My recent trip to Atlanta to visit Daddy and my Georgia family was a swinging time. Just ask these two birds.
My visit included ample time to visit with Daddy in his room or out and about. But the climax of each of the three days was our after-dinner music. My faithful sidekick Chipper was eager to mingle with all our friends.
Wherever Chipper went, smiles followed. Sharing smiles, friendship, and happy memories is what my music programs are all about.
These gents got a kick out of Chipper's Hawaiian garb. I told them that Chipper's been hinting all summer for me to take him to Hawaii, but it looks like playing in the bathtub is as close as he'll get.
Chipper's a real ladies' man.
Daddy says, "Ken, are you trying to make a monkey out of me?"
Meet my friend David, an enthusiastic volunteer, who put in 13 hour days throughout my visit just so he could stay for the evening singalongs. He was covering for the staff activities director, and did an admirable job. He also had people begging to be photographed with Chipper. Thank you, David!
Some of my new friends on this visit. And they helped liven things up with some dancing.
The singalongs were actually a mixed bag of instrumentals and vocals, big band, roaring twenties, ragtime, broadway, movie hits, popular songs spanning eighty years. And when Brianna (age 2) called from North Carolina during my first evening program, we all responded with a lively rendition of "Oh, Do You Know the Muffin Man," Bri's current favorite. After we all sang it, Bri sang it to me all by herself. What fun!
We ended up a couple of nights with "Goodnight Irene." For such a sad song, it was very heartwarming. But unknown to me, the music wasn't over. I don't know how the subject arose, but somebody mentioned harmonicas. I happened to have one in my keyboard case and handed it to Daddy. It must have been years since he played one, but he immediately recognized that it was a "double-noter," and that I had handed it to him upside-down. Pretty sharp.
In this short unrehearsed video, Daddy tries out the harmonica. At the very end, he stops playing and asks,"Whose harmonica is this?" Naturally, I left it with him. Maybe on my next visit he'll be ready to belt out "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain" or "When the Roll is Called Up Yonder." And certainly his "train whistle."
Many folks remarked on what a blessing our musical evenings were to them. Music is like that, and I'm very thankful for the music God has placed in my life. In my next blog, you'll learn about a special family event we were able to arrange while I was in Atlanta.
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