Friday, April 4, 2014

D is for...

Diamond Girl...Seals & Crofts, 1973.

A Serenade of Seventies songs, from the soundtrack of my life, is my theme for the A-Z challenge this year.

My aunt is twelve years older than I am, so that means she was sixteen when I was four, and that means she was basically one of the coolest people ever. (She still is quite frankly.) I used to spend a lot of time at my grandparents' house, which was made infinitely more fun by the fact that Aunt Tina lived there as well. 
Aloha from Aunt Tina and me in 1977.
I was flooded with nostalgia today when I was at my grandparents' house. I walked into the room that used to belong to Aunt Tina, and remembered the joy I used to feel when I got invited in. I could still picture where the stereo was, the cat doorstop and the rest of the treasures that used to adorn the space. The troll dolls with their green and orange hair braided together were a favorite. (My recall for these details, as important as they certainly are, may explain why I had no room for any actual historical facts and figures in school.) There was a steady stream of good music coming from the speakers. One of the classic 8-tracks in her collection was Seals & Crofts. I loved the music, and the opportunity to just hang out.

And so our true voyage into the sappy, sweet, soft-rock serenades of the seventies begins...

Oh my love, you're like a precious stone
Part of earth where heaven has rained on
Makes no difference where you are
Day or night time, you're like a shining star
How could I shine without you
When it's about you that I am?






The a-z challenge is here! Thanks for stopping by for a few bars. 
I will be responding to comments via email when available, and here in comments when it is not.

31 comments:

  1. So far this week I have found myself singing your song most of the morning :).

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  2. I love the preface to the song. When you're a kid teenagers seem so cool. They have the neatest stuff and do the best things. You summed all of this up perfectly in your summation of your aunt... she was definitely a Diamond to you. And that makes her a Diamond Girl!

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    1. Thanks! She still is...I hope she doesn't want to try that on for a nickname! ;)

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  3. I love the stories and pictures of your family. Even if I don't always know the song! ;)

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    1. Thanks! Get your E thinking cap on Misty! :)

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  4. You speak of Aunt Tina as though she's no longer with us......is she? I loved Seals & Crofts. That song reminds me of 3rd and 4th grade. My fave was 'Hummingbird'.

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    1. Nope, she still IS 12 years older than me and still IS one of the coolest people....she just doesn't live at my grandparents' house ;)

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  5. That's so cool that you had such a young aunt who would spend time with you. Such a great thing!! :)

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  6. What a fun memory! I love looking back on those wonderful times as a young girl. I never had an aunt like that, but rather older sisters to hang out with. Oh, and lots of troll dolls too!!! ~ Angela, A to Z participant from Web Writing Advice (http://www.webwritingadvice.com/) and Whole Foods Living (http://wholefoodsliving.blogspot.com/)

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  7. Hi Andrea - lovely to have that memory and of someone who was special to you for so during your childhood ... and still is now ... the song is fun to listen to - Diamond Girl .. and I hope Aunt Tina lives somewhere nearby so you can see her .. cheers Hilary

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  8. I get your nostalgia. My aunt is 8 years older than me, and I loved going to my grandparents house as she'd be there. Lots of good memories. The only thing is people would say how we were like sisters but when your young 8 years, like 12, is a big number and she was always my aunt to me. Even now she is like the grown up and I'm the child, and I still get told off by her occasionally!

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    1. Cool! Thanks for sharing and for stopping by!

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  9. I LOVED this song. STill do and nostalgia strikes deep when it comes on at the supermarket.

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  10. Sounds like you was a lucky young lady to have such a special Aunt and I love that song and that group you shared with us.

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    1. I am even luckier that we still live nearby!

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  11. Another great song and story! It's so funny how certain memories stick with us - clear as a bell - and others.... well not so much! :D

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    1. I have one half of my brain devoted to nostalgia and the other to song lyrics I think!

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  12. Oh, man... eight tracks! I remember when my parents used to have those lying around all over the place.

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  13. I LOVE your photo!!! I had my own lyrics for this song, and they were hilarious! Almost as bad as Jumping Jack Flash! (wrong decade, I know)

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  14. Awwwww, what a sweet memory! And one fantastic photo! When you feel a wave of good memories wash over you, it's like magic.

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  15. They are Ba'hais. Many of the allusions in their songs are to Ba'hai beliefs.

    Love,
    Janie

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  16. Wow, what a blast from the bast reviewing your first 4 days of the A to Z challenge with those songs. Reminiscing on fond memories is one of the treats of life and made the more sweet when coupled with sounds we remember. Enjoy the challenge. Maria

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  17. What a great memory!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Heather

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  18. What a great story. I know that kind of feeling. Your aunt must be around my age. I was a big fan of Seals and Crofts. I saw them in concert before they went really big with "Diamond Girl". They were of the Baihai faith and after the concert they invited people to stay and hear about their religion. I stayed but wasn't interested in the religion. Many of their songs are about the Baihai religion.

    Lee
    Wrote By Rote
    An A to Z Co-host blog

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  19. I think it's awesome that you a totally cool aunt just like I did, and of course, that her name was Tina makes it even better! My Amazing Aunt Risky (you've probably read about her...) is 16 years older and is still totally the coolest. I did a new entry in my nicknames tab so you can read a summary about her if you like.
    I've actually never heard this song before. Aunt Risky and I didn't listen to music much, we were too busy riding her horses or her letting me drive her car at age 15 without a permit. She'd take me to pool halls for dinner after horseback riding...yeah, she's the coolest.
    Tina @ Life is Good
    A to Z Team @ Blogging From A to Z April Challenge 2014

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  20. While I'm definitely familiar with this song after listening to it, I admit, it was definitely not on my 70s radar... But then again, I was only 3 when it came out, and you were a worldly woman of 4. =D

    -andi

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  21. Ahh...you've got such great songs for this challenge!! I'm loving it!

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  22. I saw them live! They were very good and sounded just like their albums. I can still hear this song....

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  23. I was aware of them and heard the song, but I was going through the nightmare that was SATs and trying to get something other than Cs in anything other than Music and English, so that a decent college might not laugh me out of the competition! It is so cool that you had an "older" aunt, who was young enough to do neat and fun things with you! Thanks, Mary

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  24. I think you made this song up. Or maybe I was napping and missed it?

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