In the words of Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On?
The wind is crazy in New London, New Hampshire today. 24°F, feels like 6°, or in real money, -4°C, feels like -15°C!
I just got back from a sudden unplanned trip to the UK. A couple of days before Christmas I heard my beloved great aunt Carolyn had unexpectedly passed away, and as I hemmed and hawed about going, I spoke to my mum to find she wasn’t doing well, so I went. I relied on family and public transport to get around, which for me, both are good. Usuall. On both counts. On public transport you meet people you don’t know, and sometimes you learn something of their lives, and the things they go through. (https://substack.com/home/post/p-155877571) Driving with family you catch up on the gossip, news or listen to podcasts to avoid that.
It was a good, if sad time. Lots of stories were told, and a new part of the family appeared, as if from nowhere. We poured over photos and talked about common relatives - relatives that linked all the families together, not people who were course and common! Of course. And it wasn’t anywhere near as cold over there as it is here right now. Snow drops were out. (simonmbrooks.substack.com/p/losing-and-gaining)
Snow drops in my mum’s garden
That’s my mum’s back garden. It’s very English and very wonderful as well as being tiny. There’s a small pond behind the tree the flowers are under, and a pagoda out of shot to the left. There’s a bench at the back of the garden (you might just make it out), and a table on a patio behind me, when I took the photograph. Not bad for a garden that’s ten feet by eight feet. That’s the Brits for you - we can get a lot of beauty in a small space. It’s an art.
My mum waggling her fingers at me! She’s a lot of fun.
We had a great time together. My sister-in-law Jane came and cut Mum’s hair - after this photograph, and did a great job. My brother Colin and I caught up and swapped what we knew about what our mum was up to (and not doing - that she she should be doing!), so we were on the same page which was great.
Each night I read to Mum from some picture books from the 1940’s, and if you follow me on Patreon you would have heard the last of these books by CAM - patreon.com/posts/120150140/edit
It was interesting spotting in the illustrations, a character that would be in the next book. In Barbara the Lamb there was a frog which featured in the next book. In that book, there were lizards which featured in Timothy Tabbycat. After I read Timoty Tabbycat to Mum, the following night we moved on to her another of her books - Milly Molly Mandy. Those stories were also from a long time ago, the 1920’s when they started, and could do with a bit of updating and anti-stereotyping, but they were fun to read to her. When I changed the words, or added bits like Milly Molly Mandy setting fire to Billy Blunt’s jacket that lay on the ground, she would thump me gently and giggle. And when the story repeated itself when they got to a home - the white cottage with the thatched roof and picket fence around it, I would stop and we would say it together. Now I have to say Mum is not senile, not in any way, we were just having fun, me reading to her, payback from when she would read to me and Colin. She is usually exhausted by the time she goes ot bed, so it was a fun way we could end the day.
We talked about continuing this when I got back home, but she felt it wouldn’t be the same, and I sort of agree. It’s hard to share pictures in a book on a small screen. Although back home now, I look at books I would love to share with her, including my most recent picture book purchase, Stickler Loves the World. The book could have been about me as a kid, although it’s about a, well, I am not sure really, a kind of bunch of sticks or part of a tree who loves nature and collects sticks? I know Mum would love it. But anyway, if you have kids, or nieces and nephews in the younger age bracket, it’s a great book. It’s fabulously written and superbly illustrated by Lane Smith, and published by Random House Studio. If I don’t give it to my nephew’s kids this weekend, I will send it to my 24 year-old son because the illustrations are great fun.
I got to see my bestie, Billy Craythorne, and an old, old friend Jaime Laird who I hadn’t seen in about 40 years. Good grief that makes me feel old. We used to play in bands together. Actually, all three of us did, although I wrote songs with Billy, and was only Jaimie’s drummer. Which reminds me I need to go through my old photos and send him some from back in the day. If you ask nicely, I might share some with you in the next missive! Let me know.
What books were read to you as a child, or what books do you read to your family members? I would love to know. There are some really good books out, and I love hearing about that sort of literature.
Yesterday I read The Unicorn Rescue Society, The Creature of the Pines, by Adam Gidwitz. That was a fun chaperbook. I do wonder if boys might be put off by unicorns? It’s a little ironic, as there is only a… well, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but there is only talk of unicorns, but there’s another creature that is dominant in this fun first in a series of books. If you know what mythical creature I like the best, you’ll know what’s in this book!
So, going back to the phone box at the top of this. We’ve come along way since wires and morse code. I remember when I lived in London without a phone (say what?!) and I would go and find a phone box and drop money in to talk to whomever I wanted or needed to, including hte bank. Imagine having to talk to your bank manager in pay phone! I would sometimes call America, but rarely as it cost so much. Now we carry our phones about with us so we can, in theory communicate whenever and wherever we want, except that’s not quite true. And I think we use the phone least of all on these devices. So turn it off, and sit down with someone you love and read to them. And if you like, change the words around and see if they pick up on it!
Peace,
Simon