Every summer I think back to our summer trips up to Caseville. My grandparents had a mobile home up there. As we made the two hour drive up there, my brother and I always looked for the familiar landmarks along the way. Romeo had an old country store with penny candy. Almont had the Almont Saddlery. Imlay City had an A&W, as did Marlette. Marlette was the halfway point. As we continued north, we’d pass Cass City. The next stop was Owendale, which had a small market where we’d stop and get Faygo pop. We then would look for the grain towers in Pigeon. Once we passed them, we were in the home stretch.
When we arrived at my grandparent’s place, we’d pull into the driveway, which was all gravel. Trips were usually on the weekends and never long enough. This picture was taken in the kitchen.
My dad is at the stove, my brother is in the middle and I am on the right. Looking at this picture, I can smell the bacon and sausage, which were breakfast staples up north. If my grandparents were there with us, my dad would share the cooking with my grandpa. We always looked forward to those big breakfasts!
It’s amazing how I can picture the things that are not in the picture. Directly to my left in the picture was the fridge. Behind me was dining room table. There was an air conditioner in the middle window. In the top right of the photo, you can see what is sort of like a hutch. There were two cupboards at the bottom and a “counter” on top of those. Above those were two shelves where they had a ceramic mallard duck, a candy dish, and a few of my grandma’s Erma Bombeck books. There was a mirror at the back of the shelves.
The raised counter that is behind the sink was where we usually ate. There were barstools there and the kids ate there while the adults were at the table. The living room was in front of the barstools. That was where we’d watch the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon every year. I can remember there was always a big, loud lady on there that sang songs. She was probably someone famous, but for the life of me, I cannot think of who it could be.
The bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry area were down the hall. We almost always slept in my aunt’s bedroom. She is four years older than me, so she was probably 13 or so. She had Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books in her room and plenty of cat posters on her wall. If I remember correctly, she had a deck of Uno cards and I played it for the first time up north. Coincidentally, today is her birthday. Happy Birthday, Jodi.
I am sure that I have written about Caseville in other blogs. I probably have posted pictures, too, but not this one. This was one of those surprise finds on a hard drive. It is a reminder of some amazing family trips with family members who have since passed away. Those were some wonderful times. My pipe dream is to one day be in a position to get a place up there.
According to the date stamp on today’s picture, it is from the summer of 1981. We spent many summers going up north to Caseville. They were usually weekend trips. Off the top of my head, I can only recall two family vacations. One of them was to King’s Island and Sea World (probably when I was in kindergarten or first grade). The other was to Mackinac Island.
As I recall, we had a hotel in Mackinaw City. It is located at the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. I’m sure there were places that we visited there, but I don’t remember much of that. I do remember the day we went to Mackinac Island. As you can see, you had to take a boat over to the Island from the city.
There are no cars allowed on the island. There are plenty of horse drawn carriages and bicycles. There are also plenty of shops where you can find the famous Mackinac Fudge.
The highlight of this trip was actually visiting Fort Mackinac. This fort is located on the island. Fort Michilimackinac is actually in Mackinaw City.
Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City is seen from a guard tower on Friday, Sept. 25, 2015. The fort was built by French soldiers in 1715 and was taken over by the British 1761 after the French and Indian War.
My dad took a lot of pictures from our trip, but some of them are lost. I remember he took this really awesome shot of a cannon being shot. You could see the flame coming out of the wick area and the muzzle in front. It was such a cool picture. I wish I still had it.
One of my favorite photos of my mom, my brother and me was taken at one of the forts.
With all of the trouble that my brother and I cause for my parents, my mom had to pose for the above photo! I remember her saying, “I gotta get me a set of these for at home!”
There were quite a bit of things around the fort where prisoners were held. The above photo is us in the foot stocks. There is another picture somewhere of my brother and I with our heads and hands in the stocks. This was so cool to see.
The look on my mom’s face is priceless. She is all smiles! I imagine if she did have these at home, she’d be smiling bigger! I think it is hilarious to see the two personalities of my brother and me. My brother not only has his feet in the stocks, he had his hands in there, too. No fight, he just submits to the punishment. I, on the other hand, and pulling at my feet in hopes of breaking out and getting free!
I love that the sign says that the stocks were for “petty offenses!” I am just guessing that the “offenses” my brother and I caused were more along the lines of misdemeanors or felonies! LOL
It is photos like this that make me miss my mom more than usual. I know if she was still around she’d be taking her grandkids on trips like this.
43 years ago today, I experienced the loss of a loved one for the first time. I was 11 years old when my maternal grandfather passed away after having a heart attack while on a business trip.
Grandpa and me
My grandparents had a trailer that they purchased up in Caseville, Michigan and we spent a lot of time up there in the summer. In September, we’d go up and they’d get ready to lock it up for the winter. I remember those days as being very chilly. When I would come back inside, my glasses would fog up.
Grandpa and Grandma
At the trailer the first year they had it, they didn’t have a TV right away. So we had a radio to listen to. I don’t remember there being many stations, and that was probably the reason they had many albums on cassette.
The two that seemed to get the most play were Johnny Paycheck’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 and Willie Nelson’s Stardust. My grandpa loved that Willie album and once said that September Song was his favorite on the album.
When he passed away in September, the song and the album began to mean a whole lot more to me. I’d like to think that him and my grandma share heavenly dances to September Song today. I sure do miss them both.
Dancing in our basement at my first communion party.
The Stardust album is in my top five albums of all time. In honor of my Grandpa, here is Willie Nelson’s version …
Welcome back to The Music of My Life, where I feature ten songs from each year of my life. In most cases, the ten songs I choose will be ones I like personally (unless I explain otherwise). The songs will be selected from Billboard’s Year-end Hot 100 Chart, Acclaimed Music, and will all be released in the featured year. In the final year of the 70’s, I turned 9 years old.
1979 is a year where I was surprised to find many of the songs that wound up on my mom’s ballad 8-track tape. I could easily have posted all of those songs in this blog, but then you would fall asleep listening to them, just like my brother and I did on our way up north. Instead, I will list them at the end of this blog, and if you wish, you can search them on YouTube.
So let’s begin with the first of two “out of place” or “odd” songs….
The first song is part of the soundtrack of my summer of 1979. The song seemed to be playing in a very hot rotation and was always on the radio when we were up at my grandparents place.
Frank Mills wrote and recorded “Music Box Dancer” in 1974, but it did not become a Canadian single until December 1978. By Christmas of that year, it was in the top ten of many European and Asian pop music charts. It was released as a single in the United States in January 1979 and got up to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.
In 1974, Mills released an album that featured the song, but it was not initially a hit. When he re-signed with Polydor Records Canada in 1978, the label released a new song as a single, with “Music Box Dancer” on the B-side. Because of a mistake, a single of “Music Box Dancer” found its way into the hands of a pop station in Ottawa – the single was only supposed to go out to adult contemporary stations. The station’s program director listened to the A-side and wondered why it was sent to him. He played the B-side and liked what he heard anyway and began airing it in rotation. Next thing you know, the album’s gone gold in Canada.
Music Box Dancer
The next song makes the list because it was on the iPod of my ex. My oldest son used to take it and listen to it all the time and I can still hear him in his toddler voice singing the chorus of this one.
Hot Stuff is a single that was on Donna Summer’s 7th studio album, Bad Girls. The song is unique in that while many consider it disco, many others consider it rock. As a matter of fact, when the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category was added at the Grammy Awards in 1980, Donna Summer won for “Hot Stuff.”
The song has ties to other music as well. It was written by Pete Bellotte, Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey. Bellotte co-wrote a few other hits for Summer, including “Love To Love You Baby” and ” Heaven Knows.” Faltermeyer had a solo hit in 1984 with the theme from Beverly Hills Cop, “Axel F” and Forsey’s credits include “Don’t You Forget About Me” for Simple Minds and “Shakedown” for Bob Seger.
This was Summer’s second #1 hit on the Hot 100; her first was her disco cover of “MacArthur Park.”
Hot Stuff
Here is a song that is missing one of the things the band is known for. Don’t Bring Me Down was the first ELO song that did not use strings. According to Songfacts, after recording it, they fired their string section, leaving four members in the band.
ELO leader Jeff Lynne wrote this song late in the sessions for the “Discovery” album. He came up with the track by looping the drums from a song he recorded earlier in the session, then coming up with more music on the piano. The words came last, as Lynne put together some lyrics about a girl who thinks she’s too good for the guy she’s with.
Here’s a fun fact: Wanna know why Jeff Lynne repeatedly sings the word “groose” after the song’s title line? Apparently it was a made-up place-keeper word to fill a gap in the vocals when he was improvising the lyrics. When the German engineer Reinhold Mack heard the ELO frontman’s demo, he asked Lynne how he knew “gruss” means “greetings” in his country’s language. Upon learning the German meaning, Lynne decided to leave it in.
Don’t Bring Me Down
“Hey Ringo, play something hot!”
Those are the words that Rodney Dangerfield’s character in Caddyshack says to the band at the snobbish country club as he throws money at them. As the money falls, the band plays the opening 5 note stings from Boogie Wonderland from Earth Wind and Fire (With the Emotions). I’ve always loved that song because of the movie connection.
The song, while it is upbeat and happy sounding, it really isn’t. Songfacts calls it one of the more complex and misinterpreted songs of the disco era. Written by Jon Lind and Allee Willis, it was inspired by the movie Looking For Mr. Goodbar, which stars Diane Keaton as a lost soul who goes to clubs every night to dance away her misery.
Willis says, “When I saw Mr. Goodbar, I got kind of fascinated with people who did go to clubs every night, whose life was kind of falling apart, but they lived for the night life, though it didn’t seem to be advancing them as humans in the end. So if you really look at the lyrics of ‘Boogie Wonderland,’ unlike ‘September,’ it’s not a happy song at all. It’s really about someone on the brink of self destruction who goes to these clubs to try and find more, but is at least aware of the fact that if there’s something like true love, that is something that could kind of drag them out of the abyss. So ‘Boogie Wonderland’ for us was this state of mind that you entered when you were around music and when you danced, but hopefully it was an aware enough state of mind that you would want to feel as good during the day as you did at night.”
Boogie Wonderland
The second “out of place” or “odd” song is also a movie song. It may seem like a very simple kid song, but if you listen to what the songwriter says about it, the song is deeper than you can imagine.
This was written by songwriters Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher for The Muppet Movie, which came out in 1979. In the film, it is sung by Kermit The Frog as the Muppets set out to find adventure. In a interview Williams said: “Rainbow Connection was the first number in The Muppet Movie. It’s the one that establishes the lead character. We find Kermit sitting in the middle of the swamp. Kenny Ascher and I sat down to write these songs, and we thought… Kermit, he’s like ‘every frog.’ He’s the Jimmy Stewart of frogs. So how do we show that he’s a thinking frog, and that he has an introspective soul, and all that good stuff? We looked at his environment, and his environment is water and air – and light. And it just seemed like it would be a place where he would see a rainbow. But we also wanted to show that he would be on this spiritual path, examining life, and the meaning of life.
It tells you that he’s been exposed to culture: ‘Why are there so many songs about rainbows?’ Which means, obviously, he’s heard a lot of songs. This is a frog that’s been exposed to culture, whether it’s movies, or records, or whatever. And I also like the fact that it starts out with the negative: ‘Rainbows are only illusions, rainbows have nothing to hide.’ So the song actually starts out as if he’s going to pooh-pooh the whole idea, and then it turns: ‘So we’ve been told, and some choose to believe it. I know they’re wrong, wait and see.’ And again, he doesn’t have the answer: ‘Someday we’ll find it.'”
Now, with that in mind, give this masterpiece a listen!
Rainbow Connection
Next is my “go-to” Karaoke song. I’ve always loved the line, “You had me down 21 to zip, the smile of Judas on your lip.” What a great line. Bad Case of Loving you was written by Moon Martin who released the original version on his 1978 album Shots From a Cold Nightmare. Martin is a singer/guitarist/songwriter with his band Southwind. When the group broke up in 1971, he took on studio work. He paired up with Linda Ronstadt, and played on her self-titled album. He nearly joined some of Ronstadt’s other backing musicians in a little band called the Eagles, but ended up a solo artist and signed a deal with Capitol Records.
Martin’s album got some good reviews but went nowhere on the charts. A song called “Hot Nite In Dallas” was chosen as a single, but “Bad Case Of Loving You” was only given limited release in Europe. Enter Robert Palmer. He heard the song when he was being driven to one of his shows by a rep from his label, who played it for him. Palmer included it in his set and got a great response, so he recorded it for his Secrets album.
Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
In 1989, Palmer released a remix of this song for his Addictions: Volume 1 greatest hits album. “Looking back at the 1978 original the performance was there but someone was asleep at the mixing desk,” he wrote in the liner notes. “The original mix in comparison sounded like a band rehearsing in a garage and this sounds like the finished song.” I can’t listen to the original cut much anymore. The remix is SO MUCH better!
I LOVE good harmonies. This song kicks right off with a cold open and the amazing a cappella harmony of The Little River Band. Most of the band’s hits were written by founding members Graham Goble, Beeb Birtles or Glenn Shorrock, but “Lonesome Loser” was written by guitarist David Briggs, who joined in 1976 after the band’s second album.
The lyric uses a lot of gambling imagery to tell the story of the lonesome loser, who staked his heart and lost. His adversary is the “Queen of Hearts,” who will always win this game of love. The same year this song was released (1979), Dave Edmunds had a UK hit with a song called “Queen of Hearts” that used the same metaphor. That song, of course, became an American hit when Juice Newton covered it in 1981.
Lonesome Loser
Speaking of great harmonies and the Eagles, the next song features both. Heartache Tonight was written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey with Bob Seger and J.D. Souther. Songfacts says: When Frey was a 19-year-old in Detroit, Seger took him under his wing and got his music career started. Souther, who is sometimes considered an “Unofficial Eagle,” was the first person Frey met when he moved to Los Angeles in the late-’60s. J.D. Souther, told us how this song started: “Glenn Frey and I had been listening to Sam Cooke records at my house. So we were just walking around clapping our hands and snapping fingers and singing the verses to those songs. The melody sounds very much like those Sam Cooke shuffles. There’s not much to it. I mean, it’s really just two long verses. But it felt really good.”
Bob Seger’s contribution to this song was the chorus. JD Souther says, “We didn’t get to a chorus that we liked within the first few days, and I think Glenn was on the phone with Seger, and he said, ‘I wanna run something by you,’ and sang it to him, and Seger just came right in with the chorus, just sang it and it was so good. Glen called me and said, ‘Is four writers okay on this?’ And I said, ‘Sure, if it’s good.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, it’s great. Seger just sang this to me,’ and he sang it to me and I said, ‘That’s fantastic.'”
According to Seger, he was in the room with Glenn Frey when he came up with the chorus. He told Entertainment Weekly: “Glenn had the verse: ‘Somebody’s gonna hurt someone before the night is through.’ We hadn’t been sitting down for more that five minutes and I just blurted out, ‘There’s gonna be a heartache tonight!’ His eyes lit up huge.”
Heartache Tonight
The next song is one that I used to hear on the way home from elementary school. I had a buddy who got a ride home every day and his mom would often give me a lift, too. Keep in mind the ride home was 5 to 7 minutes tops, but it always seemed to be on the radio when we were in the car.
Freddie Mercury wrote Crazy Little Thing Called Love while Queen was recording The Game in Germany. He wrote it while taking a bubble bath in his room at the Munich Hilton. Peter Hince, the head of Queen’s road crew, recalled to Mojo magazine September 2009: “The idea for the song came to him while he was in the bath. He emerged, wrapped in a towel, I handed him the guitar and he worked out the chords there and then. Fred had this knack of knowing a great pop song.”
Freddie acknowledged that perhaps his limited talent on the guitar helped shape the song:
On stage, this was an important part of the show. Brian May often used three different guitars during the song: the first verse was played by Freddie alone with his guitar, then Brian joined with another Ovation Acoustic; before the third verse he had already switched to a Telecaster on which he performed the solo. During the singalong part (famous for its “ready Freddie” line) Brian again changed instruments to his homemade Red Special. From 1984 onwards Mercury replaced the acoustic with another Telecaster.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
The final selection comes from a band who was formed on Valentines Day of 1977 in Detroit. That is what inspired their name – the Romantics.
Believe it or not, the band have only two US Top 40 hits, and “What I Like About You,” now their best-known song, isn’t one of them. ( Their two Top 40 hits were “Talking In Your Sleep” and “One In A Million”). It attracted little attention and was only a minor hit when first released in 1980 on their debut album. This song’s resurgence had a lot to do with MTV. The band made a simple performance video for the song that MTV put in rotation when they launched in 1981. It fit the criteria the network was looking for: American band, rock, catchy song, acceptable production quality. Since few American artists made videos at the time, MTV made do with lots of European imports when they started.
Since then the song has also become a fixture at sporting events, bars and nightclubs, and parties and celebrations of all kinds, and has taken its place as one of the most popular rock anthems of all time. It’s nice to wrap up the last year of the decade with an uptempo, fun song!
What I Like About You
I’m sure I have missed a few favorites, and the more I look ahead, the more I wonder if I need to expand to more than ten songs. I’ll tackle that issue if I have to later on.
Next week, we ring in a new decade – 1980! The 80’s sound certainly can be heard in some of these late 70’s songs and from here on out, the sound progresses quickly!
I posted this week about our little getaway to my father-in-law’s cabin. As I mentioned, there were many things about that trip that reminded me of our trips to Caseville when I was a kid. Coincidentally, I stumbled on a picture I had not seen in some time from one of those trips. As a matter of fact, it may be from one of the last ones we took up there.
In 1981, my grandfather passed away after having a heart attack while he was on a business trip. I don’t recall how long we kept the place after he passed, but it had to be a few years later. He really loved that place and so did our family. I know it never felt the same for me after he had passed away, so I can only imagine what it felt like for my mom, my aunts, and my grandmother.
If I had to guess, my dad is probably the one who took this picture, of course, it could be my Aunt Jodi, I’m not sure. The Ford Aerostar on the left was my folks. When I moved away, my dad let me take it because it was more reliable than my crappy van. The van on the right has to be my Aunt Linda’s, I vaguely remember them having a van. Directly in front of the van is our trailer.
I was just having a conversation with a coworker about our place in Caseville and I had mentioned that there was very little grass when we were there. There was plenty of sand, however. When Sam and I went up a few years ago, I was surprised that all the places had lush green lawns! You can see the patchy grass and sand in this picture.
Speaking of sand, behind us is the red shed that always seemed to have 10 bee hives in it. We’d always dodge the bees when we went in to get out the minibike we’d ride around the neighborhood in. All the roads were dirt at the time and at the end of our street was a wooded area with trees and trails – with sand. I remember how I’d always seem to get stuck in the sand back there when I rode it.
When I look at this photo I remember fondly some very special people. The lady on the left lived across the street from our place. They lived there all year. Her husband used to stock the lake behind our place and we loved fishing back there.
Next to her is my mom. This is the way I like to remember her, when she was healthy and cancer free. She looks so good here. I chuckle at the fact that she is wearing a hat, and wish I knew what it said.
Next to my mom, in front, is my cousin Melissa and behind her is my cousin Arin. I always loved when everyone got together at the trailer. We used to pull out all of the toys and stuff that my Aunt Jodi had up there and trash her room. She had this thing called Fashion Plates where you put the plates together and shaded a piece of paper over them and I seem to remember my cousins always playing with that.
It has been too long since I’ve seen my cousins. Melissa lives out of the country and Arin is about an hour or so South of me, so it is difficult for us to get together. I really miss being with them.
Next to my cousins is my grandmother, my mom’s mom. I have great memories of going to the Belle Isle Aquarium and Greenfield Village with her. I was a teenager when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I didn’t want to see her sick, so I avoided going to a lot of family functions. It remains one of my biggest regrets. I miss her so much.
Behind my grandma is my brother, who has written a few guest blogs for me, and was the fourth and final member of the “Let’s Break Aunt Jodi’s Stuff Club!” He suffered through the 2 hour drive to Caseville with me as we listened to ballad after ballad (and mom’s singing) on the infamous red 8 track tape. We have so many great memories together there.
Next to grandma and in front of my brother and me, is my Aunt Linda (Arin and Melissa’s mom). Before she moved out of state, she and my uncle would host a summer family party. I loved those parties so much. It was always great to see those relatives from my mom’s side of the family who we didn’t get to see too often. My uncle would put on his captain hat and take folks for a spin around the lake on his boat. The older folks would be drinking home made Italian wine and playing bocce ball.
My aunt has been a wonderful support for me. We’ve talked bible and prayed together. She offered advice through my divorce and attended my college graduation. She continues to be someone who I can talk to about anything and she will be completely honest with me. I am so blessed to still have her in my life.
The first thing I notice about me is my huge hair, cheesy mustache and big glasses. Ah, the 80’s!
In front of my grandma is my Aunt’s dog. It was such a sweet dog. I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I thought they called it Cocoa. Over by the van is my grandma’s dog, Mindy. Mindy was around for as long as I can remember. After seeing the way our dog ran around at my father-in-law’s this past weekend, it is amazing to see these two dogs just laying around! LOL
This photo instantly brings back memories of our summer Caseville trips for me. It stirs up sadness as I think of my mom and grandma. It brings smiles as I remember how lucky I was to have shared some wonderful times with my cousins and family. I am so glad someone decided to take this photo.
Yesterday was the first day of summer and my family is certainly ready for it! We got an early start a few weeks ago with our day trip to the beach in Caseville, MI. At home, we’ve got the big sprinkler that looks like a fire hydrant and a blow up pool in the yard for the kids.
This week, my wife bought the kids a rollercoaster for the back yard. Ok, it is hardly a roller coaster, but the kids do love it. There is a unicorn that they sit on and it slides down a track. They love it!
It’s the perfect size for Andrew and by the look on her face in the next photo, Ella loves it too!
Once they get to the end, they take the unicorn back up and do it again. It’s fun to watch them!
Pass the sunscreen – these two are ready for a lot of summer sunshine!
Now, as far as the new kitty is concerned …. it looks like he’s packed his bags and is read to go somewhere ….
I haven’t posted in the last 5 days. It is not often that I get time with my entire family, so my focus has been on them.
The weather has been just perfect. Even though we are officially still in Spring, it felt like Summer! We’ve got a water table that the kids love to play at, but we took advantage of the warm weather and set up their new sprinkler.
We picked this huge fire hydrant up at Sam’s Club and the kids love it. Water shoots from the side “plugs” and there is water that spins out of the top. Even my wife knows that you are never too old to run through the sprinkler.
Memorial Day was very laid back and I worked on some projects (more on those in another blog), but Tuesday was just the best day! Sam planned a day at the beach with the family. She also knows how much I have talked about my childhood summer vacation destination ….
As a boy, we spent many summer days in Caseville. I have written about it in the past. Prior to having kids, Sam surprised me with a day trip there. I was like a little kid! I remembered so many places. I have since told her that I would love to take the kids there. So we combined their first trip to a beach with their first trip to Caseville.
Choosing to go on the Tuesday after a holiday weekend had perks! We pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves! It was perfect! We lathered the kids up with sunscreen and before we could get some on ourselves, the kids were running toward the water!
Andrew loved every second of being there. At first he spent his time chasing seagulls, but eventually made it over to the water.
Neither kid has ever been to the beach, so they had no idea just how hard it is to run in the water. Both of them fell almost immediately and freaked out a bit. The main beach at Caseville is perfect for them because it doesn’t get too deep for a while. You can walk out pretty far and still be above water.
Ella was a bit scared after she fell in the water, but I walked her out a bit and held her hand all the way back because she was scared.
The water was cold at first, but that was always the way it was growing up. You know how it is, you go under water and then you are fine. There was a bit of wind that day, which made it a little chilly, but it was still fun to be there with the family. We even tried to build sand castles, but Andrew thought it was more fun to step on them once they were built.
Sam prepared a fantastic picnic lunch for us. She made sandwiches, packed some fruit, and plenty of water, iced tea, and juice boxes. She found this cool beach blanket that was perfect for us.
Of course, once the food came out, the seagulls were very interested in our picnic! Andrew wanted to throw them food, but we stopped him, thankfully. You know once they get a nibble of food, they want it all!
There was a point where the kids were cold and shivering, so we brought them up to the playscape and let them run around a bit. We were both surprised when Ella said that she was done with the beach. She said she would like to come back, but was ready to go home.
One thing we didn’t do was go by the old place that my grandparents had just out of town. We figured the kids were pooped, so we’d just head home. We did, however, stop by the new Caseville sign and get a family selfie.
The sign is a new sign. From what I read, they did a big upgrade to a lot of the signs in town to make them more “uniform.” What’s cool is that on the left of the sign the word “Caseville” is spelled out in the International Nautical Alphabet. You can see it a bit better in this picture of the kids.
After our long drive home, we decided that we didn’t want to cook. So we took the kids to the local pizza place and had a nice family dinner.
It was a fantastic day! Sam and I, however, realized soon enough that we had forgotten to put sunscreen on. Sam’s back and shoulders were just fried and my head was also pretty toasty. So we’ll be keeping the Aloe close by for the next couple days!
Once again, Dave over at A Sound Day has offered up a new topic for his Turntable Talk feature and has asked me to contribute. His thoughts of holiday getaways and Spring Break led to this month’s topic. Our instructions:
“Tell us about a song (or album) you like that is all about going places. Trains, planes, automobiles – there’ve been scores of good songs about traveling, geographically or evenmentally, not to mention songs about specific destinations…”
One song immediately popped into my head and takes me back to my childhood. In order to write about the song, we have to take a trip to Michigan’s thumb area in 1979.
My great aunt had a trailer in Caseville, MI. My grandparents would go there on occasion, and we did too. At some point they decided that they also would like a little summer getaway and bought their own trailer. They placed in on a lot of land one street over from my great aunt’s place.
I have many fond memories of that place. Walks to the beach (which is now private), grocery shopping at the IGA, big breakfasts cooked by my dad and grandpa, riding the minibike around the neighborhood, and fishing at the back lake.
The thing I remember most about the trailer in that first couple years was that they did not have a TV. When they did, it only got one or two stations and you’d have to go outside and turn the antenna to get a good picture. The radio was our main source of entertainment. Even that wasn’t great, as there were very few stations that came in. We had this small, one speaker radio/cassette player that provided the music.
There were two cassettes that were at the trailer. The fantastic “Stardust” album from Willie Nelson and Johnny Paycheck’s Greatest Hits Volume 2. Each album contains a song about Georgia, but my pick comes from Johnny Paycheck. Georgia in a Jug originally appeared on Paycheck’s Take This Job and Shove It LP.
The song was written by Bobby Braddock, who wrote some of country music’s biggest hits (Toby Keith’s I Wanna talk About Me, Tammy Wynette’s D-I-V-O-R-C-E, and George Jones’ He Stopped Loving Her Today, to name a few). He is a member of the Nashville Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. As a producer, he discovered Blake Shelton and got him his record deal. He also wrote Shelton’s hit “Austin,” which was a number one song. Coincidentally, Blake Shelton also covered Georgia in a Jug.
This song’s “travel” would fall into the “mental” category that Dave mentions in his instructions to us, as it all occurs on a barstool. It is relatable in that most of us have a jar or bucket where we throw spare change in hopes that one day we’ll have enough to travel or make a big purchase. The dreams of the singer are shattered by the end of a relationship. He decides to head to the bar with his money and take his own trip. The destinations include, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Honolulu.
One reason I have always found Johnny Paycheck’s version superior to the other covers is the arrangement. After each destination, you hear a little musical bit that takes you there. “I’m going down to Mexico in a glass of tequila” is followed by the sound of a trumpet from a mariachi band. “Going down to Puerto Rico in a bottle of rum” is followed by a marimba type drum. “Going out to Honolulu in a Mai Tai mug” is followed by the sounds of Hawaiian music. Those little musical flourishes really make the song for me.
Listening to this song as a nine year old, I had no idea it was about getting drunk or drinking. I just remember it being one of those cool songs that the family listened to and sang along with as a gin rummy game was being played, while we were reading a book, or we were sitting outside eating at the picnic table. It is one of many songs that will instantly transport me in time – and isn’t that what makes a song so special?
Thanks again to Dave for allowing me to take part in this feature. As always, I look forward to reading the contributions of the other music lovers in our group. Thanks for reading!
Georgia In A Jug
Mason jars on the dresser filled with dollars and quarters Savin’ em’ for our trip around the world But now you’ve changed your tune, there’ll be no honeymoon So tonight I’m going there without you girl
I’m going down to Mexico, in a glass of tequila Going down to Puerto Rico, in a bottle of rum Going out to Honolulu, in a Mai Tai mug And I’m coming back home to Georgia, in a jug
We’ll never ride that bus to Mexico City, and that’s a pity We’ll never sail our ship into old San Juan You’ll never walk with me, on the beach at Waikiki And we’ll never share that brick suburban home
Today I’m taking that money out of that jar Tonight I’ll buy my ticket, at the corner bar
I’m going down to Mexico, in a glass of tequila Going down to Puerto Rico, in a bottle of rum Going out to Honolulu, in a Mai Tai mug And I’m coming back home to Georgia, in a jug
The first episode of the Price is Right hosted by Bob Barker
Gas that only cost 36 cents a gallon
Nacho cheese Doritoes
Time Warner launched HBO
PONG!
Oakland A’s were World Series champs
Dallas Cowboys won Superbowl VI
The Godfather hit movie theaters
My baby brother was born
The story goes something like this – my mom and dad brought my brother home from the hospital after he was born and introduced us. My first response was “I don’t want him. Take him back!” And so begins the relationship of two brothers who couldn’t be more different.
Back in 2019, I asked my brother Christopher to write a little something for this blog. I went back and reread it today and found myself laughing again. It is worth sharing again.
Now that he has been older than me for 13 years (I’m stand on Jack Benny’s position that I am 39!), I wanted to find a special way to salute his 50 years on this planet. So, how about some photographic memories (in as chronological order as I can get):
I’d say the above photo is early 1973. He is obviously still too young to be that big of a problem to me.
This might be 1974. I’m not sure, but it seems like this may have been an outfit my mom liked me in. I think it is the same one I wore in a professional photoshoot.
Sure looks the same to me. Despite the terrible outfits, I love this picture of my brother and me.
Sesame Street was such a big part of our lives. I guess Chris really liked Big Bird. This picture cracks me up because I have mismatched PJ’s on! I may have to revisit this one for a Photo Flashback!
One of the first family photos I remember. We were at my dad’s work open house. Nice shirt, Chris!!
My mom made that ceramic Yoda for my brother for his birthday!
Christmas cheese! This might be the only picture of Santa with both of us. I could be wrong.
HA! We made these hats.
This was a Halloween costume I wore one year. Then they had some play at school and we recycled it for Chris.
I have posted that one before – fishing in Caseville! LOVE this picture – but hate my outfit!
Chris and I in matching shirts at my grandma’s house.
Terrible picture of both of us – but the look on his face cracks me up!
ANOTHER terrible photo!! Not sure about the ugly flannel shirts or our hair!!!
From my first trip to Columbus. I think this was the trip we had professional pictures of us taken for our folks. Thankfully, I cannot find those pictures!!
My aunt and uncle had a place on the lake and had a big picnic every year. Always loved going to them and it was always an added bonus when Chris was able to make it.
Best man at my first wedding.
A favorite photo of my brother, me and my dad – 2010
Again in 2013 – Christmas Eve I think
First anniversary trip in 2019 to Cleveland. My brother met up with us for dinner … somewhere in Ohio!
He’s quite a good Uncle to his niece and nephew. 2020
Family Photo shoot 2021
I have so many wonderful memories with my brother! We had a lot of fun growing up together. In recent years, we’ve become closer and I am grateful for that. I’m proud of his successes and am thankful that we are family. I wish you a wonderful day full of smiles and happiness.
Thank you for being such a wonderful friend, a support, and caring brother. Thank you for loving my family. Thank you for being such an amazing uncle. Thank you for taking us all to Disney (You are doing that, right?!)
Here is to another 50 years! Happy Birthday, Christopher. I love you, always!!
She wants to know about our favorite things while adolescents. She says: Pick any period of your adolescence and think back to all your favorite things. Feel free to elaborate as much as you want.
This week’s prompt is: Favorite Things
Pick any period of your adolescence and think back to all your favorite things. Feel free to elaborate as much as you want.
I am going to go with a time when I was in elementary school.
Who was your favorite relative? Not to play favorites, but who was the person you connected with more than others? Aunt, uncle, cousin, grandparent, or parent? Why were you closest to them?
I hate the thought of picking a favorite relative. I would say that I probably connected most with my dad’s dad. When my mom’s dad passed away, it was the first time I had ever lost someone to death. I realized that he wouldn’t be around forever, so I began recording his voice so I’d remember what he sounded like. The loss of one grandparent caused me to be closer with all my other grandparents.
What was your favorite TV show? Share a clip if you can find one.
I remember being in front of the TV to watch the Dukes of Hazzard.
What was your favorite book or favorite family story?
In fourth grade, I remember liking Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. The little brother, Fudges reminded me of my brother.
What was your favorite, song, record, or album. Feel free to share a YouTube video of it.
I never listened to what my friends listened to. Very rarely was I listening to new music. I was always listening to oldies or stuff my dad was playing for me. I listened to a lot of Beatles music.
Who was your favorite teacher at that age? What grade were you in and what subject did they teach?
Mrs. Gallop was my fourth grade teacher. She taught all the subjects that year. She was a lot of fun.
What was your favorite subject (not teacher) in school?
In elementary school? It was probably reading. I loved to read.
Who was your favorite (aka best) friend? What things did you do together?
Jeff. He still is my best friend. We spent a lot of time causing trouble. We made a lot of silly recordings on cassette, played video games, played with Star Wars figures, walked around the neighborhood, ate at Wendy’s, etc. It seemed like we were always together.
What was your favorite way to pass the time?
Reading or listening to music
What was your favorite holiday? How did you celebrate?
Christmas. We’d spend Christmas Eve at my dad’s folks and Christmas Day with my mom’s family.
What was your favorite toy or possession? Doll, camera, radio, bicycle?
I had a silver metal cap gun. It looked like a real cowboy gun. I used it when we played cops and robbers.
Bonus: What was your favorite adventure? Family trip, amusement park, field trip, or vacation perhaps.
I loved going to Caseville with our family, but our trips to Mackinaw and Kings Island stand out too.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 