Annette

[nashreed]

I thank all of you for your kind words and encouragement. It's so very hard to be on this journey, but I do cherish this Forum and Marty and everyone for accepting me. 

I wish I could honor Annette more than I do. I wish I could ask her if I'm disappointing her with how I'm handling this. I can't donate to Diabetes research in her name or any grand gesture. What I was able to do was a little tribute that makes me smile inside every day. I ordered the plates about a year ago (I couldn't even order them at all in 2020 due to COVID- I guess they really are made in prisons) and they finally came a week ago. 

I love Annette more than ever, and I just want her to know if she's looking down and seeing my car. I can't wait to be with her again. 

[scba]

8 hours ago, Kieron said:

James, I am reminded of a song by Roxette, "Half a Woman, Half a Shadow."  It was written by the late Marie Fredriksson, one half of the Roxette duo.  Likely the song is about a breakup, but the lyrics could easily be the aftermath of losing someone.  I hope you'll keep posting. 

Enza, the cliche I have heard many times is almost as insulting as the one you hear, i.e., "life goes on," and that is: "Sorry for your loss, life is a journey."  I lost count of the number of times I heard that, early on.  It's like a line from a movie that people heard, and it got stuck in their consciousness, to be spit out on cue, like a print-out of your "gypsy fortune" at a tourist-trap attraction in a seaside town.  Sometimes they leave off the "life is a journey" part.  🙄

I love Roxette!!!! What a great band!

There is a very beautiful yet unknown song, Never is a Long Time (from the album Tourism). Marie sings at her best. 

One of my favs

 

[Kieron]

Thanks, Ana, I wasn't aware of that one.

I have "The Look" on repeat play quite often 🥰.  I heard they only got noticed in the US because someone brought copy of Look Sharp! from Sweden to Minneapolis.  Otherwise they were not really known here in the US.  We almost missed out!

[scba]

51 minutes ago, Kieron said:

Thanks, Ana, I wasn't aware of that one.

I have "The Look" on repeat play quite often 🥰.  I heard they only got noticed in the US because someone brought copy of Look Sharp! from Sweden to Minneapolis.  Otherwise they were not really known here in the US.  We almost missed 

Yes!!! The look was a smashing hit. Very good times back then. Listen to your heart is super. All of the songs from that album in fact

[KarenK]

I wasn't familiar with Roxette so checked them out on youtube. Found I had heard some of their stuff before. A good group, for sure.

[V. R.]

11 hours ago, nashreed said:

I thank all of you for your kind words and encouragement. It's so very hard to be on this journey, but I do cherish this Forum and Marty and everyone for accepting me. 

I wish I could honor Annette more than I do. I wish I could ask her if I'm disappointing her with how I'm handling this. I can't donate to Diabetes research in her name or any grand gesture. What I was able to do was a little tribute that makes me smile inside every day. I ordered the plates about a year ago (I couldn't even order them at all in 2020 due to COVID- I guess they really are made in prisons) and they finally came a week ago. 

I love Annette more than ever, and I just want her to know if she's looking down and seeing my car. I can't wait to be with her again. 

What a lovely thought, James. Your Annette is hugging you and loving you for this, I'm sure. 🙂

[V. R.]

9 hours ago, scba said:

I love Roxette!!!! What a great band!

There is a very beautiful yet unknown song, Never is a Long Time (from the album Tourism). Marie sings at her best. 

One of my favs

 

 

7 hours ago, Kieron said:

Thanks, Ana, I wasn't aware of that one.

I have "The Look" on repeat play quite often 🥰.  I heard they only got noticed in the US because someone brought copy of Look Sharp! from Sweden to Minneapolis.  Otherwise they were not really known here in the US.  We almost missed out!

I remembe Roxette because when I was in my 20s,  I was crazy about the film "Pretty Woman" (I bought the video cassette), and I absolutely loved that song: 'It must have been love", and then I also loved their other hit "Listen to your heart". I often "try" to play and sing these with my piano (although a guitar is more appropriate!). My husband would have been able to accompany me with his guitar 😢. 

Luckily, my son plays the guitar and the piano, so it's a comfort for me, to continue hearing music in my home, it really is therapy for my sanity. I try to carry on playing the piano, a little, it's my way of feeling closer to my husband, as well as distracting my mind, not thinking of anything, a way of escaping this tormented reality I'm living with. 

[Roxi]

13 hours ago, scba said:

while us have directly reached to the end of the journey and you are dealing with something soooo painful and soooo devastating.

Yes Ana...now i understand!

I am really sorry you have to go on this painful path so young...I don't know why life is so unfair...

[kayc]

21 hours ago, Roxi said:

He didn't say a word at the time but i am sure he was in despair...

In my situation I was the first among friends to lose my spouse, most of them were in their 40s, they all disappeared overnight, my two best friends didn't even bother to come to his funeral!  His friends/family disappeared after the funeral.  In my church even, our best friends never invited me over again...I was no longer a "couple."  

[kayc]

18 hours ago, nashreed said:

I love this!  What a great idea!

[Gwenivere]

I almost forgot about Roxette!  Loved The Look.  Looks like a trip to ITunes.  
 

James, is the license plate translation…..

I love Annette loves James? 

[nashreed]

20 minutes ago, Gwenivere said:

I almost forgot about Roxette!  Loved The Look.  Looks like a trip to ITunes.  
 

James, is the license plate translation…..

I love Annette loves James? 

Oh- I never realized it could be read like that. It's her initials- Annette Lorraine Johnston. When we first went out (and then broke up very badly), I got a license plate that was I LUV ALD (her maiden name was Dicus). This is when we were broken up. It pissed her off so much . I feel like its a complete circle though. (That original car was the victim of a cracked engine block because of my delivering pizzas in it for a couple of years)

Annette liked Roxette. She had the tape of "The Look". I still have a lot of her tapes, her cassette singles (remember those?) I find myself listening to some of her favorite artists and albums. They give me comfort and make me sad at the same time. She had an artist she loved (totally forgotten now) named Joshua Kadison- a piano based singer-songwriter. He has an album and song called "Delilah Blue" that's got to be one of the most beautiful sad songs ever- and it's almost 10 minutes! It's a shame that he released this brilliant, unique album and was dropped by the record label when it didn't sell like his first album. It happened a lot in the 90's. Now artists are lucky to even be able to release one single song for streaming. 

[scba]

16 hours ago, V. R. said:

 

I remembe Roxette because when I was in my 20s,  I was crazy about the film "Pretty Woman" (I bought the video cassette), and I absolutely loved that song: 'It must have been love", and then I also loved their other hit "Listen to your heart". I often "try" to play and sing these with my piano (although a guitar is more appropriate!). My husband would have been able to accompany me with his guitar 😢. 

Luckily, my son plays the guitar and the piano, so it's a comfort for me, to continue hearing music in my home, it really is therapy for my sanity. I try to carry on playing the piano, a little, it's my way of feeling closer to my husband, as well as distracting my mind, not thinking of anything, a way of escaping this tormented reality I'm living with. 

 

Enza, the piano versions (I don't play) of my "grief songs" are

Angels by Robbie Williams. "Does an angel contemplate my faith.... and do they know the places where we go?"

My immortal by Evanescence "I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone, but though you're still here with me I've been alone all along"

Slipped away by Avril Lavigne "now you're gone somewhere I can't bring you back, now you're gone somewhere you're not coming back"

I admire those with the gift of playing music! I don't understand classical music but I enjoy orchestra concerts. I always pay close attention to the violin, to the flute. How amazing is to be able to play an instrument. It's an unique talent. The world would be a better place with more musicians on it.

Ciao

Ana

 

 

 

[nashreed]

"My Immortal" was one of Annette's absolute favorite songs. I defintely cannot listen to that song anytime soon. She liked big orchestral and "bombastic" produced songs- Queen, Trans Siberian Orchestra... We saw Meat Loaf when he was popular in the 90's. She had said her Dad reminded her of Meat Loaf- just his way of talking. She even dragged me to a production of "Adia" once. The things I did for her....

 

 

[KarenK]

James,

That one made me smile. I used to win a lot of concert tickets. The craziest one we went to was Aerosmith. That was an experience. Not exactly his cup of tea. Don't think he thought much of Kitaro either(one of my favorites). He always went along willingly though. He got back at me with Bluegrass. Some of that is too twangy even for this country girl.

[nashreed]

Well, she would always bring up me making her see Bob Dylan when I complained about something (she didn't mind some of his songs, but he was in a "mumbles" mood, where you couldn't tell what song it was- the arrangements were totally different and you couldn't understand the lyrics). 

[Gwenivere]

I never saw the appeal of Dylan.  Must have been the mumbling thing.  I was so into the Eagles, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Rondstadt…..so many 80’s stuff as that was my music time.  When I hear something new these days that touches me I love it.  It’s not directly tied to a memory of Steve, but often the lyrics are related to that.  Some are young love or just make ya wanna dance stuff.  Our song was Urgentby Foreigner.  Oh, and the memories that brings!  🥰

[scba]

22 minutes ago, Gwenivere said:

I never saw the appeal of Dylan.  Must have been the mumbling thing.  I was so into the Eagles, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Rondstadt…..so many 80’s stuff as that was my music time.  When I hear something new these days that touches me I love it.  It’s not directly tied to a memory of Steve, but often the lyrics are related to that.  Some are young love or just make ya wanna dance stuff.  Our song was Urgentby Foreigner.  Oh, and the memories that brings!  🥰

My memories from the 80s are tied to Bon Jovi and Madonna. 

[nashreed]

2 hours ago, Gwenivere said:

I never saw the appeal of Dylan.  Must have been the mumbling thing.  I was so into the Eagles, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Linda Rondstadt…..so many 80’s stuff as that was my music time.  When I hear something new these days that touches me I love it.  It’s not directly tied to a memory of Steve, but often the lyrics are related to that.  Some are young love or just make ya wanna dance stuff.  Our song was Urgentby Foreigner.  Oh, and the memories that brings!  🥰

Anything from the 70's or 80's is fine with me (well, absolutely no New Kids On The Block. Boy bands are my nemesis'). I hope you have access to music there Gwen. I know I can't go a few hours without it (pretty bummed ol' Neil Young is off Spotify). 

[Roxi]

I like Dylan..even in the mumbling thing! The music that excites me the most is  r'n'r...Springsteen Mellencamp Rolling Stones Patty Smith and others...i saw many concerts with thousands of people...it seem strange in time of covid that we had that ease of being all together !😒

 

[nashreed]

And it's so sad that all of them are so old. On Mellencamp's new album, he sounds like Tom Waits' corpse. There won't be anyone to replace these great artists. 

[KarenK]

Most all my favorite country singers are dead. I was watching some YouTube stuff of the Traveling Wilburys. Dylan didn't mumble in that group. Maybe he had to get stoned to sing solo? I find the oddest things there. Just found a song by the Gatlin Brothers, Roy Orbison, and Barry Gibb. Strange combo. There's a song on the music channel with Dylan and Johnny Cash. Really strange to me.

[Roxi]

2 hours ago, nashreed said:

And it's so sad that all of them are so old.

Very sad....paraphrasing Dylan they should have stayed "Forever young"!

[V. R.]

17 hours ago, scba said:

 

Enza, the piano versions (I don't play) of my "grief songs" are

Angels by Robbie Williams. "Does an angel contemplate my faith.... and do they know the places where we go?"

My immortal by Evanescence "I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone, but though you're still here with me I've been alone all along"

Slipped away by Avril Lavigne "now you're gone somewhere I can't bring you back, now you're gone somewhere you're not coming back"

I admire those with the gift of playing music! I don't understand classical music but I enjoy orchestra concerts. I always pay close attention to the violin, to the flute. How amazing is to be able to play an instrument. It's an unique talent. The world would be a better place with more musicians on it.

Ciao

Ana

 

 

 

You're right Ana, these songs you mentioned are very touching and emotional. I always say thank God that music exists, what would we do without it? Believe it or not, I started learning how to play the piano only 5 years ago. I'm 54 now, and I am continuing this for my husband, because he has always encouraged me, even when at times I felt unmotivated because I found it so difficult. (At the beginning I made him  put stickers on the keys with the names of all the notes.. Do, re, mi...! I didn't even know that!) I really started from scratch! We  actually started learning together because although he'd always played the  guitar (since he was a teenager) he'd never really paid much interest in his electronic keyboards we had at home. My Claudio opened my eyes to classical music which hadn't ever really interested me, now I absolutely adore Bach. 

Just like others have said here, I'm also 70s/80s music lover, I always set my Spotify to ballads, soft rock of these decades. I consider the Eagles' "Hotel California" one of the best US hits of all time! Bob Dylan, John Denver, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Elton John, Simon & Garfunkel, etc... 😊 the list is Neverending, I don't know if it's because I'm getting old, or is it true that they just don't make music / write songs like that anymore? 

I also love our great Italian songwriters/singers:F. De gregori, Dalla, De André, Gino Paoli etc. I don't know which of these, if any, are well-known in other countries, but the one I personally call 'maestro' and my husband called 'il genio' (his favorite) is the great Paolo Conte(his music is a mixture of jazz, blues,all types.. The last song my Claudio and I were learning together was "Azzurro" and I have never been able to either listen to or play this one in these 14 months that have passed. The other evening on TV, someone was singing it on a talent show, I burst into tears and changed channel. 

 

[scba]

40 minutes ago, V. R. said:

You're right Ana, these songs you mentioned are very touching and emotional. I always say thank God that music exists, what would we do without it? Believe it or not, I started learning how to play the piano only 5 years ago. I'm 54 now, and I am continuing this for my husband, because he has always encouraged me, even when at times I felt unmotivated because I found it so difficult. (At the beginning I made him  put stickers on the keys with the names of all the notes.. Do, re, mi...! I didn't even know that!) I really started from scratch! We  actually started learning together because although he'd always played the  guitar (since he was a teenager) he'd never really paid much interest in his electronic keyboards we had at home. My Claudio opened my eyes to classical music which hadn't ever really interested me, now I absolutely adore Bach. 

Just like others have said here, I'm also 70s/80s music lover, I always set my Spotify to ballads, soft rock of these decades. I consider the Eagles' "Hotel California" one of the best US hits of all time! Bob Dylan, John Denver, Patti Smith, Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Elton John, Simon & Garfunkel, etc... 😊 the list is Neverending, I don't know if it's because I'm getting old, or is it true that they just don't make music / write songs like that anymore? 

I also love our great Italian songwriters/singers:F. De gregori, Dalla, De André, Gino Paoli etc. I don't know which of these, if any, are well-known in other countries, but the one I personally call 'maestro' and my husband called 'il genio' (his favorite) is the great Paolo Conte(his music is a mixture of jazz, blues,all types.. The last song my Claudio and I were learning together was "Azzurro" and I have never been able to either listen to or play this one in these 14 months that have passed. The other evening on TV, someone was singing it on a talent show, I burst into tears and changed channel. 

 

My boyfriend admired De Andre's songwriting. I can't remember his favorite unfortunately. I would like to think that he had met him on the other side. I wasn't able to appreciate it as I'm a Pop music girl. And that's ok.