twice as nice, or, grin and bear it

~ jama
Thinking of Queen Elizabeth II who died a year ago today.

Happy September and Welcome Back!

After a nice summer break, we’re ready to talk about good books, share beautiful art and poems, rustle up some new recipes, and of course, play with our toys — as we mark 16 years of Alphabet Soup. Special greetings to all the new subscribers who’ve signed up recently. So glad you’re here!

The year has flown by at lightning speed and now that September has arrived, I wish time would. slow. down.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have twice as many months during autumn (truly the best season of the year)? Twice as many crisp, cool days with deep blue skies, twice as much gorgeous seasonal color, twice as many pumpkins, apples, happy trick-or-treaters, and twice as much time to appreciate the small everyday pleasures no one can take away from us despite all the craziness going on in the world.

Hold on to what you can. Take it where you find it. Share it whenever possible.

There’s surprising news about Mr Cornelius, but first, a poem to celebrate the month that heralds more beauty to come.

*

“Four Trees” by Egon Schiele (1917).
THE MONTH OF ALL
by Henry Grantland Rice

You may take your winters southward,
You may have your golden Junes,
You may have your summer mountains
Or your eastern fog-swept dunes;
But I’ll take the first red ember,
Where the Painter works his will,
When it’s morning in September,
Or it’s noon-day in September,
Or it’s twilight in September,
And the flame is on the hill.
There is orange down the valley,
There is crimson out the lane;
There’s a fleck of purple tinting
Where the maples meet the rain.
For the glow that I remember,
With an everlasting thrill,
Is a morning in September,
Or a noon-time in September,
Or a twilight in September,
When the flame is on the hill.

(This poem is in the public domain.)

*

🐻 just we two 🐻

One for the money, two for the show.

No, you’re not seeing double.

Well, maybe just a little.

You may know Mr Cornelius’s birthday is in September, and that like Paddington, he claims to be six years old (he’s actually 35). When we first adopted him back in 1988 (Fall Teddy Bear Show, Timonium, MD), he had to say goodbye to his identical twin brother Basil.

Though Cornelius has been happy with us, I always sensed he missed his brother. The artist who created him stopped making “Little Bitsy Bears” awhile ago, so my only hope was the secondary market.

Can you tell who’s who?

Happy to report that after much intense bear hunting for over a decade, I finally found Cornelius’s twin on eBay. Hooray! Oh the joy when Cornelius and Basil reunited!

Basil is thrilled to finally break free of the glass display case he’d been confined to for so many years. He was never played with, just looked at. We told him that if he’s anxious to play, he’s come to the right place. 🙂

Joyful discovery: these boys both love to read, are always up for a little mischief, and most important — they like the same treats.

Mr B to Mr C: “We’re like two peas in a pod.”

But unlike Cornelius, Basil is a bit camera shy. Still, he promises to appear in future blog posts now and then, maybe even ‘stand in’ for his attention-loving brother (who basks in the limelight and always requests close-ups).

No two ways about it, these bear brothers have a lot of catching up to do. Meanwhile, they’ve selected a couple of videos for you to enjoy featuring Music Travel Love (MTL), a cool duo featuring identical twins Bob and Clint Moffatt. They perform covers + original material in scenic locations around the world (do check out their YouTube channel whenever you need to relax, unwind, and bask in beautiful vocal harmonies).

The second video is from their Music Travel Kids YouTube channel — so fun! Basil and Cornelius really love that one (soup! cookies!). 🙂

*

FYI: Bob and Clint are twins, yes, but they also have a fraternal triplet named Dave. I hadn’t realized one could be a twin and a triplet at the same time. They also have an older brother Scott — all four are musical and have been performing since childhood, when as “The Moffatts” they were teen idols and sold millions of records. Originally from Canada, Bob and Clint now live in Nashville where they work for a music publisher, having written hundreds of songs for other artists.

(Does this mean I have to track down Cornelius and Basil’s fraternal triplet now?)

Anyway, we doubly look forward to engaging in our usual shenanigans this fall and beyond. Thanks for being here — reading, commenting, noshing, sipping, slurping, and generously sharing your expertise on all things various and sundry. Mr B and Mr C think you are twice as nice and twice as smart!

Dinner Favors
by Arthur Macy
 	
Give me but a bit to eat,
And an hour or two,
Just a salad and a sweet,
And a chat with you.
Give me table full or bare,
Crust or rich ragout;
But whatever be the fare,
Always give me you.

(This poem is in the public domain.)

*

The lovely and talented Amy Ludwig VanDerwater is hosting the Roundup at The Poem Farm. Be sure to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up around the blogosphere this week. Enjoy your weekend!

*

P.S. After I finished taking photos for this post, I returned to the dining room the following day and found this:

Len denies having anything to do with it. Looks like double trouble. Uh-oh.

*This post has been brought to you by the number two, a den of hungry bears, and one grateful human.

**Copyright © 2023 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

40 thoughts on “twice as nice, or, grin and bear it”

  1. Welcome, Basil! So happy to read the long-lost twins have been reunited. And welcome back, Jama! Wonderful to hear from your lovely voice again and to contemplate a l o n g e r September. I’m all for that! (Or maybe we make it October–it’s been close to 100 this week here in NC.)

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Hi Linda. It’s nice to be back and to hear from you (thanks for visiting)! I’m in favor of a longer autumn altogether — October is the prettiest!

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  3. First of all, that September poem is completely spot on, as is your wish for more weeks in autumn!
    But…Oh! What luck to find Basil!! And since Cornelius has always been a little larger than life, I had no idea they are so tiny until I saw the paper towel roll prank!

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    1. The singing twins are a recent discovery. Yes, finding Basil was quite a coup after all these years. Goes to show patience is a virtue.

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  6. I saw the saying, “You can’t spell twin without win” on a t-shirt once. I think it applies to B and C! Such winning rascals. And I 100% agree with your assessment (and your poem selection) about autumn, Jama. Best. Season. Ever. 🙂

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  9. Amazing that the special Basil is found, welcome to him, now looking forward to all the beary special times ahead! I want more September, too, as Rice exhorted: “Where the Painter works his will,” – beautiful poem. There does seem to be many poems written about loving September, doesn’t there? And, like Tabatha, above, love the ending to ‘Dinner Favors’, Jama, plus the intro to the Moffatt twins PLUS. We have some actually fall weather predicted for Sunday & a few more days, then back hot, but September surely will bring what we love. Thanks and welcome back to you for this 16th year!

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    1. We had a very hot week and look forward to cooler, more typical fall weather for the rest of September into October — but who knows, the weather is crazy these days. Glad you enjoyed the poems, Linda!

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  10. Those bears look like they are having a blast! What a fun and wonderful thing to find a twin for Cornelius! Looking forward to hearing more about their adventures!

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    1. Today is National Teddy Bear Day so I suspect B and C will be up to something special. I wonder if they like to write poems? 🙂

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  12. Oh, Jama, you were missed this summer. Welcome back! How precious to see Cornelius and Basil together, especially in the paper towel roll. What a fun post!

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  14. Oh my gosh, Jama! First, welcome back! Love reading your posts. Welcome to Mr. Basil…adorable of course. And the September poem, so so joyful – I read and re-read… I too love autumn (but it’s October for me). Mostly THANK YOU for introducing me to the Moffat men… I couldn’t connect to youtube from your links, but I will track them down. Beautiful harmonies! Perfect way to end my Friday eve!

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    1. Sorry to hear about your links trouble. They worked for me. They are worth tracking down. I’m envious of and fascinated by twins somehow. Happy almost Fall to you!

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  15. Bring on the shenanigans! Welcome to the fam, Basil. Thank you for the wonderful public domain poems and fun photos. I do miss Jama in the summer.

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  17. Thanks for the twin/ triplet love. Those boys are so dreamy. I put the wonderful world on a playlist. Makes me feel happy. In the deep south, we don’t get much fall color, so I love to imagine the fire red on the hill.

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    1. Glad you liked the song, Margaret. They have many great videos on their YouTube channel. Another one I especially like is “One More Day.”

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  19. Happy Sweet Sixteen! And how sweet it is. I am so happy for Basil and Cornelius and as always, want to disappear into your photographs. That alphabet dress! Those letter dice! I wish for a sneak peek into your rooms of delights. Thank you, too, for the fall poem. I absolutely love it and wish I were teaching – we would learn this one. I will do so myself. Wishing you a twice-lovely autumn with bears turning up in all kinds of odd and delightful places! xo, a.

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    1. Thanks so much Amy, from me and the reunited twins! Happy to hear you enjoyed the fall poem. Wishing you the best autumn — full of inspiration for more of your wonderful poems!

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  20. Jama, what a happy blog post you wrote in your usual juicy informational, and enticing way. I loved all you shared and welcome you back to Poetry Friday after your restful summer break. Mr. Cornelius must be “over the moon” now that he is accompanied by his brother. Thanks for adding your small bear poem that is so sweet.

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  21. Twins! Now that by itself counts for at least two or three of six impossible things before breakfast, I think. How special to have these two reunited after all these years… of course, teddy bear time is, as you note, different from grown-up-human time, I suppose.
    Please give Mr. C. a big bear hug from me and Basil a hearty handshake (until he feels more comfortable). Thank you for the glorious old poems and the glorious young music makers….
    Happy FALL, which absolutely IS the best season. xo
    [And, as Amy said, Happy SWEET SIXTEEN for Alphabet Soup!]

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