17:30 Lois kommer hjem igen efter besøget hos Rose, sin tidligere
arbejdskollega. Jeg hopper op på min kondicykel og tilbagelægger endnu 6 miles
(10km). Jeg tænder for min smartphone og ser på 1997s 100 bedste sange, mens
jeg cykler.
Jeg genkender desværre kun 3 af de 100 sange (bortset fra 3 coverversioner
af tidligere sange) – uha!
1997 var endnu et vigtigt år for Lois og mig. Kathy, min søster, og hendes
mand, Steve, besøgte os i januar fra deres hjem i Pennsylvania. I marts besøgte Lois og jeg vores datter,
Alison, der var studerende i Pisa i Italien. Lois og jeg fejrede vores 25.
bryllupsdag i august og besøgte Alison, der nu var tilbage på Cardiff
universitet. Sarah startede som studerende på Lancaster universitet i
september, og min fars tilstand blev forværret og han måtte indlægges på det
gamle Delancey-hospital: han kom aldrig
tilbage hjem derefter – han flyttede ind i et plejehjem i januar. Du godeste,
sikke et år, store op- og store nedture (glem den frygtelige musik!!!!).
januar
1997: (fra venstre til højre) på en restaurant -
mig,
Lois, min søster Kathy, min bror Steve, min svoger Steve
marts
1997: mig på vores hotel i Turin
marts
1997: Alison og Lois på altanen af
Alis
lejlighed i Pisa
marts
1997: Lois, Alison og mig i San Gimigniano
august
1997: vores 25. bryllupsdag – vi besøger
vores
datter Ali på Cardiff universitet. Fra venstre til højre,
Ed
(Alis kommende ægtemand), Ali, Sarah og Lois.
I
baggrunden er trædestenene min mor måtte bruge
på
vej til skole i 1920’erne.
18:30 Lois og jeg spiser aftensmad og derefter bruger vi aftenen på at se
lidt fjernsyn. De viser ”The Good Old Days”, et tv-program, der prøvede at
genskabe stemningen af det gamle vaudeville-teater. Programmet blev først
udsendt i januar 1978.
IMG_0003
Da Lois og jeg bladede Radio Times igennem tidligere på dagen og så på
listen over de mennesker, der optrådte i dette afsnit, antog vi, at
hovedattraktionen ville have været Les Dawson, den engelske komiker, men det
viser sig at hovedattraktionen snarere var Lorna Luft, et navn vi ikke
genkender.
Vi ser hende synge et medley af patriotiske amerikanske sange: Give My
Regards to Broadway, Yankee Doodle, You’re a Grand Old Flag og The Yanks Are
Coming. Efter showet er sluttet, googler jeg hende, og jeg opdager, at hun er
Judy Garlands datter og stedsøster til Liza Minnelli. Så vidt jeg ved, er hun
ikke så velkendt i Storbritannien som hendes stedsøster. Men hun har en stærk
stemme – ingen tvivl om det!
Programmets vært, den charmerende Leonard Sachs, omtalte ikke hendes
berømte mor af én eller anden grund, da han præsenterede hende for publikummet.
Det kan være, at hun ikke kunne lide at betragtes som Judy Garlands datter hele
tiden.
22:00 Vi går i seng – zzzzzz!!!!!
04:30 Jeg står tidligt op og laver én af mine rutinemæssige danske
ordforrådtest.
Jeg kigger lidt på nettet. Vores ældste datter, Alison, der bor i
København, har lagt endnu ét foto op på Facebook fra familiens skiferie i
Norge. Denne gang ser vi Rosalind, der er 8 år gammel. Hvor er det en dejlig
alder! Ferien slutter i denne weekend, og familien skal køre tilbage til
København.
a1
Rosalind, vores 8-årige barnebarn,
på
skiferie i Norge
Rosalind (8), Josie (10) og Isaac (6 år)
på
vej hjem til København efter familiens skiferie i Norge
Sarah, vores yngste datter, der bor i Australien, har sendt mig en email,
med et billede af hendes 3,5-årige tvillinger, Lily og Jessica, på en café i
Perth.
Vores børnebørn i Australien:
Jessica (til venstre) og Lily på en café i byen Perth
08:00 Jeg skynder mig ind i køkkenet og laver to kopper te. Jeg tager dem
med op i soveværelset og hopper op i sengen til Lois. Vi snakker lidt, drikke
teen, og går i bad. Vi står op og spiser morgenmad.
10:00 Vi kører ind i byen. Lois ønsker at besøge det nye kunstgalleri, der
åbnede i går. Galleriet har til huse i bygningen, der var Lois’s kirke indtil
for ca. 6 år siden.
Det er nostalgisk at være i denne
bygning igen og det er interessant at se, på hvilke måder den tidligere kirke
er blevet istandsat og renoveret, for at fungere fremover som kunstgalleri. De
gamle rum på anden etage, hvor Lois i 10-15 år underviste sin søndagsskoleklasse,
er blevet til et galleri. Det gamle køkken er blevet til en café.
Den
gamle kirke, nu et kunstgalleri
de
to gamle rum på anden etage, hvor Lois underviste
sin
søndagsskoleklasse i årevis i 80’erne og 90’erne
Vi kigger rundt omkring i galleriet og beundrer billederne, der alle er
blevet skabt af medlemmer af den engelske kunstakademi i London. Især elsker vi
Chris Orrs værker, fordi hans billeder altid er fulde af interesse, ligesom
dette billede, for eksempel, ”det lille Titanic” (1993).
”det
lille Titanic” (1993), et godt eksempel på Orrs værker og stil
Vi kigger på et nyt billede skabt af Chris, der skildrer i symbolisk form
historien af byen London. Der er masser af
londonere i billedet, men kunstneren fokuserer allermest på en
viktoriansk korsetmager. Det kan Lois meget relaterer til, fordi hendes
forfader, Henry Cox, var en korsetmager, der i 1800-tallet boede i byen
Buckingham.
11:30 Vi smutter ind i kunstgalleriets café (kirkens tidligere køkken). Vi
drikker en kop te og spiser et stykke kage.
den
gamle kirkes køkken, nu en café
Besøget er meget nostalgisk for Lois. Vi snakker om vores minder om den
gamle kirke, for eksempel, vores gode venner, Mari-Ann og Alfie, der holdt deres
bryllup i kirken i 1979. Lois og jeg, med vores to små børn, var gæster, og
deltog i gruppefotoet udenfor på den græsplæne ved siden af kirken, nu kunstgalleriets
parkeringsplads – uha!
Tilbageblik
til Mari-Ann og Alfs bryllup i 1979.
Lois
med Sarah (2 år) og mig med Alison (4 år gammel)
på
græsplænen ved siden af den gamle kirke:
nu
er græsplænen blevet til kunstgalleriets parkeringsplads – uha!
Den
gamle kirke i dag, nu et kunstgalleri – uha (igen)!
12:00 Vi kører hjem igen og spiser frokost. Bagefter går jeg i seng for at
tage mig en gigantisk eftermiddagslur. Lois smutter ind hos naboen (Mary) for
at drikke en kop te og snakke lidt.
16:00 Jeg står op. Lois kommer tilbage igen og vi slapper af med en kop te i
sofaen.
English translation
17:30 Lois comes back home after
the visit to Rose, her former work-colleague. I jump up on my exercise bike and
notch up another 6 miles (10km). I turn on my smartphone and watch 1997's 100 best
songs while cycling.
Unfortunately I recognize only 3
of the 100 songs (apart from 3 cover versions of earlier songs) - oh dear!
1997 was another important year
for Lois and me. Kathy, my sister, and her husband, Steve, visited us in January
from their home in Pennsylvania. In March Lois and I visited our daughter,
Alison, who was a student in Pisa Italy. Lois and I celebrated our 25th wedding
anniversary in August and visited Alison, who was now back at Cardiff
University.
Sarah started as a student at
Lancaster University in September, and my father's condition worsened and he
had to be hospitalized at the old Delancey Hospital: he never came back home
after that - he moved into a nursing home in January. My god, what a year of big ups and downs (forget the terrible music !!!!).
January 1997: (left to right) at a
restaurant -
me, Lois, my sister Kathy, my brother Steve,
my brother-in-law Steve
March 1997: me at our hotel in Turin
March 1997: Alison and Lois on the balcony
of
Ali's apartment in Pisa
March 1997: Lois, Alison and me in San
Gimigniano
August 1997: our 25th wedding anniversary -
we visit
our daughter Ali at Cardiff University. From
left to right,
Ed (Ali's future husband), Ali, Sarah and
Lois.
In the background are the stepping stones my
mother had to use
on the way to school in the 1920s.
18:30 Lois and I eat supper and
then we spend the evening watching a little television. They show "The Good
Old Days", a television program that tried to recreate the atmosphere of
the old vaudeville theater. The program was first broadcast in January 1978.
When Lois and I thumbed through
the Radio Times earlier in the day and looked at the list of the people who
appeared in this episode, we assumed that the main attraction would be Les Dawson, the English comedian, but it turns out that the main attraction was
actually Lorna Luft, a name we do not recognize.
We see her sing a medley of patriotic
American songs: Give My Regards To Broadway, Yankee Doodle, You're a Grand Old
Flag and The Yanks Are Coming. At the end of the show I google her and find
that she is Judy Garland's daughter, and stepsister to Liza Minnelli. So far as
I know, she is not as well known in Britain as her stepsister. But she has a
strong voice - no doubt about that!
The program's host, the charming
Leonard Sachs, did not mention her famous mother for some reason, when he
introduced her to the audience. It may be that she did not like to be thought
of as Judy Garland's daughter all the time.
22:00 We go to bed - zzzzzz !!!!!
04:30 I get up early and do one
of my routine Danish vocabulary tests.
I take a little look at the web.
Our oldest daughter, Alison, who lives in Copenhagen, has posted one more photo
up on Facebook from the family's skiing holiday in Norway. This time we see
Rosalind, who is 8 years old. What a wonderful age to be! The holiday ends this
weekend, and the family has to go back to Copenhagen.
Rosalind, our 8-year-old granddaughter,
skiing in Norway
Rosalind (8), Josie (10) of Isaac (6
years)
on the way home to Copenhagen after the
family's skiing holiday in Norway
Sarah, our youngest daughter, who
lives in Australia, sent me an email with a picture of her 3 and a
half-year-old twins, Lily and Jessica, in a cafe in Perth.
Our grandchildren in Australia:
Jessica (left) and Lily at a cafe in the city of Perth
08:00 I hurry into the kitchen
and make two cups of tea. I take them up to the bedroom and hop into bed with
Lois. We talk a little, drink the tea and go in the shower. We get up and eat breakfast.
10:00 We drive into town. Lois
wants to visit the new art gallery which opened yesterday. The gallery is
housed in the building that was Lois's church until about 6 years ago.
It's nostalgic to be in this
building again and it is interesting to see in what ways the former church has
been restored and renovated to serve as an art gallery in future. The old rooms
on the second floor, where Lois taught her Sunday School class for 10-15 years
, have become a gallery. The old kitchen has been turned into a café.
The old church, now an art gallery
the two old rooms on the second floor, where
Lois taught
her Sunday School class for years in the 80s
and 90s
We look around the gallery and
admire the pictures, all of which have been created by members of the British
Academy of Arts in London. We especially love Chris Orr's works because his
pictures are always full of interest, like this picture, for example, "the
little Titanic" (1993).
"The little Titanic" (1993), a
good example of Orr's works and style
We look at a new picture created
by Chris, portraying in symbolic form the history of the city of London. There
are lots of Londoners in the picture, but the artist focuses most on a Victorian
corset-maker. This is something Lois can very much relate to, because her
ancestor, Henry Cox, was a corset-maker living in the town of Buckingham in the
1800s.
11:30 We pop into the art
gallery's café (the church's former kitchen). We have a cup of tea and a piece
of cake.
the old church's kitchen, now a café
The visit is very nostalgic for
Lois. We talk about our memories of the old church, for example, our good
friends, Mari-Ann and Alfie, who held their wedding in the church in 1979. Lois
and I, with our two small children, were guests, and took part in the group
photo outside on the lawn next to the church, now the art gallery's car-park -
oh dear!
Flashback to Mari-Ann and Alf's wedding in
1979. Lois with Sarah (2)
and me with Alison (4 years old) on the lawn
next to the old church,
Now the lawn has been turned into the art
gallery's car-park - oh dear!
The old church today, now a museum - oh dear
(again)!
12:00 We go back home and eat
lunch. Afterwards I go to bed and take a gigantic afternoon nap. Lois pops next
door to see Mary, drink a cup of tea and talk a little.
16:00 I get up. Lois comes back
again and we relax with a cup of tea on the sofa.
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