"I Really Don't Remember These At All"...

Italian cookies for St. Joseph's Day...

Good "where have all the cookies gone" Monday Morning, y'all.

I remember that Saturday was one of those days of unfulfilled expectations. I remember telling myself to sleep in the lounge chair to avoid any pain trying to wake up and get out of bed.

That didn't work out so good, and it set the tone for most of the day.

Undaunted, I got out of my sweats and put on some ragged old shorts with plans to spend a good portion of the day painting. I put on one of my youth favorite tunes by Bert Kaempfert entitled, "That Happy Feeling."

( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rF2gCg0FDCg )

It was a song that I always got ridiculed by my rock n' roll snobs for liking something so, so, so Lawrence Welk like. But, the song was shared by me and my dad back when I would ride with him on errands listening the WSMB radio. The song was something we really had in common.

I didn't realize it then, but the thing that struck me as new and innovative was Kaempfert's use of the bass guitar as a lead instrument. I never heard that before and forever fell in love with Rn'R bass guitarists like Carol King, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney and Motown's, James Jameson!

I played the song over and over again as I created another award winning fruit compoty for my wife. It even made my back pain tolerable. With the morning chores completed, I decided to get out of my ragged shorts and shirt, change into something a bit more presentable and took off for sanctuary of a fresh cup of French roast at Giddy Up.

Two hours and two cups later, I came home and changed back into my "studio rags." I spent the next two hours setting up the easel to continue on a painting I started six months ago. One hour into actually painting, my back was acting up, regardless of whether I stood up or sat down, so I decided to take a walk with the dog and Therese.

Well, checking the mailbox, which is almost a football field away is always a good excuse to get Tee out of her chair and walking.

Oh man... What a delight it was to open the mailbox. Along with love from Spectrum Cable and the electric company was a small package. Immediately, my outlook changed. My perspective of all that is good and pain free is suddenly redrawn. My posture took a whole new stance when I read the return address.

"Oh my goodness, Therese, she sent it and it has arrived already," I said.

"What? What is it?"she asked in anticipation of something wonderful.

"It's those fig cookies that the Zellars make this time of year. I think they're called, "cuccidatis".

"You gonna open them now?

"Well, of course. Sustenance for our walk, ya know? I replied.

Ripping open the Priority Mail ( bless the post office! ) we dove into the ziplock bag. As I took three of the fig cookie delights and gave two to Therese, she took one bite and asked, "You really don't remember getting these from Patty?"

"I really don't ever remember getting these. Though as good as they are I don't know how I could ever forget them."

"God, these are so good! Kinda reminds me of your Aunt Josie's "cocoons!"

"Yeh, she said, don't remind me!"

"Okay, I promise not to eat them all like I did to her cocoons!"

Stories about deadlines, Christmas tins full of Aunt Jo's cookies, and the late night munchies are stuff of Bensen/ LaPorte legends!

This morning, I had my last two cookies and left Tee with the balance next to her morning fruit extravaganza.

I'm now off to Giddy Up before I have a change of heart!

First cup!

Copyright 2021/Ben Bensen III

"I Thought You Were Some Kind Of Weirdo!"

A Giddy Up coffeehouse regular...

Good "Lecherous" Monday morning, all bodies.

With a first cup here at Giddy Up, I started one of my "Matchbox Hole" posts when I came upon Larry who was sitting alone chewing the fat on his cellphone.

Having done a sketch of him from a photo I took a few weeks ago, it seemed we were doomed to never coordinate my gift to him. I wasn't really sure it was something he'd even want being the lecherous "badass" some women labeled him as. A sign of the times, I guess.

This time the stars were aligned.

I intercepted him as he hung up his phone and moseyed pass me to the back door.

"Larry, Larry, I yelled, I got something I want you to see."

"Well, hey there, youngster... How ya doing?

"Doing great", I said as I showed him the sketchbook drawing I created.

"You did this? Of me? Aw, this is great... Looks just like me and you even got me with my blue mask!"

I didn't want to assume that he liked it enough to ask for it, so I didn't offer it to him.

"Wait till me wife sees this," he says. "Can I take a picture of this?"

From that point on he tells me why he can only come over to GiddyUp on the days that a nurse comes to sit with his wife. Apparently, she's been suffering with Parkinson's Disease for quite some time.

He told me how abusive she becomes when the sun goes down.

"The things she says, she really doesn't mean, ya know?

"It's the Parkinson's Disease," he says.

"Aw, Larry, I'm sorry 'bout all that," I said, thinking of a way to offer the sketch to him.

"Larry, you don't have to take a photo of it for your wife," I said as I ripped the portrait from the sketchbook.

" I drew it for you, anyway, man!"

"Maybe, showing it to your wife during one of her rants will help change the subject," I laughed.

After expressing his gratitude and elation at receiving the gift, he leaned over close to me and said, "When you first asked me to pose for a picture or two, I wasn't too sure!"

"I thought you were some kind of weirdo!"

Second cup, now!

Copyright 2021/Ben Bensen III

"I'm Not Here Right Now, So"...

A weema wop...

About a week ago, after a couple of months with my new iPhone, I realized that I was not getting any voicemails. After further investigation, I was told that AT&T locks you out after a certain amount of time of not setting the parameters for one’s voicemail.

So, after being shuffled from one tech nerd to another, I landed on one that was willing to tackle the problem. Earlier, I was asked to, time after time, record a new message to see if the voicemail would work. I was running out of serious messages to try.

After AT&T technoid named Mike requested for the umpteenth time to say something worthwhile to record, I sang, “Round, round, get around, I get around, yeh…” Nothing happened. After pushing more buttons on his side, he asked again to say something. 

“Okay,” I said. “I’m getting bugged driving up and down this iPhone town… I need some better reception for me to “Get Around!”

Mike laughed. And, after he requested another try, I sang,” Help Rhonda, help, help me Rhonda… Help me Rhonda, girl, get my voicemail to work!”

“Have you ever sang any karaoke,” Mike asked. 

“Actually, I laughed, I’ve never tried to!”

“You’d be great at it. I’m amazed!”

“Well thanks, man. If I have another life, I’ll give it a go!”

“I’m kinda old for that stuff, ya know?”

“Old? You sound great even over the phone,” he replied. How old ARE you?

“Uh, I’m 71”.

“You don’t sound that old at all,” he said in a meaningful and complimentary way!”

“Thanks, man,” I said. “How are we doing with the voicemail?”

“I think we’ve got it solved!”

“Well, if we need to test it from your side, you have to karaoke me a message!”

A few more buttons pushed, he suggested we give it a go. So, I hung up the phone and waited for Mike to call and leave me a voicemail.

And, he did, in his best falsetto… “In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight!” A weema wop, a weema wop, a weema wop, a weema wop!

BUT WAIT… that’s not all.

The next morning my friend, Carol, tried to leave a message only to hear on the voicemail… 

A weema wop, a weema wop, a weema wop, a weema wop!

First cup!

Copyright 2021/Ben Bensen III

"A Wholesome Folsom!"

 

A revised sketch...

Had a great day with my artist friends in NOLA visiting my exhibit and cruising the hospital for other tidbits of art. More on that tomorrow, I guess.

Frank at GiddyUp ask me about two or three weeks ago to present to him my solution to a fence that covers the ugliness of a trash bin for the coffeehouse. I had the privilege of seeing two other solutions. So, I went in a different direction though I must admit it is a bit grandiose for his needs.

Anyway, when he saw my sketch, he asked me for a "color scheme" with a few additions. I gave him one color scheme with three different type treatments.

I'll just share one of these...

Copyright 2021/Ben Bensen III