We’ve been through a heatwave. It began this past Friday and fortunately, it appears to have broken. The last few mornings the thermometer read temps in the upper seventies where a normal early summer reading might be in the low sixties, and possibly the mid-fifties. But while weather comes and goes, it’s the climate that is changing and I must find a way to adapt and change.

I woke early this morning, a bit before six am, made coffee and noticed this morning’s temperature was 74, five degrees lower Monday, an improvement and good signs. I decided to enjoy the ‘summer office’, to listen to the birds and begin the morning routine. Often, I skim though e-mails and read a blog or two and leave comments or lazily, press like. This morning beth from I Didn’t Have My Glasses On and Neil from Yeah, Another Blogger got me thinking. Before moving on my devotional and reflection, then Wordle.

But Neil’s story of music and his dad connected with me in an odd way. I had decided to write a Tuesday’s Tune post using the song ‘Heat Wave.’ The song was written in the early sixties and recorded by Matha and the Vandellas in 1963, it was a hit. I remember it being recorded by Linda Ronstadt and I found the video below. It is from the mid-seventies, and it was a late Friday night tv show, The Midnight Special. It aired at midnight, which was long past my bedtime, but sometimes I’d sneak out to watch it. I have no memory of watching this episode, but I do remember watching late night television when I was in high school with friends. When I located the YouTube video, I realized it was from an episode of the Midnight Special which aired two days after my dad had married my stepmother.

All three of us had attended and I remember the after-wedding celebration of running the halls of the reception hall with another group of kids while our parents celebrated the newlyweds upstairs.
Days after the wedding my dad, and my new stepmother left town and began their new life in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. They would be married thirty-four years before my dad died after a brief illness in July 2009.

It’s like a heat wave
It’s burning in my heart
I can’t keep from burning
It’s tearing me apart
‘Heat Wave’ (chorus)

The pair loved each other deeply and their marriage was a connection for my brothers and I. The couple maintained a home in Houston, Texas, near where I grew up, but they loved almost exclusively overseas in Europe and for a year or so in Venezuela, until my father retired May 1998.

That wedding was fifty years ago, and I have another fifty year ‘re-union’ coming up this summer. When my parents divorced, my mom got custody of us and my dad had visitation rights. Unfortunately, weekly or monthly visits weren’t possible with a father living seven thousand miles away. So, our visits with md dad and my stepmother, Juliana, were left to summer breaks for four weeks (or more) or winter breaks.

Our first visit was in July 1975. It was the summer between my 7th and 8th grade years. I blogged about our trip ten years ago on the fortieth anniversary of our trip, here are links to the posts:

·      40 Years Ago, today
·      40 Years Ago, today – Part Two: Camels in the Night

During our trip we were with our dad for the first week until we were issued visas to enter Saudi Arabia. We were in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a little over two weeks with both my dad and Juliana, and then we had to go home, and Juliana escorted us to London for last part of our summer visit. During our visit we travelled by rail to visit her family in Scotland. We stayed in Glasgow, not far from her family’s home near Balmore or Kirkintilloch. Her brother and his family were preparing to move to South Africa, and it was an opportunity to see her family. My brothers and I were able to meet her niece and nephews, and her cousin’s family. I remember having fun while the grownups caught up.

And, as I recall the summer of 1975 was especially warm for Scotland, they were having a heat. My brother’s and I laughed to ourselves after spending a couple of weeks in the dry hot desert of Saudi Arabia, and after living in Houston, Texas where summer heat is often in the upper 90s with high humidity to match.

It’s like a heat wave
It’s burning in my heart
I can’t keep from burning
It’s tearing me apart
‘Heat Wave’ (chorus)

Over the past weeks I have been messaging across the Atlantic to Juliana’s family trying to find a common time to meet and celebrate her life. When Juliana died, I shared the date and tentative plans for Saturday evening celebration, and Sunday celebration with her niece and grandnieces when the estate was settled last fall.

Yesterday, I learned that her cousin Mary’s ashes were spread there as well, which may explain why Juliana wished to be there. So far, we have nothing concrete, but I am holding firm to my original plan to gather Saturday evening for dinner somewhere in the Mumbles area, with breakfast Sunday morning at nice before gathering to disperse her ashes at eleven.

I am hoping for a fifty-year reunion, it would be nice, and it would honor her memory.

Sometimes I stare in space
Tears all over my face
I can’t explain it, don’t understand it
I ain’t never felt like this before

Two weeks from this evening, my wife and I leave for London, two days later my brother Warren leaves Houston for London with his wife. We are taking the same train to Swansea Saturday morning and will meet up for adventures in the Mumbles searching for the right place for Juliana. I know we will.

Now this funny feeling has me amazed
Don’t know what to do, my head’s in a haze
It’s like a heat wave

Writing takes time, especially when you are writing about family and trying to make things work. Today is going to be a great day, if I can only trust it. So, I’d better jump up, jump in, and seize the day. Making the Days Count, one day at a trusting it will work out and cool down.

How is your weather and can you trust it?

Heat Wave
 
Whenever I’m with him
Something inside starts to burning
And I’m filled with desire
Could it be the devil in me
Or is this the way love’s supposed to be?
 
It’s like a heat wave
It’s burning in my heart
I can’t keep from burning
It’s tearing me apart
 
Whenever he calls my name so softly and plain
Right then, right there, I feel that burning flame
Has high blood pressure got a hold on me?
Is this the way love’s supposed to be?
 
It’s like a heat wave
It’s burning in my heart
I can’t keep from burning
It’s tearing me apart
 
Sometimes I stare in space
Tears all over my face
I can’t explain it, don’t understand it
I ain’t never felt like this before
 
Now this funny feeling has me amazed
Don’t know what to do, my head’s in a haze
It’s like a heat wave
 
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
Ha oh yeah
 
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
Oh yeah
 
I feel it burning right here in my heart
Don’t you know it’s like a heat wave?
Yeah yeah
Yeah yeah
Oh
 
Don’t you know it’s like a heat wave
Burning right here in my heart?
Songwriters: Lamont Herbert Dozier
Lyrics courtesy of  Lyrics dot com