Five Songs

Hi.

Apparently I'm much chattier than I sometimes give myself credit for being because I found it agonizingly difficult to not give a wordy explanation during my "photo only" letter.  ( I guess I should have realized this since Jered teases me about my story-telling fairly often.)

I will simply tell you that even though Jered caught a nice sized catfish on Saturday, we were the only ones who got fried.  Major pain in the Flinkman household.  We even braved, to borrow a term from The Princess Bride: the pit of despair, more commonly known as the West Des Moines Walmart, to pick up some aloe.  The lines were so long, and our burns were so bad, that we started applying that sanity-saving aloe before we even made it to the register.

Ok, on to the next prompt, yes?  Just a couple left!

The prompt for today is five songs or pieces of music that speak to me or bring back memories.  I know I've shared such songs with you before, so I'll try to make some new selections today.  (Clicking on the name of the song will take you to the youtube page so you can hear what I'm babbling on about.)
Home, by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, was the only song Jered chose for our wedding.  Please note that this wasn't because I was a controlling bridezilla, but because our exit song was the only one he cared about choosing.  Even without the emotional ties to my wedding day, let alone the moment immediately following being announced as husband and wife for the first time, I love this song.  It's cheerful, catchy, and the sentiment is adorable.  Who doesn't want to be the apple of somebody's eye?
You're Not Alone was my introduction to Meredith Andrews.  I've shared a few of her songs with you, but I don't know if I shared the one that originally hooked me on her music.  I actually sang this song at church, so I've ironically linked a bit of anxiety to the song that reminded me of God's enveloping comfort.  He's mercifully allowed me to focus more on the lyrics than the terror of public performance, and this song stirs my heart, nearly bringing me to tears every time I hear it.
Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony is amazing, you guys.  I know, normally I share songs with you because of the meaningful lyrics, but sometimes you need the feelings without all the words cluttering up your ears.  The 4th Movement is probably my favorite of all the pieces I've played in bands over the years.  (So if you don't have time to listen to the whole forty minutes, just listen to this eleven minute movement... but really, listen to it in its entirety sometime.  If you haven't heard it yet, you'll thank me.)  Anyway, if you were a musician and anything like me, you probably know that some pieces are just the right mix of challenge and fun.  Not so easy that you get bored, but not so complicated that you just can't get it even after hours and hours of practicing.  It's fun to play and listen to because of the combination of powerful and sweet, beautiful sections.  (I'm listening to it at this very moment and thinking I really need to purchase it.  I'm also thinking I could write letter upon letter just on classical music that I love.)  I can honestly say that although my initial feelings about joining the TIU Band wouldn't have led me to believe this as possible, listening to this brings back some truly lovely memories.
Time for a musical number?  I think so.  I would choose every single song in Meet Me in St. Louis, but I'm supposed to limit this letter to five, right?  Since we just got Summer rolling, I won't choose Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas... however, I will say that Judy Garland's rendition is awesome, and if you choose to look it up yourself, then that's just a bonus.  The Boy Next Door is my choice for today.  I mean, what girl hasn't experienced that lovesick feeling?  I also just love, love, love Judy Garland's crooning; it makes me wish I was a movie star or singer from her time.  Everything about this movie reminds me of when I was little because I loved it so much.
Ok, now I feel like Aladdin trying to make his three wishes.  So much pressure to choose the ones that are just right.  For the fifth song today, I'd have to go with... hmm.  Choosing the final song is much more difficult than the others.  I'm going with For Good from Wicked.  Not only does this song bring back memories of many car rides spent belting out the entire soundtrack with Katie and watching the show on the verge of tears because it's just that amazing, but it holds such a bittersweet message.  The idea of parting with someone you love so much, but never truly being without them because of the changes they've made in your heart, hits home for me.  I can hardly get to the end of this song with dry eyes. 
Well, there you have it.  Five of the songs that have been etched on my heart for one reason or another.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Aim