Remember Cinco de Mayo this Sunday!

Here's a relic from a couple of years ago.  And the first time here on Whole Phamily you see me, Ms. Rachel Molly Loonin, on video.  As I have expressed many times over, my blog is a combo of a lot of different things.  Here's a glimpse into Stango and Loony's life.  Let me know what you think.

When you post things of your kids they wouldn't appreciate

I like to think of myself as a loving mama.  I love my children and I love so much of what they do.  I respect their privacy but I am also so proud of some of their things.  Naturally, in this day and age I want to share them on the holy grail of the Internet.

For example.  After test-running the following image created by my beloved near-8 year old the Wolfman with our very special kin The Nunever, I made the executive decision to share on Facebook and Twitter.   The Nunever said it must have been one of my proudest mothering moments.  Indeed, I was kvelling.  Did the Wolfman specifically say don't share it?  No.  But if I asked him would he be happy?  Don't think so.

Still, mama's got to take liberties some time...

Nice...it got retweeted by YemBlog!

This is pretty darn good stuff for your typical Phish-loving mama.  Just don't tell the Wolfman about this.  And, if you do, tell him it's the least he can do for his mama who doesn't even celebrate the upcoming Hallmark holiday of Mother's Day.

Classic Tune All Jazzed Up

Growing up, I never heard the name Shlomo Carlebach.  Unknowingly, I knew one of his classic tunes "Veha'er Eineinu."  I think I heard it at a Chassidic Song Festival that my parents took me to in the late '70s.

Stango, my musical husband, raged this tune tonight on the piano.   Not to be missed!

Here is Shlomo singing his tune, just for comparison sake.  My preference is Stango's funkier one.

 

What? Me? Persnikedy?

As I mention from time to time, this isn't a Phish blog, but as a huge fan, I feel compelled to share this wonderful 2 minute clip from a recent interview on CBS Sunday Morning with Phish's lead guitarist, Trey Anastasio.  It shows Trey in such a real way - he loves his fans and that they give him the ability to feel  "openmindness...encouragement to take risks...a desire to go at least a little bit somewhere that is new and unexplored."

As I told the Nunever, the only persnikediness I feel is that I haven't been consulted personally on what I think are great ideas for the band, and that's no joke.

Which leads me to remembering a great lesson I learned this week..."Who is rich?   One who is happy with her lot." -Pirkei Avot

And though I have heard it many times over, the lesson learned is that everyone has a lot, or a portion.  No one will ever have everything.  We all get a portion.  So, perhaps my portion with regard to Phish is simply to enjoy where I am and what I have already experienced with this incredible musical outfit.

Trey Anastasio with CBS Sunday Morning's Anthony Mason     photo courtesy of liveforlivemsic.com

A Couple of Years Behind Schedule

I'll be truthful:  I don't know much about current popular culture.  For whatever reason I decided to finally catch up on the entire 8 years of Entourage, the hit HBO show about life in the Hollywood fast lane.  Putting aside the profanities and sex, I am actually pretty grateful for a lot of the stuff I'm learning from it.  And I'll be ready for the film they're making as a follow-up to the show.  It's been green-lit, so we should hope to expect it soon!

Put aside as well the question that looms through your mind, which is, "Why does Loony really need to poison herself with this meaningless shtuss?"

I don't really feel like defending myself, but first and foremost is all of the music I am hearing for the first time.    From Blind Melon to Jane's Addiction to LL Cool J, I am hearing some familiar tunes but also tons of music that I should know but don't.

With that, I leave you with some Funkadelic circa 1971, which appears at the end of Season 5.  Ya'd think a girl who loves going to see music would know this stuff already.  Think again.  And yet it's never too late to learn new things.  Indeed, I did see Bernie Worrell, an original Funkadelic member, perform a couple of years ago.

me with Bernie Worrell at a Steve Kimock show I think end of December 2011

Mama, I'm Hungry

Here is Stango the other day at the piano, playing "Al HaNisim" which is sung on Purim and Chanukah.  Purim is in less than two weeks, so we're getting ready.  Watch (or, yes you can admit it, skip) till the end when The Wolfman whispers a little thing to me.

Yidl Itzik aka Ed Koch, Of Blessed Memory

Just caught a glimpse of the most over the top Jewish funeral I have witnessed, that of the former mayor of New York City, Ed Koch z'l.  I had the privilege of working a temp job in the late 90s where Mayor Koch was renting some office space, so for a couple of weeks there I saw him come in and out of the office.  He was a great mayor.  I liked him.  The funeral was held at Temple Emanu-El in Manhattan.  I always know it was a shmancy Reform synagogue, and I was happy to see that the rabbi was wearing a kippa.  The irony, though, was that most of the other head-cover bearing men were members of the NYPD.  Not even Bloomberg was wearing one.

And then the casket escort of the synagogue out to the songs "New York, New York" and "Lullaby of Broadway."  As my friend Emily mentioned, it was like a Liza Minnelli concert.  We all joked how we couldn't help think about the Milford Plaza.

I'm glad I was able to catch his name during the memorial prayer.  Baruch Dayan emet to Yidl Itzik.

Stevie, You've Been on my Mind

A bit less than a year ago, I had Stevie Wonder on my mind, and now he's crept back in.  Why didn't I know his funky '70s stuff back in the day?  Stango said it's because I knew his newer stuff in the 80s, Ebony and Ivory and the like.

Now that I know it, I'll stick with the '70s funk.

 

This is from later, but it's got that leftover disco beat from the late 70s





And of course as a Phish loving mama (cuz they cover this tune), I can't forget Boogie On...





If you've gotten this far, here's the inspiration for this blog post title.  Bob, the prophet and poet, yet again saves the day.





Speaking of getting this far, if you're reading this, why not give a shout out and let me know your thoughts.  I feel like Rodney Dangerfield..."I don't get no respect!"  (meaning, I get little feedback and desire it!)

xoxo

Loony

It's a Fruit Rap

Every year around this time I try to find something fun for my children to watch about the birthday of the trees.  Usually  there's nothing great.  Not this year!

With Tu B'Shvat just around the corner this Friday night and Shabbat, you gotta check out this video.  My old friend Elana Greenspan is the talent behind it.  Actually she is my old friend Chana's friend but who's counting.

So cute!

And funny!

This is one great mama doing good things for her family and the world.  Love you Elana!

Only thing to improve is:  Let's see your smiling face, Elana!

Too Jewy For Youie

Really loving the newish neighborhood here in Philly, but I can't get Albert Brooks' line of being "too Jewy" from This is 40 out of my head.

Didn't sit well with me, but hey, that's Hollywood.  Hollywood's just Jewy enough to not be too Jewy.  Just ask good ole uncle Ralph about not being too Jewy.  What Wasp is gonna buy into Lifshitz?  Or wannabe Wasp who hides her Jewyness so well (Yes, Tory, I'm talkin' bout you, sister).

Lest you think I didn't like This is 40, stop right there.  Judd Apatow is basically a genious and I love his writing.  Boy can write.  And of course you might know by now my love for Paul Rudd.  All those years of drooling over Adam Sandler?  Gone?!  Now, finally, ever since I saw him on our honeymoon in Hawaii in 2002, it's all about the positive.  With Adam it was just so much negative.  With Paul, it's all happy and good.

I keep telling Stango that it would be nice to find some more like-minded friends around these parts.  Anybody else too Jewy around here?  The problem is most folks who are too Jewy are just too Jewy.  I'd need you to too earthy, too brainy, too pop culturey, too Gen-Xey, too hippy and still be all good with luxury and Louis.

Ok, if you dig Bottega, that's all good too.








And just because I can, here is the man who I have a very silly Hollywood crush on.  (Yes, I told Stango and he laughed).