THE SONGS OF A NIGHTINGAIL

  1979 – Lake Tahoe.  Eldest daughter does a nice underwater handstand with her sister looking on.  Now it’s little sis’s turn to go underwater for a handstand with older sis standing by. A few years later in ’83 both sisters doing handstands – or attempting to? – on the beach in Pine Mountain Lake. Eldest sister succeeds rather well. I did commendable cartwheels when I was younger, but I couldn’t balance well (or long) enough to do a handstand. I remember using this bar to hang upside down by the backs of my knees once, but I didn’t like the feeling of being upside down. The only time I felt okay being upside down, more or less, is when I had a stuffy nose and in those days when you were given nose drops you then had to hang your head over the side of the bed for a few minutes.  Somehow I didn’t mind that kind of upside down.  I’d spend the time pretending the ceiling was the floor and imagine how I’d get around on it.  Gosh, I haven’t thought about th...