How many times do you get the lyrics wrong?

I wish I could just say that 

I am getting old and leave it at that ....

But I have been getting the lyrics wrong for 

DECADES!

I was listening to my favorite oldies station today,

and this song came on.....

THE ASSOCIATION

"Along Comes Mary"

Every time I think that I'm the only one who's lonely

Someone calls on me

And every now and then I spend my time in rhyme and verse

And curse those faults in me

And then along comes Mary

And does she want to give me kicks , and be my steady chick

And give me pick of memories

Or maybe rather gather tales of all the fails and tribulations

No one ever sees

When we met I was sure out to lunch

Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

When vague desire is the fire in the eyes of chicks

Whose sickness is the games they play

And when the masquerade is played and neighbor folks make jokes

As who is most to blame today

And then along comes Mary

And does she want to set them free, and let them see reality

From where she got her name

And will they struggle much when told that such a tender touch as hers

Will make them not the same

When we met I was sure out to lunch

Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

And when the morning of the warning's passed, the gassed

And flaccid kids are flung across the stars

The psychodramas and the traumas gone

The songs are left unsung and hung upon the scars

And then along comes Mary

And does she want to see the stains, the dead remains of all the pains

She left the night before

Or will their waking eyes reflect the lies, and make them

Realize their urgent cry for sight no more

When we met I was sure out to lunch

Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

Now I know that I cannot possibly be the only Baby Boomer that got this 

verse absolutely wrong....

Now,

this is what I thought for over 40 years that they were saying.....

"M-O-U-T cup is as sweet as a cup...."

I know...

makes no sense at all....but that is what I heard,

and besides, the 60's didn't really make much sense, anyway.

Thank God for Google,

(no they don't pay me to say that)

 there are plenty BB's out there who would really like to know the 

lyrics to our favorite songs.....before we can't remember 

what the name of the song was...

(that is actually a problem right now but that's another story)

And

so

We

Google

for the answer....

How about you?

Have you been singing the wrong lyrics, too?

What song, and what have you been singing?

Please share with me.....so I don't feel so silly....

smiles.

Desiderata

Go placidly
amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace
there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender
be on good terms
with all persons.
Speak your truth
quietly and clearly; and listen
to others
even to the dull and ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself
with others,
you may become
vain or bitter,
for always there will be
greater and lesser persons
than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements
as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career,
however humble;
it is a real possession in the
changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution
in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you
to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere
life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity
and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering
the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit
to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself
with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of
fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not
it is clear to you,
no doubt
the universe is unfolding
as it should.
Therefore
be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery
and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

--Max Ehrmann

Or....

be a grump....

smiles....

The BAKW.....winter version....

Yes,

I spent a good portion of the day in front of my 

Big Ass Kitchen Window

taking in the sites....

Yesterday's bird photos were all taken there....

And yesterday evening,

as my sweetie made us dinner,

I started the afternoon coffee and sat down to watch

a bit more of the bird soap opera...

People were venturing out,

walking dogs,

playing in the snow,

clearing their front porches,

getting their mail from last week....

I love my BAKW!

It is my window on the world.

The bird feeder is only a few feet outside and

the birds hardly notice me, inside.

Hope your day is calm 

and bright...

smiles.

Snow Birds....

this morning they came...

as soon as it was light....

they flew in silently...

at least,

for a while...

and then,

the crowd started to gather....

and they all had things to say.

They talked about the traffic...

the weather...

the kids...

the accomodations..

the relatives...

you name it,

it was spoken of...

and then they "broke bread"...

and scurried around the brunch buffet...

"Enjoy" said I....

Holiday observations...

Do things seem slightly strange around your house?

Sounds that creep in from outside....Getting to you?

Maybe there are strange smells emanating from your kitchen.....

or even your fireplace...

What's it all about Alfie?

It is the Holidays....

it started way back in the early fall....

no more waiting until after Thanksgiving to think about 

the HOLIDAYS!

And so it is...

hurried shopping-check

crowds-check

snarled traffic-check

crazed parents-check

excited squealing children-check

satisfied smiling grandparents-check

Here are some things I have noticed;

neighbors, who normally don't speak - talking and laughing

children, who would normally leave the table in a flash - doing the dishes

smiles from people who wear a frown 11 1/2  months of the year

strange sitings in the neighborhood...

One of those strange sightings was a 

partially "dressed" Christmas tree, lying on the curb,

Apparently thrown out in haste.

Now, that's odd....it appeared nearly a week ago....

it is a fresh green tree, with a string or two of

colored lights. 

And yet, there it is,

waiting for the dump truck.

Well, for a person with an enquiring mind....

this is food for fodder.....

what brought on this fit of 

Tree tossing?

Where is the culprit?

Why?

Was he/she mad at the difficulty with which lights are strung?

Was there a fight?

Someone wanted white lights, and the stringer wanted colored?

Who won?

What are they doing about Christmas now?

Why weren't we all informed, so that we didn't have to guess?

As you can see.... the person with the enquiring mind is in a dilemma

Well,

I was sitting with my sweetie at the coffee shop when a neighbor

stopped by for a chat.

Seems the person who owned the tree in question, had 

brought it home, set it up in a stand,watered it, let the limbs relax,

and then,

started to string the lights....when all of a sudden

they noticed 

SPIDERS!

everywhere....coming out of the tree!

apparently, some spider momma had laid her eggs

earlier in the year, and went off to die,

leaving her eggs to incubate for the winter,

hoping to hatch in the spring.

But NO@!

Mr. Tree Farmer came along in the fall and 

chopped that tree down,

wrapped it up,

and took it to town 

for sale.....

Ever hear of such a thing?

not me....smiles...

Very popular in the 70's....

Remember Kahil Gibran?

He wrote The Prophet

which was particularly popular in the late 1970's.

He was a Lebanese-American 

who had a rather interesting life.

This is one of my favorite quotes...

Wake at dawn with a winged heart 

and give thanks for another day of loving

.- Kahlil Gibran

Doesn't that just paint the finest of all possible 

scenarios for you?

Is that the way you would always like to awaken?

me too...

Fortunately,... I did this morning.

Re-freshed and well rested

(don't hate me)

because my annual Christmas party is 

behind me now....

We had lots of fun..

we always do,

but as with most things

holiday, it required preparation 

weeks in advance.

We are blessed though...

friends that truly appreciate us,

and the effort we put into 

our holiday events.

I hope that your 

holidays are worth every bit of effort 

that you put into them.

and more.....

smiles!

And the word was...

Authenticity...

"(in existentialist philosophy) relating to or denoting

 an emotionally appropriate, significant, purposive,

 and responsible mode of human life."

That is where I wanted to go this year, 2010.

I endeavored to place myself in a "mode"

of authenticity....

As I interpreted it,

it meant; to be 

who I really am,

without pretense...

false behavior,

or two-faced communication.

It was surprisingly easy....

to be me...

(no, I won't break out in song, promise)

but it had an unexpected consequence...

I started to become aware of the lack

of authenticity in the world around me.

It hurt.

I didn't like it at all....

and,

I found

that 

I have little tolerance for it, anymore.

I believe that we tolerate behavior

in order to 

"get by"...

and then we become immune to it.....

we fail to recognize it for what it is.....

we begin to think of it as the norm.

Sorry,

but that sucks.

I hope

that I never become immune to lack of authenticity again.

Even though, being acutely aware of it has 

some unintended consequences too...

it narrows your playing field,

your playmates become fewer,

and you may not even be able to tolerate your own family much,

but 

you 

may 

find

that you 

find 

serenity.....

smiles.