The (New & Improved) HYENA KITCHEN

       Hiya gang, and welcome to “old” music Wednesday.   Just a quick Happy Birthday acknowledgement to Norman Smith - born February 22 nd , 1923 - sadly, he passed in March of 2008. Why? “Normal” Norman was a producer and engineer at EMI responsible for engineering The Beatles through Rubber Soul (about 100 Beatle songs in all). It was John who coined the nickname “normal” for Smith’s laidback nature. At the end of the Help sessions, The Beatles recorded a demo of one of Smith’s songs that remains unreleased - replaced at the last minute by “Act Naturally,” because Ringo needed a track.      Smith went on to produce a new group called Pink Floyd - during the sessions for A Saucer Full of Secrets - Floyd’s 2 nd album drummer Nick Mason could not find the right part, but Smith knew what he wanted and played drums on the track himself.      In the early 70’s Smith decided to try his hand at a solo career.   Under the n...

  As always, it was there waiting for him. As if by some unseen magic. A gift from the Gods. The sun had found the tiniest crack in the curtains and pried his eye open to the acknowledgement of morning. Feet shuffled across the cold floor, comforter wrapped around him offering little comfort, carrying into the kitchen. There is was - inexplicably waiting - and inexplicably still hot.   The cup that held the endless possibilities of the day. The hopes and dreams, the necessary hash marks to check of day’s to-do-list. The power and grace needed to survive the waking hours. The cup of quests, that called to man since the dawn of time. Always ready. Always hot. Always there. It warmed his fingers as his hands embraced. He raised it to his lips. All things were now possible.

Enough. That is a word I’ve used a lot the past two years. It fit an array of emotions.  But, it is also a goal. The writer C. K. Chesterton said, “There are two ways to get enough: One is to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less.”  I seek a happiness that holds few possessions. Less is enough.  I still struggle to embrace the knowledge that physical possessions are not permanent. . .and as another move looms on the horizon, I find myself again considering the impermanence of these things. Yet there are some things I desire - possessions that lend themselves to happiness (see photo) - hence the struggle. Yesterday, I ventured out in the world. . . ew, the world, right? . . . armed with a few extra shekels in my pocket and the hope of treating myself to a little something, something.  Only to find my favorite vintage clothing shop is now boarded up. The local museum shop is charging local museum shop prices for an exhibit poster I thought I...

 A cause very near and dear to my heart, so often overlooked among all the other causes.  Remember that February is Bacon Awareness Month. From the eighteen strips on the Lumberjack Special at your local diner to that extra shake of bits on tonight's salad, the National Bacon Association is appreciative. Bacon Awareness allows for certain  religious exceptions for Lent and Passover, should they occur during February - you got me, I don't know when either are happening. Bacon makes a surprising Valentines' alternative, as well as an acceptable menu suggestion for those of you celebrating a nice, quiet Presidents Day at home with the kids. So, Bacon Up!