Happy Birthday Velmar!


Today is my good good friend Kathy Willnauer's (nee Valma)birthday. We figured out that we have known each other for 34 years....my god, 34 years. We met in Bernie Fenster's 9th grade science class. She was writing the words to a Spark's song on the desk and substituting the name "Bernie" for "Albert." We soon found out that we were both Elton John freaks. We became best friends very quickly. Early cherished memory: working as partners on a "simple machines" project in Bernie's class. We made an automatic book opener which involved tying a thread loop around a book page tying the other end to an egg beater, and then cranking egg beater. Much barely supressed laughter during presentation which helped earn us a D minus. I have spent every Christmans Eve with Velmar since 1974, and most other holidays as well. She's smart, she funny, she's quirky, she's steady, she's decent, she's fair, and she's family. I would send her a hyber hug but she'd cringe. No mushy stuff for her...

Talent is an Asset

Albert is smart, he's a genius
Watch Albert putter, an obvious genius
Someday he will reassess the world
And he'll still have time for lots of girls

When he grows up he'll remember us
When he grows up we are sure that he'll remember us

We made sure that Albert wore his mac
We kept all the strangers off his back

(Go away)
Everything's relative
(Go away Albert's mother say to me)
We are his relatives and he don't need any non- relatives

Talent is an asset
You've got to understand that
Talent is an asset
And little Albert has it
Talent is an asset
And Albert surely has it

One day he'll sever his apron strings
All of the while he'll be scribbling things, genius things
Look at Albert, isn't he a sight
Growing, growing at the speed of light

(Go away)
Everything's relative
(Go away Albert's mother say to me)
We are his relatives and he don't need any non- relatives

Talent is an asset
And little Albert has it

Talent is relative
That's hypothetical
We are his relatives
That's parenthetical
Spare your superlatives
There's the receptacle
There's the receptacle

Leave Albert's study room
Leave Albert's happy room
Leave Albert's neighbourhood
Leave Albert's city, too
Leave Albert's country seat
Leave Albert's coun-rer-y
Leave Albert's continent
Leave Albert's hemisphere
Leave Albert's planet, too
Leave Albert's universe

No one must see him now
Only the medical
No one must downgrade him
Don't be too cynical
Don't be too critical
Cancel the magazines
They're much to political
Don't buy him any jeans
They're much to casual
Talent is relative
We are his relatives
That's parenthetical

Sparks

Friends

I hope the day will be a lighter highway
For friends are found on every road
Can you ever think of any better way
For the lost and weary travellers to go

Making friends for the world to see
Let the people know you got what you need
With a friend at hand you will see the light
If your friends are there then everything's all right

It seems to me a crime that we should age
These fragile times should never slip us by
A time you never can or shall erase
As friends together watch their childhood fly

Bernie Taupin