The old mandolin

Recently, I referred to my grandfather's mandolin, which he played with friends in his home town of Böblingen, Germany. He eventually gave the thing to my mother, who also plays the instrument somewhat.

Today, I asked her about it. I thought she'd have to dig it out of storage, but in fact it was standing in a corner in her bedroom. It looks pretty good, though there is some buckling on its face around the sound hole/pick guard.

The instrument was manufactured by Meinel and Herold, a very old musical instrument maker. The M&H plant was closed in 1973 by the East German government. I guess they weren't into music.

Today, my dad explained that, for a time, Opa played the violin, too, but he was forced to abandon the instrument because the sound it made caused my dad to vomit.

I assume this difficulty arose when dad was a baby.

But I didn't ask.

TigerAnn enjoys the good weather. She endlessly lobbies to be let outside.

Here she is giving me the stink eye earlier today.

She lives for hunting mice and lizards.

What're you gonna do? A cat's gotta do what a cat's gotta do.

She catches lots of 'em. Usually, she gives me the thing while it is still alive. At such times, she seems to think that she and I are hunting together. I play along, though my intent is to save the poor thing. I am usually successful.

I feel it is important never to betray one's cat.

I try to disguise the fact that I have rescued the mouse or lizard.

To be a friend to TigerAnn, it is important to be good at sleight of hand.

I think that I have succeeded in disguising my rescues, but in her own way she is suspicious. "Where," she seems to ask, "is my mouse? YOU had it last."

I immediately change the subject.
Women are complicated.

From the archives: Opa the Communist & mandolin picker

I came across some fine photos of my grandfather on my father's side—I always knew him as "Opa." Here he is on his Wanderschaft, a kind of wandering or bumming around that was sometimes expected of young men who had completed their apprenticeship (Opa was a woodworker who soon made models for an airplane manufacturer named Klemm). Opa is at left (c. 1928-30).

Opa's older brother, at the far left, was an ardent Communist. Opa, seen here in a dark coat, was also a member of the party. Here they are in Berlin, I think, with some of their comrades (note the fists: political gestures).

I'm not sure what this is about (c. 1930). Despite the presence of musical instruments, it could be a political gathering. Opa is on the far right. His wife, Louise, my grandmother ("Oma"), is on the far left. They married in 1932; my dad was born in 1933. The two loved to play music with friends in a local band that did traditional tunes. Opa eventually gave his mandolins to my mother, who still has it. I'll dig it up and take some pictures.

(Click on the images to enlarge them.)

Again, don't know what this is about. That's Opa second from left. C. early 30s. He was also active in a wilderness appreciation/protection league/club. My dad has no clue about the activities in many of these old photos. It seems likely that Opa made an effort to hide his former political activities as things grew darker in the 30s. But he couldn't keep his mouth shut and eventually did get into trouble. Friends in town quickly got him into the Wehrmacht, despite his age.

Previously shown picture. Opa is second from left. The flag seems clearly Communist ("We're ready!" with fist emblem). These pictures are likely all pre-Hitler. Communists and Nazis were, of course, mortal enemies and soon faced off in the bloody Spanish Civil War.

Here are my grandmother (left), Opa's sister, and my dad, still a baby, c. late 1933.
The sister's husband died in the war less than ten years later; he was a paratrooper. Young men died like flies. One of my dad's aunts, Frida, lost two husbands during the war! After that, she took up dogs. They lived longer.