One, singular sensation...

I'm already bad at keeping up with this. Go figure. We're having some improvements made to the house. New windows in front, new fans, and I'll be painting. Which is all awesome, and it needs it. I just hate how we got here.

Part of that required my Dad to clear out his room. Particularly the stuff right by the windows. I helped him move the organ, polished it up, went through the music books. That was hard. So so many memories of Mom playing that organ, and singing old show tunes or old time songs. My Aunts joining in, lyrics being changed just because.

Six foot two, eyes of blue
Oh what that six foot could do!
Has anybody seen my guy?

That will always be the way I remember that song. Never in its original state. Or Mom randomly belting out at the top of her lungs in the store with:

ONE! Singular sensation, every little step she takes!
ONE! Thrilling combination, every move that she makes
One smile and suddenly no-body else will do...

I need to learn to play that organ. Those books, the ridiculous songs, all of it were so much a part of a happier time for us.

My house needs music again. I think I'll be on a silly music binge for a while. If you dig that kind of thing, belt out a tune sometime in public. Do it for the memory of a true show stopper, the one, the only, Barbara Lynn Gerke Longamore!

Liza had jack on my Mom. Anything from Cabaret to Oklahoma to Guys and Dolls.

Or singing competitions on base, with 8 year old me, in front of the PX on St. Patty's Day. We did "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling". We won something, I couldn't tell you what. I just remember her looking at me with a big grin and saying, "Let them hear you munchkin, we're gonna have a blast!"

"Mom! People are going to stare at us!"

"Munchkin, they're going to look anyway, may as well give them a show!"

So we did.