heads, shoulders, knees and. . .



and no, I'm not going to launch into a song about Mother Brown. . .
.
knees-up just reminds me of dreadful family parties, held in village halls; great aunts, who should know better, trying to recapture the spirit of The Blitz; small children escaping kisses by hiding under fold-out tables covered in cheap cloths - sitting cross-legged, eating piles of sandwiches from which they've extracted and discarded the parts of the filling that they don't like; teenagers feeling awkward and embarassed and wishing the floor would open up and swallow them; the moaning Minnis in the kitchen, making endless pots of tea whilst serving the barely warmed up sausage rolls, then sweeping-up and mopping-up the bunting that has fallen down from the walls and become mushed into a pile of crisps knocked out of a bowl onto the floor and there mixed with spilt orange squash spilt from a plastic jug because Susan couldn't pour straight on account of her shaking hands - yes, she inherited that from his side of the family - whilst complaining that noone else is pitching in, but not accepting any offers of help with the washing-up or clearing away; the mad uncle in the corner trying to add generations to his family tree, laid out on five pieces of scrappy paper tentatively stuck together with ageing peeling sticky tape, which is missing the branch where grandfather on mother's side should have a half sister who married Jim. . .
.
. . .and for some reason they all end up singing and dancing to a slightly confused rendition of The Oke-Koke
.
sorry. . . where was I?
I haven't a clue!

(no change there, then)

I hope you know where you are today
and that you like being there

9 comments:

Mel said...

Ughh...I remember those 'dreadful' gatherings.

Yup--under the tables with the tablecloths to hide from 'em all.

Today--in the livingroom (in the dark)(literally and figuratively).
Do I like it?

Sorta. Pieces of it are likeable this morning.

Rimshot said...

I've never had a gathering like that. It sounds fun.

So the new meds...good, bad, no difference?

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Have you seen Bill Bailey's Oke-cokey done in the style of Kraftwerk. It's out there on Youtube somewhere - I recommend it.

katherine. said...

I have been to those gatherings as well...

thankfully...they were other people's families...although everyone seems to have a crazy uncle. (everyone knew to avoid Uncle Denver)

more of the fabric thing.

Dave said...

Nope. I have no idea about what you are talking.

Anonymous said...

I remember being pumped full of sweets and fizzy drinks and then being told to sit still. Little boys should be seen and not heard.

Unknown said...

OK, I get: Head, shoulders, knees and...

...Marilyn Monroes.

But what's the other one?

Anatomical pose?

Shoulder shows?

Scapula grows?

I, Like The View said...

toes, JB toes - head shoulders knees and toes

Aidan happy birthday!

Dave lucky you

katherine. the stuff of life, eh

Malc I'll have to look that up!

shot never? really? a fortunate escape

Mel uggh indeed, altho I can't work out for the life of me what made me think about them

Anonymous said...

I cringed, reading this. (yes, I'm slipping behind again!)Lucky Dave and 'Shot.