WELCOME MAY!

By Caroline Clemmons

Welcome, May! This is one of the months I especially enjoy—it’s not yet too hot to be outside and it’s no longer too cold. Lawns are green and flowers are in bloom everywhere. If you saw the production of the musical Camelot, you heard the song I love about May. That song gets stuck in my head for a few days around this time of year. I wish I could remember more than the first two lines.

It's May, it's May in Camelot

My family and I love attending musical theater and watching movie musicals. At least, some of them. We’ve been watching a slew of musicals lately. The latest was Guys and Dolls, but the others include Flower Drum Song (we are great fans of the late Jack Soo), My Fair Lady (we adore Julie Andrews), Annie—in which Carol Burnett is a deliciously heartless villainess, Some Like it Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, The Music Man (one of our favorites), and Bye Bye Birdie (Ann Margaret has remained beautiful even after all the years that have passed).

L'il Abner, a movie we have NOT

been able to locate for rental.

That’s not all we watch, but we prefer streaming movies to watching most others with commercials. Of course, we do watch new movies and new and syndicated series shows like Vera, Will Trent, Midsommer Murders, Murdoch Mysteries, Agatha Christie movies, Alfred Hitchcock movies, Morse, Dateline, and Lewis. Lately, we’re especially interested in classics that our daughter has not yet seen or she saw when she was too young to remember them. She chooses most of them, borrowing many from the library. We enjoy seeing these again and always find something new in each viewing. An example is The Godfather, phrases of which have become part of modern vernacular: Go to the mattresses, a deal you can't refuse, etc. (As with so many movies made from books, you miss so much of the story if you haven't read the book.)

                                 

An ordinary day, but I

wear glasses, drink tea or 

Dr Pepper, and don't 

wear pearls at home

I don’t mean to imply that all we do is watch television. Most of the time each of us is busy with his or her projects. Since we combined households with our daughter, we find it pleasant to spend time together and watch television while we have a small snack and soft drink or iced herbal tea. The pets join us for a cozy evening. That is, it’s soothing for Hero and me. I’ll be taking time from writing, Hero from doing projects and chores around the house that aren’t prohibited by his Parkinson’s.

On the other hand, if Darling Daughter 2 is home and can join us, she's up and down and up and down caring for pets (and parents). Our dog chases her cat because he wants to play tag but the cat doesn't. Her dog chases my cat when the cat is frightened by his attention and hisses at him. Same cat, Sebastian, doesn’t want any other pets to drink from his water dish. Ad nauseum.

Baxter, looking like an 

innocent labradoodle. Sure.

He is sweet, but full of 

energy and mischief.

Although we sprinkle in action adventures and mysteries, we try to select movies or series which are uplifting. Don’t think we’re avoiding reality. They’ll have heard the evening news before beginning the movie or series, and life brings a dose of reality. A cheerful distraction is always welcome. 

Covid zapped a lot of us

in a variety of ways.

Before Covid zapped me and left me with parting gifts that affected my breathing and eyesight and energy, I would spend a few hours writing after our television time. Now, I talk to Darling Daughter 2 a bit and then toddle off to bed with Hero, our labradoodle, and grumpy cat. 

Sebastian, age 16

Please understand I’m not complaining. Our sweet and very talented Sherri Easley lost her son to Covid.  Joan Reeves' daughter fought it. I’m grateful to be alive and able to enjoy this lovely time of year! 

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