Doing Without

Years back, when I worked as a truckstop waitress, it became sort of a standard practice, tag line kind of thing that a lot of the truckers would come in that establishment and as usually happens, ya know, when I would approach this or that one to wait on them, they would often ask the same question.

How're ya doin'?" And depending on if it was a driver I knew fairly well, my "standard" answer would most always be a one word response = "Without."

The guys who knew me understood though when I said that I might be referring to doing without all different kinds of things -generally though, it was intended to mean money but some of them like to put a totally different spin to my meaning too at times.

And, today -to try to continue with my idea of finding something that ultimately is a good thing, something to think about along the holiday line that is coming at the end of this month -Thanksgiving -to give a little recognition to the many things I know I have -and probably most of you have the same or similar thoughts along these lines too then.

In preparation for the annual bazaar that the women of our church have the first Saturday in November and which is coming up this Saturday now, I figured that today would be an ideal day for me to dig in and do some baking for the baked goods table.

Since our successful run last Monday up to Kane, PA where Mandy and I got me a big bag of good soft and smooth rye flour, I planned then to bake several loaves of one of my favorite things - Swedish Limpa Rye bread. And, because I had such good success too in the past two weeks with a really yummy white bread recipe -that if it is made right, makes some great Swedish (sweet) flatbread or as we call it here, KaKa bread. (That is pronounced like "cock-a" not like the Spanish for a not so nice substance.)

So I set out late this morning to get cracking on the bread baking!

I mixed up two batches of the Limpa Rye and then, a batch of the white bread and had it all in various stages of the rising process, then the baking -also in stages -then all afternoon.

Since it was about noontime, I decided to bring the "boombox" type radio/cd/tape player thing out to the kitchen and tune in the AM station from Philipsburg (WPHB) so I could listen to the noon news and then, maybe stay tuned to that frequency while I was baking and be able to hear some neat country music.

When the news and their public service announcements ended, the first piece of music the dj played then was Willie Nelson -one of my favorite artists -singing "Without a Song."

As I was beginning to mix up my first batch of bread, listening to this piece -which by the way is also a favorite song of mine too -it even got me in the mood where I was singing along with good old Willie too.

And, in doing that, paying more attention then to the lyrics, sort of got me to waxing a bit sentimental too about how I feel about music -something I do love, used to be a decent enough alto singer but my voice just ain't today what it used to be, ya know.

But my thoughts ran the gamut there about what would life, our world, be like if there were no music? Music to really rock to, music that soothes the soul -just like in the Old Time Rock 'n' Roll, or American Pie ya know. Music that also soothes us in many other ways, sweet, slow, mellow sounds too -or in gospel songs that also move the soul in other directions. Classical that can cover all kind of emotions too.

And I like just about all forms of music -from church music -which is a good thing I do like that because that's the only type of music I have ever been able to play on the piano or organ. (Not that I did back years ago when I was church organist, that very well and I sure don't do a good job with it all today but still, I do occasionally like to sit at the organ and try to play some of my favorite hymns every now and again. I like mainly rock from the 50s, 60s and 70s and I went from disliking country music back in the early 60s to enjoying lots and lots of different country artists who were around then and many who still are today. All three of my kids and I are very big fans of the late Johnny Cash -just something about his work that rarely disappoints me. Him and another old favorite in the country genre, Tom T. Hall. Yeah, I could sit and listen to either of them sing and just as easily switch from listening to their twangy stuff to enjoying Jack Jones, Frank Sinatra and then, go to yet another level for the Righteous Brothers or the Beatles or the Stones. Eclectic? Well a bit anyway.

I kept that radio station tuned in there all day as it played lots and lots of country stuff and now and again, had me alternating between just bouncing to the beat to even belting out a song too now and again if they happened to hit on a number I knew and remembered many of the words to it too!

And it kept me calm, mellow even you could say, so I kept plugging away at my breads I was making and just enjoying the nice mood and frame of mind the music was keeping in me.

And so for today, I would hope that the music never dies. That it is always with us to wake us up, move us in many different directions too and may life never be without a song.

And that's what I'm really thankful for today -November 3, 2010!