Saturday, July 19, 2008

A day of all things Swedish.........


God dag!

Our big family outing today was a trip to Ikea in Midtown. We were looking at a table and chairs for Sarah Cate and just enjoying the store. Sarah LOVED the wooden table we got her, we are going to finish it and she will be set. We enjoyed a lunch of what else....Swedish Meatballs. We found a cute little plastic chair for Sarah also for only $3.....she was SO happy she passed out in the car.

After a long nap and dinner, I headed to pick up my cuz Lyn to enjoy Mama Mia....featuring music from the supergroup ABBA - from Sweden. This musical movie is SO much fun! Its kind of a cheesy musical, almost making fun of itself. The actors all appear to be having a great time and the scenery is beautiful. Poor Pierce Brosnan just didn't sound too good...but he looked as good as ever as did Colin Firth.... a little eye candy for the older ladies. The theater appeared to be sold out, mostly women of course, but I was surprised with how many men were there....Andy wouldn't go.

I love Dancing Queen....it reminds me of my sister Mary Beth who loved Abba...I believe she owned the Arrival album, the one with the photo of them in the group helicopter. Mary would sing along and dance around - and I am talking about disco type line dancing fingers pointing and her twirling you know 2 or 3 steps to the left then right, even simulated bumping....to Dancing Queen, much to my embarassment. She worked at my grade school's athletic department as an admin and when she wasn't busy so she would turn the radio up and dance around the office.....curtains open, big windows and across the schoolyard from my classroom. All the kids in my class laughed and made fun of her. Sadly, it embarassed me terribly - you know how tough middle school can be when the kids have something to pick on you about. When I told her to stop as people were watching and laughing she just said "I don't care" and she just kept on dancing. You know, she really didn't care, she just loved music and dancing and with her being "special" it was her outlet. So time went by, I grew up went to college and lost Mary Beth who died at 25. I graduated and did the things a young single girl does - things Mary Beth never exerienced and when I would go out with my friends to a bar that played Dancing Queen I would run out to the dance floor and dance with a huge smile on my face singing along. OK, probably more times than not alcohol was involved, but I know deep down, when I hear this song I think of Mary Beth dancing away without a care in the world and sheer joy in her heart. You know I can get a little teary eyeded when I hear it and I did at the movie.....fun song with great memories. The best thing at the movie was all the women on the island no matter what age joined in the singing and dancing which is pretty much what happens at any bar when this song comes on....well at least it was that way at Bar and Bell Bottoms.

I think I will pop Abba Gold in the minivan tomorrow and introduce SC to some Swedish music....maybe even have a little dance party around her new Ikea stuff to continue our Swedish celebration. Heck why don't you just click on a link for Dancing Queen and Mama Mia, open a window and and have a little dance party of your own..... I bet Mary Beth will be dancing with you from heaven.

Skal


Skal