Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

             There's no place like home.
                            -The Wizard of Oz


It's fair to say that I love old musicals. As a young child I
would listen to the songs on my phonograph (yes, I know,  a phonograph) that sat by my bed. Or I might even go to the fancier version in a beautiful wooden cabinet in the living room. There I would magically put on a record and sing to my heart's content. I adored the characters, felt as if I knew each one intimately, and revisited them like they were old and dear friends.

When my Mom, my Nana and I went to see Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, a whole new world opened up to me. I was smitten forever. And when musicals became movies, I would go, sit, and absorb and be sucked right into the play.
No wonder one of my Mom's nicknames for me was "Sarah Bernhart," an actress who was very dramatic.

It is only fair to say however, in due respect to my beloved family members, that you might want to think twice before sitting next to me in a production. If I know the lyrics, and I probably do, I am one of those sing along type of gals. I try to be reserved, really I do, but it just ain't a happenin' any time soon. Nope. Not me.

All that being said, not all musicals are equal in my book.
I especially love, in no special order, Brigadoon, 
South Pacific, Flower Drum Song, Fiddler on the Roof, Mame ("yes we need a little Christmas, right this very minute"), The Lion King, and The Sound of Music. Just yesterday, when Bert and I were unpacking my Christmas presents mailed from Maui, some amazing lanterns from Bali, I broke into singing the song...Bali High from South Pacific, all four verses, sung with emotion and vigor. 

It always cracks Bert up when I do this, and he firmly contends that I did not let him know I had this talent when we were dating. Yesterday he was laughing so hard as I was recreating that scene from South Pacific that he almost fell off of our sofa. He'll even, on occasion, hand me a large spoon or hairbrush to act as my microphone. 

I know he loves this quirky part of me. However, he did refuse to sit next to me when we took all our grandkids to the Lion King when the production came to Spokane. :)

While I adore more than twenty musicals, and know that like children you are not supposed to have a favorite, I am especially enamored with The Wizard of Oz. There are so many life lessons in this production. For example, if you are really yucky to lots of people, karma may take over and a house will fall on you. Another lesson... sometimes the most blustery folks who yell the loudest are just like Oz, a small man who feels inferior, lives behind a curtain, and just makes a blown up scary picture of himself so everyone will do what he wants. His cover is blown at the end of the movie.

The lyrics in this  production are stick-to- your-ribs kinds of quotations that come back to you and remind you
of truths that sit in your soul. Those lines may appear at just the right moment and ring so true that they knock you off your feet. 

One of my Wizard of Oz favorites  is:
            
             Everything you were 
                       looking for
    was right there with you all along.

So true. And after a day of getting reoriented
at home after three weeks away, my absolute favorite Wizard of Oz quotation came to mind...

                There's no place like home.

And Bert's favorite, favorite song...Somewhere Over the Rainbow comes from the Wizard of Oz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfZ9UjOnzHc

(This is one of our favorite adaptations to the original song by Judy Garland. This one is sung by IZ, a huge Hawaiian legend, complete with many photos of the gorgeous rainbows we saw on Maui.)

We both love the The Wizard of Oz, songs and quotations alike. Last night after unpacking, doing tons of laundry, sorting through mail, and watering plants, I took a deep sigh and uttered that  "There's no place like home" phrase to Bert. I stopped and looked at my adorable husband. He was up to his hips in bubble wrap, UPS boxes, and I hadn't even fixed dinner and it was 9pm. He nodded an all-knowing and quiet nod of agreement about that quote and looked up no doubt a bit relieved that I didn't bring out my ruby red tap shoes and start dancing at the same time. (I kid you not about those shoes.) :)

You see while we both loved our Hawaii trip away, we were both so, so glad to be back. I went over and gave my beloved husband a big, big smooch. He looked up at me and said smiling, "What was that for?" Tears started to flow as I tried to get out the words. What came out with some tired sobs and a big sloppy cry was... 

"I just want you to know that home for me isn't a house or a city. My home is wherever you are."

Yup, everything I have always been looking for has been right
there with me all along. Dreams really do come true.

And Bert, if you are reading this, I want you to know...
you are my soul mate, the love of my life and the best husband ever. You are home to me.
I love you Bops, to the moon and back!
Your Nans