Early Days
S.D. Moon was a very talented woodworker, and he moved the family to Chicago to take a special course in woodworking when Dad was about three years old. The family moved back to Atlanta after a couple of years, and S.D. opened a shop.
Dad and his brother Jim were always accompanied by at least one animal. Dad did not like cats for most of his life - until he met a cat more stubborn than he was who decided that Dad would like HIM. But he always loved dogs, and told us of finding dogs laying half-frozen in the alley around their house, bringing the dogs home, and reviving them. Ruth just shook her head at the menagerie. The family had rabbits as well, and Dad used to stop rush-hour traffic along Bankhead Highway with his parade of rabbits. They'd follow him single-file!
Another of Dad's passions was for music. He started learning to play violin, but couldn't master it. The only other instrument available for him to learn was clarinet, and the music teacher told him that he wouldn't be able to play it because of his buck teeth. Well, the fastest way to get any of us to do something is to tell us we can't. Dad became a very good clarinet player, and it was pretty much ordained at my birth that I would also become a clarinet player. I grew up hearing John Phillip Sousa's marches along with waltzes and polkas, and when I was about 4-5 years old, Dad gave me his clarinet mouthpiece to play with. By the time I was 10, I needed the stiffest reed made for clarinet - but my hands were small and my fingers were not long enough for some of the fingering. Dad to the rescue! He provided me with fingering charts that showed some alternate fingering, much to the dismay of my music teacher, who did not know the alternates!
Sister Pete
When Dad was eight years old, the family grew again - baby sister Mildred was born. Dad wanted a baby brother, though, and was not to be deterred! He promptly renamed his new baby sister "Pete" - to which she still answers today.
Dad and his brother Jim were always accompanied by at least one animal. Dad did not like cats for most of his life - until he met a cat more stubborn than he was who decided that Dad would like HIM. But he always loved dogs, and told us of finding dogs laying half-frozen in the alley around their house, bringing the dogs home, and reviving them. Ruth just shook her head at the menagerie. The family had rabbits as well, and Dad used to stop rush-hour traffic along Bankhead Highway with his parade of rabbits. They'd follow him single-file!
Another of Dad's passions was for music. He started learning to play violin, but couldn't master it. The only other instrument available for him to learn was clarinet, and the music teacher told him that he wouldn't be able to play it because of his buck teeth. Well, the fastest way to get any of us to do something is to tell us we can't. Dad became a very good clarinet player, and it was pretty much ordained at my birth that I would also become a clarinet player. I grew up hearing John Phillip Sousa's marches along with waltzes and polkas, and when I was about 4-5 years old, Dad gave me his clarinet mouthpiece to play with. By the time I was 10, I needed the stiffest reed made for clarinet - but my hands were small and my fingers were not long enough for some of the fingering. Dad to the rescue! He provided me with fingering charts that showed some alternate fingering, much to the dismay of my music teacher, who did not know the alternates!
Sister Pete
When Dad was eight years old, the family grew again - baby sister Mildred was born. Dad wanted a baby brother, though, and was not to be deterred! He promptly renamed his new baby sister "Pete" - to which she still answers today.
posted by Brenda King | 6:42 PM
1 Comments:
Brenda, Kudos to you for doing such a great job. It was a pleasure and honor reading your blog. Thank you for sharing. Essy
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