My Happy Place

This one kills two birds with one stone - two of my favorites - Kenneth and Jesus

and speaking of Jesus:

I keep checking out youtube waiting for someone to post these songs (because I don't know how to - and my son says he doesn't know how to either - although I really do believe he does and just doesn't want to take the time to show me) and anyway - I checked yesterday and here these two songs were!

The second one was a LONG time coming... I mean it is like a quintessential Grateful Dead song and it wasn't on youtube and the first was a spin-off Grateful Dead- New Rider's song (I can't explain the trucks - it should be boats).

So I'm going through all my pictures so I can put them on the computer and won't have to worry about them getting lost or destroyed and I found this picture of my favorite camping trip to a Grateful Dead/New Riders concert with Sarah, Cathy, Vernon, Bruce and me (Larry was taking the picture).

These songs and those pictures definitely make me happy remembering Englishtown NJ and wonderful music and good times and I most definitely
thank the day~




[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pafY6sZt0FE[/youtube

the second video should have been this:

This is who we were:

and this is what we were listening to:

and this is what we were doing:
I was in fifth grade and Mr. Senick was my teacher and he was my favorite teacher ever. He was a Brit and his name was Mervyn and we used to call him Meh-vyn, trying to pronounce it just like he did. Once when he was marking our spelling test, we made an X on his head with a red marker and looked the next day to see if he had washed his head (since he didn't have hair).

He was the best teacher ever! I loved learning in his classroom and because we were grouped according to ability that year, it was magical because we were all on the same page in terms of what we could read and understand and do. One of the most wonderful things we did was write a script for and perform the Wizard of Oz: Jill, the girl on the end of the first row on the right (facing) was Dorothy. Susan, the girl on the first row second from the left was the wicked witch of the west, Tim, the cute dark-haired guy on the top row left - was the tin man and Greg, fourth from the right on the top row was the cowardly lion. I was the scarecrow. I am middle first row with the short dark hair and glasses. I tried out for Dorothy - (didn't get it) and the wicked witch (didn't get it) and tried out again for Scarecrow...GOT IT!!! I got to sing, 'If I only had a brain' and wear straw in my overalls- very uncomfortable. But it was so fun.... we also did Pinnochio - I was Pinnochio and we were such a good drama troupe we got to travel to all the elementary schools in our town and perform our plays. A wonderful and creative teacher can be a wonderful thing. Mr. Senick inspired me.

I remember everyone's name - this was my favorite year of school. We just all clicked...It was Mr. Senick, Lloyd, Gary, John, Greg, Doug, Glen, Curtis (my first crush), Mike, and Tim on the back row from left to right
Franklin, Garret, Frank (my frog catching partner and the person who first told me about homosexuality - I didn't believe it- how could a girl like a girl instead of a boy I asked???-Lisa, Robin, Gretchen (two of my best friends), Laura, Carrie, Jenny, Eddie, Mark (from left to right)
Marybeth, Susan (one of my best friends) Alisa, me, Donna (my BEST friend), Katie, Dori and Jill.

I found this picture when I was at home. It was torn in half. I determined to make sure I saved it so I could always remember what had made me so happy back then.

Tim was the top row right (facing)...he was the cute one. Lloyd top row left facing was SMART!!! He was presenting papers about aerodynamics to universities by the time we were in highschool. He was cute in his own way - but Tim was considered to be universally cute.

he's gone and I thought he was nearly everything to me - but we can still laugh - I know that would make him happy- even though I can't stop crying, it makes me happy:

My daughter was telling me about her friend Eddie who does free-running and it reminded me of this which made me laugh and laugh and laugh....PARKOUR!

me and dad together listening to music and laughing - I laugh - he chuckles:(forevermore)

next we would listen to this because we both really liked this song (I still do - I don't care how corny it is):

And we would be laughing at this while we were acting it out - I'd be Kanye (because I could remember the words and sing) and Cathy would be the dancer - because she can dance:

Remembering Andy and Joseph and how they used to sing this song makes me happy (and Joseph with his everpresent watch makes me laugh out loud):

Remembering my Dad and Lucien - I think Lucien came when my Dad left - their eyes are so brown and faces so kind in the same way - Lucien makes me so happy and helps me forget my sadness about missing my dad:





I say good night to my dad on my desktop every night and hello to Lucien every morning.

When we were all still here- and together:



And I was there:

My two British surrogate dads are entering 2011 with me healthy and still going strong.
And George will even still have a beer with me while Jack, the teetotaler (like my dad was) has coffee.

We had such a nice New Year's Eve lunch celebration. Jack will be 90 in May and he still has ginger in his hair and a joke for every occasion and George was 87 on Christmas eve and he puts up with Jack's and my silliness very patiently.

It makes me happy to spend time with them.



A song we all three love:

And my beautiful mother, still doing so well and looking so happy.

I think Jack would like to hook up with her. Ever since my dad died when he talks to me he asks, 'Rebecca - when is your dear mum coming over to visit?'
I had to dash his hopes and tell him that she'll be staying in the US for the time being. He'd have to go see her if he wanted to know her-- thinking of THOSE particular two people meeting makes me laugh out loud - she'd give him a run for his money for sure:

This picture made me happy yesterday. I'd not seen it before. It brought back a flood of fond memories.
I'd put my niece's bonnet on my son's head and my dad was having a laugh at that.
George - looking like his old gangsta self - wearing the cowboy hat he wore around East Brunswick, NJ where it just DID NOT BELONG - but hell -what did he care?
It reminded me of the bumper sticker he had on his car - 'If you're rich - I'm single' and the t-shirt he always wore - 'Official Hawaii Bikini Inspector.'

He was just such a laugh.
I love this picture - four of my favorite people - two still here - two who've gone on. It's such a comfort to see those two together - as I know they are now- keeping each other company waiting on the rest of us:



And my handsome Joe-Joe now- still has those pretty eyes:



What I would say to them and what I know they would say to me: