Good Things, April Edition

Every now and then, I’ll turn this space into a quick list of things that lift my spirits—and I share them in the hope they will lift yours as well.

New video to watch  James Corden vacates US television this week, leaving a new piece of Americana with us—Carpool Karaoke.  James has driven (or ridden) for years in cars while singing along with some of his favorite musical passengers.

His last venture into this genre is an encore drive with good friend and fellow countryperson Adele, a wonderful mix of friendship, sentimentalism, and hope.  You may not be fond of either of these entertainers, but by the end of this video, you’ll wish you had the chance to ride around with a friend who speaks to your soul—and who doesn’t need that?

Older video to watch  Carpool Karaoke has had some incredible moments, including  where Stevie Wonder almost drives, then calls James’ wife to sing a personalized I Just Called to Say James Loves You; a tour of Liverpool with Paul McCartney, complete with mini-concert, and a drive with Michelle Obama where they never leave the White House grounds.

That said, the best CK is the first Adele drive, which really should be titled An Old Married English Couple Drives Around London.  It is equal parts powerful, bawdy, hysterical, and most of all, honest.  James contributes high harmony vocals that nearly make Adele stop singing, and Adele—remember, she is singing in a car—uses a volume that could easily reach the fourth balcony at Carnegie Hall, all with a cackling laugh that is infectious.  (A gentle reminder about language—we are talking Adele here.  Enjoy it anyway.)

Potluck Sensation  Some time last year, I finally gave up trying to like white rice.  Douse it in butter, encrust it in salt, baptize it in soy sauce, and you still get a dry bit of matter that only tastes like butter, salt, and soy sauce.

Enter orzo, a pasta that is shaped like rice, but has the gentle bounce and water-retaining features of a noddle.  You can sub it for any rice dish, but you’ll be the star of the potluck or summer picnic if you bring along this orzo salad.

Take one cup of orzo, cook it according to directions, and let it cool.  Add ½ cup feta, or goat, or bleu, cheese; 12 quartered cherry tomatoes; 15 half-sliced, pitted Kalamata olives, 3-4 chopped green onions (greens and whites), and 3 tablespoons fresh dill.  Dress with Ken’s Greek Dressing or this lemon vinaigrette. Bottled Italian dressing will do in a pinch.

This Week’s Ommment  I once drove across campus to see the first five minutes of The Sound of Music, then drove back home.  The kids are cute, and the puppet show scene is adorable, but those opening views, and that voice, will get you back to a place where you remember your name and what matters to you like nothing else will. No wonder generations of men had a crush on a nun.

In Memoriam  He said he was an activist first and a singer second, but Harry Belafonte had his records on America’s turntables in the 60s, as Main Street discovered Caribbean music from a master.  He wasn’t a headliner when pop star’s royalty later did a fundraiser for Africa called We Are the World, but he was in the chorus—and all those in attendance paid homage to him with this impromptu version of one of his hits, a reminder that our goal is to bless, not impress.  Daylight’s come, and he’s finally home.

Pillow Hair

When the sky lighted for a second
I stuck my eye
On the screen hole
Dolly, why are you down on the street?
She ran towards the road
And didn’t look both ways
My heart got fast
When I saw that.

I made the hole bigger
And under my gown
The wind pushed me above the street.
I stuck out my toe
And pulled Dolly up
My gown just went flat
In Brazil.

Mama, you tell me
I move like a sloth
But really
They go slower than me.
The moon went up and down
While he climbed up the tree
To push the top leaf
And poke open the sky
So the hot water
Could make the plants glow more.

Dolly tugged to wonder
If I remembered about the waffles.
The howler monkey smiled
And one long ooooooo
Clunked Dolly’s head on a star.
My gown helped us glide
But the stardust fell faster
Past us
Through the screen
And beat us to the table.

That’s enough powdered sugar
You whispered
As you cut up my waffles
And touched my head
With two different hands.
It’s not pillow hair
I told you
I just ran out of time before breakfast
To comb the wind’s presents.

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