“Wally” by Aslyn

ByJohn Brown

My daughter was playing this song on her internet list. The tune and singer’s voice grabbed me. I downloaded it based on that. Then I really listened.

Oh, man.

I cannot tell you how much I love this song. I love the melody and phrasing, Aslyn’s voice. I love the lyrics. I love the true story behind them. Gracious Lord, this is what it’s all about.

This youtube is of a live performance. She gives a great into to the song. She tells how her grandfather Wally, who was in the Coast Guard when he young, met his wife Fae. They were married for 55 years. Then Aslyn tells how she found Wally, a few days after Grandma Fae died, sitting in his rocking chair holding a black and white picture of his wife, his eyes wet with tears. Fae had written on the picture: “to sweetest boy I’ve ever known.” You gotta listen to that intro. Then you have to get the Lemon Love album version of the song. It’s 99 cents on Amazon.

Here are the lyrics. I’ve added the little spoken part you get on the Lemon Love version that’s not in the live performance.

“Wally”

[Aslyn’s grandfather]

Hello, I’m Wally. I’m the man that had the good fortune of one day of finding a companion that would live with me for more than 55 years. No man could have ever asked for a better wife, or better friend, than the one I found across the dance floor at the USO.

[Song begins]  

Dear Wally, I’m writing this letter sincerely.
To tell you you’re the “sweetest boy I’ve ever known.”
Remember that USO when we met.
You almost didnt go.
Well, me and your two sons are very glad you did.
Cause when your eyes found me I could hardly breathe.
I wanted you.
Glad you wanted me.

I never stopped falling in love with you, Wally.
From the first day I saw you
I was sailor-bound, I just knew.
You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you more.

That night was pure magic.
Who would have imagined.
It would become 55 loving wonderful years.
Your job was not all easy.
Those last years I could hardly speak.
But when I looked at you I knew nothing had changed.
And when I was leaving.
I could feel you hurting.
But then I saw those angels and I knew your love would want this for me.

I never stopped falling in love with you, Wally.
From the first day I saw you
I was sailor-bound, I just knew.
You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you more…more… more…more… more

So while you’re waiting
Know that I’m saying I love you
I love you………

I never stopped falling in love with you, Wally.
From the first day I saw you
I was sailor-bound, I just knew.
You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you

You had me, I was yours.
We danced out on the floor.
And with each passing day.
I only loved you more..

Dear Wally…

Share

Similar Posts

  • Good Stuff: For All Eternity

    ByJohn Brown

    This year I was introduced to a little gem of a book that has had a significant and pleasant impact on Nellie’s and my marriage.

    We heard about it from my newlywed daughter and her husband. Now you’d think that two people who, in just a few months, will have been married for twenty-nine years would know all the ropes of this marriage thing. You’d think they wouldn’t come across any real new ideas. But this little book proved that idea wrong.

    This book is For All Eternity by Dr. John L. Lund. At the time of its writing Lund had over forty years of experience as a counselor, college professor, and marriage educator. His focus is in interpersonal communication, and part of his background was working with John Gottman, one of the best marriage researchers of the last few decades.

    In this book, Lund shares what he’s learned with lots of humor and stories. Some of it will be familiar to you, but some of it will be refreshing and new. For example, one belief we frequently cherish is the idea that if someone really loves us, they will know our wants and needs. Their love will somehow endow them with superpowers so that we will never have to communicate our wants. Our loving spouses, if they have any love in them, will be able to discern our wants from the most subtle signs. A nod, a sigh, the wiggle of a nose. And if that doesn’t do it, then surely we will never need to drop more than the merest hint.

    Yeah, wrong.

    Lund explains why the whole notion of “If you have to ask, it doesn’t count” is not only unrealistic, it’s damaging. And that’s just one insight. There are many more. I will let you discover them. But I can tell you that I have found this book so useful and delightful that it will now be one of the two standard books I buy and give as gifts to those who are newly married. I wish I’d had these insights right from the beginning, but better late than never. I’m so happy to have them now.

    A little note. For those who are not members of the Mormon church, Lund is directing his teaching at that crowd. So you will find a sprinkling of quotes in here from church leaders that support what he’s learned in his practice and research. Don’t let that stop you. Mormon or non-Mormon, if you want to improve your marriage, you don’t want to miss this book.

    Share
  • |

    Update and The Shape-Changer’s Wife

    ByJohn Brown

    Assassin is moving along. I’m heading into the last quarter of the book, which is where the fireworks start. I appreciate all of you who have been so patient. My goal is to end this arc of the series with a bang. 

    In the meantime, I’d like to recommend a fantasy novel. I enjoyed it many years ago and recently reread it, finding myself swept away with as much intrigue and delight as the first time. 

    It’s The Shape-Changer’s Wife by Sharon Shinn. 

    The story follows an aspiring wizard named Aubrey who is nearing the end of his training. He asks his mentor, the wizard Cyril, to teach him transmogrification—the art of changing form—but Cyril refuses. Aubrey protests. Cyril knows the spells. He has cast them himself. Still, he refuses. 

    Eventually, however, Cyril’s conscience gets the better of him. A well-rounded wizard should know every branch of magic, even the ones Cyril dislikes. So he writes to another wizard, a shape-changer named Glyrenden, and asks if he will take Aubrey as a student. Glyrenden agrees. 

    As Aubrey sets off, Cyril gives him a warning: “Learn everything he teaches you so well you can cast his own spells back at him. Glyrenden respects only those stronger than he is, and those he hates. If you cannot beat him, he will destroy you.” 

    And so begins the tale. 

    There’s mystery, wonder, betrayal, loss, battle, and even love. Best of all, it’s a complete stand-alone novel, a rarity these days. 

    If you’re hankering for a fantasy adventure that can be read in one volume, I think you’ll be very pleased with this one. 

    Happy reading,  

    John 

    Share

  • The Profiler, Almond Milk, and Uncle Sam

    ByJohn Brown

    Real crime 

    It’s 1990. You’re a housewife, homeschooling your children, and renting a room upstairs to a young man to make ends meet. There are a few odd things about the young man, but you overlook them. Then one day a woman is strangled on a jogging path near your home, and your first thought is that the young man living in your house has something to do with it.

    What do you do?

    Pat Brown found herself in this exact situation. She voiced her suspicions to her husband, but it was all too farfetched. However, the nagging thought wouldn’t let her go, and she soon uncovered evidence that made the young man a strong suspect.

    She took the evidence to the police, but they dismissed her as a bored housewife with an overactive imagination. She evicted the young man, but it would be six years before the authorities would finally bring him in for questioning.

    Dismayed and frustrated, Brown started down a path that would lead to her become a professional criminal profiler, assisting police departments and victims’ families by analyzing both physical and behavioral evidence to make the most scientific determination possible about who committed a crime.

    In The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths Brown tells about what happened with that young man and her journey to becoming a profiler, then she opens a number of other cases she’s worked on, giving the reader a behind-the-scenes look at how profilers work, and how their methods bring new investigative avenues to light. She also brings home very clearly just how many murders go unsolved. It’s an absolutely fascinating read.

    Milk that doesn’t moo

    I used to think soy milk was either for the lactose intolerant or hippies. And so I always avoided that milk section of the grocery store. But, having embarked on a new way of eating that I’ll explain in another column, I was induced to approach the alternative milk shelves. I purchased a carton of soy milk, but then I saw cartons of something even more strange: almond milk.

    Puzzling. I knew, of course, that almonds did not have udders. So nobody was out there hooking them up to tiny milking machines. And they were nuts, so it’s not like you can squeeze them to make them release their tasty juices. Instead, I learned that almond milk is made by finely grinding almonds together with water. I thought this was something new, invented perhaps by a Californian who’d had too much weed, but it appears many Medieval European recipes called for almond milk, and it has always been a popular beverage in the Middle East. So almond milk has been around for some time.

    But I didn’t know any of this. I just knew I loved almonds and that they provide all sorts of goodies for the human body. Besides, I have a hard time resisting adventures. So along with the soy, I picked up a carton of Silk’s PureAlmond regular, vanilla, and chocolate milk.

    The soy was okay, but it left a weird zingy taste in my mouth. Furthermore, soy contains estrogen. I’m sure it’s a fine product, but I live with four daughters and don’t need any more estrogen. And I certainly don’t need it mutating me in any, um, feminine ways. So I put the soy aside and gave the almond milk a go.

    It was delicious. I love the vanilla and regular flavors the best. In fact, I like it so much I only drink cow’s milk when the last drop of almond milk is gone, and I try to make sure that never happens. Some might worry that I’ll deplete my calcium stores, but not so. Almond milk actually has MORE calcium than cow’s milk along with vitamin D that allows the body to absorb the mineral. It also has 50% of the RDA of vitamin E, of which cow’s milk has none. But that’s all technical vitaminy stuff. It wouldn’t matter if the milk itself didn’t taste so dang good.

    The American breakfast

    I love cereal. We have our standard favorites as a family, but I also like to get a box of something new when we shop. I recently saw, perched up on the top shelf at Wal-Mart, boxes of  Uncle Sam.

    What the heck? Was this a Tea Party product? I know Utah is conservative, but come on. And what kind of nut sings “The Stars and Stripes” for breakfast?

    Well, I might.

    So I promptly snagged a box and read that it’s been around since 1908, thus making it politically neutral. Then I read the ingredients. It’s a simple cereal made of wheat berries that are steamed, rolled, and toasted to provide killer whole grain nutrition. Those wheat flakes are then mixed with flax seeds (omega 3’s anyone?). That’s it.

    I purchased a box, felt patriotic, and then gave it a try when we got home. I’ve been buying it regularly ever since. It’s slammed with 10 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein, and goes great with Silk’s vanilla almond milk and a piece of fruit.

    Share

  • Good Stuff! Some Calm on the Climate

    ByJohn Brown

    Is the sky falling?

    When we politicize science it sure seems that way.

    For example, a while back I reviewed The Big Fat Surprise by Nina Teicholz. What she found in her research about fat and sugar was that we followed the exact wrong diet path over the last 40 years by (1) rushing to judgment on the science in a field that was tricky and (2) politicizing it. This, in turn, affected the science. And not in a good way. Here’s a quote from the book.

    “Once ideas about fat and cholesterol became adopted by official institutions, even prominent experts in the field found it nearly impossible to challenge them. One of the twentieth century’s most revered nutrition scientists, the organic chemist David Krivtchesky, discovered this thirty years ago when on a panel of the National Academy of Sciences, he suggested loosening the restriction on dietary fat. “We were jumped on!” he told me. “People would spit on us!…they were so angry that we were going against the suggestions of the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health”

    “This kind of reaction met all experts who criticized the prevailing view on dietary fat, effectively silencing any opposition. Researchers who persisted in their challenges found themselves cut off from grants, unable to rise in their professional societies, without invitations to serve on expert panels, and at a loss to find scientific journals that would publish their papers. As a result, for many years the public has been presented with the appearance of a uniform scientific consensus on the subject of fat, especially saturated fat, but this outward unanimity was only made possible because opposing views were pushed aside.”

    For the rest of us, the result has been the highest obesity and diabetes rates we’ve ever seen. And it seems to me that we’ve been doing this same thing with climate science.

    Instead of vigorous and spirited debate and research, we’re rushing to judgment and politicizing it. The media, non-climate scientists, activists, politicians, and others have turned it into a religious eco frenzy. And so we end up with people like Bill Nye the science guy (who was a mechanical engineer and then TV host for a children’s science program, not a climate scientist) suggesting that “climate deniers” go to prison.

    Prison?

    I think Bill had a bad dream about Nazi Germany, socialist Russia, or ISIS.

    We all want clean air and water. We all want awesome rivers and lakes. We all want good science. Is it possible to remove the politics and frenzy so we don’t go off into the weeds again? I don’t know. But I did find these short videos helpful. If you’re interested in the climate, I think you’ll enjoy them.

    In the first one, Richard Lindzen, an MIT atmospheric physicist, addresses the politicization.

    In the one, Will Happer, emeritus professor of physics at Princeton University,  addresses whether we can actually accurately predict the climate.

    This one by Patrick Moore, an ecologist and one of the founders of Greenpeace who subsequently left the organization because of its anti-science activism, explains why CO2 is actually awesome.

    In this one Moore gives more details and argues that maybe we need more CO2.

    In this one, Bjorn Lomborg argues against climate alarmism. Of course, Lomborg isn’t a climate scientist. However, if his facts are correct, then he asks an important question.

    The other thing to ask is so what? So let’s say the seas rise a bit and it gets a bit warmer. We might lose some beach front properties over a number of years. That’s not new. It might accelerate and reach farther inland. Okay. But nobody is going to die. They’ll just rebuilt somewhere else.

    So let’s avoid prison and climate pogroms and disastrous dashes off into public policy like we did with fat and sugar. Let’s simply support our scientists in doing what they do best. Let’s promote a vigorous search for more insight.

    Notes

    Share

  • Blindingly white and female!

    ByJohn Brown

    MaryLeonhardt_KeepingKidsReadingThe Guardian just published a report of a survey taken of 34 American book publishers and found that 79% of staff are white and 78% female. Or as The Guardian put it “blindingly white and female” as if it’s some kind of horror show.  The rest of the article bemoans the lack of diversity in publishing and our society in general and quotes the author of the study suggesting that these percentages should be monitored.

    Is anyone up in arms about appropriate diversity percentages in the NBA or NFL?

    Some might roll their eyes and ask me not to trot out that old chestnut. But it’s not a chestnut. It’s a point–nobody cares, me included. So why care about this? Many industries will be skewed toward one gender or race than another. As long as everyone has free opportunity to compete, who gives a flip?

    Maybe that still doesn’t satisfy. Okay, how about this. According to Humanites Indicators, approximately 70% of degrees in English language and literature in America are awarded to…women. And about 82% are awarded to Whites. I’m assuming these percentages are probably pretty good indicators for the gender and race of folks interested in working at publishing companies.

    If so, the survey results don’t reflect some white woman conspiracy at these publishing houses. They simply reflect the choices people make in college.

    By the way, did you know the United States is still 72% White and European. So it’s not surprising to see roughly that many Whites in these jobs. The numbers might be a little high, but minorities seem to be pursuing other degrees in greater numbers (compare the overall percentages here versus those with ELL degrees).

    This is not to say that we don’t want to welcome authors from all different background. We do. But if you want more men and more minorities, then maybe instead of monitoring publishers, you ought to start by seeing if you can attract more men and minorities to ELL degrees.

    Or even better yet, how about reaching out to more boys and minorities at an earlier age and helping them learn the delights of reading and writing? Maybe if they like it, more of them will go into it as a career.

    The best program I’ve seen for helping kids learn to love reading is the one Mary Leonhardt outlines in Keeping Kids Reading: How to Raise Avid Readers in the Video Age. It’s the culmination of the insights she gained over her thirty-five years teaching high school English and focusing on helping kids learn to LOVE reading. What an excellent book!

    Oh, and one other idea. It might be effective to maybe just skip publishers altogether and help folks go directly to readers as indie writers. Amazon’s algorithms are pretty much race- and gender-blind.

    Share

  • Top 200 Juvenile Novels of 2010

    ByJohn Brown

    Two weeks ago I published the top 200 novels and authors of YA fiction. As I stated then, looking at bestselling novels only gives one view into what readers are enjoying. Looking at library circulation gives another view that complements sales. These rankings are based on the circulation (number of times the book was checked out) at the Logan Utah Libarary which serves a community of over 100,000 residents. 

    This week I present to you the top 200 Juvenile (these are mostly middle grade) novels of 2010. These are from the 5,377 different titles that were checked out. I can’t claim these lists show what’s most popular nationally. I’m confident the libraries in each region of the nation will have lists that vary a little or a lot from these. However, this does show what’s being read in this neck of the woods. Furthermore, all of these should be great reads for middle graders, teens, and adults.  

    As before, the list features a lot of authors who live in Utah or have ties to Utah. The number of titles are in ( ).

    • Obert Skye (8)
    • Brandon Mull (6)
    • James Dashner (3)
    • J. Scott Savage (2)
    • Matthew Buckley (1)

    I’m surprise at just how much these folks dominate this list. They’re rock stars! If I’ve missed anyone, let me know. For the previous lists, see these links:

    And now, the top 200 Juvenile Novels of 2010.

    The List

    Title Total % Rank
    Fablehaven book 5 : Keys to the Demon Prison / Brandon Mull* 319 0.98% 1
    Diary of a wimpy kid : dog days/  Jeff Kinney 261 0.80% 2
    Diary of a wimpy kid : Greg Heffley’s journal /  Jeff Kinney 239 0.74% 3
    Fablehaven / Brandon Mull* 236 0.73% 4
    Diary of a wimpy kid : Rodrick rules /  Jeff Kinney 235 0.72% 5
    Fablehaven Book 4 : Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary / Brandon Mull* 226 0.70% 6
    Diary of a wimpy kid : the last straw /  Jeff Kinney 217 0.67% 7
    Fablehaven Book 3 : Grip of the Shadow Plague / Brandon Mull* 215 0.66% 8
    Fablehaven Book 2 : Rise of the Evening Star / Brandon Mull*  152 0.47% 9
    The candy shop war / Brandon Mull* 139 0.43% 10
    Leven Thumps and the ruins of Alder / Obert Skye* 110 0.34% 11
    Leven Thumps and the gateway to Foo / Obert Skye* 110 0.34% 12
    Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone /  J.K. Rowling  90 0.28% 13
    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets /  J.K. Rowling  86 0.26% 14
    Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban /  J.K. Rowling 85 0.26% 15
    Fairest / Gail Carson Levine 78 0.24% 16
    Charlie Bone and the Red Knight / Jenny Nimmo 78 0.24% 17
    The journal of curious letters / James Dashner*  76 0.23% 18
    Pillage / Obert Skye* 74 0.23% 19
    Leven Thumps and the whispered secret / Obert Skye*  74 0.23% 20
    The hunt for dark infinity / James Dashner* 69 0.21% 21
    The Blade of Shattered Hope / James Dashner* 69 0.21% 22
    The 39 clues. Viper’s nest /  Peter Lerangis 68 0.21% 23
    The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe / C.S. Lewis  67 0.21% 24
    Diary of a wimpy kid : the ugly truth /  Jeff Kinney 67 0.21% 25
    The 39 clues. The maze of bones /  Rick Riordan 67 0.21% 26
    The bad beginning /  Lemony Snicket  66 0.20% 27
    The field guide / Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 64 0.20% 28
    How to train your dragon by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III / Cressida Cowell 62 0.19% 29
    The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance / Glenn Dakin  62 0.19% 30
    The tales of Beedle the Bard / J.K. Rowling 61 0.19% 31
    Dragon rider / Cornelia Funke 59 0.18% 32
    Midnight for Charlie Bone / Jenny Nimmo 59 0.18% 33
    Leven Thumps and the eyes of the Want / Obert Skye*  59 0.18% 34
    The 39 clues. One false note / Gordon Korman 58 0.18% 35
    The 39 clues. In too deep /  Jude Watson 58 0.18% 36
    Peter and the Sword of Mercy /  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson  57 0.18% 37
    The 39 clues. The emperor’s code / Gordon Korman 56 0.17% 38
    The reptile room /  Lemony Snicket  55 0.17% 39
    The 39 clues. Storm warning / Linda Sue Park 55 0.17% 40
    Choke / Obert Skye* 55 0.17% 41
    Leven Thumps and the wrath of Ezra / Obert Skye* 54 0.17% 42
    The wide window /  Lemony Snicket  53 0.16% 43
    Gregor the Overlander / Suzanne Collins 53 0.16% 44
    The miserable mill /  Lemony Snicket  52 0.16% 45
    The 39 clues. The sword thief / Peter Lerangis 52 0.16% 46
    Peter & the Starcatchers /  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson 51 0.16% 47
    The 39 clues. Beyond the grave / Jude Watson 51 0.16% 48
    The 39 clues. The black circle / Patrick Carman 51 0.16% 49
    Fantastic Mr. Fox / Roald Dahl  50 0.15% 50
    Into the wild / Erin Hunter 49 0.15% 51
    The city of Ember / Jeanne DuPrau 49 0.15% 52
    The seeing stone / Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 49 0.15% 53
    The witches / Roald Dahl  48 0.15% 54
    The end /  Lemony Snicket  47 0.14% 55
    Charlie and the chocolate factory / Roald Dahl  46 0.14% 56
    Gregor and the prophecy of Bane / Suzanne Collins 46 0.14% 57
    Redwall / Brian Jacques  45 0.14% 58
    Land keep / J. Scott Savage* 45 0.14% 59
    Charlie Bone and the time twister / Jenny Nimmo 45 0.14% 60
    Professor Winsnicker’s book of proper etiquette for well-mannered sycophants / Obert Skye* 45 0.14% 61
    Found /  Sarah Prineas  45 0.14% 62
    The people of Sparks / Jeanne DuPrau 43 0.13% 63
    Beezus and Ramona / Beverly Cleary 42 0.13% 64
    The austere academy /  Lemony Snicket  42 0.13% 65
    39 clues. Into the gauntlet/  Margaret Peterson Haddix 42 0.13% 66
    Lucinda’s secret /  Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 42 0.13% 67
    Ramona’s world / Beverly Cleary  41 0.13% 68
    Midnight / Erin Hunter 41 0.13% 69
    Captain Underpants and the attack of the talking toilets / Dave Pilky 40 0.12% 70
    The penultimate peril /  Lemony Snicket  40 0.12% 71
    The nixie’s song / Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 40 0.12% 72
    The magician’s nephew / C.S. Lewis  39 0.12% 73
    Fading echoes / Erin Hunter 39 0.12% 74
    Charlie Bone and the shadow / Jenny Nimmo 39 0.12% 75
    The capture /  Kathryn Lasky 39 0.12% 76
    The fairy-tale detectives / Michael Buckley 39 0.12% 77
    The inside story / Michael Buckley  39 0.12% 78
    Gregor and the curse of the warmbloods /  Suzanne Collins 39 0.12% 79
    The mouse and the motorcycle / Beverly Cleary 38 0.12% 80
    The wide-awake princess / E.D. Baker 38 0.12% 81
    Ella enchanted / Gail Carson Levine 38 0.12% 82
    Water keep / J. Scott Savage* 38 0.12% 83
    Little house in the big woods / Laura Ingalls Wilder 38 0.12% 84
    The vile village /  Lemony Snicket  38 0.12% 85
    Prince Caspian : the return to Narnia / C.S. Lewis  37 0.11% 86
    The fourth apprentice / Erin Hunter 37 0.11% 87
    The prophet of Yonwood /  Jeanne DuPrau 37 0.11% 88
    Among the hidden / Margaret Peterson Haddix 37 0.11% 89
    The Wrath of Mulgarath / Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 37 0.11% 90
    The diamond of Darkhold / Jeanne DuPrau 36 0.11% 91
    The ersatz elevator /  Lemony Snicket  36 0.11% 92
    Rani in the Mermaid Lagoon /  36 0.11% 93
    Gregor and the Code of Claw / Suzanne Collins 36 0.11% 94
    The Ironwood tree / Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 36 0.11% 95
    The Sable Quean / Brian Jacques  35 0.11% 96
    Fire star / Chris d’Lacey 35 0.11% 97
    Bluestar’s prophecy / Erin Hunter 35 0.11% 98
    Gregor and the marks of secret /  Suzanne Collins 35 0.11% 99
    How to speak dragonese by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III / Cressida Cowell 34 0.10% 100
    Charlotte’s web /  E. B. White. Pictures by Garth Williams 34 0.10% 101
    The grim grotto /  Lemony Snicket  34 0.10% 102
    The Everafter War / Michael Buckley  34 0.10% 103
    The Dark Hills divide / Patrick Carman 34 0.10% 104
    Magic thief /  Sarah Prineas  34 0.10% 105
    Forest of secrets / Erin Hunter 33 0.10% 106
    Found / Margaret Peterson Haddix 33 0.10% 107
    Chickens in the headlights ; a novel / Matthew Buckley* 33 0.10% 108
    In the realm of the Never Fairies / Monique Peterson 33 0.10% 109
    The Thief Lord / Cornelia Funke  32 0.10% 110
    The last wilderness / Erin Hunter 32 0.10% 111
    Charlie Bone and the invisible boy / Jenny Nimmo 32 0.10% 112
    Tunnels / Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams 32 0.10% 113
    Ramona the brave / Beverly Cleary 32 0.10% 114
    How to be a pirate by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III / Cressida Cowell 31 0.10% 115
    Captain Underpants and the wrath of the wicked Wedgie Woman / Dave Pilky 31 0.10% 116
    Fire in the sky /  Erin Hunter 31 0.10% 117
    Charlie Bone and the castle of mirrors / Jenny Nimmo 31 0.10% 118
    Little house on the prairie /  Laura Ingalls Wilder  31 0.10% 119
    The slippery slope /  Lemony Snicket  31 0.10% 120
    The wyrm king / Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black 31 0.10% 121
    The fire within / Chris D’Lacey 30 0.09% 122
    Captain Underpants and the perilous plot of Professor Poopypants / Dave Pilky 30 0.09% 123
    Fire and ice / Erin Hunter 30 0.09% 124
    The princess test / Gail Carson Levine  30 0.09% 125
    A Giant Problem / Holly Black 30 0.09% 126
    Charlie Bone and the beast / Jenny Nimmo 30 0.09% 127
    Dealing with dragons /  Patricia C. Wrede 30 0.09% 128
    Over sea, under stone / Susan Cooper 30 0.09% 129
    How to twist a dragon’s tale / Cressida Cowell 29 0.09% 130
    The adventures of Captain Underpants : an epic novel /  Dav Pilky 29 0.09% 131
    Once upon a curse / E.D. Baker 29 0.09% 132
    Cats of the Clans /  Erin Hunter  29 0.09% 133
    The sight / Erin Hunter 29 0.09% 134
    Moonrise / Erin Hunter 29 0.09% 135
    Charlie Bone and the hidden king / Jenny Nimmo 29 0.09% 136
    The carnivorous carnival /  Lemony Snicket  29 0.09% 137
    The hostile hospital /  Lemony Snicket  29 0.09% 138
    Matilda / Roald Dahl  29 0.09% 139
    The frog princess / E.D. Baker 28 0.09% 140
    Long shadows / Erin Hunter 28 0.09% 141
    The darkest hour / Erin Hunter 28 0.09% 142
    Lanie /  Jane Kurtz  28 0.09% 143
    Wayside School gets a little stranger / Louis Sachar  28 0.09% 144
    Atherton : the house of power /  Patrick Carman 28 0.09% 145
    The dark is rising / Susan Cooper  28 0.09% 146
    Icefire / Chris D’Lacey 27 0.08% 147
    Sunset / Erin Hunter 27 0.08% 148
    Sunrise / Erin Hunter 27 0.08% 149
    Fawn and the mysterious trickster / Laura Driscoll 27 0.08% 150
    The unusual suspects / Michael Buckley  27 0.08% 151
    Charlie and the great glass elevator / Roald Dahl 27 0.08% 152
    The Twits / Roald Dahl  27 0.08% 153
    Ramona Quimby, age 8 / Beverly Cleary  26 0.08% 154
    Peter & the shadow thieves /  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson 26 0.08% 155
    Peter & the secret of Rundoon /  Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson 26 0.08% 156
    Twilight / Erin Hunter 26 0.08% 157
    The quest begins / Erin Hunter 26 0.08% 158
    Dawn / Erin Hunter 26 0.08% 159
    Fairy Haven and the quest for the wand / Gail Carson Levine  26 0.08% 160
    For Biddle’s sake / Gail Carson Levine  26 0.08% 161
    Myka finds her way / Gail Herman 26 0.08% 162
    The Boxcar children / Gertrude Chandler Warner  26 0.08% 163
    Dear Dumb Diary #1: Let’s pretend this never happened / Jim Benton 26 0.08% 164
    Tales of a fourth grade nothing / Judy Blume 26 0.08% 165
    Rosetta’s daring day / Lisa Papademetriou 26 0.08% 166
    Among the enemy / Margaret Peterson Haddix 26 0.08% 167
    Beyond the Valley of Thorns / Patrick Carman 26 0.08% 168
    Dork diaries : tales from a not-so-fabulous life / Rachel Renee  26 0.08% 169
    Where the red fern grows / Wilson Rawls 26 0.08% 170
    Ramona and her father / Beverly Cleary  25 0.08% 171
    Captain Underpants and the big, bad battle of the Bionic Booger / Dave Pilky 25 0.08% 172
    Dragon kiss /  E.D. Baker 25 0.08% 173
    Code of the clans / Erin Hunter  25 0.08% 174
    The two princesses of Bamarre /  Gail Carson Levine 25 0.08% 175
    Silvermist and the ladybug curse / Gail Herman 25 0.08% 176
    Iridessa, lost at sea / Lisa Papademetriou 25 0.08% 177
    Sideways stories from Wayside School /  Louis Sachar  25 0.08% 178
    A long way from Chicago : a novel in stories / Richard Peck 25 0.08% 179
    Island of the giant Pokâemon / adapted by Tracey West 24 0.07% 180
    How to cheat a dragon’s curse / Cressida Cowell 24 0.07% 181
    Firestar’s quest / Erin Hunter 24 0.07% 182
    Fira and the full moon / Gail Herman 24 0.07% 183
    Savvy /  Ingrid Law 24 0.07% 184
    Vidia and the fairy crown / Laura Driscoll 24 0.07% 185
    Sent / Margaret Peterson Haddix 24 0.07% 186
    NERDS : National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society /  Michael Buckley 24 0.07% 187
    Beauty : a retelling of the story of Beauty & the beast /  Robin Mckinley 24 0.07% 188
    The popularity papers / Amy Ignatow 23 0.07% 189
    Ramona forever / Beverly Cleary  23 0.07% 190
    Dark fire / Chris d’Lacey 23 0.07% 191
    The salamander spell /  E.D. Baker 23 0.07% 192
    Outcast / Erin Hunter 23 0.07% 193
    Eclipse / Erin Hunter 23 0.07% 194
    The hound of Rowan / Henry H. Neff 23 0.07% 195
    Erec Rex : the dragon’s eye /  Kaza Kingsley  23 0.07% 196
    Beck beyond the sea / Kimberly Morris 23 0.07% 197
    Prilla and the butterfly lie / Kitty Richards 23 0.07% 198
    Utterly me, Clarice Bean / Lauren Child 23 0.07% 199
    Among the Barons / Margaret Peterson Haddix 23 0.07% 200
    Into the mist / Patrick Carman 23 0.07% 201
    This book is not good for you / Pseudonymous Bosch  23 0.07% 202
    George’s marvelous medicine / Roald Dahl  23 0.07% 203
    A hero’s guide to deadly dragons : the heroic misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III / Cressida Cowell 23 0.07% 204
    Share

4 Comments

  1. Hi John,

    Lots of happenings. Congratulations and wish you good health!

    I checked linked the other day, and waited for the song to start. I think I’d be a nervous wreck in her position, what with entertaining a crowd and what not.

    The lyric IS good….but the voice and probably the style didn’t captivate me. And it got me thinking.

    It’s impossible to please somebody, because everyone has different background. If I loved another singer with similar style, I think my reaction would’ve been different too.

    But the lyric is good.

  2. The voice in the youtube is not good. Nor is the recording. Try the official one from Amazon. I think you’ll like it.

  3. Dear Mr. John,
    I registered in your website especially to comment on this wonderful song
    I didn’t hear it, but the lyrics are very impressive & the story moved my heart
    Difficult in this practical time to find a sincere husband like Wally & a lover wife like Fae, they are a romantic couple disappeared unfortunately from the youth generation, except few young people.

  4. Zahra, you must purchase the 99 cent version from Amazon. 🙂 But the story is indeed touching.

Comments are closed.