Personal Musings

La Dolce Vita

~ MaryG ~ 10 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?
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I’m half Italian. My father’s father emigrated from Italy, through Ellis Island, in 1905. He was 15 years old and arrived with $12. His occupation was listed as “peasant.” He worked on farms, taking care of boilers that heat the greenhouses. He became a US citizen in 1913 and was a successful farmer himself, although the state twice took his land by eminent domain to build highways. Sadly, he died young from what should have been a routine surgery, when my father was just six years old.

My grandmother carried on as best she could, but eventually lost the farm when all the young men went to fight in World War II (nobody was left to work on the farm). After that, she had factory jobs, but was able to raise her four children successfully, with two of them joining the Air Force, including my father who was then able to go to UMass Amherst on the GI Bill. He studied electrical engineering and eventually co-founded his own company with another engineer. They sold it in 1983 and I was able to go to a fancy private college on the proceeds, without incurring any debt at all.

So we went from “peasant” to “liberal arts major” in just two generations. I took all sorts of useless classes in college—poetry, drawing, art history, concert choir, etc. It was great. In my defense, I did take both economics and calculus my first semester, but dropped calculus because I didn’t think I could pass it and also be in the musical. Priorities, people.

One of my many fun classes was Italian. I took three semesters, one of them in Rome. What a beautiful language. I’m not much of a cook, so I’d have to say that the aspects of Italian culture I’m most interested in are the language, art history, and music. And by music, I mean opera, not that cheesy Italian pop.

My hardworking grandfather Giovanni in one of his greenhouses

The Three C’s

~ MaryG ~ 4 Comments

What brands do you associate with?

I’m a New Englander, so definitely LL Bean. Their return policy is amazing. They’ll take anything back, forever. I also like Land’s End and Eddie Bauer.

For cars, I’ve driven Hondas for years now. I really love my CRV.

What other brands matter – besides clothes and cars?

Oh yeah. Coffee. As previously mentioned, I’m Boston-centric, so Dunkin not Starbucks.

Two colors most people would never wear together are pink and orange, but somehow it works for Dunkin.

Listening

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What could you do more of?
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I’m trying to be a better listener. My friend Carla who passed away last year was an attentive, thoughtful listener. She really gave you her full attention. I’d like to be more like her in that way.

So, I’ll keep this short and make a point to read other people’s responses to this prompt. I’m all ears.

Photo by Magda Ehlers on Pexels.com

Look for the Glimmers

~ MaryG ~ 6 Comments

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The best piece of advice I ever received was probably something about not worrying too much, because most of the things you worry about don’t actually happen. My father said that my grandmother’s saying was “Don’t Borrow Trouble,” which meant: don’t concern yourself with problems that aren’t directly facing you.

I appreciate that advice, but I feel like there are so many very real things to worry about in 2023, it’s a bit like telling people to bury their heads in the sand. Women in about a third of the United States have lost their bodily autonomy, a convicted rapist who led an insurrection is the leading Republican presidential candidate, the US government is about to shutdown because of that rapist’s supporters, and we’ve had at least 470 mass shootings so far this year.

So yeah, you should worry.

But don’t become hopeless. My minister says to “look for the glimmers.” Glimmers are those little moments that give you peace and hope.

My glimmer for today is that some women in my church organize our activism and make it SO EASY for me to help! All I have to do is pay for the stamps, and they hand me a neatly organized bundle of postcards, stamps, address labels, and a script. During the week, in my spare time, I write out the postcards.

This week we’re writing to Virginians.

Make some Plans

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

What things give you energy?

I tend to suffer from a bit of inertia. I really love to sit on my couch – in my favorite spot – and drink coffee and read or write things on my phone or computer.

Now that my kids are grown and my job is mostly remote, nothing really forces me to get dressed and get out. Sometimes I throw on clothes and makeup five minutes (or less) before my first Zoom meeting of the day.

Eventually I always get dressed and go for a walk, swim, or bike ride. Exercise give me energy. I also like having plans with people I like, to do things I like. For example, last week I took Wednesday off to go see the big Edward Hopper exhibit in Gloucester, MA. It was a beautiful day and I went with my parents. We had fun and it was energizing to be with my dear mom and dad and also to talk about the art we saw.

No photos were allowed in the Hopper exhibit, but you were allowed to take pics in other parts of the museum.

Gloucester fishermen, 1907
Gloucester fishermen, 2015, by Jim Hooper

And guess what? It turns out Edward Hopper’s wife, Josephine Nivison Hopper, was a painter herself and was almost entirely responsible for his tremendous success, but got no credit at all during her lifetime! Ain’t that always the way? I’m ready for a Hollywood biopic about their fascinating lives, love, and art. I hope that writers’ strike ends soon.

Legend

~ MaryG ~ 11 Comments

What’s your all-time favorite album?

My husband and I recently cleaned out our attic and ended up selling both of our vinyl record collections to a local record dealer. It was sad, but they were getting warped in the attic and we don’t even have a turntable anymore. His albums were worth more than mine because he had a lot of obscure hardcore/punk and niche local bands. Mine were mostly pop, with some Broadway mixed in.

Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and Carole King’s Tapestry were two that I really hated to give away, because I loved all the songs and the cover photos. But the album that I think I’ve listened to more than any other is Bob Marley Legend, which is basically a compilation of his greatest hits.

It came out in 1984 and was a college staple for me. Ten years later, we danced to “Is this Love” at our wedding reception and just recently listened to it for the umpteenth time on a short road trip. It has withstood the test of time!

So rise up this mornin’ and smile with the risin’ sun, cuz every little thing gonna be alright GenX. We’re good.

Addendum: My husband, who is a couple years older, would choose The Clash’s London Calling.

Don’t know much about…

~ MaryG ~ 2 Comments

Which topics would you like to be more informed about?

If I could pick any non-fiction book in the library and somehow absorb its contents—without actually having to read it—I’d probably head to the astronomy section.

“Astronomy is a science that seeks to explain everything that we observe in the Universe, from the comets and planets in our own solar system to distant galaxies to the echoes of the Big Bang.” (Google search result)

When you look up into the night sky and have all those, you know, BIG thoughts, it would be nice to know a bit more about what you’re looking at.

I tend to gloss over science articles in the news, but those beautiful photos from the Hubble Space Telescope were really something, weren’t they? I mean, wow.

Hubble Space Telescope image from NASA

The eyes have it

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

What would your life be like without music?

I love music and always have. I took years of piano and voice lessons, sing in a choir, and work for a music school.

Due to some recent hearing loss on one side, I’ve been fearing this very thing. What if I couldn’t hear music anymore?

And also, somewhat relatedly, how in the heck did Beethoven compose his 9th Symphony, Missa Solemnis, and other major works after he went deaf??

It would be terrible to go deaf and no longer hear music. But if I had to make a Sophie’s Choice between my vision and my hearing, I’d choose my vision. I think I’ve internalized enough music at this point in my life that I’d still be able to hear it in my head—like Beethoven…just not as well. Obviously.

Poor Beethoven started going deaf at 28.

Music sets Christmas apart

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

How do you celebrate holidays?

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter are the only holidays we reliably celebrate together as a family. Thanksgiving is food. Easter is church and food. Christmas is church, food, presents, and MUSIC.

Christmas music is special and I’ve always enjoyed it. When I was a kid, I liked learning carols on the piano and singing along. We actually went door-to-door Christmas caroling in my neighborhood a few times. I also liked the kitschy Christmas albums that pop stars would drop, especially the Carpenters’ Christmas Portrait.

In high school, our annual holiday concert was a beloved tradition. The highlight was the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah. Alumni were invited up on stage to sing it with the students. The Music Director, Mr. Phinney, was known to leave the podium and walk around behind the tenors to help them out on their big string of high notes.

I’ve performed Christmas music with many church, school, and community choirs over the years. In my current Unitarian Universalist (UU) church, we do a candlelight service on Christmas Eve. It concludes with everyone singing “Silent Night” in the darkened church as a real flame is passed from person to person. On the last verse, the piano drops out, many sing harmony, and everyone holds their lit candle high for the final “sleep in heavenly peace.” It’s a beautiful moment.

Me singing Christmas music with my high school Double Sextette, 1980s
Very old sheet music that I still keep handy in my piano bench

When you chuck the cookware too

~ MaryG ~ 7 Comments

Write about your most epic baking or cooking fail.

You know it’s a truly epic fail in the kitchen, when you not only have to throw out the food, but also the cookware.

I have a recollection of chucking a roasting pan, filled with burnt-on mess, into the garbage can. I cannot remember what I was trying to make, but it was clearly an epic fail. Perhaps I was angry with the pan and it could’ve been cleaned, but I deemed it unsalvageable at the time. Poor pan.

By the way, I successfully made The Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella last night, with some assistance from my husband. (Chicken “quartering” was required.) This was my second attempt at this classic 80s dinner party entree.

The final result
Are you even GenX if you didn’t have a Silver Palate cookbook?