JPF Home Page Forums General Messages General Message Forum THINGS YOU LOVE BESIDES SONGWRITING

Thought it might be fun/interesting to list a few things that come to mind and heart quickly that you loooove and equate with extreme happiness besides songwriting (they don't have to be in order of lovability) Is that a word??? It is now

Things that make you smile or take your breath away
Things that make you happy and brighten up your day!

Jesus
Peach Snapple
Full moons
Spaghetti
Swimming
The ocean
Soft breeze on a summer nite
Wildflowers
Corney jokes
Family/friends
Salad
Truth
A great song
My dog
Reading or writing rhymes
JPF

My wife
My kids

Cookies
Classic Movies
Classic TV shows
Old time radio shows
Cooking from scratch
Working outdoors (though I complain a lot)
Fixing things (though I complain a lot)
Working on engines (though I complain a lot)
Cookies
Talking about flying (I don't fly anymore)
NY Times crossword puzzle (Thur. through Sat.)
Fishing with a cast net
Smoking meat
The woods
Cookies
Ice cream
Canning food
Not having a boss (though I'm always broke)
Camping
Animals
Reading
Cookies

GOD
My wife
Our Dogs
Good Friends

All kinds of Music

History

Foreign Films

Building TUBE AMPLIFIERS

BLUES and JAZZ MUSIC TV PROGRAMS

Dance

PHOTOGRAPHY--ESPECIALLY NATURE

That's all I can think of for NOW!

Mackie

Wow,

God, My wife, Photography, shooting pool, playing poker, performing, finding a new artist to inspire me. Learning how to do something new. Travel.

Family, Friends, Life, Laughter, Spending time with my wife, JPF, Travel, Art, Food and Drinks, Meds that make life possible, Books, Learning, Teaching, Sharing, Helping Others and Receiving Help When I Need It, Earning Respect and Receiving It, Adventures, Trying Something New, Creating Something From Scratch, Movies, Photography and revisiting my life in photos to help me remember things I would have otherwise forgotten, Discovering Talent and Introducing that Talent to new people, giving positive recognition to others who deserve it especially if others haven't already, Making a positive difference.

That's a few to start with. = )

Brian

God
seeing my babies happy and smiling
Family
Friends
JPF
writing songs
learning music
breathing
not having any pain and no fever
test results that says nothing is showing up anymore
fishing
walks in the woods
the smell of wood burning in a fireplace
early morining smell of the creek bottoms in the country
smell of an early rain
the feeling of getting off work and knowing you're off a few days

All things to do with nature and wildlife. At the risk of quoting a famous lyric I do feel small beside the ocean and I love it. I love watching thunderstorms (rather than being caught in them), the power of nature.

Astronomy
Learning stuff
Good food
Good company
Travel
Walking
Seeing people smile
Sport in general, playing football (or soccer as some of you guys prefer to call it) in particular.
Comedy – I see humour in the darkest places – for example in the cupboard under the stairs.


PS. Who said I loved songwriting?

I love to listen to music, good food (also cooking it) and lofty conversation, travels, doing things with my wife and daughter, skiing, tennis, horses, running, books and I have a sweet tooth :-)

"Nobody likes writing; everyone likes having written."
-Truman Capote

Things that I love:
my family
my friends
cooking
eating
listening to music
watching movies
reading
taking long walks with my wife

and stuff...

Learning
Teaching
Travelling (I will get to the Himalayas some day!)
Hiking
Sharing with my creative and talented family and friends
Fiber art (mostly knitting and crochet)
My bi weekly mandolin lessons, even when I don't practice enough and am embarrassed
Cooking
Science fiction-both good and bad
Fiction of the more common garden variety

Great thread Lynn - cool to see what others love outside of songwriting.

I love:

Watching my wife live a life of joy and compassion.

When our cats Oliver and Sammy jump up on the bed and butt our heads and paw at our feet.

Being in the mountains or desert after dawn, when the light is changing, and seeing something new revealed with every passing minute.

Studying and researching thermodynamics - a field that provides much of the structure, but few of the details, of the physical world.

Climbing rocks - because it requires technique, exertion and problem solving ability in equal measure.

Producing a good photo - because it requires technical knowledge and creativity in equal measure.

Remembering what concepts caused me difficulty as a student and then planning and delivering my lectures accordingly

The house we live in. Family, living and dining rooms are all combined into one large "great" room - that is painted in a light tone and kept clutter-free. I love feeling of peace I get there - working at the table and looking through the big window at the pond in our back yard.

Making up technical problems for my students - homework, quizzes, exams and projects.

Playing around with a new musical instrument when I don't know what I'm doing.

When I want to do something that scares me and I convince myself to do it.

The pleasure that comes from doing something well.

When nice guys finish first.

Laughing.

Beer.


Scott

HiDee Mz Lynne...ya got me thinkin' this AM, ya did!

Things I Love:

Breathing

Sleeping & Breathing-Heavily with My Wife

Exotic Trees, Bromeliads, Orchids

Parrots

Collecting/Restoring Early Electric Fans

Keepin' In-Touch with the Sons..in Chicago & Montana ..(& Hinting at Grandkids...)

Rare Sundays at the Beach

Usual Sundays at the Fleamarket(s)

Sellin' Stuff

Payin' Bills

Dreamin' of Retirement Someday

Occasionally Doin' As-Little-as-Possible!

Cats
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Tribal drumming
Screaming lead guitars
Killer weed
Asian girls

The smell of Napalm in the morning.

GREAT thread, Lynn!!

Jesus
The Bible
Spending family time
Taking turns with my son trying to count each others' freckles
Friends
Receiving bouquets of Dandelions from my son!!
Reading famous quotes
A good laugh
A good cry
The dusty, earthy smell when it first begins to gently rain (I've always thought it smelled just like a fresh potato pulled up from the ground!)
Star-gazing
Singing
Listening to music
Helping others
My career
Exercise...biking, swimming, going to the gym
Hiking
Camping
Shoes
Perfume
Chips and home-made salsa with habaneros and lots of cilantro!!

Yeah, Roundup works pretty good on kudzu.

I love the feeling I get when a creative idea comes mysteriously and apparently beyond what I know. I feel like it is the closest I ever get God.

I love with all my heart Ann, my daughter who has Down Syndrome. She is so intuitive about what matters and is so emotionally wise I am stunned. She teaches me the definition of unconditional Love. She makes me believe Heaven must exist if the universe has any justice at all. I can measure the character of a man by how he relates to her.

I love science. I love every honest seeker of Truth be they atheist, agnostic, or anything else. I admire those who have the discipline to be rigorous and honest about their quest for knowledge and to have open minds that let them go wherever the facts, and their own intuition, leads them-with courage, without bias, and without flinching.

I love justice. I love this country, how it was founded and what it stands for.

I love children and I will protect them from abuse, neglect and malice to the death if necessary. Nothing is more precious in this world.

and I love a really good song.

To crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of the women!

gotten love the lamentations... songs are written from those!

rock on.
r

He loves us pups:

Ace and Angel

I love this! So many choices and things to love:

God
Family
The study of medicine
The Earth and everything about it
Good music
Seeing or experiencing something for the very first time
Waking up each day
Photography
Scrapbooking
Cooking
And, last but not least, my Granddog, Clifford

I tempted to add Clifford the Snake Charmer to my list

Scott

Well,
It seems everone has taken all the good ones! SO, Groundhog Day, yes that's it. And of course the Seasons. Fall and Football is coming! However, I hate trying to pick out Christmas Presents, don't you? Now that is hard.

Scott, you have no idea what Clifford's been up to lately. He's turned into a hunter, keeping my yard free of armadillos and o'possums. Let's just say his new nickname is "Killer".

The warm breeze stepping from an air conditioned home
The cool A/C when the temp is mighty warm
The sting of the air in the winter's chill
The smile on her face when I bend to her will
The satisfied purr, the "welcome home" lick
The blank stare from my fish
My son's good grades
a bowl of M&M's
And still believing in the power of making a wish

Good friends, Jack Daniels
off-the-bone ham
the first day of vacation
Good friends, some more Jack
Doritos Cool Ranch chips
When she steps in the shower with me
Moonstruck, The Goodbye Girl, You've Got Mail
and Wall-E.

I could go on forever.....
There's plenty to hate
I prefer to Love....

Wife, children, and doggie, though the lads are all grown-up now.
Film Noir (especially for the music listening)
Panera Bread
Visiting JPF daily.
Watching movies in general.
Going for long walks
Sleeping

John

Anything or anybody that doesn't BS me or cause me pain.

LOVE Most Everything!

These are all so interesting! Just goes to show that while we are all musically minded and motivated, we do have other interests and passions apart from songwriting. Some were suprising and some were expected. I was of course shocked that Ben mentioned cookies, I had no idea!!!

Keep em' coming! Enjoying the humor as well.

Ok, I confess. I like that to.

god, family, friends, a good book, listening to music with my eyes closed, writing anything at all, laughing, tickling, a beach sunset, heck any sunset, my kids doing something they thought they couldn't do, all the small little things in life, dipping crusty bread into a hot pot of gravy/sauce, that earthworm smell after a rain storm, bumble bees buzzing around my yellow flowers out front,and on and on and on......

Can you actually 'love' songwriting in the same way as you love your wife/kids etc?

Writing songs drives me mad, I think I only still do it out of sheer bloody-mindedness...or is that a form of 'love'?

Dan

Nothing compares with my love for songwriting...

except: God, Country, Family, Friends and life in general.

I am also fond of a lady with a fantastic sense of humor who hangs out here at JPF quite often... penning lyrics to nearly every post. (Some of them quite exceptional!)

I do not love songwriting.......I just do it.....it is a passion and a compulsion....sometimes it is frustrating..... sometimes joyful.........Yes it is like love.....so I must love it after all.


Amazing how many people put God at the top of the list. Do not want another religious debate but religion and God (if he actually exists)come way way down my list of fav things....if they ever were to get on it in the first place.
In fact they would be near the top of my all time dislikes.

Top of my passions and loves would be my wife, family and friends....performing comes a close second.....there is nothing comes close to the buzz of a performance...even after well over forty years.
Then in no particular order

Lawn Bowls
Good food and beer
listening to good music
Not having a "regular job" I could never go back to a nine to five.
Watching TV..... mainly sport, documentaries and factual progs...I hate soaps and reality TV shows...would never watch them if it was not for my wife and daughter outvoting me on the use of the remote.
recording/mixing music....still have a lot to learn there.
Sadly in this mad hectic life there is little time to devote to the things I really love.....and would want to learn properly.

Things I love beside songwriting.

Well there are plenty of things I love before songwriting, LOL.

1. God. I don't want to get into a debate either. I pray daily for everyone, especially those who don't believe.

2. My wife. As the man at the race said, "I thank God for my Smokin' Hot Wife."

3. My children. My son, my daughter and my grandson make me happy beyond belief.

4. My country. Wonderful, diverse people. A beautiful land built on freedom.

5. Music. I love everything about music. I haven't heard a style I didn't like. I even like banjos...kind of...:)

6. Politics. I still like to learn and read about it but no longer do much talking or writing about it. Too much meanness.

7. Sports. I used to play football and baseball some, still golf every now and then. But I'll watch any sport on tv. Curling, the luge, little league, bowling. I used to follow all the teams and stats, now I just watch games. I'll watch any kind of football, any teams. My faves are the Titans, the Braves, the Cubs, Vanderbilt, U.T., and U.S.A.

8. Shooting. I target shoot, go to the range almost every week. Mostly pistols, but also rifles and smooth bore. Several different calibers, even black powder. My eyesight is not as good as it used to be, but I beat most of the young cops who train at my local range. I enjoy World War Two weapons and police weapons. My family had a lot of Law Enforcement Officers and my son is getting his degree in Criminal Justice, specializing in Homeland Security. I think it might be in the gnes.

9. Recording. I like the tech stuff. I'm not as much into electronics per se, but like signal processing and acoustics. This fits in with number 5 mostly, but I even enjoy sound effects and spoken word. Recording fascinates me.

10. Teaching. I find the best way for me to learn something well is to teach it to someone else. Having to explain something I just learned forces me to consider it in such a way that the details become important.

10 b. Communicating. I enjoy conversations, debates, and writing. In high school and in college I was editor-in-chief of the newspapers. Language and the expression of thought are continually rewarding and satisfying aspects of my life.

Other things include gardening, how things work, history, literature, movies and, of course...people.

Dog
Wife
Playing guitar
Girls
Friends besides the girls
Beach
Ocean
Sailing
Warm weather
Florida
Bahamas
Photography
Bicycling
Retirement
Lunch
Niece and nephews
Italy
Recording studio
Musical instruments and tinkering with them

OK, since it seems details is what is being asked and answered:

LOVE,,,,The Universe: It's energy, creation processes, events not hitting earth, photos.

The Sun: It's energy, its life-providing rays and heat.

The Earth: It's beauty in all senses in the seas, rivers, creeks, mountains, valleys, streams, sunsets <(That Sun again!), countries, regions, bridges, towns, homes, stores, walking paths, my backyard. MANY other places not able to type it all!

People: Family, friends, newbees. Being with my bandmates, even when not playing as in recent times. Going to Mike Caro's.

Things: Musical Instruments! Wow!!!

Things to do: Being with my family and friends. Working on music in any way I can at the time. Sports. Yardwork. Walks (anywhere). Watching Phillies baseball! Getting good food and enjoying every second, taking in all there is to take in for all the senses, except not loving the calories or fat. Showers. fixing my hair>(therapy)>Ever since Elvis and Coukkie combed theirs, and they and the "girls" smiled.

Things to Hear: Since I have it and it's here to stay for now, "my Tinnitus". (Hating it would only make it worse). So, by embracing it like a love for other things, it doesn't bother me. Reminds me I'm alive too! To hear "something"! Babies laughing. and later, trying to talk! Wow! Kids playing! Kids playing music! My grandkids playing music with me! Wow!!! Birds, (I whistle back now). Wind, rain, the ocean, the crack of the bat hitting a baseball! WOW!!! For when I pitched, the sound of the ball missing the bat and slamming into the catcher's mit! Trains on the tracks! Wow!!!>Very musical. Animals calling to each other. Dogs panting, and their tails hitting their body when they are so excited to see anybody. Anyone saying YES! Or, Hello!

Things to See: Same as all of the above. And everything else that isn't harmful.

Thing to Touch: Holding my kids, then later, my grandkids! WOW!!!
Wife too of course. Whew! Had I forgot her....NO "love" for a while! Hahaha! Ok, getting back: Pizza! (Not floppy). Same with my,,,,,never mind. Piano keys, drum sticks, guitar strings on the neck! Wow!!! Silly Putty. Water, (anywhere on me, or just putting my hands in the pool to see how warm or cold it is, or in a stream, etc).

I love The Beatles music! Duh! No kiddin' John! But I also love a lot music in many different ways! In many different eras. Not all songs, but much.

I love that I can love! (not being one that lives with hate filled actions or talk). I love my parents for teaching me that. Love is either shown to kids or not.

I love whatever creator created everything! Not any man made God like "HE", or anything like that, which people fight over and say things as if they know what any HE would think or say, just from going on other people's writings. But whatever creative energy source actually is on the job of being THEE full time "Systems Energy Entity". Or "SEE"?

"LOVE All There Is"
http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=2296846

i also like besides songwriting....
hunting arrowheads
photography
answering these silly questions
weed killer
killer weed
watching people trip and fall [but not get hurt]
staring into a fire
drinkin'
soberin' up
motorcycles
biker rally
funny jokes
taking off from work
catching an eye
living
family & friends
God

Dan in answer to your question "can you love songwriting like you love your family/wife etc"....of course you can, BUT it is a totally different type of love. Loving something you do (an activity) or loving a thing (food/antiques) can bring much happiness but loving a person is something much deeper and more personal. I love the taste of Peach Snapple but if I had to choose between being given 1 million cases of Snapple or even 1 million dollars I'd chose my dog. And yes for real!!!

Dave Rice (which rhymes w/nice) I shouldn't assume you were talking about me since I don't have a "fantastic sense" of anything, but I am guilty of leaving little lyrical lines quite often so appreciate your words. Call it a blessing, call it a curse, but I see all of life in verse.

Jim I think you "find it amazing so many put God at the top of their lists" is because He is amazing.

SOME OF YOU HAVE WROTE A LIST
WHILE SOME HAVE WRITTEN TEXT
WHATEVER WAY YOUR THOUGHTS CONVEY
IT'S ALL OKAY, WHO'S NEXT????

I love my dear sweet beautiful friends, some on this site, facebook, myspace... some are in this state, this country, and some are also outside of this country.....

Some friends are close enough to hug when I feel down, some can only communicate with words from afar.... But it's all good, because the love that is mutally shared and felt is always real.

Soooo, hugz all around, I love all of my friends. 'Cause you do know.....friends are family.