Remember Raffi

Baby boomers and others have been honored to listen to the irreverent and funny, Raffi.  I know him from when my kids were very young. He made new singable songs for kids - kind of like the Shel Silverstein of singing.  Perhaps some of you younger boomers heard him in your youth.

Now that I'm a grandparent, I need more songs to draw from my brain to sing to my grandbaby.  I'm thinking that this chant is the way to go:

If you get up in the morning at a quarter to one

and you want to have a little fun,

You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch....

If you get up in the morning at a quarter to two

and you want to find something to do,

You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch....

If you get up in the morning at a quarter to three

and you want to hum a tweedle dee dee,

You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch....

If you get up in the morning at a quarter to four

and you think you hear a knock at the door,

You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch....

If you get up in the morning at a quarter to five

and you just can't wait to come alive,

You brush your teeth ch ch ch ch, ch ch ch ch....

Remember Raffi with Raffi music

That tune is sung on his Singable Songs for the Very Young CD.  Go for it, see how much your memory recalls, and have a good laugh, too.

Lily, the Famous Black Bear

Back in January I noticed an article about a video first - of a black bear named Lily, giving birth.  It caught my interest because it took place near Ely, Minnesota, and I was born in Minnesota.  Also, technology never ceases to amaze me.  To capture a live bear birth from the den is just as amazing as walking on the moon in this baby boomer's mind.  Lily gave birth to Hope on January 22, 2010, and videos are all over the web.

The main site is the North American Bear Center.  It is certainly worth checking out.  There is a whole menu about Lily and Hope with FAQ's and photos and videos.  The biologist (Lynn Rogers) also started a "Lily the Black Bear" site on Facebook.  That too is quite interesting.  Of course, numerous videos are on You Tube as well.

I figured a blog about Lily was necessary.  After all, maybe some of you recall reading something about her, but never had time to look into the results?  We all get terribly busy in day to day events that affect our lives, so this  dramatic story may refresh them, and highlight life in general.

The Center has a mission statement worth repeating.  I quote:

"The mission of the non-profit North American Bear Center is to advance the long-term survival of bears worldwide by replacing misconceptions with scientific facts about bears, their role in ecosystems, and their relations with humans.
There is a huge need for accurate information about bears worldwide. 
Bears have been unfairly demonized for centuries.  Exaggerated perceptions of danger historically led to eradication campaigns using bounties, poison, trapping, and shooting.  All eight bear species around the world are now listed as vulnerable, threatened or endangered in all or portions of their ranges.  Remote habitats that once insured isolation and protection are now being occupied by people, and the attitudes of these people will determine the future of those populations. 
The Bear Center is dedicated to replacing misconceptions with facts worldwide.  It is also working to conserve bear habitat, stop poaching for bear body parts, rehabilitate injured and orphaned bears back to the wild, and implement methods to reduce conflict between humans and bears."

I live in an area where bears and humans overlap too much.  This is happening all over the country and we all need to be aware of the dire consequences.  This blog is my way of supporting the Bear center.

1973 Musings

A look back at the year 1973 came about when I wondered while I smiled at the memory of the delicious apothecary of Crabtree & Evelyn. It was founded in 1973 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The name "Crabtree" brought up sights and scents of great beauty.  The packaging of the all natural products was enough to give me great pleasure and desire for the products.

A certain Celtic tree love stimulates my inner time traveler when I look at the lovely crab tree.  It bears apples (wild apples of more than 1,000 varieties exist), and all sorts of tree lore. The many remedies of the crab tree even include divination. 

Yes, love and prosperity were foretold in more ceremonious ways than at the present time.  Now, one practices apple bobbing, or tossing an apple peel over the left shoulder to see if it forms the initial of a certain individual when it lands.

Apples aid digestion, cure constipation, and the bark of the tree can be used as a tonic reducing fever.  The crab apple detox can be internal and external (poultice).  The fruit leaves are also used.

1973 was a big year for most of us baby boomers.  Pontiac Firebirds were hot.  The World Trade Center became the tallest building in the world. Roe v Wade was made into a legalized U.S. Constitutional right.  Brando refused to receive his oscar for Best Actor in The Godfather (Best Picture).  The American troops left Vietnam (finally).  

Overseas the OPEC folks restricted crude oil flow and the price increased 200%.  Not good! Europe entered into a recession.  

Funny how some of this history seems to resonate today, in 2010.  One thing though, Crabtree & Evelyn have a wonderful online outlet with discounts up to 75%.  This is an amazing grace of all natural health and beauty products including; spa goods, soaps, candles, fragrances, and even scented drawer liners.  Maybe even some of the discounts are like the 1973 prices.