It’s ALL ABOUT ME!

Today as I was browsing the local news, I came across a story stating that the Barnum and Bailey circus was arriving via the railroad and that the animal walk from the train depot to the civic center would be held at 6:00 p.m. this evening. This is something I’ve always wanted to go see, but never found out about it in time. So tonight, Jim and I decided to go and watch the animals walk. I was as excited as a little kid! We arrived downtown at 5:30 and staked out a good location.

Here’s my traditional “self-couple portrait” to prove that we were there:

We stood around and waited and waited. 6:00 came and went and still no animals. Word came down that the walk would start at 6:30. 6:30 came and went and still no animals. Around 6:30, it started raining, and Jim donned his “unabomber” look:

It rained and rained and we stood there patiently waiting. At one point, I said to Jim, “Can we are standing outside in February, in the RAIN, waiting to see some animals walk by?” He just laughed. Finally around 7:00, it appeared there was going to be some activity. Sure enough, we could finally see the elephants make their way down the road. We watched the elephants go by, then the horses, then…. it was over!!! If we had blinked, we would have missed it. We stood outside for an hour and a half, 1/2 of that in the rain, and it was over in the blink of an eye.

Oh well, we had a great time and it made for a fun memory!

Christopher has a job working with the hockey team. Jennifer, Kelly, and I went to their last Friday night home game (via the free tickets - THANKS, Christopher!!) this past weekend. We had a great time watching him work and watching the hockey game (the home team lost). Of course my favorite part of the entire thing was the zamboni!

Christopher working:

Jennifer and Kelly:

Elmo on the zamboni!!!!

I love you!

Happy 21st birthday to my sweet little baby boy. My sweet little baby boy who grew into a strong, upstanding, outstanding young man. I can’t believe you are now 21! You grew up so fast! Happy birthday, son, I love you very much!

Not only did Daddy sing to us, he read to us. His go-to source for reading material was a book titled “A Treasury of the Familiar.” The book is aptly named: it’s a collection of all kinds of writings edited by Ralph L. Woods, and it is a treasure. A sampling of the book reveals that it contains, in part, poems, speeches, memorials, and biblical passages. Daddy would pick a selection or two and read out loud using inflection to tell the story in his interpretation. His selections covered a great variety of writings. Some writings were fun and upbeat while others were much more somber. Some were even mysterious! I’ve heard and read some of the stories so many times that I can still recite portions of all of them. In one case, I can recite the entire poem (probably because it’s my favorite!). That poem, “I Had But Fifty Cents,” is credited as “anonymous” in the treasury. Jimmy recently sent me a link that reveals the author as Sam Devere, who originally published the poem in 1885. The 1885 version is slightly different than the one in this book, but it’s every bit as entertaining.

Another favorite is “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert W. Service. The four of us children would sit, completely riveted, and listen to Daddy read the story. I could (and still can) visualize the entire story. In my mind’s eye, it shows like a movie, and it was a good one. Of it, I can still recite the beginning (as well as many parts):

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun
By the men who moil for gold;
The Arctic Trails have their secret tales
That would make your blood run cold;
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,
But the queerest they ever did see
Was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge
I cremated Sam McGee.”

Many evenings we were regaled with tales like “Gunga Din” by Rudyard Kipling, “Casey at the Bat” by Ernest Lawrence Thayer, “Grandfather’s Clock” by Henry Clay Work, and “When Johnny Comes Marching Home” by Patrick S. Gilmore. That’s just to name a few! Some evenings Daddy would pepper the readings with new selections and other times he would stick with the tried and true favorites.

In the sixth grade I had to recite “The Night Before Christmas” and I used the treasury to learn the poem. I carried the book back and forth to school for days. Later, when the book turned up missing the only thing we could come up with was that I’d left it at school. A true loss for the family. When I was about 16, I was in a used book store and happened to see a copy of “A Treasury of the Familiar” on display. Glad to be able to replace the book, I bought it and gave it to Daddy. That was a happy day for me.

The book is a classic in our family. Such a classic that, a few years ago Daddy searched for, found, and bought 4 copies of the book - one for each of us. No easy feat since the book is old (my copy has the copyright as 1942) and out of print. There are different versions of the book and it seemed to become a little more politically correct over the years. How do I know? Some copies contain the tar baby story and some do not.

Of course I read the stories to my children when they were growing up. I didn’t do it as much as I should have and not nearly as many times as Daddy did. He set the bar high! Just like with the songs, I hope my children pass the stories in “A Treasury of the Familiar” on to the next generation!

Today I was asked what lullabies I sang to my babies. I didn’t even have to think back - it’s very clear to me. I sang the same lullabies to my babies that Daddy sang to the four of us. Thinking back to Daddy singing to us brings me a warm, secure feeling. I loved most of the songs that he sang and it was soothing to hear his voice singing us to sleep. The song that first comes to mind goes something like this:

When I was a little bitty baby, my momma would rock me in the cradle,
In them old cotton fields back home.
It was down in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana,
In them old cotton fields back home.
Oh when those cotton bolls get rotten, you can’t pick very much cotton,
In them old cotton fields back home.
It was down in Louisiana, just about a mile from Texarkana,
In them old cotton fields back home.

I find some references to this song online. One reference is that it was a CCR song (that may be true, but that’s probably not where Daddy heard it!), one reference says it was “written by the folk blues master Leadbelly.” While I’m not sure of the origin or author, I am sure of one thing: It sure brings back good memories. I can remember Daddy rocking one or more of us in the rocking chair and singing to us. (Sometimes he would carry all 3 of us girls up the stairs at the same time. Not an easy feat, I’m sure!)

Another favorite that Daddy sang to us was “Would You Like to Swing on a Star” which was apparently a Bing Crosby song. This is the one I sang the most to my kids:

Would you like to swing on a star
carry moonbeams home in a jar
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a mule

A mule is an animal with long funny ears
he kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny but his brain is weak
he’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
and by the way if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule

Oh would you like to swing on a star
carry moonbeams home in a jar
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a pig

A pig is an animal with dirt on his face
his shoes are a terrible disgrace
He has no manners when he eats his food
He’s fat and lazy and extremely rude
But if you don’t care a feather or a fig
you may grow up to be a pig

Oh would you like to swing on a star
carry moonbeams home in a jar
and be better off than you are
or would you rather be a fish

A fish won’t do anything but swim in a brook
he can’t write his name or read a book
to fool the people is his only thought
and though he’s slippery he still gets caught
but if then that sort of life is what you wish
you may grow up to be a fish

And all the monkeys aren’t in the zoo
everyday you see quite a few
so you see it’s all up to you,
you could be better than you are
you could be swinging on a star

Daddy also sang the “Daddy’s gonna buy you” song and “She’ll be Comin’ Round the Mountain” among others. He always provided us with music in one way or another. He bought an 8-track tape player when we were young and he’d play tapes and us kids would dance around the room. Sometimes he would lay on the floor spread-eagle and we would run around and jump over his arms and legs. Every now and then he’d reach up like he was going to grab one of us and we’d dissolve in giggles. Dueling Banjo’s was one of our favorites. Additionally, we learned songs by Johnny Cash and Tom T. Hall.

I thank Daddy for singing to us and exposing us to a variety of music. I hope my children will someday sing these same songs to the next generation!