I haven’t been in much of a mood to write lately. But so many things have smacked my heart over the past couple of weeks that I wanted to pull them together to share.
Music #1: YoYo Ma
I’ll start with Viktor Orri Árnason’s “Earth Hymn,” filmed live in the shadow of the Snæfellsnes glacier and performed by Yo-Yo Ma and a vocal quintet. It brought me to tears.
Emma started writing her journals in 1927 in rural Iowa. She was 48 years old. Each week I’ve published entries from one or two months of the journals with annotations and links to historical context, fashion, geography, and more. This means that her timeline moves faster than mine…she gets a year older about every 3 months. We’ve just hit the crossing point—her age caught up with mine; now I’m in the zone where she is starting to move into later life, and I can see the end of the project coming down the road. (Still many good stories to come, as I hope is true in my own life as well!)
I’m getting close to the same point in Katharine’s travels. She was born in 1905, and right now I’m writing about her travels in Thailand in 1970. But what’s really grabbing me there is the realization of what a kindred spirit she was—as I go through boxes of slides she took in her journeys, I can see the same curiosity and interest in the people and places around her that I feel in myself as I move through the world. Here’s one of her pictures that I fell in love with: a Buddhist nun in Hua Hin.
Photo: Katharine Boylan
Project Miata
My mom has loved driving her 1991 British racing green Miata. It has been sidelined in her garage for a few years with clutch issues. Mom’s now facing some significant health challenges, and my brother John decided it was time to get it into working order so she might have the opportunity to get behind the wheel again.
He’s a car guy, and is part of a forum connected to Grassroots Motorsports, a magazine and community for sportscar enthusiasts. He planned a project day, put out the call, and God’s own pit crew showed up, tools in hand—including one who flew in for the occasion. Much to my delight, this took place on a day I was visiting Mom, so I got to take some pictures.
What happened after that is a story I’ll remember forever. Mom got behind the wheel and took it—clutch, stick shift and all—for a spin.
The smile on her face and the memories that were made…priceless! Thanks to the wonderful team who came out to help.
Photos / Linda Hoopes
Music #2: Bringing In the Summer
Performed in Gailge (Irish) by The Gloaming, this song celebrates Beltane, the coming of summer.
Gaeilge (Irish)
Bábóg na Bealtaine, maighdean an tSamhraidh,
Suas gach cnoc is síos gach gleann,
Cailíní maiseacha bán-gheala gléasta,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na nóinín glégeal,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Thugamar linn é ón gcoill chraobhaigh,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí ó luí na gréine,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na nóinín glégeal,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Tá an fhuiseog ag seinm ‘sag luascadh sna spéartha,
Áthas do lá is bláth ar chrann.
Tá an chuach is an fhuiseog ag seinm le pléisiúr,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh, samhradh, bainne na ngamhna,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Samhradh buí na nóinín glégeal,
Thugamar féin an samhradh linn.
Béarla (English)
Mayday doll, maiden of Summer
Up every hill and down every glen,
Beautiful girls, radiant and shining,
We have brought the Summer in.
Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,
We have brought the Summer in.
We brought it in from the leafy woods,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow Summer from the time of the sunset,
We have brought the Summer in.
Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,
We have brought the Summer in.
The lark is singing and swinging around in the skies,
Joy for the day and the flower on the trees.
The cuckoo and the lark are singing with pleasure,
We have brought the Summer in.
Summer, Summer, milk of the calves,
We have brought the Summer in.
Yellow summer of clear bright daisies,
We have brought the Summer in.
Of course we can’t end this without a sailing picture…a night with no wind that was nevertheless lovely.
Photo / Linda Hoopes
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