Sleepless Nights with the Malawi Mouse Boys

There's a scientific reason why I'm dead tired at 10 pm and wide awake a 2 am...something to do with my age and diminishing seratonin levels or something. I don't care what the reason is anymore; I've decided to 'just go with it'.

When this all started a few years ago (brought on incidentally, by surgery that altered my production of hormones way too early in life) I would toss and turn and lament that I'd look and feel like hell in the morning. Retirement took care of that problem--I either sleep late in the morning or nap in the afternoon. I have learned to accept the fact that my sleep pattern is screwed up, get out of bed, make myself a cup of tea and do what I normally don't...browse the internet for new and/or fascinating facts. I think my Mother made cookies under the same circumstances. I'd try that but the smell of cookies baking would certainly wake Wayne up from a sound sleep and then there would be two of us wandering around all night and sleeping all day.

When I woke up this morning (it's currently 2:30 am) I still had my MP3 player plugged  into one ear and it was still pumping out CBC 1.  Fortunately I woke just in time to hear Jian Ghomeshi interviewing music producer Ian Brennan about a new album called the Malawi Mouse Boys. These boys are (duh) Malawian and their story is both interesting and inspiring. Their first, and only, album has just been released and has been recognized by the gospel music industry as significant enough to be voted #1.

The Malawi Mouse Boys got their name from the fact that they maintain body and soul by selling cooked mouse kababs (yes, mouse) to passing pedestrians, car/bus occupants, etc. who gobble this delicacy up faster than you can say 'meow'. Their small band of about 7 boys use homemade instruments and rescued portions of  recognizable instruments to plunk out a sound that shouldn't sound decent...but does, and far more. What makes their music beautiful to listen to is the fact that it's not recorded in a studio, but on the street where dogs bark, chickens cluck and people on the street join in the chorus and clap their hands. The sound, like most African music, is sweet and soothing to the soul and although there's no word recognition, it has a gospel sound that just makes you feel good...and want to hear more.

There's a short video on You Tube that doesn't do the final versions of their music justice but I'll be interested to see if the album is on iTunes yet. I can see the grandkids and me movin' to the beat but we'll be snacking on cookies, thank you very much.

HRH Elizabeth II - Diamond Jubiliee celebrations

Sunday, 3 June 2012

I'm sitting here watching the Queen's Flotilla of 1,000 boats on the Thames in England celebrating her 60-year reign. Once again, I'm so awed  by the fact that I am witnessing history. The Queen is 86 years old and does not show any signs of retiring so that Prince Charles can ascend to the throne.

Queen Victoria statue on Parliament Hill

Canada has a very special relationship with the throne and royalty. Every visit is cause for a major celebration and we have followed their lives closely...sometime too closely. Few of us in the 65+ age group did not have, or had a relative who had, a scrapbook filled with clipped newpaper photos of the Queen's life. I can close my eyes and still see those photos of the Queen and Prince Phillip sitting in the garden by the castle, with their young family. Somehow, we felt so close to them and tried to imagine their daily lives with children.

I think I have watched every televised royal wedding....Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Charles & Dianna, and William & Kate. I'll never, ever forget the funeral of Dianna and I remember getting up very early in the morning and being glued to the television, kleenex in hand, as I cried through entire funeral procession. I was in Halifax helping Kim with the kids (she'd broken both wrists falling from her horse) when Will & Kate got married. Ty and Tori were very impressed when I got them out of bed wearing my tiara and big, fake Dianna ring.

Part of the joy of this celebration is watching people celebrating something that is hard to believe in, in this day and age. The English really love this pagentry, and clearly so do I as I want to see what Kate is wearing and how Camilla looks and if Prince Harry has anyone with him (he doesn't). Young people have camped on bridges to get just a brief view of the Queen and enjoy the celebrations...the largest in 350 years.

The Tower of London bridge is just raising it's gates in a welcoming salute to the Spirit of Chartwell, the Queen's beautiful barge. Unfortunately, the rain has started but that is part of being in England. The fanfare trumpeters are welcoming the Queen as it passes through...all very regal and royal.