Music From Our Past Defines Us

 
In the song “State of Mind” by Clint Black, there are lyrics that say, “Ain’t it funny how a melody can bring back a memory/Take you to another place and time/Completely change your state of mind.” Well, isn’t that true! Whenever certain songs from my past come up, I remember and feel all my emotions – just like I’m reliving the past.

Recently, my husband and I went to see Peter Cetera at the symphony, and it was awesome! At night when I was a teenager, I listened to my local radio station and listened to Delilah, who would take callers' requests and play a lot of Peter’s songs. Having grown up listening to his classic love songs (“Glory of Love,” “The Next Time I Fall In Love” with Amy Grant and “You’re the Inspiration”), the former member of the band Chicago brought back a lot of memories. Songs like these made me dream of being in love, wishing and hoping that "the one" would find me someday. While I was watching Peter sing, my husband next to me, I thought it was funny how things have come full circle. I now have the love life I’ve always wanted. This made me think about other songs from the past.

Through breakups, fun times with friends, or just wanting to listen to your favorite genre, music will always be there for us, right? The answer is simple. Yes! But it’s more than that – music can help define our lives. It can inspire us at whatever stage of life we’re at and make us feel better about (most of) anything.

Here are five of my favorite songs that have helped shape me into the person I am today:

“Smile,” by Rod Stewart – I love this song! Through the ups and downs of life, it’s a great song to help you get through the tough times, knowing that there’s always tomorrow or a Plan B, if/when Plan A fails.

“Bless The Broken Road,” by Rascal Flatts – This sweet country song is about the journey one experiences during the search for the person you love. It’s highly popular at weddings.

“(I Wanna Take) Forever Tonight,” by Peter Cetera and Crystal Bernard – Above, I gave some of my favorite Peter Cetera songs, but this one is my absolute favorite! He and Crystal Bernard (yes, from the TV show, Wings), created something magical! It was the last dance song at my wedding and while it’s a little erotic, the “forever tonight” part symbolizes to me that it’s important to take it one day at a time in marriage.

“Unforgettable,” by Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole – Besides this being Ridge and Brooke’s song on The Bold & the Beautiful, it’s a song that reminds me of my dad because he’s the most unforgettable person I’ll ever know. It was also our father/daughter song at my wedding.

“Somebody Like You,” by Keith Urban – For years, I’ve said this is my “happy song.” Often when I’m having a bad day, I’ll put this song on repeat and within fifteen minutes, I’m happy again. Give this song a try the next time you’re down, and you’ll be glad you did.

Do you have songs that define you?  Do you listen to music when you’re happy, sad or just in a funk?  How has music changed your life?

Isabella Louise Anderson is a member of the RWA, and she is the owner of the website Chick Lit Goddess. She resides in Dallas, Texas, where she’s a housewife and mother to 12-year-old cat, Thorndike. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can read all Isabella's articles and learn more about Isabella.

Broomies and Basketball

By Laura Chapman  
 
The end of basketball season is here. Thank God.

I am a girl who likes her sports. I struggled to write on Saturdays and Sundays during National Novel Writing Month, because football season was in its peak. And even though my beloved Cubbies never do much, September and October have to be some of the most exciting months of sports watching. I even devote hours to watching golf or Sports Center with my broomies.

But when basketball season rolls around, I tune out. Maybe my aversion to the game started when another girl pushed me down and I skinned my knees during my middle school leagues. Maybe I find the constant squeaking and running back and forth exhausting. Maybe I hate having to watch the Lakers game every Christmas. I do not know. Basketball just does not do it for me.

Imagine my horror when this winter one of my broomies announced basketball was his new favorite sport. I know he was bummed by his favorite football team’s lackluster season (he is a Colts fan, poor dear), and our local TV rarely features hockey. I feel his pain. I really do.

But why did he have to make basketball his alpha sport? Was he punishing me for not unloading the dishwasher promptly or mowing the lawn? When I lived on my own, I preferred to leave the clean dishes in until the dirty ones in the sink outnumbered them, but I changed. And we renegotiated lawn duty. I pull weeds for half an hour every week, and the broomies will deal with the mowing business. See, living together is easy. All it takes is compromise. Unfortunately, when it comes to sports, compromise is off the table.

I mourned the NBA settling its collective bargaining agreement at the eleventh hour. For one shining moment, I thought we would have a blissful year free from pro basketball.

I celebrated when both of my broomies’ favorite teams lost early in the playoffs. Apparently, that does not matter. Those boys kept watching, even after one broomie said he wished both teams playing would lose.

Basketball season was not a complete bust for me, though. Being a younger sister, I had years of practice and natural instinct on my side, which enabled me to be as annoying as humanly possible.

For example, during the tournament’s second round, I taught myself Spanish – in the same room they watched the games. “El equipo juega mal.” “The team plays badly.” “Mi hermano es enojado.” “My brother is mad.” “No me gustan huevos verdes y jamón. No me gustan ellos, Sam Que Soy.” “I do not like green eggs and ham. I do not like them, Sam I Am.”

In the finals, I cheered for the Heat, because, as I told the broomies, ESPN showed footage of Lebron James reading The Hunger Games. The annoyed looks I received gave me more joy than anything else all season. 

Laura Chapman is a journalist, blogger, book reviewer and yet-to-be published novelist. In 2010, she founded Change the Word, a blog that follows her writing career and offers book reviews, author promotions and writing tips. Based in Lincoln, Nebraska, she has two completed novels in editing and is hard at work on her third, which she is adapting for a web series. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can read all Laura's articles and find out more about Laura. 

Love for Boy Bands: Then and Now

By Nancy Scrofano

It was July 27, 2001. I was in Las Vegas, Nevada, standing outside of Sam Boyd Stadium for hours with my best friend in 115 degree heat. Sounds crazy, right? Who would do that? Who would risk dehydration, heat stroke, and who knows what else? What could be so important? Anyone who has ever loved a boy band knows the answer. My answer? ‘N Sync. 

Yes, I love boy bands, and back in the day, ‘N Sync was my absolute favorite. I had all the necessities of the boy band frenzy: posters in my bedroom, scrapbooks, VHS tapes of all their TV performances (I know, VHS!), their CDs, books about them, pictures, and T-shirts. (One of which I considered my “lucky shirt” even though I have no idea what made it “lucky.” I wore it so many times that it has holes in it now. I also used to wear it every New Year’s Eve thinking it would bring me good luck in the new year.) On that ridiculously hot day in Vegas, I was waiting in line to get into ‘N Sync’s sound check. Since I was a member of their fan club, I had special privileges (naturally).  My friend and I bought outfits just for the occasion. Mine included tie-dyed jeans from Old Navy and a tank top with a cowboy on it. I have no idea why I thought that was so cool. In case Justin Timberlake or JC Chasez chose us out of thousands of girls to whisk backstage, we wanted to look our very best. 
The actual lucky shirt!

As anyone would have expected, nothing spectacular ever came from my love for ‘N Sync. I never met any of them, and certainly didn’t marry any of them like I dreamed about. The closest I ever came to meeting one of them was when my friend and I saw Danielle Fishel from Boy Meets World in Nordstrom. She was dating Lance Bass at the time. My friend said hello to her, but I was too star struck, so I stood behind a clothes rack. She said the guys were out of the country on tour. Bummer. But going to many of their concerts and just being a fan of theirs was really fun. Most of my best memories of my teen years involve them. Eventually, all my ‘N Sync memorabilia was either thrown away or shoved in boxes somewhere in a closet. My lucky shirt has been retired, and its only purpose now is to occupy space in a drawer. My dreams were shattered, right? Wrong. I grew up. When ‘N Sync faded away, so did my love for boy bands…or so I thought. Until now. 

Last year, I saw a tweet from Lucy Hale who plays Aria on Pretty Little Liars that said her cousin was in a music video, and she included the link. I thought, that’s so cool. Hasn’t everyone wanted to be in a music video at one time or another? So, I clicked on the link, and I was introduced to One Direction. You’re probably saying, “Who?” Or maybe you’ve heard of them if there are teenagers in your life. They got their start on The X Factor UK in 2010 where they were mentored by Simon Cowell. After they came in third place, he signed them to his label. Now, it’s a British invasion! Well, British and Irish. Four of the guys are from England and one guy is from Ireland. They range in age from eighteen to twenty. At first, I went to YouTubeto listen to their other songs and see their music videos, and I was impressed by their real talent, but I resisted because I thought I was too old for boy bands. Then, I saw them on Saturday Night Live in April. After that, one night when I was procrastinating from writing my next novel, I watched my first One Direction interview on YouTube. These boys are hilarious! Between their accents and their wit and charm, I was hooked. I “liked” them on Facebook and followed them on Twitter. When they embarked on their Australian/New Zealand tour in April, I kept up with all of it through YouTube. British, Irish, and Australian accents! Win! It’s really cool that the fans are so dedicated and post so many videos and pictures for other fans around the world to enjoy. This is a definite improvement from the ‘N Sync days. Thank you, technology. And because of social media, the hysteria has intensified because fans can communicate directly with the boys. Since my new young adult novel includes the boy band phenomenon, I now consider watching One Direction videos “research.” That’s legit, right? 
 
As we near the eleven year anniversary of that ‘N Sync concert in Vegas, I doubt I’ll be waiting in line in scorching temperatures for One Direction because I’m so mature now (insert sarcasm here), but I do have tickets to see their concert next summer. Some things never change, and in this case, I’m grateful. It’s so much fun to be part of the boy band craze!

Do you love boy bands? Did you ever do anything ridiculous to see your favorite band? Tell me all about it!

Nancy Scrofano is the editor of Good Humor Girl and the author of True Love Way. She is also the editor of The Chick Lit Bee, a book blog that promotes and celebrates women’s fiction, and she writes book reviews for a prestigious book review magazine. Nancy is at work on her next novel. For more information, please visit www.nancyscrofano.com. 

Dads & Daughters from Movies & TV

By Isabella Louise Anderson
 
I have a very close relationship with my dad. I’m a daddy’s girl, so celebrating Father’s Day is a big deal for me.  Dads are supposed to be our heroes, guiding us through life, helping us pick up the pieces from a broken heart, a bad grade, or even just to give us a hug on our bad days.  When we do finally meet “The One,” some might say that their close relationship with their father has ended, but I disagree.  No matter how tight the bond is between you two, walking that aisle during your wedding is the most momentous moment you two will ever have, at least it was for me.

In honor of Father’s Day, I want to share my favorite dads and daughters from movies and TV:

Father of the Bride (the one with Steve Martin and Kimberly Williams-Paisley) and Father of the Bride (the one with Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor) are both classics for their generations!  When Father of the Bride came out in the theaters, my dad took me to see it.  We laughed as we watched the overprotective dad try to deal with his daughter’s upcoming nuptials – scorning the cost of the wedding and having conflicts with the wedding coordinator, (played by Martin Short), but most of all, hating to let go of his little girl.  In the scene where George replays memories of his daughter, it’s clear how much she influenced his life and vice versa.  At one part, I looked at my dad and saw tears in his eyes.  It was truly a special moment for both of us.  If you haven't seen the Father of the Bride movies, I highly recommend them!

Full House was a popular TV show that was part of the TGIFlineup on ABC.  Every Friday, I tuned in to watch DJ (Candace Cameron Bure) go on hot dates – especially with Steve (Scott Weinger), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) get in trouble due to peer pressure, and Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen) say “You got it, dude!”  While the premise of the show was sad (a widowed father has to raise his three daughters, but gets help from his two best friends), this show was heartwarming.  There wasn’t a mother figure – at least until Aunt Becky (Lori Loughlin) – but the clean and geeky dad, Danny (Bob Saget), the comedian, Joey (Dave Coulier) and ULTRAHOT Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) looked after DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle, and fathered them.  They all gave the three girls the love and attention that any daughter deserves, even when they mess up big!  DJ, Stephanie, and Michelle knew which one to go to for certain things, but the cool thing was that each dad told the other about it so that they could deal with it together as a family.  I miss this show a lot, especially because it sent a great message to teenage girls.  It taught them to be confident, kind, to think before they did anything questionable, and to know that they are loved.  If there were a show that caught up with the characters now, I imagine that the girls would be very successful in their careers and personal lives, thanks to their upbringing by their three dads.

Who are your favorite TV and movie dads? Happy Father’s Day!

Isabella Louise Anderson is a member of the RWA, and she is the owner of the website Chick Lit Goddess. She resides in Dallas, Texas, where she’s a housewife and mother to 12-year-old cat, Thorndike. A regular contributor at Good Humor Girl, you can read all Isabella's articles and learn more about Isabella.

How to Date Your Husband


Dating. Exciting times, right? Dating your husband? Um, perhaps not so much! Let’s face it ladies, going on the same dates with the same guy for years and years (and years!) could easily become boring, to put it kindly.

Scientifically, it’s a known fact that the highs we experience when first falling in love wane significantly after about eighteen months. A physiological imperative, we may not be able to get around that, but we can take steps to keep things ramped up long-term!

Here are a few tips to help keep the romance going, dates lively, and have both of you looking forward to spending time together!

1. Remind yourself of what you like about him - What are the reasons you fell in love? Is he handsome, funny, smart, a good dancer? Whatever the things are that attracted you to him in the first place are likely still there… although they may be hidden under the daily grind of work, parenting, and mowing the lawn. Seek and ye shall find!

2. Think about what initially made him attracted to you - Over time, we tend to get a bit too… (name your poison) serious, comfortable, busy, whatever. Try to remember the person you were when you were dating and let those traits come out on today’s dates! Sexy? Funny? Intellectual? A little naughty? Bring it!

3. Ban romance-killing conversation - Yes, you love your kids. Yes, you work hard at your jobs. Yes, your mother needs help moving a dresser. Be brief, ladies! Think about what you would talk about if you were dating a new guy. Your mother’s dresser? No! If necessary, spend a few minutes on Yahoo Newsbrowsing some articles and headlines to get an idea of what’s going on outside of your daily life. A great band coming to town? A new restaurant everyone’s talking about? A good book you’ve just read? A controversial trial in the news? Cultivate date night conversations that bring out the people in you and set aside the humdrum topics of daily life.

4. Go different places - Sure, we all have our favorite haunts and sometimes that’s nice, but it can bring a little excitement to mix things up! Try a new restaurant, go to a different pub, visit a museum, or drive to another area and walk the downtown. Just being somewhere different and experiencing new things together can make the date more fun.

5. Act as if you’re on a date - This may sound simple, but the truth is that we may become a little too comfortable with our husbands. I’m not saying that you should act phony, but do act as if you’re on a date! If you were freshly dating, you would put on a nice outfit, do your makeup, and refrain from openly yawning. Do the same when dating your husband! Make eye contact, smile, let yourself laugh, touch his arm. It can make a huge difference!

6. Stop “waiting” to get your “sexy back” - Let’s face it, we’re not in high school anymore and certain things may have changed over time. Whether you’ve had children, too many rich meals, or time is simply catching up with you—get over it! Instead of lamenting the loss of what you were like before, make the most of the you that you are right now. Let yourself feel sexy and you’ll start acting sexy, seeming sexy, being sexy. And self-confidence is attractive!

7. Make love like you’re dating - For most married couples, love making can become a habitual pattern that gets to be like watching your favorite movie for the hundredth time: You enjoy it, but it certainly isn’t exciting or surprising. Mix things up a bit, whether it be a different position, a different room, or simply sending him a spicy text while he’s taking the dog for his last walk of the night!

I hope you enjoy these tips, and I look forward to your comments! Have additional ideas to share? Post them here! Like these ideas? Let us know! Most of all, have fun!

Lori Verni-Fogarsi has been a freelance writer, journalist, columnist, and seminar speaker for over fifteen years. She is the author of the novel, Momnesia, contemporary women's fiction,  as well as the nonfiction book, Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs. Lori is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. Originally a native New Yorker, she now divides her time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA, where she is hard at work on her next novel. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, boating, traveling with her husband, napping, and attending her children's many activities. Lori invites you to learn more at her website and enjoy her active communities on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!