“I know a little maiden,
She is very fair and sweet.
As she trips among the grasses
That kiss her dainty feet.
Her arms are full of flowers,
The snow-drops-pure and white,
Timid blue-eyed violets,
And daffodillies bright.”
“A Child of Spring” by Ellen Field
Our daffodils should be out soon. Abigail Adams called them “daffodillies,” as did our poet for this week, Ellen Field. They are one of my favorite flowers. So stately. One year, daughter Sue looked through a catalog of spring bulbs and found a pink daffodil. We did buy a few but they did not last from one year to another. Hubby will soon buy some pansies for our front porch. He picks ones of various colors. They look so pretty together.
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On Sat., March 7, Hubby, daughter Sue, and I drove to the Common Market in Quincy to see “A Tribute to the Ladies of Soul,” (from Doo-Wop to Disco). We did not read the post card announcing the group very carefully. The starting time was pushed back to 7:30 p.m. We were very early so we were allowed to sit in an empty room where we had a chance to reread the announcement. That night’s three singers were members of the Boston Soul Revue. They were scheduled to take us through the decades of female singing groups like the Shirelles, the Marvelettes, and the Supremes, along with classic singers like Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, and Donna Summer. The first singer, Sweet Judy Teo, has performed with the Marvelettes, the Flamingoes, and the Drifters. Miz Shannell attended the Longy School of Music and was recently featured in a Diana Ross show. The third singer, Thea G., was classically trained and received her degree from the New England Conservatory. She has performed at the Ryles Jazz Club and the Burlington Jazz Festival. We met pal Eileen Collins, who purchased the tickets for evening’s musical revue, and we sat with her and Peggy Gorman. While we were waiting for the show to begin, Eileen told me that she had seen Catherine O’Neill’s play “The Fence,” at the Boston Center for the Arts the previous evening and thought it was wonderful.
The girls outdid themselves with the songs they picked to sing: “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?”; “Baby, It’s You”; “Just One Look”; “Please, Mr. Postman”; “Stop, in the Name of Love”; and “Dancin’ in the Streets.” Everybody joined in on “RESPECT.” Then we heard old favorites, like “Midnight Train to Georgia.” After which “I Will Survive” had many singing along. The evening passed very quickly because most of the audience was singing with the trio.
The band was amazing. From where we sat, I could see the drummer. She was terrific. I went over to compliment her. Then Eileen and I went over to Miz Shannell because she was singing so beautifully on our side of the stage. We introduced ourselves. I told Shannell that I worked for The Dorchester Reporter. She knew of the paper because she lives in Dorchester. She also knows our friend Dennis Walsh, who holds two fun afternoons for people with disabilities each year. She said that she hopes to attend Dennis’s afternoon for the disabled on June 7 at Florian Hall from 4 to 8 p.m. if she doesn’t have a “gig.” When we got back to our seats, we agreed that the evening’s show was terrific.
***
An Easter Update: the time to begin the Easter Sunrise Mass at Castle Island is 6:20 a.m., according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Wear warm clothing. We have seen some of the people who have attended this Castle Island Mass at Gerard’s at 7:15 a.m on Easter. They can’t wait to have a cup of hot coffee.
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On March 17, we had a great St. Patrick’s Day excursion. Pal Eileen Collins had hired a bus to take people to the Irish Village in South Yarmouth. We would not only have luncheon at the Irish Village, we would also have Irish music. We would even be able to shop before and after the luncheon. We hadn’t been down to the Irish Village since last October when we spent five lovely days there. I know I slept a little bit in the bus on the way down. Soon we were at the Job Lot store in Yarmouth that always has a few things that almost everyone needs. I raided the Easter greeting card section and came out with a small bag. Some had much larger bags. We had about a half hour in the store and then it was back on the bus.
It was just a short drive to the Irish Village. Our friend Tom, one of the owners, greeted us like long-lost relatives. Michael, who sings beautifully, was bartending that day. He told us that he would probably sing during our visit. I checked to see if singer Sheila Glynn was going to be at the luncheon and was pleased to hear that she was.
We were ushered to several tables near the front of the stage. Within a few minutes, the corned beef dinner was brought out from the kitchen. It was delicious. While we were eating, Fintan Stanley and Benny Kelly were playing Irish songs for us. Then more and more people came into the hall. One busload of very friendly people were from Rockland. Some took advantage of the breaks between the courses to get up and dance. It was then that I saw Sheila Glynn out dancing. As soon as she had finished dancing, I went over to chat with her. She told me that her husband had passed away in June. We chitchatted for a few more minutes. Hubby took a couple of great photos of Sheila and me. I promised that I would send them to her.
Hubby also took a great photo of Tom MacCormack. I will send that one to him. When I returned to my table, I learned that Tom’s wife and two of their kids were in the restaurant. They were easy to pick out because they were the only two children in the room. I went up to Tom’s wife and told her that her husband takes very good care of our group. A little later, I saw that his wife and kids were in the room where Tom works. I asked his wife’s name and found out that she is Milissa (with an “i” not an “e.”). His girls’ names are Tailelaith and Marsaili, (with an accent mark over the last “I”.) I didn’t dare to pronounce their names. Hubby took a couple of photos of them also.
We told the staff that we would see them in June once again and we reluctantly boarded our bus. As we drove out of the Irish Village’s driveway, our pal Gregory Ashe began singing “Four Green Fields.” We all joined in singing. We weren’t sure which Christmas Tree Shop we were going to visit that day. We figured it would be the big store at the bridge. We were wrong. We pulled into the one in Pembroke. The store had so many nice Irish things to decorate our home. I had to restrain myself. We arrived back in Dorchester just about 5 p.m. As we got off the bus in front of St. Brendan’s Church, a violent gust of wind came and pushed me sideways. (I think it was the one clocked at 63 mph.) The smaller women grabbed one another. Then a hailstorm hit us as we were trying to walk to our cars. The weather experts later that evening mentioned that the cold front hit Boston just about 5 p.m., with strong winds and hail. We were right in the middle of it. It was scary. We were relieved when we arrived home. The storm was not the ending that we had expected for our lovely St. Patrick’s Day trip.
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We are ready for Easter. We won’t have outside lights until we repair the rose trellis in front of our house. We thought there would be no saving the spreading yew across from the porch stairs. It was bent in some parts and flat on the ground. I thought we’d have to cut it down. The next morning, the yew was completely upright and it looked beautiful. It even needs a little trimming because it is too wide. Hubby brought home a pot of shamrocks and a pot of Oxalis. They are on my kitchen window sill, waiting for a little warmer weather to be put outside.
Easter is a lovely time of year. I think of our kids trying to find out where the Easter Bunny had hidden their baskets. I remember when daughter Jeanne, sitting practically on top of Hubby who was in bed, pulled down Hubby’s sleepy eyelid, asking “Are you in there?” She had melted chocolate all over her chin and fingers. We have proof of what she had been up to. I hope that you all have a wonderful Easter.
