A Singing Family

The only thing better than singing is more singing - Ella Fitzgerald

I was brought up in a singing family. I'm not talking opera. I'm not even talking always being able to carry a tune. I'm talking bursting into song and singing out loud together. Whether we were riding in the car, at home on a Saturday night with friends and family or busy doing chores, someone was always singing or whistling. There was music in our household and we made it.

Neither of my parents could read music, but they both played guitars, strumming tunes and changing chords. No sheet music, all by ear. So it was only natural, I guess, that though my sister and I both learned how to read music along the way and took various music lessons, it was the singing that survived.

There's something about singing that calms me; that moves me and makes me happy. No matter what my mood, I can always sing. My mother told me I couldn't “carry a tune in a bucket”, but no matter. I sing from my heart, carrying a tune is irrelevant (unless you're on the listening end!).

Lin's husband, Kerry, plays in a garage band. He's got a whole musical set-up in their basement and at the least amount of prodding, we can talk him into accompanying the Lemay Girls into pre-ordained medleys of songs, old and new. We sing pretty much anything and usually at the top of our lungs although the microphones work perfectly well. We probably disturb their neighbors for miles.

Though my Mom is not doing very well health-wise and her breathing is labored much of the time, we can still coax a tune out of her. Lin or I start an old family favorite and Bea chimes right in, singing the lyrics and the tune just as we did in the old days. She still reprimands us when the harmony isn't just right.

I downloaded a free karaoke program and lots of popular tunes and on occasion if we're in a very secluded anchorage, just us … I can get David to sit and sing with me. The captain doing karaoke … who ever heard of such a thing? I promised I wouldn't rat on him, so please, don't tell anyone.

Do you sing in the car, in the shower, while you're working? It's good for the soul.

Adelaide meets Boston...at last

Marcie's View:

David has finally arrived in Boston. What a long, long separation and how sweet it is to be together again. I recruited my brother-in-law, Kerry, for a midnight pick-up at Boston's Logan airport. I had planned to stay with Bea and wait, rather impatiently, for them to arrive. My sister Lin, however, showed up to stay with Bea, even though it was a “school night” and she had to work the next day. This allowed me to be at the airport for the first, long, overdue hug and kiss. (no photos)

We had a hard time finding the Virgin America pick-up point and ended up being a few minutes late. Kerry dropped me off and I scouted the baggage claim area for signs of David. I spotted him heading out to the curb. How come after 30 years, my heart still skips a beat? He saw me and the smile on his face was reward enough for making a midnight foray into the city.

David's View:

Flying half way around the world takes a long time. In this case, it was 33 hours and 20 minutes from the time I boarded the plane in Adelaide to my exit from the plane in Boston. Since I never seem to be able to sleep on a plane, I was pretty tired. But it was uneventful - no canceled flights, no re-routings and not even any delays. The trip was pretty easy compared to Marcie's trip back which literally took days.

We have always tried to see each other off and meet each other at the airport when one of us is traveling. Since Bea can't be left alone, I knew it just wasn't possible this time, and was looking for Kerry when I arrived in Boston. What a great surprise to see Marcie.

Even if it is a chick flick, one of my favorite movies is Love Actually, and in particular the footage that was shot at the arrivals gate at Heathrow at the very beginning and at the end of the movie. Separations are hard, but re-uniting after a separation is wonderful.

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Adelaide to Boston - Calculations

 

On the A side (in Adelaide)...

David is finishing up the refrig/freezer project … really. Did we ever tell you how we calculate the time to finish a project on Nine of Cups? David meticulously lists all aspects of the project and determines the man hours necessary to complete each facet. He totals it all up and multiples by 2 … that's his best guess-timate. Marcie looks at that number and multiplies it by at least 2 again and that's usually closer to the amount of time it takes to complete the project.

That said, whether the project is done or not … we're in countdown mode until David leaves Adelaide for Boston in a couple of weeks.

On the B side (in Boston)...

Bea, Marcie's mom, continues to improve and to amaze those around her., including her doctors. Living with her has allowed me to witness her daily progress, her resilience, her strength and stamina. She's one feisty mama! It's also given me a chance to use some newer medical equipment. We are using TeleHealth which allows me to take SAO2 (% saturated oxygen levels in her blood), blood pressure and weight every morning … all automatically.

If David is counting the days on his side of world till he gets to Boston, I'm counting the minutes. It's the longest we've ever been separated in 30 years. Time for a reunion.

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