For my Oma

 

On Monday, it was National Grandmother’s day and Vanilla Ice Cream Day. I’m more of a chocolate ice cream person plus I love my Oma which is German for Grandmom. If you head over to Monday Music Moves Me, you can hear a number of songs based on this theme. My Oma, I saw 4 different times but, each time, it was for a few weeks each. By this time, Oma and Opa lived in Austria since the early 1960s, since escaping from East Germany to the West in 1950. My Oma held my heart from the moment I saw her. She was such a tiny thing, 4’ 8” tall, but one strong lady who taught my mom well. My mom’s strength and ingenuity comes from Oma who survived so much. She was a girl from the country who grew up on a farm and met, city boy, Opa, when he got a job on the farm. She was 16 and innocent but fell for Opa who stayed near since her dad would not allow them to be alone together since she was only 16. By the time she turned 18, in April, she was allowed to be with Opa and by Christmas they were married. You see, she gave birth to Tante Ilse on Dec. 27th in 1922. Opa didn’t waste any time being with Oma. By 1928, she had 4 children, Ilse, Harry, Kurt and Elfriede, my mom( later she went by her middle name, Ruth). Oma married a mommy’s boy who liked the blondes and, once, took her husband’s ear and led him out of Wittenberg back home after learning he was being seen around town with a Blonde bimbo. In the early 30s, they bought land and built a home. Oma took care of the home, waxing the floors each week, cleaning daily, washing the windows each week( typical German), having a large veggie garden and flower garden, she raised chickens, rabbits and pigs for meat. She cooked all the meals and made great tortes and yeast cakes. She knew how to sew and made all the kids’ clothing and birthday and Christmas gifts. She always set a nice dinner and made the place look festive. On top of all of that, she had a part time job delivering papers to the village they lived in (Zornigall). After having a new baby in 1939, only to lose him, 13 months later, due to a bomb( the bomb took the air out and so when you heard the bomb whistle, you were to take all the air out of your lungs and bend over squeezing down hugging your ankles, little Joachim didn’t know what to do and his lungs collapsed and died in Oma’s arms), she survived and still found a Christmas tree for the family. Losing another son after the war ended, due to the Russians, living without her husband due to him being, first in a German concentration camp and then a Russian gulag,  she finally got out of the East, 6 months after Opa was taken out by my mom. Oma lived with a husband who didn’t treat her well and I saw him berate her and she would just say “Kvatch” and told me not to worry. She suffered with pain and was not listened to except by my mom and me. When she said her feet were burning, I knew what that meant even though I was only 16 but I thought, at that time, everyone had that pain. I would sit with Oma who loved how I looked at pictures of her mother in law and, I thought, Opa’s mom was rough( my Oma loved that). When she died, on Dec. 29, 1987, I was very sad and felt bad for my mom. To me, she was beautiful in heart and soul and, now, whenever I see or hear a cardinal, I feel like it is my Oma watching over me. These musical pieces are for her…

1. MARCH OF THE TOYS PLAYED BY THE BOSTON POPS-1958

I think this is from the late 50s but this song comes from the Victor Herbert musical, “Babes in Toyland” that debuted in 1903, the year my Oma was born. This is now a standard Christmas song but  it wasn’t meant to be back when it appeared back in the early part of the 20th century. My Oma loved Christmas and brought Christmas to her family with every child receiving a whole orange and a chocolate by their dinner plate. My mom recalled how her mom made the Christmas stollen, brought it to the baker to bake and, walking home, in the snow, smelling the freshly baked stollen that Oma had on the sled. My mom couldn’t wait to get home and have a piece. The smells of the baking, the evergreens and finally seeing the tree all lit up with candles filled everyone with wonder. By the way, my Oma’s name was Frida Ida Hertel ( pronounced Freeda Eeda Heirtel) and no, her parents did love her. 

2. IM JUST WILD BOUT HARRY SUNG BY JUDY GARLAND-1939

This song, written by Noble Sissle with the great Eubie Blake composing the music who also starred in the Broadway Show, “Shuffle Along” back in 1922. It was an all black cast and was a notable success. This song was a big hit back in the roaring 20s and, I bet, my Uncle Harry was named because this song was a global hit. Now, my Uncle would say that his actual name was Harald because he was like the German Frazier Crane. He held a PHD from the Sorbonne University, was head of the German Dept. At the University of Michigan and lived in the posh Ann Arbor Hills. His parents were more like Frazier’s dad, down to earth, enjoyed a beer and dancing to the folk songs and hits of the day( Oma loved to dance, not Opa so Oma would dance when she could find a partner). My uncle, who would freeze up if you dared to hug him, tried to maintain his name was Harald but my mom would bring him down to earth and tell him that their parents would never think of naming him Harald. His name was Harry and he was my Uncle Harry and Oma was wild about him.

3. DU, DU, LIEGST MIR IM HERZEN SUNG BY EDITH PROCK-1993

This is a very famous German folk song that I sang to Oma, only the first 2 lines,  back in 1982. She smiled and hugged me and I hugged her. The first 2 lines mean, “You, you are in my heart, you, you are on my mind which makes me think of Oma. The song is about unrequited love and the lyrics are heartbreaking, actually but, I don’t think of that..just the first 2 lines. This song, a traditional folk song originated around 1820 and, over time, has become very famous and sometimes, parodied. I think this simple way Edith sings this is great.

What songs make you think of your grandmother? Or maybe you are thinking of Vanilla Ice cream? 

Sorry I am late this week….