California Dreamin'

The miseducation of.....

A Photo
And the sky is grey (well it soon was after this promising dawn)
 
On a day like today it’s easy to dream of California in a dreamy way.
 
A remembering
When I was 7, I was sent to my paternal grandparents in the North East for a couple of weeks over the summer, by all accounts I was a little bit hard work so to give my parents a break and terrorise my grandparents. I’d managed within 1 day to have completed the perfect off drive playing cricket through the neighbours front room window – I look back regrettably now that no one noticed and nurtured my precocious talent with the bat.
My dad was one of 21 children, several were still at home, mostly in the age range 13-25. To be honest I don’t remember being terrible clear who was who, who lived there, who was visiting, who were boyfriends/girlfriends, aunts and uncles, or cousins, neighbours. 
We went on the Sunday school trip to South Shields and there were two coaches to transport us, one for my family the other for the rest of the village. Sunday dinner was a thing to behold – 20 to the table and served in two sittings. Grandad used to take me on long walks up to the pit and back I recall to tire me out, supplying me with extra strong mints for some reason. 
As I write this now I have a strong sense of being loved there, by all my miscellaneous relatives, which is quite a thing to notice from something a lifetime ago.
Having teenagers/early 20’s people in the house with some disposable income meant that there was an enviable collection of vinyl singles. I was trusted with the turntable and had my music education, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Stones, The Doors, The Who, Janice Joplin, Elvis, Bob Dylan, and  all kinds of folky stuff……

A tune
Today’s tune remembers that time with a chirpy, California dreaming song by the Mama’s and The Papas.

Interesting fact – Did you know that Mama Cass died in the same bed as Keith Moon? (years apart before you make up another story!).

Still puzzling all these years later what “the preacher like it cold” might mean, if you know, maybe best to leave me in ignorance.

California Dreaming by Mama's and the Papa's