Here is a fun gift that Corey, my very first significant other (and still among my favorite human beings on earth), sent me a couple of weeks ago. It's a movie poster from 1960 featuring my famous distant relative, Judy Canova (my grandmother's maiden name was Canova, and my mother and sister both use it as a first name). She does bear a family resemblance. I say if you put Tuba Boy in pigtails, that would be him.
And you wonder where I get all that musical talent and hillbilly wit? Now you know. Some ancient Floridian passed that down.
My maternal grandmother would love to tell stories of the "famous" relatives who moved to New York and were in vaudeville, on the radio, and on TV. And you should have heard her squeal every time the 1970s commercial for Shake-n-Bake came on--maybe you remember the little southern child who drawled, "And I helped!"? Anyway, that was the only thing I ever saw Cousin Judy in.
Anyway, what a thrill it was to get this little gift, which will soon hang in the media room, now that it is safely framed. I'm hoping Corey's office is not ruined from the Iowa floods (he's a professor up there, which we always knew he'd be--he's the one who actually did what we both set out to do in high school,while I kept bumbling from relationship to relationship, left academia, and ended up, well, on this personal growth enterprise known as the Life of Suna.) Sigh, Corey was the best writer in our high school. The best writer in our college. And as far as I am concerned, the best writer in the English department at the University of Illinois in the early 80s! And he taught me everything I know about the cinema and Japanese philosophy. And he was the person who most shaped my beliefs and personal philosophy when I was young. So, a present from him means a lot to me. I am glad he's happy and doing work he loves.
Dying to know more about my distant cousin? Here is Judy's wikipedia article.
Dying to know even more? Here is her limb on the Canova Family Tree (produced by my mother's first cousin and "inventor of the Palm Pilot" in family lore, Frank Canova, Jr. AKA Frankie).
Oh, and here's me on the family tree. Sigh, I wish he'd put in a better photo, say one where I am not really fat.
Anyway, I can't determine how Judy, or her daughter that was on the show "Soap" are related to me, but there they are on the family tree. If you look hard enough, you'll even find an LDS relative, and I'm sure his descendants are grateful to cousin Frankie for saving them a lot of work!
Other News?
Nope, not much. Lee has another job lead, so our fingers are once again crossed. Beccano has written a couple of cool songs on the guitar. It's still slightly rainy. That's all good. Thanks for reading.
3 comments:
it is very cool that he sent this to you. what a neat gift- and a neat friendship.
The Hillbilly Jamboree? That's totally awesome. I'm thinking you should create a new Ravatar with that sweet baby.
Spew, that's a thought, Jody.
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