Saturday, December 29, 2012

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Sting in Berlin




http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=Y-mCzvUe1EM



Dear I. and dear B.

The phone rang, I answered, it was the door, the postman announcing himself. As I walked down the hall to meet him half way I said “I think you rang the wrong door, I have not ordered anything”. He just smiled and handed me the brown carton box he was holding and told me that it did not fit into my mail box.

Back in the apartment I looked it over and started talking to myself. "What could I have ordered,  did I order that thing I looked at, I don’t remember paying for anything.  I must look at my credit card statements". I had to fetch the bread knife to get that brown thing open. STING!!! My thoughts racing. "I thought a blog is a kind of secret thing, how could she find out my address, can’t be from her, it must be Pasha, I told her about discovering Sting through a blog, what, it's from I. and B.!!!!??, we did not discuss music, how come they know about my late discovery"?

Sting is playing as I am writing this. Would you believe that a few months ago I did not even know who Sting is. A German lady who’s blog I follow suggested I listen to him on Youtube. I listened to his Berlin concert with the London Symphony, wow – over and over again. Then I told Besito de Luz about it and she reminded me that Pasha was playing Sting from morning till night the one time we visited her together many years ago. Really?

And, you know what I just pulled out of my document holder on my desk? A pamphlet advertising ‘Direct Cremation’. A cheap way to be put away - $799. Now –never mind inflation, I’m not ready yet. The girls know it’s sitting there for them to use when the time comes. And, you know what’s attached to the pamphlet?? You’ll never guess.   
A note telling them to invite whomever wants to join them for a good meal and to play some music should they decide to celebrate my life. Music in this order: Desert Rose(Sting), Hallelujah  (Leonard Cohen) and of course some classical at their choice (I think I know what it will be). Now, do you believe that I am sitting here, blown out of my yesterday washed black socks, having a Porto and swinging to the music?

I am embarrassed to confess that I don’t know Jesse Cook. Will listen to him later.

Thank you soooooo much both of you. I am so happy about this nice gesture of your’s and won’t say “you should not have done that”. Enjoyed your visit very much.

 
Much love and warm hugs to both of you                       Tante Ellena

 

4 comments:

Roderick Robinson said...

That is cheap. South of your southern border you wouldn't get away with that. Or wouldn't have in the late sixties. There appeared to be a conspiracy between the funeral suppliers and the local authorities to ensure funerals cost as much as possible (mandatory concrete vaults, etc) and those who attempted to go the cheap route via cremation were locked into other ludicrous expenses which more or less equalled the cost of interment. Neither my wife nor I were willing to give in to this financial blackmail and we had the phrase "bodies given to medical school for the furtherance of science" written into to our US wills. When I mentioned this to US acquaintances it was as if I had spat in church.

Ellena said...

@RR
Oooof! After reading your first three words I thought you were going to pull my ears for the cheap shot of mentioning the London Philharmonic in the same sentence as Sting.
My Mom specified med.school or cremation. We ran into problems with med.school followed by cremation and opted for cremation.
Tomorrow at midnight it will be about us still being around to lift a glass and say thanks. I'll think of you and Mrs.VR when lifting mine and wish for you both to be able to lift it for a few years or more to come.

Lucy said...

I'm slightly puzzled as to what 'indirect cremation' might be...

Glad you're having a swinging time, happy New Year!

Ellena said...

@Lucy
Direct = from bed to fire no stop in between - no embaulment, no viewing no anything.
All the best for 2013.