A Little Holiday Time Whimsy

Howdy folks!

I know I haven't  posted here in quite a while, but since Christmas is just a few days away and I've had so little time to really think about much else in the last few weeks, I just felt like posting a little bit of pure whimsy that was entertaining and well... happy. It caught my attention on a website that I recently discovered called My Modern Metropolis. (this is the main link to the website home page - the direct link to the post that contains the photos and article is below)

Consider it a tiny little Holiday gift to all of you, from me. A small token of my appreciation and my way of saying Thank You for hanging in here with me over the last year. There was a point back in July, when I came very close to no longer being here. (and by here, I mean breathing... on this Earth... amongst the living) So... to say the very least, I am incredibly blessed and eternally grateful, that I'm even able to share this little bit of whimsy with you.

What follows are just a few of the adorable photos by Chinese mother of three and photographer, Queenie Liao, from her series titled "Wenngen In Wonderland". Wenngen is her son and she creates these wonderful "adventures" for him while he's sleeping with items that she finds around her home, like stuffed animals, clothes, scarves and sheets. (I sure wish that I'd possessed even half of that kind of creativity, back when I still had a wee one who was napping.)

You can find the article about Queenie Liao and more photos from her Wenngen In Wonderland series at My Modern Metropolis.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, (belated) Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus or any Holiday that you might be celebrating at this time!

Thank You ~ STMUSS

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!

My dad was a veteran of WWII or "The Big One" as his generation called it. He spent 4 years in the European Theater of Operations in France, Germany and England. He was proud of his service to his country and he made and kept several life long friends during those year. I still exchange Christmas cards with one of his Army buddies and his wife. They're in their 90's and I am just thrilled to be able to keep in touch with them, long after my own folks have passed. We spent many a summer vacation at at their home in Maryland when my brother and I were growing up and they are just simply some of the nicest people you could ever meet.

We also have friends who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Sadly, we lost one of those very dear friends just a couple of months ago. He served 3 tours in Vietnam and when he came home, I'm sad to say, there was no "hero's welcome" for him or for his fellow soldiers, sailors, airmen and corpsmen.

This song was written recently by Dave Mason and Johanne Sambataro and the video was produced by Mark Pastoria.  Dave is a co-founder of an organization called Work Vessels For Vets, an "all-volunteer movement assisting returning veterans to begin their civilian careers or educational pursuits by acquiring and distributing the necessary start-up tools. Founded with the gift of a fishing boat that began a commercial fishing career for a returning Iraq veteran, the foundation is expanding its outreach to other industries to assist our returning military." Source

If you'd like to, you can make a donation by going to Dave Mason's official website where you can also listen to or download the song and you can also see the lyrics. You can also make a donation at the WVFW website. (link above)




Now, as most of you know, I usually do a now and then of the videos that I choose for STMUSS (it just wouldn't be a STMUSS post if I didn't, now would it? LOL) BUT, I'm actually going to post a newer version of an old song that Dave wrote and helped to make famous with the band Traffic, back in the late 60's and early 70's. This performance was filmed during Traffic's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March of 2004.  The musicians on stage include: Mason, Steve Winwood on keyboards, Jim Capaldi on bongos (both fellow inductees and band mates in Traffic), Keith Richards, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, ZZ Top, the Temptations and other greats in the music industry. Fellow band mate Chris Wood was inducted posthumously. His sister Stephanie was there to accept for him. Jim Capaldi passed away from cancer at the age of 60, not quite a year later in January of 2005.



Happy Memorial Day! Have a happy and safe weekend!

Here's the link kids!