May 7, 2006
A CHRISTIAN KITCHEN
I suppose I'm of an old school. When I was a young one my mother used to sing up a storm in the kitchen. Usually a softspoken singing, and generally of the hymnal variety. Rock of Ages. Were You There? Amazing Grace. Everyone's mommies used to sing in the kitchen. Muttered under inhalation.
I can remember paddling around, snot pure adripping from my nose, in whatever the Latin for comfort is, a happy little fellow. Chicken be fried, dumplings be rolled, and good sweet Christian music would be hummed under my mother's breath.
She was no Puritan, of course. We had an intercom system in the house, and Top 40 was piped in. For the record, the week I was born, Elvis was top of the charts with Don't Be Cruel. And my mom would sing Elvis. She loved Elvis. She loved rock and roll. It was all about the singing.
But the obtaining point: all southern women sang in the kitchen. And it is a lost art. Forget the hymnals. There ain't even a decent excuse of a rap song in the offing. My poor mom would sing Rock of Ages in a low, sweet lilt, wth an unfiltered Chesterfield on the sink. That is balls. And comfort. My mom died before she could teach my girls, and my wife's tone? Deafcon 1. No way the kids can know now.
Who's mama sings in the kitchen? I want to know. Because I'll come over and sop some gravy with you, for a piece of that. I truly miss it. And it will never, ever, return.
Ever one of my wummins sang and some still do. If you were not a spiritual fan you would pozitively lose your ever lovin' mind!
Posted by: James Hooker, ace of aces at May 7, 2006 1:12 AMUnfortunately, we've been made to believe that we are pitch-deaf unless we are at least a C-cup.
Posted by: Cythen at May 7, 2006 1:49 AMMy Dear Wife sings when she is happy. She sings when she is sad. Shower, kitchen, back yard...I'm gonna go hug her as she sleeps, now. And I thankee.
Posted by: Bane at May 7, 2006 2:58 AMMy mom used to hum hymns in the kitchen all the time. We had a BIG ASS kitchen with a woodstove and we always hung out in there because it was the warmest place in the house. I miss that, too...
My kids only hear me sing/hum 70's-80's music...no hymns for me...
Posted by: Lisa at May 7, 2006 8:30 AMMy mama sang in the kitchen, too. I really miss hearing her do that.
Posted by: Acidman at May 7, 2006 9:04 AMI come from many miles and many years ago.
No singing in the kitchen anymore (loved that), we have a TV there now. (EFF TV)
We, I and wifey & kids (when they visit) sing in the car.
Here it takes 9 hrs to cover 400 km and you have to do something.
For the zero people who understand afrikaans, have you ever heard "Hoor jy 'n magtige dreuning" sung by a Zulu male chior. Pure magic.
Mom still does. And when mom makes gravy, it be a beverage. You wait till nobody's looking, and you drink it right out of the boat, it's that good. Specially pork. Never smoked, though dad's pipe made the house plenty aromatic of it's ownself.
Posted by: og at May 7, 2006 10:54 AMI sing everywhere!
Posted by: livey at May 7, 2006 12:40 PMMy mama was too busy gossiping on the phone and watching me do the housework to sing. But I sang all the time to my little girl until she begged me to stop. I'm tone deaf and sing off key. And I sing to the grandtyke now. He's still too young to care what it sounds like. Heck he sings along.
Posted by: Libby at May 7, 2006 12:55 PMYou have no idea how many places The Princess Mom has been invited NOT to sing (including in the shower), you'd understand why she never sang in the kitchen. Dear Lord! The milk would have curdled and every dish would have spontaneously combusted. NOT a good idea.
Posted by: Omnibus Driver at May 7, 2006 2:18 PMShe used to whistle too. In the kitchen, working in the yard, ironing...she was always happy if one of us was around. I miss it too. A lot.
Posted by: Belinda at May 7, 2006 5:44 PMI never sing in the kitchen while cooking, I'm too busy yelling at my boys trying to keep bloodshed and ER visits at bay, but I always sang to my babies and I always sang Amazing Grace and Rock of Ages.
Posted by: Bou at May 8, 2006 7:23 AMMy wife sings all the time. It is a real blessed feeling to hear her sing to me.Only problem is she can not hold a tune. Sounds awful. But I got to like it.
Don Jr.
I only sing in the car, with no one else around. You have your nearest and alledgedly dearest telling you that you can't sing long enough, you stop. I do remember my grandmother doing this though, and our maid too. Brings back some really great memories.
Posted by: Candy at May 8, 2006 9:17 PM