This is the only photo I have available at the moment and it’s fairly topical, as I finished this section the other day while watching baseball. There’s much more to go. It’s currently stashed on the end of the den sofa.
It’s coldish today and windy, but the sun is out or it was out, as it’s just become cloudy. Still no sign of the Carolina wrens, but I choose to remain hopeful. I can’t remember exactly when the female started nesting last year. I don’t think it was this early. Fingers crossed that they come back. The weather has been so changeable lately and there’s been so much rain and flooding. I haven’t heard quite as much bird song as usual.
A memory:
I used to listen to an afternoon radio show on the CBC called Disc Drive. Do any of my Canadian readers remember it? It was on from 3 – 6 pm and the host was the wonderful Jurgen Gothe. It was – to me, someone who has always been eclectic in my musical tastes – the perfect radio program. Gothe had a vast knowledge of music, especially classical, and was blessed with a mellifluous voice and offbeat and quirky sense of humor. I think it ran from 1985 to 2008 and then the CBC dropped it because of an unfortunate decision to try and reach a younger audience. That decision was one they would regret.
Since I grew up in the Detroit, Michigan area and Windsor, Ontario was just across the river, I was used to watching Canadian television and listening to the CBC. Disc Drive actually started airing when I was in graduate school in Philadelphia, but when I came home to visit, I’d listen to it daily. I distinctly remember driving to the airport with my friend Joe. It was late in the afternoon in January, late enough that it was dark outside, and I was headed back to Philadelphia after Christmas break. Joe had Disc Drive on the radio and Jurgen introduced “Belle of the Ball” by Leroy Anderson. (Anderson was a wonderful composer who was well known for his light concert pieces that were often premiered by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. I have a “Best of” recording of his compositions, including “Sleigh Ride,” “The Syncopated Clock,” and a host of others and have several pieces on my playlist.)
I can still hear Gothe’s voice introducing that piece. I fell in love with it. I don’t know why, but that memory often comes back to me, a very specific moment in time. Jurgen’s voice, the darkened car, the beautiful and magical music, and my heading back to school must have been a powerful combination. I’ve been listening to that piece a lot lately.
I even bought a shortwave radio to try and catch the CBC signal because I wasn’t close enough to Canada to get it in the days when I was living in Philadelphia and Boston. I don’t think I was ever successful.
Now, of course, I would have been able to stream it on my computer.
Many years later, when Don was acting in a play in Canada, he recorded two Disc Drive programs for me on cassette per my request. That’s how much I missed that show.
I went on a Jurgen Gothe search yesterday. He died in 2015 at the age of 71 – much too young. He’s the kind of person I would have loved to have as my friend. I listened to a tribute to him that had been done by the CBC a month or two after he died and it was so wonderful to hear that voice again. If the CBC was smart they would have archived his shows, as the BBC does with Desert Island Discs. I’ll keep searching but I didn’t see any evidence of archives yesterday. My current fantasy: Being able to listen to past programs every day from 3 – 6 pm.
There are very few – if any – radio programs like that today. Even Jonathan Schwartz – out of New York and recently retired – was not quite the same thing. It centered on the American Songbook and singers, which I dearly love. I listened to it every weekend. But it wasn’t the same as Disc Drive.
In my ideal world, in which all the things I miss from days gone by haven’t been cancelled and are still out there, I would listen to Jurgen Gothe and Jonathan Schwartz daily.
Just something that’s been on my mind lately. I got teary-eyed hearing Gothe’s voice again, listening to his patter between recordings, remembering his vast musical knowledge.
Both Don and I reminisce about things we miss. Parts of the world as it was. I suppose everyone our age does.
Some thoughts for Sunday.
Stay safe.
Happy Sunday.
Sometimes a walk down Memory Lane is just what the doctor ordered—the most enjoyable exercise we get! Sounds like yours was a wonderful trip. We’ve been taking a few of those, too. So much to remember at this stage of our lives. Sounds like Disc Drive was something I also would have enjoyed, but growing up in the West, I never heard of it.
It was wonderful, Shanna.
Thanks so much.
Stay safe.
Your post got me thinking of “moments in time.” My time. I made a top and bell bottomed pants out of dark blue fabric with lots of medium sized pink roses. Just like one I saw Diana Rigg wear when she was playing Mrs. Peel on TV. I can’t remember the name of the show. Maybe “Advengers”? Can’t remember. Her partner always wore a bowler hat and grey suit. But I remember wearing that outfit and studying. I was in college and studied way too much. And listened to the radio.
It was The Avengers, Tana. Great show!
Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg.
Love the story of your outfit!
Stay safe.
I would listen to my transistor radio at night while I fell asleep – pop music on WLS in Chicago. I still listen to that station on my car radio. I have always been a fan of current music and surprise my granddaughters when I might sing along to Billie Eilish or Lizzo! :)
Oh, yes! I had many a night with my transistor radio in hand.
Thanks, Ellen.
Stay safe!
And they came with earplugs so the parents wouldn’t know you were awake when they thought you were asleep on a school night!
Exactly!
Past memories, such as yours, always seem so fresh in one’s mind…as though it was just yesterday. They also seem to become more precious as we are bombarded by modern life. At least that’s why I think it’s comforting to hang on to those memories for as long as we can.
Hope your Wren’s come back after the trailer incident, and build a nest. We had 4 cranes in our backyard this morning….and after I ran to grab my phone…I only caught two. They are such magnificent creatures. They’ve been here in the neighborhood for a few weeks, but with the new house being built on ‘their’ lot (the lot was their landing spot and where they spent many days), I haven’t seen them at all, just heard them. Such a thrill for me.
Enjoy your day! ;)
I’m not a great fan of modern life, it seems!
How lovely to see those cranes, Donnamae!
Stay safe.
Memories . . . kept a flashlight in my room so I could read Nancy Drew in bed and under the covers at night . . . loved having my transistor radio under my pillow at night. A television program that I really enjoyed and cannot find anywhere is The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd. Blair Brown was the star, and there were a lot of good supporting members, including David Straithairn. It was on in, I think, the mid 1980s. Just loved that show. (I was going to say that it was on television not that long ago, until I realize that time frame puts it at close to 40 years ago. Yikes!)
Yes, I was a big fan of that show – watched it and loved it. The first time I was aware of David Strathairn – who is kind of a neighbor – just across the river.
Stay safe, Chris.
I have been drawing all morning. My eyes are tired and my hand aches, but I am listening to beautiful music and now I am going to start to prepare a large salad for dinner and maybe start some chicken soup. I am torn between bundling up and going for a long and much needed walk or just taking a nap. I procrastinate….ooh there is the sunshine. Going for a walk. Loved the memories you shared. They sustain us don’t they/? Keep posting and stay safe.
They do sustain us, Maria. I should be going for a walk, but it’s very windy out there, so I’ll hold off.
Stay safe!
One of the advantages and disadvantage of being older is that you can clearly see the good changes and bad changes in this world and how we live in it. I got my last printed paper today. I have had digital for a while, but this year I dropped the printed version except for Sundays. I dropped that this week. I won’t miss it, but I miss the newspaper as if once was. Being retired, I have more opportunities to watch the birds in my yard. Last year was the best one for me for exciting bird antics. I hope that this year is as good. Don’t give up on the Carolina wrens. I have seen a couple of Carolina wren nest near catastrophes that turned out just fine in the end.
Oh good! Hopefully, they’ll appear again soon.
I miss the newspaper for many reasons – the ritual of reading it every morning (and evening, as Detroit had two newspapers when I was a kid, one in the morning, one late in the day) and clear cut news that wasn’t of the 24 hour variety.
Stay safe, Beverly.
When I was growing up, other than subscribing to the smaller-local newspaper, we’d often buy the Sunday edition of the Los Angeles Times. It was an event, for each of us kids and for Mom AND Dad. We’d each swap out our favorite sections; and, all kidding aside, reading that huge newspaper took up a huge chunk of Sunday. It was BLISS. Great family time together. My folks nursing their coffee. Still reading on/into the afternoon and after lunch.
These days, I always feel too much in a hurry to read a whole paper. What happened to me? Is it that short attention span problem? Because there was nothing more enjoyable than spreading out the newspaper on the kitchen table, indeed nursing that cup of coffee, finding out what was going on in the world (of course all pre-internet and when we didn’t have cell phones). Certain pleasures of life that have escaped me now.
I’m with you, Claudia; turns out I’m not a fan of modern life. I want to sit at my grandma’s feet again, while she rocks in her porch chair, pinching ends off green beans she just picked in the garden, big bowl on her lap. Indeed, our memories are golden and they DO sustain us in more wretched times; I absolutely count on the memories.
I cling to those memories. I don’t want to forget them. They’re precious.
xoxo
I absolutely remember Jurgen Gothe and Disc Drive, Claudia. Always enjoyable. I was sure there must be archives but I can’t find any either. What a shame. It is interesting to hear of all the effort you would go through to catch the shows. How times have changed.
I used to put my transistor radio under my pillow at night as well and listened on dreadful earphones that always fell out. I’d often listen to John Otto on WGR out of Buffalo because I love chat/interview shows. John Otto, on the telephone, extension 55, extension 55. I will never forget that intro. We could only get the station in the middle of the night.
And hearing Peter Gzowski’s voice from CBC Morningside during a retrospective can bring tears to my eyes. Not to mention CBC’s Stuart McLean. Ahhh, memories. Although I’m lucky as now I have Shelagh Rogers on Final Chapter, Eleanor Wachtel on Writers and Company and Mary Hynes on Tapestry. I could go on.
It is sad to see hard copy newspapers disappear even though I understand.
Loved Days and Nights of Molly Dodd.
I hope to hear that your wrens reappear and set up home soon.
I listened to my transistor at night, as well. Something delicious about that!
I hear so much about Shelagh Rogers. I’ll have to see if I can listen to her program.
Stay safe, Colleen!
I’m always hesitant to tell someone they will love something because then expectations can be too high. So I’ll just say it is highly likely you will really enjoy any/all of the 3 women I mentioned. You can hear all the shows on podcast at CBC Listen, which is a great app. We call Shelagh the Queen of Radio because she really is all that. We’ve been listening to her for over 3 decades. She has the best laugh on radio. Which is neither here nor there but true. Ha! CBC Radio still has some gems.
I’ll download that app. I know that Louise Penney is a close friend of Shelagh Rogers.
Thanks so much, Colleen!
Your Sunday Thoughts are so interesting although I know nothing of which you speak but glad to hear about your memories. I love the Canada component; I am so intrigued with Canada and have only been to British Columbia; it’s such a big country and I wish I could see ALL of it! I’m glad they border us.
“Both Don and I reminisce about things we miss. Parts of the world as it was. I suppose everyone our age does.” Wow, does that hit the nail on the head. I miss so much of what I perceive as the life once-was that was simpler. When I never worried about democracy or politics and I was inappropriately-immune to war. When my adult problems didn’t seem so complicated. When weather in Southern Calif was better; more manageable, than how it is now. SO many things, even rotary-dial phones (yes, I miss that sound!); full-service gasoline stations; the list is long. Five-cent ice cream cones at the drugstore. Small dress shops that carried exactly what I liked to wear. In general, I used to have a lot less fear about a lot of things. And I certainly took my good health for granted. Not to mention so many special people I’ve lost from my life due to the passage of time; their passing-on, which makes me feel so lonely.
But then it pays to take a pause and be thankful for a lot of other things. Like amazing advances in medicine and disease. Our love/hate relationship with cell phones and the internet for all it can offer which is beneficial. Awareness for what’s eco-friendly. Less harassment in the workplace from how it could be/was 45 years ago. A host of ‘life’ and world improvements!
I agree – advances in some cases are wonderful, but I also think we’ve lost so much.
We have an old phone – I bought it for Don years ago. But last time we tried to dial it, it rang up 911! So we don’t use it anymore but it’s on Don’s desk. They were so much more solid – heavy. And since my dad worked for Ma Bell, I learned a lot about phones.
Stay safe, Vicki.
I bought a rotary-dial phone at an antique store; same kind I used to use when I was in high school; doesn’t work of course (cord was cut) and it’s a sort of ugly old black one (ah, for a pink Princess phone!). I sometimes walk by it and dial a familiar number just for the feel and sound of the dial (I’m not likely to ever forget my boyfriend’s telephone number, even now; it’s like stuck in the cement of my brain and my finger goes right to those familiar indentations in the dial mechanism!). They ARE heavy phones, from when things were made to LAST; and when you put your finger in the dial, it’s such a ‘solid’ kind of feel.
When I bought my parents’ house, I was able to keep the same phone number from 1956 which means I’ll have a landline til they don’t have ’em anymore because I will never get rid of that number for as long as I can keep it. Of course, back then, there were no area codes, and the ‘prefix’ was composed of two alphabet letters and only five numbers; I imagine your dad knew all that history of how phone numbers were developed over time.
Yeah, we’ve lost a lot, Claudia. If I started a list, the list would be long.
Did our folks feel that way; that generation, too? There was an elderly lady with whom I’d speak when visiting my great-aunt in a nursing home, and the lady would wax nostalgic of her breadmaking; just thinking of it would take her away, such pleasure on her face, of the smell of the bread baking, kneading the dough, feeding her family the homebaked, delicious bread when she was a young wife and mother. My neighbor who’s now age 90 would recall her days of growing up basically unsupervised in the woods of Michigan (Upper Peninsula, of which you’d know, Claudia), her grandmother’s cottage on a lake; sounded like golden days of summer for her, communing with nature at her leisure with a child’s freedom, where it was safe and she had no fear and nothing bad happened. I had another aunt who’d be well over a hundred years old now and she’d remember laundry days even prior to 1920, out in the country, with boiling cauldrons of water brought up from the creek, washing up all that cotton clothing which had to be ironed; and, truly, my aunt remembered this stuff as some of the best years of her life, working alongside her sister and mom, doing the work of the house!
I’m absolutely sure every generation feels this way. Maybe ours particularly because tech has advanced by leaps and bounds in a way that has an impact on everyone.
xo
I never knew Disc Drive — we were too far away from the border to get CBC. But I know what you mean about finding a memory and it sending you on the internet highway in search of more.
Rick and I do the same, reminisce about things we miss. It seemed easier then. Was it? Or is that just gentle look-back thinking? Certainly we have much now that is good. But some… not so much!
I don’t know if it was easier, but it was simpler. And I find I miss simple.
Stay safe, Jeanie.