Try To Remember

One of my father’s favorite plays was “The Fantasticks”. I remember as a young girl, going to a FM Community Playhouse production at Island Park, in Fargo, ND. The musical tells the story of a boy, a girl, and their fathers who plot to get them together by keeping them apart.

Dad also bought an LP soundtrack that he often played and one of the songs from that production was called, Try to Remember.

Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh
so mellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green and grain was yellow.
Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender and callow fellow.
Try to remember and if you remember
then follow
follow.

Try to remember when life was so tender
When no one wept except the willow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
When dreams were kept beside your pillow.
Try to remember when life was so tender
When love was an ember about to billow.
Try to remember and if you remember
then follow
follow.

Deep in December it's nice to remember
Although you know the snow will follow.
Deep in December it's nice to remember
Without a hurt the heart will hollow.
Deep in December
it's nice to remember
The fire of September that made you mellow.
Deep in December our hearts should remember and follow
follow.

Segue—v.i.
1. to continue at once with the next musical section or composition (often used as a musical direction).
2. to perform in the manner of the preceding section (used as a musical direction).
3. to make a transition from one thing to another smoothly and without interruption: The conversation segued from travel anecdotes to food.

How do you remember important moments in you life? Do you journal? Take photos? Save menus, matchbooks and theatre play bills? Collect wine bottle labels from memorable gatherings? Consider saving the label from your next event, adding a few notes about the menu, list the guests and include any special highlights.

So what is the best way to remove a label?

Buy a roll of the clear, 3" wide, packing tape and do the following.

1. Cut the tape into two strips that are about 4" wider than the label.
2. Fill the bottle with very hot water (trying not to get the label wet) and be sure the bottle is wiped dry afterwards.
3. Put a strip of paper about 1/2" wide across each end so that the ends won't stick to the bottle
4. Working from left to right (or vice versa) attach the tape to the bottle so that it just extends (about 1/4") above the top of the label and then bring the tape across the label, using some type of straight edge to smooth it out as you go.
Once you have the first strip in place, if it doesn't fully cover the label, attach a 2nd strip right under the first.
5. Use the back of a spoon rub hard all over the label
6. Starting at one edge, now slowly start to peal off the tape.
7. Once the label is removed, you can trim the edges with a scissors and now you have a preserved label that you can mount.

Preserve some memories today.