I'm thinking seriously about switching her nickname to Squeaky, after her pink sandals.
My brother and sister-in-law gave these to her. She must have them when she eats: Stinky's not the most enthusiastic eater and likes a floor show. No, that does not involve me dancing around like a chicken while going "cluck cluck cluck". She doesn't know what a chicken sounds like. She prefers sheep noises.
Today in 1991, Latvia declared their independence from the Soviet Union. Congratulations, Latvia, on 17 years of rugged survival in a dog-eat-dog world!
May you have a long and lustrous future as an independent nation, especially so that Dawn can get back.
Here's a picture of me conducting the encore at the final band concert of my ninth grade year at Unnamed Jr. High School. The piece was "Night Train" and it was recently recalled by a high school friend who was in that Jr. High band with me.
Ninth grade: that was a fun year. Of course, if you really want to see something embarrassing, see the video of my awfully overbearing performance at the senior show my senior year. (Oddly, I had big roles in the senior show for all three years I was in the high school.)
Encyclopædia Britannica notes that on this day in the year 1958, Pres. Ike signed the legislation that created the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Sure, it more or less existed before that as a defense group but now we were going to beat the Russians publicly.
Darn that Sputnik!
Just to show that these messages from EB are almost always odd, the birthday for today is for Il Duce, 20th century Europe's first fascist dictator, having "assumed" absolute power of Italy in 1922. American conservatives loved the little fascist. Really. Hearst ran adoring editorials on Mussolini, even cartoons extolling his virtues by the masterful Winsor McCay (Little Nemo in Slumberland). "Mussolini rose up from nothing to be master of his destiny! You can, too!"
And, of course, NASA was staffed by unrepentant Nazis.
So it goes.
Hopefully I'll not have to wear a tuxedo again to a wedding until my daughter (who is not quite one) marries. I've just finished with standing up for my sister-in-law's German husband for their church wedding here in the states. Whew! That was hard work!
I'm not complaining, you know. I count him as a friend and not just a relation by marriages, so I was proud to step up and stand. For a long time. If we had had communion perhaps we in the wedding party would have been able to sit.
I know that I've been a professional public speaker but I find doing toasts unnerving. L and I both did them (she was the matron of honor for her sister) and although the audience seemed to enjoy them both (L did the better job) I've always had to leave the reception for an extended period of time in order to get myself ready. Maybe I try to do too much in them.
But next time, I'd love to just come to your wedding and not have to do anything! Probably just a result of having Stinky these days. She's a great baby and was a wonderful flower girl but she then left me with four hours of sleep last night.
To prove that her Aunt was not a genetic fluke (she's a cellist in Germany), Alice has moved her "let's dance to this!" attitude from Curious George soundtrack by Jack Johnson and friends, to Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Really. Put on "Blue Rondo a la Turk" and watch her start dancing.
Having always enjoyed playing the mixed time pieces when I played bassoon (I recall "Bedford: An Overture" with particular fondness, along with some experimental Mexican composers), it warms my heart that she loves the funky beats.
