Hello again retro music fans. Every Friday I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 15, 20, 25, or 35 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).
It’s the 5TH Friday of the month, so it’s a special, as I go back 45 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday April 02ND 1978:
America was dancin’ the night away 45 years ago when I was not quite 11 years old as a 5TH grader in Lanham Maryland. My chart wasn’t born yet, but my hobby of following the Billboard Hot 100 at the New Carrollton Public Library and then counting down the Top 40 with Casey Kasem every Sunday was in full swing. (The Top 5 above is from that Hot 100.)
“Saturday Night Fever” was a runaway smash at the box office, and its Soundtrack album was MASSIVE – the biggest in history at the time. Samantha Sang’s “Emotion” is often mistaken as a “Saturday Night Fever” track, but it was not in the movie. It’s also mistaken as featuring Bee Gees in the background, but it’s just Barry Gibb. He wrote the song with his brother Robin.
Next #RetroFriday I’ll go back 15 years ago to the start of April 2008. It’s when #FF5 were #FD.
It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday and Monday with 2 more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going retro with me !
All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp
Welcome back to #TravelThursday. As I continue to settle into my new region of Florida here in Highlands County – I’ll keep on finding interesting places to see – and eat. After all – eating is an integral part of any travel experience. Eating is one of my favorite hobbies !
If you know me personally, or if you’ve been reading my blog for awhile – then you may know that I’m originally from Maryland – Prince Georges County Maryland to be specific. (It borders Washington D.C.) For 11+ years (1969-1980) as a kid I lived in Greenbelt, Bowie, and Lanham. I had some great childhood memories back then, and some not-so-great ones as well. My grandparents, and nearly all of my uncles, aunts, and cousins lived within a few miles of each other back then.
During my entire time as a kid growing up in Maryland (and also adjacent Fairfax County Virginia) I’d never heard of Maryland Fried Chicken – either the restaurant or the mere concept. Chesapeake Bay Crabs – definitely. Scrapple – of course. Fried Chicken – negative. Fried Chicken comes from Kentucky. Everyone knows that.
Looks like there are 14 locations of Maryland Friend Chicken in Florida, Georgia, and 1 in South Carolina. Most of them (9) are concentrated across Central Florida – including 2 within a few miles of my new home. They don’t have a presence on social media; although, a few of the local locations have their own web sites. There’s actually a WordPress-created web page at marylandfriedchicken.net that reveals its 60+ year history and origins in the Orlando Florida area.
I went to my local neighborhood Maryland Fried Chicken for Lunch on St. Patrick’s Day. I was greeted by two friendly workers. One took my order, and I struck up a conversation with both of them. I told them that it was my very first visit there. They asked me where I was from. I told them “Maryland !”. I added that I’d never heard of Maryland Fried Chicken, and that I’m looking forward to enjoying it.
I ordered the 2-piece chicken dinner (all breast). That comes with 2 sides. I got it with fries and homemade macaroni salad. I took it home and I enjoyed it. It was very good. The fried chicken has a distinctive flavor to it that kind of reminds me of my childhood, and that’s really strange because the only fried chicken that we ate when I was a kid came from #KFC. My elementary school cafeteria may have served fried chicken every so often, so maybe it brought back memories of that taste. It’s hard to explain its unique flavor – perhaps very juicy ?
I’ll obviously have to go back again this weekend to pick-up some more Maryland Fried Chicken.
One Maryland Fried Chicken location in Winter Garden Florida is going out-of-business after 57 years. Read that article here.
Next #TravelThursday I’ll write about my new neighborhood, and I’ll even share a picture or two. Let’s keep traveling together.
All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp
Every Monday I post my all-new Top 10 Christian hit music chart based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from the previous week. It’s the continuation of a weekly hobby that goes back nearly 45 years. Here’s this week’s chart – for the week ending Sunday March 26TH 2023 – the 319TH week of this current era that began on Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2017:
MICAH TYLER – Next week he will surpass TobyMac to become 1 of my Top 5 artists since this chart was resurrected 319 weeks ago. He’s at # 2 on my chart, and he’s at # 2 nationally with “I See Grace”. Nationally it should replace Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude” at # 1. I’m not sure if it will reach # 1 on my chart. I’ve got my eyes on Michael Cochren and his band.
DIVINE SOUND – I found a cool radio station on Amazon Music that I can play on my Echo Dots. It’s called Divine Sound, and its playlist of 50 current Christian pop songs is updated every Friday.
This concludes another weekend of blog posts. I’ll do it again with the new weekend – and 4 new entries – known as #TravelThursday, #RetroFriday, #SundayScripture, and #Top10Monday.
Your likes, follows, and comments are always appreciated. Thank You for being part of my online ministry to share God’s Good News and win souls for Christ through His music. I’m also on Twitter and Flickr.
Be blessed my friends ! May our God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp
Greetings my friends. It is Sunday March 26TH 2023, and this is the day that our LORD has made. Let us rejoice. Let us be glad in it. Let us celebrate this great new day of believing, following, trusting, loving, and being more like our Lord + Savior Jesus Christ. Let us love our neighbor as ourself.
I won’t miss a single Sunday this month at my home church of the past 8 years in Homestead Florida. (By contrast I missed the first 3 Sundays last month due to a short sickness bookended by road-trips.)
Next month will be different. I’ll be up in my new hometown of Sebring Florida on April 02ND and 16TH. I’ve selected 2 churches to visit on those 2 Sundays. I’m going to give both churches a look-see – no matter how much I enjoy my experience at the first church on the first Sunday. If I like one church over the other – then I’ll visit it for a 2ND time in May. If I have mixed feelings about both churches on those 2 Sundays – then I’ll select a 3RD church to visit in May. In the meantime – I’m committed to serving and celebrating at my home church here in Homestead for at least 2 Sundays per month for the rest of this year.
I’ve been doing a lot of housekeeping on my computer this weekend. I’ve got music videos all over the place that I’ve used for Praise & Worship before and after my sermons. Last weekend I was asked by my Pastor to prepare a Praise & Worship set for that Sunday morning as a fill-in for our Praise & Worship Pastor who was out-of-town on business. (When I lead Praise & Worship I play 3 or 4 music videos, and I preach in-between each one.)
I had to literally scour my former sermons (PowerPoints) on the church laptop for music videos that I wanted to feature for Praise & Worship on that morning. It would’ve been so much easier if I had a list on the cloud of all of the music videos and what sermon(s) they were featured in, so that I could quickly retrieve, copy, and paste them for use. So I’m working on that list this weekend, as I organize my sermons and videos on my computer.
I also have no new sermon ready to go for the next time I’m asked to preach, so I need to get started on that immediately. It’ll be my 55TH sermon, and I have no idea what it will be about. I’ll look to God for His guidance and direction.
Here’s one of the music videos that I selected as the 2ND song for Praise & Worship last Sunday morning.
Therefore – God elevated Him to the place of highest honor and gave Him the name above all other names – that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord – to the glory of God the Father.(Philippians 2:9-11 NLT)
I think I have some direction for my next sermon !
If you wish to learn more about the God I know then stay tuned to #SundayScripture. The best is yet to come !
Thank you for reading my blog for this day, and may:
The LORD bless you, and keep you. The LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
All rights reserved (c) 2023 Christopher M. Day, CountUp
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