Q is for Quintessence

Today's word is Quintessence. Literally, it means the fifth essence. The four elements of the classical age were fire, water, earth and air. However, the ancients believed that celestial bodies were made of something even purer. A fifth element, or essence.

This fifth essence was considered the highest, most ideal substance. Over time, the word quintessesnce has come to signify the essential example of something. This is similar to the Platonic notion of ideal forms, the purest idea of things that exist in the mind.

Today we think of the quintessential as a perfect example of something. Lou Gehrig as the quintessential ball player. The Empire State building as the quintessential skyscraper. Alas, most of the world remains rooted in the less than ideal. But we will always have those quintessential forms to strive for.

P is for Pumpkin

Sure its' a long time until Thanksgiving, but that's no reason to ignore my favorite gourd. Besides, great-grandpa McKenna can still get pumpkin pies at his local dollar store. (what's the expiration date?)

Pumpkins are favorites in our family because you can both eat them and make fun decorations out of them! Here is one that the kids carved a few years ago. Can you guess what the carving is?


It's a hot Pie!!!! Pumpkin pie, that is.

Here is what it looked like in the dark.


To paraphrase Warren Zevon. "Enjoy every pie."

O is for Oddities

Today's oddity is the Laotian rock rat, or rat squirrel to some. This is either a member newly discovered rodent family, or a living example of a species thought to have died off a million years ago.

The Laotians seem not to be surprised by it, however. One of the first sightings of this strange animal was at a meat market - someone was in for a tasty treat!

I am sure that Kristin, who loves rodents of all shapes and sizes, would love to have one for her very own. Me, I kinda wonder what they taste like?

Stay tuned for more oddities in the future.

N is for New Jersey.

I still consider myself a native New Yorker, but living in New Jersey for the past 26 odd years has given me an appreciation for the Garden State.


Like many, I had the preconception that New Jersey was simply a mass of highways that linked New York with points south. I have come to learn that most of the state, however, does not look or smell like exit 13 on the NJ Turnpike. Though the mountains are more like hills, New Jersey offers wonderful beaches, fertile farm lands, and the wonderful, swampy Pine Lands.




When you are in New Jersey, you are never far from a mall, pizza parlor, or 24-hour diner. You can get subs in the north, hoagies in the south, and (relatively) cheap gas everywhere - which you do not have to pump yourself. Our politicians are no more corrupt than those in other states, they are just more open about it.




You can root for the Phillies and the Eagles, or the Mets and Giants, but not all four. I think all the Jets fans live in New York. And the best way to find out where in the state someone lives, really is to ask "what exit", just be sure to specify turnpike or parkway.


More about New Jersey in the future.

M is for Mason Gross

The Mason Gross School of the Arts is Rutgers University's arts conservatory. Son Joseph had auditioned for entrance to the school last year and recently was notified of his acceptance.

Congrats Joe!

Mason Gross has been around for 30 years, after the fine arts programs were given their own degree granting school. It offers programs in Dance, Music, Theater Arts, and Visual Arts, and offers degrees up to the doctorate level. The current graduate and undergraduate enrollment is about 1000. The school is named after a former Rutgers president who dreamed of establishing a center for fine and performing arts. It is located on the Douglas campus, but includes many performing venues throughout Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ locations.

The music department offers degrees in classical performance, jazz and music education (Joe's major). Students perform a wide range of concerts, and often travel to show their expertise. The school has established a "Rutgers in New York" program with performances at Carnegie Hall and the Blue Note Jazz Club.

L is for Lucy

The many Skills of Lucy Lawless

I learned to enjoy watching Lucy as Xena: Warrior Princess. She was able to play the stoic, kick-ass, female action hero who would often remind people of her many skills. She was even better as the Evil Xena who got that special glint in her eyes when she was slitting throats. Lucy also played the goofy, inept Meg and several other comic characters with self-depricating humor.

Here are some other views Lucy. What a woman!

Cleaning up on the Xena set.

A punk-rock cameo in Spiderman

Belting out a tune (Lucy appeared for a while as Rizzo in Grease, and has done some recording).

Lucy: Maternity Princess

As D'anna on the new Battlestar Galactica. Lucy plays a Cylon disguised as a reporter, reprising some of her Evil Xena bad girl skills.

At home, with lizard.

K is for Knowledge

If indeed we are the sum of our memories, then knowledge is one manifestation of that sum. Knowledge, though, is more than rote memorization. Knowledge implies information that is organized, integrated, and applied. It can be trivial or profound, but it transcends simple facts.

Knowledge may be grounded in experiences, but it allows us to grow beyond them. It fuels the imagination. It allows us to extrapolate into the future, beyond our memories of the past. Knowledge allows us to be deductive and intuitive. It exceeds the boundaries of ourselves and lets us expand into the world, the universe. Knowledge gives us hope, fear, dreams, a sense of our place in space and time.

To learn is to grow. Seek Knowledge, seek change, seek to be more tomorrow than you are today.



Life is Change
How it differs from the rocks
I've seen their ways too often for my liking
New worlds to gain
My life is to survive
and be alive
for you.

Jefferson Airplane

J is for Jorma

We very much enjoyed the show with Jorma Kaukonen and Barry Mitterhoff, hosted by David Bromberg. Local boy Bromberg (his violin shop is down the block), led off with some up tempo tunes, including the Angel Band's version of Just Call Me Angel of the Morning. Jorma then joined the group for a few songs before the intermission. He returned, accompanied by the versatile Barry Mitterhoff on mandolin, banjo, dobro, and guitar. They played a lot of old time blues and vintage Hot Tuna songs. The musicianship was spectacular, all around.

Here are Jorma's remarks about the show (from his web site).

The trip in yesterday was long but pleasant. I haven't been to Wilmington for well over 20 years, and it had changed much. The show was great... David was joined by the Angel Band and a number of other friends. Really good stuff.Here is our set list:

Jorma Kaukonen & Barry Mitterhoff 13, 2005 Visiting With David Bromberg
The Grand Opera House Wilmington, Delaware Friday, February 24, 2006

1. Blue Railroad Train
2. I'll Let You Know Before I Leave
3. More Than My Old Guitar
4. Heart Temporary
5. Serpent Of Dreams
6. Parchman Farm
7. Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burning
8. Bread Line Blues
9. Come Back Baby
10. Search My Heart
11. Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out
12. Living In the Moment
13. Good Shepherd
14. I Am The Light Of This World
15. Just Because (with David Bromberg)
16. Encore: Hesitation Blues (with David Bromberg)

We're going to be on the road with David this summer and I'm really looking forward to it. Now to bed...

I especially enjoyed I Am The Light Of This World, my favorite from Quah. It was also great to hear Jorma's take on Nobody Knows You When You're Down & Out, and Dylan's It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It takes a Train to Cry - done by David and Jorma during the opening set.

I is for In My Life

There are places I’ll remember

All my life though some have changed

Some forever not for better

Some have gone and some remain

All these places have their moments

With lovers and friends I still can recall

Some are dead and some are living

In my life I’ve loved them all

Lennon-McCartney

I often think of those moments, and those no longer with us. It is amazing how we carry the memories of people long gone, giving them life within ourselves. In the end, is that what we are? The sum of our memories?

I recall my highschool friend Jim Sammons, who died too young. I think of my favorite uncles, Ray Hughes and Bill Van Zandt. I am thankful for Jim and Harriet Gapski, who helped shape many lives. I often think of them, and others both living and dead. Some are near and some are far removed in place and time, but I carry the memories of them. And I am glad to have had them all in my life.

H is for Hendrix

Terri Hendrix that is.

















The songwriters that I most admire write about very personal observations that, somehow, have universal impact. John Lennon remarked that he often realized long after a song was written, that it was about him - even though he might not have realized it as it was being composed. And I've previously mentioned how Ray Davies' songs were built from his observations - describing the world as viewed from his London flat, in a way that everyone can relate to.

Terri Hendrix's songs have the same effect. She sings about her life growing up with her sister; her relationships with friends and lovers; struggling to get a mortgage when you are an independent artist; and dealing with life's ups and downs as they occur. She sings these songs with a voice that proclaims the honesty of the lyrics, and music that echoes the rhythms of life's every day dramas.

Terri writes a newsletter almost every month, describing her current goings on, along with stories from her past. These are available in the goatNotes section of her web site - www.terrihendrix.com. In her June 2005 newsletter, Terri revealed her ongoing struggles with epilepsy. Reading her story gave new insight to many of her songs. Her album The Art of Removing Wallpaper speaks of tearing away the facades we build to hide things from ourselves, and learning to deal with the realities of our lives.

When Terri sings about the things she truly loves, her friends, her dogs, her family - you can feel the passion and the joy in every note. I invite you all to visit Terri's site. There are some free downloads and many soundbites in the discography section, and some great photos in the Aquarius pages.

These days when I need to be
Stronger than I am
I explode in the dark
No one hears a word
It's like the dream when you scream
But you can't be heard

Now you can cover it up with wallpaper
Cover it up with paint or
Hang a masterpiece on the wall
Sooner or later the days gonna come
When you have to face
What's underneath it all

Breakdown

Lyrics and Music (Terri Hendrix)