How Do I Feel About Being Old?

That title interested me when I received it in an e-mail.  It is by the fellow Anonymous  at least that is all I could find..Very interesting read.
How Do I Feel About Being Old?

The other day a young person asked me how I felt about being old.. I was taken aback, for I do not think of myself as old.  Upon seeing my reaction, she was immediately embarrassed, but I explained that it was an interesting question and  I would ponder it and let her know.
Old age, I decided, is a gift.  I am now, probably for the first time in my life, the person I have always wanted to be.. Oh, not my body!   I sometimes despair over my body..but I don't agonize over it for long.
I would  never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair, or more of it, or a flatter belly.  As I've aged, I've become more kind to myself and less critical of myself.   I've become my own friend.  I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need but looks so avante garde on my patio.  
I am entitled  to overeat, to be messy, to be extravagant.  I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.
Whose business is it if I choose to read until 4 AM and sleep until noon?  I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 50's and 60's and if I at the same time wish to recall some young loves I had along the way, I will.   I know I am sometimes forgetful.  But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten and I eventually remember the important things.  Sure, over the years my heart has been broken.  How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one or when a child suffers?  But broken hearts are what gives us strength and understanding and compassion.    A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.
I am  so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turn gray and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.   So many have never laughed and so many have died before their hair could turn silver..  I can say "no" and mean it.  I can say "yes" and mean it.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive.  You care less  about what other people think.  I don't question myself anymore.  I've even earned the right to be wrong.
So, to answer the question, I like being old.  It has set me free.   Though others may not, I like the person I have become.  I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting  what could have been or worrying about what will be.    For the first time in my life, I don't have to have a reason to do the things I want to do.  If I want to play games on the computer all day, lay on the couch and watch old movies for hours  or don't want to go to the beach or a movie, I have earned that right.  I have put in my time doing everything for others so now I can be a bit selfish without feeling guilty.
I sometimes feel sorry for the young.  They face a far different world than I knew growing up, where we feared the law, respected the old, never blamed our parents for what we became, loved the flag and cherished our country...But, they too will grow old someday.
I am so grateful to have been born when I was, into a kinder, gentler world.......Yes, I like being old!

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I wish I could have found the author of the above article.   This says it like it is.. To that anonymous writer, thank you  from so many.  You should have your name on that wonderful article.

Pink peony

The peonies this spring were especially nice.  They seemed more robust and colors were better than usual..I don't know why..I didn't do anything differently than I always do.. But, we had a cool, wetter spring so maybe they liked that for a change. This pink has a full, sweet fragrance.  The white Festiva Maxima in the background has a pleasant fragrance also.  They make nice cutting flowers so try planting some if you do not already have them in your garden.. Photo by me..Kari Scott

Fragrant Cloud Rose Bouquet

This was one stem of roses so made a bouquet all by itself. Fragrant Cloud is a robust rose bush and so very fragrant. One year there was a particularly long new growth stem that had 37  buds on it  It was hard to believe..All bloomed pretty much at the same time so was really spectacular..Only 10 buds on this one. Picture by me..Kari Scott ,  of one of my favorite rosebushes..

An Old "45"

This is one of my old  45's.  Vernon "Speedy " Price did the  steel guitar work on it.. On cd In The Beginning  vol 1..On iTunes .. Link on   kariscottmusic.com    Check it out.. Recorded at Bill Wiley Studio in Tacoma WA  some time back..  I usually did the basic arrangement then let the musicians add as they wanted.

The Coupon Craze

     I am glad to see all of the couponing thereby saving money but I do  get a kick reading about the "new coupon craze."   "They" talk about it like it is brand new and "they" discovered it.. Well, they didn't.  "They" are not the first to do coupons.
     Years ago when coupons really first came out, in full bloom, a good share of the housewives realized how much they could save by couponing, so did.   We cut out all kinds of coupons from food to oil changes for the car,  movies, anything that helped stretch the paycheck.
     Along with that were the end-of-season sales at stores other than food stores.  I always shopped those sales...end of winter the winter jackets were half price.  So, with kids in tow, we hit the sales.   They tried on jackets until we found fits, then those were their winter jackets for the next winter.  We went to the store sidewalk sales, usually in the summer.  There I found pants, shirts,  pillowcases and lots more at fire sale prices.
     I saved boxtops and labels and sent in for things like monopoly games, clamp on roller skates, basketballs, baseballs dishes, silverware and anything else I could get that could be used by us or as gifts.  All free with boxtops, labels and coupons. (Betty Crocker coupons got to be a way of life ).
     So, while I understand their enthusiasm, I don't get too excited about it anymore since I've "been there, done that" my whole life.     But, do keep on couponing.   It still helps stretch the budget..

Best Quick And Easy Cake Recipe

Here is the recipe I was talking about in my last blog...Several years ago I found it in our local newspaper.  After trying  the recipe, it became a favorite. Whenever I take it to a potluck, I am always asked for the recipe so usually have a few copies along.
   Ione's Hawaiian Wedding Cake.
1    twenty ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
2  cups flour;   2  cups  white sugar;   1 cup shredded coconut;    1 cup nuts (optional  )
2 eggs;   2 teaspoons baking soda
Combine all cake ingredients and mix well.  Pour into 9 x 13 inch pan and bake  30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F... Watch carefully  so it doesn't get  overcooked or burn.. Should be a medium brown color when done...
Icing....  1 stick  butter (1/2 cup)        8 ounces  cream cheese (I use  the whipped )
2 teaspoons vanilla;    1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Combine icing ingredients adding more powdered sugar if needed... Spread over cool cake.
This cake is good without icing also.. Good when warm, too.   I don't use nuts in the cake..  Enjoy...

Cleaning cupboards , etc.

When at last summer comes here and the weather gets too warm for me to be comfortable working outside, I try to find quiet things to do in the house.   I had saved  a few different magazines i.e. had  a one year subscription to  three or four then stopped each as they ran out.  Of course  the magazines had so many good recipes and articles that I could not bear to  let them go...Well, I was looking at them in their neat plastic crates and thought  there must be  a better way to use the space...maybe leave it empty?  So a few days ago  I set them all out..If I start a project I usually finish it in due time.. My Dad always said I had stick-to-itiveness.   So today I sat down with a stack of Family Circles.. Now I have a stack of recipes that I hope to try as I go along..There were so many that looked easy and good that I tore the pages out..Then saw some articles  that I thought would be good for me and a couple of others to read...So my  pile of magazines has gotten considerably smaller but  I just cannot help myself when I see good recipes...
Many years ago I saw a recipe in a local  newspaper  column..It looked so easy i.e. put it all into a bowl and mix then into a pan and bake.. I use that usually when I have to bring something to a potluck and everyone  is impressed and wants the recipe..I try to remember to have a few copies along so they can take  a recipe along home with them..  So, no matter how many recipes  I gather, I am always looking for another easy and good one..  Still have quite a few magazines to go through so will have to be very selective  as I read the rest of them. Maybe next  blog I will write out the special cake recipe.

Older Posts

If you are new to my blog here, I would like to welcome you.  As you read the blogs and come to the bottom it says more...so click on that if you will and read all of my entries back to the start..  You may find something there that interests you.  On the side you will see Michael's name and my name and cd..If you click on either of these you will go to  either iTunes or cdbaby to listen to our cds...  Thanks for reading and listening...  Have a good day...   Check out my other site and blog   http://www.kariscottmusic.com/

Chocolate Cookies

Last week I was baking chocolate cookies. (the flat, crisp kind).  They just were not baking right and taking such a long time to get done..I finally , on the second pan felt towards the bottom of the oven and realized the lower burner was not heating up..Great... So I finished baking them anyway.  Of course they were different as they had to bake from the top clear through..They tasted fine.. When our youngest son stopped by, he took the unit out and got a new one down at the hardware store...put that in and I was in business again...So, today I baked the same recipe at proper oven  temperature.   The cookies are called Chocolate Sandwich Dreams..I used to put icing  between two of them (sandwich), but don't do that anymore. Mint or vanilla both were good.       1 cup butter    2 cups white ( granulated sugar)     1 teaspoon baking soda    2 teaspoons vanilla     4 Tablespoons buttermilk    1 and 1/2 ounces melted semi-sweet chocolate
1 and 1/2 ounces melted, un-sweetened chocolate     3 cups sifted white flour        Mix.  Roll in walnut sized balls.   Flatten with glass  dipped in flour.  Sprinkle granulated sugar on top.   Bake at 300 degrees F.  approximately 12 minutes.   Put frosting between 2 cookies if desired.
If you bake them a bit less the cookies are not quite as crisp  but good..
So, if you like crisp, thin  chocolate  cookies, you might like to try  this recipe and probably add it to your favorites list.   Great with coffee or tea.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This also is from the old Spry recipe book...  Have a good cup of coffee with a piece of lemon pie... The two flavors  go so well together...Enjoy!!!!!!!
1/2  cup cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons cornstarch
1   1/2 cups hot water
1    1/4 cups sugar
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 Tablespoon butter
1 baked pie shell
Mix cold water, salt and cornstarch...Combine hot water and sugar in top of double boiler and bring to a boil...Add cornstarch mixture and cook until thick and smooth, stirring constantly.   Stir a little of the mixture into egg yolks then pour all yolk mixture into thickened mixture and cook a few minutes longer.   Add lemon juice and butter.. Cool...Pour into baked pie shell.  Top
 with meringue and bake in slow oven until meringue is slightly browned, approximately 25 minutes.

Meringue
3 egg  whites       1 teaspoon vanilla       3 Tablespoons sugar
Beat egg whites until stiff enough to hold a peak.   Add sugar, one Tablespoon at a time, beating constantly.   Add vanilla. Stir in carefully.   Pile lightly onto top of pie and bake in slow oven..

Pie Photo by  Kari A. Scott.

My Recipe For Pie Crust

Have made this crust all of my life..got the recipe out of an old Spry (shortening) recipe book.   I use regular salted butter so I don't add extra salt.   This is for a two crust pie...
2    1/2  cups sifted flour
1  cup  butter
5 Tablespoons cold water

Cut butter into flour  until size of large peas...Do not overmix..     Sprinkle water over mixture....Mix with fork until all forms together into dough..  Place on floured surface and roll into size slightly larger than pie pan..

Mothers Day

Happy  Mothers  Day to Mothers everywhere...May all blessings be yours.

Spring Has Sprung

Yes, it has, finally.  It seems as though we have had winter-like weather since about last October..This AM was just barely 24 degrees F. with frost all over..But, the sun came out and stayed, for  goodness sake...So by afternoon it was 64 degrees in the shade..warmer of course where the sun hit.   Reminded me of the old Burma Shave roadside signs..It seems like we were always going the opposite direction so had to look  out the back car window and remember them from the last sign to the first...  "Don't stick your elbow out so far or it may go home in another car..Burma Shave."    "Spring has sprung the grass has ris where last year's careless drivers is..Burma Shave."    "Trains don't wander all over the map cause no one sits on the engineer's lap..Burma Shave.."   That was back in the middle west...It seems to me I have a book somewhere on the slogans...will have to look it up.. Anyway, a day like today is really nice once in awhile.  The weather forecast is for rain next week..  So, as I said, spring has sprung.

Song Magazines from The Past

Several years ago I bought a box of song books and  song magazines from an estate sale.  I went through them briefly then put the box away  until I had more time..  You know how that goes...I found the box again finally and started going through it.   Here were Song Hits and Hit Parader  magazines for mainly pop music..  Then came the Country Song Roundup and  National Jamboree  for mainly country.   I glanced through all of them seeing songs I had forgotten about and others that are ever on my mind.   Now I need to take the time to go through and  find songs I need and want the words to and copy on the copy machine in a bit larger print than in the  magazines...They are all printed so small..Really..They are..  Thanks for listening.

Listening To Music

      I hear people talk about music and what they like to listen to....  So many say they only listen to such and such music....  I think to myself that they are missing out on so much good music...   I have always  tried to sample all types of music..Sometimes that sample leads to more, as I realize I kind of like such and such music...I like all kinds from operetta, opera, waltzes,  classic country ,  The Beatles  and  so on..I try to catch the Andre Rieu programs when they come on PBS..  Then Celtic Thunder hit PBS and that is great, especially their current  Heritage...that just fascinates me..such a good program..  So you young people ,  listen to  golden oldies,  hear what the melodies and lyrics were like  in the 30's, 40's and 50's..Some great writers and music came out during those years..  And the singers...  There were so many singers that really could sing  , in tune etc.. When you listen to some of the modern music out there,  I  am glad I know the older music...Maybe that is what they were talking about when they spoke of the "generation gap".

New Projects.

When looking for new song material for a recording project, please check out my  songs  listed on the front of this site and on kariscottmusic.com....On iTunes and cdbaby.....Links on front page of this site and kariscottmusic.com....Thanks for listening...

New Recording Projects

When you are looking for  song material for a new recording project, please check out the  cd West Country with all original   country-style songs written by Michael Travis West...Michael is a BMI writer..He is on iTunes....There is a link to his page on cdbaby on the front page of  this site  and on kariscottmusic.com......Check it out....Thanks for listening..

Yodeling

The first time I heard yodeling, on the radio, when I was a little girl, I was so impressed...I really liked it...I used  to sit and try to learn to yodel but never could seem to get the hang of it...Even now I listen to yodeling and really enjoy it..The Swiss  and other European yodeling is always nice to listen to... There have been so many really good yodelers in this country..I will name the ones that come to mind now...I know there are many others...You can go on youtube and hear many........Elton Britt...Rosalie Allen...Margo Smith...Roy Rogers...Slim Whitman... Patsy Montana....Kenny Roberts....Girls Of The Golden West....The Dezurik Sisters, who sang There's A Silver Moon On The Golden Gate.....Wilf Carter(Montana Slim)....Jean Shepherd....Rex Allen....Eddy Arnold....Rod Erickson......So if you want to hear an art form of singing...yodeling...go on youtube and listen to some of these great yodelers  and enjoy....Who knows..maybe you will be able to learn to yodel and go on from there...

Writing A Blog

Usually when talking to people about all kinds of things, I seem to be able to hold my own  whether it is politics, weather or whatever...But when it comes to writing a blog  I sit here and wonder  what I should talk about...Sometimes, like today, I just start in and hope things start to jell...  Jell does make me think of the days when I made jelly...All growing season I would gather what I had growing in my garden..raspberries, loganberries,  strawberries,  Boysenberries and apples..  I got them ready for the  freezer  as I picked them...At the end of the  growing season I would take everything out of the freezer , put it in big  stainless bowl/basins...After all was thawed, the juice let loose so I squeezed it all  and started making the jelly..Being a mixed berry jelly was good as the above berries were strong enough flavored that I could  add a bit of water to stretch it out without taking away from the flavor..Oh yes, I had a few gooseberries  and red old fashioned currants that I added also.  Cooking all of it took a long time..I usually spent the whole day into the evening before I finished the project...Used to get 125 to 150 jars  i.e. some one third pint, half pint and pint jars..  It was so good...just juice, sugar and pectin....it possibly would have jelled without the pectin but after all the work  I didn't want to take any chances...  Everyone in the family  looked for their jars of jelly after it was all done...   You ask, what does this have to do with music?    Well, I was always a radio rambler  so  had the radio tuned in to good music  to listen to while I worked..It  seemed to make thiongs go along better...  You might ask why the apples...Well, apple juice adds juice  without  taking away the main flavor...Also I found that the apple helped clarify the jelly  because one of the marks of good jelly was to have it as clear as possible  and with apples, mine was....Those were good times...  Thanks for listening....

Quiet Shoes the Movie

Quiet  Shoes...the movie...is now available On Demand on CLICK  in the Tacoma, WA  area

Check it out..   Quiet uses my cut of Have You Ever Been  Lonely..    Also  two songs I wrote:  Yes, I'm Just  Looking   and Meet Me In Ponderay (written with Harvey Thomas)

MY SONGS

Just a reminder that some of the songs I have written or co-written are on my two cds...In The Beginning  Vol 1 and Vol 2.
All Of Our Dreams            Catch A Little Moonbeam           If Only I          See Me Through
What Lonliness Is           Meet Me In Ponderay           Soft Sand, Silver Stars          Tailgater
Still To Rock No More         Tell Me Honey           Wishing To Know       Yes, I'm Just Looking
You Know How It Feels To Cry

These songs are also available for your next recording project......Listen to them and think about what your interpretation would be...
Thanks for listening........

Happy New Year

An old year is gone and another year has dawned... I don't exactly  make resolutions...I usually write a list  of things I want to accomplish sometime in the future....Then as the year progresses, I try to work on some of the things on the list...Such as:  I have several notebooks of unfinished songs and stories/articles so have started a bit on that..
Also, over the years I have accumulated "paper"...it seems as though paper always says to me, "Oh, save me."......So I do...Well, I started looking at paper with new eyes as I have been going through things...I keep wondering why I saved some of these things  as I throw  the paper into a grocery bag which when full goes into the recycle bin...  The garbage company picks that up every two weeks...Since they started that a few months ago, I have really been trying to fill it up and thereby clear some shelf space...It is amazing when you see how much gathers up in the two weeks.   When the days are too cold and wet to do much outside, then is a good time to catch up on a few things...So maybe you too need to clear off the desk and a couple of shelves...Have at it....    Happy New Year...