We were Garthed the other night. We scored tickets to the Garth Brooks Experience (Their Advertising). Garth is playing 7 shows in Tulsa and we went to the fifth. It was great fun and he is totally hyper. He sings almost 30 songs and has a techno stage worthy of U2. Garth is one of the few entertainers that takes arena rock and combines it with country in a good way.
There are acts like Jason Aldean that are backed by spiked-hair guitar player and a rock drummer. Jason wears a work hat , plaid shirt, and torn jeans to sing about getting drunk at bonfires. Garth's band has seasoned players with fiddle, steel guitar, electric, keyboards, etc. and they can do rock, cowboy, country or slow ballads.
Now for the best country performance of just good country music, that would be George Strait. Garth is in the entertainment business: George on Steroids and LSD!
BUT: The best singer of the evening was Trisha Yearwood. She truly has one of the top female voices in music. She only sung about four songs. I needed four more from her.
Went to see "Selma" the other night, but the theater showing it was out of service. Needing a movie we opted for a "Guilty Pleasure". Revenge movies starring Laim Neeson are fun. So: Yes I enjoyed "Taken 3" which is a good popcorn movie with chase scenes and fights and shooting. These movies don't have to make sense (any more than John Wayne shooting 30 shoots with a six-shooter).
The problem with revenge movies involving the family is that it requires someone to revenge. He is loosing family members. However, at the end of the movie, he gets a new grand daughter. Even though they say this is the last one. I smell Taken 4.
Zoe, our beloved Dachshund, was with us almost 17 years. Last Friday, January 9, we took her to the Vet for the last time.
I must say first, that for many years since the death of our Daughter, I have not been one to call the death of a pet: "the loss of a family member" for it is not near that kind of loss. Saying that this was a sad and struggling loss. We knew her quality of life was shrunk to eat, sleep and use the bathroom. She had lost control of most things. She was down in her back. She had for the last four years a large growth on her chest, her eyes were failing and she could not year well. These conditions led her to be fearful of being picked-up or picked-on.
On New Year's eve Carol took her out to let her do her business and while carrying her inside, ZOE bit Carol resulting in 2 stitches, a badly swollen face and infection. Some of the later was because of bad medical advice.
Since we had already been facing the idea that ZOE's days were limited, this event changed everything. The grand kids love ZOE and have not seen the changes as we have. The thought of one of them getting in ZOE's face for a kiss and receiving possible severe bites was scary and troubling.
So we decided to give Zoe peace.
For you that don't know me: I am a Cat person or was! When we got Zoe as a pup in 1998, we had just moved to town and our Daughter wanted a companion. I kept a distance at first since we had a cat, but soon the dog and cat merged into a great team. Toby the cat taught Zoe to climb on the back of furniture, play and chase. Toby died at 15 years (about 5 years ago) and Zoe won me over.
As a dog owner, much could be said but it isn't necessary. Zoe will be missed by the Grand kids and all of us.
I recently had a theological discussion with Grandson Avery and agreed with him that Dogs will be with us in heaven (recalling that Revelation mentions horses, etc.)
So out of character for me, I will just say: "ZOE, I'll see you in heaven with the rest of the family."
I was needing a movie, but I wanted a Good Movie. "Into The Woods" was the highest rated movie in our area that we have not seen. I knew that it was based on a Broadway Musical and that should have been a warning flag. BUT look that the cast: Meryl Strep, Johnny Depp.. wow!
From the start I loved the way they too several Children's stories such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the Beanstalk and wove them into a seamless tale. This movie started great. In the Movie's defense it was listed just over two hours. I give the first hour ***stars. I can't rate the last half because after an hour and a half, we left. I didn't care anymore and the songs became so forced. It is not "Frozen" and certainly not "Fiddler". It seemed to be a way to introduce new gowns to sell little girls.
No Wait: While we were waiting to see this Disney movie about Cinderella, the previews were of a new coming Disney Movie about: Cinderella! They also showed another preview "Tomorrowland" which just happens to be an area in the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.
This link is a post on Experimental Theology that continually bothers me. How do we wealthy Christians (any one reading this) deal with those that are losing in the income game.
Sometimes our response to giving is to allow things like "online giving". Put it on the CARD! IF you have a card and IF you have money to back it up! Online giving is good for the top of the food chain. But I degress: I still believe that going forward the church must start reaching out to those among us that can not cope. If we don't want the government to use our taxes, we must use the wealth that God has loaned us.
Now for the best country performance of just good country music, that would be George Strait. Garth is in the entertainment business: George on Steroids and LSD!
