SUNDAY FUNDAY - OCTOBER 18, 2020

 SUNDAY FUNDAY - OCTOBER 18, 2020

YES - SUNDAY FUNDAY!!

A minor update.

For several years, I have been playing tuba in the Brushy Creek Brass Band.  And, the Brushy Creek Brass Band, only plays at one venue and then only plays about 8 times a year.

I think in the past, the BCBB did play other places and did other things, but in my limited six years with the group, we have only played at the Walburg Restaurant for Oktoberfest and Mayfest.  

Our playing is pretty structured.  The Walburg Restaurant is in Walburg Texas.  The latest figures I find say Walburg has about 250 residents.  I’m not sure it really is a town anymore.  The children in Walburg are in the Georgetown Independent School District.  It is about 14 miles northeast of Georgetown.  

There is a real restaurant, but we play in the back in a big ‘beer tent’.  We have a concrete slab on the east end of the tent.  At the west end of the tent is a stage where another group also plays - but not at the same time!!!

We start playing about 7:00 for about half-an-hour, with German tunes.  Our theme song is “In Heaven, there is no beer” - we play it five times - first as an instrumental, then with English words, then instrumental, then with German words, and finally as an instrumental.  The lyrics are “In Heaven, there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here.  And, when we’re gone from here, our friends will be drinking all the beer”. (Pretty simple).  

We play songs like “Marsch from Petersberg”; “In Munchen stedt ein Hofbräu House”’ “Happy Wanderer”; a more German version of “Roll out the Barrel”; polkas, waltzes, and marches. We never rehearse!!  We show up and play!! 

Then we get dinner (free from the restaurant, but we don’t get played, so the restaurant gets off pretty cheap.  The Walburg Boys ‘house-band’ generally plays from 7:30 to 8:30.  They have their set tunes and their shtick.  They have an accordion, fiddle (violin), guitar, bass guitar, and drummer.  The accordion player is one of the restaurant owners and also yodels!!!  

About 8:30, the Brushy Creek Brass Band plays again.  While we might have some leftover German pieces, we have some other music.  We’ll play Georgia on my Mind; In the Mood; Hogan’s Heroes theme; YMCA, Chicken Dance, and more.  We’ll end with God bless America (we put flags on our stands) and In Heaven, there is no beer.  We don’t have a singer but do have some soloists for some of the Big Band Music.  And, by 9:15, we pack up and go, and the Walburg Boys play again!!!

Oh, did I mention ‘free beer’!!!  (I may have two beers).

I’m thinking that maybe next year, I’ll buy a dirndl dress to look more German!!!  

Some Personal Reflections 

I’m sharing some of my personal reflections for a few weeks.

When I was almost five-years-old, my parents bought into a Dixie Candy Store franchise.  My father had his regular job and so this business was run largely by my mother.  

The elementary school I attended (Cleveland School) had morning kindergarten, so I walked to school with my sister (three years old) and after kindergarten, I took my nickel and walked about six blocks and caught a city bus to go downtown to the candy shop.  (When I think back on that, I am amazed - would any parent have their five-year-old walk six blocks and catch a bus these days).  

One day, I somehow lost my nickel!!  I walked to the bus stop and I was crying.  A lady in the house by the bus stop came out and gave me a nickel!!!  

The candy shop was a child's delight.  There was an ancient lady (to a five-year-old anyway) who hand-dipped chocolates - and made the little swirls that indicated what kind they were.  My parents made the best peanut brittle, fudge, divinity, and other candies.  At this time of year, they made thousands of popcorn balls and caramel apples for Halloween parties at the schools. I don’t remember my costumes, but I do remember dressing up and having a Halloween parade!!  These days, every Mom (and even Grandmas) would be there with their iPhones taking videos!!!  (But, not in those days).  

If I helped out, my parents gave me a little money (when I was seven or eight) and I went to Woolworth's or McLellons and bought a 304 piece jigsaw puzzle.   I loved jigsaw puzzles!!  Sorry to say, as my parents retired, my mother said - take them or I will throw them out, and I took about ten puzzles!!  (Now, I wish I would have kept them all)

Downtown Cedar Rapids was a second home to me.  I could go to the library (about four blocks away), or even to the radio studio (half-a-block away).  The radio studio had a 30-minute live program at noon.  In summer, I was allowed to go and sit in the studio audience (with about 30 people).  It was like some of the local programs now - a spokesperson for this or that organization would speak, there would be some ‘man-on-the-streets’ interviews - and a weekly drawing!!  I won the drawing once - a set of steak knives (I have no idea where they went).  

On Thursday evening, the downtown shops were open until 9:00, and I would go a block from the candy store to the furniture store where my father worked.  I loved to play hide-and-seek (with myself - behind the rolls of carpet, in the gap behind sofas, and in other places.  BUT - the highlight of Thursday night was on TV - where I loved to watch Zorro!!!  Actually, one of my favorite grown up Halloween costumes was Zorro!!  Some of you will remember the Disney version in black and white - where Zorro out tricked the Alcalde and dumb sergeant.  And, of course, got out of dire situations by jumping ravines on the black steed, Tornado.  

And, I can’t talk about television without mentioning the “best-animated show ever” (my ‘best”) - Rocky and Bullwinkle!!!  After all, who could be better than a flying squirrel and a moose from Frostbite Falls Minnesota!!!  (With the two villains - Boris and Natasha - and “Mr. Big”; Mr. Peabody and Sherman; Captain Peter Peachfuzz and the Fractured Fairy Tales!!   

Yes, life has changed greatly since I was in elementary school - but there were great memories!!!

*****

Moving On

Some more ‘easy’ (or so I think) Riddles. 

-1 You see a boat full of people, yet there wasn’t a single person on board.  How can that be?

-2 You walk into a log cabin in the mountains of Colorado that has a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace.  You have only one match.  What do you light first?

-3 What has many keys but can’t be used to open a lock?

-4 What goes up and down, but doesn’t move?

-5 What has one head, one foot, and four legs?

*****

A friend in Minnesota is a vice president of a company that makes plastic-covered wires (among other things).  He asked me to develop an ethics workshop for the data analytics group.  I’m working on it - but our interaction has been slow.  

He indicated they have been working long hours for the last several months.  One of their products is the wire that goes into face masks to bend over noses!!  Along with that, they made the little plastic-covered wires that you find in the produce section for wrapping your bags of produce - or for wrapping the end of a loaf of bread.  

It has made me appreciate those little tie strips!!!

*****

National Days  

Taken from: https://nationaltoday.com/october-holidays/

Let’s start with some national food days:

Sunday, October 18th - National Cupcake Day

There are some really elegant cupcakes these days!!!

Wednesday, October 21st, International Nacho Day

National Apple Day

And, there are so many varieties of apples!!  I’m not sure if my taste in apples has changed.  I used to like Jonathan Apples - but I rarely see them.  I don’t like Delicious Apples (too mushy).  I like firm, sweet apples - like Honeycrisp.  In Connecticut, we had Macoun - a cross between a MacIntosh and a Jersey Black!!  I do like Gala or Fuji most of the time.  I used to like tart apples that slapped you when you bit into them but have opted for sweeter apples these days. 

Sunday, October 18th, National No Beard Day

Monday, October 19th, National Pediatric Bone and Joint Day

Tuesday, October 20th, National Pharmacy Technician Day

Wednesday, October 21st, National Check your Med’s Day

National Reptile Day

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One of my favorite quotations was by Emerson, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm!!!!”  (That is why I use so many exclamation marks!!!!  And say “WOOOO!!!”)

*****

Riddle Answers:

-1 You see a boat full of people, yet there wasn’t a single person on board.  How can that be?  Answer - they all were married!!!

-2 You walk into a log cabin in the mountains of Colorado that has a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace.  You have only one match.  What do you light first?  Answer - you light the match!!!

-3 What has many keys but can’t be used to open a lock?  Answer - a piano!!

-4 What goes up and down, but doesn’t move?  Answer - a staircase

-5 What has one head, one foot, and four legs?  Answer - a bed

*****

If you haven’t checked it out, I do a daily blog at https://karens2019.blogspot.com/

This week, I wrote about the World Wide Mental Health Awareness theme.  (Actually, Thursday’s post was about my four days stay in Rock Springs Mental Hospital about this time last fall)

*****

Hugs!!

Love Wins!!

Karen