Wednesday, August 9, 2023

No Title


The river was beautiful today, as it always is, with mostly little kids and their mamas, at least while we were there. Glen and I brought the umbrella and so we had shade the entire time, and we brought our folding camp rocking chairs, and we swam and we ate our sandwiches and we agreed that mango is the sweetest fruit of all and I felt terrible because I had not brought Levon a peanut butter sandwich but Jessie said that was fine because she hadn't either and all he eats is peanut butter and banana sandwiches and he could survive on a chicken and focaccia sandwich just fine. 

There were some interesting people beside us on the grass- two women and a little boy probably about Levon's age and a little girl who was two. One of the women wore a bathing suit that showed every bit of her ass which was a nice ass, and she had unshaven armpits and an almost shaved head. The other woman looked "normal" which is such a funny thing to say. What is normal? Both women tended the children lovingly and the little girl, when we were eating our sandwiches asked, "Is there animal in there?" in her almost unbelievably sweet two-year old voice. 
We told her that yes, there was animal in there and she looked a little sad. They were vegans. 


This boy swung on the rope swing so many times that I can only imagine his arms are going to be useless to him tonight. I love watching the younger ones swinging out over the water, letting themselves swing back to the tree for the joy, then back out again to let go over the icy water. So different from the big guys who do it as a dare, a thrill, a display. But that, too, I can enjoy. The teenage years are the time for all of that. And I absolutely love watching the young girls who jump now, more these days than there used to be by far. 


The children love the dock. August and a few others glommed on to a little guy who was fishing and August took some daring jumps into the water from the far end of the dock which is so much braver than jumping four feet away into the area where that little boy in the gray T-shirt is. 
"Did you see me?" he asked. 
"I did!" I told him. "Very good jump!"

There was a young man there with a woman who, by appearances, had to be his mother. She was having a hard time of it. Walking into the water, and then sort of losing her ability to stand up straight. But he was right there for her, every second, to lovingly help her and it turned out that he was someone Jessie had known in high school and they greeted each other and the mother told us her story- she had (and has) a brain tumor and for two years could not walk unaided. Her mind was not so great either, she said. And...there were seizures. But she is doing well now, and her son has been taking care of her in Arizona where he moved to do his graduate work. He studies ants. Jessie said that this man's father had died when they were in high school and so he has been taking care of his mother all this time. The mother said of him, "He is my light and my life." 
He put his arm around her. 
"Well," I said, "You gave him life so that's fair." 
"It's been a good deal," he said, beaming. 
Later Jessie said that he's always been that sweet. And his face showed that this is true.

Before we left, I asked Levon if he would allow me to take his picture. He said I could. 


He had obviously just taken off his goggles and Mr. Moon said, "Fix his hair," and I said, "No. This is how he looks right now." 
Pretty cute. 
Both boys are very excited for school to start tomorrow. Levon's teacher will be the same teacher that August had for kindergarten. I think that she loved August so much that when she saw Levon's name, she claimed him for her own. 

*********

Jaime Royal Robertson died today. He was better known as Robbie Robertson. Guitar player for The Band. I am sure that many of you have never heard of either Robbie or The Band. However, I consider The Band to be the finest band of the sixties and seventies era that America produced. I believe there are many who would agree with me. 


Robbie was the guitar player, song-writer of a band that seemed to spring from nowhere when Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were cracking the charts wide open. Those bands never did a thing for me but when I heard The Band playing "The Weight" I knew they were for real. They were Bob Dylan's backup band when he went electric and the whole world vilified him for plugging in his guitar. It wasn't just Robbie. It was the entire band. The whole group of musicians that came together with magical alchemy. 

Levon Helm.
Rick Danko.
Richard Manuel. 
Garth Hudson.
Robbie Robertson. 

I name them to honor them. 

A boy I loved gave me The Band. I had never heard of them until he came along and opened up my ears. I remember one night he took me out on a date. I was sick. I already had the mono that almost killed me but I was refusing to admit to it, to give up to it, and that was partially because I loved this boy and did not want our romance interrupted. So I went out with him that night and he took me to a lake-side park and we sat at a cement picnic table and he sang me one of their songs. I think it was "Daniel and the Sacred Harp" but I am not sure. That memory will be with me forever. 

Martin Scorsese made a film of The Band's last performance together. "The Last Waltz." It was a work of art. 

Here's a piece of that film. A rendering of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" with everyone on stage from Ronnie Wood to Ronnie Hawkins to Dylan to Joanie to Van to Ringo but mostly Robbie, Garth, Richard, Rick, Levon. 
Yes, Levon. 

Be released, Robbie. 



Thank you. 

Love...Ms. Moon

31 comments:

  1. OMG! (hate that, but it works here)......who of *our age* could not know of Robbie Robertson! I had not heard.....and I am saddened........your vid. made me shed tears for all the things you spoke of yesterday.....youth, stamina, excellent memory (LOL)......but I will ALWAYS remember Robbie. Thank you for that vid. Glad you had a healing visit to the river today!
    Susan M

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    1. Well, I waffled on posting THAT video because the Band didn't write the song but it has so many of our musical loves in it. And also- what a gorgeous song.

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  2. Someone in Florida hit that billion dollar lottery!

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  3. Thanks for the clip. I was too busy with my own news to dig far into the news. May we be released, from the west coast to the east. And a dip in the ice cold river wouldn't hurt, either.

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    1. Come to think about it, that song would have made an excellent theme song for Biden's last campaign. We so needed to be released.

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  4. Robbie Robertson goddamn goddamn. Xo Rebecca

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    1. I know. I mean- eighty is a good age but in our hearts and minds he is always that pretty boy who wrote the best songs.

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  5. The clip made me cry. What a wonderful bunch of artists. I'm 72, so I remember all these people well. Best Era of music ever.

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    1. I agree, Dianne. Weren't we the lucky ones?

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  6. I, too, had my ears opened by my first love, and I loved that Robbie Robertson and all of them. My favorite song is "Whispering Pines," and I think my love made me a mixtape and put it on there. The best song about loneliness and melancholy and all the things that I, as a young person, glommed on to as if he truly understood me.

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    1. Oh, "Whispering Pines" is a gorgeous one. All of their songs are just so excellent. And of course you loved that song- isn't art supposed to be something that makes us feel as if we are not alone? That our feelings and experiences are valid and true?

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  7. What a lovely young man, taking care of his momma like that. I do hope he gets time to be young though too!

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  8. It sounds like you all had the most perfect day possible.

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  9. I love Levon best of all! And I Iove that my son now really enjoys their music (he's 26).

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    1. All my kids grew up on The Band and love them.

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  10. That was a lovely account of the young man taking care of his mother. I hope he can fit in some life of his own, too.

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    1. Well, he has traveled all over the world, studying ants and is in grad school so I think he manages. But I hope he gets some fun, too. He was so attentive towards his mother.

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  11. I hope the same as Boud. It is a sweet story, but there is a young man who lives next door to us. He is a quiet man, in his 30s. He drives a vehicle that badly needs to be replaced. Really, really. Tim goes over to sit and talk with him sometimes. He said he'd like to buy a newer vehicle, but he can't. Tim asked him why. Turns out his mother needs a new vehicle and she has told her two kids that she wants them to buy her a vehicle, and that it needs to be four wheel drive. I wonder at a mother like that. Your situation is different, of course, and the young man is creating a successful life AND helping his mother.

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    1. That story makes me sad, Debby. What kind of a mother makes demands like that on her children? No. Not right.
      I don't think this is situation is like that but nevertheless, I am sure he has made great sacrifices. He seems like the sort of person who would not be able to live with himself if he hadn't, though.

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  12. I didn't know the Band but knew Robbie Robertson, he's Canadian:)
    I love watching kids playing in the water and listening to them as well. It's such a summer sound.
    The young man sounds like a good man. I love to hear stories of good people.

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    1. Yes! Canadian! All of the members except for Levon Helm were from Canada. Garth is the only one left. Levon Helm went on to do acting. He played Loretta Lynn's daddy in "Coal Miner's Daughter" which is a very fine movie.
      Yes. The kids were making very happy sounds at the river.

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  13. I'm sorry to hear about Robbie Robertson. I didn't realize he'd died. I watched "The Last Waltz" on your recommendation several years ago and really enjoyed it -- and learned so much!

    Levon doesn't look like he suffered from a lack of peanut butter. :)

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    1. I had forgotten that I'd recommend "The Last Waltz" to you. I'm glad you watched it. It was a very fine movie. Scorsese obviously loved them and admired them too. He's done some good work with the Stones as well.
      Yeah. Levon survived. He just does love peanut butter.

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  14. last day of summer vacay at the river. doesn't get much better.

    they're all passing, one after the other, the music makers of your youth.

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    1. It does not get much better.
      And you're right. Our musicians, the BEST musicians, are dying. I am so glad that some of them lived past 29!

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  15. I listened to The Band's songs today. Apparently I've been listening to them my whole life:)

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    1. Yes. Some bands are like that. You had no idea...But they were always a part of your life.

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  16. Levon Helm used to do small shows in his barn in upstate NY - he called them Midnight Rambles - and one year when my boys were small I bought my husband tickets to go - he still maintains it was one of his top 5 shows of all time.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.