Saturday, February 18, 2012

ROCKING & REMEMBERING MY CHILDHOOD IN SEGREGATED MEMPHIS


                              v



Rocking chairs have always been important in my life. I only started my pretend traveling via rocking chair in October, 2011.
But I guess I have rocked a little almost every day of my life when  I  would mostly be thinking. But now I find I am mostly remembering. 
I will share a little with you today about what I  remember about my childhood in segregated Memphis, Tennessee.


  facsimile  Louise Beavers whom Ironer favored. The first black person I ever knew was a maid  hired because Mother was very sick and had to stay in bed.   Sick Girl in Bed Clipart clipart 
I was around 3 years old. (1936)
"Ironer"  only helped us a few weeks, but was very sweet to me. When her work day was over, we often played dolls before she went home;  I was very lonely. As I sit in my rocking chair remembering that time,  I see a dark screened- in back porch and a kitchen; in my mind the memory is surrounded by blue and gray... a hard time made easier by "Ironer." Never saw her again...but she made a real impression on me as to how important kindness and thoughtfulness are.


My next black friends were people I only heard on the radio. 
                                 
In Memphis we had a station that played mostly black music. 




As I continue to rock and remember,   I see Mother ironing in the back bedroom of our house.  I am sitting on the floor leaning against the bed; I am listening to Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Mahalia Jackson, Albertina Walker, James Cleveland and other greats!  The first black gospel song I ever heard was "YES, GOD IS REAL."   






I am guessing that about that time Elvis was listening somewhere to the same kind of music.  With this recording Elvis showed he was not only comfortable with black gospel, but had a passion for it!!




At our church we didn't have that kind of music at all; we sang traditional hymns in a traditional way. I loved our music, but I was crazy about black gospel then and still love it today.


It may be hard for younger people to realize what living in a segregated city meant. Half our population was black. Yet, we  knew virtually none at all.  By 1944 I had two younger brothers. When Mother got sick again, Helen came into our lives for a few weeks. 
                           facsimile...Helen favored Ethel Waters
She was entirely different from "Ironer." For one thing she was old. But she was loving to our family and knew how to give hugs.  I have heard that some people, who had black servants, had special dishes for them to eat out of, because they were afraid of germs. What?! Nonsense! When we sat down to eat, Helen sat at the table with us as part of our family.  


So in my youth I only KNEW 2 black people: both women, both maids,  both were my friends.  "Ironer" & Helen are still remembered and  of course I'll never forget my black radio friends. I still hear them on You tube!


I guess I should get up out of the rocking chair and cook supper now...just thought I'd share a little about living in Memphis during segregation.  
I am closing with what some people consider to be the FIRST rock and roll song...
sung by my radio friend, 
Sister Rosseta Tharpe
                                      annie in memphis


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Thursday, February 16, 2012

ON TO ZURICH!! "THAT'S ALL RIGHT"

    SWITZERLAND  III
                 
         
Just as Geneva had been a bust, so was Lausanne. We only saw what could be seen from inside the car. And in a few minutes we would be leaving again.

                               

Soon it was dark outside. The desk clerk/agent walked up to us and whispered our ride had arrived.  He opened the front door for us.  


 Outside a small unimpressive Renault was sitting there.


                            Red And Green Renault Twingo Clip Art
We couldn't believe our eyes. Larry (Mr. CIA, himself) was in the driver's seat.


 He said warmly and rather loudly, "Well, Cousin Tommy, I see you finally made it to Switzerland to visit me...this must be Charlotte, your lovely wife, I've heard so much about."


Ben got in the front seat by Larry and I sat in the back. Actually about then Larry was looking good to us...somebody from home.


No one else was in the car, so we talked freely. We asked him where in the world we were going?
Larry responded, "In just a few hours we will be in Zurich. In the morning you will catch a plane for home!!"
"For home?! " Ben and I said almost at the same moment. 


"We were trying to have a fun trip for just the two of us, Larry." Ben complained. "Now it is all ruined!"


Larry said, " Ben, you are alive, aren't you?  A hit man was caught lurking around the l'Arabesque restaurant...he was so confused by the Elvis impersonators that he dropped his gun  and was arrested right in front of our Humes friends.
                              
                       
 They are thrilled by all of it and are in the middle of celebrating all over Geneva...a delight to folks who see them.

"Well, dudn't that beat all?" I murmered!! "We didn't even see that." I whined.


In two hours we arrived in Zurich and checked in to the Baur au Lac Hotel.  
Our room Baur au Lac, Zurich,  Switzerland

Larry's room  Baur au Lac, Zurich,  Switzerland

Many people knew Larry at this hotel and came to our table to say hello. We were in such a good mood, the three of us decided to stay an entire day in Zurich like real tourists. Baur au Lac, Zurich,  Switzerland    Baur au Lac, Zurich,  Switzerland breakfast


 vAndermatt  Andermatt 



Baur au Lac, Zurich,  Switzerlandafternoon lunch back at the hotel looking out over the water

In parting Larry told us Geneva newspaper photographers had made pictures of the Elvis impersonator friends. Larry gave the reporters  a picture of us telling about our unusual wedding. It also would be in the Memphis Commercial Appeal, and even a blurb on Fox news. This should set to rest any likeness to a drug lord.

Who knows? Maybe Ben and I will try another trip just by ourselves...but right now I am not counting on it. And not putting it on the blog, if we do. haha. Green rocking chair 2


Then to Zurich airport and next stop       Memphis, Tennessee


Some of you traveled with us...
"YOU ARE ALWAYS ON MY MIND"
Best  wishes always, ben and annie back in memphis


 PS. below
Here is Ben in his Elvis costume and wig. Larry retrieved them and also our luggage from Hotel Wilson. Now if Ben will just take it off!! 


THAT'S ALL RIGHT, Sweet Ben, any way you do!
William Benjamin Brewer: 1933-2012
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You tube removed this ELVIS video of  THAT'S ALL RIGHT 


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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

GENEVA..INTERRUPTED."ALL SHOOK UP!"

SWITZERLAND  II



                                   

So as Larry promised, he did call back in a few hours but with the most ridiculous plan we had ever heard of.

Larry said that we would pretend Ben and I are  in Geneva to renew our vows;  friends from America are flying in for the ceremony.

 Some would be old friends of Larry's and mine (Ben wasn't a Humes student); others would be CIA agents.

All twelve of the bedrooms would be occupied.

The old friends at first will think the wedding is for real. But here is the part that "knocked
my socks off." 

The wedding will have an ELVIS THEME because he  graduated from Humes. Is that goofy or what?!


 A large package was delivered to our suite with the clothes the wedding male guests will wear.    




All of the men will wear Elvis impersonator costumes with black pompadour wigs.  Remember our classmates are in their seventies now!!  I thought Ben would scream to high heaven.  But No-oh.  He thought it was a cute idea and is excited about all of it.

The cloak and dagger stuff appeals to Ben; our simple CIA assignment in Krakow was not dangerous. No cloak, no dagger.  But it was exciting, nevertheless!

                                                   Order # BN27J5349EW Kurts Karin. Original Un-Modified Photo!  http://www.todaystylist.com/COPYRIGHTS DO NOT COPY!  PROPERTY OF BEAUTIFUL NATURALLY WIGS HAIRPIECES
Larry  explained that when we leave the suite to go down to the plush L'Abaresque  restaurant for the wedding brunch/reception, nobody will be able to  recognize any of the men.




And all the hotel guests in the lobby and restaurant will be staring in disbelief and a little delight at the spectacle. It would be impossible for an assassin to carry out the kill. So I guess the idea wasn't as ridiculous as I had supposed.  Oddly we slept well.
Moon and Stars Design clipart              Moon and Stars Design clipart             



The next day arrived and so did the wedding guests. It was fun to see everyone. The women are
 old girlfriends of mine;  I don't know their husbands. There  are also agents the others assume are Ben's high school friends. After it was explained that they had been given a free trip to Geneva
and a three day stay at Hotel Wilson for a commercial...they fell into the fun. They so easily believed the lie!   We watched TV and sang along with an agent playing the Steinway. I guess we sang every Elvis song we had ever heard...knew all the words.  Such fun.


We could hardly believe the beauty we saw through our bullet proof windows.   The lake....the mountains...Geneva... all  stunningly beautiful.  



                     . 

The pretend wedding was scheduled for the mid afternoon.  All the men put on their Elvis impersonator costumes and you have never seen a jollier bunch of people.  Many people
snapped pictures, but we were so nervous we forgot to. Here is a facsimile of how they looked.
Largest gathering of Elvis impersonators


We all got on the private elevator and headed down to the lobbyThis is a luxury hotel filled mostly with business guests.This is quiet sitting area near the reception.v

There was a sumptuous  buffet/wedding reception for everyone in the L'Abaresque Restaurant. Famous for Lebanese food, which none of us had eaten before. 
v;   Everything was wonderful!! Even a Lebonese wedding cake!!!


 I was hoping for a long banquet table, since the meal was costing monopoly money a fortune to feed 20 people!!!  But no one complained.  I won't use monopoly money for booze, but they were high enough without artificial help.  
 L'Abaresque Restaurant



When the meal was over, the guests were to go out on the town, seeing everything they could in Geneva and  stopping  traffic wherever they went. They aren't due  to go back to the suite until the wee hours of the morning.  This is what Ben and I really wanted to do, also. But instead Ben was instructed to change from his impersonator costume into street clothes in a restroom;




then we were  whisked  33 miles away to another city.

Whatever happened to Geneva then??? Obviously not for us!!   

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So while everyone is having fun EXCEPT us, this is a good time to leave you. 



When WE know more, we'll tell YOU more. You can read Part 3 now.Just find GENEVA 33 miles ago."That's All Right!" The last part. Hope you enjoyed it. 

ben and annie of memphis leaving Geneva.

                                                       "ALL SHOOK UP" BY ELVIS




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