Say Amen

How often do you get to witness anything that is real history, that will be in the books that school children study? If you are almost 65 you have experienced some world history already.  Do you remember the election of JFK and his beautiful wife, Jackie? Do you remember 1963 and John Kennedy's assassination?  Do you remember the Viet Nam war?  Do you remember 1968 and the assassinations of both Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King? The moon landing? I remember all of those days and times--each of them spent in front of a television set, following the events with my eyes and ears and my heart.  Hope, exhilaration and then broken hearted, angry, dreams dashed, the beginning of cynicism, riots, marches.

I  remembered all those days and feelings as I sat transfixed in front of our big modern flat screen, savoring the images of the huge crowds in the Capitol, the millions of faces of every conceivable color together in joy, the radiance of those faces, the tears, the dancing, the laughter, the celebration.  I could not look away.  I kept being drawn back to the realization that it was history, that it was the fulfillment of so many of our dreams, that it was nearly miraculous, that it was really happening, right there, in front of all of us, finally.  The cynicism that had grown worse over the years washed away by this calm presence, this intelligent force, this promise.

All day I relished the network pundits words about "the first time", the young family, the momentous occasion.  I watched as the famous politicians arrived, the former vice presidents, then the former presidents and the first lady and the first lady-to-be and then, what we all had been waiting for, the President and the President Elect.  I wanted to cheer, all by myself here in my home, but instead I starting crying and a big lump formed in my throat.  How could this possibly be happening, after all those months of giving out buttons and sending money and telling people what Obama stood for--after all those months of hope--after all the debates and the polls?  Even though the convention had happened the votes were counted and Obama had won, it was still not a fact in my mind.  I could say the words out loud, "Barack Obama is going to be President", but the thought of it was so unbelievable that until he was sworn in and until he gave his speech and until he began to take charge, first at the lunch and then later at the parade, I still could not quite believe it was happening.  I kept having to remind myself it was real.  From the looks of the faces right there in Washington D.C., right there where they could see it taking place, I could tell I wasn't alone.  We were all pinching ourselves and may still be trying to wrap our minds around the fact.  When I hear Obama on the news now I run into the room to hang on every word, to savor those moments which as they become more and more familiar may convince me that we are here, that we have gotten to this new place, that we have all "reached the mountaintop".

I loved the reverend who gave the benediction after the inauguration--he spoke of the "yellow being mellow and the white doing what is right" and then he ended his words with "Say Amen, say amen, say amen!"  SAY AMEN!  I don't pray per se, but in my way I am praying hard now that nothing happens to mess up this moment in history.  I may have lost some of the cynicism but I haven't lost the fear of something good being taken away.  It's happened too many times. Say amen with me--say amen to hoping for the best--expecting success instead of waiting for failure.  Say amen to reenergizing the county, to remaking our image in the world, for getting things done.  Say amen, say amen, say amen!  Stand behind this striving young man of ideals and his family as their lives change and they try to change ours for the better.  Say Amen!

I shall try my damnedest to forget 1968 and put that bloody time behind me for once and for all.  I shall try to nourish hope again and be positive about the future.  I shall not expect more than is possible, but I will not accept less than I know we can do.  Look forward with me and say Amen!

New Year's Resolutions

If you click on the title of this post you will be taken to a very funny song about New Year's Resolutions.  In the spirit of the song, here are my resolutions:

1.  I will gain weight and then lose it and then gain it again during the Holidays.  

2.  I will read fiction all year, even though I will strive to read a "good for my brain" non-fiction book at some point.

3.  I will exercise sometimes and think about exercising more.

4.  I will watch a Netflix movie every Friday night.

5.  I will drink too much coffee.

6.  I will eat many cookies, lots of them homemade.

7.  I will spend time playing FreeCell when I should be cleaning.

8.  I will intend to do more in my garden than I will actually do.

9.  I will think about making goals.

10. I will watch The Big Bang Theory and The Office whenever they are on.

11. I will deny that I am in any way lazy and then read awhile and take a nap.

12. I will sit in the sunshine this summer and forget to use sunscreen.

13. I might clean out a closet.

14. I will pluck the hairs out of my chin and remember that I once told my Aunt Virginia that she had a mustache.

15.  I will continue my vice of accumulating more books.

That's enough of that!  I think I can live up to those lofty goals and I'd better not add any more. I don't want to set myself up for failure.

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Auld Lang Syne many times over

This started with a You Tube video I saw on the Rotten Tomatoes site, with the Beach Boys version of Auld Lang Syne. It was so nice I wanted to share it and so I went to You Tube and lo and behold there were many, many Auld Lang Synes. These are the best ones. I hope you don't mind so many of them and that you won't be totally sick and tired of the song by the time you are done! Happy New Year!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qob_iH13tRA Beach Boys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U9zXXRiTVA&feature=related Aretha Franklin and Billy Preston

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLAAHs1ohxg&feature=related Andre Rieu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MX60CAaDbQ&feature=related

At the Scottish Parliament--do you see Sean Connery?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86_tlA9maA0&feature=related Robert Burns intended tune played beautifully by Kevin Thompson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bON8teERvg&feature=related The Alumni Singers of the University of Santo Tomas (Philipines)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V74AtU4rGT0&feature=related A piano improvisation with pictures by an unknown young woman

Seven People in the House!

Grandson, Alex, shoveling snow

Grandma and Granddaughter, Alecia

Daughters Erin and Carolyn with Alecia and Grandma

Daughter Erin and her Husband with Grandma and her mate

It was the week that was!  Snow, Wall-E, ham, extra blankets and pillows, computers, ipods, PDAs, cords, You Tube videos, cell phones, Christmas presents, music, lasagna, bumptiousness, a little fractiousness, tears, naps, Quiddler, dominoes, Legos, Star Wars, coffee grinding, dishwashing, Red Chili, waffles, last-minute shopping, mixed nuts, Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, books, knitting, picture taking, sausages with maple syrup, White Chili, groceries, more snow, slush, ice, UPS disappointment, soggy newspapers, Sudoko, crosswords, Boggle, hugs, kisses, meltdowns, laughs, jokes, hilarity, Get Smart (old and new), shoveling, boots, gloves, cookies, chocolates, cocoa and coffee, coffee, coffee.

At one point I said to anybody in general, "I feel like I've just run a marathon!"  My body was aching, my mind was dim, I was sleepy but somehow exhilarated.  Two of my three children were with us at Christmas and this was such an unusual event it may not be repeated again for 10 more years, but I hope that's not the case.  Our Christmases have gotten so quiet with just the two of us slowly and sedately opening our gifts to one another on Christmas morning, putting the spent wrapping in a bag to burn later, stopping to eat breakfast, then spending the rest of the day calling our kids and our mothers to wish them a happy Christmas, then napping, putting our new treasures away or reading them or playing with them.  But this Christmas was a whole new ballgame.  It wasn't like the wild Christmas mornings when the kids were little.  For one thing, only my eldest daughter and her husband were with us on Christmas morning.  And we are adults and we value our sleep, so three of us were late to rise.  The other one, my husband, got up at 3:30 a.m.!!!  He loves Christmas and couldn't contain himself but he was patient with the rest of us. He made the coffee and built a fire and turned on the lights of the Christmas tree.  He'd gotten a "wrapping bag" and scissors, because he is a tidy guy.  And he waited for the rest of us slug-a-beds to get going.

There was snow on the ground from a couple of snowfalls and it was snowing again.  All of us marveled at this, because it  hardly ever snows in Washington on Christmas and it never snows in Virginia on Christmas.  It was pretty perfect with Christmas carols playing on the stereo. With four adults the present opening went on longer than usual and it was lots more interesting.  I was filled with delight at my favorite present of all--the lovely marriage my daughter has made that was evident in the way she and her husband were with each other that morning and the week they were with us. That was a wonderful gift for me--not tangible, I can't put it on a shelf or in a drawer or read it or do it, but it filled me with pride and gratitude that maybe I had a tiny bit to do with it and even if I didn't, it is true and real.

The other daughter and her son and daughter didn't arrive until Christmas evening, just a little before the Christmas Ham dinner went on the table.  We'd made a huge salad and lots of mashed potatoes because this daughter is a vegetarian, though her kids aren't.  She appreciated the Yukon Gold potatoes that Erin's husband helped to mash.  The noise level ratcheted up a few degrees with now seven people in the house.  It occurred to me that my sister-in-law has 6 kids and so her house is filled with 8 people ALL the time!  I pointed this out to my husband and both of our eyes widened in shocked realization and appreciation.

There was more present opening for the new arrivals and then we watched Wall-E for the second time.  We had watched it on Christmas Eve--actually unwrapped the DVD and watched it with my Mom and brother and then rewrapped it for my grandson.  It's a perfect film for Christmas--sweet, funny, a fantasy with a little attitude for the current times.  

The days were filled with game playing and computing and conversation.  The daughters hadn't seen each other in 18 years and I hadn't seen my Virginia daughter for 2 1/2 years.  There was lots of catching up to do.  My husband spent a good deal of the time trying to communicate with UPS because a package he thought would arrive on Dec. 23 was still not here.  My oldest daughter left several messages for her two grownup sons who were back in Virginia taking care of the dogs and obviously doing their own thing on Christmas, to the dismay of their mother, who was missing them.  I spent my time watching everyone and marveling at what nice people I had in my house.  I asked some questions I'd been longing for years to know the answers to, got satisfactory replies, gave hugs I wish I could give every day, trying to save them up to remember later and reveled in the gaiety and warmth of cooking and eating together.

We said goodbye to Erin and her husband on the 28th and Carolyn and her kids on Dec 30th and then we were alone again, washing and folding up the bed linens, organizing the clutter, getting at the dust bunnies that took residence while we were having a good time instead of cleaning.  We put the breaks on the eating of cookies and candy and nuts and went back to our ordinary disciplines.  We quickly resumed our quiet lives.  It is strange to have the old quiet life back after tasting what it's like to have kids and grandkids in the house.  I miss the bustle and the opinions and the laughter. I rue the day I ascribed to the child rearing theory of teaching your kids independence so that they will want to see the world and not be satisfied with staying in the one-horse town they grew up in.  Where did I get such a silly idea? Well, that's water under the bridge. stuff under the thing, last week's wash.  Now I can hope everyone had such a good time that they'd like to repeat it again soon.  Hint, hint--nudge, nudge--wink, wink--say no more!