Hotter Than A July
Twooooo-Mayyyyyyy-Toe

Dateline: 20 June 2016 AD



It's not July yet but, as Greg Brown sings in his classic down-t0-earth song, "Canned Goods," it's been hotter than a July Twoooooooooo-Mayyyyyyyyyyy-Toe here in upstate New York.

Deliberate Agrarian blog reader, Elizabeth, from out in the future free state of Jefferson, California, reads my Whizbang Gardening Facebook Page, and she saw the recent post I made there about the above YouTube clip. After which she wrote the following...

"Well, I wanted to make a comment about the "Canned Goods" song by Greg Brown, and wanted to make it on your blog...Thanks so much for that touching song. It's almost like my theme song for your blog, Herrick. The song and this blog mean a lot to me. I feel like I'm part of a family, so many names of people who comment have become familiar to me, and precious, as you and your family have become to me as well. That's what that song churned up in me, gratefulness, the good life, relationships!!!"

That's beautiful, Elizabeth. Thank you. I'll get back to writing at this blog soon, I hope.

As for the song, I recommend that everyone watch the YouTube clip above. At 38 seconds into the movie you will see some potatoes in a basement. That picture happens to be of my potato harvest from years ago. I posted it here to this blog. I was so surprised to see my picture there, and that's how I happened to mention it on my Facebook page.

If you like the Canned Goods song, and you want to hear a  long, rambling, version, check out this link: Canned Goods by Greg Brown (the delightful long version).




6 comments:

clint said...

Absolutely love it! Thanks for the link. :)
- Mrs. Clint

Herrick Kimball said...

This song gets me near the end, when, speaking of his grandmother, Greg Brown sings... "An I really wanna go see her real soon."

It gets me because I always loved visiting my grandmothers. And they have both now died.

Elizabeth L. Johnson said...

Elizabeth L. Johnson said,

Thanks for translation of to-ma-toe. I listened and listened again, and could not figure out what he was singing!

Unknown said...

He got to me too! My grandmother was always the most important person in my life. Being one of seven children, she was the one person that I could go visit, and be the center of her attention. She would fill the big old claw foot tub up with bubbles, and I could soak forever there. She made up her big old metal bed with tons of fluffy covers and feather pillows for me, and even though it was really cold in the huge attic bedroom, it was the most comfortable sleep I ever had, even to this day. My Nanny would take me downtown, in Washington DC, by streetcar, and go have lunch together, we would then stop by her friends on the way home, to have cookies and tea together. I was never so pampered as when I was with my Nanny, and have never known another like her in my life. She was loving, kind, and tough as nails too. My parents were always loving, and we never were in want of anything, but time. I never felt left out at home, but because my Nanny lived alone a lot, she had that extra time my parents simply never had. They made up for that with family gatherings of about 50 people and weeks of time at the beach in summer. I have been blessed with a wonderful family, but it was my Nanny who showed me how to feel special, and that's hard to do when your a family of 9. I lost my Nanny when I was 16 years old, and if I ever learned one thing in my life, it's how important Grandmothers and Grandfathers can be in a child's life. Bless, Sheila

Brian said...

Greg Brown's music in general, is filled with agrarian themes. Specifically, check out his earlier albums (1980s and early 1990s), especially "The Iowa Waltz" album.

Herrick Kimball said...

Sheila—
That's a great testimony. Thank you.