Songs My Mother Taught Me . . . Whistle While You Work

 

{This is the sixth in an undetermined number of songs my mother taught me I'm posting this month in her memory. For background, please visit the post containing the first song, Ivory Tower.}



I found this beautiful, albeit humorous, photo of my mother in one of her albums that wasn't one we looked at with her, not that I can recall anyway. There are some cute pictures of my sister and me in the album, but it is basically a grown-ups display, showing visits from some relatives and old friends, friends from her work and their families, and "Daddy Bob." She nearly married the man we called "Daddy Bob" and I remember being all for it because I loved his teen-aged son and daughter. They were Catholic, something I thought sounded exotic. I have few memories of Bob, so he must have been a quiet drunk. It was his drinking that stopped her from marrying him; she had at least learned that from her years with my father.

This shot, taken by Bob, was in a series with a visiting relative and her spouse, likely at a cabin at Lake Tahoe, but most definitely at some spot in the Sierras where they had enjoyed a getaway from kids and work. My mother was one to ham it up for the camera. I did not inherit that from her. So this was her take on their having spiffed up the little cabin before leaving the key. She didn't usually do housecleaning dressed as she is here. But she always whistled while cleaning, cooking....doing anything around the house. My mother did not sing well, but her whistling was divine: on pitch, pure, melodic, sweet.

Of course she took us to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and all the other Disney movies. In essence, therefore, she taught me all the Disney tunes. Ringing in my memory is this song my mother taught me.....by example. Whistle While You Work.

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