American Pie - do you know the words?

A long long time ago

I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while
But February made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver
Bad news on the doorstep
I couldn't take one more step
I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died


So bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Did you write the book of love
And do you have faith in God above
If the Bible tells you so?
Now do you believe in rock and roll?
Can music save your mortal soul?
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?
Well, I know that you're in love with him
'cause I saw you dancing in the gym
You both kicked off your shoes
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues
I was a lonely teenage broncin' buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died


I started singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Now, for ten years we've been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rolling stone
But that's not how it used to be
When the Jester sang for the king and queen
In a coat he borrowed from James Dean
And a voice that came from you and me
Oh and while the king was looking down
The Jester stole his thorny crown
The courtroom was adjourned
No verdict was returned
And while Lenin read a book on Marx
The quartet practiced in the park
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died

We were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
Landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the Jester on the sidelines in a cast
Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While sergeants played a marching tune
We all got up to dance
Oh, but we never got the chance
'Cause the players tried to take the field
The marching band refused to yield
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?


We started singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Oh, and there we were all in one place
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again
So come on Jack be nimble, Jack be quick
Jack Flash sat on a candlestick
'Cause fire is the devil's only friend
And as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage
No angel born in hell
Could break that Satan's spell
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite
I saw Satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news
But she just smiled and turned away
I went down to the sacred store
Where I'd heard the music years before
But the man there said the music wouldn't play
And in the streets the children screamed
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed
But not a word was spoken
The church bells all were broken
And the three men I admire most
The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died


And they were singing
Bye, bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levee but the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die

Music is the fabric of my life

I don't know about you, but I couldn't live without music in my life. Maybe it stems back to Saturday nights when I was a kid and my parents used to tape the Saturday night 'oldies' show off the radio onto cassette tapes. Or maybe it was when I found my mothers case of 45's in our basement and found songs like "going to the Chapel" or "it's my party" just to name a few.

Or maybe it was being at Northland and remembering when my counsellors had to get special permission to leave for an overnight day off to go to Toronto to see Bruce Springsteen, or listening to You've got a friend, or Fire and Rain by James Taylor for the first time. Or sitting and listening to In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins in my back yard with my friends when we were 15. Or learning camp songs and cabin cheers.

Or maybe it was having music class in school. Deciding to pick the clarinet as my instrument and loving it. Going to live theatre and listening intently to them warming up and hearing the clarinet. Even now, I just went a month ago to see my friend perform at the York Symphony and I listened for the clarinet. I always said if I could have a do over, I would love to play the clarinet in live theatre on Broadway.

Or maybe it was being old enough while sitting in Synagouge the first time I realized how powerful the prayer Hineni was. Watching my cantor start at the back of the congregation in his high holiday head dress and walking towards the front chanting his prayer, and then getting to the front and bowing in front of the Torahs. That cantor has long since retired, but earlier this year I attended a funeral where he was asked to be the cantor and just to hear his voice again brought tears to my eyes.

I remember being a bus moniter when I worked at Fundale (now Centre camp). I used to bring a 'boom box' on the bus. Believe it or not, I taught those kids the words to American Pie by Don McLean. They had NO idea what they were singing about, but they knew the words as we pulled up to the camp and they were screaming out the windows, "bye bye miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry." I remember when I was in New Orleans with Brad and we drove past the levy in the 9th ward that broke during Katrina, that song was going through my head.

Maybe it was all the times being in the car and hearing a great song on the radio. I have been known (and seen) to belt out my inner Carly Simon (you're so vain), Diana Ross (upside down your turning me), Don Mclean (American Pie ALL THE WORDS), and more recently Maroon 5 (moves like Jagger). Lots of other car songs have meaning as well. I remember being on a road trip and listening to Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen. I think it was that road trip that I started to learn about songs and their hidden meanings between the lines.

Now, it is listening to my nieces when we compare what camp songs they have learned and how the same song that I sang at 7 years old is 'sort of' the same song now. And when they sing the Bruchas on Shabbat, and their songs from Hebrew School. And my little nephew whose anthem seems to be LMAFO Party Rockers in the house tonight. To see him "shuffling" to that song just makes me smile.

Don't be afraid to turn up the radio and sing in your car. Don't just dance like no one is watching, sing your heart out whenever you want! I know that I won't stop!

Today's video clip is from Ally McBeal.....if you watched that show you know that she had music playing in her head through different times in her life (remember the dancing ugga chaka baby)....I hope you will smile and watch this clip!

The MRI experience

Yesterday I had to have an MRI. It was hopefully the last piece to the unsolved mystery of my stomach illness earlier this year. It is hard to explain how I feel. Of course I don't want there to be anything wrong with me, but if you get a result that says, "all clear", it means that I will probably never know what it was that took up space in my body and life for such a long time. I just want to move on already, I don't want any more tests, etc.

I am not sure if any of you have ever had an MRI before, but let me tell you....what an experience. It wasn't a horrible experience, but if you have never had one, it is hard to explain. Some people have only had to have a MRI on their knee or head or a part of the body that does not require you to go full body into the machine...mine of course was on my liver and abdomen....so all the way in.

I have watched Guy Fieri on the food channel visit restaurants where they are making their own saugsages, and putting the meeat into the casing....yeah, not a great visual, but yes, you go full body into the MRI machine just like that. I was 'wrapped' with these pads that had magnets (I assume) in them that would allow the imaging of my abdomen area to recieve the imaging.

My test was about a half hour long. Let me tell you it felt like a day not just a half hour. My hands were straight up above my head the whole time (with an IV in my right hand) and you can't move while you are in there. You are also wearing headphones because the magnets swirling all around you and they are LOUD. When I asked if they play music, the tech said no. Which really, they are missing something on that...it would really ease the anxiety if you had music to distract you while in the machine.

I should mention, they give you a panic button. Interesting term, but of course totally necessary. After a half an hour of this you start to go a bit crazy. I didn't have to push it because I was okay, but I am sure that there are people that need to be pulled out mid test and I get it. I was 'this close' to really needing to get out before they said I was done.

All in all, not a bad experience, but not one that I want/need/have to repeat again any time soon! LET'S HOPE!

On a funny side note, I just had to include the video below, keeping with all things Muppets this weekend. My nieces were singing a version of this song over Rosh Hashana and my nephew loved it and giggles and laughs and participates when we still bring it up at the table now.

This video is brought to you by the letters M, R and I - enjoy!

'Tis the season.....to pay it forward....in a very small way

Today I was driving to work and was listening to Chumfm. Roger was discussing that today was the launch of this years Christmas wish campaign and how you can bring a toy to the station or to any of the 190 branches of RBC in the gta or cash is accepted as well. I know that other stations have their toy mountains, and doctor's offices and everywhere we turn there are some sort of gift drives that will start to pop up for the next five weeks leading up to the holidays.

I would like to bring up another type of donating that doesn't just happen for the five weeks from now until December 25th. This is something you can do any day of any week of the year.

I have to admit, until a friend of mine did this a few years ago, I hadn't really thought about it, but now I just want to pass it on, and have people I know talk about it in their offices, companies, amongst friends, etc.

What I am talking about is simple - the next time you go to buy your coffee at Tim's, Starbucks, or your shampoo, or pick up a perscription at Shoppers drug mart - buy a gift card - and donate it to The Hospital for Sick Kids. (http://www.sickkids.ca/VisitingSickKids/main-street/index.html)

You are going to ask me - why does that help? Why is that a donation? To whom?

- think about a parent that may need a toothbrush or tooth paste after they have spend the night with their sick child at the hospital.
- think about the child that may want a treat while they are waiting for the doctor to see them.
- think about that parent that has been up all night and just HAS to have their coffee - either from Tim's or Starbucks.
I can go on and on about the different scenarios, but you get the point.

The reason for those three stores is because they are onsite at the hospital.

I have brought this up at my Hadassah chapter exec meeting in the summer and we have added a gift card drive to our annual Chanukah party and gift exchange. I hope that we raise hundreds of $$$$ worth of gift cards to deliver to the hospital. The key is to get small denominations ($5) so that they can hand them out to families in need in small ways. The more small cards they have, the more families they can give a gift to.

Please discuss this with your teams in your companies, with the friends you meet at Starbucks or Tim's for coffee, any social group you are part of. Make it something you start as a new tradition in your family. Buy them with your kids and then make a trip to the hosptial to deliver your gift of holiday cheer.

Help a family, help yourself - remember Tikkun Olam!

Mother Hubbard's Kosher Kupboard

TIKKUN OLAM - Repairing the World
- Taking responsibility for the material, moral and spiritual welfare of a society at large, Jewish and non Jewish.

A few years ago I brought some Kosher food to Beth Tikvah. They had a wooden cupboard in the foyer and it was called "Mother Hubbard's Kosher Cupboard" which I thought was a great play on the child story about the cupboard being bare and how we should help the community that needs help by filling the cupboard with food.

On Kol Nidre night, the shule does a collection for the food back and I always bring a bag to donate at that time as well.

Once a year they also call and ask if we can make a donation and it can be picked up from your house. I have to go shopping anyways, so what's a few more items if they will pick them up from my house. The pick up was today.

So, on Friday I was at the Real Canadian Superstore to pick up my mom's birthday cake and went to the Kosher aisle to pick up the items for the food drive. There seemed to be a lot of items on sale ranging from .79 to about 1.49 price range. The perfect amount of money to spend on items for a food drive.

So, filled one bag of wacky mac, biselli, soups and tuna. A pretty good mix of items.

Yesterday I was at No Frills and again, in the Kosher section there happened to be a lot of items that were in the same price range. Perhaps the Synagouges in the area contacted the stores and let them know there was a food drive. Hmmm...perhaps.

Even when we are facing our own hard times, it is always nice to do for others. What if we were that person that needed to go to the food bank at one time in our life? Everyone can be one step away from needing help at any time in our lives.

Gemilut Chasadim - acts of lovingkindness...............