The morning is again delightful. It is 74°, and a slight breeze is blowing. I can hear only the birds. I think they are castigating me as the feeders are empty. The dogs are napping. They are exhausted from going out and then coming back inside for their treats. My father always said he wanted to come back as a pet in any of our houses.

This is a slow week. I have only four uke events including two concerts. The rest of my dance card is empty. I see books and deck time in my near future.

When I was growing up, I never realized my family didn’t have much money. Even living in the project gave no hint of it as the project was surrounded by places filled with wonder. We had the field, wild blueberries, the woods and best of all, we had the swamp. I had friends who also lived in the project. We walked to school together every day and played together in the afternoons. I wore a uniform to school so I didn’t need a wardrobe filled with clothes. I had my play clothes, my cozy clothes and a skirt or two to wear to church. That was more than I really needed. We went to the drive-in almost every Saturday. My grandfather had a pass, and we brought our own treats, candy, popcorn and Zarex in the jug. What I remember most was I never got to see the end of the second movie. My father, a hater of crowds and lines, always left early. During his vacation we mostly did day trips and jaunts to the beach. Thanks to him I am a lover of museums.

I remember the BIG vacation. We went to Niagara Falls. We stayed in motels and even ate at a few restaurants. We went to Madam Tussaud’s wax museum near the falls. I’ve told this dad story before, but it is worth another telling. In the wax museum, my father told the lady in the booth 4 adults and 2 children. She ignored him. He repeated a bit louder than the first time then repeated one more time, quite loud this time. On a bench near the counter were a few old ladies laughing. I think they were waiting for my father. He didn’t realize that the ticket teller was wax. That still makes me laugh. We walked under the falls. We saw the Eisenhower Locks. We slept in a house on the shore of Lake Ontario. My father drove home through the Mohawk Trail. I don’t know how my parents were able to afford that vacation. I just know they made it spectacular.

When I woke up, the morning was pretty with a bright sun and a mostly blue sky. Now, the sky is filled with clouds. The sun has taken a break. No rain is predicted so the clouds are just a backdrop for a while, not a threat. It will be in the mid 70’s today.

Last night I was reading a great book, The Book of Lost Names. In the background Hey, Google was playing 60’s music. More than a few times I stopped reading to listen, to sing along with the familiar songs. Other than the music, my house was quiet. With the mood, the lightning and the music, I was taken right back to my house in Ghana. I closed my eyes and let the memories sit. Every night I read while music played in the background. The living room was lit by one light hanging from the tall ceiling. A couple of chairs with red cushions, a small table and a bookcase were the only furnishings. My cassette player was on the floor by an outlet. A red bulb shined. It had been attached to the adapter by an electrician to suck up the extra voltage. It was a clever solution. I loved the red glow.

When I was a kid, I had one of those record players which was just a turntable. It could only play 78’s. I had red and yellow plastic records. They were yellow Golden Records and red Peter Pan records. Many them were Christmas songs. I still have a few including a record called Egbert the Easter Egg sung by the Sandpipers with music provided by Mitchell Miller and Orchestra. Another is Alexander’s Ragtime Band also played by Mitchell Miller and Orchestra. Both of these records are yellow.

I have been treasure hunting. I have been going through wooden storage boxes in my den and dining room. I have found serving dishes, some really old cardboard candy cups with frilly blue crepe paper and stickers of cowboys and Indians. I found all the movies I was missing, pottery egg nog cups, napkin rings I remember buying in Hungary, a beautiful old linen tablecloth and four lovely hand stitched place mats with matching napkins. It was a successful hunt.

My TV remote has stopped working so I can’t change stations on the TV. Yesterday I watched the Sox on my iPad. I will try today to program my phone to play the TV. I have ordered a new remote. Yes, I did change the batteries!