"Lean On Me"

I love just trucking down the road (70's saying) with the windows open, the sunroof letting in more sunshine and wind and singing at the top of my lungs.  It could be just about any artist or group any song with words sometimes 'Phantom of the Opera', sometimes 'The Who' sometimes 'Iron Butterfly' sometimes 'Kenny Loggins' sometimes 'Placido Dimingo' sometimes 'Helen Reddy','I Am Woman', I'm sure you get the idea that I have very eclectic taste in music just like so many of my interests.  Sometimes I think it would be better if I was a lot more picky and than I wouldn't accumulate so many things but there are so many things that bring joy into my life that I really think I like having eclectic tastes better even if it does tend to create clutter simply out of shear numbers of things that I enjoy.  Anyway I'm rambling a little back to trucking down the road; One of the best delights of trucking down the road is turning on my station of the day- today was my oldies station- and hearing a long time favorite song- delightful- can get me revved up sometimes- today the song was "LEAN ON ME" by Bill Withers.  When it was first popular I was the one being leaned on.  My good friend Debbie and I would go visit Mama G an elderly member of our church and help her.  It was always delightful to be around her, she was like a grandmother to us.  Neither one of us had a grandmother nearby and she made the most wonderful apple pies.  I also made it a regular practice to sit with families with lots of small children especially those who had duties on the stand.  The mom was the chorister or dad was conducting the meeting.  These were things I delighted in doing.  Now the song has another meaning for me as I am on the receiving end and have been for awhile.  With my knee replacement coming up next week; as long as I am healthy enough; this is going to be doubly true. Although I have often found that both the giver and the receiver benefit.  This song has much wisdom in it for both sides the giving and the receiving and best of all it's still great to belt out in the car as I go truckin' down the road.

Artist: Bill Withers
Title: Lean On Me

Sometimes in our lives
We all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's
Always tomorrow


Lean on me
When you're not strong
I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on


Please, swallow your pride
If I have things
You need to borrow
For no one can fill
Those of your needs
That you won't let show


You just call on me brother
When you need a hand
We all need somebody
To lean on
I just might have a problem
That you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on


Lean on me
When you're not strong
I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For, it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on


You just call on me brother
When you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem
That you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on


If there is a load
You have to bare
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me
Call Me
If you need a friend
(Call Me)
Call Me
If you need a friend
(Call Me)
If you ever need a friend
(Call Me)
Call Me
If you need a friend

---

Keep on truckin' ya'll and sing your heart out!!

 

Doctor then fun

Today I had a doctor appointment in Fayetteville, which is 45 min. away on a good day or an hour away if there is traffic or I get stuck behind a school bus. Luckily the trip can be made worthwhile because they have a greater variety of stores there. It's a bigger town. Hopefully when I see a doctor there I'm feeling good enough afterward to run some errands and than go to stores that I just plain enjoy browsing through. Today just happened to be one of those days. The doctor had good news and bad news. Yes my hemoglobin was going down, but I was not anemic yet. So not so bad. Then I went looking for an exercise machine to keep my blood flowing in my legs while I sit at the computer; not such good luck there, but eventually I'll find something. Then I went to the bookstore, I love bookstores. I worked in one for several years in spite of the low pay just because I love books. I love being around them, talking to people about them, reading them, escaping into them either in the stories or the photographs. I could always tell a true book-lover when they walked into the store because they would take a big breath in; true book-lovers even enjoy the smell of books. I especially like this bookstore because the employees really seem to care. The store is always neat and clean, with busy employees, not the ones who goof around. They are willing to help and ask before you get a chance to ask them. If you ask for help they immediately put down what they are doing and go help with whatever you need, not just point you in the right direction; they take you there. How nice, it makes for pleasant shopping. These are real people who love what they do, they certainly don't do it for the money because it's not there.
This was a first for me in that it was the first time I've taken pictures in a very public place, a store, and it's the first time I've taken candid shots of people. I did ask for permission, but then had them go about what they were doing. I was real glad to find someone of my own heart, I used to sit on the floor of whatever section and look through the books to help me make my choice. I can't do that anymore. I think the pictures came out rather well. I also took pictures of some of my favorite spots to browse through. Actually this gave me an idea for Christmas. I can take pics of what I think my grandchildren might like, choose an isle for them to look down and have them pick out a few things they want. Since they live so far away from me I don't get to go shopping with them and maybe this will be the next best thing to doing that. Might be fun as long as nobody expects everything. My kids always wonder what to get me so a wish list might be fun. I could take pictures of what I want and make a collage and let them pick. They could do the same.
While I was at the bookstore I found a cute little quote book called "Wisdom of Frogs". My quote for the day today came out of there. I splurged because it had some really nice quotes and pictures to match in it so from now on you can wonder if the quote came from a frog.
After I left the store I noticed these beautiful orange and yellow trees in the

parking lot. One thing about living in Georgia is there are plants everywhere, trees, flowers and bushes and people seem to take pride in landscaping everything including parking lots.

It was a long day because I fit even more in but I enjoyed it and when the song "That Old Time Rock and Roll" came on the radio on the way home I turned it way up and sang along even though my feet hurt like crazy. The singing along helps take the pain away. All in all a day to enjoy. Hope you enjoyed yours, too.