I was in Fascinating Rhythm on Commercial Street recently and looked up to the displays of vintage records, posters, record players and radios to see if my old children’s albums were there. I sold them to owner Steve Lebitschnig a few weeks ago. He’s been in business for twenty-six years, first, at Country Club Mall and for the last thirteen years at 51 Commercial Street in Nanaimo.

Steve isn’t sure where my former albums are among the piles of records in the store. Now the Nanaimo Museum is doing a display of children’s toys from the fifties and these would have been perfect.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe record albums were 78s and I’ve toted them around with me since I was a kid. I lived with my maternal grandparents in Eganville, Ontario and I’m pretty sure it was Mum who signed me up for a record club so I’d get a record every month or so. I wonder how each of those albums fit into the mailbox at the side of the road. Maybe Grandpa and I had to drive into town and pick the latest album up at the big old stone post office before we went to the Red & White for groceries.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe graphics on the album covers are amazing don’t you think? As for the songs, most people are familiar with “Teddy Bears’ Picnic.” What about “Look at Michi Banjo?” I didn’t ever hear that when my own kids were young. And how about “The Day the Giraffe Laughed.” All those songs were on the 78 records that I sang along to.

 

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI didn’t want to learn to play the piano (all that practising!) but I did enjoy singing. I expect I sat in front of the record player that was housed in a cabinet in the living room. I also sang solos in the Kiwanis Music Festivals where I was judged for singing songs like “The Tired Moon.” I think I have the certificate somewhere (judged at 81 percent!) but I really don’t need to have the records tucked away in a box anymore.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’m glad to be still singing as I’m part of the Aviva Womyn’s Chorus in Nanaimo. We’ve been rehearsing and having fun since September and went to a few seniors’ residences to sing Christmas songs as well as “Rainbow Connection.”

Why are there so many songs about rainbows, and
what’s on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and
rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they’re wrong, wait and see.
Someday we’ll find it, the Rainbow Connection; the lovers, the
dreamers and me. All of us under its spell;
we know that is probably magic . .  .