The Hills Are Alive . . .

I'm having way too much fun with the whole French music thing. I've put together a CD's worth of French pop music through the ages starting way back with Edith Piaf and moving on to the current day and including the current First Lady of France Carla Bruni. She's actually kind of good, believe it or not.

You haven't lived until you've heard Johnny Hallyday singing Itsy Bitsy Teeny-Weeny Bikini in French, but lucky for you all, you will have the opportunity before too long.

I don't know how we survived before I-Tunes gave us access to just about anything we could ever want in the world of music. For example, do you remember the Nancy Sinatra hit from forever ago "These Boots Were Made for Walking"? Well, years ago Teri and I were driving through Quebec when a French version of this song came over the radio. For some reason we thought that was hilarious at the time and we remembered it. I went looking for it on I-Tunes last night, and of course it was there. I can't wait to share it with you too.

In addition to my French pop mash-up, I've got other musical treats to share.

I've also put together a CD of some of the best of Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. They're really good, they sing in French and they are incredibly danceable. I'm thinking Cajun dance party on deck with Colleen giving us all lessons.

And I'm bringing along my Celine Dion CD recorded live in Paris and sung mostly in French. If you're not a fan you will be after you hear this album. Really. I'm not kidding.

I've had a few suggestions. Teri wanted Maurice Chevalier's "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" which fails on the twin grounds that it's sung in English and is a Christmas song. I did find a Maurice Chevalier song more in keeping with the French theme and it's in the mix. Kathy wanted to add a Claudine Longet tune, but I'm rejecting that one because the only Claudine Longet songs I can find are sung in English. Bummer.

So keep your musical suggestions coming or, better yet, put together and bring along your own "mood music" CD to share--it doesn't have to be French--just music you enjoy.