Quickie

First, permit me to extend my apologies to the fine, tidy people of Canada. I did not mean to imply that Canadian nationals are notorious for mispronunciations when I compared Patrick's insistence on "goh-thick" to that of a Son of The North. I meant to imply that Canadians talk funny. But! I can say this with love because I live in Minnesota where people talk even funnier. Not me personally of course (I have a rich-yet-lilting accentless contralto best compared to lark song warmed in butterscotch) but I know people. People who talk funny. And I think they are just swell.

Besides, Anne Murray.

Second, now honestly, what sort of freak would take a picture of her messy disorganized pantry? A photo essay of a clean, food group sorted pantry, though, that IS an idea. I will see to it when I get back.

Third, yes, sad. Not all the time. Not fatally. Just sometimes. And just... sad.

Fourth, if you need me I will be in South Carolina for a few days. Do you remember last year when we went to the beach with my family and I vowed Never Again? Great news! It has become an annual tradition.

Comments

[motherlawyer]

Ah, the never again annual family pilgrimage, have fun!

[Erin]

I'm from Canada.

How dare you mention Anne Murray.

*shudder*

We shall never speak of this again.

[meg]

(I have a rich-yet-lilting accentless contralto best compared to lark song warmed in butterscotch)

What a turn of phrase.

Dude, I'm from California and, like, we totaly don't, like, talk funny. Everywhere has got it's quirks.

Have fun on your beach trip.

[Jenn]

Yeah, I hate to say it but Anne Murray is, like, a national treasure eh. I can't hear "Song for the Mira" without tearing up.

I wish I could summons some more patriotic indignation, but we are talking about Anne Murray after all.

Have fun at the beach. Just got back from the beach -- it should be fun with Patrick. Really.

[Menita]

As long as you don't warm the lark itself in butterscotch, we're good.

[Pygmalion's Wife]

Ah, the beach. With family. Hope you packed some good wine, and that you'll FINALLY update us all properly, as promised, when you get back (hint, hint).

[VanillaDreams]

LOL, tidy?!? Wow, I wish that notion of Canadian tidiness was a trait I possessed -- it would really help me to keep my house in order!!

And you HAD to bring up Anne Murray, didn't you?!!! Why is it no one ever mentions the amazing artists we have, like Sarah McLachlan?

Erin -- I couldn't agree with you more!

Hmm, guess I should be thankful you didn't say Shania Twain, Celine Dion, or ex-pat Bryan Adams!

As far as accents go, yeah....you should be careful about throwing stones, you Minnesotans, as truly some of the most odd language I've ever heard has come out of Minnesota! LOL (almost as interesting as the accents heard in the film Fargo, which I know is in North Dakota)

I'm not sure what areas of Canada you've visited, but generally people in Central and Western Canada speak the most plain, nearly unaccented English in the world. I have found the accents only appear to get strange through Ontario, Quebec, and the rest of Eastern Canada.

I lived in England for a year, and worked with people from Finland, Italy, the US, Spain, Canada, and of course Great Britain. It was interesting being exposed to all of those different accents, and the accents throughout regions of England are amazingly varied. I had an accent living there, of course, but was never told I ever sounded "funny", but rather that it was quite run of the mill. ;)

My husband's grandparents on his father's side, whom I have never met, are from Arkansas. My husband recalls a time in his childhood where he was visiting his grandparents in the summer. He never could understand almost anything they said, but one particular experience stays with him: His grandmother asked him a question one day: "Wud ya lik to haffa shirrrrrrr?" Or something to that effect -- my husband says he had NO IDEA what the heck it was she had said! He had to ask her to repeat it about 5 times until he finally realized she was saying "Would you like to have a SHOWER"!

Hope you have a fab time at the beach -- drink lots of Mojitos! And if you're driving, make sure you bring an Anne Murray compilation CD for the car! ;P

[diane]

We canucks are not offended in the least! And yes of course I can speak for all of us (except the couple or three that already responded).

On the whole Ann Murray thing, well, at least you did not refer to Karen Carpenter as Tertia does. Sigh.

[julia]

Good luck at the beach! I had no idea South Carolina was such a popular place to torture daughters-in-law; I know two other women who are at this very moment on similarly-dreaded family vacations on the Southern Carolina coast.

[julia]

Woops! You said with YOUR family, didn't you? Now that is a totally other level of discomfort and angst. I just got back from a trip with my son and my mother and it was an experience I am not planning on repeating any time soon, no sir.

[Miz S]

"If" we need you, you'll be in South Carolina? Silly Julia. You meant "When" we need you, didn't you? And we'll need you soon, so hurry back.

[Marsha]

Wait, you didn't just go to the beach last year with your family. Wasn't it also some variety of in-laws and in-laws' in-laws? And some woman who felt you were ill-behaved at a wedding?

Jeez. I so need to get a life. It appears that I now have better recall of your experiences than anything I actually do.

[Lisa P]

Have fun at the beach. Beaches are happpy places and hopefully some of that will seep deeply into you.

[Judy]

Try to have fun - even if it's at someone else's expense.

That said, I've just returned from the South, and.. well. let's just say it's not for me. The only saving grace was sweet tea, BBQ and fried chicken (yes, all at once).

[Michelle]

Sorry to hear about your family obligation "fun" trip to the beach. I just got back from one of those (except without the beach). Blah.

I'm in the middle of my fourth miscarriage, and also sad.

And I don't want to sound totally dumb here, but who is Anne Murray?

[victoria]

"lark song warmed in butterscotch" has me in stitches.

[Flicka]

Julia, you crack me up! Geez, I wish I lived closer to you.

[djhfairymom]

Anne Murray, hummmmmmm.
Well I have never liked her much, but...
I recently discovered a song she did that is simply wonderful.

"Hey Daddy" It's a kids song about a dragon in the driveway and a grizzly on the lawn.

It was orignally published in 1977, but I found it on "A Child's Celebration of Song" from Music for Little People at www.musicforlittlepeople.com

If you get a chance, ck it out.

[ailel]

What? Ya'll ain't never heered of a "shir?"

A Dakotan and an Arkansan in a conversation might make for some really fun listening. Just one more of those things that makes folks from different places interesting.

Anyway, wish I'd read about the SC trip sooner because if you are going anywhere near Myrtle Beach (not Myrtle, mind you - NEAR it), I could give you some FAB tips on where to find wonderful wine and gourmet items for enjoying no matter who is there with you. Email me if you haven't left and this applies. Or if someone else is going and this is relevant.

Enjoy what you can!

[Jules]

I think I can say, as a Canadian, that we not only have accents, we also have the rare talent of making perfectly innocent words sound absolutely filthy. No doot aboot it.

And Anne Murray... hah! William Shatner. Now there's some Canadian talent to be proud of!! Ever heard him do Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Man.. if that doesn't just make you tear up and start humming Oh Canada!

[Monica C.]

Hope the trip to S.C. (or maybe lots of wine between renditions of Auld Lang Syne around the family piano) lifts your spirits!

[VanillaDreams]

Speaking of Anne Murray children's songs, in the 1980's, my family actually HAD that album on cassette tape!! The album was called "There's a Hippo in my Tub". (the cassette is probably still kicking around at my parents' house!)

Here is the link to all the track listings and cover art: http://www.annemurray.com/pages/disco2.htm#hippo

( and for Michelle who isn't sure who Anne Murray is, her official website is http://www.annemurray.com and there is also Wikipedia's summary of her life so far: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Murray ) Certainly -- I know I just learned more about Anne Murray than I ever wanted to know! LOL

As kids we certainly enjoyed it, and to be honest, she DID do an excellent job on the whole recording and I think it would be fun for kids today as well. Personally, I think that children's record is better than anything else I've heard her sing!

Even though Anne Murray did become a sort of "Canadian stereotype" I guess it IS pretty impressive that there is someone who became a recording artist in 1968 and is STILL recording music and being successful today!

And this is really, seriously the last time I want to speak of this. ;)

[Sandy]

Ok...am thinking that VanillaDreams must NOT be from the east coast of Canada because really, we on this east coast consider everyone west of Nova Scotia to have unbearable accents!!! All those "eh's" and not a "buddy" or "whoooose yer fadder" in the lot of what you say! Oh me nerves!!! And don't be picking on our Anne now either. Where else might you be getting a songbird who made it by singing about snowbirds in her bare feet??? Really. Better than them Bare Nekkid Lady guys that are claiming to be Canadian now. We know better. We don't grow talent like that here. :-)

hehehe...see what you started Julia??? Now, can you help me lose this Nova Scotian accent and learn how to speak Minnesotan? Minnesotian? Minnesoterian? Like you? :-)

[shannon]

Update please.

Demanding, aren't I?

[Dawn]

LOL, I'm Canadian and have travelled around quite a bit and have NEVER heard anyone pronounce it "goh-thick"! Although judging by everyone else's agreement, I clearly just haven't been asking the proper people to pronounce fonts for me! ;)

[victoria]

OK apropos of nothing, other than that I view you as mascara authority central: I got eyelash extensions. They look great -- long, delicate, feathery, clean, not at all fake or "false eyelash" looking. I'm thrilled. Sadly, they take more than an hour to apply and cost close to $200 to and last only two weeks (if you do a great job of taking care of them -- don't touch them, don't get oily moisturizer on them, don't sleep on your face, etc.) But they might be a good idea next time you have a special occasion or something.

[Anne Glamore]

As Chaka Kahn Sang, "I Feel For You."

Not into the family get togethers these days.

[Miz S]

Julia, Julia. Why must you torment me so?

[terri c]

Dear Julia we miss you and we hope that there is plenty of good wine at the gathering. Speaking of Anne Murray--I worked for a boss one time who thought the Anne Murray Christmas album was da bomb. At Christmas season she played it in her office all.the.time. Oh, the pain. I *did* have the pleasure of performing, with our church band at a party, "Sweet Caroline" as done by William Shatner. It was a hoot!!! SWEET Caroline... Good times NEVER felt SO GOOD. So GOOD. So...Good....

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