More celebration -- sweet and solemn

Thank you, Gd, for granting me health and ability to have lived another year and to see my girls off to camp for another summer.

Here we are, in Toronto. Tonight we continue the celebration of Marty's milestone birthday after having spent many happy hours in the car listening to his newly-loaded, shiny, black iPod. We will get out the guitars, piano and accordion and sing songs in at least three languages tonight. I can't wait for the festivities to begin. Marty was so ecstatic with his gift. I can see that it has awakened him to the individual's Technology-given right to the world of sound/music/thought choice in a world of "music-by-the-pound," to quote my genius music buddy Allan Watsky.

Tomorrow, we have a sad celebration -- my mother's unveiling. We will be reading from Mum's memoirs about the war years, "Be Decent." These were the last words her mother ever said to her before she kissed my mother and sent her off to whatever unknown fate would await her toward the east of Poland. The unveiling begins at 11 a.m. at the Mount Sinai cemetery on Wilson Avenue. Afterward we will host an informal reading of the memoirs and allow for Mum's good friends to share their thoughts and feelings.

Then I will be feeling the absence of my mother as I put the kids on the bus and say good bye for the summer. We used to do this together. It is painfully empty to do it without her now.

Time to tune up the guitar and get ready for tonight.

A great big "EHLLO!" to my Scrabble family who are at Annette's tournament in Albany this weekend. May the Tile Gods be with you! I look forward to reading about it on ISC later.

And Romuald, not only will I be thinking about you tomorrow, but I am thinking about you now, too. Thanks for sharing your stories with me. My mother and you would have gotten on so well. You believe the same things the same way. You are both so strong and possessed of such incredible tenacity and spirit. I am so sorry you did not get a chance to meet.

Love,
Lynda

HaPpY bIrThDaY mArTy!!!!

JUNE 22, 2006 -- Okay, are you ready? Because you are probably going to read this when you're at work. It's better if you follow the directions when you get home.

And please don't be alarmed by the fact that the GuitarGirl Army is out there, watching. ;->

I'm kinda spoiling your surprise, but I don't think you'll mind too much.

Open your document file. There is a folder in there called LODZ. Click on that folder. What do you see? You see iTunes, right? Of course you do. Open the iTunes program and take a look in the library. All of your favourite tunes are already loaded up for you. Now, if you'll check your podcast directory, I've already signed you up for one of my favourites (Kol Cambridge) and as you read this, with your iTunes open on the desktop, you will be able to see that your latest podcast is being downloaded right now.

Incidentally, I chose the LODZ folder in which to hide the iTunes because I knew you'd never go in there unless I was around. Oh, and by the way, now that the secret is out, you can restore the iTunes in your startup files. I took it out, of course. Because I knew you'd wonder about it if you saw it. And I did not want to spoil the surprise that way: I wanted to spoil it this way. :)

So the surprise is not over yet. Looky looky here....

Lovely, isn't it? We may make you chase all over the house to find it. (tee hee!)

Okay, okay, we won't. Just tell us when you can't stand it anymore and we'll be sure to find it and give it to you. I know it's around here somewhere. But they're making them so small these days. Darn my memory. I know it's in a good place...

And since we're going for the full disclosure here -- thanks to your meticulous bookkeeping, I did not put this sleek and life-altering toy on the credit card or use a cheque to buy it. I knew that you'd detect it right away.

You'll have to ask Someone You Know Very Well But Who Is Not A Blood Relative to tell you how we pulled this one off.

Honey, we hope you have the best birthday of your life so far, and may it be the worst one ever...may they only get better and better with each passing year.

With love from me and the whole family....

xoxoxoxoxo
moi

New Orleans Potholes Brass Band Update!

BILOXI, MS -- My favourite N.O. fonkified brass band frontman, sousaphonist and bandleader Rob Espino, is working hard at helping the clean-up effort on the beaches in the aftermath of Katrina.

Here's my hot tip: Do yourself a favour and check out an amazing piece of music. Buy the new Potholes CD at www.louisianamusicfactory.com and help support a great band!

Love,
Lynda
xoxoxo