My great-aunt so generously sent me several doll dress patterns. I am looking forward to using them in November!
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| The White family. Elwyn is the baby in the middle. |
Elwyn White was born in 1899. He was the 6th child in the family, a surprise baby, born when his mother was in her 40's.
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| Elwyn and his mother. He looks like he could be 10 in this picture. |
Elwyn's father wrote him this letter upon his 12th birthday. It is the dearest little letter that I have ever seen.
Isn't that the sweetest thing?
In contrast,
Several years ago I read part of the first chapter of Laddie, an autobiographical novel by Gene Stratton Porter. She was, also, the youngest child, a surprise baby, born when her mother was in her 40's.
But, that is where the similarities end.
Here is what she wrote,
Pg. 9
........"because my mother loved me now, even if she didn't want me when I was born.
But you could excuse her for that. She had already bathed, spanked, sewed for, and reared eleven babies so big and strong not one of them ever even threatened to die. When you thought of that, you could see she wouldn't be likely to implore the Almighty to send her another, just to make her family even numbers."
Pg. 11+12
"You see it was this way: no one wanted me; as there had been eleven of us, every one felt that was enough. May was six and in school, and my mother thought there never would be any more babies. She had given away the cradle and divided the baby clothes among my big married sisters and brothers, and was having a fine time and enjoying herself the most she ever had in her life......."
"You can't blame my mother so much. She must have been tired of having babies and dislike to go back and begin all over after resting six years."
"They [mother and father] knew the big married brothers and sisters would object, and they did. They said it would be embarrassing for their children to be the nieces and nephews of an aunt or uncle younger than themselves."
Disgusting! I can't finish the first chapter. It is so depressing to try and understand what it must have felt like to know that you weren't wanted as a child. It is, also, gross to try putting myself in her parents' or older siblings' shoes and imagine being such a shallow person.
Now, I need to go back and look at the happy picture of the White family, adoring their baby brother, and read that darling letter to Elwyn to lift this cloud over my mood.
I grew up in a loving family where babies were always welcomed. A brother or sister being born was cause for joy and celebration. My mother never complained about being pregnant again. She loved us all from the very beginning of our existence.
I thank God for my mother and father and all my brothers and sisters. And now I thank God for my own family and each of my children.
I want my children to feel loved and wanted. I believe every child deserves that, at the least.
I have been loving Camille Saint Saen's The Swan recently. Something about that piece of music really resonates with me. I just can't get enough of it! It is so peaceful and dreamlike.
While learning about this piece of music I found out that The Swan is just one part of Camille Saint Saen's Carnival of the Animals.
I watched a really informative video on YouTube where I learned about each piece included in Carnival of the Animals. The suite is made up of 14 movements:
1. Introduction and March of the Lions
2. Hens and Roosters
3. Wild Donkeys Swift Animals
4. Tortoises
5. The Elephant
6. Kangaroos
7. Aquarium
8. Characters with Long Ears
9. The Cuckoo
10. Aviary
11. Pianists
12. Fossils
13. The Swan
14. Finale
The funny part is that Camille Saint Saen wrote Carnival of the Animals as a joke. It wasn't a serious work, but it became his most famous musical accomplishment. He lived at a time when a lot of musical innovation was happening. Music was rapidly evolving, or, in Camille Saint Saen's opinion rapidly devolving. I have only read briefly about the composer, but the impression I have is that he was a stickler for 'proper,' tried and true, old-fashioned music techniques and theory. You know, the way music was taught when he was a youngster at conservatory. Doesn't every generation say something like that?
Anyway, how ironic that his least serious music became just about the only music that he is remembered by.
I have been listening to Carnival of the Animals on SoundCloud and becoming familiar with each part. My favorite's are The Swan and Fossils. My 8 year old likes Aquarium and March of the Lions the most.
A trick that works for me to be able to listen to music on SoundCloud advertisement free is, that I go to the SoundCloud website in my mobile browser. I don't sign in to any account. I use the search tool to search for specific music that I am looking for, sometimes by title, sometimes by composer. I can play the music in the background or while my phone screen in off. The only trouble is that sometimes the next song that plays automatically is not my choice, and I have to get back on the page and turn it off.
When I am absent mindedly listening to the whole Carnival of the Animals suite and The Swan comes on and I think to myself, "Boy, this music is so nice!" And then I pay attention and I realize, "Oh, this is The Swan, of course, I think it is so nice!" And I chuckle to myself.
Are you familiar with The Swan by Camille Saint Saen? If not, I encourage you to give it a listen and let me know what you think!
Here is the YouTube video that I found to be so informative:
(in case the link doesn't work the title is, "Listener's Guide to Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint Saen," on the YouTube channel Odd Quartet.)
I have no control over suggested videos or advertising.
Last week I went through them and spent a couple hours taping pages and covers back together.
I was thinking a lot about the contradictory feelings I go through as a mother. On the one hand I want to teach my children to take better care of our possessions and on the other hand I have to remind myself that I shouldn't care so much for our possessions that I become overmuch angry when they get destroyed. How do I strike the right balance?
