Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Pickers and Huffers

Dear Friends,

This weekend was clean up week in my small town. It seems like a mundane event...you know toss out a mattress here or there, a broken chair from the attic, an old TV or lamp. However, it was a party here in my neighborhood over the weekend. The weather was warm and beautiful and everyone, and I do mean everyone, was out hauling dusty, dirty old stuff from somewhere in the belly of their lives.

Neighbor was helping neighbor toss out the trash and we gathered in the streets to chat and talk about it. We also watched as the pickers were in full swing. Truck after truck trudged down the road picking up this or that, cutting off cords for the wire, taking old chairs to repair and picking up a treasure to set on the mantle.

A lovely group of women descended upon my junk pile and we had a great time visiting. I told them to come back to my garage sale if they thought this was fun.

My neighbor and I talked of the pickers as in poetry, as in Carl Sandburg. How could we not speak of him?

Carl Sandburg was the greatest of poets, and if you are reading my blog you already have an appreciation of him!

Here is one of my favorites:

THE JUNK MAN
 
I am glad God saw death
And gave Death a job taking care of all who are tired of living;
 
When all the wheels in a clock are worn and slow and the connections loose
And the clock goes on ticking and telling the wrong time from hour to hour
And people around the house joke about what a bum clock it is,
 
How glad the clock is when the big Junk Man drives his wagon
Up to the house and puts his arms around the clock and says;
 
"You don't belong here,
You gotta come
Along with me,"
How glad the clock is then, when it feels the arms of the Junk Man
close around it and carry it away.
 
Carl Sandburg
 
 
Also this weekend one of my favorite music groups, The Jug Huffers, were in Angola at the Pint and Slice for Saturday night. There was a great troupe of us in the small restaurant on the square for several hours just loving the evening.
We ended the night with a kazoo sing a long as the Huffers had enough kazoos for everyone. It was a great night and fun to walk home under the cool April skies as well.
 
Here is a picture of The Jug Huffers. I might point out they also play mandolin, banjo, guitar, accordion and the fiddle. The Jug Huffers are also my square dance band so give us a call!
 
As always thanks for reading, and to Robb, yes I love The Fog!
 
Lou Ann
 
 
 
 


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