I have a friend in Finland who sent this to me. I tease her to watch out for my relatives - she'll be safe as long as she doesn't mention she knows me. I was a bit of a brat when I visited her country as a young teenager. I resented my mother trying to force her culture down my throat while we were there, as if she cared. :rolleyes: (LMAO - she did care!) :D

Anyway, I was arrogant in my taste in music and I preferred music with passion and soul - all the old Motown stuff, along with James Brown, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin. This made it even worse when my family tried to entertain me with their music. :eek: Oh well, I appreciate it now - looks like fun. :)

It's a traditional Finnish folk dance called "Ellinoorat, Luokittelu." See if you can guess why an arrogant teenager from the U.S. would thumb her nose when this was called "soulful dancing." Ack, even now I can't resist the urge to say...."Got Milk?" (somebody smack me). :p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1RYspUDlF4

SMACK!! :D I kept looking for Julie Andrews to appear! LOL..wrong country!

Fireworks
 

glimmering, shimmering
handfuls of light
greening, careening
through the dark night
smiling child faces
where wonder is framed
colors and noises
that never were named
how to explain that
shade of deep blue
honors lost patriots
in old fights and new
that the red that's
the reddest that they've ever seen
is the color of faithfulness,
love and esteem
white is the bravery,
acts large and small
the debt of rememberance
we owe to them all
our mothers and brothers
and all those who fell
I honor your sacrifice.
I remember it well.


It's for my father...my grandfathers....my uncles...my greats. And for every man and woman who served, waited, worried. And for my mom. who did all three...over and over again.
( and I know it isn't great, but hey, it's late here. LOL)

"Born in the USA"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIekamBDiAw

When my son was still learning to walk and talk, I was at home with him cleaning up my home. This song came on the radio. My son picked up the nozzle of my vacuum cleaner and started jamming to this song - belting out "BORN INA OOOOOOOSA!" :D

Years later when he was 16, I told a friend of mine at the roller rink about it. Our kids also skated there, so the next week he brought it in and had the DJ play the song. It took everyone by surprise because they usually only played R&B and hip-hop music. :eek:

My son heard the song and immediately started hot-dogging on his skates. The rest of the crowd joined in and had a blast jamming to this song on roller skates. :D

My ex-husband has three sisters. His middle sister tested me when she first met me. At my first get-together and meal with his family, she asked if I preferred dark meat over white. She had a wonderful sarcastic sense of humor. :p

His baby sister was my girl though - a few years younger than me and had the voice of an angel. Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) reminds me of her. :hug:

When I was planning my wedding, my husband said I was nuts for wanting to hold it in a church and public place - considering both sides of the family and the attitudes of some of our friends. We decided to hold the ceremony and party at our house instead and invited only those who knew how to get along. :rolleyes:

I asked my little sister to sing for us - whatever she wanted to sing was fine with me. After the ceremony, I walked up to my sarcastic sister and whispered "You put her up to this didn't you?" :p

This is what my little sister sang for us. :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn4Kfvxczs0

Thank you Very much :) I have lots of poetry ... from e.e. cummings to Emily Dickinson but I have every word (I hope) Edna St. Vincent Millay every wrote and her life story. I love her work so much I carry some of it on tiny bits of paper folded in my wallet.

My favorite poems of all time...in no order.
 

First Fig
My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends---
It gives a lovely light!


SECOND FIG
SAFE upon the solid rock the ugly houses stand:
Come and see my shining palace built upon the sand!

Edna St Vincent Millay

Thank you for introducing me to Edna St. Vincent Millay. I had never heard of her before. I have been doing a little research and I love what I have read so far.

:)
Abbie