Thank you, Muskoka Arts and Crafts for giving me the generous $300 Ruth Upjohn Memorial Award on Friday night. It is a great honour to receive a gift from Ruth’s estate. Ruth may be dead, but she is still part of my life.
I first met Ruth Upjohn and Dot Seixus in their simple, old-world cottage in Muskoka. Their good friend, Anne Schwartz-Buenneman, had hired my young daughters to play classical and fiddling music for Ruth’s birthday. I was the chauffeur for the event. What a warm and gracious reception Ruth and Dot gave us!
Then, at the birth of my first son, Anne age me a book of songs for young children that Ruth’s mother had collected. Ruth and Dot had compiled these delightful and humorous songs into a book called Sneezepickle’s Songbook. The hours and hours spent at the piano with Sneezepickle, singing with my young sons, could never be tallied. We sang and sang –Big Black Cats, the Bus, The Train, The Three LIttle Pigs, the Poly Poly Polar Bears-until our throats were hoarse.
Now I have grandsons. When they visit, we slide onto the piano bench and sing from Sneezepickle and I am sure to tuck the now tattered songbook into my bag when I visit them in their home.
This winter, my 20 yr. old son came home from university for a visit. As I was preparing supper, I heard him slowly picking out the simple, catchy Sneezepickle tunes on the piano keys. Thanks to Ruth for the gift of song and music that three generations of my family are still enjoying, at all ages.
Me with my painting entitled, A ride on the Segwun
Receiving the Ruth Upjohn Memorial Award is a great delight to me and a wonderful honour. I can’t wait to tell my children what I just received from Sneezepickle!
Elizabeth Johnson 