Each Sunday morning the pealing bells resonated through the village.
Time for church. They beckoned in full deep resonant tones. My
Dad recalled the church bells of his youth and the old gray stone
Church. Clocks chimed every quarter hour. Those early Massachusetts
years with fond memories of bells. My first grade teacher kept her
school bell on her desk and used it to call us in from recess. On
the Colorado mantel shelf we had a collection of bells and clocks.
My Dad wound that clock daily using a dedicated key. Before
our current church was built, I played the organ in a former
one room schoolhouse on the prairie. Magical times. My Dad loved
the sound of the school bell in the bell tower. Sonorous tones.
Later in my CU Boulder studies, I watched the bell ringer
grab hold of the long rope suspended from the huge bell in
the oldest building called Old Main, 1876. He took a run below
and then his feet left the floor as he fell into rhythm with the
ringing bell. So many of the real bells have been replaced with
mechanical ones which are simply not the same. During my
studies at the university in Heidelberg, the days were filled with
clocks chiming the quarter hour and church bells. Loud. In
Switzerland the cows wore bells around their necks. Large ones.
as they went to summer pastures in the Alps. We have one
hanging in the kitchen near the door. In our German village, a
farmer rang a bell announcing his wares: Kartoffeln/potatoes.
Just harvested. In our current home, an old man walked through
the neighborhood with a large round stone in tow. He rang
a bell and shouted “knives, scissors sharpened.” We all ran to
fetch our dull cutlery. Traditions from the old country. Bells
surround us in our daily lives. Doorbells, wind chimes, church bells,
jingle bells, music box chimes, vehicle warning bells. They tug at
heartstrings. As we amble through the snow-covered landscape
engaged in deep thought, our wandering gazes notice small things.
Peaceful. Silent except for distant bells beckoning us a welcome.
Bells…I love the chiming in our little country church on Sunday mornings. I miss the old clocks that chimed the hours in my youth… Let the bells chime! ❤ Love your smiling winter photo…I have one of me about the same age that I treasure. Have a lovely weekend, Mary Ann!
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Bells! I loved your words and gorgeous photos.
When we lived in England, we heard the bells at the local church “ring the changes”. The bells were rung by dedicated people who knew the patterns. It was such a peaceful sound from a distance, but I’ll bet the ringers protected their ears.
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Anne, thank you for your lovely comment. Bells have special meaning. I cannot recall if ears were protected or not. Many moons ago. The sounds are indeed soothing. Memories abroad too. Enjoy the weekend. Be well. ^^__^^
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We are having a rainy weekend and watching the awful weather everywhere else. oxox
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Anne, thank you for the response. Rain is necessary for your gardens. The U.S. weather patterns is something to behold with all the events of snow, ice and rain. Stay snug as a bug inside. Be well. oxox
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It’s very gray outside today. We are snug in the house, though.
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That’s the story of our skies and ground these days. Vehicles all are dirty with the mud kicked up. Big snows on the way.
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We are missing all the big stuff.
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Yes, you are. Major snow with a winter warning for 8-12″ of the white stuff. Want to make a snowman?
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I would love to make a snowman, even though my sculpting skills are not good. Will you go outside to play?
When we had a sleddable snow, I went out to cheer David, Logan, and neighbor Joyce as they slid down a hill.
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Liebe Mary Ann,
eine bezaubernde Geschichte des täglichen Leben über einen Sachverhalt der erst wieder ins Bewusstsein gerückt werden muß ,um die Bedeutung nachvollziehen zu können. Über Glockengeläut macht man sich keine Gedanken, da dieses ” Geräusch” täglich in unterschiedlichster Form zum Alltag gehört. Für mich hat die Glocke des Kölner Dom ( der dicke Pitter, Die große Petrus Glocke ,eine der größten Glocken in Europa ) eine besondere Bedeutung.
Faszinierende Fotos von der Winterwunderwelt ,die Du deiner Geschichte beigefügt hast , zeigen schöne Zeiten des Jahres. Bleib gesund und genieße die schöne Winterzeit.
Alles Liebe und Gute für Dich und Deine Familie
Dein Arno
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Lieber Arno, danke für die sehr schöone Zeilen. Die Glocke des Kölner Dom hat eine große Bedeutung für mich auch. Gott sei Dank, man kann es ab und zu hören. Schi fahren für Euch diesen Winter? Wir genießen unseren auch. Alles Gute für Euch von uns (auch zum Valentinstag)
Deine Mary Ann
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I love this! I recall the bells on Dad’s team of horses as we rode through the snow in our sleigh.
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Darlene, thank you so much. We have such bells too and use them at Christmas on the door handle into the house. How romantic in a horse drawn sleigh complete with bells. Enjoy the weekend. Be well. 🙂
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This is a wonderful recount about that’s beautifully weaved into your childhood memories. A sound of a bell can evoke so many different emotions, especially a church bell. There is indeed, something surreal about a chiming bell. Lovely post!
I see from your landscape photos that you also have lots of snow. I hope you’re having fun with all that snow… 🙂
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Khaya, thank you once more for your wonderful comment about bells. They do indeed evoke memories and hearing all the different sounds they emit is heart warming. When I just posted on your blog, I mentioned our snow not being as much as you have – yet. We enjoy watching the snow fall. Enjoy yours in Finland! A Happy Friend’s Day (Ystävänpäivä) and Valentine’s Day. Enjoy. “”__””
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I really enjoyed your observation of bells throughout the years, Mary. You seemed fascinated by the bells in your school and the bell ringers back then. I haven’t encountered large bells in my lifetime but when you mentioned school bells, that made me think back to my time in school. One of my teachers kept a bell on her desk and when my class got noisy, she would ring it to silence us. There’s something about the tone of a bell that calls for attention, for a pause in what we are doing.
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Mabel, thank you for your insightful comment regarding bell tones. At the university, Old Main had a large bell and sound heard across the campus of some 35,000 students. As a musician, bells intrigue me as I listen and try to discern the exact key they have. I don’t know whether or not you have Valentine’s Day but Feb. 14 is the special day we celebrate for loved ones and friends. Enjoy the weekend and Happy Valentine’s Day ( or as they say in Finland Friend’s Day (Ystävänpäivä) Be well. 🙂 🙂
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Ah, yes, bells and music and it must be fun for you trying to guess the key of the blls. One of my favourite pieces of music is the movement Pictures at an Exhibition and I’ve had the pleasure of listening to it live twice. Orchestra bells came through quite prominently towards the end of the piece. Such a beautiful piece.
Yes, we celebrate Valentine’s Day here in Australia. It is a big occasion for many. Hope you had a good Valentine’s Day, Mary 🙂
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Mabel, I do appreciate your thoughtful words and comment. Thank you. Pictures at an Exhibition is a lovely piece. Besides my favorites of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, I love to listen to Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsazkov. The violin has such a haunting solo against the harp. It repeats throughout. We have a major snowstorm Mon. and Tues.but today we celebrate Valentine’s Day with a nice meal and the comfort of home with my husband. Enjoy yours in Australia. Be well. 🙂 🙂
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Hope you had a good Valentine’s Day with your husband. Enjoy your winter weather and stay safe 🙂
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Mabel, thank you. We have lots of new snow to clear and enjoy. I imagine the neighborhood children will build many a snowman. A veritable winter wonderland outside! Have a good week. “”__””
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Winter wonderland!! Beautiful post and photos xoxo
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Emily, thank you for your lovely comment. We do have a winter wonderland. Thank you and Vinny for a couple of the gorgeous photos of your winter landscape. Be well and enjoy the weekend. A Happy Friend’s Day (Ystävänpäivä) as it is in Finland and Happy Valentine’s Day. oxox
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Emily, thank you for the great comment. We will have a major snow event the next two days with up to 12″ of snow predicted. Only time will tell. I love the snow on trees and tree branches. Enjoy your Valentine’s Day. oxox 🙂
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Mary, you originated in the States but are currently living in Finland- have I got that right? The old days and old values still have a place in our world. 🙂 🙂
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Jo, I am from the US and live in Upstate NY and visited Helsinki after singing with my husband and the Berkshire Choral International in Aug. 2019 when we could still travel. Also studied in Heidelberg and taught as a Fulbright Teacher twice in Germany. My “about” page has most of the info. Thanks for asking. Finland had long been on my bucket list. Be well, restless Jo. 🙂
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Thanks, Mary! I read a couple of posts but didn’t get to the About page. My Dad was Polish and I thought I recognised a common heritage. 🙂 🙂
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Sharp of you with the heritage. Since Poland was not on the map for 100 yrs. our name could be Austrian, German or Polish. It means “the German girl” and with a Ph.D. in German and almost 50 yrs. of teaching German, I always found it fascinating. My mother was Irish.
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🤗💕
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Thank you. 🙂 “”__””
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