episode 7

I continue to enjoy watching Ken Burns Country Music.  Last night it was mostly the 70's.  I was almost completly mystified.  I don't remember listenting to all but a couple of these country singers.  Where was I?  What happened?

Upon reflexion, the 70's was a decade of great change for me.  I met and married the Dougherty family who I adored.  The husband? Eventually, not so much. I was married with a capital M, I was working full time at Fairchild Semiconductor.  The music of choice was whatever was on the car radio.  Didn't listen to much music at home and too noisy at work.  

We spent many weekend at Grandma LaVann's ranch in Mendocino county.  I got pregnant and decided it was time to become a domestic Godess.  I sold the Baracuda back to the folks and bought a bicycle with a baby seat and went shopping that away. 

We wound up living in a small trailer at the ranch and the strains of that move was the final stroke for my trial marriage.  I packed up Charlie and headed to Idaho.

Once in Idaho I spent a while doing small odd jobs and eventually got pointed towards BSU and the Health Information Program.  I did very well academically.  But EVERYTHING was full time; 40 hours a week on swing shiftat St. Al's, full load at college during the day and Charlie getting shuttled between th 24 hour daycare center at all hours.  (They closed shortly after I graduated).  

My last semester was even busier as I had to somehow squeeze in six to eight weeks of directed practice at three other facilities.  I talked the ex into keeping Charlie for that semester. Thank you kindely!  Phew!  

So again, to busy to listen to any kind of music.  By the end of the decade I had completed my degee, moved back to Emmett, took the job managing the medical records department at WKMH.

The program mentioned several artists I was completley unaware of. The only artists with whom I was familar was Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson and Dollie Parton.  I think the only reason these artists were even a blip on my radio dial was the fact that they were top sellers on Country and were cross over stars on Pop.  Well, there you go.  

I didn't even particularly enjoy the first half of the program until Willie Nelson sang "Stardust". ahhhhhhhhh, I got the sniffles.  I think I need to purchase that album.  Thanks for moving to Austin, and going Outlaw, Mr. Nelson.
 

Ken Burns winner!!

I have been watching the Ken Burns film "Country Music"  and have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

It is narrated by Peter Coyote which gives me the warm fuzzies.  I have learned so much.  Country music in all it's iterations is purely story telling that covers the gamut of American life. 

First episode was all about Maybelle Carter and her guitar playing style.  Their style was mostly hill country tunes that came with them originally by way of Scottish, Irish, immigrants.  It also dawned on me that part of the Hatfield/McCoy feud may well have been partially due to the English Hatfields and the Scottish McCoy's. The roots of that cultural conflict goes back several centuries.

I watched Episode two last night and is was all about hard times.  The Carters sang "Hardtimes" a plaintiff song that was very popular.  

I also learned about the importance of live play at radio stations, there were lots of string bands driving all over and one of the most famous was a 50 thousand watt station just across the border in Texas that broadcast as far away is Canada.  The station also sold goat gland medicine for what ails ya.


The influence of Country in the Berglund family was not all that pervasive.  We listened to Grand Ole Opry and popular talent shows such as the Ed Sullivan show etc.   And the car did not have a very good radio, so we sang tunes until Mom turned on the radio in self defense.  

Mom and Dad liked to dance to Glenn Miller and big band sounds.  That didn't happen much after the children came along but I have been informed that at the popular dances they danced a fast hard jitterbug and cleared the floor as they say.

But we did get a general exposure to the really old stuff', Letter Edged in Black, Old Shep, real tear jerkers.

Episode number three is Blue Grass.  I hope they play "Rank Stranger", that is a tune with close plaintiff nasal harmony that will raise the hair on the back of yore neck.  Pass the jug.

AH Fashion!

Set the way back machine for sometime in the mid 1980's.  Boise has always been somewhat recession proof.  To note, the big old mall.  What a wonderful spot.  My favorite store was Bloomingdales.  I adored going there, walking around, admiring what ever was on display and breathing in the delicious commerce and beautiful things on display.

One day as I was walking through the ground floor I happened to spot an item on display.

It was a little red leather two piece suit by Vera Wang.  It was GORGEOUS!  It was brilliant.  It was displayed on its own stand, I'm not sure, there may have been a spot light shining on the thing.  I stopped and examined the garment.  It was handcuffed to the hanger and the hanger was secured to the metal dress display thingie.  I looked at the price tag.  $2,000.00  !!!! and it was a size TWO.  

I might have been a size two in another life time.  I have memories of Mom purchasing a case of Metrical for me to drink as a diet aid. This was a popular weight loss product in the late 50's.  And it was delicious.  I did not lose weight but I did hear Mom's story of how she wore Clayton's hat band as a belt.  I like to think he might have had a big head.  So petite, I was not.  

But for a few precious moments I gazed at that spiffy little red Vera Wang suit and dared to dream of rocking that in my black stiletto's (not, they would have crippled me!) and stylish little black hand bag.

Once I had stepped back from the heady fumes of the leather, I then trudged sturdily to Lane Bryant to browse the Women's sales rack in the hopes of finding a knock off.  Hardy, har har har!!!