Keep a song in your pocket

The Common Household Husband
captains the boat

In the first church sermon I heard in the new year, the preacher said, carry a song in your pocket for the coming year.  That preacher is right - I’m going to need a song, and maybe more than one, this year.   

Three years ago, during the uncertain early months of the pandemic, I must have been looking for a song, because I recently found a document with strange first lines of hymns, mostly gloomy.  Some of them now seem particularly appropriate for the throes of 2020.  According to my notes, I found these in 2020 while searching on hymnary.org for all hymns with the meter 8.6.8.6.  It escapes me now why that meter was important for 2020.

* * * * * * *

First lines of hymns for the covid era

A holy air is breathing round (much needed during a pandemic)

And are we wretches yet alive? (seems a fitting mood for a pandemic.)

Far from the world, O Lord, I flee (good for covid-19 stay-at-home times)

How sweet and silent is the place (describes all large, empty arenas during the height of the pandemic)

Actually a fairly pleasant hymn

How vast must their advantage be (for politicians who cast doubt on the virus, but get the covid vaccine before essential workers do.)

Lo, the destroying angel flies (reminds me of certain episodes of Doctor Who.  Utterly terrifying.  But also reminds me of airborne viruses. When I did a google search for this hymn title I got a bunch of advice about deadly mushrooms. Destroying angel indeed.)

Lord, from the ill and froward man (that is the person that the murky, diseased droplets of virus come from)

My thoughts on awful subjects roll (I hear you, hymn writer.  I ruminate too.)

Not from the dust affliction grows (yes, we have learned that it comes from airborne droplets.)

When languor and disease invade (a hymn for the covid era, for sure.)

When sickness shakes the languid frame (an accurate description of symptoms.)

* * * * * * *

It’s hard to imagine that hymns which start like this would spark religious fervor.   

The song I am keeping in my pocket for this month is The Queen of Connemara.  It's a song

about a boat, earning a living, beauty, facing danger, and the love of family.

I was first introduced to this song in this version, which has a fun jig at the end.  But the

version I love the best is the one that Younger Daughter and I sing at our own piano,

a good clip faster than Cherish The Ladies’ version, at the top of our lungs.

The Queen of Connemara Lyrics:

Verse 1:

Oh my boat can safely float in the teeth of wind and weather

And outrace the fastest hooker between Galway and Kinsale

Where the white foam of the ocean and the dark clouds roll together

There she rides, in her pride, like a seagull over the waves

Chorus:

Oh she's neat, oh she's sweet

She's a beauty in every line

The Queen of Connemara

She's that bounding barque of mine

Verse 2:

When she's loaded down with fish 'til the water lips the gunwale

Not a drop she'll take on board her that would drive a fly away

Like a ship she'll sail out gladly like a greyhound from his kennel

And she'll land her silver store the first at ould Kinvara quay

(Chorus 2x)

Verse 3:

There's a light shines out afar, and it keeps me from dismaying

When the sky is ink above us and the sea runs white with foam

In a cot in Connemara there's a wife and wee ones praying

To the One who walked the waters once, to send us safely home

(Chorus 2x)

The Queen of Connemara

She's that bounding barque of mine

Caramelized Playlist

Thanksgiving onions 2014

Here is the playlist we listened to during the Caramelization of the Onions today.

-       If I had words from the movie Babe.   Sung by mice.  Saint-Saëns to a reggae beat.

If I had words to make a day for you
I'd sing you a morning golden and new.
I would make this day last for all time
Give you a night deep in moon shine.

- lyrics by Scott Fitzgerald

And then, of course, this naturally followed:

-       The Saint-Saëns Organ Concerto #3, final movement.  Pull out all the stops!

To switch things up a little:

-       Peter, Paul and Mary singing Blowin’ in the Wind. 

Which prompted me to say to Younger Daughter, "Bob Dylan wrote that song.  Have you ever heard Bob Dylan sing?"  No.  So next up in the play list was 30 seconds of:

-       Bob Dylan sings Everybody Must Get Stoned. 

“Why does it sound like a carnival?” Younger Daughter asked.  So we switched to:

-       Twist and Shout, The Beatles.

Then back to classical music:

-       Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg. 

Then Youtube selected this for us:

-       Rondo Alla Turca, by Mozart. 

-       Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, the final movement.  This included some dancing around the kitchen, because by that time the onions were sliced and in the pan.  A bombastic finish to the caramelization process.

This is the version of the 1812 Overture we listened to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2W1Wi2U9sQ&feature=youtu.be

Check out the plethora of great Dad jokes in the comments on that youtube link.  But bemoan the fact that the youtube poster did not bother to say which orchestra is playing. 

Happy Thanksgiving!  May your onions be sweet!

Thanksgiving survey 2019: Music

Some music performers I AM related to
L to R: Me, my Dad, my son

It's time for the Common Household time-honored tradition of the

Thanksgiving survey:Music

1. Name a music performer who is not related to you, for whom you are thankful.

2.  What is a musical tune you remember from your childhood?

Bonus:  Sing 30 seconds of a song which includes the word “thank”.

Please participate by giving your answers in the comments.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Music is a huge part of our lives in the Common Household, although we are not professional musicians. For us, music is an integral part of any educational philosophy.  Participating in a music ensemble teaches us cooperation, discipline, listening, and how to remember to bring our pencil to practice.  Music teaches math and creativity and beauty.  We are so thankful for music. 

A short composition by the Common Household Elder Daughter.

(For some reason I have no videos of the Common Household Son performing music.)

And the University of Pittsburgh Handbell Ensemble, including Common Household Younger Daughter.

Baking, Listening, Digging, Talking, Painting, Standing

While I am not experiencing a lot of despair due to personal reasons, I’m in quite a bit of despair about the world, the country, the state.   In the next post, I’ll give details about that, but first I wanted to try to stay positive, and remind myself of the ways that I have been keeping total despair at bay.

  1.  Bake a pie. 

I made this pie partly because I knew my son would be coming home at some point, and he likes pie.  But I also made it because making pie is therapeutic. 

I took this...

And made this.

I did not have shortening in the house, so I had to use butter for the crust.  I know it is possible to make a great crust using butter, but it is not in my skill set.  So the crust was not optimal.  I will have to bake another pie soon.

Blueberry pie filling looks kind of wicked when
 it is raw.  And then you bake the hell right
out of it.  So it's great for fending off
the feeling that the world is going to hell
in a handbasket.

Rolling out the crust, I thought, this looks like Australia.  But it turns out it looks more like the Big Island of Hawaii, the one where the goddess Pele is exploding with rage at the current state of the world. 

As I rolled this crust out, I thought it looked
 rather like Australia.  But I was wrong.

 2.  Go to a concert.

We had the great fortune to receive the gift of tickets to this concert.  I never in my life thought I would have the chance to hear Yo-yo Ma in person.  It was a wonderful concert.  Yo-yo Ma is the sort of person who exudes hope. 

3.  Dig in the dirt

I was not optimistic at all that I would find time to plant the six flowers I bought at the farmer’s market.  But digging in the dirt, working alongside Younger Daughter, was balm for the soul.  We planted snapdragons and these yellow flowers that I don’t know the name of.

4.  Talk to a friend

I was so agitated on Thursday that I completely neglected an appointment to meet a friend.  I was so looking forward to this!  But I was consumed with anger, shame, and dismay at my country.  I am grateful that my friend was forgiving. We had a good chat on the phone.  She kindly suggested that I spend some time looking for the helpers.  They are everywhere, and you can see them if only you look.

5.   Make protest signs

In the past few weeks, I’ve painted a lot of protest signs.     

I bought more blue paint.  Also added an "e" before taking this
sign to the protest.

 6.  Protest

I know I don't have to stand out on the street, but that is indeed one option.  It's one I like to do in solidarity with others.

Shadows of protesters outside our
Congressman's office.