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Tuesday, May 2, 2023

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!
 

.



7 comments:

  1. The "parting gifts" aren't lovely, are they? I watch very little TV and very few movies, although I admit to an addiction to Call the Midwife and, lately, Ted Lasso. However I can certainly attest to the joys of relaxing evenings and the month of May. Lovely post, Carolyn!

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    Replies
    1. I have enjoyed the episodes of Call the Midwife that I've seen. Hmm, I haven't tried Ted Lasso, so I'll check into it.

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  2. "It's May. The lusty month of May. That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray!" May is one of my favorite months, too. Although with all the rains in April in Central PA, we have lots of outdoor work ahead of us. But I love the budding trees, blooms, and green grass. (Now I have that song stuck in my head, too.) lol Enjoyed your post.

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    Replies
    1. And I'll bet you'll be creating more adorable birdhouses and other projects. Thanks for commenting.

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  3. Sweet post Caroline- I rarely watch TV- but occasionally binge watch several seasons of something over a few days while I multi-task on something else. My ADHD has been crazy since Covid, so I am not sure I know what "relaxing" really is any more, but I have it on my calendar in the near future to test it out.

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    Replies
    1. If anyone had told me years ago that I would watch this much TV, I'd have laughed at them. Never say never, right? Thanks for commenting.

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  4. I loved the whole soundtrack of Camelot, but of course now I have that song stuck in my head. We're going to a local production of Wizard of Oz and South Pacific this summer. Might also go to Clue and High School Musical(?). We take our camper to Garden Valley where there's RV camping right on the theater grounds. Very cool. We also love musicals, obviously.

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