The delicious aroma of barbecue wafted throughout the neighborhood yesterday, Memorial Day, which marked the start of the summer season for parks, pools, the shore...

It seemed everyone were at their grills.  My father's aide and I brought him to the local park Memorial Day.  It was the perfect day for his amusement; the aromas of steak, hot dogs or hamburgers, slivers of sunshine caressing trees in full bloom offering generous shade and comfort, mother's pushing their babies' strollers, children's playfulness and laughter. Everyone came together and knew nothing but happiness and contentment.

Grilling brings back so many fond memories of family and friends huddled at a lake or deck, the bbq working its magic.  I have to admit, I NEVER grilled; wokked, but not grilled though more and more women are flipping hamburgers side-by-side with their husbands/boyfriends who insist on being master of the grill.  And in the background, the music plays, ever prevalent, ever present.

My favorite bbq meal?  A slightly charred steak, red and juicy on the inside, a corn on the cob, a slice of cold watermelon, and a glass of red wine.  Perfection.

 

Looking forward to get-togethers, none allowing any of us to forget a childhood gaffe or prank; pulling out the guitars for silly sing alongs while my father plays his harmonica or tambourine, living his musical past the best he can. 

Summer's right around the corner.  Happy barbequing everyone!

 

 

Summertime, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong


Summer Breeze, Seals and Croft


Daydream, John Sebastian of The Lovin Spoonful

Memorialize

 

http://www.memorialize.com/

"Memorialize, according to the dictionary definition, means to record lastingly with a monument. And pondering that definition brings up an intriguing question of philosophy and psychology. Why do we memorialize things and people? The answer to that question, undoubtedly, seems self-evident to many people. And it is probably because of that self-evidence, in fact, that a quick search of the Internet brings up little evidence that the issue has ever been seriously addressed by scholars or scientists. (Other than, that is, the common observation by experts in psychology that to memorialize a deceased loved-one is usually a healthy part of the typical grieving process. Despite this observation, however, psychologists have seemingly done little research into the question of exactly why it is that to memorialize is such an important part of grieving.) Apparently, it is just simple common sense that all of humanity has an innate desire, even emotional need; to stay connected with itself through the ages. To want to be remembered and to want to remember is, it seems, as natural a part of being human as are eating, drinking and sleeping.

The great Ancient Greek thinker Socrates often made reference to this phenomena when he talked about his ideas regarding education. He said, in a nutshell, that the soul of each man on Earth is an infinite force possibly a part of God that has roamed the universe forever and will continue roaming for eternity. And through this connection with all that is, ever was, and ever will be each soul knows everything that there is to know. The job of an earthly human, therefore, is to simply learn to remember all that his or her soul ever knew. That is the definition of education, according to Socrates. (And, in fact, scholars of English point out that the prefix - which typically means “again” – came to be added to “remember,” probably, because of the worldwide influence of Socrates' idea about education. The word holds Socrates' idea in its very denotation. To say that we are “re” - membering a thing, assumes that we have always known that thing.

So, to memorialize, is the most natural of human traditions besides being the most special."

 

Tribute to Fallen Soldiers