::it seemed important at the time::

4.23.05
Claire and I spent the night at my parents' house last night, and boy, do i have a CD recommendation for you.

But first, let's conjure up the atmosphere at my parents' house. It is always full of good coffee and good ideas and good books and good movies and good music. Mom is dark-eyed and sharp and quick and funny (plays with words to great effect) and very, very smart. She is adamant about her beliefs and enthusiastic in her opinions, and she studied philosophy and likes to talk about ideas. When she's angry her eyes snap and her mouth gets straight, and when she's happy she laughs and all her white teeth show, and she is dazzling. Dad is blue-eyed and tall and quiet and funny (dry wit) and very, very smart. He had one career as a pilot, and then another as a college professor. When he's angry he gets even quieter, and when he's amused he laughs easily and softly, and he is gold.

I want them to live forever.

So, after Claire had had her day of glory playing with them, she was packed off to bed and Suzie, mom and dad watched an Irish t.v. movie called "A Love Divided" (about a Catholic-Protestant marriage and the problems it caused a village), and then we listened to this:

eddi reader sings the songs of robert burns.

Buy this CD, kids! Or beg, borrow, steal it . . . get your hands on it, and listen.

I've had in my mind for some time the germ of a project to set some of the great poets to music. I did manage to write a sad little piano tune to go with "I am nobody" by Emily Dickinson when I took a class in college, but with the end of the class came the end of my musical career. I am not musical and know nothing about music, and can really only write lyrics, not tune. But the lyrics would have already been written, if I'm turning poems into lyrics, so you see my problem. If only someone else would do it.

And somebody has! Robert Burns, set to music, all lilting lovely voice and celtic melancholy and wild highlands. Add this to the Great List of Things in My Heart That Make Me Filled With Joy. :)