Bucket list vs Resolutions

With 2013 on top of us, I am thinking of that annual chore of making resolutions. I don't know why I bother as I soon forget all about them. With a Bucket list, I can be more focused as it's things I want to do. The top of the list is to get healthier. I think I'm being pro-active by going to physical therapy three times a week. I feel stronger or maybe just confident that I can now move along without falling or losing my balance. I hope to make another trip out West. I haven't been there for a couple of years. Barbara & I are looking at Montana & thereabouts. Of course, we'll swing by Jackson either way. I want to go canoeing again. I already have the invitation so just need to focus on my agility, etc. I hope to also visit Jane & Rich & just maybe, hike into the mountains with them. So much depends on me. I can't do anything about my lack of breath but by golly, I'm going to give it a whirl. San Antonio & Tucson are calling. Will be doing some Road Scholar trips. Nothing definite yet. And, Maggie wants me to go sky-diving with her but that's definitely NOT on my list!

NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS

1. 2. 3.

Today I ate Chocolate!

December 13, 1952

A chilly winter morning - my wedding day! The Nuptials began at 9 A.M. What an un-godly hour! Remembering how I wanted to go back to sleep & Mom prodding me to get up, etc. "We have so much to do." The photographer came about 8 A.M. About then I realized that this was IT & put on a happy face. My sister, Jeannette was my Maid of Honor & my only attendant. Dad's brother-in-law, Charles Hacker was Best Man. Dad's brother, Kirby & Jeannette's financee, Tom Baines were ushers. My Uncle John was the priest who officiated. A nephew, Bud Hacker & my brother Bill served the Mass at St. Lawrence Church in Lindenwold. My mother's Bridge Club made breakfast in the cafeteria at St. Lawrence School to the wedding party. Afterwards, provided refreshments to those who attended the reception. We had music (records) from someone who provided a record player. All in all, a party & fun with relatives & friends. Dad & I hadn't made any special plans to go away. His brother, Kirby loaned us a 1950s Plymouth so we left around 3 P.M. We started South then decided to drive to Indiana & visit Joe's sister, Cass who wasn't able to make the wedding. We stayed in Indiana 2 days & headed home. Joe had to leave to return to France on January 4th. We stayed with Mom & Dad until he left. I followed him in late March on the S.S. Untied States & you know the rest of the story.

Musings

While grocery shopping early this morning, my cell phone rings. It's my neighbor next door asking me if I have "power" as his went out. I told him that mine was on earlier but would see when I came home. Shopping early meant no breakfast/coffee. To my despair, the electricity was definitely out. No coffee, no lights, computer, TV, etc. Interesting how much we depend on all these perks. I thought of all those folks north of me who haven't had power for over two weeks & here I am griping because the utility company didn't come right away. By the way, I ate an apple!

Around & About with Sandy, the superstorm!

We were warned. We watched the weather station all day. We packed a bag for three days. We checked for flashlight batteries, bottled water & I added wine! It was a very nerve-wracking time. My stomach was in knots & I actually thought I would have a heart attack. I tried talking to myself, took deep breaths but nothing seemed to help. Bill picked me up on Sunday evening as the hurricane was supposed to pounce on the coast at 4 p.m. on Monday. Up to that time, we were cautioned about strong winds and rain. As their house is higher in elevation with underground cables, it was the better place to be. Bill put a train platform against the large window & taped the other windows. We watched televison & hunkered down. Patty was well prepared with nine loaves of bread, endless bottles of water & lots of comfort food. Sunday night, I slept downstairs (my choice) & Monday night, everyone else joined me. We did have some strong winds that rattled the windows, knocked down their gas grill & that's all. I called my neighor & he informed me that we still had power with no flooding. How wonderful is that? When Sandy touched down, she immediately took another left turn & missed us all together. Unfortunately, as she traveled north, devastation followed. You have probably heard of all the flooding & power outages. Some are still without power. It was a horrible experience & I almost feel guilty that I came through okay. As the kids missed Halloween, Gov. Christy ordered this coming Monday as another day for Trick/Treating. Bill says he gonna give out water bottles & bread & eat all the candy!

Another Sleepless Night

It's only 2:30 in the morning so I guess I could get in a good night's sleep if I was so inclined, hmmm? My mind is whirling with coming events. Next Tuesday along with my sister & husband, are traveling down to my brother's house in N.C. He made it special for us by sending us a "ride". Then, there's all the "remembers" i.e. stop the mail, the paper, call the mechanic to service the car while away, etc. We'll be arriving home again on the 24th with my #1 daughter arriving on the 26th to plan our adventure in New York City and beyond. #2 daughter is arriving a couple of days later. Another reminder is to pick up a trip plan from AAA. Will I ever complete all this? Tomorrow, I've invited an incredibly nice man for lunch & we will catch up on the goings on in our lives. Yesterday found me in the closet pulling out old picture albums. As I was at the Community Lunch today, wanted to take old pictures of friends in our younger days & it was a blast! I gave them away, of course. I find it interesting that I can't remember last names of friends of long ago. Why didn't I put her/his name there? Guess I thought I would remember. Ha! My sister-inlaw, Mary came in for the lunch. She so enjoys herself & is everyone's friend. I think that living so far away must be lonely for her. Oh, girlies! All of my tests came back negative for cancer. So hopefully, I'm home free as they say. Well, guess I'll hang it up for this time. Jane, remind me to give you a Brownie pan. I have two. Then you can make perfect Brownies too!

Summer Time

Today, I made Blueberry Muffins but they were terrible! I used the basic muffin recipe with fresh Blues and they were too heavy for the mixture. So gave them to the birds! I always use them with Cobbler and they turn out fine. Guess I better stick to that and Brownies. I found Brownie tins at Boscov's and they had "separaters" in the pans. Great! Now, won't have any trouble cutting them. We're still getting lots of hot weather. Makes one feel like hibernating. I got my hair cut today and the gray is coming in big time. I look so washed out with gray hair & usually cover it. I went to a new stylist today (a recommendation from a friend) and came home with "highlights". The gray is there also so we'll see what'll happen. Can you imagine that I should be stressed about that? After all, I'm not 39 anymore. I'm not??? Keep forgetting to get my rocking chair rocking.....! Golly, just looked at the clock & it's 4:26 a.m. Time to get up! Wish I didn't mess up my bed as I have to make it again. Tonight is one of my rare sleepless nights so what better use to communicate by blogging. Good night & good morning!

Daddy - Part 2

I really don't want to repeat other stories about Daddy. Did I ever tell you about Mom waking us up around two in the morning to welcome him home from work? Naturally, it was his Birthday. We would all sit at the bottom of the stairs real quiet until we heard his key in the door and shout "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" Then, we would go out in the kitchen, eat ice cream & cake - a real treat in the middle of the night! On Satudays, he gave us each a nickel and we ran to the candy store to spend it. You could buy all sorts of penny candy. Some were 10 for a penny and my sisters and I would try to see which of us could get the most for 5 cents. As we didn't have a car, we took a walk on the weekend. No plastic then so our sandwiches were wrapped in brown paper or napkins, cold water in glass bottles. Mom had a favorite place in the woods by Laurel Lake so we would go there often. A kid's dream to run up and down the hills discovering all kinds of treasures to show and afterwards, Daddy got to take a nap before we walked home again. One Christmas, Adeline and I got bicycles and then, we were in 7th heaven so we could ride our bikes to school. In 1948-49, Daddy was laid off from his job at the shipyard. My Uncle Roy got him a temporary job at Clementon Park for the summer. We loved it of course. He "ran" the Minature Golf course so all my friends from school would greet him as "Dad" and get in free! After summer, he got a job in Philadephia at an upholstery house where he remained until he retired. Do you remember Grandpop and his ghost stories? He told all his kids and grandkids about "Mary" who lived in the attic. For years, we were afraid to go up there and never alone. :) Remember his funny hats? On his Birthdays, one of the grandkids would give him a funny hat to wear. He had Mouse hats & Pig hats. And how about the laughing Irishman in the kitchen? And, don't forget his tomatoes and all his plantings! So, winding down at last. Hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane.

Daddy - Part 1

We always called him Daddy - as children and grownups. I tried to change it to just plain Dad but it never fit. As you all know, his name was William John Pratt. He was the youngest of three and the least favored, I think. Probably because of his disability. Yet, unlike his brother, Roy, he left the family home to live alone with his own family - then, Mom, Adeline & me. His mother never quite forgave him for that. We visited her occasionally and altho' she was always sweet to us, it was more of an obligation than anything else. As Daddy didn't have a car, we took the bus to Clementon and then, walked a couple miles to their house. My Uncle Roy did have a car but rarely gave us a ride home. I can still remember that walk and how tired I was. Jeannette, being the youngest at that time, got to ride in a wagon. Daddy & Mom would entertain us with conversation that made the trip go faster. Adeline who hated visiting family, grumbled the whole way. :) Our first home was in Hi Nella on Pocahontas Avenue. Daddy worked at the Wilson Line in Philadelphia. The Wilson Line was a Cruise Ship operation and Daddy was a clerk there. I think I told you before that he took Short Hand & Typing in high school. In the "olden days", men had this sort of job. Dad took the trolley car to work and often carried bits and pieces of lumber home to make things for us. He loved to work with his hands and that included painting. He made bookcases for us, little furniture for our dolls, etc. As money was scarce, it helped a lot and we never felt poor. From my earliest memories, he was always around to help, to read to us and just talk with us. He was a great father! He wasn't strict but we knew what we could get away with,etc. Mom was more so and sometimes, would egg him on punish us. "Wait till your father gets home" became her mantra. :) We never had a lot of money growing up. During WW11, he grew vegetables in the back yard. He called it his Victory Garden. My Uncle Frank had one as well and would bring over tomatoes and squash to supplement. I hated aquash but Mom did a good job cooking it different ways. I'm going to finish this later.

Late Night Snacks & Ramblings

Tonight I had grapes & pretzels. Last night, I finished off the ice cream. Maybe, this is why I sleep so good! :-) Well, since February, I've been presented with a new baby boy & a high school graduation down San Antonio way. That's #15 Greats & #12 high school celebrations. Only four more graduations to go! When you get my age, moving is very important. As I have slowed down in the activity department, I create jobs for myself. Today, I took my loose change jar to the bank and came home with an extra $75. I also had trouble with some of my meds so the Doc gave me some samples until I get straightened out. No worry! I thought about the Afghan I started 3 years ago. I hope I finish it one day. At least, I'm thinking about it which is a good sign. It's like a job that you keep putting off. I had a heck of a time signing in on my blog. Guess they put you in archives after so long. So, the question of the night: what are your favorite snacks?

Speaking of Movies...

We used to walk to the movies every Saturday afternoon. The theater at that time was across from the railroad crossing. On one side, was a Cleaners and the other, a Drugstore (pharmacy) with an ice cream parlor. The matinee started at one o'clock. For ten cents, you were rewarded with previews, a cartoon, a continuing serial and the main feature.

I was "in love" with the usher (oh yes, we had them). His name was Mario Martamona, a good Italian boy! :) The usher carried a flashlight and guided you to your seat if the show had already started.

On some Saturdays, the manager held Talent Shows at intermission. Intermission was usually before the main feature. Some of my friends would get up on the stage and sing, tap dance or whatever.

When Grandmom & Grandpop were first married, she would go to the movies on Tuesday night as they gave out dishes. I think Kathi has her set that she got there but will check with my sister.

One of the stories that Jeannette tells is she went on a date to the movies and the guy asked for two children's tickets. I think she was embarrassed. :)

On Mischief Night which is the night before Halloween, the teenagers in town would do all kinds of crazy things. One time, they put Berger's cow in the lobby. Usually, they just piled junk in front of the bank. But that's another story.

Watching Old Movies & Other Uninteresting Things

I love movies. Tonight, I saw the Clint Eastwood "Every Which Way but Lose" and laughed out loud. I had seen it before but enjoyed it again. TCM has some good oldies. It's interesting to see all of the men and women smoking away. Times have really changed.

On other matters, I had 4 teeth extracted on the bottom. They were lose and I was afraid I would be out at dinner and would lose them. So, bit the bullet and had them taken out. Interesting enough, the dentist took my bottom partial about 2 weeks ago, sent it to a lab in Florida to add teeth to it. When it came back, she extracted mine and put the new plate right in. Says the pressure of the partial keeps the swelling down and less loss of blood.

Yesterday, I received a ticket from Stratford Police. They have installed a photo-taking traffic light. It seems I crossed an intersection on the amber light but it turned red before I got to the other side. They sent me a picture of my car with license showing. Boo Hoo! Cost me $85.00. I will avoid that intersection now. It's a very busy area. I bet the town of Stratford is raking in the dough! It's the first ticket I've received in twenty years!

We're supposed to see snow tonight & get a lot colder. Hate it! Guess I'll sign off for tonight.

Flowers in January!

We've had such a crazy winter here. Had a light snow in late October and we said "oh my, we're in for it this year." November was chilly but no snow. December, the same with a couple of cold days thrown in and January, it got pretty cold with another light springling of snow. At the end of January, we're enjoying temperatures in the 50s. My Camelias started budding and I found a flower this morning. It's not May, fellows - go back to sleep!

Believe me when I say that I like this weather. I think Spring when I see blooms this early. Oh, I wish!

I'm going to my brohter's house in Florida to get out of all this cold. What a laugh! If I only knew!

And, now I'm 81!

I had a great day today! Just felt happy! All of my kiddies called in plus friends and relatives. Rec'd two flower arrangments and gift cards to Pier 1 and Amazon.com. also a promise of dinner, a show and a pedicure. Yesterday I had lunch with an "olde" girlfriend. She and I have remained friends for 75 years so pretty good, huh? But, of all these gifts, the greatest was talking to everyone and catching up. I am truly blessed to have such a loving family and friends.

Some of the news is that my granddaughter, Nicole has accepted a job at the University of Colorado in Boulder for coaching soccer. She will be on the coaching staff. That's great, isn't it? I think Joe & Denise are experiencing the "empty nest syndrom" with Ellie & Brooke in California and Nicole there.

Some of my Happy Birthday singers were: Bill's kids - all in good voice, Kathi, Donna Fletcher and my sister.

Tomorrow, I will don my purple outfit & red hat fora Red Hat Luncheon at Edna's house. We always have a good time.

Happy New Year!

I don't know where I've been as I haven't been blogging for 3 months or more. I certainly enjoy it. Hmmm.

I'm glad the holidays are over. It seems to instill such a lot of stress in us. I had about 13 people over for Christmas Eve and everything went pretty well, considering. Christmas was over at Bill's! Regardless, I was tired from all of the hoopla.

I am not making resolutions this year either but like, Jane trying to get organized a bit. This house is too small to have so much stuff in it. I'm taking that old Mantel clock back to the repair shop. If he can't fix it as it is, I'll ask him to install new insides. It will lose its antique-ness but it's not doing anything except take up space.

Did anyone see "We've bought a Zoo!" Cute movie and a different role for Matt Damon. I saw the "Artist" too and didn't think much of it. It's a silent movie from back in the 20s.

Anyway, wanted to say "hi" to everyone and hope to see you more often back here.