Goodbye Facebook

I had said a few months ago that I was cancelling my Facebook account, but found out that it was not that easy. Every photo had to be individually deleted and it was so bothersome that I stopped and decided I was too lazy to finish. Then, this week when I logged on, I was confronted with a screen that was alien to me. Facebook changed! And so did I. So I checked out the process for cancelling my account once again and found it only takes one click. So one click I did. The next message said I would be given 14 days to change my mind after which my account would be permanently erased. By now, I've forgotten when the 14 days started, so I'll just let it go.

The MIM

Yesterday, Grandma and I ran a few errands then went to the Musical Instruments Museum in Phoenix. We spent about 2 hours walking through the exhibits, which are amazing. There are instruments from almost every country in the world, with accompanying audio of them. Among the missing countries is North Korea. There is a space reserved, so if anyone knows how or where to find any, please contact them at www.themim.com. We had a sandwich in the Cafe before we left. A nice place to spend time. There is one area where the instruments can be played - a great place for children. Gongs, drums, xylophones, mandolins, etc. A great display of player pianos, player woodwinds, including an exhibit that tells how the piano rolls are created. They have one of the machines that converts the pianist's music into holes in paper, quite an amazing invention. Two of Elvis's jump suits are on display, along with some Hank Snow items, among others. One area displayed bagpipes from the many countries where they are played; some are as primitive as a calf skin, others as elaborate as the Scottish instrument. And they have a schedule of concerts in their auditorium which is said to have perfect acoustics (would you expect anything less?). So next time you find yourself in the Valley of the Sun with some time on your hands, drop in at the MIM.

Drawings

Here are my latest ink drawings.

Genealogy

One of the new features added to Ancestry.com shows the relationship of everyone in the file to the primary entry - me, in my file. As I was cleaning up some records, I found one line that goes back to my 21st great grandfather. The shortest line ends at a 3rd great grandfather, Thomas J. Patterson, and a 3rd great grandmother, Martha Conklin, who married Thomas. They lived in Hanover, NY before moving to Batavia, NY; anyone have any information to share? Using the Fulton Newspaper site - fultonhistory.com - I've been able to find articles about other relatives; such items as marriages, obituaries, travels, travails, etc. Also, I've been contacted by distant cousins who have found a common relative and have provided additional information about that family line. The nice thing is that there is a way to keep living people's information private, which I do. My family came from England, France and Germany to western New York state, and now grandchildren reside all over the United States.

Stealing Great-granddaughters

William Wordsworth wrote a poem that started:
“My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky;
So it was when my life began;
So is it now I am a man”

Upon the birth of his daughter, Ogden Nash wrote a poem that starts:
“My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky;
Contrariwise, my blood runs cold
When little boys go by.”

His lament is that some boy will grow up and marry his daughter and carry her away, when she has just entered his life. And that thought crosses my mind when I hold my great-granddaughters and they smile up at me: Who will be the lucky one who steals their heart away as they have stolen mine.

Great-grandchildren

A few of our great-grandchildren from our visit to Rochester.

The Debt "Crisis"

Anyone care to solve the debt "crisis"? My own view is that our politicians aren't willing to apply sound, honest business principles to running our federal government. How many corporations can stay in business by spending more than they earn year after year? At the first sign of declining profits, they would initiate cost-cutting strategies, such as reducing spending and reductions in staff. Think any of our politicians are willing to give up any of their staff or reduce their spending? So how will they reach a compromise? First off, increase income by raising taxes, exempting themselves, of course. Next, announce a "reduction in spending"; translated, that means reducing the rate of planned spending increases. Isn't it time we stopped voting for politicians and elected some businessmen/women to better manage this country's finances? I'm ready.

The NFL Brouhaha

What's the big deal with the NFL controversy? It's just a bunch of millionaires fighting over how to split up billions of dollars. None of which will ever find it's way back to the fans who contributed to the pile in the first place. Most likely, after the dust settles, the fans will have to pay more to go to a game. Which means another brouhaha over the profits looms in the future. Unless the fans wise up and boycott the games. No money, no argument.

Recovering

Sorry to have been so quiet lately. Grandma and I have been on a driving trip to upstate New York via Las Vegas, NV, that took 28 days out of our lives. Will write more after I recover.

This 'n That

The results are in and the By-laws changes we proposed have been accepted overwhelmingly by the residents. So that's one less thing to worry about.

We're in the final stages of packing for our trip. I hope to have everything in the car by tonight, except for the things we need every day. We pack one small case for the things we need during the trip, and one large case for the days in Rochester. The final items go in tomorrow just before we head out. Cell phones and cameras are charged and ready to go. The Tom-Tom has been updated, too. After we leave Las Vegas, we have a reservation in Grand Junction, Colorado, after which we're free-wheeling until we reach Rochester.

Today, we're meeting our friend, Jonteel, and her special friend, Charlie, for a mid-morning pastry and cuppa, then plan to attend the Residents' Birthday Party at 2 p.m. It's always a temptation when they start serving ice cream and cake; I can usually pass up the cake, but the ice cream gets me every time. I was born with a strong love for ice cream, and it has never diminished.
Have a great day!

The BIG TRIP

We're starting to get things together for our BIG TRIP. To Las Vegas to visit granddaughter, Jeana, and her family. Then off to Rochester, NY to visit the rest of the family. For my 80th birthday party. And Shirley has a cousin and husband, whom we've never met, coming over from England. Should be a great time. This time, we're taking the northern route through Colorado, just south of Chicago, Toledo, etc. Routes 15, 70, 80 and 90. We've driven the route through Oklahoma City so many times, we could make it blindfolded (but we won't try!). I just hope the Escape will hold everything we plan to take.

Happy/Sad

Yesterday, the receptionist called to tell me there was a gift waiting for me, so I rushed down to find a guitar waiting, along with a very nice note. HAPPY! The note and guitar were from Laura, who was one of our teachers at ASU (see a previous blog entry); she is packing up to move to Seattle and thought that I would appreciate having the first guitar she ever owned, as it would be too much to take with her. HAPPY/SAD; it's wonderful that she thought of me, but sad because she had to say goodbye to her guitar. HAPPY that we will still be in touch after she gets settled and is back up on the Internet. SAD that I won't be able to give her a hug for this wonderful gift. Now I have no excuse to practice and "make it sing" (Laura's words). Thank you, Laura, and God speed.

Empty

I was just reading Rick and Jilda Watson's blogs about they can't seem to find anything to write about. Well, today is Art Workshop here at Westminster Village and I suddenly find myself wondering just what the heck I'm going to work on. Haven't a clue. It's still a few hours away, so maybe the Art Gods will send down an inspirational message. Time will tell. Have a good day, wherever you are.

Rose in Black and White

Here's the latest ink drawing. I like this medium almost as much as watercolor.

Songs My Father Sang

My father used to like to sing. Most of the songs were from the First World War, like "Give My Regards to Broadway", "Over There" and "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag". But the one that I remember because it was a humorous ditty went like this:

I run the old mill over here to Reuben's-ville
My nane's Joshua Ebenezer Frye.
I know a thing or two,
You can bet your life I do,
They don't ketch me for I'm too darn sly.

I've seen Bunco men, allus got the best o' them,
Once I met a couple on the Boston train.
They says, "How be you!"
I says, "That'll do!
Travel right along with your darn skin game.

Chorus:
Wal, I swan!
I mus' be gittin' on!
Giddyup, Napoleon! It looks like rain.
Wal, I'll be switched!
The hay ain't pitched!
Come in when you're over to the farm again.

There were a lot of verses to it, and I've heard it on the radio only once in my life, back in the 70's, by some folk singer whose name I never did learn. If you ever hear the number, let me know.

Our "Band"

Here we are, "The Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" in all our glory. In the foreground are Gina from Taiwan and Laura. Back from left to right are Michelle, Michael, me, Jonteel, Dorothy and Lou. Gina and Laura were the student instructors, Michael their supervisor. Laura has graduated and is on her way to Seattle; Gina is going to Chicago. Lou is holding the guitar his wife bought him a few years ago. At the time, he said he would wait until he was 90 to take lessons because he was just too busy. When the opportunity came for the ASU sessions, he signed up, even though he's a year shy of 90, just to have someone tune his guitar. Jonteel was so taken with the first couple of sessions with drums that her son bought her a snare drum; she has since been taking lessons from a professional drummer. One of these days, I'll look into buying a guitar; right now I'm too busy with other activities. But I do know all the notes to "Love Me Tender"!

Dad

I've been thinking of my father a lot lately. He was quite a craftsman. He made desks for my brother and me as well as our children. Bookcases and storage cabinets. A train table for me. Tools for building model airplanes. In his later years, he worked on some projects at his church, including building a new set of steps. He was a mason/bricklayer by trade, having worked with his father and brothers since he was 13. He lost his mother when he was 8 and quit school at age 13 to help the family - his father and 7 siblings. He suffered from a form of pemphagus, which caused large sores to form on his neck and under his arms. Treatments in those days, before it was diagnosed correctly, included radiation, boric acid salves, zinc oxide ointments, all to no avail. It was difficult to work because he couldn't always raise his arms to plaster ceilings. But he always managed to live through the attacks. He took time off from work to build houses for my brother and me after we married. He collected books on the West and Spiritualism; he belonged the the Spiritualist Church in Rochester, NY, and was active in Lily Dale, NY. He died recovering from prostate cancer surgery; the surgery was successful, but the cause was a pulmonary embolism.

Music Therapy Finished

Monday was the last in a series of classes at Arizona State University Music Department, and it was sad/happy. Sad because it was the end and we would probably not see the student teachers again. Laura would graduate this month and move on to the Seattle area; Gina (from Taiwan) would be spending her summer in Chicago. Michael, their supervisor, will stay in the Valley to teach and play in drum circles, so we might run into him from time to time.
Happy because we got to record a song we wrote the lyrics to, had photos taken of the group, and had a CD cut of us singing our song. Laura, Gina and Michael put together the CD with some of their favorites, along with Jonteel reading a poem she had written thanking them, as well as "The Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" singing our song.
We did also have time to play all of "Love Me Tender" on guitars, so we are ready to go out into the world and serenade. Are you ready, world?

Birches - In Progress

This is my next project. Hard to tell how it will look when done.

Musical Therapy Class

Back in February, the Activities Department said that the Arizona State University Music Department was going to conduct a program in which we could learn how to play a variety of musical instruments, so I signed up. We went every Monday afternoon for an hour. The sessions were (and still are for two more weeks) conducted by two students studying Therapy By Music - or something like it. They were supervised by a graduate. One of the teachers is from Taiwan, her name is Jeana (but probably with a more Asian spelling - I'll ask next week) and, since I have a granddaughter named Jeana, I told her to call me "Grandpa", which always comes out as "Grandfather".
We started out with a drum circle, in order for them to get to know us better. The initial group was 12 residents, but dwindled to 4 regulars plus someone from the Activities Dept. Drums for 3 weeks, followed by xylophones for 3 weeks, then on the keyboards for 3 more. We learned the first few bars of "My Wild Irish Rose", since it was getting close to St. Patrick's Day; have you ever heard an Irish song sung in English with a strong Taiwanese brogue? One day was spent trying out a variety of percussion instruments, whose names I can't recall and couldn't spell even if I knew.
Finally - finally, we started on the guitar, which the real reason I signed up. The rest was interesting, but I really REALLY wanted to find out if I had the ability to play a guitar. Well, that day, I learned the first two lines of "Love Me Tender"! Now I'm hooked! I can't wait to go back to class for more. And I'll be looking around for guitar stores. Who knows, maybe I'll be serenading the neighbors by Labor Day. Wish me luck.