Have had to turn the heat on these past few mornings but then it is October so what do I expect? My fingers are like ice so I'd best get up from this computer and do something more constructive than playing bingo and working the crossword puzzle. Both morning rituals for me now. My Alexa echo is keeping me company. I take her to the bedroom when I go to bed at night so if I'm bothered with outside noises, I can have her play soothing music. We had a barking dog night before last and that damn critter barked for two hours. I have a hard time staying asleep anymore so any interruption like that makes it a difficult night and I was awake from 1 to 3 a.m. My neighbor told me the next day that she heard a coyote howling nearby but still.....if you have close neighbors, keep your dog in the house at night -- especially if it's a barker! Stupid people.
For whatever reason, I wondered if Alexa knew "Beating on the Ding Dong". I doubted it and didn't bother to request it. I had Elvis on for a bit, then Johnny Cash, then Jim Reeves, as I wanted soothing music while I worked on the crossword. Much to my surprise, "Beating on the Ding Dong" came up as a Jim Reeves song. I couldn't believe it. I didn't even know who sang that song and there it was!
I seem to recall that I heard it as my Uncle Arthur's house in Tracyton back in the 1950s. My dad would take his brood of four kids and descend on his brother's house for a visit. My dad ALWAYS visited ALL his siblings. In fact, besides Herb Enfield, I think that's the only place I remember him visiting with all us kids. He always liked being around Herb and Crystal, which is kind of odd in a way 'cause Herb and Crystal were regular bar stool attendees and while Dad liked a beer now and again, he didn't drink all that much. I suppose it was just being around Herb that he liked. He was a friendly guy. I always liked him. Dad's other friend was Hugh Lytle. I loved when Hugh came around 'cause he was so colorful. I especially loved it when he brought his guitar and would play country music for us kids. He yodeled too, I think. I always loved guitar playing and I'd encourage him to sing another.
Anyhow, back to the Ding Dong Song.....Uncle Arthur had an old phonograph and a large collection of 78 records which we were allowed to play if we promised not to scratch them. I think that's where I heard Ding Dong and it was just the type of song kids would like. At least I think that's where I heard it. If not there, then definitely at my Uncle Jim's house next door. He also loved country music like Arthur and my dad. When my dad worked nights, us kids would be shipped off to relatives houses to spend the night. I can't remember for sure where we all went. I'm pretty sure Les slept in Jimmy's room and I slept with Linda. I can't imagine all four of us stayed and Jim and Lillian's as their bedrooms weren't that big. At any rate, I do remember having a hard time falling asleep some nights because Jimmy insisted on singing (very loudly!) Beating on the Ding Dong all night long. Linda's room was just on the other side of Jimmy's and the walls were paper thin. We complained loudly to Linda's mom to make him shut up but she favored her only son and gave him lots of room to express himself. Of course, knowing it irritated us, Jimmy would sing even louder, snickering in between the chorus. He always was a little brat but I came to love him as an adult. Especially when I was working on this little book of family memories and several cousins would tell me their stories via emails. Jimmy, I found to my surprise, was hilarious.
Ding Dong must have been embedded in my childhood makeup somewhere because I remember a club that Linda and I started called the Ding Dong Club. We let Janie join but not until she was put through these stunts we thought of as initiation. Oh, the fun of childhood. Ding Dong came into my life again when I began this slogan that I insisted Janie use at night when I wanted to go to sleep. We always shared a very small bedroom and would talk like kids do in their bedrooms at night. When I was ready for sleep but she wanted to keep yakking, I told her that once I said "Ding and No Dongs" that meant you couldn't talk anymore. If you HAD to say something, you must say "Dong" first. Yeah, I was always nuts. haha
Well, now I gotta go find some old pictures to add to this blog post today. Pictures always make it more interesting.
Linda and me in the 1950s
P.S. to this blog. It's several hours later and Jenni informed me (cause my memory sucks) that the club me and Linda started was not the Ding Dong; it was the Dilly Dally Club. Ha Ha
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