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Annie in Austin
Welcome! As "Annie in Austin" I blog about gardening in Austin, TX with occasional looks back at our former gardens in Illinois. My husband Philo & I also make videos - some use garden images as background for my original songs, some capture Austin events & sometimes we share videos of birds in our garden. Come talk about gardens, movies, music, genealogy and Austin at the Transplantable Rose and listen to my original songs on YouTube. For an overview read Three Gardens, Twenty Years. Unless noted, these words and photos are my copyrighted work.
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Monday, April 28, 2008

Dreams of May for Muse Day

This post, "Dreams of May", was written for my blogspot blog called The Transplantable Rose by Annie in Austin.

On the first of each month, Sweet Home & Garden Chicago's Carolyn hosts Gardenblogger's Muse Day. The word Muse may refer to the classic Muses, such as Thalia the Muse of Comedy, but the word may also mean simply "a source of inspiration". Sometimes the Muse comes not in flowing robes but wearing a green shirt and jeans; sometimes she speaks not Greek but in a Hoosier twang.

Last May, Carol told us that the Indianapolis 500 is blacked out in Indianapolis, so she gardens while listening to the radio, adding that when the crowd sings "Back Home in Indiana" at the opening ceremony: Right then, that moment, will signal the beginning of summer for me. Carol's words inspired me to write new lyrics to this song.





MAY DREAMS IN INDIANA

It's not quite Muse Day yet, but tomorrow Philo will take me to the airport for a flight to Chicago on family business. I hope to borrow my sister's computer so my hoes won't miss the party on May 3rd.
Will the lilacs be in bloom? I do hope my dreams of lilacs in May will come true!

This post, "Dreams of May", was written for my blogspot blog called The Transplantable Rose by Annie in Austin.

24 comments:

  1. What greater gift could you give to our "rock star" than a song tailor made just for her? I'm sure Carol will treasure this recording.

    Bon voyage, Annie. See you when you return.

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  2. Annie what a lovely tribute.

    Good luck on your trip. You should certainly see some lilacs back home in IL.

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  3. Annie, last spring when you commented with those lyrics after I posted about hearing 'Back Home Again In Indiana' sung at the Indy 500 race by Jim Nabors, I thought that was the nicest comment and no way could it be topped.

    But then you come out with the actual song on one of your famous YouTubes. Move over Jim Nabors, this is now my favorite version of this song!

    Thank you! I am touched and forever grateful.

    Carol, May Dreams Gardens

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  4. Annie, Aren't you the best...I loved hearing your wonderful and sweet voice sing about Carol's garden. It was a treat.... I must listen to all the songs you have posted on Youtube!

    Have a good time up north!

    gail

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  5. Absolutely friggin' fantabulous! You did such a great job of matching Carol's photos to your lyric. And I'm glad I was there when you sang it for her live the first time.

    I'll be thinking of you up in Chicago; hope you get to smell the lilacs.

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  6. Wow, Annie. I am so impressed by your lyrics and voice. You did such a wonderful job!

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  7. Annie Darling, you are the most generous and kind person. Your song made me smile with loving memories. Thank you.~~Dee

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  8. Ah, I loved this - watched it several times - the words to the song fit Carol and her garden so perfectly. Your voice, Annie, is one I could listen to all the time. The piano accompaniment was just right.

    I hope your Chicago trip is a good one and that you see lilacs the entire time you are there!!

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  9. Annie, That was just 'The Best' and a great tribute to the gardener and gardens at 'May Dreams'.

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  10. Annie,

    This was WONDERFUL! You have a beautiful voice and a talent for videos, that's for sure! I'm going to have to search out all your videos!

    Sherry at the Zoo.

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  11. Hoes?

    Did I read that right?

    You kill me.

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  12. what a SPECTACULAR song. 'the hungry bunnies'

    we have to get you on tour.

    the venues have to be right. I'm thinking a "Botanical gardens concert tour"

    We'll make millions... and feed the bunnies.

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  13. What a thoughtful tribute to Carol! She could use it as her theme song when she gets her own TV show on HGTV. ;-) I remember most of those photos from when she posted them.

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  14. Not being from Indiana I don't know the original lyrics but this version of yours is a winner with me, Annie!

    Wish I had seen Carol's face when you sung it live for her.

    Enjoy your trip!

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  15. Annie - how sweet of you and the song is wonderful. I'm sending the link to my husband who is from Indiana - he'll love it. May the lilacs bloom for you -- have a good trip.

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  16. What a wonderful addition to the GBMD, Annie. You have a lovely voice and the lyrics were great as well.

    Have a wonderful visit to Chicago. The lilacs will certainly bloom if this warm May weather continues.

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  17. Truly a wonderful gift to Carol and all of us...I'm with Yolanda Elizabet...wishing I could have been there when you sang it to her!

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  18. WOW! dear Annie that was awesome. How I wish being in place of Carol at maydreamgardens; it is such a flattering tribute, yet I know, through her blog, that Carol deserves every bit of this lovely song from an equally remarkable lady.

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  19. What a wonderful tribute you've made. Very very nice. You are generous with your gifts and talents. :-)

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  20. Perfect! I don't know how I missed this post, Annie, but I'm glad I found it now.

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  21. I can imagine you as a saloon singer :) Great lyrics and performance!

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  22. Annie, Ross and I watched your video together and it made us chuckle and chortle :)
    You have such a talent for writing new lyrics, and a wonderful sense of fun for performing them, not to mention your sweet voice and piano playing ability.
    Wish I could've been there to see Carol's face when you sang it for her :)

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  23. Hi Pam/Digging - at the time it was written I didn't know Carol would be a rock star! We should have guessed.

    Thank you, Lisa at Greenbow - it was fun to make and I did see a couple of lilacs in bloom. You weren't blogging when I first wrote those words - now you're another place in Indiana where we feel at home!

    To be rated above Gomer Pyle is pretty cool, Carol! It was a pleasure to make it for you, and I since we met at Spring Fling it's getting harder to remember the original words to the song.

    Thank you, Gail - the trip went well. My voice doesn't belong on American Idol, but in my family all the aunts and cousins sang around the piano. Guess I have a family kind of voice?

    It was terrifying to sing it for you and Carol, MSS! This recording was made when I was totally alone in the house. And I did smell a lilac ;-]

    Thank you, Vertie - must be the inspiration.

    What a lovely comment, Dee of Red Dirt Ramblings...thank you very much!

    I really did try hard to pick the right photos from Carol's files, so it's good to know they worked, Kate Smudges. Couldn't leave out that tomato!
    The lilacs started opening right before I left.

    Thank you , Layanee - Carol gives us so much to talk about that there was no lack of ideas, LOL.

    Thank you Sherry at the Zoo - don't you think Ruth would get a kick out of it, too?

    Carol is the one who thinks up wacky things, Lake Clerk Hank... I just respond!
    Dream on about the tour making millions... it's a great fantasy and I thank you for the thoughts.

    Now that's a fantasy with some substance to it, Entangled! I believe that Carol could do a TV show if someone were smart enough to produce it!

    The original lyrics are sweet and sentimental, Yolanda, mentioning Hay, Fields, and Sycamores [an American tree something like a plane tree]. I didn't dare look at Carol's face!

    Thanks for sending the link to your husband, Diana - and I hope he does like it.

    I'm glad you liked it, Carolyn... it was 42 degrees when I landed but got warm enough to pop a few florets before I left.

    Thanks very much, Leslie - but believe me, this version is much more coherent! It was kind of Ralph Kramden/humina humina in person!

    This was a new venture for me, Green Thumb! Usually the objects of my lyrics have leaves and chlorophyll!
    I first met Carol through her genealogy blog, so maybe that counts for "Roots" & "Branches", ha!

    The garden blog world has been kind and generous to me, Shady Gardener - thank you for thinking I have given something in return.

    None of us can keep up anymore, can we Robin of Nesting Place? You're another Indiana garden blogger who makes us feel at home!

    The rumor was my mom was placed on top of the bar at a local tavern to sing "My Sweet Little Alice Blue Gown" when she was a kid. Ki ... maybe it's genetic destiny ;-]

    Thanks for watching it together and getting a smile, Kerri - but my mental image is left over from last season - you're still wearing the famous hats!

    Thank you all for the comments!

    Annie

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  24. This is great - I mean, really great. I'm just trying to catch up, so I missed the song's 'premier'. You know, I think you really have a future in music! How fun.

    I hope the trip back to Chicago went well.

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A comment from you is like chocolate - maybe I could live without it, but life is more fun with it. I'll try to answer. If someone else's comment piques your interest, please feel free to talk among yourselves.