Dancing to "Houston"

Ten years ago, my husband and I still went square-dancing and round-dancing. Understanding the caller against all the background noise was a challenge for me. Did the caller just say "circle eight" or "circulate?" Round-dance was even worse. The round-dance cuer called out dance figures such as "grapevine" and "twisty vine" and "butterfly box" over a soundtrack of show tunes, often with vocalists.

I could have sworn that one of her favorites began with the phrase, "You said." After about a year of trying to puzzle it out, I asked my husband, "You know that song that starts out 'You said?' Well, what comes after that? What is it that 'you said?' "

He was stumped, so I hummed a few bars. "Oh, that! They're not saying 'you said.' They're saying 'Houston!"

Mom Hits the Male on the Head

The other day my husband complained to Mom, "I don't have any idea what you're talking about."

Mom shot back, "That's because you're not listening."

Mom will be 99 in April.

Rose Bowl Remembrance

In 1964, we were living in Pasadena, CA, while my husband was attending grad school. A college friend came out to see the University of Michigan play in the Rose Bowl. We had bleacher seats along the route of the Rose Parade. The parade began with a cavalcade of palomino horses, each rider carrying a large American flag. Everyone seated in the bleachers began standing up, whereupon a crabby guy started yelling, "Down in front! Down in front!"

Another crabby guy yelled back, "Stand up, Buster! Them's the American flags!"

Stepping Up to the Plate

Every holiday before we all sit down for dinner, we start arguing about who will say grace. This Christmas was no different. Seven adults, one teen-ager, and our five-year-old grandson stood with hands joined while the adults tried to foist the task of grace off on one another and the food sat waiting.

"How about you?"
"Not me. You're better at this."
"Don't look at me."
" Me either."
"Well, somebody's got to."

Our grandson spoke up. "I can say grace," he announced. And he did.

"Our hands we fold,
Our heads we bow,
For food and drink,
We thank you now. Amen."

He's in pre-K at First Baptist School. Obviously he's learning something there.