Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

That can be true. I have been remembering a lot of old songs of my growing up years, with the help of the very funny people who post on http://www.expatsinitaly.com/ ... 'Purple People Eaters', 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Polka Dot Bikini', Marty Robbins' cowboy song 'Town of El Paso' ... all the way up to the hauntingly beautiful (and I do mean this, as a native-born Northern Californian) 'California Dreamin' ...

All the leaves are brown And the sky is grey

I went for a walk On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm If I was in L.A.

California dreamin' On such a winter's day

I stopped into a church (stopped into a church) I passed along the way (passed along the way)

You know, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees)

And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)

Oh, the preacher likes the cold (preacher likes the cold) He knows I'm gonna stay (knows I'm gonna stay)

**** flute solo ****

Oh, California dreamin' (California dreamin') On such a winter's day

All the leaves are brown (the leaves are brown)

And the sky is grey (and the sky is grey)

I went for a walk (I went for a walk) On a winter's day (on a winter's day)

If I didn't tell her (if I didn't tell her) I could leave today (I could leave today)

Oh, California dreamin' (California dreamin') On such a winter's day (California dreamin')

On such a winter's day (California dreamin')

On such a winter's day (California dreamin') On such a winter's day

I'm thinking about the impressionability of my youth, how I really can remember a lot of goofy lyrics as well as the beautiful ones, though I wasn't good at remembering names of groups and who played what.

Wanted to live in Europe, how impossible I thought it would ever be.

And then I met a man (I met a man),

who got down on his knee (on his knee .. well, sort of)

and asked, 'Will you marry me?'

And twenty six years later (twenty six years later), it all came to be (came to be).

Now in Italy two years, and I'm California dreamin' (California dreamin'),

or maybe New Jer-zee (New Jer-zee).

The man is wondering what I'm thinking (what I'm thinking).

***zither solo***

Fall the leaves are yellow (leaves are yellow), don't turn flame and autumn gold.

Someday I'll return home, before Medicare kicks in (Medicare kicks in),

and I'll have my memories when I'm tired

and old, when I'm tired and old.