You Can't Get Them Out Of Your Head

It was my mother-in-law's birthday on Veteran's Day. Her mother was Norwegian and actually her father was mostly Norwegian and English, too. I so love the nursery rhymes she taught me.

I love you, a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck (or substitute Kiss on the neck)

Rock-a-bye, Don't you cry, Going up to Granny's.
Up the hill, by the mill, to see the little lambies.

This one is 'bout my favorite 'cuz I'm the Granny, I'm up the hill, and you have to pass by the mill (at Mill Park) and I always have a bunch of new lambies


The Norwegian One, is the for sure the rhyme I want all my family members to not forget:

Pannaben

Forehead Bone

Panneben----------------------Pona Ben
Oyesten------------------------A a' Sten
Oreflipp------------------------Ora Flip (optional Grandmother Patten skipped the earlobes)
Nesetipp-----------------------Niss o' Tip
Munnelipp---------------------Mono Lip
Hakeslipp----------------------Acka Slip
Og Dikkediddedikk!------------Ah dikka Likka' Lick!

Actions

(point to forehead)
(point to eyes)
(point to ears)
(point to nose)
(point to lip)
(point to chin)
(tickle under chin)

Nursery Rhyme

(English)

Forehead bone,
Eye stone,
Earlobe,
Nose tip,
Mouth lip,
Chin slip,
And tickle, tickle,(tickle, tickle!)

Sten literally means 'stone' – so the whole thing can probably better be translated as 'Apple of my eye'. Do bear in mind that in parts of Norway they have a traditional dish which is half a sheep's head, including the eye. The center of the eye looks very much like a stone, and can't be eaten, this is that the 'stone' part came from.

'hakesnipp', and 'snipp' is 'collar', which means, 'goatee'.

I found some translation on the Internet. Funny that Dune's mother didn't do the earlobes. At least Dune never remembers that she said, "oreflipp" I'll have to ask Aunt Margaret about it, too.

****added today, Jan. 13, 2009. I can't believe someone actually looked at my blog from Oslo, Norway.. where my husband's grandmother is from, well, it's really: Stenkjar, Egge L Stod, Norway, I think. Karen Marie Morthensen raised goats, just like us. My husband can't complain, now--it's in his blood. Goats! We have a copy of an article in the newspaper that praises her about her living without any government assistance into her 90's and death, by the self-sufficiency of her farm. Yay!

Sophia Wilhelmina NIELSON, was born in, Steinkjar, Nord-Trondelag, Norway. She is my mother-in-law's mother, or Steve's grandmother. Our treasure from her was that she made him a blessing outfit that we used on our son, Dustin in 1974, and then the grandchildren. She made quilts, and baby clothes, she had a chicken farm in Payson, Utah, and made furniture and did her kitchen cabinets by hand. And....she was a nurse, who worked in Oslo. She cared for the sick, in times of epidemics and left a great legacy for my children and grandchildren.

She said this little nursery rhyme to her children and grandchildren. The big thing is that I finally found it IN NORWEGIAN, I didn't have to guess the spelling. Our family names are: Nelson, Beckstrom, NEILSEN , MORTHENSEN, OLSEN, NIKOLAISEN. I noticed a link and copied it so here it is:

Panneben

Forehead Bone

Nursery Rhyme

(Norwegian)

Panneben,
øyesten*,
øreflipp,
nesetipp,
munnelipp,
hakeslipp
og dikkedikkedikk!

Actions

(point to forehead)
(point to eyes)
(point to ears)
(point to nose)
(point to lip)
(point to chin)
(tickle under chin)

Nursery Rhyme

(English)

Forehead bone,
Eye stone*,
Earlobe,
Nose tip,
Mouth lip,
Chin slip,
And tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle!

My mother on the right, sang all the popular tunes from the late 40's and early 50's. I remember Mairzy Oats and Dozie Oats and Little Lamzie Divy. Of course, that's just about farm animals. And this one--really can get stuck in your head. I also loved, "The Three Little Kittens Who Lost Their Mittens" Over and over. I just wouldn't let up and make her sing the songs until I was asleep.

My father-in-law was an English teacher and "I" even had him for English my sophomore year in high school. Small town for sure. He was also the Drama teacher and he had memorized over the years, hundreds of poems in his life. Beautiful poems and poems he wrote himself. He always remembered them and even played the harmonica beautifully-- fun rhyming songs...that I was not familiar with ever! My most memorable poem was absolutely the one we begged for....all of us! "Casey at the Bat". Wow! Incredible! He even acted it out.

My dad is the one with the horse. We were all riding in the Fillmore Festival Parade this day the picture was taken. I should have found a picture of him that you could see his face. He was a very, very funny guy. And...every once in a while he'd play this song on the piano. Only song he knew and did all the chords, with a bunch of added ones that made it sound so honky-tonk. My dad didn't read music, but this one song that he played, he really knew, and it made us laugh so hard. My dad didn't even look at the keys, had a very mischievous face and he'd laugh so hard because he knew he was in deep, deep trouble.

Honestly, I can't remember if this was the version or another, but oh my gosh---if he got caught playing it my mother would slam his fingers in the piano. My god-father and his wife were at our house and while he and my dad were singing my mom did that slam on his hand punishment. I was so surprised she did that in front of company. Yeah, they knew the Modine's forever. But I think all of us kids eyes were at big as dollars. (Oh, there were big coin dollars back in the old days) Sheesh! I know I heard the song many times when my mom wasn't there. I knew it was bad and I generally didn't understand what was bad about it. So, I kind'a covered my ears, but listened and laughed and looked out the window for my mom to show-up and teach him a lesson. My dad's version may have been worse, or not as bad as this one, or different words, but you'll know the tune.

My dad, Grandpa Gene, also gave my kids dog jerky and would laugh so hard at that--constantly playing tricks. He also had this pet, red hen follow him all over the ranch and sleep in his window. Actually, all animals loved him. Here's his song:

Miss Susie had a steamboat
the steamboat had a bell
Miss Susie went to Heaven
the steamboat went to
hello operator
please give me number nine
and if you disconnect me,
I'll paddle your
Behind the refrigerator
there was a piece of glass
Miss Susie sat upon it and broke her little (this is where my mom usually caught him and he had to quit)
ask me no more questions
tell me no more lies
the boys are in the girls' room
pulling down their flies
Miss Susie and her boyfriend
are kissing in the
D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
D-A-R-K
[fast] DARK, DARK, DARK
dark is like a movie
a movie's like a show
a show is like a TV screen
(TV screen doesn't sound right, had to be another word)
and that is all I know
I know I know my mother
I know I know my pa
I know I know my sister
with the alligator bra!

I suppose if I didn't blog this stuff, it all would be forgotten. Dumb song probably should be forgotten, but I loved to see his face when he played it. Now that I think about it, my dad's version had a goat in it. So..... I'm NOT asking my mom!

I'd also love to find my family's old-fashioned sayings. Oh, for that matter, my own husband has some sayings from his father and grandpa that all of us will never forget. For another post.

*****Added to post November 15th, 2008 I found that my dad recorded his naughty piano singing in Hawaii just after WWII. I found the 45 record (little ones we used to buy instead of CDs with only a single song on it.) It was in a old wooden trunk in the basement. I didn't know a person could make the records themselves. Now, I'm so curious to hear the song, I've GOT to find a record player. I pray that it's rated sorta' "G" and if it is, what a treasure, to hear his voice as a teenager. He was only 18---lol---I bet it's naughty, he got even got a tattoo that night and I might add without pain killer, except lots of beers.

Stuff I Think About When I Should Be Doing Something Important