My life in 120 minutes or less

For a girl's weekend last spring, our resident Martha Stuart of the bunch suggest we all make a CD of songs that have something to do with our lives.  We could choose anything we wanted, but we could only make one CD.

I thought she was crazy.

There was no way that I could come up with a whole CD of music.  Funny, when it came down to it, I had a hard time limiting it to one. 

Here's my list of songs:

1.  More Than a Feeling:  Boston

This song is the ultimate driving song.  Turn it up, put your windows down, hit the highway... and sing.  I even smile typing this, this song makes my heart happy.

2.  (Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection:  Nelson.

That's right.  I just put a Nelson song in my list.  This is actually a new addition.  This song takes me directly to freshman year in high school.  My two closest friends and I went to a lake house owned by my friend's grandparents.  The three girls slept outside, ON THE DOCK, in the dark, with a tape player and a radio.  We listened to this song for hours.  We sang.  We told secrets.  We laughed.  We didn't sleep.  I think back on this now and realize what a different time that was.  Three girls sleeping on the dock by the water in the middle of the night by ourselves.  Even as an adult I wouln't do this now.  Sad thing is, we couldn't do this now.

3.  Suspicous Minds:  Elvis

I know, from Nelson to Elvis.  This is my life, not yours.  So there.  My parents, mainly Daddy, were big music buffs, but huge Elvis fans.  We used to have a wood paneled office with wall shelving.  One whole side was dedicated to Elvis.  Dad would play his reel to reel in the living room and I'd dance my little heart out.  I know every word to almost every song.  The fact that my husband sings this song on karoke sealed the deal.  It's on the list.

4.  Superstar: The Carpenters

Another group introduced to me by my dad.  I know all the words to this album too.  But it's true emotional tie comes from my early dating life with the Biggest Boy.  Our early days were long distance.  We were about 1.5 hours apart.  On his weekends without the kids, we hang with his best friends at their condo.  We drank, a lot.  We played movie trivia.  We sang to the Carpenters.  Loudly.

5.  Closer To Fine:  Indigo Girls

Little known secret, I used to sing.  Ok yeah, on the dock and to the Carpenters don't count.  I actually used to sing in my high school's Madrigal Choir.  We sang traditional madrigal songs and just about everything else we could.  My school besties and I love tight harmony and we sang Indigo Girls on every road trip.  And no, I will not sing for you now.

6.  Black:  Pearl Jam

My first love.  The early nineties.  The onset of the grundge bands.  Nervana and Pearl Jam leading the pack.  This song is one I could play for hours on repeat. 

7.  Hazy Shade of Winter:  The Bangles

The 80's.  Middle School.  Big hair.  Floral Dresses.  Shoulder pads.  This song made me realize I might be a sercret hard rock junkie.

8.  Talking In Your Sleep:  The Romantics

By far the best roller skating song.  ever.

9.  Sweet Child 'O Mine:  Guns and Roses

See?  Here's that rock band thing again.  And electric guitar.  The first bars of this song are meant to be played LOUD.  Which I do.

10.  In Your Eyes:  Peter Gabriel

This song has so many memories tied to it that they all blend together.  But this is another driving song for me, sun roof back, volume up, sing.

11.  Supermassive Black Hole:  Muse

If you are a Twilight fan, you know this song.  And while it sounds crazy, because of this song, those movies and those books, I have a set of the best girlfriends I could ever have.

12.  Lightning Crashes:  Live

This song is heavy.  I lived in Oklahoma at the time of the OKC bombing.  I was in college at OSU.  I walked into my Art History class to hear that some bomb had gone off.  She told us to go home.  We spent the next 5 days watching the news feed and the live coverage hoping to find survivors.  A radio station in OKC made a mix of this song and news clips to play over it.  This was the first world event that I remember that ripped me to my core.  Unfortunately, there were many more to come.

13.  You Keep Me Hangin' On:  Diana Ross and the Supremes

This song is a complement to Elvis.  This time, it's an 8 track in my parents' 1977 light blue Lincoln Town car that I could literally lay down straight in the back seat without touching either end.  Truly a boat.

14.  The Promise:  When In Rome

This is the first song my husband played for me.  In his little red celica on the road.  One of the first moments I actually thought, "I kinda like this guy."

15.  She's Got a Way:  Billy Joel

The first song that was ever dedicated to me.  It's from my daddy.

16.  Jive Talkin':  Bee Gees

My great aunt, all of 4' 11" tall drove a 1978 light blue Fire Bird camero.  It was complete with the huge Fire Bird decal and the pillow for her to sit on to see over the steering wheel.  I thought I was so cool riding in that car.  She LOVED the Bee Gees.  Therefore, I love the Bee Gees.

17.  Don't Stop Believin' : Journey

Another rock song.  Played loudly.

18.  Dream Big:  Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band

This is for my step daughter.  She moved in with us when she was 14.  Yes, I said 14.  So, as a newly wed of six months, I was already experiencing parenting a high schooler.  It seemed like forever at the time, until it was time she graduated.  For her senior video in drill team we had to find songs for her part.  I stumbled upon this song and fell in love.  And I cried.  "When you dream, dream big.  As big as the ocean blue.  When you dream it might come true.  When you dream, dream big."

19.  Let Your Light Shine:  Keb Mo'

The final song.  My song for you.  "Step on up, step into your greatness...  Let your light shine...  "

So there it is, my life in 118 minutes and 44 seconds.

How about you?

Happy Sunday...