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~ Remembering that life is a comedy and the world is a small town.

Larry Muffin At Home

Tag Archives: Peggy Lee

Miss Peggy Lee

22 Friday May 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in Music, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Jazz, Lyrics, Peggy Lee, Songs

The month of May marks the 100th Birthday of the wonderful singer Peggy Lee. Someone with such a beautiful voice, singing these great songs so love by the public was born in 1920 in Jamestown, North Dakota. Her maiden name was Norma Deloris Egstrom, the seventh of the eight children of Selma Amelia (née Anderson) Egstrom and Marvin Olof Egstrom, a station agent for the railroad. Her father was Swedish-American and her mother was Norwegian-American.

Lee was married four times: to guitarist and composer Dave Barbour (1943–1951), actor Brad Dexter (1953), actor Dewey Martin (1956–1958), and percussionist Jack Del Rio (1964–1965). All the marriages ended in divorce. She gave birth to her only child at age 23, a daughter Nicki Lee Foster on November 11, 1943. Her daughter died of a stroke in 2014, there are also grandchildren Holly, Micheal and David and many great grand children.

Peggy Lee was a great Jazz singer and so many of her songs stay with me, I love listening to her voice. They represent an era in my life between 1967-1980, and I associate them most with Montreal, my native town. Like so many artists of the 20th century, she embodied something that can only be remembered if you lived through that time.

Such a sophisticated and stylish Jazz Singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman’s big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music.

Happy memories on this Anniversary. Happy Birthday Miss Peggy Lee. 

 

Song

Is That All There Is

Artist

Peggy Lee

Album

The Jazz Story – Tea For Two

Writers

Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller

Anniversary 4 Years ago

12 Sunday Apr 2020

Posted by larrymuffin in life

≈ 13 Comments

Tags

Blossom Dearie, Charlottetown, Easter, memories, Music, Peggy Lee, PEI, sunshine

On this beautiful and Sunny Easter Sunday listening to Blossom Dearie sing accompanied by Joe Harnell and Miss Peggy Lee, music chosen specifically to remind us of life or time long ago, a month ago!

In April 2016 at this time in Ottawa we were actively packing and cleaning our apartment, the move to PEI was upon us. The condo where we lived had been sold and we had to decide where we were to move next. The new owners were not planning to move in, their plans were not clear and on the day before the movers where to come and pack it all for us, the new owners asked out of the blue, would we stay and continue living there. It was too late, we were committed to moving and had signed a lease in Charlottetown, plans were made and PEI was calling.

So it has been four years in Prince Edward Island living here in the Capital Charlottetown, a big village really at 36,000 persons, compared to Ottawa with more than a million people. We were packed in 2 days and I left with the puppies in the back seat of the car for the East Coast, I drove it in two days. It is 1100 Km and can be done in one day, the highway system is fast and follows the Saint-Lawrence river to the Gulf. But despite having a co-driver, a dear friend who was most helpful, he told me suddenly just after we passed Montreal some 3 hours into the trip that he had forgotten at his house back in Ottawa, his wallet and drivers licence. We had a laugh, but despite him telling me that it was not a problem because if we were stopped by the Sûreté du Québec (Provincial Police in Québec) he would explain to them that he had a permit and it was at home. Yeah sure, I know the Officers of the Sûreté du Québec and they are not the type to be understanding especially if you have out of Province plates. So I did all the driving. We stopped in Rivière du Loup at a point where the Saint-Lawrence river is very wide as it enters the Gulf and where the highway will turn right towards New Brunswick. The scenery in that area is very nice with great forests and mountains, lakes and the Sea not to forget a lot of Moose on the road, which is a dangerous hazard and so much so that you are warned to be on the look out and not let your guard down. There is also a special 3 digit number to call if you do see a Moose on the road.

Will did not come on that trip to PEI, he had to finish a work contract. The puppies were funny, both slept through the car trip, not a peep out of them, Nora was happy and exploring at pee stops the new unfamiliar scents, Nicky was not happy, he was bewildered and stressed by this break in his routine. It would get worse in the week to come, he became skittish and would vomit his food and not sleep well and this despite all the re-assurance we would give him with hugs and treats. He lost his appetite and I became worried about him. We did see a Vet in Charlottetown on arrival and she kindly explained that he was suffering from nerves because his routine was broken and was coming to a new home. We did arrive 3 days ahead of the truck transporting our 4 and a half tons of furniture and stuff. we did live in an empty house for a few days. This did not help Nicky who wanted his furniture, rugs, and other furnishings. Nicky has always been the delicate one. Nora was perfectly happy, new place Wow!

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The truck arrived carrying two containers and everything was brought into our house. It was a sunny day and then the neighbours showed up to welcome us. We had a kitchen party with 65 boxes and and furniture everywhere, but that is the way things are in PEI.

In the last four years, we learned PEI, by this I mean that being an Island with a total population of 150K and far is only a 15 minute drive away anywhere. Everyone knows everybody and went to school since kindergarden and probably married so and so cousin, etc. There are strong political and family loyalties and the Island is divided between Irish,Scotts on one side and the Acadian French on the other. Protestants and Catholics, Conservatives and Liberals. Born on PEI and CFA (come from away) who are mostly Canadians who move to the Island from other parts of Canada and then the new element the immigrants from all over the planet.

It is not like other large provinces in Canada, it is not an easy place to live in at first and pitfalls are many, it takes a lot of ploughing through. Most people who have second homes on PEI come for two or three months a year in the Summer and then leave, so the so called Islanders treat them as nice tourists and they in turn are not aware of the under current of society. We living here full time including not leaving the Island to go South for a few weeks in Winter makes us Islanders by adoption.

We have wondered sometimes why we were here and had we made a mistake being so accustomed to large metropolitan cities and capitals around the world to come to such a small place. But as I say in the title page of this blog; The World is a small village, so we see our home here in Charlottetown as our new home, this is our place now.

The last four years has been very busy, no sleepy retirement for us. Volunteer opportunities are numerous and everywhere. For Will and I there was the Art Gallery of the Confederation Centre. Will got involved with our 52 year old Symphonic Orchestra with its Maestro from Juilliard in NYC, fundraising and organizing numerous events and programs for the loyal following. Then one day I went knocking on the door of Government House. A friend had suggested I go speak with the E.A. of the Lieutenant Governor of PEI and offer my services given my past work experience. I was somewhat hesitant to do that, but why not, had to walk up past the gates and see if some guard would chase me away, no not at all. Yes of course said the E.A. I could come and help I was told. So I started there as a volunteer.

images.jpeg

With elections coming on at the Provincial and Municipal level, I started to study the social and political issues, the trends and various opinions floating around. I did run for City Councillor in my Ward. It was a very interesting experiment, I learned an awful lot about society and life in PEI and Charlottetown, Political factions and the ever present and influential wealthy first families who control the economy with a very tight grip. I did become well known and a lot of people were curious about why I wanted to get involved in what many saw as quick sand. I also got involved with the Acadian Cultural Association and their many activities, 2020 marks the 300th Anniversary of Acadian presence on the Island and the terrible events which would lead to mass ethnic cleansing in 1750-55. PEI has a very rich history and a complicated one at that.

In the last four years Will and I met lots of people from the Lieutenant Governor to the Premier to the Mayor to many Artists and cultural figures, developers and business people.

So it has been four years, we think of it sometimes as a ”posting”  which would correspond to the period we would spend in one Capital around the world before moving on. The difference now is that we are here and God willing we will stay here and continue to learn this Island.

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So since we cannot have a party to celebrate with our friends on the Island, we will have to plan for sometime later. In a departure from tradition we also cannot have people over for Easter Sunday Lunch, it is only the two of us, but on the menu we have roasted PEI lamb chops, Greek roasted potatoes, carrots and brocolini, a nice French rosé wine and the German Easter Bread turned into a bread pudding with all its lovely flavours of apricot jam, raisins and almonds.

To quote Her Majesty, We will meet again. Wishing you all a very Happy Easter.

FFD5B022-7972-4783-8295-C0ACF8AFA6E2.jpg

Nicky enjoying the Spring morning sunshine on his favourite chair, he is looking forward to hot Summer days.

 

Nostalgia

11 Sunday Mar 2018

Posted by larrymuffin in art, Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Birthday, CBC, Family, Montreal, Music, Peggy Lee, Radio Canada, San Francisco, Tony Bennett

The definition of the word Nostalgia is thus; a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

I always get this at this time of the year as my birthday approaches. Lately we have been listening to Radio-Canada the French language national broadcaster whose head office in is Montreal. They have a lot more music than the English service of the CBC in Toronto who appear to be big on talk show, Radio-Canada also has a wider choice of music, I find it more agreeable.

Radio-Canada plays a broad range of classical music and popular music but will do more retro music from the 1930’s to 1970’s, Brazilian, South American, West African, Middle Eastern. I do prefer it to the mostly American/Canadian hipster music played on the CBC which is very limiting and who has developed the unfortunate habit of talking to listeners as if they were 5 years old and on the French service you do not get news every hour.

So here is this song by Tony Bennett, I left my heart in San Francisco which was a favourite of my parents, I heard it last night on the radio programme C’est si bon, I remember this song from the late 1960’s, lots of family memories.  I visited San Francisco in 1982 and stayed at the St-Francis Hotel, the have a very good memory of the city. Another song by Peggy Lee, my favourite being Is that all there is, again it brings back vivid memories of Montreal between 1966-1972 the downtown core.  All this was 50 years ago but it was a far more optimistic period than what we see today.  A lot of the people I knew then are gone now and the City has changed beyond recognition. This is not to say that we did not have a good life afterwards. Like a lot of people the past it seems was less complicated than life today one wonders about all the change and if there is just a little too much of it.

 

 

Dental Office as an Art Gallery

31 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by larrymuffin in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

art., asbtract expressionism, Cecil B. Demille, Cornwall PEI, dental, Dentist, dentistry, Norma Desmond, Peggy Lee, PEI, Sunset Blvd

Going to the dentist on regular basis has been something I have been doing since the age of 6.  My parents believed in the benefits of good teeth and a regular check-up. This may explain why I have such wonderful teeth today, which I am told, by several dentist, is not so common in our society. Most people dread going to the dentist and will avoid it if at all possible.

Me, I go twice a year for cleaning and check-up, the last time in February it was for a root canal my first ever at age 60. We all heard the horror stories about the dentist and how unpleasant it is. The root canal was done on tooth number 15, our teeth are numbered, it is easier for the dentist to locate them, most of us have 32 teeth.

I also had a question about tooth 31, result of today all is in good shape and nothing to report. One thing a lot of hygienists find disconcerting with me is the fact that I fall asleep in the chair at the dentist. Even during the root canal treatment which lasted a good hour, I was fighting the urge not to fall asleep and then I asked my dentist afterwards, when was he going to do the root canal. He looked at me with an expression of surprise on his face, what do you think I was doing all this time, he says. In my best Peggy Lee, I said; Is that all there is to root canal?

So today I went to a new dentist in our new home town, the clinic is in Cornwall, a small town just a few minutes from my home. The building is rather unassuming, vintage 1960 and probably an old post Office. The door and the handles gave me that impression, the building looks like a small bungalow and is on a dead end street beside a big United Church and an old cemetery, across the street is the old general store under massive renovations and it will become the new dental office.

Dentist Office (2).jpg

The practice belongs to Dr. D.A.S. who is an obvious Art lover with a very good eye. The minute you enter the reception area you notice the art work everywhere including the various sculptures around the building outside, it’s original art and not prints you can buy at Winner’s. The paintings on the wall reminded me of Canadian painter Jack Bush, the style is modern vintage 1950-1960, abstract expressionism. I did not tour the whole clinic but I will have to take a closer look on my next visit. It sure beats watching Ellen on TV, she seems to be very popular in dental offices these days. All this to say that it gives the clinic a very elegant European feel and certainly takes your mind off the dental work. Let’s hear it for original art work in the dental or medical office.

I will have to enquire as to the name of the artists on display in the Office. The final result of this visit to the Dentist was that I could be the poster child for Crest! As Norma Desmond would say; I am ready for my close-up Mr DeMille.

 

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