Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Music Memories

 It will be a year Sept 2nd that my dad passed away.  He was a singer and always had a song to share.  He taught me "Once I went in swimming" when I was little.  Our family all sang it forever in car rides and at family home evenings.....  shared it at talent shows and when we needed a poem memorized, used it for children's theatre auditions......and then the grandkids learned it and morphed it.  We sang this song at the end of mom's viewing, standing in the mortuary. to cheer us up after all our guests had gone, and we sang it at the end of Marcie's viewing and so of course we had to sing it in our family circle at the end of dad's viewing.  It's traditon.
It's really just a silly song:
Once I went in swimmin
Where there were no women  And no one could see
As no one was there I hung my underwear upon a willow tree
Dove into the water , bare as Pharoh's daughter dove into the Nile
Someone saw me there and stole my Underware ....It looked like Grandpa Lyle.  ( originally it was "and left me with a Smile.") 

 I've been thinking about music and the power it has to bring memories back.  I've titled this post...............Songs that define moments in my life..... that aren't from Musicals.

You've Got a Friend- Carly Simon/James Taylor -  Hanging out at my Uncle Steve's home before I was ten and listening to this on their stereo. I have loved this song since then....in every reincarnation.  I recently saw "Beautiful- the Musical," The Carly Simon story and when this song was performed I just sobbed.  I was sitting their with one of my besties Laura and I just put my head on her shoulder, she held my hand and we cried together.

One bad Apple - Osmonds.  Marcie, Cousin Krystin and I would dress up in mom's negligee/penoir sets and then stand on the 3 levels of our mirror dresser and perform this song with fake microphones over and over again.  We thought we were amazing.

Crocodile Rock - Elton John.   A group of us 5th grade girls in Mrs.  Blosch class made up choreography and performed in the class talent show.  We thought we were destined to be famous.

You're so Vain... 6th grade dance at Oak Hills Elementary. We only had one dance...the culminating, sign the dance card in advance type dance.  This is the only song I remember, and I don't remember any of the boys I danced with.

Stairway to Heaven... Jr. High dances at Millcreek Jr. High.  You knew it was the end of the dance when they played this song.  These dances were always painfully pathetic.  So many wall flowers and so few boys to dance with. It was back when girls waited around to be asked to dance.  I like it more now when everyone just goes on the dance floor and dances.

Copa Cabana - Barry Manilow reminds me of  the beach at Bear Lake and singing about Lola at the top of our lungs with my sister Marcie as we would swing as high as we could on the sandy swing set.

Rocky Theme song.... listening to it in the family van as loud as the stereo would go as we drive up Logan Canyon on the way to Bear Lake.  We had the Rocky Sound track on an 8 track tape... and the van had an 8 track tape player...so it was probably the only one we had or could find.   I first saw Rocky at the Queen theatre on 5th south in Bountiful.  Remember  sobbing at the end with Rocky then running out to our car when it was over and punching the air like boxers.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen   First heard while hanging out in my bedroom with the radio on in 8th grade.  I had to stop and listen and couldn't believe the story and the range of the singers.  Still love the madness of this song.

If Wayne and I had a song, which we really we don't, it would have to be an old Big Band Song.  I was born in the wrong era and these type of songs were and continue to be my favorites. Blue Moon,  Cry me a River, I've got a Crush on you,  Somewhere over the Rainbow, Someone to watch over me, Smile....  I would sing these to Wayne as we rode in buses to choir festivals and debate tournaments.

There ain't nothing about you that don't do something for me. - Country music.  Riding with Wayne to and from Springville once a week on "wife day "  when he worked with Zac at Xaxdesign.  This song would blare from the blue XAX truck.  We traveled back and forth for five years.   Even now, Wayne uses this as his ring tone for my phone calls.

Like a Virgin- Butters family reunion BASH talent show, sung by crazy Matthew Butters ...

Islands in the Stream - Kenny rogers and Dolly Parton-- Family reunion BASH time again.  The lip sync battle with Gary Call  as Kenny and Wayne as Dolly.

Sweet Caroline- Neil Diamond- sung at the BEES baseball games with all of the Cole clan at the top of our lungs whenever it's played.....usually through the fireworks show around the 24th of July.  It's just so good, so good, so good.

You are my Sunshine - I loved singing parts with my sister Marcie growing up  and now sing it with my sister friend- Laura.  It brings great memories of girls camps and choir trips when Laura and I would go room to room, checking the kids in, saying goodnight and leaving a little song.

I  remember hearing Beatles songs all through my youth, yet I never really knew the Beatles songs until we got  Beetles Rockband  for the Wii when Monson was in High school.  Now I like these Beatle songs too:   Hey Jude, Yesterday, I wanna hold your hand, Here comes the Sun, Eleanor Rigby, She loves you.   I loved watching my kids play the guitars and drums and sing these songs, while my parents watched them.




Tuesday, August 23, 2016

School starting = Excitement and Dread

School starts tomorrow....and I'm full of excitement and dread.

Excited that we will be back on a schedule waking up with scriptures and family prayer then off to exercise, work and school.
 
Dread that we are back on a schedule.  I love sleeping in and waking up without the alarm clock.

Dread getting Laila into bed at night at a decent hour.

Excited that Laila will have new classes and new teachers.    Laila will be a 9th grader, the top of the totem pole, this year and with Cheer and some online classes at home before she goes to MPJH, it will be a different school day for her.

Dread  reminding Laila about online school,  homework and worrying about grades

Excited thinking about some different school friends for Laila.   Laila needs some new good friends that will keep her strong spiritually and encourage her to attend church and seminary.   She has had a different "best" friend in 7th, and 8th grade, so it will be interesting to see who she spends all of her time with in 9th grade.

Dread Laila hooking up with "bad" friends who are negative and pull her down. Dread the tears and down times.  

Excited to see Laila come into her own with opinions about her world and being willing to speak out

Dread the discussions.

I remember my 9th grade year.  I spent all my time with Malinda Bean and Kaye Cushing.  We were Pep Club officers at Millcreek Jr. High and we loved working with Miss D.  She was the cool, single gym teacher.  We chose black and white outfits for all the girls to wear....we look like jailbirds.   Pepclub was fun back then...we went to all of the afterschool games and cheered with the cheer leaders.


That was 40 years ago.



Sunday, August 21, 2016

Bucket List?

Tell me something on your bucket list.
I asked my kids this over text the other day and I was surprised at some of the answers.

Laila wants to skydive...as soon as she turns 18 and is able to.  I always thought I was going to skydive when I turned 50...but that birthday came and I didn't have the desire to anymore.  Maybe when I turn 60?

Lexi wants to go to New York and see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade....now that sounds wonderful.    I love New York and that's one of the 5 parades I actually care about.  Maybe with Truman living in Brooklyn now, this could possibly happen.

Landon want's to see the 7 Wonders of the world.... I know these are constantly changing, but it would be a great trip to bounce from one Wonder to the next...take 6 weeks and do it.

Alex wants to visit Italy....he is a Buzelli afterall...go back to his Italian roots.   I want to go there too, but specifically to the Cinque Terre area with the colorful houses on the edge of a cliff and beautiful blue water.

Truman has put more thought into this than the rest of us.... I can tell.  He wants to Raise a Vizela Puppy.  Attend Yacht Week, See fireflies in Tennessee,  Go to a Monarch grove to see the butterflies in December.  Run a marathon.  Go to Mud baths in Iceland and Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef....


I want to make it to Machu Pichu while I can still hike and climb....and speak a little spanish.

Friday, August 19, 2016

#FirstSevenJobs

There's a hashtag going around asking what were your first 7 jobs.......and it got me thinking...

1. Baby sitter ( mostly for my Aunt Diane at a dollar an hour....that's how old I am)
2. Door to door Stationary Sales ( the school supplied the free stationary, we just had to sell it for profit)
3. House cleaner ( my Grandpa Butters arranged these....I cleaned when people moved out of his rentals)
4. Beginning Dance Instructor ( dragged the neighbor kids in and their moms paid me for a summer camp)
5. Swim Instructor ( did this with Marcie at Grandma Butters pool for a few summers)
6. Movie Concessions..Roy Theatre ( Worked here during college with Marcie and Gary.  They had an apartment upstairs of the theatre but mostly I just hung out and ate their food)
7. Substitute teacher ( did this while waiting to get my first "real" teaching job at Bountiful High )

First jobs are great...and interesting....
These were the jobs that gave me spending money, paid for a 3 week Mexico trip with my Jr. High Spanish club; and choir/debate trips in High School;  helped me buy school clothes and Christmas presents and brought in a little money when Wayne and I were first married.

Saturday, August 13, 2016

It's been one year

Marcie passed away a year ago today.

I still search for old pics with Marcie's face in them.
I still think I'm going to run into her at Dick's or  Costco.
I still drive by her house and wonder what she's doing today.
I still want to call her and go to lunch.
I still miss Sunday circle at mom and dad's house where I could catch up on Marcie and her family.
I still use her purse, wear her jewelry and her shoes.
I still have her picture....this picture as the screen saver on my cell phone.

I am not good with words lately.   I want to write what I feel and what's happening in order to process..but really I'm still pretty numb...and no words come.

It's been a challenging year.  So much change has happened with Marcie's passing and then 2 1/2 weeks later may Dad passing and then selling the family home and settling the estate and all that entails.  This year has been emotionally draining and filled with a lot of tears, and just sitting and not doing much........Grief does that.

I was kind of freaked out about my birthday this year. I turned 54.  When Marcie turned 54 she wasn't feeling good a month later she was diagnosed with Cancer and 3 1/2 months later she was dead.  I kind of worry about my every ache and pain.  I went and had a full physical exam including an ultrasound to check my organs.  I got the thumbs up, but with so much cancer in my family I wonder who is going to be next?

It's been difficult watching Gary and the kids go through this non Marcie year. They are working and keeping busy but it's on those down, non busy times, when thinking can happen and feelings creep in that Marcie is missed. They say year two is even harder.

Performing in Hello Dolly makes me feel close to Marcie and to my parents.  They all loved theatre and loved seeing family members perform.  Angela said it best... Mom would have loved the creative use of the set with very short scene changes and going from one scene to the next quickly.  Marcie would have loved the costumes and hats and Dad would have just cried tears of joy seeing me on stage.  I'm glad I get to perform in DOLLY tonight... I will dedicate this performance to her.