Safe to say, Gabe and Abbie have never heard of Lawrence Welk.
Lots of reasons that would be true. First and foremost, they are just turning ten years old. Tomorrow. And even though Mr. Welk's musical variety show aired new shows for more than thirty years and still plays on Saturday nights on PBS, Gabe and Abbie didn't sit down together after supper with their parents or grandparents to watch ladies in chiffon and puffy sleeves sing. Nor did they enjoy ragtime piano or develop a distinct antipathy to Irish tenors. There is lots of music on television, but these days shows like 'The Voice' or 'America's Got Talent', or even 'American Idol' intersperse a little music with a lot of talk.
By the way, Gabe and Abbie love to watch 'The Voice' and 'Dancing with the Stars' with their mom...when their dad is at harvest.....
So what exactly is the interface between Gabe Harms, Abbie Harms, and a bandleader born in North Dakota more than a century before them?
Just this: their Grandma Julie. I did watch Lawrence Welk with my parents...and my grandparents, and somehow, after all these years, my feelings about Gabe and Abbie...their births, their lives thus far, and the fact that they are turning ten tomorrow brought to mind Mr. Welk with his long baton, facing the camera as it panned out from the orchestra.....
"An' a one...(That's John Gabriel)...., an' a two..."(And here comes Abigail Louise)...
....And aren't they "Wunnerful, Wunnerful"??
Happy Birthday and lots of love, Gabe and Abbie....
Have your daddy find you 'The Lawrence Welk Show' sometime just for fun....
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