History Lesson

I've been doing lots of reading and writing recently. In my reading I'm into a book by Winston Churchill, the second volume of a series about the history of England. The other three volumes I do not have, once all four volumes were my parents, who had a lot of books, I remember them being around when I was young. Starting in volume two, or mid-stream, I'm finding that Churchill refers back to the first volume and is writing assuming the reader knows what he's already said.

I really don't remember much from history in school (about the English or otherwise), so that's no help. What is some help is some more recent reading and movie watching. Last year I read a book set in England that covered the period just before 1688 where Churchill's volume 2 begins. I also remember some things that I picked up from some movies, one in particular being Restoration.

The movie depicts a difficult period in England's history. In the years 1665 and 1666, England suffered the ravages of a plague that killed 100,000 people , followed in September 1666, by a fire that destroyed much of London, but however helped to end the plague. (I just wikipedia'd the numbers and googled the movie.) The movie follows the life a of a doctor, played, I thought, brilliantly by Robert Downey, Jr. Eventually, the doctor is brought into the court of the king, Charles II. The story is long and involved and I won't go into it. I will say that I enjoyed the movie but it does depict lots of debauchery (which was germane to the period of history). The title Restoration is somewhat a play on words in that the period of history was called the Restoration, and the doctor experiences a restoration in his own life.

In the book I mentioned, a king was killed and then some other people were in power and they were oppressively religious people. There was something about the queens and I have such a bad memory!

The cover shows a woman wearing a very elaborate gown and pearls, I can't remember the title, I think it might have had the word pearl in it. (Yes, I did several searches and it took several minutes but I finally found it, the book's title is Circle of Pearls. I also refreshed my memory some about the book. I read some on Amazon. Remembering Julia's name, helped, then Julia and Christopher Wren.)

The story is about Julia, starting from her childhood, the member of a wealthy family that opposes the current government and must hide their true colors. Julia's family are wealthy and live on a large estate. In their home they have hidden a gown that belonged to queen Elizabeth. The elaborately made gown was given to Julia's grandmother by the queen and is mentioned throughout the book. Mainly, I think the gown signifies the repressive nature of their enemies who would destroy it if they found it. Such things are considered too worldly. Christopher Wren, a real person is a main character. I knew the name from somewhere, he was an architect, among other interests. The writer does a good job of weaving fiction into history. She includes lots of interesting details about things like embroidery and lace, things which interest me, (anything to do with textiles), but which may be not that interesting to everyone.

If I keep reading this history and historical stuff eventually maybe I'll be able to remember it better. Another book I read, some time ago, a book centered in Holland is somewhat relevant. It covered part of the period of history when Spain occupied Holland. Many people in Holland suffered greatly under the Spanish. I never remember even hearing about that, although it's possible I had just forgotten. The Protestant Reformation which began in Germany had spread to the Netherlands and they were fighting about religion. All of this does have to do with England's history. In 1688, there is a revolution in England that leads to William of Orange (from the Netherlands) becoming king of England.

I wanted to read more about Dutch history after reading that book but couldn't find anything. My memory of that book is rather vague already. I wouldn't mind rereading the book, if I can remember the name of it! I remember what the cover looked like. This was a library book. (Wow! I got lucky searching for this title which I thought would be really difficult. It was called The Sea Beggars, by Cecelia Holland. I found it with just 3 searches.)

So, my book I'm reading, vol. 2, of Churchill's History of England begins with William of Orange already established as king.

Postscript:
Okay, so I looked it up some more of the stuff I couldn't remember, and scanning several wikipedia articles I found out the following. The "king that was killed" was Charles I, beheaded for treason in 1649. Civil war had been fought (two civil wars, 1642-45 and 1648-49) between the royalists (also called Cavaliers) and the parliamentarians, (aka Roundheads). The Roundheads, "the other people in power who were religiously oppressive," were so called because there were many among their number who were puritans that kept their hair cut short. The term Roundhead was derogatory.

Charles I, was the son of James I of England. James followed Elizabeth I (who died without bearing children). Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII. Before Elizabeth reigned her half-brother, Edward VI, and then half-sister, Mary, I, reigned. ("The queens" that I mentioned).

England was briefly under the rule of Oliver Cromwell 1653-58, and then his son, Richard, 58-59, under the title Lord Protector. Before and after their rule, from 49-53 and 59-60 the country was under the rule of a Council of State. The monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles' son, Charles II.

Whether the Parliamentarians, or Roundheads, were as oppressive as they are depicted in the book I don't know. It sounds like they were. After the civil wars the old allegiances still continued and the two groups were very at odds with each other, disagreeing on religious and political grounds. In the book, the Roundheads seize many of the estates of the royalists under some pretext I don't remember. I suppose that was based on real life.

I was trying to read wikipedia on The House of Orange. It's too complicated! Maybe I'll get back to that another time. I like the sound of the name, it makes me think of the color and the fruit. I wonder if the color has anything to do with the Irish orange. Yes, in Ireland, the color orange stands for Protestant, and comes from William of Orange. Green stands for Catholic. Google and Wikipedia to the rescue again.

Well, one thing leading to another, and although this only connects to anything I've been talking about by a hair, I include it. It's the Irish song, "The wearing of the green," one version of which follows:

O Paddy dear, an' did ye hear the news that's goin' round?
The shamrock is by law forbid to grow on Irish ground;
St. Patrick's Day no more we'll keep, his colour can't be seen,
For there's a cruel law agin the wearin' o' the Green.

I met wid Napper Tandy and he took me by the hand,
And he said, "How's dear ould Ireland, and how does she stand?"
She's the most distressful country that ever yet was seen,
For they're hangin' men an' women there for the wearin' o' the Green.

Then since the colour we must wear is England's cruel red,
Sure Ireland's sons will ne'er forget the blood that they have shed,
You may take a shamrock from your hat and cast it on the sod,
It will take root and flourish there though underfoot it's trod.

When law can stop the blades of grass from growin' as they grow,
And when the leaves in summer-time their colour dare not show,
Then will I change the colour, too, I wear in my caubeen
But 'till that day, please God, I'll stick to wearin' o' the Green.

But if at last our colour should be torn from Ireland's heart,
Her sons with shame and sorrow from the dear old isle will part;
I've heard a whisper of a land that lies beyond the sea
Where rich and poor stand equal in the light of freedom's day.

O Erin, must we leave you driven by a tyrant's hand?
Must we ask a mother's blessing from a strange and distant land?
Where the cruel cross of England shall nevermore be seen,
And where, please God, we'll live and die still wearin' o' the green!


The land beyond the sea is America. A caubeen was a hat. People supporting revolution wore shamrocks in their hatbands.

My playlist

Creating my playlist was fun. These days I'm not in a panic to find out what kind of music I like. But I still tend to be rather passive about what I listen to. So creating a playlist, for me is being not passive (is that active, proactive?).

I wouldn't say I am in a panic to find out my musical preferences. But I can be driven by my emotions, musically, (musically emotional? or something). Today thinking about Liam Neeson and his losing his wife, I've been picturing what a tender, gentle a father he looks like in that PBS commercial that has him and Jamie Lee Curtis, maybe others in it. And I started craving to hear that song, Only You. It took me quite a while to find it and be able to hear it. I could only listen a few times (for free) 4 or 5 was the limit allowed. I would listen to it a bunch more if I could--I was singing along with it, I like to do that (when no is around to bother).

Only you, no one else anymore,
Only you
Cause you will remember us all
Because you have never been pretending
...

It has a nice, sweet tune.

I still haven't gotten an ipod or mp3 player yet.

Musical history

I watched American Idol last night and I have to admit that enjoyed it. And last night they were doing country which off the top I would probably say that I don't much like. But I guess I do like some country after all.

I remember at one point in my life, years ago, being in a dead panic to find out what kind of music I liked! Not having much money and being aware that there was music available to be listened to for free at the library, I tried listening to a bunch of music at the library. (This was at the public library in Honolulu near the state capitol and city hall, for anyone who would know it.) I think I was listening to a bunch of "folk" music, some old jazz and classical.

I would say that folk, is still what I like most. I don't know what all might go under that category. I used to be a folk dancer--we were called the International Folk Dancers of Hawaii--and we danced to international folk-dance music, naturally. I have a myspace page (I haven't done much with it), but I think that I put that I like bulgarian folk music on there and in my blogging profile. Folk dancing is where that came from. But my liking of folk music goes back to my childhood.

My parents didn't listen to their records that much and there weren't all that many of them. I don't know how many, maybe 20? I remember them having two albums by the group Peter, Paul and Mary. There were several records from The Tijuana Brass, The Singing Nun, The Sound of Music (not Julie Andrews, but the Broadway version which was Mary Martin), The South Pacific, some jazz, I don't remember what else. My nearby grandparents (Mom's folks) had an extensive collection of classical music and they liked Lawrence Welk.

When I was in middle school our music teacher had the choral group doing several PP&M songs, "500 miles" was one. And I guess over the years I looked at the covers of their albums a good bit. So years later, I remembered that Bob Dylan had written this blurb on the back of one of those PP&M albums my parents had.

I think my first album was one of the Monkees. Before that my Mom had bought a stack of 45 records that me and my brothers could listen to on our own portable record player. I don't know if any of those songs would have fit under the folk category. I only remember the name of one song, it was Rin, Tin, Tin. I remember spending hours listening to those songs. I listened to the radio some, and watched music programs on tv. I hated Lawrence Welk and accordians!

I did like rock and roll in high school, but I don't recall buying any albums. I know I spent hours, many, many hours listening to the radio. I remember I liked Dylan and not that many of my classmates knew who he was. I continued mostly listening to the radio or listening to friends albums in college. (I have often said musicians would all be broke if it was up to me, since I have been so cheap about buying music.) I used to often go to listen to the (free) gigs at the "Coffee House", on campus, which was a small intimate environment with tables and coffee, etc., and to some concerts. We had lots of good musicians who came to our campus, but I can't remember the names of any of them!

Other than on campus, I went to two (only 2) "rock" concerts in my life, one was Bob Dylan and the other was Paul Simon. I was rather disappointed with both of them. I don't know if Dylan was too high or tired or what but he sounded horrible. And Paul Simon's show was too flashy for me, lots of lights and smoke, not at all what I expected from him. I still like their music anyway.

I am getting rather tired, but I have more to say on this subject.

Recently I made a playlist. I really enjoyed doing that.

Waxing poetic

I used to play a game called boggle with some folks at a church I used to go to. I would often stay after and eat with them and then we would play boggle. That particular church, met at a house where people lived. It was a beautiful old 3 story estate house, perched above downtown Honolulu with a view of the ocean beyond. We had wonderful meals there. The church employed a couple to be the housekeepers. At the time I am thinking about there was a certain couple whose faces I can picture but whose names I can't remember. They would have been Dutch, for sure - the church was a Dutch church. This couple was into boggle and they got me hooked. The name blogger reminds of that place and playing boggle nearly every time. Just thought I'd mention it.

This morning, I was doing a few loads of laundry. Briefly, I went outside and was taking a stroll down the block, picking up the different colored leaves and generally enjoying the fall display. It struck me that all the different colors make a symphony of color. And when the season hits it's peak, its a crescendo! The maple trees are gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, and red with still some green, the dogwoods a purpled-red and the other trees I can't name, some mostly one color, and others blended dabs of many shades and hues. And I suppose that all the different people in the world are like that also, making a symphony of sorts.

How poetic! Maybe I should put write a poem for the language blog. I do enjoy poetry.

As I seem to be just wanting to post some of my recent musings here, I guess I can go on this way. I mention symphonies and crescendos, but, I don't know that much about music. Growing up, I always chose art over music, not that I didn't like music, I just preferred art. And the schools I attended were always offering me a choice of one or the other. Actually, I did have music, as well as art, in elementary school, which I guess some people might not have had.

I couldn't keep a beat. That's what I mainly think about when I think about the elementary music classes. That and learning the old patriotic songs and such. My youngest brother who got the music talent in the family and took up drumming, said I had an African rhythm. By this he meant, I couldn't keep a beat.

In college, I remember telling a fellow, a sweet, but geeky-music-major sort of guy, that I just didn't get classical music. Somehow over the years I have learned to have some appreciation for it. I still can't identify Mozart or Beethoven, (maybe I could, I'm not sure). But I enjoy listening to classic music sometimes. I really do.

That might have started when I had a boss who was always listening to the public radio station's classic music programs.