Encore...encore!!! Care to join me?

Inside of me is not the skinny person trying to get out, it is the musical part of me that actually does get out when possible. I have joked with my mom that if she had spent the money [what money??] on music lessons when I was a kid, she would be living with me in a house by the ocean!!!
I have music in my head that merely a word will summon up a song to sing. I was known to burst into song in the classroom, often using 'The Brady Bunch' melody or another recognizable tune while changing the words to what their homework was for that day. I'm a believer that to sing, you need a voice...not a Barbra Streisand voice...a voice!

I was an honorary member of the school's band, popping in to listen [to my students]and occasionally would begin to conduct when the band director[a good friend] was tending to some interruption. The kids humored me, and it was fun. I marched with them in the Memorial Day Parade one year. I still wear the shirt!


Sometimes I would pop into their band rehearsal, and I would ask,
"Anything that I could join in with...tamborine...triangle?" And then one day when I walked in when they were practicing for the spring concert, one of my kids was playing the cymbals and I jokingly said, "I can do that!!"
"Get her a pair of cymbals!"

I jumped up on the stage, stood next to Martin, and picked up my pair of cymbals. {By the way, do you have any idea how heavy those cymbals are??} Well, I was surprised, and with my hands[ somewhat challenged], it was a bit of an adjustment. However, no problem!! And then Steve said that I could play those cymbals not only in the dress rehearsal for the school, but why not also in the actual concert for the parents and guests!!
"Are you kidding?? "I was kind of nervous, but what the hell...I mean heck![Kids present].

When it was time for the last song of the program,"You're a Grand Old Flag", Steve announced that we had a guest musician[haha], and explained that I would be joining the band to accompany them on the cymbals. Wahoo! I took my place [in the back..whew!] next to Martin, hoisted those 50 pound cymbals[ slight exaggeration], and the song began.


The golden moment for me was in the last verse when I was most 'in sync' with my buddy Martin. As the song built up to the finale, we looked at each other and smiled as we crashed those cymbals in unison. Fun! Fun! Fun!

So what made me think of this again?
While watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, a large band marched into the picture and they were all middle-aged people in uniform having a blast belting out a song!! They were the "Awesome Original Second Time Arounders" and the criteria for joining isn't too difficult. There were also letter carriers spelling out the name of the band who played no instruments. I could do that!! I even have experience at that!![I was the banner carrier for my high school band.]
I googled the organization, signed up, and they have sent me an email verifying my membership!! So, I may get to join the band again. Watch for me. Hey...stranger things have happened! It's true. Really!!

Gobblers Galore!!

A Thanksgiving memory of years ago always brings a smile to my face.

There were four of us traveling by car about a week or ten days before Thanksgiving Day. We were on our way to a nature center, and we passed by the Plainville Turkey Farm. Out in the meadow/field were hundreds of turkeys in a massive white- out [!!} so to speak. We slowed down and stopped to take it all in because it was pretty amazing.

We rolled the windows down, and from the back seat came a human "gobble, gobble gobble"...gobble, gobble, gobble ....an obvious attempted communication ??

Immediately, the entire hillside began to move as the hundreds of turkeys began strutting toward us ...all "gobble, gobble, gobbling" in unison. And I'm not just 'talking turkey', this was a formiddable fowl formation flowing forward ...and fast. Whew!!

"O my God!!" were our last words as the windows went up, and off we went...laughing outloud with me thinking, "I feel the earth move under my feet[Carole King song]."

Sorry about that!!

I am like rainwoman with songs. I can't help it.

Get ready! It's a tradition! Be there!

Tomorrow is Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! It is a colorful, spirited, moving, and unique display of American ingenuity! I'm sure that there are some who would say that they don't watch it for a variety of reasons, and I encourage you to sit down with your coffee, tea, cocoa,etc. and relax. You'll see spectacular Broadway singing and dancing, marching bands from all around the country, the Rockettes, and smiling faces for hours.
In a time when the country is on the edge of many scary realities both at home and overseas, why not take a couple of hours to enter the 'parade zone.'
It's a good thing! Flo,and I will be watching.
It's the winter version of "Stop and smell the roses!"

A birthday, some cake, 2 kids, and a couple of dogs!!

Well, Mom's 97th birthday was celebrated on its real day with my brother, my mother, and me. We had a buttercreme cake with one lit candle in the shape of a question mark. We sang, took pictures, and made a wish. The marble cake was amazingly delicious and with every bite, Flo made a spirited "MMM" in a mouse -like squeek. Candid Camera missed a very funny scene especially when Paul and I joined in with the birthday girl and there were the three of us with mouthfuls of cake...emitting that "MMM!"

On Friday, my oldest niece [Katie], her husband and two kids picked up my youngest niece [Megs]at college, and they drove through the dark and snowy night with the last part of the highway drive creeping along at 25 MPH. Normally a 5 hour trip, it took a couple of hours longer, but they arrived safely...whew!

On Saturday, my son[Jer] headed in from Buffalo with his dog, Hank while my brother Paul went to the supermarket to get bagels and breakfast goodies. His car promptly quit in the Wegman's parking lot. Triple A towed it to a Ford dealership where on Monday the official verdict was that an anti-theft device determined that the car was possibly tampered with and as a result, the electrical system shut right down. Paul had to have 2 new keys programmed for the car to lighten up and get going again!

Anyway, back at the house were my mom, son, 2 nieces, 2 kids ages 5 and 8, and 2 dogs. The kids had met Gracie before and were no longer afraid of her. But when Hank[a 1 year old playful black lab/border collie] entered the picture, not only was Grace in altered states, but the kids were screaming and scared. I wish that you could have witnessed the scenario when Jer asked, "Should I put Hank in the backyard?"

And without missing a beat, 5 year old Reilly pipes up with,

" The dog said yes!!"

And then there was Gracie[ poodle extraordinaire] who was on Flo's lap defending her from whatever she perceived to be a threat to her best buddy!! Lil Grace gave Hank[ twice her size] a couple of warnings and Hank understood. [I was a little uncertain, myself!!]

Funny though, that in a relatively short amount of time, the 2 kids were throwing the tennis ball for Hank to retrieve, and all was well.

Well, that was part of our weekend. It was quite memorable, as is Flo. God bless her.

Be back tomorrow...

How did it happen...so many days without a post?

Well, Flo's birthday brought company and family to celebrate...the last one leaving today.


And we are pooped!! So, with a good night's sleep, and life returning to normal...whatever that is[ !!], there are stories to tell and blogs to get caught up on....tomorrow!!

Happy Birthday Flo!!

Today is Florence's 97th birthday!

Unbelievable!

Happy birthday Mom!!!

Red and Red

It began in 1963, when we were freshmen in high school and our alphabetically assigned lockers were in close proximity to each other. But the friendship really kicked into full swing in the summer of '66. That would be when Janet and I began our 40+ year friendship with all of the ups and down, twists and turns, and state to state phonecalls and visits.
Janet joined us for the weekend in celebration of Flo's 97th birthday. The three of us got reminiscing about years gone by and some of the funny things that have happened.

Christmas of 1975 was my mom's first Christmas with Ray after their marriage in July. She was in his first wedding as a bridesmaid, and a couple of years after both spouses passed along, they got together and it was a wonderful relationship.
Janet and I and her Irish Setter named Grady went to visit them during the holiday season. We enjoyed their decorations, and the festive drinks as we chatted. Flo showed us the red leather wallet with a $100 bill in it that Ray had given her, among other things. As we sat in the kitchen laughing about how Janet's family English Setter Caesar had followed her to the church, Janet realized that Grady was nowhere to be seen. When she didn't return from the living room for a bit, I went there to check out what was happening. There stood a blushing Janet and I said, "What's up?"

She pointed to the chair cushion and said, "Pick up the cushion."
Under the cushion was the red wallet that she quickly stashed in the chair when she heard footsteps coming into the living room. It had been chewed up and there was no $100 bill. Hearing footsteps and fearing it was Ray, I stashed the mangled red wallet back under the cushion. It was my mom who looked at our faces and said, "What's up?"

I pointed to the chair cushion and said, "Pick up the cushion."
"Uh-oh! That's not good!"
Janet said, "That's not the worst part. The one hundred dollar bill...Grady ate it!!"
"No he didn't. I took it out."
"Whew! I will replace the red wallet before Ray knows it's gone!"

Janet purchased the replacement red wallet, and while she was not home, Grady jumped up and removed it from her dresser...and he ate the second one!!

The third red wallet went directly from Macy's to Flo's house... NONSTOP!

So, the red dog who ate the red wallet was forgiven, but never to be trusted again!
Truth be told...that part [never to be trusted again] really happened when Grady chewed on Janet's leather coat while she was in the store returning something!
He really was a great dog...God rest his soul.

Deer, deer ,dear.

A doe and her twin fawns were outside my kitchen window across the creek [10 feet] having breakfast. Very peaceful. Thanks, Mother Nature for the treat.

Another product that would definitely make millions!

Another Cathy and Mare brave the world with four boys [ages 11,10,7,4].

Let me preface this with all four boys are responsible, productive, successful and terrific men[!] [ages 29,28,25,22]. Needless to say, though, when they were much younger, they sometimes presented a less than desirable persona leaving an unfavorable impression on anyone within a tri-state area. . It could be at home[bad], on the playground[worse], or out among the general public[worst].

After trying all possible methods of behavior modification, we sometimes wished there was some way to short circuit the whole nasty, unfortunate, experience of the kids' rising tempers, escalating voices, etc., etc., etc!!

So, there we were again at her kitchen table while the kids were out on the playground [which was right outside the kitchen window], wishing that we could invent something to halt these unwanted behaviors, something that could 'nip it in the bud', something safe yet effective, and then we thought of it! Chloroform hankies! Yes, chloroform hankies! With a very small amount of 'elixir', these life savers would be fast, effective, and last a very short time...just long enough to take the starch out of the situation!! We even thought of a name to market it. It would be called...."AH-HHH" which is what the adult would sigh at the sudden rush of quiet!!

Well, you will never see this product on the supermarket shelves, for obvious reasons, and yet amidst the laughter that ensued from our discussion, we decided that there was certainly a market for it...How 'bout for use with some adults that you would like to shush quickly...for their own good, naturally!!

And even now, after all the years that have passed since our brilliant brainstorming, Cathy and I can be across the room from each other, and watch a situation arise, and when/if our eyes connect, we both kind of raise our collective eyebrows and silently mouth."AH-HHH!

I'd be willing to bet that you could find many, many uses for our 'chloroform hankies' since no harm would be done. Interested? Just kidding! But, oh, the possibilities!

What did you say?

My good friend Cathy stopped by yesterday to visit. Being Veteran's Day, schools were closed and while shopping 'in town' she stopped by to say hello. Cathy's three sons, and my son grew up together and we all shared many a good time as well as a struggle or two. There are many, many funny stories from that 'era of time', sometimes resulting from just a regular conversation as the 4 boys played and Cathy and I managed the problems of our worlds. Here's an example of an ordinary August afternoon when things suddenly went in a different direction.

So, we were in her kitchen as a new school year was looming in the distance, discussing doing the 'school shopping' for the boys- clothes, supplies, etc.

Cathy said, "Chris wants a 'Chip and Dale' lunchbox this year."

Stunned, I asked her, "What did you say? A Chippendale lunchbox? There is such a thing!!

Well, I want one too! Where do they sell them? Far out!!!"

"??? What??? "

When it became clear that Chip and Dale and Chippendale were so-o not the same thing.... wild and senseless laughter burst out. It was clearly a priceless moment as we both became clear as

to what each of us was envisioning!

What can I say? I'll bet they'd sell well!!   [ The Chippendale lunchboxes, that is!]

Veteran's Day

My Uncle Freddie and Uncle Jack were in WW2 along with the many who served. But these are two faces that I knew and loved.

My brother Paul served in the Air Force. My brother Tommy served in the Navy.

My husband served in the Army. My good friend Chuck served in the Marines.

My high school pal Joe served in the Navy.

My son's roommate served in the Coast Guard.

I know and pray for a cousin Christopher and Lora's son Mickey who are in Iraq now.

I have had former students who have served, and I'm sure that there are many now, too.

God bless all of our service people...past, present, and future...and keep them safe.

I can't grasp war. I can't watch movies about war. I remember the visual images forever.

So, I honor all Veteran's on this day as well as their families. Because even when it's over, it isn't over for them.

I pray for a day when the world can...

Joe's Words of Wisdom

My dad has surfaced in my thoughts three times in two days, the most recent being a conversation with my son. This picture of Homer Simpson is for him...it'll be what he can say to his mother if he procrastinates any longer.

My dad was famous for 2 sayings that he passed along to us right after he told us that, 'Experience is a dear teacher and fools will learn no other.'

The first one was: Only a fool runs out of gas.

He'd say, "Pay attention to the gas gauge, and when it is approaching half [full or empty], fill it up. You can't be sure how close a gas station will be when you are running on empty. And if your car breaks down in the cold of winter, having gas in the tank will help to keep you warm until help arrives. I have thought of a 2008 new reason to fill it up when it is at the halfway mark. It will cost less than filling up the whole tank especially with the pricey cost that we are paying now. If you do that consistently, you won't feel like you are breaking the bank to put gas in the car.

The second one was: Do it now.

Dad paid $15 to go to a workshop [back in the '40's or '5o's], and when asked what he had gotten out of it, all he could say was ,"Do it now." He said that they told the participants in the conference that when a thought flies into your head, to act upon it immediately instead of putting it off. For example, if you notice that you haven't put your keys on the key rack, instead of saying to yourself, 'I have to remember to put those keys back, do it now. And then you won't have to spend time looking for them when you want to leave [in a hurry]. It will save you time and aggravation in the end.

And so, there you have it.

The moral of the story is : Fill up the gas tank now, and don't let it go below half.

Driving class...Part 1

Well, 22 people came out in the rain to attend the safe driving class. I think that the motivation really is saving money on their car insurance or reducing points on their license. Either way, most admit that they learned something that they didn't know before, and I believe that they will think about changing some driving habits.

There is always a story or two. And since the folks are generally 50+ years and have worked in all kinds of different jobs, we all learn from each other.

A woman talked about renting a car in Milwaukie and on the way to return it, a deer crashed into it causing much damage. The car rental place didn't even flinch, said it happens all the time, and sent her on her way!A man in the class worked for a gas and electric power company. He advised his [younger] co-worker that around the time of the first frost, the deer would be moving around more, and he'd probably see more deer. After a bit and in a joking tone, the younger driver said, "Do you see a deer? I don't see any deer." Then in the afternoon, he repeated the same teasing,"I don't see any deer...do you see any deer?''

The two men were almost done and returning to the workplace at the end of the day, when a 12 point buck jumped out in front of them, broke the windshield, and the antlers came right thru the front of the passenger's side...upon which time the older guy said," Do you see a deer?

..'cause... yep! ...I think I see a deer!!"

It's fun to see these people who don't know each other share the laughter and the stories. They really seem to enjoy each other. Fun to facilitate.
Part 2 coming up... Slow down. You'll live longer!

Are you a turtle?

You bet your sweet *** I am!

Well, my testing is over, [no results yet]and so I can resume some of the meds that help me deal with Arthur. [Arthur... itis]

I was definitely doing life in turtle mode, and was forced to slow down a bit.

It reminded me of an occasion when a couple of friends of mine and I were sitting in Friendly's enjoying a sundae and destressing from the week of woes at the kid factory. I was lamenting that the kids and the job were getting more challenging for me and I didn't know if my energy level and my arthritis level were going to get me to a retirement age.

So, my friend says,"Can you take Aleve?"

I replied, "I don't want to take a leave! I still have lots of creative ideas to do with the kids!"

And then it was explained, "I meant 'Aleve'...the medicine...for pain...you Bozo!!"

"Oh-h-h!"

We got laughing hysterically, and it was another phrase that kind of lived on and was repeated often when someone totally misunderstood the point being made.

"Can you take Aleve?"

I am solely responsible for these opinions, and I approved this message.

I have so many thoughts about the amazing outcome of the election.
I am surprised, and yet I'm not surprised. I was afraid that Obama wouldn't be elected because in the privacy of the voting booth, people would not be able to take the leap of faith to give a person of color...a chance. And I thought that many quiet, staunch Republicans would think that their personal worth [$$] would diminish. They would be the Republicans who regardless of the ineptitude of their choice of leadership still defended his decisions. They could not say that 'the emperor had no clothes.'
In the past eight years, there were incredible happenings...that really happened!

• the hanging chads and the Supreme Court deciding the previous election

• the wiretapping and changing of Constitutional directives to suit their plans


• the horror of the response to Hurricane Katrina


• the war...Halliburton, the troops' lack of proper equipment, the lack of an exit strategy and the faces of my friends whose sons and daughters were sent back to Iraq for more than one tour even though they were due to be released because they had finished the time that they had signed up to serve.


• the oil industry with a quarterly profit in the billions of dollars while families were struggling to make ends meet. [the greed and lack of conscience]


• allowing the banking industry to self destruct and then choosing to have the country bail them out. [giving loans to illegal aliens, and unaffordable loans to millions of citizens]


• the inability of George W. to speak intelligently causing a major lack of confidence in his leadership


• the government, in general, for allowing bills to be loaded with pork...why they couldn't just pass or veto the one thing on the agenda is beyond me.

Now, a brand new start is on the horizon. A man who is educated, willing to lead the masses in an effort to bring our country back to what it once was...respected, prosperous, under control [as stated in the laws and amendments to the Constitution]. The fact that Obama is willing to invest his time, energy, and family to this daunting and overwhelming task ahead is laudable. In the campaigning months prior to the election, I was impressed with his demeanor and self control when responding to all of the questions and demands of the press and the people. He certainly grew up with challenges that could have overcome his direction and purpose. There were times that he was not sure what direction he was headed for, yet managed to educate himself and make pathways for the future while being raised by his grandparents. He is not perfect. [Neither was George W or George Washington, for that matter!] He will not please all of the people all of the time...But I'm thinking that he has the ability to inspire, unite, and hopefully begin to lead us out of the many messes that we are currently struggling with all over the planet.

I watched the television coverage of the election's results as our citizens, as well as people of different countries around the world heard the news. It was huge.
So, all I am saying....is give him a chance. Judge Obama not by the color of his skin, but rather by the content of his character. [Martin Luther King,Jr. would be proud!] I always did think that particular excerpt [where MLK makes reference to not judging his children by the color of their skin ]from the "I Have a Dream" speech spoke volumes!

Change is difficult. Can we be a part of the solutions, and not keep a scorecard of every nit-picky detail [like whether or not he is wearing a flag pin on his lapel]?!

Yes we can. Yes we can. Yes we can!

And if you can't...would you please follow that golden rule taught to us by our mothers....

If you can't say something nice....just.....

It's a beautiful day in the USA!!

A happy new year is on its way for the USA. Bring it on!!

January 20!!

A snapshot of the upcoming week.

Life can sometimes be a bit of an uphill battle.

I'm looking forward to Friday when all of the dreaded testing is done. This week is filled with dr. appts., bloodwork, and an outpatient procedure[Yuk!!]. Tuesday is Election Day, thankfully. [I am very tired of the entire election process that has been dragging on for a year and a half]. And I'll resume volunteering again...at a much slower pace [since limping is my gait of choice at the moment]. A couple of hours at hospital , a couple of hours at Meals on Wheels, and the next 2 Saturdays I'll be teaching another AARP Safe Driving Class. They are always an interesting adventure and I meet new people as well as hear some amazing stories!!! And there you have it!

There has to be a better idea than the way it is now.

Well, Halloween has passed for another year. I was thinking about the evolution of the event for me. When I was a kid, it was a safer time. You didn't have to worry about tainted or dangerous candy. Kids went out without parents [not totally alone...my brothers accompanied me] and the costumes were generated at home. We had a little old lady costume that I think all three of us wore [in different years]. It was a great costume! Gee, we were ahead of the recycling era!!!

For me, being an elementary teacher, I dressed up every year with the kids. I remember some parties that were a lot of fun. One in particular was in 3rd grade where the kids bobbed for apples and it sure was an eye opener for me. I must have never done it as a kid, because when the first kid's entire face disappeared into the bucket...I was shocked!!

Another time in 5th grade, we played real Bingo with real prizes while singing, "Do wa diddy diddy ...and doing the wave. That was a fun party.

As time went on over 33 years, the costumes were often store bought and/or of a violent, dark, or bloody nature. The main office began to ban things like plastic [or any kind of ]swords, knives, aerosol hair spray[!]. Parents would be coming in to apply make up for the kids. Then, they would eat candy, and be on a sugar high for days. [the kids, not the parents!]

Then there was the parent part of a Halloween. My favorite costume that my son wore at age 3 was when he was a fire truck. We got a big box, covered it with red paper, made ladders out of shiny aluminum foil, installed headlights and a steering wheel, a bigger black ladder on the side, and he wore a fireman's helmet. Very, very cool.

Now I am retired, and my son is a man, and so Halloween has slipped into history for me. It is fun seeing little kids dressed up, and I do buy candy. Since I live on a dead end street, I don't really get trick or treaters, and so I wind up eating the candy. Oh well, it's a tough job- but somebody's got to do it!! Umm-m Three Musketeers. The silver lining to the cloud. Boo!!!Hoo.