The Permanent Family Record
Writes DB's Wife of Lino Lakes: "Hooray! It's Winter Carnival time again — and with it, the annual medallion hunt.
"Unfortunately, for us, the medallion was found this year before DB and I could take our three daughters out to look. Fortunately, there is a second one now hidden somewhere in St. Paul. Tomorrow will be the day we bundle up, pack up the sleds and shovels, gather the clues and head out in search of the treasure.
"Last year our little Bananahead, who was then 4, was having the time of her life climbing hills, digging in the snow, looking in bushes and trees, and searching all over Highland Park. After almost two hours of searching, we gave up and headed for the car. (We were, after all, in the wrong park.) On the way to the car, Bananahead asked her aunt and uncle: 'So, what's a medallion?'
"Perhaps we should carefully consider our family's pre-hunt briefing this year."
The Permanent Sonly Record
Wednesday e-mail from JP's Mom: "I can't stand it another minute; must regale BB with my younger son's amusing re-marks. (He's 12.)
"Few years ago, we were listening to NPR's coverage of a 'Neighborhood Night Out' event and heard one speaker proclaim that all women should be aware that violence could strike anytime, anywhere. Setting down his toast, my son asked thoughtfully: 'Mom, why do people think violins are dangerous?'
"Few months ago, riding in the car, my husband and I were comparing individual likes/dislikes and concluded that our older son and I were foodies, while my husband and younger son were not. From the back seat: 'What's a foodie?' Reply: 'Someone who likes to think and talk about food. Someone who really loves food.' From younger son: 'I am, TOO, a foodie — I LOVE cheeseburgers!'
"And this morning, he took one look at the front-page photo [by Lawrence Jackson of the Associated Press] and called me to come see: 'President Bush and Nancy Pelosi are arm-wrestling about something!'
"Like my dad used to say: I wouldn't give a nickel for another, but I wouldn't take a million bucks for the ones I got."
There's nothin' like a simile!
The Farm Boy of St. Paul: "The Music Man mentioned the song lyrics of Steve Earle. I have several of the singer/songwriter's albums, but the lyrics that remained burned into my mind are the opening lines to 'Nowhere Road,' which kicks off the 1987 album 'Exit 0':
" 'There's a road, in Oklahoma "
'Straighter than a preacher "
'Longer than a memory.'
"There's nothing like a simile."
Keeping your ears open
Poet X of PDX: "Pink Floyd ends 'Fearless,' a song on their 'Meddle' album, with the sound of a large crowd of people singing the chorus of 'You'll Never Walk Alone,' then going into a sort of soccer cheer, followed by some rhythmic clapping and a strange chant, then more cheering and chanting, all of which brings to the song an almost mystical aura to my aural senses.
"For a long time, it was my only exposure to the song.
"(Remembering it, I remember then, too, the next song on the album, Pink Floyd's version of ragtime, 'St. Tropez' — another excellent song. A curse for those of us who listen to music by album or studio CD: The end of one song anticipates the next. It's as disturbing and annoying as … it could be called Son of Earworm, perhaps.)
"When I bought my first CD player in the late '80s, one of the first CDs I purchased was a collection of Judy Garland recordings called the 'London Sessions.' For the first time, I heard the song completely — a haunting, excellent rendition capable of bringing on tears.
"Both 'Fearless' and Judy's version of 'You'll Never Walk Alone': not to be missed, highly recommended. Acquaintance with Judy's version taught me that the song is from a musical. I had to do a quick Google search to be reminded that it's 'Carousel.' Strange how that musical has never been much a blip on my radar, whereas so many others are."
The highfalutin pleasures (and momentary confusions)
Arriving the same day as Poet X of PDX's note (O, joy of juxtaposition!) was this missive from The Retired Pedagogue of Arden Hills: "Subject: Adjusting to the new order.
"I recently entered into the technology era by burning my own CD. I transferred some of my favorite songs from a number of CDs onto a blank one. Although listening to it is very pleasing, I also find it to be somewhat disconcerting. [Bulletin Board interjects: No pun intended, we trust.] The problem is that it's created an unusual earworm, because when I hear the end of a tune, I'm anticipating the one that followed it on the original CD, but that's not the song I hear now.
"The momentary confusion is a slight irritation, but not enough to temper the satisfaction I derive from my electronic accomplishment!"
Life as we know it (responsorial)
Arwen of Inver Grove Heights: "The recent Bulletin Board posting about telling people you love them while they're still alive reminded me of a song. It is printed in 'The Sacred Harp' tunebook, and was also sung by the Carter Family to a different, probably older tune":
"Wonderful things of men are said
"When they have passed away;
"Flowers adorn the narrow bed
"Over the lifeless clay.
"CHORUS:
"Give me the roses while I live,
"Something to cheer me on;
"Useless the flowers that you give
"After the soul is gone.
"Life is the time for words of praise,
"Hands clasp with a friendly smile;
"Blessings to cheer a pilgrim's days
"Are always well worthwhile.
"CHORUS
"Kind words are useless when folks lie
"Cold in a narrow bed
"Don't wait till death to speak kind words
"Now should the words be said
"CHORUS
"Let us not wait to do good deeds
"Till they have passed away
"Now is the time to sow good seeds
"While here on earth we stay
"CHORUS"
Our living (and/or dying) language
Or: To suck, or not to suck? (cont.)
Jewels: "I've been reading about the word 'sucks.' I find it interesting that both Bulletin Board and The Cab Driver of South St Paul believe it is an emerging word. [Bulletin Board clarifies (?): We both said — The Cab Driver, quoting us — that we are "unalterably opposed to the emergence of 'suck' as the default verb of critical commentary." We did not say that the emergence is new, or even, so to speak, in progress — merely that we oppose it, no matter how long ago the emergence began, and no matter how far along it is!]
"Thirty years ago, I began using that word to describe everything. I was a teenager, and really, most things I was forced to do (school, homework, chores) sucked. My brothers were older than me, and they were using it before me. Never in the presence of our parents, of course. Just in front of friends. Maybe it is considered emerging now because you actually see it in writing."
The Grand Duchess of Grand Avenue: "Back in the days when my teenage twin girls discovered the general all-purpose word 'suck,' I would stop them with the comment 'If we are not discussing vacuum cleaners, I don't want to hear about anything sucking!'
"I also find it offensive to hear someone using that word when there are so many others available. I still mutter under my breath 'Vacuums suck' when I hear it being used."
Gee, our old La Salle ran great!
Telephone Division
Soccer Grandmom of Roseville: "I just read joe golfer's memory about the phone-company rep going to his school to show the children how to use the new dial phones.
"A phone-company rep also came to our Lincoln Grade School in 1946, to teach my fourth-grade class how to use the new dial phones — and to practice proper answering manners.
"That further prompted my memory — of those pens with the ball on the tip, which were used to dial the new phones. Anyone else OTD remembering those clever pens?"
Their theater of "seasons"
Here's Missing Minne (From Wherever I Am): "We moved to the Phoenix area last April.
"Envisioning warmth and sunshine, our friends and family members assured (or warned) us that they would be certain to visit us during the non-summer seasons.
"However, it appears that the arrival of our visitors has major climatic impacts on the Phoenix area. When our friends from Indiana came in late August/ early September, they were treated to rain on two of the four days of their trip. Considering that the total PHX rainfall for 2006 was 5.45 inches, that was a rare occurrence. When Grandma came from Minnesota in early January, she had to leave her spring clothes in the suitcase because we had sub-freezing temperatures in Phoenix for the first time in 16 years. My in-laws from Minnesota arrived a week or so ago and were treated to snow on Sunday. That had not happened since 1998, and the last actual measurable snowfall was in 1990. In fact, according to the local paper, the total official snowfall in Phoenix from 1896 to 2007 is 3.7 inches; that's right, 3.7 inches in 111 years.
"I don't know if we dare have any more visitors. What's next … a tornado?"
Out of the mouths of babes Lucky Grandma of Mendota Heights): "I am a new contributor [Bulletin Board says: Welcome, Lucky Grandma!], and I would like to submit the following two stories for consideration:
"1. My 4-year-old grandson, Mitchie-The-Spinmeister, was reflecting on the experience of cuddling with various adults in his life. His mom took top honors, but I was a close second because, he said, 'You've got deeper bones, Grandma.' I'll take my compliments wherever I can find them.
"2. Yesterday my 5-year-old granddaughter, Celia, gave me a lesson in creativity that I'd like to pass on. She came to my door and proudly presented me with a work of art, carefully cut out, colored, folded and pasted. I could see a lot of work had gone into its construction, but I wasn't sure at first what it was supposed to be. 'I wanted to make you a Valentine,' she said, 'but I screwed it up — so it's a taco.' My paper taco now has a place of honor over my computer at work — an artful reminder that mistakes don't wipe you out; they just challenge you to change your course. Olé!" Copyright 2007 Pioneer Press.
Copyright 2007 Pioneer Press.