Viewer Discretion is Advised

WARNING: The following contains sexual content not suitable for some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised. 

If music came with the disclaimers we’re used to seeing on our television programs, the 1930 hit by Louis Armstrong, Body and Soul, would have come with the above warning. It was, after all, banned from the radio for almost a year¹ Continue reading “Viewer Discretion is Advised”

And the Winner Is…

This Sunday (26 Feb 2017) marks the 89th Annual Academy Awards. Shhhh, don’t tell anybody, but I never watch them. Too many long drawn out speeches. That said, I do have my favorites for Best Picture: Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Hidden Figures.

Rose didn’t watch the Academy Awards either. (Of course, she didn’t! There wasn’t TV, dodo!)

Continue reading “And the Winner Is…”

Snow Cream

This diary¹ entry intrigued me:

1929 Thursday January 10

Nice day. Roads were drifted full again. LAS met here today. Not very large crowd but not so bad for the roads. Took in over $5. Snow started to blow about 4:30 and had another blizzard all night again. The wind blew just terrible. Francis, Ruth, and Oscar were here and spent the eve. We made ice cream and played cards. Jack Nolte died this noon. Mama is better.

The new year really wreaked havoc on the midwest in 1929. The diary entries for the first two weeks of the year consistently Continue reading “Snow Cream”

Button Up Your Overcoat

While that’s good advice for a January in the northern hemisphere, this post is not a commentary on winter weather. Rather, I’ve been thinking about popular music that Rose might hum while she works, and Button Up Your Overcoat jumped out of the Wikipedia list of tunes made popular in 1929.

This song was first recorded by Ruth Etting in 1928 but was made famous by Helen Kane’s 1929 recording. Don’t recognize the name Helen Kane? Continue reading “Button Up Your Overcoat”

Happy New Year

For a while, it looked like Harold and Rose might go to a local dance to celebrate the close of 1929. But, in the end, they decided on a quiet evening at home. (Harold was pleased by this decision, as he really is not the best dancer.) So, they dialed in this radio special—ending, of course, with Auld Lang Syne—to herald in their 1930. No … Continue reading Happy New Year

A Little Christmas Music

Only three more days until Christmas. Are you ready?

Rose is. She finished up Harold’s gift—embroidered hankerchiefs—yesterday, and, today, she and Harold chose and cut their modest pine. Of course, she’s done crafting her ornaments and is settling in, just now, to trim the tree.

Cue the Christmas music. Continue reading “A Little Christmas Music”

Deck the Halls

… with boughs of holly / fa la la la la / la la la la¹

My house has been decorated for Christmas since the day after Thanksgiving. I’m not sure who decided this was the time to be Christmas-ed, but it is always the day my daughter insists upon. One year, though, we were in the middle of a kitchen remodel. For the longest time, it looked like we would never decorate. But then, Christmas Eve Day, my cabinets were installed while my mother and daughter and I put up the tree and ornaments.

It was the best Christmas.

Rose isn’t in the middle of a renovation and yet Continue reading “Deck the Halls”