Anniversaries that Hurt

Throughout all the years of my marriage, my dear one never forgot our wedding  anniversary. Often I forgot, but not once in all those years did he.
This past year, from July 21, 2009 until now, it seems I can't forget the anniversaries of my life.
I met my husband on the Fourth of July. We had our first date. This past weekend I remembered.
We had a blind date. I was not expecting much. I had sworn off men and knew this guy would be a loser like so many I'd dated since graduating from college.
But, boy was I wrong.

We "grew" on each other that beautiful summer day. At first I was not impressed with the tall, lanky man, his blond hair, his easy smile and teasing ways. He made me furious when he left me alone while he played guitar and sang for a bevy of beautiful young women gathered around him like he was something special.

But when he came back to me, he was mine for the next six hours. And during those hours I completely changed my mind.

One might think we had a particular passion for patriotic holidays. The following year we married on Flag Day.
Last month was our wedding anniversary. This weekend was the anniversary of our first date and our falling in love. Such sweet memories only make these days harder to bear alone.
Others don't think about what we, who have lost half of ourselves, feel on such days. We don't call our friends and weep. We stay home, pour out our feelings on paper or into a computer so we don't make others feel uncomfortable. We stay up late and watch the Capital Fourth and the birthday celebration of Pete Seeger. We listen to Joan Baez, the idol of our youth, lift her still glorious voice singing, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone,"  and we remember.

Music to Enjoy is Alive and Well

I thought Folk Music was dead, but today I clicked on the blog of Silas House and learned about a superb young woman who brings back memories of Joan Baez. I was a big fan of Joan Baez, but this young woman, Caroline Herring, has a lower voice, more alto than soprano, and sings in the same haunting way. She writes her music and plays guitar.


Why don't we hear those songs on the radio? I truthfully thought no one was making music that I like. I don't care for most of the new country music and the only modern sounds I hear on radio are gawd-awful twanging blaring sounds, thumping rock and rap that I just can't call music. So I have been relegated to listening to "oldies" on Sirius Radio because I thought the "newbies" were only those things I heard on the popular radio stations. Thanks, Silas, for opening a new door for me.I will look for Caroine Herrings CD's and purchase one.

If anyone knows of her or her music, let me hear from you.

Can you imagine life without music? I think music has played a major part in my life from the time I was a child. One of my earliest memories was of my mother playing piano by ear, and my big sister, June, doing the "trickle toe, " a dance that was one step side to side and a quick twisting of the hips. They always laughed, sharing that special moment.


I grew up hearing my brothers sing, mother sing, and when cousin Vivian and Aunt Annie came, they sang. The mother - daughter harmony still sings in my mind.