Sunday, September 4, 2011
happy new year
Just this past May Paul Simon played in concert in Toronto. During the show Rayna Ford, a fan from Newfoundland, called out for Simon to play "Duncan," and said something to the effect that she learned to play guitar on the song. In a moment of astonishment and disbelief, Paul Simon invited her on stage, handed her a guitar and asked her to play it for the crowd. When she strapped on the guitar, the audience went crazy. In a few strums, the band played along, tears ran down Rayna Ford's cheeks and Simon stood by her side in smiles. It was so neat I had to show you.
It's September now, the end of summer, the Labor Day weekend, the beginning, in a way, of another new year. My two oldest friends both have birthdays coming soon - Belle's is tomorrow and Inger will see her own new year begin next week.
"You can go through life and make new friends every year - every month practically - but there was never any substitute for those friendships of youth that survive into adult years. Those are the ones in which we are bound to one another with hoops of steel."
Alexander McCall Smith - The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
It's also the fourth anniversary of Phantsythat and I'm so glad to know you.
♡
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Happie Annie!!!! I'll need to come back later to read up & leave you a decent comment......! ;)
ReplyDeletexxooxx
that was the best video I think I have ever seen and now I am crying..........! adore Paul Simon and feel like he's always been in my life somewhere the background.
ReplyDeletenow I am going to write my one oldest friend and invite her for tea....a lovely quote!
xxoooxxlinda
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SUSAN AND CROW!!!!
ReplyDeletevery cool video of the T.O. concert. what grace, to relinquish the stage completely, and give someone a few minutes they'll never forget. Simon & Gar's 'Sounds of Silence' was probably the second tune i learned to play on guitar.
i bumped into a childhood friend in a restaurant the other day, after several decades with no contact. hoops of steel indeed.
Amazing, I had tears watching this too, love Paul Simon.
ReplyDeleteHappy 4th anniversary Susan! I'm so happy to have met you.
Happy Anniversary! Traditional gifts for 4 year anniversaries are fruit and flowers, linen, silk, nylon and appliances. Since most of the appliances in my life have decided to go on strike lately, making me seriously consider joining the Amish, I wish you fruit and flowers, silks and linens.
ReplyDeleteSorry I haven't been by for a bit. Things have gotten a bit hectic with mom's care and broken machines.
Stopped by CR's site yesterday. Heartbreaking. My little neck of the woods got off pretty light, all things considered. I am very grateful.
Hope you are well.
Dear Susan,
ReplyDeleteThe video brought tears to my own eyes. What a great moment. :-)
Speaking of old, old friends. My very oldest and dearest friend whose name is Linda (the Linda we both love is another amazing Linda) called recently from her home in Florida. We had a marathon phone call and we both had tears of laughter in our eyes when we hung up. When one has that rapport with another, it is a true gift.
Four years of blogging. That is a long time to be in the virtual world. I "met" you when you were guest blogging for Lisa. Lucky me.
ReplyDeleteA typically Portuguese greeting and sometimes farewell of a friend is one light kiss on each cheek. So that is the idea I will leave you with. **
:-)
linda - Thank you, my friend. It was a wonderful video and a really nice treat after we'd spent several days listening to Simon and Garfunkle and then to Paul's later work. I think his songs have been in the background of many of our lives. I hope you get to have that cup of tea with your friend and in the meanwhile I'll raise my teacup to you. Salut :-)
ReplyDeletegfid - Gracias from us! It really was an amazing few minutes to see and I thought she did beautifully in a situation that would have dumbfounded even experienced musicians. My own very old favorite of his was 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' but I never did learn to play it. I spent an hour on the phone with Inger just last week (she lives in Philadelphia) and it was just the same.
marja-leena - The tears for this one are quite spontaneous, aren't they? My husband had the same reaction. Thanks so much for the good wishes and the feelings are very much mutual.
noodleepoodlee - I nice wish for sure as I love those things but not so much the appliances, however necessary. I haven't done much visiting this summer either, nor posted as often as I should have done. I hope your mother is better now. Yes, the storm left us pretty much alone too so I was most shocked when I looked at CR's photographs and read the news.
gina - Wasn't it amazing? Rayna's reaction felt like all our delight in such a magic moment. I'm glad you got to spend a good long time talking to your friend. There's something life affirming in being able to do so even if it only happens a couple of times a year. The thing is we seem to grow no older to one another.
I didn't remember that we met in that brief period, only that it had been quite a long time that seemed to be from the beginning or close to. I'm very glad we met and leave you for the moment with the same ** :-)
It's a great story and yes, Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteGary linked this on Facebook and I'm so glad he did so that I could see it tonight before I went to bed!
ReplyDeleteI love the video.
Congratulations on your four year milestone. While I've only known you for about that length of time, I'm so honored to call you friend.
Thanks so much for sharing that. I have tears streaming down my face for the memory he made for her, and the beauty of her AND of Paul Simon sharing that with her spur of the moment like that. A wonderful last thing to view before going to bed.
ReplyDeleteHappy blogoversary Susan. May there be many more!
ReplyDeleteI bought you the bestest present ever, but customs confiscated it, but if you sniff really hard, you might be able to smell the smoke's final curlicues.
ReplyDeletegary - It's largely because of a conversation I had with you. :-)
ReplyDeletelisa - Thanks for telling me and I'm glad you got to see it sooner than you would have done. To think I never knew what I might have to blog about. Getting to know you turned out to be among the best of things that's happened.
steve - I agree completely. His gracious gesture was a marvel as was her performance under pressure.
jams - Thanks so much.
randal - Awww. I hope you made good use of it.
Well, Happy Anniversary Susan, Crow and Phantsythat! The pleasure is mutual, and the enrichment of my life for knowing you is immeasurable.
ReplyDeleteGood for Rayna, having the courage to get up there and live a little piece of The Dream, and God bless Paul for being so friggin' cool that he took a chance and offered her that great gift. :)
cr - Thanks, the feeling is mutual. I'm very glad you caught the amazing video that shows true grace.
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