SPRING IS HERE sung by Mom

SPRING IS HERE, NOT A MERE

JANUARY THAW....

BUT A LITTLE ROBIN I SAW,

TOLD ME IT WAS SO.....

AND SO I KNOW THAT....                     

and the song goes on into other verses.  I WISH YOU COULD HEAR THE TUNE!!!!! It is beautiful!!! (the photo to your right is a miniature Iris that blooms now in Honor of Mom. She had 3 super long rows of tall iris or different varieties. Before I was aloud to go to the pool all day I had to ''weed the iris" said Mom. Yuck! I was so mad about that all the time! But weed I did and as fast as I could. Man it was h.o.t! The weeds were ''horse weeds" and I promised I would NEVER!!!!!!!!!! GARDEN. Boy did I get that wrong. Jersey has these horrible horse weeds; Pennsylvania they just pull out with a blink of an eye. Back to the song....

My mother sang all the time or recited verse. She played with us and her idea, like mine, is to ''sweep the house with a glance!" ha ha ha! We were more important than the house and other ''things." So, every spring Mom would sing this song looking forward to spring, the first bud, the trickle coming down off the roof from melting snow. Our laundry room had two windows. The back window facing the cow pasture and red garage had a small roof extending just below the outside sill. Mom always had a bird feeder sitting on the roof and an old kitchen pan she filled with food for her coveted winter birds. For me the melt began there and watching the birds. Of course the cats kept watch as well.
I had three favorites cats that were all mine; they were always black. Why I do not know. The funny thing is, Sarah now chooses all black cats as her favorites and she never knew my choice. I know I told her long ago but she doesn't recall those stories. Mom always told us stories!! My first cat was name ''Inkie." I have never been talented at naming animals. I think it followed suit to my children as well. Our first rabbit was named ''Bun Bun" by Jonathan. Imagine, Bun Bun! Oh my. We have our last batch of kitties right now, four of them. Of course the black ones are Sarah's favorites. Johanna and I love the tiger striped kitty Nabisco. Well, we love them all. How can you not?

So Mom sang several spring songs often this time of year along with her usual songs. She would laugh at me trying to remember the verses. I always have trouble keeping the order of verses and their words straight! But, the idea is still there so isn't that ok? So yeah, the kids laugh at my doing the same with current songs as well.

Another song Mom sang was:

THE COUNTRY SIDE IS GREEN AGAIN

THE WORLD IS SEVENTEEN AGAIN...

MY HEART AWAKES WHEN APRIL SINGS....(and so on...)

that is my favorite..."my heart awakes when April sings...."

Lastly, I want to add another song she would sing because of St. Patrick's Day in March. We have quite a bit of Irish ''Heritage." This is the song I get messed up all the time with order; it is beautiful. I might be giving you the middle of the song or beginning; I really do not know. Will  have to look it up but I just keep on singing it in all sorts of order; its the beauty of the song that's important right? (Aside: Do you know the song ''There's a Bad Moon on the Rise?" Well, not only verse but the words get jumbled for me as well! Ding dong. I thought it was "There's the bathroom on the right." Now is that ridiculous. I guess I was too busy dancing and enjoying the rhythm of the music. I never figured it out till college what it really       said.) Now Mom! Mom wanted to major in music and write music. She was gifted in song, the piano and ''i guess'' to write music. Never experienced that with her. But, she gave all that up to be a dairy farmer's wife. She did teach us some piano and played herself alot when she could get in the time. I still cannot play like mom did; and probably never will. She kept the piano in our living room and I still can see her playing.
Here is the beginning of the song she would sing in spring around St. Patrick's Day:

HAVE YOU EVER CROSSED THE SEAS TO IRELAND

WELL MAYBE AT THE CLOSING OF YOUR DAYS

YOU WILL SIT AND WATCH THE MOON RISE OVER CLETTA

AND SEE THE BAREFOOT GOSSINS (sp?) AT THEIR PLAY (or is it "in the BAY.")...

[pictured left is White Trillium...peaceful...]

One song Mom liked a lot, the name of which won't matter to any of you since you won't recognize it; but, when I tell you the words you will because of my playing part of it on ocassion. Mom had the words all down that someone added much later to the beginning portion of this piece. First I will give you the words:

dah dah dah....(gee can't remember the beginning..will have to ask Hannah,,it is great..) 
well, its about two lovers, old fashioned books, somewhere in time, a drawing room...ever changing hues.......a lovely lilting romantic song....
I wish you could hear the tune...Mom was a romantic!!! -will come back and put the words in soon-

The words were written to the beginning of
MOZART'S :                           SONATA No. 3 in C Major K. 545

So now its time to go out in the garden and get movin' and groovin' and make a dent? ha ha, in all there is that ''could be done''........then piano lessons. My piano teacher, Ori said I could take up this Sonata for my next piece if I wanted to but ..."ahhhhhhh..." it is so difficult! It will take at least  6 months to work up and a few more to perfect. Yeah, Ori is a perfectionist and so am I but, there is joy in that journey of piano and it connects me to my mother and all these years of l.o.v.i.n.g music.

Why did I make this also in Honor of my Dad? (the tall tree picture is symbolic for Daddy: tall, strong, handsome, a rock, security...and not to be corny, but Dad did branch out into many directions in his abilities serving & in giving). Well, he worked so hard, very hard, to provide for us so Mom did not have to work, staying home with us and driving us everywhere!!! She was the ''wind beneath his wings," though. She really was. Well, I could go on and on....the end. (driving me everywhere...another story...out of the 5 kids she had to say no to me since I wanted to do the next activity offered......Hannah loved being at home with books, art & piano; Jack too-a "mr. fix-it engineer" type, content with stuff around home. I wanted to do ballet, .....well, another time......)

Notice the bee in the picture to the right? Well it isn't a great picture but I just have to add him. Played around getting pics of him in and out of the Fairy Bells. Got a good one of his bottom hanging out from the flower but it was not in focus enough to publish, rats!!!
A sign of spring. Flower: Disporum sessile:  Fairy Bells Variegatum

Mom loved Dutchmen's Breeches. Will put a pic of that in next time..they are awesome! And, a pic of Bleeding Heart. Did you know if you take the flower apart you can find two bunny rabbits and Aladdin's slipppers?

QUOTES: "...the obstacles which have been overcome..."

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that
one has reached in life as by the obstacles which have been 
overcome while trying to succeed.
                                                                            - Booker T. Washington
                       To overcome: 'one' of the legacies of my Father.

          
I just read this quote the other day and boy did it hit a chord; it was serendipitous! Could Daddy
have known how I would need his words and example? Not really, but his love for me desired to
prepare me, as best he could, for my future. God knew; he provided for me through Daddy. 

(this quote hit me with regard to overcoming personal, spiritual, relational struggles, etc. not job...and so forth)

Daddy always said to me ''semper paratus," ''run the race," ''fight

the good fight," ''don't let things knock you down." He wrote me very few letters 
when I was away. However, when he found out from Mom that I was not doing so well he would write. The letters held wisdom and great encouragement. (another favorite was ''Veni, Vidi, Vici!"-I love that one!) Dad always got right to the point.


I remember one year, while living up in Maine, a letter he sent.  Now Daddy was not an artist by 
any means even though he did illustrate many principles via sketch. He drew a picture at the top 
of the yellow-lined page.  Black clouds and one white with a big sun bursting through the dark

cloud, a smiley face on the sun and rays extending outward.  He said, ''horsey keep your tail up,'' 
''in every dark cloud there is a silver lining," ''you will overcome." I always knew he would be there for me; mom too.

One main thing he would say now and then as I would go into his office for counsel or, help with 
math (ha ha ha), he said looking me straight in the eyes, "now, you just be little Suzzie* 
and ............"  As a child I had many concerns and struggles.  Certain concerns I seemed to veer toward my Dad and others my Mother. (* I never knew why Daddy chose to spell my name like that on every sheet of paper I ever saw. I love it, it is endearing to me) 

So, now when things get rather catywompus I hear Daddy saying, ''now, YOU JUST BE LITTLE SUZZIE...." and it brings some comfort to me. I love(d) my Daddy very much. He passed away June 22, 2003 at the age of 80. Had he not smoked he would have made it well into his 90's; the Heritage family is like that.


Daddy had tons of sayings. Many came from the book of Proverbs actually. He just made them 
into ''Skeet's tongue." I hope that at the end of my life I can say, as he lived, "I have 
fought the good fight, I have run the race for which God has called me 
heavenward." I need a letter from him now.   And I have one: his legacy! (sometime I will write how Daddy got the nickname of 'Skeets')

The last thing I will say about Daddy for now which should really be mentioned  earlier in this

entry:

In the morning when we were all a little groggy and just coming downstairs or sitting at the table 

eating our breakfast, in walked Daddy from outside** with the biggest smile and lifted spirit, he'd

say,  "toe heel toe kick toe; toe heel toe kick toe." All the while he performed this shuffle kick step; just like that, two times. More words followed which exhorted us to get moving, think positive thoughts, charge into our day, "tackle" (he was a very good football player at Rutgers Univ.) whatever the day would throw at you. Man, I have never been one to jump out of bed; I am a night person. 

Obviously Daddy was a type A personality; so am I. It has its upsides and down. I'm so glad 

I am like Daddy.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     --''suzzie''

**(Daddy got up every morning by 5AM or earlier: next I will tell how he pulled me out of bed 

upside-down to get me off to school on time; oh brother!!! But I loved it too; that was him)