IAT
NEWSLETTER
Winter 2007
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"IT'S ABOUT TIME WE BEGIN IT,
TO TURN THE WORLD AROUND . . . "
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ORGANIZATION INFORMATION
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Co-Founder/Former President - Marcelle Orswell
(notmartha2@yahoo.com)
Co-Founder and Secretary -- Theresa Shea (Tree1A@aol.com)
Co-Founder/Webpage Designer-Sandy Clark (tybrenn@comcast.net)
Co-Presidents -- Ann Schnitz (aerie01@comcast.net)
and
Mary Ledford (eagleshorses@yahoo.com)
Web Site -- -- http://home.comcast.net/~tybrenn/iat/
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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Dear Friends,
Happy 2007, everyone! I hope all of you had peaceful holidays and are not suffering too terribly from the freaky weather patterns that we've been having lately all over the world. Here in eastern Pennsylvania, it's been unseasonably warm. We got our first snow last night, and even that was only an inch. But we usually get our snow in the late winter/early spring (Mexico, anyone ;-) ) anyway, so I expect we'll soon have more than we know what to do with!
Thanks to everyone who participated in this season's newsletter by sending in their favorite song. It was quite moving to read your personal stories and to know how richly John's music lives for you. Now it can be revealed – my favorite song has been "The Eagle and the Hawk" for nigh on 33 years. I can remember exactly who I was with and where I was the first time I ever heard it, in fact. I was already crazy about "Rocky Mountain High", which I'd first heard on John's "Bighorn!" special, but when I bought his Greatest Hits album and heard "Eagle...", I was completely hooked. It still continues to thrill me, all these years later, and has been a source of inspiration throughout my life. So once again, thank you for your contributions, one and all, and be prepared – I'll be sending another prompt for JD stories/remembrances shortly for the Spring newsletter.
My heart to yours,
Ann
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QUOTE OF THE MONTH
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"There are no passengers on spaceship earth.
We are all crew."
~ Marshall McLuhan
(thanks to Kathy Lill [denver@southwind.net]for this month's quote)
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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February 9, 2007 * Voorhees, NJ - "Moving Forward: A Concert of Hope" by Christopher Westfall at the Hope United Methodist Church / 700 Cooper Road / Tickets $12 in
advance or $15 at the door. (856) 753-7355
March 3, 2007 New York City - Carnegie Hall "Three Artists, Three Instruments, One Evening at Carnegie Hall" - Pete Huttlinger, Chris Nole and Mollie Weaver http://www.petehuttlinger.com
March 3, 2007 - UK - Concert by Neil & Gill Sharman "10 Years On - Remembering John Denver" at Ossett Town Hall, Wakefield, West Yorkshire 7:30pm http://www.timberwolf-studios.com
March 4, 2007 * Palm Desert, CA * Judy Lunn sings a Tribute to John Denver 2:00pm / 73-300 Fred Waring Drive / Admission is free but seating is limited. Call the Palm Desert Library 760-346-6552 x253 to reserve your seat. http://www.judylunn.com
April 28, 2007 * UK * In Concert: "Nickels & Dimes" from Holland at Walton Village Hall, Walton on the Hill, Stafford 7:30pm Tickets: L10 (including light refreshments) For tickets please send a sae and a cheque made payable to R. Gwilt to 29 Oldcroft Road, Walton on the Hill, Stafford ST17 OLS * < info@nickels-and-dimes.com > http://www.nickels-and-dimes.com
May 4-5, 2007 * UK * Pete Huttlinger, Mack Bailey & Chris Nole in a 2-night special John Denver Tribute / Tickets: Check or cash to Jackie Freeman, Feet First, 53 High St., Stokesley, North Yorks, TS9 5AD include SAE Venue is Kirkby Church Hall, Kirkby in Cleveland, North Yorkshire (Near Stokesley) Info: 01642 713575 or 714061
August 18, 2007 * Estes Park, CO * Fourth Annual Estes Park John Denver Tribute Concert / Estes Park Fair Grounds / Fiddlin' Foresters 5:30pm / Brad and Kathy Fitch and the TropiCowboy Band 7:00pm $15 in advance $20 at the door Children 10 and under free http://www.cowboybrad.com
Weekends - Every Friday & Saturday - Branson, MO * "John Denver Lives" - Dinner 5:00pm & performance 5:30pm-6:30pm $24.95 Hillbilly Inn & Dinner Theatre / Hillbilly Inn Motel / 1166 West Highway 76 / Branson, MO 65616 info@hillbillyinn.com * 1-800-535-0739 www.johndenverlives.com * rodphil549@aol.com
(thanks to Emily Parris and the Rocky Mountain High newsletter for many of these dates; thanks too, to Karen Tupek for keeping us up to date with Mack Bailey’s schedule, Judy Therrien for information on Chris Westfall’s engagements, and Deb Sanderson for news of events in California)
REMINDER::: The John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth is available for all JD-related events. Please email peaceclothinfo@yahoogroups.com for more information, or see our website at www.johndenverpeacecloth.com
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LETTERS & POEMS
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Concert and Event Reviews....
Chris Westfall Christmas Concert
(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com)
My family and I had the pleasure to meet with and hear Chris Westfall sing live at the Neshanic Reformed Church in Neshanic, New Jersey at his "Sounds of the Season: A Celebration in Song" 2-hour concert on Dec. 2nd, 2006. Monies raised from the concert and from a silent auction and baked goods sale held during intermission were donated to a parish family who tragically lost their house and everything in it last September due to a fire.
Chris held the audience's attention with his beautiful voice singing to a full church a medley of songs from his CDs - "I'm Coming Home", "We'll Be There By Morning", plus John Denver songs - "Sweet Surrender", "My Sweet Lady", and Christmas carols - "Oh Holy Night", Walking In A Winter Wonderland" - to name a few.
Amid amusing and personal anecdotes of his own life and experiences between songs, his rich and powerful voice was accompanied by his skillful playing of 4 guitars and an electric piano/organ. Chris welcomed and encouraged audience participation at times during the concert, and we all enjoyed singing along and being a part of this musical entertainment!
I understand Chris Westfall had an awesome year in 2006 with his singer/songwriter endeavors and was able to share his music internationally as well. He's "on (his) way"!
This concert was an early Christmas present from Chris to me and to all who attended - for Chris Westfall is a treasure and the concert was pure magic!
***
Friends:
The 9th Annual John Denver Memorial Beach Cleanup and Candlelight Tribute went very well, indeed! The weather cooperated by providing a brilliant fall day, with light winds and a lot of sunshine. The water was a deep blue, the sky was clear, and about 25 of us gathered there on John Denver Beach to pick up trash and celebrate life and living.
The beach is about half the size it was 9 years ago, due to wave action and erosion, so there was less beach to clean than usual. It was also high tide, and a full moon, so the tide was higher than usual as well.
Folks brought their lunches out to the beach and we listened to John Denver music while we chatted and got caught up with each other during the afternoon after the cleanup. George Schumer, Dave Singletary and Hochima Treppa led the singalong, with Dave Tyler on mandolin and Judy Therrien with her Taylor guitar. George led us in some songs at the start of the candlelight tribute (although we've realized that "candlelight" and the beach breezes do not cooperate, so we now have a "virtual candlelight" tribute). Dave, Hochima and George read campfire letters, and both Leslie Newman and Helaine Clark got up to speak about what the day and this gathering mean to them.
Pilot Phil Bailey did a flyover in his Grumman Tiger, with 3 passengers - Bear, Val Nestrick and Becky Barber. He did a number of low passes over the beach, and rocked his wings in a single plane salute to John Denver. The folks on the beach yelled and waved back.
We gathered into a circle, listened to The Wings That Fly Us Home, and another year and anniversary tribute concluded. Those who could stay went over to Gianni's on Lighthouse for a late dinner and a last round of goodbyes.
We were able to raise $200 for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Windstar Land Conservancy through donations and the sale of a few t-shirts. We already have the application for next year into the city, and we have the second Sunday in October reserved for next year's event.
This annual gathering is truly a family event. Over the last 9 years we've grown to know each other, we've celebrated each others' triumphs, cried together over losses, and have broken bread together there at the beach, and at Gianni's afterwards (pizza counts as bread, I'm sure). This annual family reunion is an important part of my life now, and I wouldn't miss it for the world! Each year, no matter how difficult things have been at work or elsewhere in my life, this event brings me back to center, brings me home, and reminds me of what is truly important: Love, positive action for the greater good, and remembering that we're all connected through John Denver's music.
Many thanks to all who participated in the cleanup and tribute, both old friends and new. We hope to see you all there in Pacific Grove next year!
Peace, Love and Understanding
John Denver: The Legacy Continues...
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My Favorite John Denver song is....
John's music has meant something different to me at different times in my life. When I was a child of 13, back in 1968 and i would go to my girlfriend's house, her older sister would play her Peter, Paul, and Mary Albums over and over. As I would hear these albums play, my ears would perk up to the songs "LEAVING ON A JET PLANE" and "FOR BABY (FOR BOBBIE)". I was so moved by these two songs that I went out to purchase the P, P, & M albums just for these songs, whose credit on the album was given to the songwriter, Henry John Deutchendorf, Jr. Little did I know that years later, this same artist would continue to impact my life with his music. I will always have a special place in my heart's memory for those first songs. They are what introduced me to John's music. "LEAVING ON A JET PLANE" also became the first song I learned to play on my guitar.
Another of John's songs that means a lot to me is "FLY AWAY". For many years I was in a very unhappy marriage. I felt trapped, yet dreamed of leaving....of flying away. "FLY AWAY' was my escape song. Years later, while going through a divorce, John's music gave me comfort. I listed to John's own autobiographical love history through his songs. I was able to relate tot he pain of separation, uncertaintly and divorce as I listened to "SEASONS OF THE HEART". When I finally found love again, I shared John's sentiment in his verses of "LOVE AGAIN".
My ultimate favorite though, is "ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH". It was clearly present in my trip out to Aspen, in October 1998, when I attended the first Memorial Tribute to John. The memories this song invokes are bittersweet. The trip was one that I will never forget....the sight of John's mountains, traveling with my newfound John Denver friends, meeting John Denver fans from around the world, meeting John's family, sharing his music and memories, and the sadness that he is physically no longer with us.
Terri Donahue/NY
***
..."Sweet Surrender". There's a spot in the Bible that quotes Jesus as saying something like...the birds don't ask for clothing and yet they are arrayed in beautiful feathers that keep them warm...all the animals are given what they need without asking, why do men think the Father will not take equal or better care of them?
It is so hard to have that kind of faith....in the Creator, in the world, even in those you love or in your own abilities. But when you are able to let go as John describes in this song....THAT'S LIVING. And that is what was my biggest attraction to John...his unbelievable ability to enjoy living life to its fullest on bad days and good days. AND that's what I truly want to learn from his life and his music.
Pat S.
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I have so many favorite songs I don't know where to begin, but I'm going to say TODAY "Singing Skies and Dancing Waters." The title itself says so much to me. The fact that we are blessed to live within the joy, passion, life-force of nature is such a gift to us. To look up as I did two nights ago to see a sky that was truly the most beautiful rose color I had ever seen was a joy. It was absolutely singing and it made me want to sing. I wondered how many people looked up to see this beauty that surrounds us daily as we rush around, angry at the world events, at others, at ourselves, sad and distressed. And of course for me the water, whether in the tiniest of rivulets or the mighty ocean is always dancing, rejoicing in being.
And without doing a line by line explication because I don't have all the lyrics in front of me and to make it short, John says in this song that our Love can always be seen in these simple yet awesome things around us and in each other. Yes, as the song reminds us by John singing first about the personal and then the universal, that the years roll on--"we can't remember when," but "Love is still waiting for [us]." We get lost in our own mundane experiences. We think "nothing is new," and we forget about the Beloved. We think we lost her, him, It, that we are sinners, selfish, and don't deserve It, that we are not beautiful enough, rich enough, smart enough, that we are all alone, although all we need do is Remember that we can see it in "Singing Skies and Dancing Waters, Laughing Children Growing Old, and in the Heart and in the Spirit, and in the Truth when it is tol d"--that It surrounds us and all we need do is notice-- to Remember--and partake of It to renew our spirits and lives. It is in us and we are in It. Everything is, in fact, constantly new and renewed. It is such a moving, beautiful song.
So on this New Year's Day remember that Love is in your heart to savor, to give, to enjoy and that this Love is reflected in everything around you. Remember too, that while it is ours to cherish--this Temple, this World--it is also ours to preserve--the Spirit made manifest in all things--we as stewards to love and protect Life Itself.
Blessings for 2007,
Judith Gabriel
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I love the song, Since You Opened My Eyes. I found this album in an antique mall, in mint condition. I played it, and fell in love with it. I had never heard it before, and it came into my life at the time my son was going to be married. It reminds me of not just what my husband and I have been through over the years, but what my son and his wife encountered while engaged with problems to overcome. In fact, their wedding almost didn't happen. They are both in the army, and he was injured during basic training. His back is fractured and will take time in healing. We're not sure if he gets to stay in the army or not, until after the first of the year. He came home for Christmas, and they were wed two days after. It was a rushed and somewhat planned wedding, that was a beautiful ceremony. John's music makes it easy for me to make the adjustment of my only son, now being a married man. I sure miss John and his music. Thanks for letting me share my story.
Theresa Workman
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It’s amazing how you can find so many personal memories tucked away in John Denver’s songs. My favorite by far is “Country Girl in Paris”.
The summer before we met and fell in love, my wife Carole vacationed in Europe. In Rome she saw the Roman Ruins, Spanish Steps and the Seven Hills (but that’s another song). In Paris she viewed the Eiffel Tower, experienced moonlight on the Seine, observed the artists at Montmartre and strolled down the Champs Elysees. Carole often shares these memories with me but they take on an even more special meaning because of John’s song.
You may ask about Nashville. Well, during the first year of our marriage Carole accompanied me on a business trip to Tullahoma, Tennessee (30 minutes south). One night we drove to Nashville for dinner and wouldn’t you know it was raining – just like in John’s song.
John Denver shared his life with all of us and through his music deepens ours.
Rich Romanowski
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My favorite John Denver song changes during different phases of my life. When I was a small child I would listen to "It Makes Me Giggle" while sitting under the dining room table. My parents had to ask me to stop "singing" along so loud, as I was really yelling the words at the top of my lungs! (I am sure even the neighbors could hear me!)
Next I listened to "Grandma's Feather Bed" about a million times and memorized the words, especially on long road trips when I was a pre-teen.
During high school I related to "To The Wild Country" and even wrote a music report on it. I was longing for a more simple, easy way of living and feeling stuck.
"Calypso" spoke to me in college, dreaming of travel when I was stuck in a cold place studying cold books, with a generally cold boyfriend.
On my cross-country trip to Idaho from Ohio, I drove Big Sky country and while crossing Montana I listened to "Wild Montana Skies" about 50 times.
After my move to California, I listened to "City Of New Orleans" while driving to work each morning, I guess feeling the same sense of travel and watching so many things passing by.
Right now I am drawn to "Sweet Surrender," finally beginning to feel that I am in the right space and place for me.
I wonder what is next!
Annalisa Berns
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I've been a fan of John and his music for many, many years. Jim and I were married for the second time only a week before John was killed. We played 'For You', 'The Flower That Shattered the Stone' and 'Annie's Song' during our wedding service. We were on our honeymoon when he died.
Two months after our wedding day we were looking for a small farm to purchase where we could build our retirement house. We were driving around the countryside looking at farms that were for sale while John's songs were playing randomly on the CD car player from a CD I had made myself from lots of his songs. We drove into a farm we particularly liked, were trying to decide whether to say 'yes' or 'no' to the purchase when over the radio came the song..."Back Home Again"...and the words:
"Hey, it's good to be back home again.
Sometimes this old farm feels like a long lost friend.
Yes, and hey, it's good to be back home again."
.made us both stop and look at one another. We decided John was trying to tell us something.....
We bought the farm, called it 'Starwood' and my husband has built a beautiful home for us for our retirement. We both dearly love the farm as do our children and now grandchildren.
These words of John's from the song....'It's the little things that make a house a home.
Like a fire softly burning and supper on the stove, the light in your eyes that makes me warm.'
..are all about our little farm called 'Starwood'.
As you can guess 'Back Home Again' has very special meaning for us both...we may not have bought the farm had that song not come on the CD at that precise time!!!!Wow....it still gives me 'goosebumps'!!
Wishes..Barb
***
I have so many favorite John Denver songs - among them "Whispering Jesse" from which my email address was derived. Why, you may ask! Although the song, I believe, is a retrospect on life, when I first heard John sing "I sleep in the city now, away from my mountains(the Rockies)", I was touched and felt so sorry for John, I adopted the song title as my internet personna!
However, the song that is most meaningful to me is "The Wings That Fly Us Home" from my favorite album, "Spirit". One of the messages this song conveys is we are all one - "Is a hero's blood more righteous than a hobo's sip of wine?","...in the brotherhood of creatures...", etc.- an ideal to which I have learned greater respect for all life forms - I am now involved in more causes like Defenders of Wildlife, Savedarfur.org.,etc.
The lyrics "...you knelt and touched me with a flower. I awoke with this a flower in my hand" have deep personal meaning for me. With these words playing through my mind, I felt my Mother and I connecting spiritually when I knelt to place a rose on her grave the day she was buried 3 years ago. It provided for me such comfort, and to this day whenever I hear John sing this song, this precious memory comes to mind.
Lastly, the phrase "...it (the spirit) fills the endless yearnings of the soul" is exactly what John Denver's spirit fills me with in my life - in my yearning to learn through more positive experience to be more than I am and to grow more spiritually - and to that end I will always be greatful and indebted to John Denver.
Thanks for letting me share!
Carole Romanowski
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As my father's side of my family comes from the great state of West Virginia, Take Me Home, Country Roads is a song that has very special meaning to me. I'm usually singing it to myself every time I go back to visit my relatives or when I miss them.
Peter Anderson
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My favorite JD song is The Wings That Fly Us Home. I love the lyrics, especially the line "I know that love is seeing all the infinite in one". I had listened to the song some in my early years as a JD fan, but it wasn't until I went to a Windstar work week that the song really hit me.
It was the first night before dinner, and all 30 or so people were gathered in the dining area, holding hands in a circle. This was the first time that I had really been able to share my love for John's music with others, as I was a closet JD fan and didn't know anyone else who loved his music the way I did.
I was amazed that now here I was, with many others who felt as I did. Someone spoke about how wonderful it was to gather like this, and then the song started playing. It was as if I was hearing it for the first time! With everyone holding hands, listening together, it hit me like a ton of bricks, and I just started crying. We have since used the song in our wedding, at the birth of our children, and I hope to have it at my funeral.
Peace, Lynn Buhlig
***
I have a 'lot' of favorite songs of Johns, but one of them is "To The Wild Country". This song shows the depth of John's connection to nature,
and the depth of his concern for mankind's treatment of the earth. I can imagine how distressed he would be about what's happening with the
environment today, if he were still here. I know he must be concerned about it where he is now, but he no longer feels the pain and distress he
felt while in this life. He was one of the environment's very best friends during his life on earth.
Peace,
Sue
***
I love all of John’s Music, but as you can tell from listening to his work, he wrote certain songs at certain times in his life or what was going on in the world and it all is reflected in his music. So, in the same way I like all of his music because of when the song may have been written and what I was doing at that time in my life and thus the songs become meaningful that way. So, here are two songs I picked and why. The first song is “The Wings That Fly Us Home”, first released on the Spirit album which was for me at the time about 1980/81 when I had just moved to a new town and I was basically starting a new chapter in my life, like I had started a new job and was taking more college classes. When I would come home at night and I felt the world was tough at times I would listen to this Album but this song in particular over and over because it comforted me in a way with the words. It said “Is a hero’s blood more righteous than a hobo’s sip of wine” This told me, though I was struggling at the time, I was just as good as anyone else in the world. And that this whole verse was comforting “I know that love is seeing all the infinite in one” from this I tried to remember to see the best in everyone
And the rest of the song, “In the brotherhood of creatures; who the father, who the son, The vision of your goodness will sustain me through the cold, Take my hand now to remember when you find yourself alone”. It reminded me that no matter how cold the outside world could be, at home, in my den with John’s music I was not alone and together we would get through it, that’s what I head this song saying to me, and know what……….when ever I go through any hard times to this day, this is the song I play.
I am playing it today as my dad is in the hospital fighting bone cancer, its gives me the strength to get through it for and with him.
Theresa Shea
***
I think John used to say his favorite song was whichever one he was working on. Sometimes it seems like my favorite is whichever one I'm listening to. I have so many favorites, for so many reasons - "Flying for Me," that I had played at my own father's funeral, "Dreamland Express," with that wonderful unique guitar lick, "Rocky Mountain High," a song only John could have written and "Whispering Jesse" when he sings it with the whistling that haunts me. I just love "Eagles and Horses." I remember where I was when I first heard it (at a county fair and we could hear John doing his sound check and he sang that song before the concert ever started). I love the music that sounds like hoof beats, and I love this part:
"My body is merely the shell of my soul
But the flesh must be given its due
Like a pony that carries its master back home
Like an old that's tried and been true"
I miss John. :-(
Valerie Nestrick
***
Oh...so many songs to choose from. I love so many, many, many songs. Most of my favorites are from the older ones – my quote in my high school yearbook was from “Looking for Space” - but I have to say “For You” is definitely at the top of my list. My husband and I were married in March of 1989. Several months before the wedding, around Christmas time, we were searching for what would be our wedding song. First dance. You know. All that mushy stuff. I knew it had to be a John Denver song. I looked through all my albums and listened to songs over and over again, but none were “the song.” They just weren’t quite right. Then I was listening to either the radio or television, don’t really recall which, and I heard JD talking about the new song he had written and how it would probably become a wedding song, etc. I listened to the words and started to cry. That was it! I tracked down my future hubby and told him about the song. We bought the CD and we had found our song. We had a folk mass with a guitar player, so we gave him a copy of the song and he figured out the chords and sang it during the mass. He did such a beautiful job! We let the DJ borrow the CD and the first song we danced to as Mr. & Mrs. was “For You.” It’s still our song and both of us get a little misty eyed when we hear it. It will always have a special place in our hearts.
Sandy Clark
***
One of my many favourites, if that is not grammatically incorrect, is The Eagle and the Hawk. It always reminds me of the first time I saw John in concert in 1976 in London. I queued for 4 and a half hours for those tickets, in fact my father was about to call the police when I came home having said I would be about an hour! Of course, there were no cell phones in those days and I wouldn’t have dared to go to a public phone in case I lost my place in the queue. I had a ticket at the very top of the London Palladium theatre, even above the stage lights. He had the orchestra with him and the screen with film and photos behind him. We were up so high, we could only see the bottom half of the screens!
I can still see the film that went with the song and how wonderful his voice was. The orchestral part was fantastic too and seemed to soar with the birds. That night has stayed with me all these years and I remember that I felt like I was flying with the eagles and hawks for days afterwards.
The words are so inspiring “Reach for the heavens and hope for the future and all that we can be, not just who we are”. Always do your best, fulfil your potential, don’t waste what you have been given. What great advice to live your life by.
Happy New Year.
Love
Ruth Finkel
***
My favorite JD song is "Singing Skies and Dancing Waters." - "I'll be with you in singing skies and dancing waters, laughing children growing old. And in the heart and in the spirit, and in the truth when it is told. . . ." I'll never forget awakening to that song in my head a day or so after his passing. It really hit me as a message from him that he would always be around. Kind of transcendentalism-like, yet the lyrics in their entirety really read like a conversation between John and God.
- Becky Barnes Elbert
***
My favorite has always been “Looking For Space”….it was what I played when I was starting a new job or adventure, what I would play if I was upset and what I played over and over when I was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension.
Lana Zinkon
***
All John's songs are my favorites, but "Looking For Space" is very special to me. I heard it first during a difficult time in my life and it has always had a special place in my Heart, and very special meaning for me, as does John....
Linda E
***
My favorite song that John sings is on the Christmas album. The season is upon us now a Christmas Time. Peace on Earth. He didn't write this song but sings with such feeling as only he could.
Christmas Time..a saviour king was born that day, peace on earth...its just a wish that days were young...Merry Christmas little Zaccary...Merry Christmas everyone.
I play this every year and it reminds me of what John wanted in the world.
Peace to you, may you find peace on earth!
Marty
***
Poems, Prayers and Promises. “How Sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care” from one of my fav JD songs; to me it means “to love someone”; children of the world, sweethearts, dear friends, kind old folks. “How right it is to care” means, besides those we love, to think outside the box and love “the earth and all therein.”, treating all reverently, and vote for those who CARE for our earth and CARE that people work towards it having PEACE.
Judy Therrien
***
My favorite song is and has always been "Annie's Song". If I was a song, I would love to be "Annie's Song".
Jochen Michalak
***
The Eagle and the Hawk. I think it is the soaring music, I can feel the birds taking flight. It always makes me want to be outdoors watching for hawks flying overhead and enjoying the beauty of nature.
buster620@aol.com
***
It’s hard to pick one favorite John Denver song. I love his music and never tire of hearing it.
I would have to choose “Annie’s Song”. Whenever I hear John or anyone else sing it, or hear an instrumental version of it, I feel uplifted!
It’s such a beautiful song and will be around for many generations to enjoy.
Kathy Lill
*****
In Other News...
January 1, 2007
It is with great excitement and anticipation that we announce the organization of the Wisconsin Windstar Connection. Our charter was approved by the Windstar Foundation in late August of 2006. Since this group was started by a small grassroots group of people, we have spent some time fine-tuning our mission statement and goals. With this new year we are ready to move into the action phase by welcoming new members who will come with fresh ideas and optimistic energy.
The Windstar Foundation was founded in 1976 by John Denver and Thomas Crum as a global approach to addressing environmental and related global issues. The emphasis has always been on individual action and responsibility. As John Denver said, “It’s not the choice between you or me that will create a healthy future. It’s learning to choose ways of living that make it possible for you and me to live together on a peaceful planet.”
The connection program was created as an action-oriented global network of Windstar members who have accepted responsibility for improving the sustainability of the planet at a local level. The Wisconsin Windstar Connection’s mission statement reflects those core beliefs.
“The Wisconsin Windstar Connection is a family-friendly organization with a mission to inspire people of all ages to act locally, make responsible choices and take direct personal actions to achieve a peaceful and environmentally sustainable future. Through local environmentally-based projects and partnerships, the WWC creates opportunities for individuals and families to learn from each other, while raising environmental awareness.”
We invite you, your family and friends to join the Wisconsin Windstar Connection. Membership is open to any Windstar Foundation member living in Wisconsin or the surrounding area. To become a Windstar Foundation member visit www.wstar.org.
Some goals we have identified include partnering with state-based organizations to help spread environmental education; planning activity-based, educational meetings; either sponsoring or partnering for an annual Earth Day event; hosting an EARTHcamp for area children; and creating a presence in Wisconsin to promote the Windstar Foundation.
Check out our fledgling website at www.wisconsinwindstar.org or please contact the Wisconsin Windstar Connection leader, Renee Wahlen, at 4directions@sbcglobal.net for more information. As John Denver said, “Together we can make a world of difference.”
Wishes for a wonderful, peace-filled new year!
The Wisconsin Windstar Connection
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Poetry...
"Let This Be a Voice..."
(by Carole Romanowski - whispjesse@aol.com)
Dare I venture to propose
About a world we never chose
What John Denver would have said
If he could've seen nine years ahead?
I believe that John would feel
Sorrow for concerns so real
As a new normal most inane
To fear travelling on a plane.
And John would certainly abide
With halting nations' genocide
End the senseless, wasteful slaughter
Grow the world for your son and daughter.
He'd see Katrina, the tsunami
Witness people not living free
He'd speak out on disarmament
Saving children and the innocent.
I write these modest words in tears
For John's left us these nine years
So that leaves me little choice
To humbly "let this be a voice."
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CONSCIOUS CHOICES – TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SAVING $, TIME AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Here's an interesting website, with projects for children to get involved with:
www.people4peace.net/heroes/colorme-d.htm
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WEBSITES OF INTEREST
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None this month
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FOR SALE
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Peace Cloth Items!
Don't forget to check out www.johndenverpeacecloth.com (Peace Cloth Store) for exclusive John Denver items. All proceeds benefit The John Denver Memorial Peace Cloth. We now have a shopping cart to make your purchases easier!
Also -- if you shop online, please visit our virtual mall: www.johndenverpeacecloth.onecause.com -- every sale at a store in the mall returns a donation to the Cloth. The Peace Cloth now has eScrip -- please see our website for more information.
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If you're looking for something special for a special someone, come check out what Wildlife Creations (http://www.geocities.com/wldlifecreation) has to offer!! We have many items relating to John Denver and other items that would make fantastic gifts for people you know and love! Or gift someone who is hard to buy for, something that they will talk about for years! From keychains, snowglobes, t-shirts, potpourri jars and more!!! We're sure you'll find something! And remember, whenever you purchase from Wildlife Creations, you're not only giving a gift to someone you know, but to the Windstar Foundation and also the National Wildlife Federation, in John's memory, for wolf education as all proceeds are given to them. Wildlife Creations is now offering a feature product.
Checkout the website for this month's offering! For more information, you can email us at wldlifecreation@wildmail.com.
In this healing time...
Thank you for helping to make the world
a better place in which to live,
Diana and Susan
Wildlife Creations
http://www.geocities.com/wldlifecreation
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ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
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Defenders Wildlife eNews:
please click here
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NEWSLETTER NEWS
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If you would like to submit articles, news items, stories, poetry, or any other pertinent information to IT'S ABOUT TIME, please e-mail any of the IAT staff. The submission deadline for the next edition is April 19, 2007. Please be sure to include any contact information so that members can e-mail or snail-mail for further details.
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The contents of this newsletter are entirely at the discretion of the "It's About Time" staff. Contributions, as always, are welcomed, although inclusion is not guaranteed. All contributed material may be subject to editing for content and length.
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". . . IT'S ABOUT TIME WE START TO LIVE
IT,
THE FAMILY OF MAN,
IT'S ABOUT TIME
AND IT'S ABOUT CHANGES . . .
AND IT'S ABOUT TIME."
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