Author Archives: James Dennard

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The Stable Song

I had to share a new favorite song (again). I first heard this song several months ago and fell in love with it from the first time I played it. I came back to it a few days ago and It has been on an almost constant loop on my computer and in my head. Every now and then I come across a song that resonates with me in all the right ways. This is one of those special songs. The instrumentation is very minimalistic: a guitar, upright bass, violin, and banjo are the instruments I hear. The song lives in between genres, in my opinion. But it is probably best categorized as folk. And Isakov’s voice is very distinctive and perfect for this song. I believe this will be his signature song, if it isn’t already.

And the story of the song is wonderful. It can be interpreted several different ways, as all good art can. I watched a live version where Isakov says that when he is asked what the song is about, his reply is that it is a poem about everything. But, to me, it is a story of a man who wants to create music that is beautiful in a clean, technical way. He struggles to find his muse and create something that is beautiful in that one narrow definition of beauty. After much struggle, he is unsuccessful and rebels against the whole creative process. He abandons it for a time.

After an undetermined period of time to live and experience life, he comes back and now knows that to create the best art he can, he needs to be true to himself. He learns that there is beauty in imperfection and the dirty stuff of life. I love this song for the music and the artist’s voice. But the lesson is one that I am in the process of learning. I feel that I have something creative in me that wants to come out. I believe I know the general form, but I am still searching for specifics. So I identify with the person in the song who is struggling in that way. This is one of the main reasons I started this blog. Writing is the focus of my creative efforts, as it is something I have loved to do from a very young age.

Whether you have heard this song or not, if you take a few minutes to listen and follow along with the lyrics below I hope you enjoy.

The Stable Song

remember when our songs where just like prayers.
like gospel hymns that you called in the air.
come down come down sweet reverance,
unto my simple house and ring…
and ring.

ring like silver, ring like gold
ring out those ghosts on the ohio
ring like clear day wedding bells
were we the belly of the beast or the sword that fell…we’ll never tell.

come to me clear and cold on some sea
watch the world spinning waves..like some machine

now i’ve been crazy couldn’t you tell
i threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
now i’m covered up in straw, belly up on the table
well and sang and drank, and passed in the stable.

that tall grass grows high and brown,
well i dragged you straight in the muddy ground
and you sent me back to where i roam
well i cursed and i cried, but now i know…now i know

and i ran back to that hollow again
the moon was just a sliver back then
and i ached for my heart like some tin man
when it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang..its ringing

ring like crazy, ring like hell
turn me back into that wild haired gale
ring like silver, ring like gold
turn these diamonds straight back into coal.

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gregory alan isakov 2013

Wetshaving

From the 007 movie “Skyfall”:
Eve: [watches Bond shave] Cut-throat razor. How very traditional.
James Bond: Well, I like to do some things the old-fashioned way.
Eve: Sometimes the old ways are best.

 

 

Since I was young, I have been interested in men’s grooming. Also, I have been a fan of facial hair since I can remember. My dad wore a mustache for around thirty years, and I still hold out hope that he will grow it back (though I know it is very unlikely). I had to be clean-shaven throughout high school and looked forward to the day that I could experiment with my own facial hair. Since I graduated from high school I have spent more time with some style of facial hair than I have being clean-shaven. I like the look and feel of having facial hair. But I enjoy changing it around. I frequently go from full beard to goatee and mustache and back again depending on my mood.

In order to keep my facial hair looking neat I enjoy using a method of shaving that was most common in my grandfathers’ generation- the double edge razor. I enjoy it because it is better for the environment than the plastic catridges you throw away. It is more economical, as DE blades are much less expensive per shave than cartridges. And lastly, it’s just cool to use a sturdy piece of craftsmanship that my grandfather used than Gillette’s latest and greatest disposable shaving system. The startup cost can seem a bit expensive. But once you get those out of the way, you see the savings. The biggest advantage is you don’t have to keep buying the expensive cartridges. A word of warning: it can become a hobby. Below I have listed examples of the tools of the trade. These are products I use and enjoy. But I have multiples of all of these: razor, blade, brush, soap, cream, aftershave. For me, it is a way to treat myself.

Before getting to the specific tools of the trade I wanted to recommend a website for anyone interested in researching old fashioned wetshaving. The best web forum for anyone interested is http://badgerandblade.com/ You can find all sorts of helpful information and reviews here. Disclaimer: I am a moderator on the site. Also, the downside of getting into this way of shaving is that many of these products must be purchased online. There is limited space on the shelves of physical stores, so they carry what is most commonly used.

As I mentioined earlier, I am ending this post with a few examples of products I use when I shave. What do you all use for shaving? Do any of these products look familiar?

DE razor

Edwin Jagger DE89- this razor is made in England and is a good razor for the beginner or seasoned razor.

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DE blades

Personna Platinum blades- there are many different blades. This is one popular brand that I use.

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Brush

Semogue Owners Club boar hair shaving brush- Brushes most commonly come in boar and badger hair. I prefer boar and this Semogue is my favorite brush.

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Soap/cream

Proraso soap- Proraso is a traditional Italian soft soap that I love to use in the warm weather, as it contains menthol for a cooling affect.

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Aftershave

Pinaud Clubman aftershave splash- This classic American aftershave has been in my cabinet since I started shaving. Every barber who has ever cut my hair has used Clubman in either the splash or talc form following a haircut.

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the perks of being a wallflower

The novel the perks of being a wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, was published in 1999. The movie came out in 2012. I remember the book selling very well from the time I started working at Barnes & Noble in 2000. I don’t remember how quickly, but it made its way onto the summer reading lists of several local schools. After seeing the previews for the film adaptation I finally decide to put it on my reading list.

The first clue that I would enjoy it came when I read a blurb on the back cover comparing it to A Separate Peace and Catcher in the Rye, two books also about young men passing from adolescence to adulthood. I have read these two books many times and enjoyed them. “Wallflower” gives a modern treatment to this popular theme, so it is not for everyone. Charlie, the main character, finds himself in many adult situations during the course of his story, so consider yourself forewarned.

Charlie is a high school freshman, and he struggles with all of the familiar teen problems: fitting in while staying true to yourself, finding love, and so forth. One of the most interesting parts of the book for me is Charlie’s friendship with his English teacher, Mr. Anderson. Anderson recognizes that Charlie has a gift for reading and writing, and challenges him with books that he doesn’t ask the rest of the class to read. The books he reads are mostly classics. I had read several, but some that I have not. Mr. Anderson tries in several conversations to build Charlie up. Anderson sees that Charlie is an exceptional writer, which is why he gives Charlie the extra books to read.

Charlie is different from me in that the people he hangs around with are into parties and the social scene. I was not into all that. But I identify with Charlie’s extreme sentimentality. And, like Charlie, I also tend to listen to people and take everything in that goes on around me. I have a tendency to live in my thoughts and have to make myself aware of it in order to “particpate” more. And unrequited love is something I know very well. All of the girls I had a crush on as a teenager were out of reach for me from a dating standpoint. But I have always had lots of female friends.

One of the things I enjoyed most is the way the story is told. Charlie is writing letters to an anonymous reciever who he believes will appreciate his story. This allows for more of a glimpse inside the main character than if he were telling the events of the story as they happen. As I mentioned earlier, Charlie is an astute observer of the world around him.

I will close with two of my favorite quotes from the book:

Sam: “Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve”.

Patrick: “You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand. You’re a wallflower”. (I think this one is from the movie).

The film is a very good adaptation of the book. I am glad that Chobsky decided to write and direct the film himself so it would be faithful to the book. If coming-of-age stories are something that you typically enjoy, I recommend the book and movie to you. For those of you who have read the book and/or seen the movie, what did you think of them?

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Bookworm

Tell us about the last book you read (Why did you choose it? Would you recommend it?). To go further, write a post based on its subject matter.

For this Daily Prompt idea I wanted to write about one of the last books I read, Why is the Human on Earth? by Mark Ballabon. A friend recently gifted this book to me after describing how much she has enjoyed it since she first read it several years ago. I am fortunate to have a copy, as I believe it is currently out of print. I love this book for many reasons. One reason is that to get the most out of it, you have to actively read it. In my opinion, the best way to read this book is very slowly- thinking about each contemplation after you finish it. Though, I confess, the temptation to hurry through it was great for me because I wanted to see where the author was going to go next.

The book is designed to appeal to different senses and creative preferences. Each chaper is called a contemplation. Each contemplation uses a combination of pictures, poetry, writing, and exercises to help the reader fully explore all the ideas offered by the author. As of this writing, the contemplation that resonates with me the most is the fourth. This contemplation is about contributing and adding to life, which is a very different message from what our culture tells us should be our focus. I have several friendships for which I am very thankful. These friends (and they know who they are as they read this) have given so much of their lives to me, and have made me a better person as a result.

This is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read, and I recommend it to anyone who regularly examines his/her life. I would love to hear the thoughts of anyone who has read it.

The poem connected to contemplation four:

The light softened

the talk eased

the pain of trying to be something else retreated

We sat and looked at each other- softly, kindly

through the yes of no difference

and a longing for peace of mind

One woman, one man

many worlds to discover

many thoughts to feel

many hurts and wonders

to understand

And suddenly

the stillness shone

a ruby light

upon a jewel of knowing

that we could heal each other’s worry

and preying pain

simply through the gift

we gave each other

of listening

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A Fragrant Friendship – Derring-Do – Ineke

My first post for “The Fragrant Man”

James Dennard's avatarThe Fragrant Man

Please welcome James Dennard.
This is his first story for The Fragrant Man.

Guest Post by James Dennard
Fragrance has allowed me to meet some wonderful people. It is often said among the members of the fragrance writing community and within the web forums that the fragrance community contains some of the most intelligent, kind, and generous people you will ever find. I believe this to be true. Also, this niche is filled with outstanding writers. For this last reason I have limited myself to commenting on other fragrance websites, and have not written fragrance reviews myself. But through these conversations about our shared interest, combined with social media, I have made and cultivated some close friendships with people all over the world. One such friend is Brie, of The Fragrant Man.

After commenting on one of her posts I ended up winning a giveaway. This began an email…

View original post 288 more words

“Quiet”

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world”- Mahatma Gandhi

I recently read Quiet by Susan Cain after, quite suddenly, becoming interested in the Introversion/Extroversion comaparison. The first step was following a link to a Jungian personality test a friend had posted on one of the social networking sites. The test identified me as an INFP, which I wrote about in an earlier blog post. Then I remembered another friend mentioning the book online after he read it some time ago. The book sounded interesting to me, so I wrote the author and title down for future reference. I am very glad I read it, because I belive this to be an invaluable book for everyone- introvert and extrovert, alike.

 

In Western culture, the Extrovert has become the ideal personality. But, as Quiet sites, at least one third of the people you know are Introverts. I believe this number to be significantly higher among my family and friends. So, in catering to the extroverted majority, Western society relegates introverts to the sidelines. One of my favorite sections of the book identifies the contributions of Introverts to the world. Among those are: Rosa Parks, Chrles Schultz, Steven Spielberg, Theodore Geisel, Isaac Newton, and J.K. Rowling. And Cain also discusses the fact that the Extrovert Ideal does not exist in Eastern Culture.

 

Another section of the book deals with the idea that a quiet, introverted child needs to be “fixed”. The implication being that a child who is not an Extrovert needs to be changed, because being an Introvert is not good enough. I see this often in my daily experience. Also, it is a popular message from the media. The reality is that Introverts need to be appreciated more for our own personalities and our own way of contributing to society.

 

As I said at the beginning of this review, I believe Quiet to be a book that benefits everyone. Introverts can discover ourselves in its pages. And Extroverts can get some help in understanding how our minds and personalities work. Have you read the book? I welcome your ideas and thoughts about anything in the book, whether I’ve written about it here or not.

quiet_book

 

 

Everyday Beauty

Inspired by my friend, Birgit’s occasonal posts on this subject here are a few examples of hidden beauty I have captured.

Something about this pine cone caught my attention and I like the way this picture turned out.

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I almost left this picture out because it’s out of focus. But the rose is too pretty not to share.

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I walked outside one morning to get the newspaper and glanced up at the sky. This is what I saw and though it was really pretty.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed these as much as I have. As always, I welcome any comments/feedback.

Charitable

You’ve inherited $5 million, with instructions that you must give it all away — but you can choose any organizations you like to be the beneficiaries. Where does the money go?

This was an easy Daily Prompt for me. There are several different causes that are important to me. One such cause is literacy. I have had a lifelong love of books and reading. It saddens me to read statistics on how many people cannot read. But the main cause that comes to mind is the Spina Bifida Association ( http://www.spinabifidaassociation.org.) I’m sure this is no surprise to a lot of you who know/have read about my physical disability. I want to be the best ambassador/spokesman I can be for Spina Bifida.

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Turn, Turn, Turn

For many of us, winter is blooming into spring, or fall hardening into winter. Which season do you most look forward to?

I can find things I like about every season. I am hot-natured, so the winter is a nice break from the warm weather we have for most of the year. Summer is good for the break from school. Spring is very pretty here as the Cherry Blossoms bloom. But my favorite season is definitely fall.

The excitement of a new school term. Football season beginning (in Europe and America). The air starting to turn cool after the long, hot summer. And all the trees changing colors. Especially the trees changing colors. What season do you most look forward to?

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The Social Networks

Do you feel like you “get” social media, or do you just use it because that’s where your friends and family are?

This is the question posed in the latest WordPress writing prompt blog. I have pages on most of the popular social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn. I find that they are useful for sharing blog posts and sharing and keeping up with life events of family and friends. I would say that I “get” social media. I understand that it’s an easy way to share things online. But I prefer more traditional forms of communication.

I would much rather keep up with family and friends in person, by phone, or mail. Email is also something I enjoy using. But I don’t enjoy sharing the minutia of my daily life online. It seems that so many websites and companies are all too willing to take advantage of all this sharing at the expense of our privacy. If anyone who reads this wants to keep in touch by more traditional means, let me know and I’ll be happy to share my contact information. Also, if you’re not subscribed to my blog, I would love for you to do that 🙂

As somewhat private person (to people I don’t know), I can get overwhelmed from time to time with reading all the things my family and friends are sharing online. As long as I stay on these sites, it is useful for me to take occasional breaks from them. What about you? Are the social networks a useful tool for you?

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