Bringing back the mix tape

You may recall a recent post where I solicited ideas for inexpensive stay-at-home dates. Several of you responded with extremely clever ideas that rivaled the original list of "inspiration."

I am happy to report that our first effort at super fun and creative at-home dating was an immense success. Not long after writing my original post, I heard a song on the radio that prompted me to suggest a fun-filled evening of putting together a mix tape to celebrate our love. (My friend Emily later suggested this in her own list, so clearly it's a great idea.)

Jeremy was totally on board with the project, so last Friday after Clara went to sleep (at-home dates are way easier when your daughter goes to bed between 6:30 and 7:00) we took our laptops to the backyard and spent a fun-filled hour looking up songs on the internet. The ground rules were that we could only purchase half of the total songs from Amazon, and the rest had to come from our own collection. And of course each of the songs had to be super poignant and meaningful. (OK, that last rule wasn't really a rule, as you'll see from the final songlist.)

So, for a mere $5.98, Jeremy and I were able to create the Best Mix Tape Ever, which we now listen to religiously. Each of the songs has meaning to us, even if the selections may not make sense to an outside observer. And Jeremy has to get credit for having way more songs to suggest than I did, all with the reason: "Whenever I hear this song, I always think of you and feel really tenderly towards you." I had no idea!

I'm sure you'll agree that this list of songs makes for a great and memorable album of devotion:

1. Annie Lennox--"No More I Love Yous"
2. Eric Clapton--"Wonderful Tonight"
3. James Taylor--"Something in the Way She Moves"
4. Fugees--"Ready or Not"
5. 10,000 Maniacs--"These Are Days"
6. U2--"All I Want Is You"
7. Alphaville--"Forever Young" (Classic!)
8. Sarah Maclachlan--"Angel"
9. Alicia Keys--"No One"
10. Toto--"Africa" (This video is a must see on YouTube)
11. Tracy Chapman--"Fast Car"
12. Neil Diamond--"Sweet Caroline"
13. Natalie Cole--"This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)"
14. Jason Mraz--"I'm Yours"
15. Freddy Cole--"Merry-Go-Round"
16. Julie Hill and Hazel Sally--"The Way You Love Me"

All said, this was a grand way to spend an evening. We laughed a ton, had lots of tender feelings, and got frustrated with each other when trying to figure out the logistics of downloading/uploading/burning. A classic date. Actually, Jeremy went so far as to proclaim it "The Best Date We've Ever Had." And that's saying something, since we finished the CD on our 6.5 year anniversary. Our love just continues to blossom as a rose.