Homesick...

Despite being in Alaska for six years now, I still miss Michigan.  It becomes an issue when I think of fall and the trees.  The smells, the temperatures, the colors, and my memories combine to make me yearn for the Copper Country.  For whatever reason, most individuals with Finnish ancestry loathe leaving their hometown.  Yet financial and other burdens make leaving home a necessary evil.

While longing for the trees, I started thinking about mine-rock.  Mine-rock happens to be a type of igneous rock.  The igneous rock found most commonly in the Copper Country, which also gets called mine-rock, would be basalt.  Basalt looks dark gray, nearly black, it often contains white streaks and other minerals within it.  I fondly recall climbing rock piles comprised of basalt as a child.  Never thought I would miss it.

Every time I leave Houghton County to return to Alaska, I cry.  Although I love Golovin, it will never replace the affinity I have for Bootjack.  My parents, my best friend's family, and a few close friends are all that remains in Michigan for me.  Yet I miss it with all of my heart.

We do not have deciduous trees in Golovin that change colors.  We have tag elders that people call "willows" here.  They do not change into fiery reds, flame oranges, and brilliant yellows.  One or two days in the fall, the tundra turns a bright red/orange color.  It is beautiful in its own way, but it only makes me long for what I do not see.

"When the autumn leaves are falling to the ground, when the air gets cold, and I think of us as you and I
And it almost makes me cry.  Songs sounding kind of bittersweet and the memories fill with tears and I think my heart will break..."  ABBA

I miss football Saturdays and walks in the woods.  The sounds and smell of autumn leaves on the ground.  And I wonder, will I ever experience those things again?  Or will they remain fond memories forevermore?

Johnny played guitar...

"Pop Goes the World" by Men Without Hats.  A feel good song on St. Patrick's Day from the band that may be just as well known for "the Safety Dance."  When they ask "whatever happened to the Duke of Earl" I ponder that same question.

Music has evolved so much since the 1950s.  I wonder if any of the musicians from that particular era are surprised.  Or do they even think about it at all?  Lately I have been very involved in Country Oldies.  It amazes and pleases me that Rock-A-Billy and Doo Wop evolved into Rock N' Roll.  I LOVE MUSIC.

Without it my heart would cease beating in any discernable rhythm.  Thank God for it and its many genres.  :)

Bad Connection...

Yaz.  My love of Yazoo aka Yaz began with Erasure.  Discovering that one member of Erasure had been in a band before, intrigued me.  Then I decided to find out more about Yazoo.  Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet created a unique sound in the early 1980s.  Clarke was formally the keyboardist for Depeche Mode.

Alison Moyet's voice blew me away!  I quickly became addicted to their music.  It was number one on my favorites list for a time.  Like all bands, this period of obsession fades a bit for me, but Yaz still remains one of my favorite bands.  It ranks up there with ABBA, DM, the Killers, and No Doubt.

This song is about a phone call.  Trying to call her love on the telephone, Alison is getting frustrated.  It never made a dent on the Billboard charts, but I love it!  :)