Twenty three years ago today, my mother walked down the aisle to the March of the Siamese Children from Rogers and Hammersteins "The King and I" (my obsession with musicals starts in an earlier generation than myself...).
Obviously, I wasn't there, so I can't tell you much about the wedding, but I do know that, thanks to a problem with the flower girl's flowers, there was a delay in starting the procession so my mom wound up coming in when the music gets all big and exciting for the Crown Prince.
And I know my aunt say Erica Levine by Bob Blue.
My parents met in a kind of funny way. They met on a play flying from Newark to Boston. They were sitting on either side of the aisle and my mother pointed out that one of my father's socks was inside out (And I will now point out that my father constantly wears socks inside out. It drives me crazy).
They got to chatting and discovered that they had some mutual friends and apparently had been invited to the same wedding (Dad went. Mom didn't).
And when they got back to Boston, Daddy drove Mom home (seriously, Mom? You're not supposed to let strangers drive you home... Just saying... I mean, I only let Dad drive me home from the airport 'cause he's, you know, my father....).
And a couple years later, on May 1st, 1988, they got married.
They had a daughter in January 1990 and then an even more fantastic daughter in January 1992 (she wound up going to Bryn Mawr College. She's super dooper crazy cool. Just saying). Then two sons a couple years later.
And now every time they drive past the Newark Airport, Mom plays Erica Levine.
If I take the train to get home, I always text "When Erica Levine was 7 and a half..." to my mother a little while before I get to Penn Station. Amtrak trains make a stop at the Newark Airport.
So in honor of my parents, visit their blogs: Colleen Stitches in Time and Abraham Fisher's blog.
And while you're at it, listen to Erica Levine. I don't really like this recording (plus it's by Bob Blue, not Frankie Armstrong. Frankie Armstrong just recorded it later.), but apparently it's all that exists online.
The wedding *was* wonderful...
ReplyDeleteYou know, I also told your mom she was crazy to let a strange man drive her home... but he was all she could talk about after she got home... and I think she was a pretty good judge of character! You certainly can't argue with the results! I think that was about 25 years ago this spring...
BTW, Kim Wallach does a much better version of Erica Levine (she doesn't change the lyrics!). Just google it ("Erica Levine Kim Wallach") and you should find it (and can listen to it)
I think you need to work on your proofreading after midnight!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you.
We were sitting on the same side of the isle, next to each other.
ReplyDeleteHad we met at that wedding (I wasn't invited, BTW, but Greg went, and Sue a
Was asked to play viola. She refused. The guy'd been chasing me. For years.), I'd have him let me drive me home. Since e had the same opinion of the wedding as Greg, I figured he was safe.
The first thing I said to him was "It's hard to fondle penguins"
It's hard to fondle penguins? Seriously? Ok mum... ALso, Wendy? That first daughter is definitely more fabulous. :p
ReplyDelete