If you are going to Davao to see the “Kadayawan Festival”, you’d better book your flight early and get reservations at one of the many Davao City hotels.

You should not lose any time, especially if you want to get nice, clean accommodations at one of the numerous inns and cheap hotels in Davao City – the Kadayawan is one of the most famous attractions in the Philippines, and Davao City hotels are usually booked to maximum capacity at the height of the festivities.

The “Kadayawan Festival” derives its name from the “Davaoeno” word “Madayaw” which means “beautiful,” “superior” or “good.” It is a festival that is generally one of thanksgiving, and it is the descendant of the tribal practice of offering thanks to a supreme being called “Manama” for bountiful harvests. During these tribal festivities, farm implements, flowers, fruits and grains were laid out on mats as the people sang and danced and offered thanks to the divinities.

Today, the general idea of thanksgiving for a year of bounty is still the driving force behind the “Kadayawan”. However, it has also been transformed into a showcase that features the various resources and products of Davao, both in the form of local products as well as native talent.

There are many wonderful sights that tourists will enjoy during the “Kadayawan”, including parades and street dancing with colorful costumes and excellent choreography that features elements of “Lumad” and Muslim culture. These are a must-see for any tourist who wants an exuberant, unforgettable experience.

In addition to street dancing, the “Kadayawan Festival” also features a floral float parade exhibiting the gorgeous fresh flowers in all kinds of creative arrangements. For those who want something in the way of nightlife, there is also a series of free concerts and entertainments featuring both indigenous performers, local talent in modern pop performances, and even big names in the Philippine entertainment industry. There are also fashion shows and beauty contests showcasing various local beauties.

To experience the Kadayawan in all its glory, check into one of the cheap hotels in Davao City. The hotels in Davao City will give you all the necessities like clean, comfortable rooms, WiFi and 24-hour security on a budget but with a luxurious feel since they do not only give you comfort, they also give their guests a home away from home.

So if you are looking for a great destination, Davao City is the place to be.

Gene Vincent isn’t exactly a household name to modern fans of pop music. But to Rockabilly fans, he’s one of the all-time great idols. Vincent and his band the Blue Caps accounted for some of the absolute wildest moments in early rock and roll history with an all-out, go-for-broke style. So much so that Rolling Stone magazine has called Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps “the first rock and roll band in the world.”

While that statement may not be technically true, it is true that the band was one of the first to really let loose with their music. Vincent cultivated a leather-jacketed greaser image while his Blue Caps were a rollicking bunch that seemed simply to be out looking for the most fun they could find.

The early years
Vincent, born Vincent Eugene Craddock in 1935, grew up (like so many other rockabilly artists of the time) dirt poor in the American south. The country music that he heard growing up mixed with the feel of the rhythm and blues he also heard and primed him perfectly for becoming a rockabilly musician. He began playing guitar and singing when a friend gave him his first guitar at the age of 12.

A life-changing accident
In 1952 Vincent joined the US Navy. Three years later while riding his motorcycle, he was hit by a car that had run through a red light. His left leg was severely smashed and doctors wanted to amputate it. His parents talked them out of it and save Gene’s leg, but he was never able to walk properly again. For the rest of his life he wore a leg brace and experienced serious bouts of pain with the leg.

As fate would have it though, it was this bad leg and his leg brace that gave him a very unique stage presence. Vincent was as wild on stage as his leg would allow him to be and often struck a peculiar stiff-legged stance as he sang. It became somewhat of a signature for him.

The big time
Vincent hit the big time in 1956 with the smash hit “Be Bop a Lula” which was quite unlike anything anyone had heard before. He followed that up with a wonderful rocker called “Race With the Devil”. While that song didn’t do particularly well on the charts, it’s a magnificent song that really showcases the Blue Caps’ lead guitarist Cliff Gallup who many consider to be the greatest rockabilly guitarist of them all. Vincent’s third single, “Blue Gene Bop” was another big hit and his career was looking very bright.

Vincent continued to have commercial success during the 50s, but had trouble with almost constant personnel changes in his band. That, coupled with the continuing problems he was constantly having with his leg, slowed him down a bit. By the late 1950s, Gene’s record sales were slowing down considerably. However, he was still a major concert draw, especially in places like Japan, Australia, and Great Britain where they still loved the original rock and rollers.

Another great tragedy
Eventually Vincent met another singer who would become his close friend: Eddie Cochran. The two were on several tours together throughout the world during the late 50s. It was on one of these tours in 1960, when the two were playing all around England, that tragedy struck. As they were riding in a taxi late one night, the driver, who was driving excessively fast, lost control of the car and smashed into a cement post. Gene was badly injured and his friend Eddie Cochran was killed.

The final chapter
Devastated by the loss of his friend and now experiencing more pain in his leg than ever, Vincent carried on with his career. He recorded some great material during the 1960s, but never again scored any big hits like he had in the mid 50s. Gene’s health deteriorated even more and his battle with unhealthy living didn’t help matters. He was touring England once again in 1971 when his health took a final turn for the worse. He returned to California where he died just a few days later. He was only 36 years old.

Vincent’s story is a tragic one. He was a brilliant singer and performer and though he had several successful songs, bad management, a constantly revolving door that kept his band members changing, deteriorating health, and poor life decisions kept him from staying at the top. His severe physical problems made it difficult to work as often and as hard as he would have liked to. And the tragic accidents that first crippled him and then killed his good friend Cochran eventually led to sever depression and struggles with substance abuse.

But Gene Vincent nonetheless left behind a body of work unlike any other. His style was strong, wild, and fun. His talent was amazing and we can all be thankful for the musical legacy that he left behind. If you haven’t heard much of Vincent’s music beyond “Be Bop a Lula”, do yourself a huge favor and check out some of his other recordings. You won’t be disappointed!

There are some artists out there who are better suited to working in the studio. And, when it comes to live performances, they leave much to be desired. Taylor Swift is definitely not one of them.

June 18, Taylor took her “Speak Now” Tour to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh and performed in front of a crowd of an estimated 52,000 fans. And all in all, the show was fantastic and worth every penny.

There were three opening acts including Danny Gokey of American Idol fame, Randy Montana and South Carolina Country/Rock band Need to Breathe. Swift took the stage at about 8:45 to the resounding screams of adoring fans.

Swift started the show with her hit “Sparks Fly” and from the very beginning it was obvious that this was going to be a big, theatrical production.

In addition to belting out most of the titles featured on the “Speak Now” album, the country superstar delighted her audience with a few hits from the past including “Our Song,” “Love Story” and “Fearless.”

Swift went through a number of wardrobe changes but didn’t leave the crowd with the irritating downtime that sometimes comes with them. During wardrobe changes and changes to the set, fans were treated to instrumental renditions of her songs, a tap dancing chimney sweep reminiscent of an old Hollywood musical and the dance stylings of a classic ballerina.

Overall, the drama and artistry of the entire production came across almost as if it were a play with a fantastic storyline. But then again, I guess that shouldn’t be surprising when the concert headliner actually writes her own songs.

Possibly the most memorable parts came during the performances of her hits “Haunted” and the aforementioned “Fearless.”

While Swift had shown her mastery of various other instruments at different points during the show, she used “Fearless” as an opportunity to showcase her skills with a ukulele while sitting under a gigantic white and purple glowing tree. And, with the scene set to compliment the tone of “Haunted,” she forcefully pounded a large bell ringing out in accord with the song’s powerful violin intro.

Swift sang the fun and inspirational “Long Live” as her pre-encore show closer giving a shout out to the city of Pittsburgh.

When all was said and done, the show was nothing short of amazing. While the operators of the venue itself could have been better prepared in terms of organization, every aspect of the show itself went off without a hitch. Never before have I seen such a wonderfully creative live performance.

The origin of the members of the bridal party

During the marriage-by-capture era, the loyal tribesmen and close friends of the groom within the tribe aided him to invade the enemy territory to capture his bride. While he dashed off with her, his friends stayed behind to fend off or fight the bride’s outraged relatives. Such were the first ushers and best man.

The maid-of-honour and the bridesmaids, as they are known today, can also be traced back through the centuries to Saxon England. The senior among them would attend the bride for a number of days before the wedding. She was especially responsible for the making of the bridal wreath, the decorations for the wedding feast, and for dressing the bride. Related forerunners of today’s bridesmaids were the guards who protected the maiden from capture. Other examples of the use of “bridesmaids” were the ten witnesses required by the Roman marriage ceremony.

The flower girls and ring-bearers of modern weddings are a vestige of the fertility rites practiced by many different peoples. The bride was often accompanied by a little child who was supposed to symbolize a fruitful union.

The origin of the processional

The origin of the processional has clearly developed from the ancient and medieval wedding processions. Among the Athenians, the ceremony began with morning offerings to Zeus and Hera, and especially to Artemis, who was not, we are told, in favour of marriages. Then, at nightfall, the bride was conducted to the bridegroom’s house. She rode in a chariot, drawn by a pair of mules, and was seated on a couch-like arrangement between her husband and one of his close friends. As the bridal procession advanced, it was greeted and joined by friends carrying nuptial torches and singing songs.

In medieval times, the processional was especially colourful. Gaily dressed minstrels sang and piped at the head of the procession. Next came a young man bearing the bride-cup, which was a chalice or vase of silver or silver-gilt, decorated with gilt, rosemary and ribbons. Then the bride walked, attended by two bachelors, and a dozen or so knights and pages. Next came maidens carrying bride cake, followed by girls with garlands of wheat. The bridegroom then appeared, led by two maidens, and walked in the midst of his close friends, including his “best man.” The relatives walked after him, and these were followed by less intimate friends. Finally, at some distance and appearing to have no concern in the festivities, or ceremony, appeared the bride’s father!

The origin of the engagement and weddings rings

AS far as can be discovered, the wedding ring originated in the days of the caveman in a cord of reeds with which the man bound himself to his wife’s waist in order to make their spirits one. The Egyptians, it is thought, introduced the first metal finger rings which were probably made of gold. In Egyptian hieroglyphics a circlet indicated eternity. The 9th century Christians began using the wedding rings which have continued to the present.

There is a legend that the first wedding ring was made of iron adamant by Tubalcain for Prometheus. The iron symbolized lastingness, the adamant perfect concord.

The early Romans used iron wedding rings. Among the poorer English, even as late as the 19th century, it was customary to use the ring at the Church keep. And today, when a very poor Irishman cannot buy a wedding ring, he rents one! The Puritans forbade rings as they considered their use pagan.

Engagement rings followed much the same pattern through the years as wedding rings. The cave man first plaited grass or rushes around the ankles or wrists of his chosen bride. These were awkward, and were abandoned in favour of strands of grass tied around the finger of the betrothed.

It is said that the earliest allusion to engagement rings in Christian literature is in Tertullian’s writings at the end of the second century A.D. The Romans are credited with introducing engagement rings to the ancient Germans and there is reference to them in the law of the Visigoths in 642 A.D.

Even the inscriptions in wedding or engagement rings had their source in former centuries. As far back as 400 B.C., the Greeks had dedications inscribed in their rings, while medieval French suitors were especially fond of the practice.

The ring ceremony of past times was interesting. During the ceremony, the ring was placed upon the open book. The clergyman then sprinkled it with holy water and blessed it. Then the groom picked it up with the thumb and first two fingers of his right hand and placed it upon the bride’s thumb, saying, “In the name of the Father.” He then transferred it to the first finger, saying, “And of the Son.” Next he changed it to the second finger as he said, “And of the Holy Ghost.” Finally he placed it upon her third finger with “Amen.” It did not seem to matter whether the ring was placed on the bride’s right or left hand. Sometimes it was placed on the right at the espousal and on the left at the wedding.

Emily Booth is more popularly known as the glamorous, dark-haired TV presenter of The Horror Channel.

Emily was born in Chester, England in 1976 but grew up in Hastings, East Sussex. Her paternal great grandfather built one of the first cinemas in the UK in Cornwall. It is now a garage, but still has a plaque on the wall marking its significance. Emily studied for 3 A levels and a BA in media and film degree at Goldsmiths College, University of London. While she was a student she earned money busking in the street playing the violin and sang on Eurotrash. She once worked in PR for the London based Salvation Films. She used to be an avid animal rights campaigner and keeps pet rats.

In 2011 she gave birth to her first child, Betty Seren Booth-Walters.

Emily is known for her roles in such cult films as Pervirella, Cradle of Fear, Evil Aliens, and BAFTA nominated short film Inferno. She also appeared in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriquez’s double header Grindhouse (2007) in the mock trailer “Don’t”, by Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead).

Emily was also the host of several Channel 4 and satellite television shows. She co-presented and co-wrote video game review show BITS for two years. She was a segment presenter on Channel 4 flagship morning show The Big Breakfast, and also presented on the gameshow Banzai for E4. Other shows she worked on include L!VE TV’s Blue Review, paintball challenge show Mission: Paintball, Threesome and Demolition.

Emily has presented several television programmes related to cult films, including OUT There on five and Shock Movie Massacre on Bravo. Emily is a presenter on Eat Cinema, interviewing A-list Hollywood stars on The Buzz and hosting her own show First Night Bites. She also hosted the now defunct Quiz Night Live, a premium rate call-in quiz show, shown on satellite/Freeview channel Ftn. She is presents The Match on the on XLeague.tvchannel. In 2007 she joined Zone Horror where she works as a presenter and continuity announcer.

She was among the guests at the 2009 Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester and announced the results of the Delta Film Award. She also hosted GoreZone Magazine’s Weekend of Horror and is the official poster girl for the magazine. GoreZone Magazine will launch a DVD cover mount starring Emily Booth each month from December 2009.

Emily introduces film premieres on her very own Horror Booth most Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays on The Horror Channel. This is a fun and often naughty film prelude to get the audience in the mood for the film premiere, and Emily will often find interesting information on the film to give you additional insider knowledge. Tune in to The Horror Booth most Wednesday and weekends before the10.55 movie on Horror Sky 319 Virgin 170 and Freesat 138!

Despite the size and influence oil and gas has all over the world, it has virtually no presence in the music world, and there have been limited number of collections of good oil and gas songs that oil field workers can rely on to pump themselves up before work, celebrate their lives, and enjoy at the company’s events. This drives me to collect nice songs in this field to share below. Also, oil price slash and job cuts seen make not few employees confused about their future and sometimes have no mind to focus on their work. Boosting up their morale with music is one of the nice ways you can choose. Let alone, those songs will grow their love for careers in this hard but lucrative industry, and there are also songs that relieve their homesickness.

1. ‘Roughneck’ by Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash is so famous for a detailed introduction. He was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor and author who was well-known as one of most influential musicians of the 20th century. He recorded ‘Roughneck’ in 1963 for the album ‘Blood Sweat & Tears’. The mellow chorus he sang “Born to be a roughneck/ I’ll never amount to nothin’/ Pullin’ case and layin’ pipe/ Is hard labor” was just so perfect for the worker folk song tradition. Make sure to listen to it accompanying Banjo ring!

2. ‘I’m a Tool Pusher from Snyder’ by Winston Lee Moore

Winston Lee Moore (Slim Willet known as his performance name) was a Texas native. His debut single was “I’m a Tool Pusher from Snyder” released in 1950. This tune was inspired by the oil boom in Snyder and hit quite hard the music community in Texas at the time.

3. ‘Ashland Oil’ (Folk Song)

It wouldn’t be folk without some protest songs. In reference to Ashland Inc. that operates in over 100 countries, this tune is named ‘Ashland oil’. The melody is, indeed, from an American traditional song named ‘Ida Red’. This tune, in the dreary spirit of folk, sounds crisp to the ears but capture the heart. “The oil came from Kentucky shale/ The money flowed, it didn’t fail/ What came up with the pumping water/ Will kill your son or kill your daughter/Ashland Oil, Ashland Oil/ We’re all dying near Ashland oil.”

4. ‘This Old Rig'” by Freddie Frank

‘This Old Rig’ by Freddie Frank is a classic song that gets down and gets hillbilly redneck. Like many artists of the day, this West Texas country musician had some scattered releases on unconventional record labels but never achieved the status he truly deserved in the music business.

5. ‘The Oilfield Cowboy’ by Wes St. Jon

Though having never worked directly in the fields, Wes St. Jon created the music that acted as a tribute to the diligent folks that keep the US’s black crude flowing. He stated that he thinks oil and gas workers are the most unappreciated group of people in America. After meeting roustabouts in Louisiana during the oil boom, he determined to contribute more oilfield songs to the music world lacking in melodies about sweet crude.

6. ‘The Ballad of Jed Clampett’ by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs

This is bluegrass music. It is highly recognized as the theme song for an American sitcom named ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’, which tells the back story of a family that made a new life out in California after discovering oil. Always, black hold has been a source of prosperity, and it’s nice to celebrate that by hearing Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs nail it at the banjo.

7. ‘God’s Counting on me, God’s Counting on you’ by Pete Seeger

This is a song written by Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt in 2010 amid that year’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It was originally released by those two as a single in October 2010. The song was re-recorded in 2012, featuring Bruce Springsteen as one of vocalists, and released in September 2012 on ‘A More Perfect Union’ – Pete Seeger & Lorre Wyatt’s album. It’s the opening track of this album. The album comprised 14 new songs written by Pete Seeger and Lorre Wyatt, and featured the guest appearances by Emmylou Harris, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Tom Morello and Dar Williams.

8. ‘The Crude Oil Blues’ by Jerry Reed

This is a song written and recorded by Jerry Reed, an American country artist. It was released in February 1974 as the lead single from the album ‘A Good Woman’s Love’. ‘The Crude Oil Blues’ reached peaks of No. 13 on the U.S country chart, No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 17 on Canadian RPM Country Tracks, and No. 91 on Canadian RPM Top Singles.

9. ‘Gasoline Blues’ by John Mayall

This song is assumed to be inspired by the mid-1970s OPEC oil shock. It is rock-like music. It is also mildly funny. The humor may be lost on those younger than 50.

10. ‘Oilfield dad’ by Bryan Martin

I am just so in love with this song. Like all of Bryan Martin’s songs, it is written from the heart he is. This song is not only for oilfield workers but also for anyone working away from their family. What a wonderful song!

That doesn’t put an end to nice songs about oil and gas. Check out the list of other great songs below.

11. ‘Price of Gas’ by Bloc Party

12. ‘Oilmen’ by Waylon Jennings with Earl Scruggs Band

13. ‘We Are All Winners’ by Nick Borgen

14. ‘Missing You’ by Trace Adkins

15. ‘Gallon of Gas’ by The Kinks

16. ‘The Big Red’ by Halliburton

17. ‘The Energy Blues’ by Biz Markie

18. ‘Oil Field Trash’ by Shane Prather

19. ‘Only So Much Oil In The Ground’ by Tower of Power

20. ‘King of the Mountain’ by Midnight Oil

21. ‘Heavy Fuel’ by Dire Straits

22. ‘Fuel’ by Metallica

23. ‘Queen of Gas Station’ by Lana Del Rey

24. ‘The Topical Song’ by The Barron Knights

25. ‘Gallon of Gas’ by The Kinks

26. ‘Gasoline Dreams’ by OutKast

27. ‘Back When Gas Was Thirty Cents a Gallon’ by Tom T. Hall

28. ‘Pumpin’ 4 the Man’ by Ween

29. ‘Cat People’ by David Bowie

30. ‘Gas and a Dollar Laugh’ by Velvet Revolver

31. ‘Gasolina’ by Daddy Yankee

32. ‘Fossil Fuel’ by Battant

33. ‘Gasoline’ by Sheryl Crow

34. ‘Get That Gasoline Blues’ by NRBQ

35. ‘Kid Charlemagne’ by Steely Dan

36. ‘One More Oil Boom Before I Die’ by Tim Hus

37. ‘Alberta Crude’ by Tim Hus

38. ‘Pipeline’ by Tim Hus

39. ‘Roughest Neck Around’ by Corb Lund

Overall, those above songs, I think, will help out a lot with your search for nice songs about oil and gas for your various purposes. I am working for a supplier of oil manpower from Vietnam – it is Vietnam Manpower Service and Trading Company. There are also occasions that I need use some of those songs to boost up the morale of manpower in this industry, and add them as part of entertainment during their hard training in those professions. I hope you will add more to this list, and hope it will help you a lot.

A Bad Mother

We love to listen to music at our house, from Classical to Metal; Country to Reggae; and everything in between. A good jam can lighten the mood, fill the void, and be a good excuse to do some cardio. So when I first heard “The Boss” by James Brown driving to work; I couldn’t wait to play it LOUD in my living room, be-bopping with my kiddos. I’m learning however, that kids have a way of pulverizing your good intentions. They really know how to just crap all over your dreams. When you try something fun you think they’ll love, they won’t. OR what they actually take away from the activity is not what you planned…

So I played the song; be-bopping and good times were had by all. I sang along to my favorite line: “Look at me! Know whatcha see? You see a Bad-Mother! A Bad-Mother.” Groovy right? Right up until my almost three year old starts babbling about ‘Bad mothers’ -How they live in the woods, say “Roar” and are generally very scary critters. Swell! With me already somewhat insecure and overly worried about what people think of my parenting.

So I (seriously) joked about it with everyone. I told them about “The Boss” and that if they hear my child talking about a bad mother, she is not talking about yours truly. Hee-hee! Cute! My lack of foresight aside; the situation is a little poetic. Why do I feel like I’m not doing well enough? -Even though when I think about it, I’m doing great! My kids are smart, healthy, and joyful. We have a happy, normal family. So why the guilty conscience? Why do I feel like I’m under scrutiny?

It has been a process to let go of insecurities. I’m learning to recognize and debunk thoughts of imminent failure, -self-criticism that arose from comparing myself to other moms. My kids are happy even if we don’t do a crafty project every single day. I am as good a parent as one who has more time to garden and preserve food. I definitely can’t cook: but I can learn.

On social media, we want to put our best face forward, that’s mostly all we see from other moms and dads. Therefore I am comparing myself to people who don’t exist! -They are my ideas of what a ‘perfect parent’ would be. While I feel insecure for these reasons, I am also alone with my kids most of their lives. Perhaps, if I had more friends and family around in my daily life, I’d have realer examples and experience to base my parenting on. – Not to mention time-outs for me and not just my kids.

It Takes A Village

I know I’m not the only new parent feeling this way; I have a hunch as to one of the reasons why: Parenting is way harder than we expected, and we’ve lost our proverbial ‘Village’.

Everyone knows the saying: “It takes a village to raise a child.” The phrase is widely believed to have originated in Africa; others believe it has its roots in Native American culture. Either way, this well-known proverb comes from a time and place where people lived communally. It was a world where one’s neighbors were also close friends and family; where everyone played, worked, grieved and celebrated together – always together. Today our society is compartmentalized. Most families are islands, as we generally have an -everyone-for-themselves- mentality. I feel like community is sorely lacking, and making us increasingly sad.

I yearn for the times long-past when families lived and worked together. As an honest-to-goodness 80s kid, I also long for a not-so-distant time past: when neighbors and friends got together for barbeques and card games. – Before the internet, TV, and smart phones ruined everything. Please understand I am not anti-technology: It’s a wonderful thing, especially as a new parent, to have all the answers at your finger tips. Support groups and forums can be extremely helpful. However it is no secret that while having these tools has closed great distances between us all, it can also drive a wedge between people in the same room.

We still need our Aunts and Uncles, cousins and Grandparents. They’ve been replaced by digital baby sitters. It used to be “Come play with Aunty so mommy can do the dishes.” Now it’s “you want to watch another movie? OK I guess so… “

It’s tiring to actually go see people. I have to plan. Dress the kids in cute clothes, bring extras, bathe them, and load ’em up. When we get to the home of other people, I spend most of the visit chasing and scolding children. There is very little sitting, or un-interrupted conversation (The much needed adult kind). There is chaos. We get home cranky and exhausted. I temporarily give up on ever leaving my home, until they’re in high school. Having a healthy social life is very difficult with multiple small kids… and I am lucky enough to have more help than most.

All The Help I Can Get.

I am one of the fortunate ones: I have an amazing husband. I know many people don’t have that life-preserver, while treading the unexpectedly difficult waters of parenthood. (To you single parents: I tip my hat.) We are extremely grateful for my in-laws who live right up the road from us. They are always right there and eager to help. I am also thankful for my Mom: She lives a few towns away but will always come to my aide: whether I have to work or am just having a bad day. These people among others make up my ‘tribe.’

While I know I have a ton of support, it’s still not enough. There are days I want to pull my hair out. Days I just don’t want to -Mommy- for a while. I mutter: “What was I thinking I don’t have the patience for this, I knew nothing about children then I had two of ’em too close together, I suck at this… “ I lost my temper. I yelled. I took her by the arm to the time-out chair. I growled.

So I apologize. Over and over again I ask these beautiful little monsters to forgive Mama. She’s doing her best. She is nothing like the mother she envisioned herself being, back when she was ignorant. She’s asking: “Where is my village?!”

Realizing The Struggle Is Real

I saw a funny that read something like: I used to be the perfect parent, back before I had kids. I couldn’t have said it better myself. I know the people judging me the most harshly, are the ones who don’t have little life-sentences of their own. I know this because I used to be one of those people. “When I have kids they will never misbehave because I will be tough and consistent. That’s all it is right?” I thought: “People far more ignorant than I, have kids every day -we got this!” I didn’t know about the lack of sleep, the last drop of patience being drained. I didn’t plan for potty-training and public disobedience. (I also didn’t plan on coming down with a debilitating chronic illness, but that’s a story for a different article)

In the beginning of my pregnancy with baby number two, I knew a woman who also had two girls also about 15 months apart. When I told her I was pregnant again, a very concerned look came across her face. She told me about getting overwhelmed. About being so frustrated she screamed at her children. “OH MY!” I thought: “I will NEVER scream at my babies!!” Ha. Ha-ha. Ha

Another close friend had a mild break down one night: She walked out of her home, saying nothing to her kids or husband, got into her car and drove away. She checked into a hotel room, and so checked out of life for a minute. It was a difficult time that she’s since made it through, with flying colors… But I ask: Where was her village?

I Propose A Solution

I think as mothers we are afraid to ask for help because that feels like admitting to inadequacy. We don’t want people to know that we are in over our heads some days. We absolutely cannot admit for one second that we are not super-mom 24/7. We get angry: We get sad. Many of us are on anti-depressant/anxiety medication.

I want to do something about it: I’m setting a personal goal to invite one friend to my home, once a week. I used to complain that people never come see me, until I realized perhaps it’s because I don’t actively invite them. I’m making it a priority to go see a family member as often (exhausting as it may be). I’m going to start promoting group activities centered on getting daunting projects done:

• Window Washing Parties
• Gardening Get-Togethers
• Wood splitting and piling extravaganzas
• Canning Shindigs
• Yard Work Shenanigans

Bring wine and chocolate. Bring beer and bratwurst; whatever the occasion and company calls for. Next week go to someone else’s place and help them with whatever project is weighing on them. Just do it together. Not only do “many hands make light work,” but getting together with real people to accomplish goals, however large or small they are, is good for you, your family and, your community.

I will spend less time on social media. It makes us feel like we’re connecting- but we aren’t. I will make phone calls and send cards. This is the task I set before myself this summer: To encourage each other to get out of our houses and do things together. Let’s build a village.

The Coffee Song was written by Bob Hilliard (January 28, 1918-February 1, 1971), an American lyricist who wrote many other famous songs. For example, In the Wee Small Hours Of the Morning, Any Day Now, Dear Hearts and Gentle People, Our Day Will Come, My Little Corner Of the World, and Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat). The Coffee Song is one of the most fun songs with coffee lyrics recorded in the 1946 post-war era, with a catchy tune and rhythm that is non-stop festive.

The Coffee Song has been performed by many artists and groups. To name a few: Frank Sinatra, American singer and actor. Louis Prima, Sicilian-American singer, actor, songwriter and trumpeter. Sam Cooke, American gospel, R&B, soul, pop singer, and songwriter. Rosemary Clooney, American singer and actress. Mike Doughty, American indie and alternative rock songwriter. Stan Ridgway, American multi-instrumentalist, baritone singer, and songwriter. Bob Dorough, American bebop, cool jazz pianist, songwriter, composer, and vocalese singer. The Muppets, famous puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954-1955.

The Muppets played and sang The Coffee Song as their opening number for a 1997 episode of Muppets Tonight. Every performance of The Coffee Song is different and reflects the style of each musician or musical group. As a result, the song appeals to more and more audiences over time.

Frank Sinatra chose to record this song and helped popularize it at a time when coffee consumption of Brazilian coffee was increasing substantially among US coffee drinkers. The post-war era was a time when people were optimistic about their future. Families were contributing to a record baby boom that would impact the country for generations. The Coffee Song captures the era’s optimism, happy-go-lucky attitude, and anything goes spirit of the time. Frank Sinatra began his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, which helped him become a successful solo artist and an idol of the bobby soxers.

Sinatra’s popularity helped to promote The Coffee Song as a swinging cocktail party type of song and to make it part of many personal collections.

The song is quite simple and direct. The lyrics praise the coffee surplus in Brazil, the world’s largest coffee producer, a position the country has held for the last 150 years. The song tells the story of a politician’s daughter who was fined $ 50 for drinking a beverage different from coffee. The song describes in a humorous way the lack of soda, tomato juice, potato juice or any other drink because coffee is what everybody drinks and sells in Brazil. There are many catchy phrases in the song. The song is easy to memorize and sing. One of the wittiest lyrics according to many is “…they’ve got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil!…”

Some of the lyrics from the song include: “…You date a girl and find out later she smells like a percolator. Her perfume was made right on the grill. Hey they could percolate the ocean in Brazil…Way down among Brazilians. Coffee beans grow by the billions. So they’ve got to find those extra cups to fill. They’ve got an awful lot of coffee in Brazil…”

If you have not listened to The Coffee Song in a while or ever, look for the music video and make some time to enjoy it. This song is one for your music playlist and one to enjoy with a great cup of Brazilian Santos Bourbon gourmet coffee!

“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all” – Refrain from a hymn sang in British school assemblies during the 1960’s.

Life is precious and young life is most precious as it embodies the future and the chance to create a brighter and wiser world. So when a young life is taken we mourn the loss of potential as much as the devastating personal tragedy. Aberfan is the story of the tragic waste of young life on a monumental scale.

For most people born before 1960 in America they can remember what they were doing when they heard President Kennedy got shot. For the same generation living in Britain at the time, you were more likely to remember what you were doing when you heard about Aberfan.

On the morning of 21st October 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed when a tip of coal waste slid onto the village of Aberfan in South Wales. One of the first structures in the path of the slag slide was the village school. In just a few short minutes the future of this small welsh community was erased.

Aberfan tormented and shrouded Britain for many months after.

Parents found the haunting images in the newspapers and on TV difficult to confront. The inconsolable father who lost his whole family. The mother still waiting at the door for her child to return home from school… but who never will. Just when you thought the stories could get no more tragic… they did.

Surviving children in Aberfan were prized – they were hugged and protected.

English poet and essayist Laurie Lee visited Aberfan one year after the disaster and wrote a poignant essay describing the lingering devastation on the community he found. The fields of tiny graves visited daily by parents, the sound of silence on the playgrounds, and the scarcity of children’s garments drying on wash lines. They all told the story of a village that had lost its children.

Within a few hours of the disaster people came from miles around with their picks and shovels to dig out survivors… but it was futile. No survivors were found after 11:00am. Grown men openly wept as they uncovered the bodies of still children surrounded by black mud-laden books and toys.

The slag that engulfed the village was a by-product of the local mine. After many years the tips grew to be mountains… but without a solid foundation. One of the tips had a spring underneath it, and it was just a question of time before the saturation shifted its core and created the unstoppable landslide.

Coal mining disasters in south Wales were not unusual. It was part of the price for the work it brought to the region. And it was hard and dangerous work for the men of the village, and they lived daily with the knowledge an accident could shatter the fortunes of a family. But never for a minute did anybody think the price would include their children.

Aberfan has long slipped into the English language. One word that when spoken evokes instant sadness and remorse for a day in the 1960s that changed a village forever.

At the time the mines were owned and run by the National Coal Board, and after a few days of mourning the miners were required to return to work. Nationalization of the Coal industry was originally welcomed in the hope that the years of exploitation of the miners would be redressed. But even after the Aberfan disaster life in the South Wales valleys remained hard; collieries closed regularly, unemployment remained high, and nothing came in to fill the widening economic gap.

Today the colliery is closed and the site of the destroyed school is a memorial garden.

The Aberfan tragedy is part of a history that still casts its long shadow over the south Wales coalfield. We all carry our own “Aberfan” with us – some event that overwhelms us with grief and makes us question the injustice of life.

By October 1966 I had left school for good and was no longer required to sing hymns as part of my life. I’m not what most would call a religious person, but when I heard the news of Aberfan the hymn’s refrain I quoted at the beginning occupied my thoughts for days. To this day when I hear the hymn I think of Aberfan and a lost generation in south Wales.

I give my children plenty of hugs and protection – they are precious and I know why…

“All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.”

Cat Stevens was a hugely successful folk-rock singer of the late 60’s and 70’s, enjoying considerable success and recognition on both sides of the Atlantic.

In late 1969, his recorded output took a marked change, once he’d dispensed with the production services of former Springfields guitarist Mike Hurst and recruited the ex-Yardbirds bass player Paul Samwell Smith. The latter looked more favourably on the new folk-rock direction Stevens wanted to take and, with a new record deal signed for Chris Blackwell’s Island Records, Cat was able to embark on a fruitful period of writing and recording.

Prior to the crystallisation of this new direction, the likes of Peter Gabriel had played flute on Mona Bone Jakon, whilst Nicky Hopkins had also played keyboards on the same album, having contributed electric piano to The Beatles’ Revolution amongst other things. However, Samwell Smith was now critical to shaping Stevens’ new sound, inasmuch as he introduced new session players to him who would be crucial to the making of his groundbreaking Island albums.

Arguably, the very best of any of Cat Stevens’ session musicians was a guitarist by the name of Alun Davies, also known as Daydo to those in the music business (this nickname being the title of his first solo album, too, in the mid 70s). Davies was a prominent exponent of the new folk-rock genre then emerging and his finger-style guitar, compatible backing vocals and his overall perfectionist approach tallied exceedingly well with Stevens, so much so that he went on to appear on all but two of Stevens’ albums prior to his retirement.

Stevens’ withdrawal from the music business in 1979 left Davies at a particularly low ebb, but such was their friendship that, 27 years later when Stevens re-emerged as Yusuf, Davies was once again at his side, making an invaluable contribution.

Other notable session players who participated on Cat Stevens’ output included: vocalist Linda Lewis, who had solo hits herself in the 70’s; Herbie Flowers who is perhaps better known as the bassist with the rock/classical conglomerate Sky (and for his bass line on Lou Reed’s Walk On The Wild Side); David Sanborn, a saxophonist of some renown; Brenda Russell, who had a solo hit in the 80’s with her own song Piano In The Dark; Art Garfunkel, who sang on the Numbers album; Chick Corea, the prestigious keyboard player, recently deceased (2021), a member of The Mahavishnu Orchestra and his own Return To Forever project, who played on the Izitso album – and finally, Elkie Brooks who sang prominently on the hit song Remember The Days Of The Old Schoolyard.