Songs That Make Us Cry

NPR's All Songs Considered asked, What Songs Make You Weep? and these songs made the cut:

Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? by Louis Armstrong

If It's the Beaches by The Avett Brothers

End of the Rainbow by Richard and Linda Thompson

Plea from a Cat Named Virtue by The Weakerthans

Something So Right by Paul Simon (I agree with this choice.)

Keep Ya Head Up by 2Pac

To Be Alone With You by Sufjan Stevens

Someone Like You by Adele (I agree with this choice.)

What makes a sad song? For me, I have to be in the moment and in a situation when I can relate, whether a happy or sad occasion. Whether lyrics or melody, it can open an old wound or cause me to empathize on a human level, much like a painting or a photograph. It touches my soul.

The best sad song is when you can feel the pain of the songwriter in the music and the lyrics. I feel that when I listen to Townes Van Zandt. A sad song does not have to be depressing; a sad song can be uplifting. It is a song that brings tears to my eyes unexpectedly or even cause me to smile at how it touches me unexpectedly. 

Photo source

Here are a few that make me sniffle, in no particular order but as they come to mind:

The Last Song by Elton John

Don't You Remember by Adele

How Great Thou Art by Carrie Underwood and Vince Gill (especially guitar solo)

Hello in There by John Prine

I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt

From A Distance by Nanci Griffith

A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke

That's The Way I Always Heard It Should Be by Carly Simon
I'd Rather Go Blind by Etta James

American Tune by Paul Simon

When I Lay Down by Janis Ian

Nessun Dorma by Luciano Pavarotti

To Live is To Fly by Townes Van Zandt

Father and Son by Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens)

This is My Lover's Prayer by Otis Redding

Desperado by The Eagles

Hurt by Johnny Cash

What songs touch you? What are your sad songs?

Three New Birmingham Restaurants

  
Slice Stone Pizza & Brew - Lakeview District, Avondale

Slice on Facebook 

Located in the old Rock House building is Lakeview's new specialty pizza and bar, Slice. The decor is surprisingly more modern than its exterior suggests with a large circular bar with hooks for purses (great idea!), shiny wood floors, and an upscale menu design. There is nothing to absorb the sound and I literally strained my voice trying to talk to my dinner partner over the noise. (Think La Paz on steroids.) Outdoor seating was available in the front and to the side. Parking is as expected in Lakeview.

Although I don't claim to know the beer offerings around Birmingham, Slice appeared to have an extensive list of beer and, as I understand it, many local brews. There were so many that I was embarrassed to ask for a plain Corona Light (so 1980's). Even so, the beer was refreshingly cold on that hot day.

Our wait staff was friendly, informative, and available. We chose the White Shadow pizza she recommended -Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Portabella Mushrooms, Feta, Fresh Parmesan, Finished w/ Truffle Oil. It was nice to have selections without red sauce, the White Shadow being one of them. The crust was thin, but not cracker-thin, and this had been explained to us before the order. The crust arrived burned in places that detracted from the overall good flavor, but the toppings were great. I thought $17 for a 12-inch pie was quite pricey. (Note: I ordered a 14-inch pizza, two salads, and two desserts from a wonderful pizza restaurant in my personal neighborhood that were delivered to my door for only $9 more than the pizza, tea, and one beer at Slice.)

Slice has only been open for around two months. I enjoyed being there and might return for a drink but may have to eat somewhere else. It is a nice addition to Lakeview but hope they are able to reduce their prices or at least turn down the volume in the future. Menu here.

Sweet Tea Restaurant - Corner of 22nd Street and 3rd Avenue South, downtown

Sweet Tea on Facebook

Opening on Monday, August 1st, is Sweet Tea, a restaurant that will include Traditional American, Southern, Greek, and Mediterranean. While it initially sounds like a strange combination, the owner's successful restaurant reputation proceeds him so everyone is looking for a good eating experience. There will be a meat and three cafeteria line at lunch and made to order meals in the evening. One of the more retro Southern dish will be waffles and fried chicken. I have never eaten this so I am looking forward to giving it a try.

Urban Cookhouse - opens second location in The Summit
Urban Cookhouse on Facebook

I've written about Urban Cookhouse in Homewood numerous times (here, here and here). I am excited to hear they are opening a second restaurant just two miles from my apartment! The Cookhouse is locally owned and uses food from local farmers. In fact, they started a Farmer's Market in Homewood to showcase the farmers they use in their restaurant. I recommend it often when someone is looking for a consistently good, reasonably priced sandwich and salad restaurant. (My favorites: strawberry lemonade, BALT sandwich, local mix green salad and brown sugar brownie.) Menu here.

Weekend Cat Blogging #321

Curious Jules found the best seat in the house to peer over my shoulder and view my computer monitor. From his intense expression, we must be viewing Cats That Look Like Hitler or Temptations Treats. It's hard to tell.

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Pam at Sidewalk Shoes.

Sunday Photo: City Kitty

Weekend Cat Blogging #320

Jules - my favorite desk accessory and paperweight

I've been blessed with feline companionship all my life, much to the dismay of my older brother and a few of my other male relationships. I had a Siamese cat who would literally become a physical barrier between my high school boyfriends and me (Dad liked that); who terrorized my female sleepover friends; who relieved himself on the top of my father's car after my father had spent most of Saturday washing and waxing it; and, who would interrupt church services by climbing the nearest tree and howling until my father (the preacher) would stop his sermon and ask me to take the cat home. When a neighbor's dog came into the yard, this cat would hide then jump on his back and ride him out of the yard. When my father would get up in the middle of the night, the cat would frighten him by nipping his leg and then running away. One day he left and never came back. A neighbor found him and told my father he had died. Did he neighborhood dog put out a contract on him? Or, was he ready to die and spared me the pain?

I have cherished watching my cats be themselves over the years. I am always excited to discover their individual personalities and idiosyncrasies. Jules and his brother, Vincent, actually like their pet beds. I have never had a cat who would even acknowledge a pet bed, much less enjoy it. I will open the door to the deck for them to go out only to discover them in their beds shortly afterward. (They still like the door open, of course.) They sleep there, yes, but a lot of the time they are just hanging out.

All this to say, Vincent has an unusual habit. He makes his bed, so to speak. He walks around and around his bed, while his back feet are pushing his blanket down. He works on this until he gets it just like he wants it.

Jules and Vincent, waiting on the laundry

Vincent's blanket, right out of the dryer.

Vincent's finished product

Now, if he would just learn to make MY bed.

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by iMeowza.

Feel Good Friday

While perusing the videos on YouTube, I ran across this video with the song by 10CC, a band I saw in Mississippi around 1976. Despite its pro-GOP, anti-Obama inserts, I found the photographs riveting. The Google ads at the end? Priceless.



Citibank - Golf - Obama.

10CC performing this song live

Cheating with Twitter

I have been neglecting my blog of late. In fact, I have been...ahem...cheating on my blog with Twitter. Tweeting and reading, plus my life as I know, it takes a lot of time. Whine.

While I am confessing, there is another reason I have not been blogging very often - lack of caffeine. I have not given up caffeine altogether, but I have limited myself to one a day and I wait for that legal blessing when I need it the most.

Would you believe I spend $1800 to $2000 per year on soda? Thus, the caffeine slow-down. I am not any richer for it - yet - but, I'll have to admit, I physically feel better. (photo source)

Here are a few things:

There are many things that concern me about Michelle Bachmann more than her migraine headaches.

(source)

Senator Al Franken (D-MN) is my new hero. None of the beliefs by people like Thomas Minnery of Focus on the Family stand up when questioned or cross-examined. Franken proved this again today.  Bam.

SEC Media Days 2011 began today and ESPN will do a documentary on the SEC. Cool. RTR

And that's why you should pick your battles from The Bloggess.  And, revisited.

Justin and Jimmy

Rupert Murdoch. Are we coming to the end of an ugly era of one media mogul controlling too much of the media, intimidating elected officials, and misinforming the public with their opinion news?  Good riddance.

Weekend Cat Blogging #319

Eddie Mildew - College Bound?

My great-niece is preparing to attend the University of Alabama. Yea! She is waiting to hear if she will start as a second semester sophomore, as she received the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma in high school. It appears Eddie Mildew plans to go along for the college fun.

This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Billy SweetFeets Gingersnap at Dancing with Billy SweetFeets and is in honor of Sher.

Feel Good Friday

Becoming Obsolete

Ouch, that hurts. Status: NONE.  Funny. True.

My current job has become obsolete. It is scary but exciting; a welcomed change but regretted; overdue but came too soon, i.e., before I'm old enough to retire. It is something I have expected for over ten years but never thought would actually happen.

Facing the prospect of learning a new job or, God forbid, having to find and interview for a job is not something I thought I would be doing at this time in my life. Add my name to the many U.S. workers facing this uncertainty right now.

What does one do in this situation? The best one can. Stay focused. Stay positive.  Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and "eat your peas".

Note to self: Blog idea

Crape Myrtles

This post is for my niece, who lives in Wyoming. When she was college shopping for her daughter this time last summer, she expressed joy and nostalgia for every crape myrtle, as there are not a lot of flowers in Wyoming. These, along with the baby ducks, were taken on my walk to the post office. They really are pretty, aren't they?

WCB #318 Round-up

#318 Round-Up

Jules wanted to help with the WCB Round-up but he got stuck on the seven when he practiced (see below). So, we used his best WCB pose instead.

What he wanted to say was thanks to everyone who participated this weekend. Have a great week!

Read how love heals Sam and Tiger (on video) at  Animal Shelter Volunteer Life. Thanks for all you do meowmeowmans.

 Eventually you will come to understand that love heals everything, and love is all there is. ~ Gary Zukav

Congratulations to Catsparella on their first video submission  for It's Caturday!

This week:
This is Aja. I chose her picture since she was not in the adorable video featuring her brother and sisters titled "Three's Company". Visit Catsparella to watch the video and read the sweet adoption stories and capers of Kima, Mica, Bandit, and Aja. 

P.S. Purrs to Prissy and Charlie

Coco has our vote on being prettier than the flowers. Tell her how gorgeous she is at sidewalkshoes before Garden Tuesday comes around!

Congratulations! There's a new human baby in the house at The Accidental English Teacher. Oliver, however, is confused over the toys' issue.

As contemporary as Luna is here, she shows her CA hipness in a second photo at CatSynth. Groovy!

Note to self: Check out the Hipstamatic iPhone app.

That's the thing about dogs - you have to watch them every minute! Find out the rest of the story from Samantha and Clementine when Maverick stops by at Life From A Cat's Perspective.

The weather is apparently too dry for Arthur's comfort these days. That will teach you to 'go' before you leave the garage. Read his adventure at My Cats And Funny Stories.

Vincent didn't have any better luck with my father's old Underwood typewriter. I guess that is why they keep me around.

See you next weekend!

Next Weekend's Host:
Billy SweetFeets Gingersnap, in honor of Sher

Weekend Cat Blogging #318

Guess who is hosting Weekend Cat Blogging this weekend. Do you give up? We are! Jules and Vincent look forward to hearing what everyone is doing this weekend. Please leave a comment and a link. We will have a WCB round-up on Sunday afternoon. Welcome!!

We will window shop while we are waiting to hear from you!

Birds, ducks, geese, bugs, dogs, bees, little children, oh my!

For those in the Birmingham area, tomorrow is the last day to receive you Independence Day adoption fee of $17.76 at the Humane Society of Shelby County and at Alabaster's Movies in the Park tonight.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all animals are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of adoption. That to secure these rights, shelters are instituted among men, using their just powers to serve those unable to serve themselves. There comes a time, however, when it is the right, the duty, of the animal to seek new guards for their future security. (Written by the cats and dogs of Shelby Humane Society, as per the website.)

 Greater Birmingham Humane Society

Humane Society of West Alabama (with information on April 27th tornado)

Feel Good Friday

Happy Independence Day!

Peace.  Love.  Happiness.

Weekend Cat Blogging #317

Vincent is chillin' over this holiday weekend.

Happy Independence Day!

 This week's Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted by Kashim, Othello and Salome at Paulchens FoodBlog?!

Next week's hosts: Jules and Vincent. Please join us!

Feel Good Friday