Memorial day in the U.S., I know. And today, our daughter-in-law's brother is getting married.
I hope it will be auspicious for the couple because today, the 31st May, was my parents' wedding anniversary. They were married for sixty years, the first of those, when my dad was away up north in the Second World War, had to be 'the worse' part of 'for better or worse'. Although they had many struggles to face, after that they were always together in the best and largest sense of the word... Despite my previous post. It was when I was away at boarding school and for the first time realized how many of my fellow students came from difficult home environments or even broken homes, that I began to appreciate how deeply fortunate I and my younger brother were to have parents who loved each other and got on well together.
Just so you know... yesterday I wore blue.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
What's on my mind...
This is the present Facebook question, and my answer has to be 'the hideous disaster that's the oil spill'. However, I'm not going to write about that.
Then Rogers Yahoo asks, 'What are you doing right now?' I have to resist the temptation to answer, 'Staring at the computer screen. Duh'. But I'm not going to write about that either.
Instead, I'm going to continue the theme of my mom and her brother-in-law, the lawyer. One of the things they had in common was that they both used to play the piano. In fact, my uncle kept this as his hobby almost up to the day he died, although he wouldn't always oblige when asked to play. His style was that of Charlie Kunz, a name you never hear these days, but so popular and influential to my parents' generation. It was light and kind of jazzy, always keeping a strict and usually quite fast rhythm.
On the other hand, I can't remember my mother playing much after my primary school years, although occasionally she'd take a turn at my aunt's piano. We had a small instrument in our living room and I learned classics for years... but that's another story. What I wanted to tell you is that when she grew old I asked my mother why she'd stopped playing. Her answer surprised me, and still makes me blink (figuratively speaking). She told me, 'Your father didn't like me to play.'
Why not, I wonder?
Then Rogers Yahoo asks, 'What are you doing right now?' I have to resist the temptation to answer, 'Staring at the computer screen. Duh'. But I'm not going to write about that either.
Instead, I'm going to continue the theme of my mom and her brother-in-law, the lawyer. One of the things they had in common was that they both used to play the piano. In fact, my uncle kept this as his hobby almost up to the day he died, although he wouldn't always oblige when asked to play. His style was that of Charlie Kunz, a name you never hear these days, but so popular and influential to my parents' generation. It was light and kind of jazzy, always keeping a strict and usually quite fast rhythm.
On the other hand, I can't remember my mother playing much after my primary school years, although occasionally she'd take a turn at my aunt's piano. We had a small instrument in our living room and I learned classics for years... but that's another story. What I wanted to tell you is that when she grew old I asked my mother why she'd stopped playing. Her answer surprised me, and still makes me blink (figuratively speaking). She told me, 'Your father didn't like me to play.'
Why not, I wonder?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Lilac Time and Dandelion city
This was the title of an old (1928) movie, but the song that's been running in my head is 'We'll gather lilacs in the spring again' from 'Perchance to Dream'... a good title, I'd say!
The first time I ever stayed with my mother and father-in-law to be, they had a recently-widowed friend visiting too. I remember this song came on the radio, and how my mother-in-law quickly switched it off when she saw how her friend was affected.
It's a beautiful song, very poignant and nostalgic.
Right now I'm seeing lilacs splendidly and profusely in bloom. What a sight they are, not to mention the way they perfume the air. I don't think I've ever seen them look so glorious. Not since coming to North America anyhow. Then we have this profusion of dandelions, also more than I've ever seen. I believe it's the same in the U.K. too. These yellow flowers are special, though, because you can use every bit of the plant, mostly for remedial purposes. I don't do much, except pluck three or four leaves to add to our mixed green salad.
The first time I ever stayed with my mother and father-in-law to be, they had a recently-widowed friend visiting too. I remember this song came on the radio, and how my mother-in-law quickly switched it off when she saw how her friend was affected.
It's a beautiful song, very poignant and nostalgic.
Right now I'm seeing lilacs splendidly and profusely in bloom. What a sight they are, not to mention the way they perfume the air. I don't think I've ever seen them look so glorious. Not since coming to North America anyhow. Then we have this profusion of dandelions, also more than I've ever seen. I believe it's the same in the U.K. too. These yellow flowers are special, though, because you can use every bit of the plant, mostly for remedial purposes. I don't do much, except pluck three or four leaves to add to our mixed green salad.
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