Black Feather Forward #10

A Song In Our Hearts!

Let's face it. Everyone has different music tastes. Tyler likes techno type and anything by Linkin Park. Philip likes Japanese and anime music. Zachary likes rock. Spencer enjoys Charlie Puth. My hubby is the number one fan of The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square. (Formerly The Mormon Tabernacle Choir) But even though everyone has their own favorites, we all listen to a wide variety of music throughout our lives. When I want to sing at the top of my lungs, I like to bop to the oldies. When I want to feel mellow and relax I pull out the Anne Murray, Carpenters or Barry Manilow. Disney movie songs and show tunes are another musical genre favorite. 

But I just listened to a little girl sing our national anthem at a baseball game and I was almost brought to tears. She sang with such passion and conviction that I hope her video goes viral. I felt such a great swelling of pride to live in a country where it is possible for a small girl to win a contest and get to perform in front of thousands. I know this country is not perfect. But I am grateful to be blessed to have been born and raised in the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

I am also reminded of all the times I have watched the Olympics during a medal ceremony. It doesn't seem to matter who wins, I get chills when I watch someone stand with reverence and sing their own country's anthem while the tears stream from their eyes. Be proud of where you live and where you are from and do your best to make your world a little bit brighter. Feel free to share the songs that uplift and revive you!

From The Bookcase

There are an awful lot of movies and shows to watch right in your home nowadays. But I think more and more people have remembered that there is another form of entertainment that is easily accessible and inexpensive. There is just nothing that can give you the same feeling as reading a new and wonderfully written book.

And what if you could combine a new book with an RPG game? You can! There are lots of RPG setting books out there but I just read one that was so funny and really kept the feeling of the game while I read it. Pathways of the Receivers was an actual game that the GM, Brian Lane, edited and published. He ran his players through a homebrew tabletop game and the story they created was just so fun, thrilling and so epic that he decided to share it with anyone who wanted to read it. He had me hooked from the Prologue. The book is 520 pages but the print isn't too tiny and it just GOES! I laughed and gasped my way through and fell in love with all of the characters. It was better than listening to a podcast because you could keep going or stop at your own pace, No waiting for the next episode to release. We are always looking for new books to dive into. Please share your favorites with us.

Podcasts Are Still #1

Let's just continue with the review of favorite forms of entertainment. We know you like podcasts because, hey, you are listening to us, right? Besides our RPG podcast, one of my favorite RPG podcasts is World Walkers. For some reason, I couldn't get into Season 1-3. I started with Season 4 and am LOVING it! Pedro the GM has his hands full with the quirkiest cast! Harold is my favorite right now but the rest are sure growing on me. 

Crime podcasts are another of my new found favorite finds. My absolute favorite is Crime Junkie. The hosts are two best friends retelling stories of crime and mystery. Ashley is usually the storyteller while Brit asks the questions we are all thinking when we are thinking of them. They are very enthusiastic about what they do and this podcast is very well done. Other crime podcasts you might enjoy are Case Files True Crime and True Crime Obsessed. (This one can get a little, um, out of control for my tastes) But both are well researched and interesting. Do you have a favorite podcast, besides ours, that you can tell us about? Our ears are open.

It's The Birthday Boy's Birthday

Spencer was a whopping 10 pounds when he was born in July! I think most of that weight was in his head! Spencer is not only our Lovable GM, he is one of our family's three sons. He is the third from the top and second from the bottom. Spencer has been very open about the trials in his life that he deals with on a daily basis. From his Type 1 Diabetes, Celiac Disease, Bipolar and shortness. Yes, the struggle is real for guys under 5'6”! We also tease him about his elbows. I know, weird right? They look like perfectly normal elbows except they can not straighten all the way out. We have never known anyone else with this peculiarity and his doctor has no idea why they are the way they are.

He refers to himself as our “Damn Inconvenience”. His words. Not ours! He has cost us a little more financially than the other kids in the family but he has a uniqueness all his own. Spencer pushes himself the hardest of all of us. He is always on the lookout for a new project or hobby. He loves to try new things and widen his horizons.

When he was little and had to get his blood drawn all the time when he was first diagnosed, he would astound the other patients in the room. He never cried! It was kind of weird but made that part of mothering him a lot easier. He has a great sense of humor and shares it with all of his friends and family. So happy 25th birthday, you big boi! Feel free to wish him a happy birthday too! Or better yet, sing him a birthday dirge!!!!!

See You In August

Enjoy what is left of July and we will see you in August with another new newsletter! We will be celebrating the baby of the podcast's birthday! In the meantime, tell us about your favorite books, movies and podcasts. And happy birthday to everybody whose birthday occurs in July!