MOM LOVED FIGURE SKATING

One of the things that Mom enjoyed watching most was champion paired figure skating.  She loved the graceful dance between the couple, the music, and the elegant designs of their outfits.  

Though I must say that she also loved any good performance, like this one here by Sasha Cohen at the 2006 Olympics. 

Sometimes it's just nice to see winners and their reward.

George Burns, One of the World's Great Wordsmiths

The great George Burns, 1896-1996.  Where was I in 1996?  Teaching.  But I used to think of so many of his jokes, particularly when I was selling real estate for some reason.  

"My doctor is dead."

"I don't drink.  I don't smoke.  I do the other thing." 

"I'm the only one left.  you're the only one I know that's alive."

Though it wasn't said in this interview, it is a good line nonetheless, "Happiness is having a loving, close-knit family in another city." Quoted from the book The Mammoth Book of Zingers, Quips, and One-Liners, Geo Tibballs, 2004.  George Burns mentions in the above interview that he thought that Georgie Jessel was the funniest man he'd ever known, even funnier than Groucho Marx.  I beg to differ.  Though I didn't really know George Jessel's comedy, I thought that Groucho Marx was the funniest.  Judge for yourself from this interview.

Jessel appears to be a decent storyteller with ironic twists.  Prankster, yes, joker, not so much.  See him here in an episode of the Jack Benny Show.  

Just as way leads onto way, I found this episode of the Burns and Allen Show, co-starring the resonate voice of Harry von Zell.  IMDB has an interesting write-up on him.  The episode is titled, The Cigarette Girl, which aired on February 5, 1953. 

Fred Clark also appears in this episode.  What's funny to me is that when I first saw these performers it was the 1960s, actors already at the middle or the end of their career.  I just had no idea what kind of career they had before I first saw them.  I remember seeing Clark on The Beverly Hillbillies, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and as Moose Moran in the 1951 movie, The Lemon Drop Kid, starring Bob Hope.  Well, this little fact on The Lemon Drop Kid was quite interesting.  Damon Runyon wrote the story.  

The Lemon Drop Kid (1934), starring Lee Tracy, was remade in 1951 with Bob Hope (and I Love Lucy co-star William Frawley appearing in both adaptations). The latter version introduced the Christmas song "Silver Bells." 

On Runyon, we have this,

He spun humorous and sentimental tales of gamblers, hustlers, actors, and gangsters, few of whom go by "square" names, preferring instead colorful monikers such as "Nathan Detroit", "Benny Southstreet", "Big Jule", "Harry the Horse", "Good Time Charley", "Dave the Dude", or "The Seldom Seen Kid". His distinctive vernacular style is known as "Runyonese": a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions. He is credited with coining the phrase "Hooray Henry", a term now used in British English to describe an upper-class, loud-mouthed, arrogant twit. 

If you haven't seen it, you should.  And it doesn't hurt that it is available, at least for now, for free on YouTube.  I don't know for how long though, so don't miss it while it's up.  

Praying the Rosary

Praying the Rosary

Familiarize yourself and/or your group with the prayers of the rosary.

1.   Make the Sign of the Cross.

2.   Holding the Crucifix, say the Apostles' Creed.

3.   On the first bead, say an Our Father.

4.   Say one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads.

5.   Say the Glory Be

6.   For each of the five decades, announce the Mystery (perhaps followed by a brief reading from Scripture) then say the Our Father.

7.   While fingering each of the ten beads of the decade, next say ten Hail Marys while meditating on the Mystery. Then say a Glory Be.
(After finishing each decade, some say the following prayer requested by the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima: O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who have most need of your mercy.)

8.   After saying the five decades, say the Hail, Holy Queen, followed by this dialogue and prayer:

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: O God, whose Only Begotten Son,
by his life, Death, and Resurrection,
has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life,
grant, we beseech thee,
that while meditating on these mysteries
of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
we may imitate what they contain
and obtain what they promise,
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

(A prayer to St. Joseph may also follow.) Conclude the Rosary with the Sign of the Cross.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, 

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, 

world without end. 

The history of The Book of Common Prayer is a Protestant book, not one containing Catholic prayers recited in a Catholic mass.  "Book of Common Prayer, liturgical book used by churches of the Anglican Communion."  For Catholics, our prayerbook is the Roman Catholic Missal.

Types of Catholic prayers: 

Adoration: Praising God.

Contrition: Asking for God's forgiveness.

Petition: Asking God for a favor.

Thanksgiving: Showing God gratitude.

Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology. Happy Thanksgiving!

In keeping with the "going home for the Thanksgiving holiday," the local public radio station has been playing music with "Going home" themes. I love the viola and violins in his piece.

 

The song above comes from the album Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology.  

Claude DeBussy's "Clair De Lune"

There's a reason this song has 63 million views or plays.  It's played often on the local public radio station here.

Flower Duet

"The Flower Duet" is sung in Leo Delibes' opera, Lakme.  Heard it this morning at 8:09am while driving in the snow.  The high pitches mimic the reach for beauty and love, and each time I hear this piece I cry over the loss of a friend I'd known for 18 years.

Rembrandt & Klimt

One of the great pleasures I had while attending UCI was that Catherine used to work at a Chato's Framing Gallery on Walnut Avenue in Pasadena, one block north of Pasadena City College where we both had attended school.  Catherine learned a lot about framing and a lot about different artists.  I learned by extension.  Catherine brought a framed Rembrandt, the one you see above, titled "The Young Woman at Open Half Door," 1645.  But I'd always loved this print.  In fact, I bought one to put up in the classrooms at the different schools that I taught at.  Another artist that I liked was, of course, Gustav Klimt.  His "Kiss" is famous but there were others of his work that I loved titled "Sonja Knips 1898."

Catherine framed it up in her shop in Santa Cruz.  She drove from Santa Cruz to San Luis Obispo, and I drove from LA to San Luis Obispo where I got the beautifully framed print from her.  My mom absolutely loved the print but more so the spectacular frame that Catherine selected and bought.  

Happy Birthday, Daddy-O, October 7, 1914

These are the kinds of cartoons Dad drew. He was quite prolific during  [more here] and after the war. For Christmas, he would draw the head and bust of Santa Claus on the envelope.  For our birthdays, he'd draw something related to birth or something concerning us personally. He was quite the entertaining communicator.  

Thanks to Sally Martinez for this pic.
This is the kind of cartoon Dad would draw on a birthday card for his kids or anybody he was celebrating.  

Mom, Dad, & Family, 1940s to 1953

Thanks to Sally Martinez for posting this pic.

I can't tell where this shot is taken either.  The year looks like 1939 or earlier.  The brick siding makes me think it could be somewhere in Denver, but her smile and the sunshine make me think this is in San Gabriel, California.  Jim wrote, "She was a beauty!  Sure miss her."

Thanks to Sally Martinez for posting this pic.  

This is probably 1940, but I have no idea where this picture is taken.  It could be at Josephine's in San Gabriel.  That's Jack Pullman that my mom is holding.   

Thanks to Sally Martinez for posting this pic.

[from left to right: Dan, Chuck, Mom, Sally, Mary in arms, Dad, and Charlen.  The year is 1953 since that is Mary there as a baby.]

Though I do not recognize the neighborhood, it is the front yard of Mom and Dad's old house at 5609 N. Gladys in San Gabriel.  The house has since been razed, but that Chinese Elm tree behind them survived.  My mom, however, was not a big fan of its thousands of tiny leaves.  

Requiem Pie Jesu by Gabriel Faure

The beauty in this piece comes as close to holiness as is humanly possible.  Just stunning.  The title "Requiem Pie Jesu" translates "Give them rest Holy Jesus."  It's a short Catholic Latin mass for the dead.  It's beautiful.  And the piece is often contrasted to the famous "Dies Irae" or "God's Wrath."  I guess that is what happens in death, right, either the soul is treated to eternal rest without condemnation from the living, as in Requiescat in Pace, or the soul is treated to cursing, anger, and wrath, as in "Dies Irae."  It makes sense that peace should prevail after the passing of a loved one regardless of how angry we are.  I heard the piece tonight on the Colorado Public Radio station in Denver, 88.1.  It played at 5:48pm.  You can find it on their playlist.  The vocal for the piece I heard tonight was Sylvia McNair, and her performance of it was stunning.  But when I searched the piece on YouTube, I found this one first without searching for Sylvia McNair.  And I am glad I did, for I much prefer this version presented here:   

 

No wonder that it is God, the saints, and every holy act and word that retrieves civilization, as well as the individual, from the brink. 

"What good is love that no one shares?"

Though I'd listen to this song at least a dozen times, I only just now learned that Dinah Washington, the woman whose beautiful voice carries this song, died at age 39. That is sad.  The show notes to the video tell that Dinah was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 1924 and died on December 14, 1963. A commenter writes in the comments section that "When I die, I want this song to play at my funeral."  Maybe.  But it is so sad that it would have everybody in the chapel or church crying.  For funerals, I tend to think that religious songs are better suited.  

 

Wikipedia explains that "In 1959, she had her first top ten pop hit, with a version of "What a Diff'rence a Day Made."  Here is that tune.  

Her last big hit was "September in the Rain" in 1961 (No. 23 Pop, No. 5 R&B).

And how many of us remember "Unforgettable," 1961?

Most folks like the Nat King Cole version.  Cole released his version of "Unforgettable" in 1952, a full 9 years prior to Dinah Washington made it a best seller of her own.  Cole's voice is terrific.  So is Dinah Washington's.  The song was written in 1951 by Irving Gordon and then in 1952, Nat King Cole released it on his album.  His version of the song is by far the most popular. 

San Gabriel River Bike Trail, Sunday May 20, 2018

 I took these shots on Sunday, May 20, 2018.  Anyone familiar with the San Gabriel Canyon Road will recognize this location.  It is the San Gabriel River Bike Trail.  This was the last time that I was on this trail.  My world was a lot different back then.  I was living in Monterey Park.  I hadn’t heard from my sweet friend, Joanne, for almost 3 months back then.  And though I was doing freelance work, I was barely making ends meet.  I sent these pics at 1:28pm on Sunday, May 20, 2018 to a friend, saying “Walked San Gabriel River Bike Trail from Duarte to Azusa this morning.  The homeless who now encamp in the riverbed are growing, turning what was once my childhood playground into a social problem.  Sad.  A lot of bike riders on the trail too.  I need to be careful.”  I've always loved this trail as you can see here, here, here, and here.  

Dad, 1943 and Mom, Dad, & Charlen 1944

To the photo above, Dan penned, "1943, Dad as U.S. Marine at 179 Chestnut Avenue [in San Gabriel, CA]."  Find its location here: 

Dan posted this on his Facebook page on November 11, 2019, in celebration of Veteran's Day.  And though I get the nationalist love of country and the different epochs that define a country, I cringe when I hear the phrase "Thank you for your service."  I can't imagine any veteran expecting to be thanked.  That kind of takes away from the self-sacrifice of service.  And certainly, I don't know of any specific benefit to the person doing the thanking that WWII provided.  Freedom?  From whom?  After WWII, Nazis, and Communists both infiltrated the U.S. government bureaus.  People like to cite the fact that we're speaking English instead of German or Japanese or Russian.  I guess it would offend too much to tell soldiers and veterans that they were lied to.  Though you certainly hear veterans protest against future wars and protest the services they get as veterans from the Veteran's Administration.  So I don't know.  Mixed signals, I guess.  Anyway, Dad looks proud and ready to join the Marines and excited about the transformation the uniform has on him even though it requires him to be away from his wife, Sally, and daughter, Charlen whom you can see below.  Charlen looks almost a year old here, so the year could be 1944 with Dad on leave.

Mom, Dad, & Charlen, 1946

Thanks to Dan Walgenbach for this photo.  

On Sunday, October 27, 2019, Dan wrote

Dad enlisted in the US Marine Corp on August 3rd, 1943 and received an Honorable Discharge on Jan. 20, 1946. 

So, my guess this picture was possibly early 1946, as Mom did not appear pregnant with her 2nd child, due in Jan. 1947.

I think it is on Westmont Drive in Alhambra.  The exact address I do not have.  [Given the rolling hills of the neighborhood, my guess is that the section of Westmont Drive where Mom and Dad lived was in the 1700 block but that's just a guess.]

The car nearest them in the picture appears to be the 1941 Willys that Mom (according to Dad) purchased from her earnings from Sears and Roebuck as a comptometer operator.

Thanks to Bridget Larkin-Byer for this photo.

Dolly Parton, "Mountain Angel"

Was just thinking how so much of the upbeat music of the 60s and 70s was really British pop.  I was thinking of Dusty Springfield, 1939-1999. 

I loved The Kinks.  But who can deny American country music for its beauty and simplicity? I love Dolly Parton.  Aside from a sweet voice, musical talent, Parton has a great deliberateness to the story of her songs.  She can take the tragic life of a young girl and turn it into an enduring tale through song. 

But it was this song that I'd first heard tonight that made me want to listen more to Dolly.  Thanks to Bob Higgs.  "The sky is green and the grass is blue" is almost a Wallace Stevens poem.  Beautiful imagery to help wake up the senses.  

Down to the River to Pray

"Down to the River to Pray," (1867), sung by Alison Krause, was posted on a Facebook page that I like. I'd heard the song, have known of it since seeing the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou," (2000), and subsequently learned of Alison Krause as well.  But there are two things I like about this post.  One is that I really liked this particular production of the song with the terrific scenes of tent revivals, baptisms in local rivers versus the kind we're used to seeing inside a church.  

Two, I really liked the comment by Geoff Braun,

Though I’ve left the evangelical fold and joined the RC Church, I maintain great respect and admiration for the contribution non-sacramental Christian churches made to the developing culture of the USA. American Christianity has blessed us with the most singable hymns of the church, especially those that sprung out of camp meetings and revival tents. 

If you want to read the lyrics to the song, they're here. 

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, 1972

The music and her voice will bring you into the presence of the person you've loved most in life.  

What a voice. 1972's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face." The first time I ever heard this song played on a record player may have been at Chuck and Sally Pullman's place in Glendora.  Chuck and Sally had great taste in music and had a terrific stereo console.  I loved these lines from the song

The first time ever I saw your face

I thought the sun rose in your eyes

And the moon and the stars were the gifts you gave

To the dark and the [end of the skies] endless skies

And the first time ever I kissed your mouth

I felt the earth move in my hand, like the trembling heart of a captive bird that was there at my command, my love

And the first time ever I lay with you,

I felt your heart so close to mine

And I knew our joy would fill the earth

And last 'til the end of time, my love. 

The first time ever I saw your face . . . your face . . . your face.

One commenter wrote 

When I marry I would choose this song as my dance song with my wife.  

How interesting.  

The song was written in 1957 by British political songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who later became his wife.

About the song, Roberta Flack said

It's a perfect song. Second only to "Amazing Grace, I think...^[5] "It's the kind of song that has two unique & distinct qualities: it tells a story, & it has lyrics that mean something....Because of [its meaningful lyrics] the [song] can be interpreted by a lot of people in a lot of different ways: the love of a mother for a child, for example, or [that of] two lovers."^[6]"I wish more songs I had chosen had moved me the way that one did. I've loved [most] every song I've recorded, but that one was pretty special."^[5] 

HOW CAN I KEEP MY HEART FROM SINGING?

Thanks to Jesse’s Café Americain.  Jesse likes Audrey Assad, whose video productions are quite beautiful.  Some background on Assad.

ARE THE OTHER AMERICAS CALLING YOU TOO?

Loved the rhythm in this song. Rapid, rising, building. Loved it.  

And this gentleman produced a stunning performance.  

And it all started with this piece, "El Gavilancito" by Son d Madera.  Thanks to Robert Higgs.   

One more.  It's good.  You'll like it. 

El Balaju

Another great offering from Robert Higgs.

The Roger Wagner Chorale, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"

Another great offering from Robert Higgs.

The introduction to the song reads: 

"A Mighty Fortress Is OurGod,” based on the 46^th Psalm, was written by Martin Luther in 1529.  First used as a song of protest, it quickly became known as the “battle hymn of the Reformation.”  The song was first published with English lyrics in 1539 when it appeared in Coverdale’s “Goostly Psalmes.”  The music has been given well over fifty settings and has been used by many composers.  Bach harmonized it several times and used the text for his Reformation Sunday Cantata (No. 80).  [Some help.] Meyerbeer incorporated the melody in Les Huguenots.  The song was also used by Mendelssohn in his Reformation Symphony, by Richard Wagner in his Kaisermarsch.  Without a doubt, it is the best loved of all German chorales.  (arrangement by Roger Wagner & Ernest Gold).

I particularly loved the most recent comment by bearclawhogs44 three years ago, which reads, 

This—THIS—is what worship should be.  No foppish sentimentality.  Singing with strength, heart, and delight.  Praise God. 

Those Germans sure know a thing or two about music and religion.  

And this video 

makes the point that 

With the exception, perhaps, of John Newton’s hymn “Amazing Grace,” it is doubtful that any hymn is more widely known and loved than Martin Luther’s “Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott” or “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” in its most common English translation. 

SHRINE AUDITORIUM, 1926

I came across these photos of the Shrine Auditorium, and it reminded me of my dad sharing a few but cryptic moments at the Shrine Auditorium.  I could not recall the specific event, for I was 10 or 11 then.  I thought it had something to do with a prize fight but I was probably confusing that with the October 1, 1975 "Thrilla in Manila" fight between Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier in Manila, the fight that I saw on closed-circuit TV at the Pasadena Auditorium with my dad and Chuck Pullman.  But I recall that Dad used to talk about going to the Shrine Auditorium, probably to see a fight, maybe a speaker, perhaps even an evangelist.  I don't know for sure.  But in that context, he would often include the names of [Bill] Conroy and [Joe] Sullivan, maybe even his buddy Bob Smith.  

I couldn't recall exactly what event it was related to events with the County or events with the Sheriffs?  Dad did say that he had to wear fez hats when he went inside that was given to him because of venue mandate.    

It looks like the Grammy Awards were held there until the year 2000.  Academy Awards were held there for a couple of years.  In 1953, he Annual Los Angeles Examiner Christmas Show was held there.  It was the home of the Trojan basketball team home games for 33 years; that's impressive.  One or two LA Laker playoff games were held there.  Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercials were filmed there.  Presley performed there in '56.  A major jazz festival was held there in '58.  

I sent my questions to Dan, who replied in this way: 

One thing you have to remember - Dad had Press Pass(es) for many years.

He covered stories for a couple of LA County publications, so he would go to the various venues in Los Angeles, and get in free.

He was the Editor and Contributing Author Los Angeles County Employee Magazine and the Star-News a small publication for the Sheriff's Department.

The latter he did for many years.  I think it was in the early 60s or late 50s.  Then Under Sheriff James Downey [who actually worked on the 1947 Black Dahlia case] got wind of the fact that Dad was not an LA Co Sheriff's employee anymore, so he told Bill Conroy to assume those roles.  Conroy knew Dad loved [writing stories], so he had Dad do some of the articles, cut and paste the articles submitted by various contributing writers, and paid Dad a small stipend for his time and effort.

I used to cut out articles for Dad's Star-News and then tape them onto a legal-sized, hard-bound divider paper for him in our garage where the dining room joined the living room.  The garage was my dad's office, and his office felt like the spartan accouterments of a war correspondent inside his tent on the perimeter of the battlefield.  It consisted of a cardboard table, his famous green graphite lamp, coffee pot warmer, 3-hole punch, scissors, and other office supplies in the nook where the dining room joined the living.  

Later, he wrote a column "Let's Be Civil" for the Superior Court Clerk's Local 575 publication.  I am guessing that when Conroy retired on a medical retirement that is when his relationship with the Star-News ended. 

He liked getting backstage and getting up close with the stars and then sharing his inside scoop from his angle.  In addition to writing the story, I think he always hoped to sneak in a cartoon whenever possible.

He may have had to wear a Fez hat or was given one as a souvenir for covering a story.

I remember going to the Shrine Auditorium with Dad to see the circus - I am guessing it was Barnum & Bailey.

I think there may have been other events, but I don't recall them at this time.