Michael Buble

In his four albums of the American Song bag series, Rod Stewart brought back many American classics from the 1940s and 1950s: “Blue Moon,” “What A Wonderful World,” “Stardust,” “A Kiss To Build A Dream On,” and many others. Now a new singer, Michael Buble, has entered the lists to bring us more great American songs. On the album titled Michael Buble, the singer gives us everything from a big band sound in “Moondance” to the sound and feel of a cocktail lounge in “For Once In My Life.” On the album’s notes, Buble writes that “this record is ... a tribute to what I consider to be the greatest genre of music the world has ever heard ...” Buble’s rich, full voice delivers his listeners to a land of enchantment rarely found among today’s vocalists.

The Folio Society

For readers interested in great books beautifully and lovingly published, the Folio Society is the place to shop. For whatever reason, I recently joined this book club and now pronounce myself fully satisfied in regard to my several purchases. Here are classics and minor classics bound, printed, and illustrated in a manner worthy of royalty. Folio Books range in their titles from Inventions of the Middle Ages to Jane Austen’s Letters with each book specially bound and then placed in a board holder. Interested readers may contact the Folio Society via www.foliosociety.com.

Cider

One of the great delights of living in the mountains in the fall is to drink locally produced apple cider. Whether taken stone cold in the heat of the day or warmed with spices and cinnamon to fight off a chilly October evening, apple cider provides a nutritious treat.

Young people

Despite the grousing and criticism I hear directed sometimes at our youth, most of the young people I know are striving to meet challenges in their lives and to push themselves to excel in their various undertakings. Like most of us, they work terribly hard when offered the first word of encouragement. I encourage all my older readers — we’ll leave the upper age level flexible — to offer the young people whom they encounter in their daily lives a word of encouragement, a word of interest in their activities and lives. Our championship of their efforts can only result in a brighter future.

— By Jeff Minick