Normaphoto was taken this sunny afternoon by she who has just helped me through a very hard year. I was getting out of the car after gassing it up and buying a bottle of red wine from nearby Lodi. Now if that isn't romantic I give up.
Consider the closing lyrics of a 1964 song (written by Adair, Hampton, Hamilton):
"Gonna buy something I can ride in
Take my girl dating at the drive-in,
Our love's gonna be written down in history
Just like Romeo and Juliet."
Or, consider the whole song by The Reflections:
"Just Like Romeo and Juliet"
Or not. Let's think about this archetypal affair. Shakespeare drew his material loosely from a story of two lovers from the 1300s. In forms varying from historical to poetic --Arthur Brook, Matteo Bandello (1550s?), Luigi Da Porto (1530s), and various other works. At which point I am reminded of the wonderful Katherine Hepburn, who portrayed Eleanor in the film "Lion in Winter"
I firmly believe she ad libbed: "Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It's 1183 and we're barbarians!" It was kept in the movie.
Hepburn delivered the potential of violence in formative civilization. Even in Shakespeare's time there were confrontations between adherents of Royalty and those of the Pope --most were hopefully settled in pubs, unlike our Hatfields and McCoys whatever that was about.
As you may have surmised, I'm terrible with history but recall the romance between Romeo and his 13 year-old Juliet left 5 or 6 people dead. This seems a high mortality rate for a date at the drive-in.
In an infinite universe, there are many blessings upon lovers and maybe, like in Shakespeare, as many curses. I don't know. I'm old enough to be my own grandfather and I still don't know.
Lovely to see a post from you.
ReplyDeleteEven lovelier to see your happy smiling (and v romantic) self. I do hope that your love story is mortality free.
So far, so good, EC. My posts are fewer and farther between lately, but I'm up and around again. So glad to see your comment!
DeleteA lovaely photo of a happy smiling Geo....may you have many more such days.
ReplyDeleteThanks Delores, wishes for happy days appreciated and reciprocated.
DeleteI had not thought of that song in years. Great memory.
ReplyDeleteFavorite memory here too, Emma. Who'da thought in 1964 that we'd be reflecting on the Reflections?
DeleteGreat song. Lead singer has the most amazing hair.
ReplyDeleteHopefully, after being married 47 years, we're okay.
Lion in Winter is a favorite here in our Irish Catholic and English ultra-conservative Protestant home.
Thanks Susan! I believe '50s and '60s lead singers' hairdressers were also ceramicists. Congratulations on 47 years!
DeleteIt seems a lot of us are becoming our grandfathers, but we are still not too old for love and romance. Your beaming face in the Normaphoto is real sunshine and so full of good cheer. Nice to see. Nice to hear the sounds of our time too, in that time before we became our grandfathers.
ReplyDeleteDear Tom, Yes, I guess my face shows it oftener now --I'm happy to be alive. I've been encountering old and new friends and trying hard to remember moments I love best.
DeleteNow I've got the song in my head for the night- great post😊
ReplyDeleteKind Lynn, thank you --and welcome!
DeleteLookin' good, Geo.! I think the eye behind the camera endows the subject with a special glow. I hope your health continues to improve with every day.
ReplyDeleteDid Hepburn really say that??
0_Jenny, my glow is California sunshine and yes, Norma. Progress toward health is slow but hopefully sure --thanks for your concern. For Hepburn's improv and other zingers from that wonderful film, I went to.... https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Lion_in_Winter_(1968_film)...
Deleteand recommend you do too --there are many that I don't recall from seeing the film in '68, but audience laughter was a distraction. Have fun!
I love A Lion In Winter! Why people find R&J symbolic of romance is a mystery... Cars that work, sunshine, red wine, this makes much more sense. Splendid to see you looking well :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Lisa! I do have a car that works, red wine, sunshine and yet...and yet I still get the jumps. You may also notice, in photo, that my hair is trying to pull me into the sky. Otherwise I am quite well.
DeleteGreat to see your beaming countenance, Geo. You must have been thinking about the enjoyment you were going to get from that bottle of red!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, dear Bruce! There are, in life, some boons I'll always be beamish about. I raise my glass to the future, and to you.
DeleteThere are indeed many blessing and curses upon lovers, but the blessings prevail and endure. The red wine always overshadows the gas....
ReplyDeleteI love the film "Lion in Winter" but haven't seen it in a long time.
Dear Jon, thank you. I too haven't seen that excellent film in decades and would love to see it again. I also have a longtime dream of seeing love propagate on Earth to the exclusion of curses. As for wine, it helps my reason cope with my feelings.
Delete"This seems a high mortality rate for a date at the drive-in." <-Did you hear my laughter? I know you're approx 80 miles away, but there is a chance you did hear it. Your wit never ceases to amaze me.
ReplyDeleteBe well, Geo. Enjoy the Lodi wine with your sweetie, or perhaps you already have.
Dear Robyn, thanks for encouraging words and well-wishes (they are working!). Wine was excellent and consumed rapidly. The vineyards are leading our state out of its long drought.
DeleteIt can be simple looked at "Jealous of heart and mind proves only decay"
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on
Excellent sentiment (from Proverbs 14:30?). Happily, not every romance decays into a circus of lousy decisions. I just now started a cup of espresso.
DeleteYoung love will never cease, it’s only in Shakespeare that it so often falls foul of evil-doings and -doers. But the body count in Shakespeare is huge, almost as high as in Midsomer Murders.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are doing well and I wish you all the best.
Thank you dear Friko. I certainly wish you all the best as well! I've not yet begun the Midsomer Murders, but Norma is quite pleased with the program. I will try it.
DeleteLoved the photo, Geo! I'm sure that you and Norma enjoyed the wine together! I'm going to have a "Just Like Romeo and Juliette" brainworm squirming in my head all night. But at least it's Friday night, and I am leaving for wine and dinner at our favorite bar and grill.
ReplyDeleteDear Louise, please enjoy your repast as if I was your server and sat down to drink half your wine --then brought your table a free Magnum --anything larger, Jerboam or Imperial, I would stagger from the sheer weight of. And yes, Norma and I made short work our .75 L find.
DeleteI would gladly have shared Magnum with you, Geo! I'll bet you, Norma, Terry, and I would have had a great time together. I hope that you have enjoyed a relaxing Easter together.
DeleteI am in fact raising my glass eastward at this moment. Happy Easter evening, Louise and Terry.
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