Music, Memories and Emotions

While working in my studio the other day, I heard a familiar show tune playing in the next room . . . the love song that Tony and Maria sing to each other in West Side Story. My husband was watching TV and had stopped at the movie channel while surfing for a program to watch. It is a pretty normal routine for us. I quite often work in silence while he likes to listen to music or watch a movie as he chips away at his "to do" list. He can repair gadgets or put together items we order online from cryptic instructions, while I can't concentrate if there is a familiar tune within my hearing range. I have so many thoughts in my head about what I am trying to accomplish that if I hear music that has lyrics that I know, I will start singing them and then my concentration is broken. Not to mention, I will hum or sing the tune for the rest of the day . . . often to my husband's detriment! (Wink!)

But hearing the love song from West Side Story had a surprising effect on me. I became very emotional and teary. I had to sit down and take a deep breath. I listened and it brought back a vivid memory from when I was a very young teen. I am not sure I had even seen the movie yet, but I asked for the West Side Story record album for Christmas. On Christmas morning, I could see the wrapped album under the tree and I knew right away what it was. I was so happy and after all the presents had been opened, I removed the album's cellophane wrapper, read the back of the jacket and put the album on the turntable of our stereo console record player that was in the living room. I don't know what it was about the music that day that came out of those speakers, but I had an overwhelming and very emotional reaction to it. I cried and cried and my mother was rather confused by my behavior. I remember her saying to me that if she'd known the record would make me cry all Christmas day, that she wouldn't have given it to me. Of course, I reassured her through my tears, that it was a wonderful gift and I loved listening to it. And even though I cannot recall when I actually saw the movie, I do know it was when I became enamored with George Chakiris and Rita Moreno. The undercurrents of the gangs and the tragic story of the modern Romeo and Juliet were new to me. I was a little farm girl, living in a rather insular setting, where we were far removed from a city. But the story hit me in a place in my emotions and psyche that had not been reached before by any musical score. Was it the tension in Leonard Bernstein's tempo? Was it the instruments? Was it the key the music was played in? I think it was a combination of these any many other things. What strikes me the most though, is how much the effect of the music on me is the same as it was over fifty years ago; so much so that after my husband told me he recorded the movie for me on our DVR, I haven't wanted to view it. Not quite yet. I will need to make time to enjoy it with out breaks. I need to be still and enjoy it from beginning to end. Yes. I will enjoy it and have a good cry that will probably tire me out to the point that I'll need to take a nap!

I did a Google search on why music makes us cry and among the many articles I found, I thought the one linked below was good, except for it's abrupt ending.

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-do-certain-songs-make-us-cry-ncna784801

Have you ever been riveted by a surprising visceral reaction to something triggered by a long-ago memory? It has happened to me only a handful of times, but each one is deep-seated in my psyche. For me, the musical score from West Side Story is definitely one of those memories. Another is the events of this day in history in 1963, when President Kennedy was assassinated. Black and white footage of the news stories that aired for what seemed to be days and days evokes a strong and sad emotion from deep inside and it was when our entire nation was rocked from our foundation. There are personal memories and those that we share with others, but for me the feelings are similar, all encompassing and they always give me pause.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this post. As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on Facebook. I will read them and respond.

It is hope that you and those you love are healthy and happy. I pray for all of my readers and until we meet again, it is my hope and my prayer, that the Lord will hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy

And just like that . . .

I was amazed at the delicate pattern the snowfall created on our fallen arbor that was blown over a couple weeks ago during a terrific windstorm. ♡

And just like that, fall was over. The autumn days were delightful and I had hopes of more beautiful crisp and colorful days, until the weather made a very abrupt change to extreme cold and heavy snows. As I write this in the early morning hours, while waiting for the sun to rise, the temperature is in the mid-twenties and it is snowing lightly. It is a bit early for this kind of weather to arrive and stick around, and earlier than I originally planned, our fall decor will be coming down, spurred on by the weather. My husband and I agreed that we are both ready to begin decorating for Christmas. By our own admission, we are not fast decorators and if we want to enjoy the season, we need to have our house looking festive so we can relax and partake in the events that are meaningful to us without feeling behind and in a rush to decorate.

This idea meshes with my thoughts on being more intentional in my life. For many months, I have been trying to enjoy each moment for what it offers without thinking about what I will do next and minimizing the importance of the here and now. That includes daily chores, such as cleaning the house, as well as memorable outings with friends. Is cleaning fun? Not really. But as I set out to clean a room, I try to remember how important it is to surround myself with meaningful things and enjoy taking care of them. As I dust the pretty little dishes that I inherited from friends and relatives, I am blessed by memories of the those who I loved and of the hours we spent together. While folding laundry, I am thankful for clean clothes I can wear to keep me warm. When I look through windows after I wash them, I am thankful for the view of my neighborhood, where we watch over one another. I think to myself about the friends who are currently hospitalized and how much they would like to be enjoying the simple everyday things that I am doing. What would they give to be back home making their own bed instead of lying in an uncomfortable hospital bed, hooked up to gadgets that prevent them from even rolling over and getting comfortable, and having to ring a buzzer for help with everything they need to do? I am grateful, and as I take down the wreath I made for the fall season, that has a sign on it that says "thankful", I am just that. Thankful.

One more look before I take our "thankful" wreath down to make way for Christmas decorations. It may end up hanging on the front porch for Thanksgiving. 

Since I didn't post to my blog in October,  here's what the mantel looked like. You'll see we had some pet bats in the birdcage, but we liberated them so I could replace them with dried flowers. 🦇

And now, as we approach the season of advent, I will be hopeful. I have been making Christmas wreaths and have enjoyed opening up the storage totes where I put all my supplies that I purchased last year at the after-Christmas sales. It is rewarding to shop in my own stash and only go to the store if I need a certain color of ribbon or mesh. I made a few bases for wreaths to make the process smoother and free me to be more creative. With the base of a wreath in hand, I can view my ribbons, ornaments and signs with fresh eyes and often something will catch my eye and spark a new idea. As I complete wreaths this month, I will list and sell them. I had planned to have more made by now, but a few health related things cropped up for my husband and for me that slowed me down. Life has a way of doing that. However, I am trying remain hopeful and make what I can before the holidays.

Blog posts will be more regular now that I am spending time inside. In the summer and early fall, I tend to go outside for hours and hours. I lose track of time when I am outdoors. There is always something to take care of in the yard, as well as taking the opportunity to sit on the bench in our garden to drink in the view. I never tire of watching the garden grow. The song birds and the butterflies that kept me company all summer are gone now. When I venture out in the morning, the only sounds I might hear are the occasional screechy greeting of a blue jay or the sharp chirps of a cardinal. It occurs to me that the word I would use to describing this phenomenon is "acceptance". I need to accept the silence, the snow cover, the bare trees with their dark trunks silhouetted against the white background, and the time to live inside the walls of my home instead of outside in the yard and gardens.

One of my dress forms stands guard at the hallway table. The basket of dried hydrangeas beneath the table was a gift from a friend last fall. They are still in great shape and I love the shades of pink and burgundy on the petals. ♡

I picked a few of the blooms from one of our hydrangeas and put them in the birdcage for safekeeping. The Chinese lanterns on the right have seen better days, but I can't seem to part with them just yet! ♡

The birdcage keeping my hydrangea blooms safe. ♡

Thankfulness, hope, and acceptance will keep me intentional and grounded as I go about my days. I hope you will take sometime after reading this to consider what is important to you today and this season. I think you will find the simplest thoughts and smallest plans can be very comforting. We all deserve to be kind to ourselves in this way. We all know from experience, the world around us can dish out more than enough harshness.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to stop for a few minutes and read this post. As always, your questions and comments are welcome here on my blog or on Facebook. I read all comments and will respond. If you'd like to enlarge any of the photos for a closer look, you can tap on them on your screen.

It is my hope that you and those you love are happy and healthy. For those who are struggling with illness or difficult situations, please know I pray for you. And, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.

Emmy