In the March 2008 issue of Kansas Country Living, a list of songs for the "life soundtrack" was proposed. Here's the list, for anyone who might be interested. Thanks for reading!

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I’ve made a lot of trips to Kentucky in the last 18 months because of family illnesses. It’s a 12 hour drive one way, and I have a whole host of ways to keep my brain occupied while driving.

One is the radio, as you might expect. A few months ago I started thinking about songs that would make up the “Soundtrack of My Life.” It’s an interesting exercise and I encourage you to give it a try. You find yourself remembering songs that were important to you at one time or another in your life.

I think the song that got me started thinking about this was “Born in the Boondocks.” This song by Little Big Town has lyrics I can really relate to: “One thing I know, No matter where I go, I keep my heart and soul in the boondocks, And I can feel that muddy water running through my veins.” I am a river person because I grew up near the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, so that speaks to me.

Sometimes it’s just one phrase out of the song, which is the case with “Me and Bobby McGee.” One line in the song, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose,” has always struck me as a universal truth.

My list of tunes that would sum up my life in song is far too long for this space, but I thought I’d share a few of them with you. I’m not sure how many songs you get for a life soundtrack – surely at least one for every year. That seems reasonable, doesn’t it? It’s a curious thing to think about, and I encourage you to give it a try. Here is a baker’s dozen of my choices, in no particular order:

What It’s Like by Everlast
Talking to my Angels by Melissa Ethridge
Only the Good Die Young by Billy Joel
Feels so Right by Alabama
Holy Water by Big and Rich
Breathe by Faith Hill
Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton
If Everyone Cared by Nickelback
What Goes Around by Justin Timberlake
What I’m Looking For by Brendan Benson
The Dance by Garth Brooks

One of the other things I spend a lot of time thinking about while I drive is menus for dinner parties and gatherings. Having a steady supply of cookbooks makes that possible.

This month our cookbook is “A Taste of Hospitality” from the Auxillary of the Bob Wilson Hospital in Ulysses. More than 300 recipes include nutritional information and ones especially good for diabetes and heart-healthy diets are marked. The recipes were submitted by employees, board and auxillary members.

The book was published as a fundraiser for the new addition and remodeling of the hospital. Cost is $16.00 plus $2.50 for postage. Order from Aileen DeBruce, PO Box 502, Ulysses KS 67880.