"Shape notes are a variant system of Western musical notation whereby the note heads are printed in distinct shapes to indicate their scale degree and solmization syllable (fa, sol, la, etc.)." Shape-note singing | music | Britannica.com ~ "Solmization:Solmization is a system of attributing a distinct syllable to each note in a musical scale. Various forms of solmization are in use and have been used throughout the world, but solfège is the most common convention in Europe and The Americas." Wikipedia ~Solfège definition is - the application of the sol-fa syllables to a musical scale or to a melody. ~ Dictionary

Young girl leading Gospel song, shape note style.

Yep. That will get your attention. I'm talking about that first sip of coffee left in the cup for a few hours. Cold. Dark. And, with a bite. But, we all know the old saying, 'Waste not, Want not'. After one swig of that, I am awake now and I do welcome you to Monday, June 17, 2019. Yesterday afternoon, the wife got up off of her achy breaky back problem to go over to Louisiana to help her sister Dorothy teach a singing school at a local fellowship of believers. (There's motivation and then there is M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N!) Those girls have been involved in signing schools for well over 50 plus years and they used to teach several each summer. This is a singing school where kids of all ages including the youngest to the oldest learn how to look at a song, choose their part, and then sing with a melody as unto the Lord. The notes are shaped which guides the singer in what tone to express. I wanted to be unhappy about her leaving, but, since I came face to face with her because of a singing school in 1962, that leaves me with little room to complain. Think about it. There might be a young man over there who has just gotten back from working for his uncle in Florida. He gets hooked into going out to that singing school in Evans, Louisiana, to at least have a look-see at the pretty girls, and while he is there lightning that no one else saw or felt, hits him, and the rest will be history, or from his point of view, his story. That's how it happened to me, therefore, I do have some credibility when I speak on the subject. (She did take her friend Betty with her in case she needed help with the driving.)

Front Porch Duty.

Some no doubt wonder why I am home alone. Again, again, and again. I am the self-appointed keep the home fires going person. Mr. Bentley has joined with me and the two of us will do our best to take care of things while his owner is away. He recently received his summer haircut. It may be hard to tell from the photo, but, his haircut, by comparison, reminded me of when I was a kid and we got our summer buzz cut. We stayed at the swimming hole much of the time, so, the close cut worked well. Mr. Bentley no longer looks as much like a Panda but now he looks more like a short-haired terrier. But, as his owner said, it will grow out. She didn't seem to think he was embarrassed or anything, so, I suppose it all went well. The lady at the grooming joint (clip joint, in more ways than one, no pun intended) asked me what I thought. I told her she did a good job of giving him a good skinning, but, that was what she had been asked to do. In writing, I might add. He and I enjoyed those mid to high 60s in the early morning hours last week. We sat out on the front porch. Me in my chair. Him in his chair. And, we kept an eye on things. I drank my Community Coffee and he gnawed on the wooden arms of the chair. It's not much of a routine, but, it is our routine.

For those who are suffering from the heat these days, I just checked, the first day of winter lands on December 21st, this year. That gives us something to look forward to. And for those who have one of those inquiring minds, Christmas is only 191 days from today. That might vary slightly plus or minus depending on where you happen to be located on the globe. Before Al Gore came on the scene we used to look forward to the first frost, in peace. Nowadays, if you even inquire as to when that might happen you get a lecture where you are told to quit flushing so much, turn off the central heat, and walk around in the dark. Of course, that was some time ago when I so looked forward to the cooler weather. That was back when snap-crackle-pop could have referred to our first fire in the fireplace or even the proverbial bowl of cereal. Today, the snap-crackle-pop is a noise I hear frequently after sitting too long in one spot. Those bones. They can be noisy. And, at times they do play a mournful tune. Over-exaggeration for emphasis, so please don't send me your ideas of a magical medical cure. Have a great rest of the day Monday and Lord willing I will see what we can come up with for tomorrow. May God bless each one. Amen. ....More later.