| Catsu's Corner Archives
January 2004 Back to HOME |
| January 23, 2004 -- Good-bye Captain Kangaroo. |
Before Sesame Street or even Mr. Rogers, Captain Kangaroo was the children's program I grew up with. I remember looking forward to watching Captain Kangaroo each morning and visiting with the Captain and his friends in the Treasure House. Captain Kangaroo's show was gentle, quiet, simple, and silly. Wandering through the Treasure House, he would read books, sing songs, work crafts, and visit with puppet friends. It was always the same. Bunny Rabbit always tried to trick the Captain out of a bunch of carrots. Mr. Moose told knock-knock jokes and usually ended up dumping a bunch of ping-pong balls on the Captain's head. Grandfather Clock, the clock who talked in rhymes, always fell asleep while the Captain was talking to him. Some days Dancing Bear or Mr. Green Jeans, the Captain's farmer friend, would visit. Captain Kangaroo introduced good literature, classical and jazz music, poetry, and science to children, but always in a fun, playful manner.
Bob Keeshan was vehimently against violence in children's programming. He taught manners and respect and he truly liked and enjoyed children. He believed that children learned best when they were having fun. His approach was so low-keyed and relaxed that children, laughing along with the Captain, didn't even realise they were learning. We have tried to use this philosophy while raising of our children, teaching them that learning is fun. The Captain Kangaroo Show began in 1955 and ran until 1985, making it the longest running children's show in network history. It won many awards and Bob Keeshan was influential in the lives of many children. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. |
| January 14, 2004 -- Morningside. |
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| January 13, 2004 -- Dead rat. |
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"Are you aware that there is a dead rat hanging from the netting in the back yard?", Raymond asked off-handedly, as he passed by.
What? I won't even go into what a horrible day I've had today, just suffice it to say, the idea of dislodging and disposing of a dead rat was not something I could deal with at the moment. I have angled netting topping my fence to keep the cats in the yard. Pip, our little acrobat cat, has figured out how to get out in spite of it, but apparently returning while holding a dead rat is problematic. So there it was, a huge rat, hanging over the edge from the midsection, half on one side, half on the other side, like a sock drapped over a clothesline. I needed a little time to settle into the right mindset, but knowing it had to be taken care of before dark, I went out to discover -- the rat was gone. "Maybe Raymond disposed of it," I thought, knowing full well there was no way on Earth Raymond would go near a dead rat, without perhaps a direct written order from the president. My children are not "children of nature". They cower from lizards, shriek at spiders, even the thought of touching the garden soil causes them to recoil. "Raymond, did you move that rat?", I ask hopefully. "No!" "Well, it's gone." "That's good. Problem solved.", he said. Yeah, right. After a quick search I found it across the yard, under the table. Pip must have climbed up and retrieved the rat, putting it under the table, perhaps to save for later. I looked at him, curled up sleeping on the lounge chair, just as he had been before. He looked as though he hadn't moved in hours and showed no interest in my scooping the rat into a bag. I guess he was done with it. |
| January 7, 2004 -- Twelve drummers drumming. |
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We usually leave our Christmas trimmings up until Epiphany. So as the wise men arrive and the twelve drummers drum, I take down the holiday decorations. It is always a happy/sad job to do. The house is quiet now that guests have left and school has started again. As I put away the holiday trimmings I remember the good times we've just shared this Christmas as well as fun times from past holidays. No longer in a rush to get things done as I was before Christmas, now I can take my time putting things away.
I remember my Grandmother as I put away the embroidered ornaments she made for me and I think of my aunts as I pack away the hand-made ornaments they have given to me. For years we had a family ornament exchange, each of us making an ornament for each of the others. These are my favorite tree trimmings. Each one is unique, reflecting the personalities of the people who made them, and bringing back memories of the years gone by. I remember Christmases when the kids were young as I put away the tissue paper wreaths made in kindergarten, the gold paper mache' angel and yarn wreaths made when they were a little older, and various other decorations from elementary school or scout meetings. It is always a little sad when the holidays end. The house suddenly looks so plain without the bright red and green decorations and the twinkling lights and I hate to say good-bye to people I wish I could see more often. But the quieter, less frantic house is nice also. For me, this is the spiritual time of the holiday. After the hustle and bustle of the season has ended, when the shopping and parties are over, when family, friends, and Santa have all returned home, then, in the quiet that remains, I take time to reflect on what the "true meaning" of Christmas is to me. |
| January 5, 2004 -- Birthday celebration. |
Kerry and I have been planning this for weeks, on the phone and through e-mails, wanting it to be just perfect; choosing the restaurant and the menu, making party favors and planning party activities. We started with a cocktail party at Vi's home and moved on to a nice Italian dinner (Vi's favorite) at a local Italian restaurant. Before the party Kerry had given each person a card and asked them to write a memory or thought about Vi. We placed a flower at each plate, then each person shared their memory and placed the flower in a vase, resulting in a large bouquet at the end and a pile of cards to be compiled into a memory book. Another family in the restaurant were so moved that they sent over a bottle of wine with birthday greetings. We had a wonderful "family style" dinner, sharing lasagna, fettucini, ravioli, mannicotti, spaghetti, meatballs, and scampi, accompanied by large Ceasar and antipasto salads. Of course there was birthday cake for dessert. After the meal Kerry and Lloyd gave a "Grandma quiz", asking questions about Vi and her life, with many prizes for right answers and many more memories shared. |
| January 2, 2004 -- Happy Birthday. |
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| January 1, 2004 -- Happy New Year. |
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