One of my fav get down and boogy songs that seems particularly appropriate for this group this week :-) Carry on ...

Martie

Artist: Sly & the Family Stone Lyrics
Song: Hot Fun in the Summertime Lyrics
All: End of the spring and here she comes back
Hi Hi Hi Hi there
Them summer days, those summer days

That's when I had most of my fun, back
high high high high there
Them summer days, those summer days

Rose: I "cloud nine" when I want to

Freddie: Out of school, yeah

Larry: County fair in the country sun

Sly: And everything, it's true, ooh yeah

All: Hot fun in the summertime x 4

All: First of the fall and then she goes back
Bye bye bye bye there
Them summer days, those summer days

Rose: "Boop-boop-ba-boop-boop" when I want to

Freddie: Out of school, yeah

Larry: County fair in the country sun

Sly: And everything, it's true, ooh yeah

All: Hot fun in the summertime x 4

That's a great tune, Martie... The Manhatten Transfer does a really good cover of it, too, on a CD called, "Tonin'", I believe (the CD is a compilation of all sorts of hits performed with other artists).

Well a productive day here. I sprayed all the dahlias for mildew (they don't have it yet but a dahlia person told me to do it every ten days this time of the year to prevent the problem) then I got every container in the yard fed and groomed today and yes, I needed a ladder to get to the new hanger on the tree. I was supposed to go to the gym but by the time I got done with the feeding, grooming and spraying then turning over both the compost piles it was noon and I couldn't bear the thought of exercising indoors... so.... I went for a 34 mile bicycle ride. What a perfect day for it! It's 80 degrees out, nice dry air with a bit of a breeze. I'm pretty happy because I got my average speed up to 14.5 mph which is pretty good for me on a road bike not a racing bicycle. OK now I need some naproxin for my knees and a soak in the hot tub. LOL

I'm going to be able to turn out one of my composters tomorrow as it's looking done to me. I've been waiting for it to mulch the rose garden. My poor roses are looking pretty lousy this year but it really is my fault as I've not paid enough attention to them. A bit of feeding, pruning and a nice mulch of compost ought to perk them up.

So T. it sounds like you need a vacation! Nice to hear from you. How are all the critters?

Nice tydll Martie!

Later, I'm off to have a soak
Deanne

Chelone-Manhatten Transfer is the bomb. Java Jive. Love it...
Sly was instrumental in many really 'mind altered' events of my youth.Those were the days..I think.

Kathy in Napa

Kathy, I thought of you yesterday. It was a glorious summer afternoon in New England and I sat in the car listening to "Family Affair" by Sly and the Family Stone.

What a great groove they had! I always really liked the soul and R&B stuff anyway. Isley Brothers, Ohio Players, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye... bring it on. ;)

Hi Martie!

I dont know if youÂll be reading this and IÂve been hesitant to say anything, but I could tell by your thoughtful post to Marian in "Mea Culpa" that you have been hurt by the email experience that you had and that it has affected you. It just bothers me thinking of you carrying this upset with you. When someone says unkind things, itÂs upsetting, more so when you can see no good reason why they would choose to hurt you. But, Marty, it isnÂt about *you*, itÂs about them. I find that when people *purposely* hurt others it's because *they* are unhappy. In their pain they mistakenly believe (whether consciously or unconsciously) that if they hurt someone else, bring someone else pain, it will somehow take away some of their own pain. It may for the moment, be a release for their frustration, but in the end they will still be unhappy....maybe more so.

While I really try to be kind, I can think of times when IÂve thoughtlessly said something to hurt someone else and IÂve regretted it....the very moment I did it. In fact, I can recall those times as clearly today as when they happened. The negative things we do chip away at our soul, little by little, piece by piece. My very wise parents had two basic rules for their kids; to be honest & to be kind and IÂve found that when I follow those two rules, it makes all my life decisions easy ones.

ItÂs not by bringing someone else pain that we find happiness, but instead it is in bringing joy to others that we live in true joy ourselves. ItÂs a truth that some may pooh-pooh, but all those maxims youÂve heard in your life; "beauty is as beauty does", "love your neighbor as yourself", "treat others as you would be treated", well they are well known and often repeated because they bear a fundamental truth. The way to be happy is to be kind, not for the sake of reward, but simply because being kind really does put us in the right place in our hearts and in our world.

I believe that what you put out "there" comes back to you and not only does it come back to you, but it gets passed along to others. Therefore, I choose joy and kindness.

There is an old Native American saying:
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." Chief Seattle.

Whether you are talking about the environment, humanity, or spirituality, it is a profound truth, I think.

Martie, I donÂt know if I've made you feel any better, but I hope so. Please try not to let someone elseÂs ugliness poison your life...change who you are...how you walk in this world... or how you see others. And, just don't open any emails from people you don't know...I've learned that too! :-)

Okay, now on to the lighter stuff! :-) I *loved* that Sly song...thanks for sharing. In fact, Sly & the Family Stone are a secret guilty pleasure! :-) Who knew they were so philosophical...LOL....I just liked their music!

Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday people
Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong
My own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah

There is a blue one who can't accept the green one
For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee
Oh sha sha - we got to live together

I am no better and neither are you
We are the same whatever we do
You love me you hate me you know me and then
You can't figure out the bag l'm in
I am everyday people, yeah yeah

There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair
For bein' such a rich one that will not help the poor one
And different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo-bee
Oh sha sha-we got to live together

There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one
That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one
And different strokes for different folks

And here's my favorite Marvin Gaye song for Chelone:

Mercy, Mercy Me (the Ecology Song)by Marvin Gaye
Ah, mercy, mercy me,
Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no.
Where did all the blue skies go?
Poison is the wind that blows from the north and south and east.

Ahh ahh Mercy, mercy me,
Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no.
Oil wasted on the ocean and upon
our seas fish full of mercury,

Oh, mercy, mercy me.
Ah, things ain't what they used to be, no, no, no.
Radiation underground and in the sky;
animals and birds who live near by are dying.

Oh, mercy, mercy me.
Ah, things ain't what they used to be.
What about this over crowded land?
How much more abuse from man can she stand?

Finally, hereÂs a link to a song that has been a long time favorite of mine. Funny too, there are no words, but the music is so beautiful and so moving to me, that there were many times I couldnÂt listen to it without crying! :-) Hope you enjoy the music and the amazing photography! :-)

Ei

Oh, Ei. Thanks so much for your words. A thought I live by is "if there's going to be a jerk [abridged for Gardenweb :-)] in the room don't let it be you."

This particular instance hasn't changed ME at all, other than to bring home the reality that Gardenweb is a very large place, with lots of different personalities. Some of these choose to be awful. I've been through that before on posting sites.

You may have missed earlier that the emails became personal, citing specific things about me AND MY FAMILY (specifically that my father as a minister must really have been an imposter since I celebrate Christmas and that certainly something should be done about that), my home (including my home address which I've NEVER shared on GW), etc. I learned from the authorities, public and private, that internet stalking is an increasingly serious crime. Particularly amongst people who get caught up in mob mentality. The offenders were approached by their local police departments and the laws were explained. I chose not to find out who those people were, other than screen names, but it woke me up to the realities of the world.

All that said, I'm glad it's over and that the seriousness of seemingly "internal amongst regulars" comments are actually read by thousands. We've all learned to be more careful.

Being a closet Sly lover since my early teens is now out in the open!!!! Glad I have a sister in that regard, Ei.

Martie.