The Songs I've Chosen

How Do I start this?

Can you hear a song, and you're in that place again? Or smell a scent, and you're there? Isn't that common to everyone? So, with this blog being about what I like to remember, I have to add the music. Playlist.com is one of my favorite things about blogging. It's so fun to be able to search for song titles or artists and be able to hear a song from the past. I actually have created 4 different playlists - my first one, which is usually on the blog, has been shelved for a while -I began building one for the holiday season - so I decided to build one for the fall season - that's not as easy to do. I want to explain some of the songs on my list.

The Auburn Fight Song is obvious. I was playing it yesterday, while Ellie and Luke were here. Here we were, in my bedroom between the bed and the computer, and I started doing my best to march and strut like an Auburn Majorette coming down the field. Ellie of course was thrilled and tried to get in on it. Luke, too. Ellie really wanted us to join hands, but I just couldn't. I had to have my arms to swing them like the majorettes do on the field. My knees were screaming. They have arthritis in them and they were screaming this sentence,"STOOOOPPPP!!! We're gonna BUCKLE!!!!!!!!" But I kept on grinning at Ellie and marching my heart to pieces. I finally agreed with my knees and I had to stop. My heart was pounding and I was out of breath.

Confession. I had actually begun that activity with the other fight song on my list. It's the Notre Dame Victory March. Only - that was our high school fight song for the EVERGREEN AGGIES!
So, I was trying to do the kicks to that - I was never a cheerleader, but I remember those kicks. Any girl from Evergreen High School could do them. Ellie was already revved up with these EHS shenanigans, so when we went from that to the Auburn stuff - well, we were all WILD! It was fun, but I had to stop. I was very out of breath.

Another little aside - I wasn't a cheerleader, but I was a majorette - not the best one ever at Evergreen High School, though. Some girls would tryout, get it their first go round, and could possibly be a majorette 3 or 4 years. I tried out 3 times!!! I finally got it on the third try. I was majorette for one year - but it was worth it, just that one year. SO MUCH FUN! How fun it would have been to be an Auburn Majorette - those orange and blue sequinned outfits - but I didn't even entertain the idea.

Well, I'll tell you, Ellie and Luke and I had a lot of fun here in this room, marching and kicking to that music.

So when you hear those two fight songs, just know that when I hear them I am propelled back to a place - to many different days and places - I see colors - green and white - I see uniforms - I see practices, practices, practices; I'm in the stadium, I'm on the field - I can hear Daddy yelling through his bullhorn, "ELIZABETTTTHHHHHH!!!! YOU'RE OUT OF STEP!!!!!!!" I am a child, it's a Friday afternoon homegame parade(that's right - every Friday afternoon) - Our small town of 3,000(not all 3000 came to the parade, obviously, but it was a crowd) came downtown to see that same band march over the bridge, go down Front Street, turn left to go over the RR tracks and march back up whatever that other street is named. And the parade was over. We did that every Friday during Football season, for a home game. No floats - except for homecoming parades and Christmas parades - By the time I was a Senior, a majorette, the Friday afternoon parades had ended. Sad. I was finally a majorette - and no Friday parades. My smalltown life - it was so simple and so fun.

If playlist had the drumbeat, I'd certainly find it. I actually played the drums in the band and can still play the drumbeat. I have drum sticks and a practice pad. The only reason I played the drums was because it's what Daddy recommended for me. I can't believe I never asked him why. I never did ask him. I can't believe I followed his advice. But when I did, all my friends selected the drum as well. We had a huge drum section those years I was in band. You know, come to think of it - Mary Ann, my sister, played clarinet and I think most of her friends selected the Clarinet - I think quite a few. Maybe Daddy saw a pattern, and needed more drummers - so he steered me that way, like a Pied Piper affect. I wasn't that good - so perhaps he knew I could do the least damage on the drums. I don't know. The years I practiced and carried the drums on the field - well - not fun. It was hot. They were heavy - and definitely not feminine!!!! I would have preferred a flute - it's so feminine if you can't be the majorette - which is what I wanted to be the most!!! So drums - and that drumbeat - you'd have to hear it. You'd be writing about it, too.

Well - I have used up all my writing time - on the Evergreen Aggie Band. I didn't mean to. I'll close with the words to our fight song and if you hear the Notre Dame Victory March - maybe you'll think of the Evergreen Aggies.

Cheer, cheer for old Evergreen.

We are the pep squad, they are the team.

Send our volley, cheer on high

and shake down the thunder from the sky.

Whether the odds be great or be small,

Old Evergreen will win over all.

While our loyal sons are marching,

Onward to Victory!

Da-Da dunt-dunt dunt dunt dunt dunt dunt dunt

repeat song.

I have two poems I want to share with you.

They both have hung on my kitchen wall for some time.

I found them when Daddy was in the throws of his Alzheimer's disease and all around us was changing, like a landslide. Both poems made me think of how Daddy's heart could feel if he was indeed feeling. Noone knows with an Alzheimer's patient - they are unable to tell us - although I'll tell you this - God, in my quietest moment, whispered to me - "His brain has Alzheimer's Disease, but his soul doesn't". So I began to read him scripture - which he dramatically responded to - and to sing him hymns - off key, which probably grated on his nerves - the scripture and the hymns calmed him - they helped - sometimes he would weep a bit, like a child when I read God's word.

Anyway, the poems: And they do express my heart - how do poets say it so well?

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

the earth, and every common sight,

To me did seem

Appareled in celestial light,

the glory and freshness of a dream.

It is not now as it hath been of yore; -

Turn wheresoe'er I may,

By night or day,

The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

Wordsworth

And the other is in the front of Garrison Keillor's book, LEAVING HOME.

It's to his town of Lake Wobegone.

Old town I smell your coffee.

If I could see you one more time.

I can't stay, you know, I left so long ago,

I'm just a stranger with memories of people I knew here,

We stand around, looking at the ground.

you're the stories I've told for years and years.

That yard, the tree - you climbed it once with me,

And we talked of cities that we'd live in someday.

I left, old friend, and now I'm back again,

Please say you missed me since I went away.

One more time that dance together,

Just you and I now, don't be shy.

This time I know I'd hear the music

If I could hold you one more time.