Murraytalk

It's Raining!!!! I love the rain so I was extremely excited to wake up to it pouring this morning - if it were only a few degrees cooler, but I'm still enjoying it. Apparently Makenna feels the same... she stood outside this morning dancing, laughing and singing in it. I remember doing the same thing as a kid. For some reason the rain clears my mind and gets my creative juices flowing - So today I will do something creative! Tomorrow I'll share with you what I did because I have no idea at the moment what it's going to be. I'm not sure if I shared with you that songs always pop in my head when I speak (I'm sure it's a disorder) so here's what I'm singing now. Happy Friday... Peace, Love & Hugs! Johnny Nash I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way.

My neighbor Sue surprised with a fabulous Mother's Day gift. Yesterday evening Sue and her daughter Diana took me to the Desert Botanical Garden to see Topia by Ballet Arizona - World Premiere by lb Anderson - Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 "Topia" is something new for Andersen and Ballet Arizona. It is a 45-minute ballet choreographed not only for outdoor performance but for a large stage, set against the Papago Buttes, where nature, Beethoven and the dancers all vie for our attention."  http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ae/articles/2012/04/12/20120412ballet-arizona-permier-new-ballet-topia-botanical-garden.html We dined and had cocktails enjoying the beautiful desert as we waited for Ballet Arizona to take stage. The ballet waited until sunset to perform - beautiful performance with the mountains and cactus as their backdrop. http://www.onecommunity.co/blog/2012/15/world-premiere-topia-presented-ballet-arizona-and-desert-botanical-ga...

On our way to bartend... no, I don't have a party hat on Last night I went as a bartender to a wedding reception, which was my first experience with bartending. I went with my daughter Melissa(ex-bartender) and my daughter Kelsey. I was a bit apprehensive about this gig, but it turned out to be a fun night with great music, good food, and way too much alcohol. I really don't know how people bartend for a living though. First of all, trying to hear with the DJ  blaring music was a challenge. At one time I thought a guy asked for a quarter, but he said water, and another person I thought asked for Tupac. Then you have the ones that just set their cup on the bar and look at you. I looked back just as intense and said, "what, do you want a drink?" I'm all about using your words. When he said yes, he also expected me to remember what he was drinking. He said,"you don't remember?" I wouldn't ask what you wanted if I remembered... there's ...

Dick Clark "America's oldest teenager." My memories of Dick Clark is probably what most of us remember, "American Bandstand."  It changed the way we listened to pop music and introduced us to new dance moves.                                                               I loved how in between performances Dick Clark would chat with the teens, who helped "rate-a-record," turning songs into sensations.I think most of us as teens watching longed to be a part of it all.                 Everyone showed up on "American Bandstand," from Elvis Presley to Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry to Chubby Checker, Ike and Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Stevie Wonder, and Simon & Garfunkel to name a few. His shows were among the first where blacks and whites performed on the s...

Arlene in the bright sweater Coach and Arlene I've been hanging out with my friend Arlene and a few of her classmates from Paradise Valley High School. A couple months ago they talked about their class reunion and suggested that I come. I told them to give me a name of someone that I could pretend to be so I could see how many classmates would act like they knew me. So last night was the big night  - when we arrived Arlene started quizzing me before we got out of the car with what's your name, where do you live, and what year did you graduate? We get to the door and had to stop for a name tag. As Arlene was getting hers I was slipping past to walk in inconspicuously, when she turned and said, "Do you want a name tag?"  Well that was the end of my cover. When she asked what my name was I replied Beverly as instructed, she looked at me puzzled and said, "Who?" Arlene said, " Don't you remember Beverly?" as her classmate Rick walk...

I waited awhile to blog about this, I guess just out of respect for Whitney Houston. But I was at a club the weekend of her death. I was sitting with two friends when this cowboy guy came up to me and asked if I was a big fan of Whitney Houston. Before I answered the question I was thinking, why - is it because I am the only black female in your vicinity. Anyway, I answered the question with yes, I loved her, were you a fan? He said not really, and proceeded to share with me his philosophy on having a last high. He then leaned towards me and with a huge grin he whispered, "Can you sing?" No, I replied. "Are you sure?" Oh absolutely I'm sure. He looked puzzled and said, "Can you carry a tune?" Nope, can't carry a tune. "Come on, sure you can, sing something," he said. Are you kidding me...what is it with people. Apparently all black people can sing, just like all cowboys chew tobacco. I honestly think he expected me to stand up and belt ...