Mary Travers - Leaving on a Jet Plane

I was sadden to hear about Mary Travers passing, she was a striking figure of power and glamour in the early-1960s folk music movement, and she passed on Wednesday at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut after suffering from leukemia for several years. She was 72.
She was best known as the blond with the bangs who commanded the middle microphone with Peter, Paul and Mary, a trio that brought folk music from coffeehouses to top-40radio. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded hits still recognized now, including "Leaving on a Jet Plane," "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "Where Have All the Flowers Gone", "If I had a hammer". They performed together for nearly 50 years, winning five Grammys and releasing 13 Top 40 hits, six of them in the Top 10 charts.
They also gave much of America its first taste of the young Bob Dylan by helping to turn his "Blowin' in the Wind" into a national anthem.
The group reunited several years ago to begin touring, and Travers performed with them until a few months ago, even when she needed assistance on stage.
Travers, like Paul Stookey and Peter Yarrow, saw folk music both as an art and as an instrument for change. They sang a number of sociopolitical songs, which Travers later defended.
"I'm not sure I want to be singing 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' when I'm 75," she said in one interview. "But I know I'll still be singing 'Blowin' in the Wind.' "
She was born in Louisville, Ky., but grew up in Greenwich Village and came up through the New York coffeehouse circuit, singing on her own before she was put together with Stookey and Yarrow by famed manager Albert Grossman, who also managed Dylan.
The trio took considerable criticism from fellow folk singers for developing a sound that some considered too "commercial" and not "authentic" enough.
Travers always strongly defended the trio's sound, saying that they were in the folk tradition by making music accessible to everyone, not just academic collectors.
Peter, Paul and Mary were inducted into the Sammy Cahn Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006. She is survived by her husband, Ethan Robbins; her daughters Alicia and Erika; her sister, Ann Gordon; and her granddaughters Wylie and Virginia.
Here she is singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane". I want to thank her for her smile and her being there while I was growing up dreaming about leaving on that jet plane.

"The Bad Husband" has a "Good Wife"

TV Fall Season has started and I have become excited about a new show called "The Good Wife", Over the years I have watched Julianna Margulies after she appeared on ER. The Good Wife is about what happens to her character Alicia Florrick when her husband, Peter (played by Mr. Big from Sex and the City (actor Chris Noth, also from Law and Order), an Illinois state's attorney, is implicated in a sex and corruption scandal and sent to prison. The show also has a broadway star Christine Baranski who I adored when she played on the TV show Cybill with Cybill Shepherd and I can't forget one of my favorite movies "The Birdcage". I had read that Julianna wasn't too excited to take on another legal drama after Canterbury's Law was cancelled but I'm glad she did and I think she was right to do so.
Born in Spring Valley (near New York City) as youngest of three daughters of a former dancer in American Ballet and an advertising writer. Until beginning high school in New Hampshire at 14, she lived several years with her family in Paris and in England. Obtained a B.A. degree in liberal arts from Sarah Lawrence College, where she appeared in several plays on campus. Until her first role in Out for Justice (1991) she jobbed as waitress. It took more than a year to find another role; during that time she managed to support herself from several regional theater productions and national TV ads. Until she became regular in "ER" (1994), she guest starred in several TV shows and a pilot.
Julianna I believe is a talented actress who I hope with this role will bring her recognition truly deserved. She has been nominated for 6 Emmy's, 6 Golden Globes and a many other nominations and she was born in June 8, 1966. I did like her in the movie "Ghost Ship" which also featured a song by Monica Mancini. Check it out.
I do hope there will be a following for the "Good Wife" because as it develops I can see Julianna (she has her own fan website) getting true rewards. I am truly entranced by her beauty and her acting. Here is a clip of the opening of the movie "Ghost Ship" and you can hear Monica Mancini (Henry Mancini's daughter) sing "Senza Fine"

REMEMBER: To Hear this: TURN OF MY PLAYLIST BELOW

I was not a raving fan of Patrick Swayze but completely understood why so many fans really were engrossed by his masculine good looks, sweet charm and overall likeable character. Over the years, I had watched some of his movies which included Ghost which I felt was very uplifting in spirituality and of course had my favorite Demi Moore. I also felt he did his best in Dirty Dancing and he resembled another type of lost generation of a Gene Kelly. www.imdb.com/name/nm0000037/. I certaintly believe he was a great man in the fact that he was married to his wife Lisa since 1975 which that alone should be a an award or special Oscar for certaintly we don't see marriages that last that long in Hollywood. Other movies I enjoyed were: Red Dawn (very mind provoking), North and South (John Jakes novel turned TV mini-series, Roadhouse and most of all my favorite was Too Wong Fu Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar see IMDB on this sexy Catwoman. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0628325/ It showed his talent good surpass even being dressed as a female character which came off surprising good. His last body of work was the TV show "The Beast" which had good reviews and probably would have continued except for his health which suffering from pancreatic cancer and lasting more then 10 months than expected. His appearance on Saturday Night Live was especially funny and it showed that even big actors can do the small screen and be remembered. He was born in Houston, Texas in 1952. I also believed that he had much respect from his peers and his interview with Barbara Walters was quite touching and sentimental. I believe he will have left a legacy with his dancing and his sweet charm. I know that I enjoyed his performances though I think Hollywood didn't realize his true talent. He was recognized in 3 Golden Globe nominations as well as a Hollywood Walk of Fame. In conclusion I know when I hear that theme from Ghost I will always think of him and Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg's character) being together and having a great time. Here is more info on his career: www.imdb.com/name/nm0000664/
Netflix has most of all his performances and is worth checking out.
www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Patrick_Swayze/90474?strackid=3a731d12979a3682_0_srl&strkid=579216006_0_0

Thank You, God, For Little Things

I think about everything that is going on in this world and realize how important it is to have faith in our everyday living. I firmly believe without it we cannot survive the daily living issues that are presented to us.

I know over the years that I have seeked many roads to find my own spiritual awakening and trying to find out where I feel most comfortable. I grew up Roman Catholic and had gone to all catholic schools till entering highschool. I remember when I attended St. Mary's we would go to church as a school group and I never felt any message that inspired me to learn more about my religious faith and how I felt after I attended.

I do believe in a higher guidance and have always been devout in praying for all the good in my life as well as asking for guidance to help me through the bad. I'm more of a spiritual personal and have felt that I have been guided by an Angel and those who I loved that are always in my thoughts looking over me.

This is a prayer that I say when I reflect and I thought I would share it.

Thank you, God, for little things that often come our way, The things we take for granted but don't mention when we pray, The unexpected courtesy, A hand reached out to help us in the time of sudden need - Oh make us more aware, dear God, of little daily graces That come to us with "sweet surprise" from never-dreamed-of places.

HELEN STEINER RICE

HAPPY LABOR DAY

I WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND AND THAT ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO HAVE WISHES TO DREAM.