“Nothing is deader than yesterday’s news.”
Today is my sloth day. I have actually been busy, out of the house busy, every day this week. Yesterday was the dump. I was taking a chance as it was a cloudy, damp day, but I planned accordingly and wove around the traffic. I’m good at that. Today is sunny and will be warm. Tonight will get down to the 60’s.
Last night I heard Cat2 meowing from upstairs. Cat1 was with me downstairs so I knew. I called and made that come to me cat sound but it didn’t. When I went upstairs, Cat2 was back under the bed. I cleaned the litter, vacuumed, emptied the bowl and filled both bowls. I sat for a while talking hoping Cat2 would come out. Nope, I was just an old lady talking out loud to no one.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, Day 1. I missed it. I was in Ghana. The years, 1969-1971, were filled with events I missed. Some I knew about, most I didn’t as I had no way to keep up with what was happening at home. I was too busy with Peace Corps training, with adapting to a new culture, learning a new language, meeting all sorts of people both American and Ghanaian, eating foods with strange names and getting sick every now and then. I didn’t know I was missing so much. I knew about the moon landing as I heard it on the radio. For that whole summer, that was all I knew about what was happening. I was homesick at times, mostly early in training. I didn’t care a whole lot about what I was missing as I was so excited to be in Africa, to be learning Hausa and trying, unsuccessfully at times, to eat new foods like kontomire stew and tuo zaafi. I never did get to like kontomire, but I liked t-zed. I ate foods from street vendors, at the time I thought it daring.
The Peace Corps sent us The Week in Review from the NY Times. Sometimes I read it, most times I didn’t. Eventually the paper was sold in the market by Thomas, who worked for me. My rice was often wrapped in the latest news. I always thought that was pretty funny.
Explore posts in the same categories: MusingsTags: busy day, cats, Ghanaian language, kontomire stew, Moon landing, PCT, Peace Corps Ghana, strange foods, tuo zaafi, Woodstock
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August 15, 2019 at 1:06 pm
I have big problems with Word Press today, do You?
The sky is dark grey here but no wind and fairly warm so I can have the kitchen door open. Still I would have enjoyed sunshine much more 🙂
I was so young 1969-1971 so I wouldn’t have known what had happened anyway 🙂 The moon landing I knew of of course but I guess that’s it. Nothing much happened over here from what I know.
I always enjoy when I get packages and the things inside are warpped in news papers, especially if it comes from abroad. When I worked at Volvo we quite often got things from China, I had absolutely no idea what they had written about but I liked to look at the photos 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 15, 2019 at 1:31 pm
Christer,
It took me a while to get the program to open, but once I did, it worked fine.
The sun is now gone and the sky is grey but rain isn’t predicted. All my windows are open. The house isn’t cool but it isn’t hot either.
I heard about Woodstock much later. It was no big deal for me at the time. Now, I love the music. I turned 22 at the end of the summer in 1969.
Ghana had back then at least 10 papers. I used to send one home to my parents every now and then. They were in English. I loved those papers. They printed everything including pictures of dead bodies.
Have a great day!!
August 15, 2019 at 4:29 pm
I was too young in 1969 and I doubt that Woodstock was mentioned in foreign kindergartens 🙂 I enjoyed the music later and also your fine selection today.
Normal rain is finally back and I like it, a relief for nature.
August 15, 2019 at 5:55 pm
Brigit,
Today’s music was part of the first day of music at Woodstock.
I doubt Woodstock was even mentioned in kindergartens here. Its effects weren’t realized for a bit.
The sun came back today so it became a beautiful day. It is even cool.
August 15, 2019 at 8:27 pm
If everyone who said they were at Woodstock we’re actually there, then half the population of the U.S. would have been there. 🙂
The festival was not actually held at Woodstock but in Bethel NY. It didn’t matter because it was a moment in time marking the coming of age of the baby boomer generation. The performers have become the icons of Rock and roll. Jimmy Hendricks, Janice Joplin and Crosby, Nash and Young which come to my mind easily. Unfortunately, the last 50 years went by faster than I imagined it would in 1969. 🙂 First Apollo 11 on the moon followed by Woodstock.
Today the heat returned along with the sun after yesterday’s cooling rain. We didn’t hit triple digits on the thermometer but we’re close at 98 degrees.
August 15, 2019 at 9:47 pm
Hi Bob,
That first sentence of yours is so true. I don’t know anyone who was at Woodstock.
Looking at the films, I sort of wish I was there. The crowd was having the best time at night and even in the rain. The play list was incredible. What an amazing weekend of music. I’m glad, at least, that we have the chronicle of that weekend.
Coo today.
August 16, 2019 at 8:34 am
Woodstock looks like one of those events I’m glad for, but relieved not to have participated in. It would’ve been amazing to experience those performances live, but the conditions for attendees seem pretty dreadful. At a greater distance, there’s something melancholy too. The end of the 60s and an unraveling. It’s not nearly as unfortunate as Altamont, but there’s a post-partum bummer.
August 16, 2019 at 9:29 am
Rowen,
I think Altamont was the end of it all. Hiring the Hell’s Angels should have been the first signal that the summer of love had come to a crashing halt. Sadly, what happened was the exclamation point. Many of the attendees were high enough that even rain and mud couldn’t deter their enthusiasm. I would have loved to have heard all that great music, but I was elsewhere!