looking back I truly wonder how my mother did what she did, not only as a young bride, but later as a single parent. Mom would not call herself courageous, but in a time when there were no self help books or support groups for single parents, she had to be a pioneer everyday.
We, her five children, can each testify to the number of challenges our unique lives brought her way. With each challenge however, she somehow managed to make all her varied ends meet.
Carlene Jo Lawrence Hanna, you are a good mother who deserves a BIG medal.

Guitar Mission Statement

What do you think you're doing? That's a question I always ask myself whenever I start something new. So as my nature would have it, I asked myself what I thought I was doing learning to play the guitar? I have really thought this through over the past week and have formulated the following "guitar mission statement":

1. I play to learn something new.
2. I play so that I can use what I learn to help out in this world some way.
3. I play to enlarge my personal community.

I really don't believe music needs a mission statement. I just like reminding myself that I am on a mission.

Guitar Trilogy

Part 1
I have recently been put in a position where I have a lot of time on my hands. I decided I need to fill that time by learning something new. So I was thinking Spanish. Then I realized that I would have to drive (gas) into the big city to the junior college and sign up for a class (money).
Fortunatly I was able to talk a friend into loaning me her guitar (Yamaha Classic).
I am now in the process of learning to play it. I get all my lessons and songs off the Internet. A guy I know was kind enough to give me a lesson over the phone. He (and everyone else) seems real pleased I am doing this.
I want to get (borrow) an acoustic steel string, but I don't know if that is really necessary. I was told the neck is smaller and could be easier to handle. I don't care either way....yet.
Currently I can play poorly:
Leaving on a Jet Plane
Take it Easy (Eagles)
Who Says You Can't Go Home (Bon Jovi)
American Pie
Bad Moon Risng (CCR)
Summer Breeze (Seals and Croft)

Part 2

I got a new guitar.

A woman I used to work with bought one 10 years ago and it has been in the closet ever since, so she gave it to me! It's an acoustic steel string Alvarez.

I know nothing about these sort of things but I'm glad to have it.

I had those tatoo boys at the music store put new strings on it.

It sounds strange to me, compared to the classical guitar.

Part 3

My guitar is an Alvarez Regent model #5216.

I couldn't find a fair market value for the guitar on the Internet.

I read some reviews and one guy said it was a "piece 'o junk" and it had a sound like "pissing into a tin can".

Have you ever pissed into a tin can? I haven't, a plastic cup, but never a tin can.

I was a little embarrassed by that mans comments because I don't want to be "uncool" In my experience guitarist can be condescending sometimes. Those guys at the music store seem impatient. (Maybe it's just me.) But heck, I got a free guitar. I am soooooo lucky. At least I have one that I can bang around when I'm at the beach or on tour...LOL! I must stop writing now so I can go make noise with my "piece 'o heaven."

Damn the naysayers, damn them all!

The End.....or is it the Beginning!