Happy Hanukkah!

Just love this pic of my folks

It dawned on me yesterday morning that that evening would be the first day of Hanukkah. Hmmmm...hadn't even really thought much about the holiday but mentioned it to Mom and she said she'd like to have some potato pancakes. Check. I can do that. I told her I'd mix some up to go with the meatloaf I had planned. She looked a bit disappointed and I knew what was coming. Brisket. She wanted brisket and potato latkes so, well, I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.

So, we had a little impromptu Hanukkah dinner with Andi, Howie, Bobbi, John, Gert and me. These quick little pick-up dinners are actually a lot of fun. We certainly appreciated celebrating the holiday with these wonderful friends. I used my battery operated candles as the menorrah. Mom recited the prayer with me which was sweet, and surprising. It's interesting to me the things she has stored in her long term memory.

John surprised me a few weeks ago with an early Hanukkah present - the MacBook. LOVE the thing. Although, there has been a learning curve, it's about the most fun computer out there in my book (pun intended). Highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun computer, maybe not the best in the world though in a business environment.

Anyway, Happy Hanukkah everybody! Hope the holiday season brings you much joy.

And, in the interest of self-promotion, here's a few links to some of my more recent online writing stuff:

Reasons to Use Battery Operated Candles
Tips For Shipping Presents
Tips to Host a Holiday Party
Hanukkah Songs
Questions to Ask Before Opening a Bank Account
Dessert Shooters For Christmas

And, in the interest of helping some of my internet writer friends, here's more fun links:
Games on Facebook
Desserts to Take to a Potluck
Gift Baskets Under 20 Dollars For the Elderly

Diabetic Clothing and Accessory Needs

Oh Hanukkah

Enjoying a day of friendship and wine at Sugarloaf Winery

So, as the Festival of Lights approaches, I was thinking that there aren't many Chanukah songs out there. This thought came to me because the lead list selected for a new site

A story about a tootsie roll...

Ok, I've found a new internet site on which to get residual earnings on writing, ListMyFive.com. My best ever internet friends, Peggy and Joan, are also not-so-willing participants at the site. I say not-so-willing as, collectively, we earn, oh, maybe 3 cents a day on articles. Yes, you read that right....3 cents a day COLLECTIVELY. Now, I appear to be ahead of the curve, having earned almost $3.75 this month alone (no, it's not going to carry me into my twilight years in Key West, but, dammit...it's a start). Anyway, I was lamenting with my pals about what I could do with my big ONE CENT earning today. I asked Peggy and Joan if there was even penny candy made these days.

Joan replied that they make a teeny weeny itsy bitsy tootsie roll - a mini, mini sized Tootsie roll which is sold at her local drug store. Somewhere back in the archives of my mind, I got to thinking about a Gert story...


When Mom was about 75 or so, Mom and Dad were driving from Phoenix to Las Vegas, a trip of around 5 hours. They were about half way there, and approaching a very small town called Nothing, Arizona, population 2 - Google today reports that the population of Nothing, Arizona is now 4 so someone was busy...

Anyway, Mom wanted Dad to stop in Nothing because she wanted to get a candy bar. Dad, being Dad,. really just wanted to get to Vegas and didn't want to stop but Mom pestered him and pestered him and, as was her wont, got her way. 'Fine' he said, we'll stop but he wasn't happy about it.

So, they went into the one and only store in Nothing, Arizona. Mom says it had one gas pump and a small store that sold pepsis, cokes, and potato chips and candy (the important part to the story is the 'candy' part).

Mom at that time wanted a candy and picked out a tootsie roll. You know the kind; they looked like something that was coming out of the body instead of going in...So, Dad got Mom a tootsie roll that she reports was older than she was. She went to bite down on it and her mouth was not round any longer; it was square. She had broken her jaw on a tootsie roll! Big bummer. Mom had to have her jaw wired, which I don't recall Dad complaining about, for a month or so. I'm not sure she ever got over that tootsie roll. That tootsie roll cost her $1500 she says. And, as she says at this very moment, "I don't like tootsie rolls anymore."

So, as her 94th birthday rapidly approaches, we at least know what NOT to get her!

Mom and Dad's 68th Anniversary

Today marks the 68th anniversary of the day my Mom and Dad walked down the aisle and into a new, very happy life. Although Dad left this earth 3 years ago, today, June 15th will always mark their anniversary to me.

Subconsciously, I must have realized the date as, the moment I awoke today, I was craving a piece of toast with swiss cheese, topped with a juicy dill pickle. That's right - that combination was Dad's favorite breakfast and, to those of you shaking your heads, don't knock it until you've tried it. It's very delicious.

I made this particular breakfast a lot for Dad. He would vary the request with a slice of red tomato when the garden crop came in, but that's about as adventerous as he was with this particular craving.

And, as I crunch into my treat, I see him grinning, pickle juice running down his chin. I can see his eyes, those gorgeous blue eyes lighting up with each bite but, as the toast waned, they'd sadden just a bit. Until, of course, I'd surprise him with a fresh piece, melted cheese oozing from the sides, the pickle glistening in the morning sun. He'd just light up in delight and mutter a crumb-filled 'Thank you, Honey.'

So, Dad, this toast (literally) is for you. You're well missed but thought of every single day. And, your bride is as happy as she can be without your arms around her. I make sure of that, as much as I can. And she rewards me every single night with that same 'thank you for my day' that you gave me and, even more importantly, with the words you used to say to her every night as you tucked her in bed - not a night goes by that my adorable Mother doesn't kiss me and utter 'Good night, Sweetheart. Sleep well.'

Dad's garden

So, I spent a few hours the other day taking Mom around to various nurseries and picking up some fresh plants for Dad's garden. This is a memorial garden that I planted in memory of my Dad and sister, Steph back in 2007. It's doing fairly well but, since it's a shade garden, it's difficult to keep it interesting. I think I might have nailed it this time. It's quite peaceful out there and a lot of fun to watch it grow, I think Dad and Steph would have liked it. Purple was Steph's favorite color so I try to keep that in mind.

The angel face rose below is the most fragrant rose we've ever smelled. It's finicky but totally delightful. The gargoyle reminds me of Chessie, a dog I had once, half sharpei, half pit bull. He was sweet as sugar (mostly) and would protect me to no end. The gargoyle protects the garden, mom, John and me from evil spirits (so the theory goes). It certainly doesn't protect the garden from grazing deer...

Passover et al

Well, once again, I find that so much time has passed without updating this blog. Geez...life just keeps getting in the way. So, here goes.

Mom kept asking when Passover was so I took that as gentle hint (as is her wont) that she was missing Passover so a seder we would make. Now, when I was growing up, Dad always did the seder (meaning he read the Haggadah - the Passover book, to you gentiles in the audience). Dear Joe, well, had his own style which obviously stuck as he was sitting right at that table with us.

Let me set the stage:

Our 'congregation' was Bobbi, John, Gert and me (and 5 dogs and 1 cat).
The Passover plate was filled with 1 egg, horseradish, basil (our 'bitter herb' as I didn't have any parsley), 1 chicken bone (no lamb shank either) and various other substitutions which might be too embarrassing to dwell upon.

So, we sit down to the table and I start in on reading the Haggadah...

I think I might have made it to page 6 and the paragraph that starts in on 'Rabbi Ebenezer' (or whichever that rabbi is), and, honest, I could hear Dad saying...

'And....we'll skip....'

So, off Joe would tool to, oh, maybe page 12 or so but he would never tell anyone where he was so we would all furiously thumb through the book until Steph (the little suckup) would usually whisper 'He's on page 12, 3rd paragraph). We'd all head there, only to find that dear Joe had skipped somewhere else. Ah, the good old days.

So, it wasn't without surprise that the congregation couldn't follow me. We had our own version of 'seder-lite' but a fabulous time was had by all. And, egg soup and Manischewitz wine are fabulous once a year....

The weather lately has been wonderful so I've been able to get Mom out more. We met up with Linda (sis-in-law) and had a great lunch over in Olney last week.I think we all loved the break from normal routine. I took Mom through The Home Place (site of all those wonderful trays we now own - sigh). I should have known better. I spent the whole time prying things out of her arthritic hands (they hang onto stuff pretty good...). Much to her chagrin, there were no more trays, cups, or plates coming home with us this time. We stopped at a nursery also to start working on the garden and nabbed some lettuce which is, sadly, still sitting on my deck out back. The garden is READY to go though so will start planting very soon.

Mom and I headed over to Ron's gang last night for a wonderful dinner for Easter - although we don't celebrate this holiday, we're not about to turn down a free (and good!) meal. So, off we tooled. I had put Mom in the sun yesterday while I did some stuff to the deck and, although I kept an eye on if she was tanning, I wanted her to get a little color. Well, she ended up with some giant raccoon eyes! Note to self: suntan lotion or that huge umbrella would be a good future plan.

On Malapropisms

So, spent a while this morning trying to dig up the term where an incorrect word is used as a substitute for the correct word - such as 'Cinderella' vs 'Citronella.' I always thought is was a spoonerism, and, after much searching, have determined this particular issue is called a malapropism. And, it's hereditary. Here's some of mine:

For all intensive purposes - should be 'for all intents and purposes'
'I'm not talking 'bout the linen - should be 'I'm not talking 'bout movin in' (from Hall and Oates song)
I pledge allegience to the flag for Richard Stands - always wondered who Richard Stands was.

And a host of others. Those who know me well can hear these almost daily when I'm in my car, singing a song. I'm famous for it. I get that from my Daddy. Comforting to know the pear doesn't fall far from the bush.

On Cinderella vs Camomile

Ok, so John and my Dad share a lot of good traits, and a lot of funny ones too. It constantly strikes me how similar they are in a lot of ways - probably why I totally adore John so much.

Anyway, Dad could never remember the name of citronella candles. Every year, before summer, he'd make sure I bought 'Cinderella candles' and, of course, every single year, I would just ROLL over this.

So, tonight, John comes to me and says 'We need more of those camomile candles.' Of course, I just rolled over that.

Memories of Dad

Was just 'talking' to a 'friend' (whom I've never physically met) who is from eHow, the writing site I joined a year ago. I'm making around $125/month in residuals, which is not bad, considering I'm not all that active any longer and, ostensibly, I'll make $125/month for the rest of my life. Not a bad past time if you can even fake writing. Also, I just think it's sweet that I have these new 'friends' who check in on Gert very frequently. Joan and Peggy are always asking about her and they've never met her - cracks me up.

Anyway, I've been trying to unravel the 'secret' to writing online - you get money from the ads that are on the article. There's a lot of theories about how to draw in good ads, search engine optimization, etc. And, I think I have a handle on it as I'm getting steadily better until...

I write a crappy article about banana bread - really nothing special and, monetarily, according to the algorithm I've figured out, it shouldn't be earning much. In fact, it should be a real stinker. It's just a great recipe I wanted to share so I wrote it up. No search engine optimization, no keywords, no nuthin' except for a recipe for a fabulous banana bread.

Here it is:

How to Make a Light Banana Bread Recipe That Will Melt in Your Mouth

As you can see, it's really not all that special. It is, however, very good and, really surprisingly, it's making money (fast and a fair amount!). It basically defies everything I thought I'd unraveled; frustrating, to say the least.

So, I was lamenting such to my eHow friend, Peggy, and it dawned on me that my chasing the dream of unlocking making money on eHow writing was a lot like going to the horse track with Dad.

Dad and I would start off betting strictly off names and then, it would evolve into something like the below:

Lori: Hey, Dad! That horse, the brown one who won, took a dump right before the race.
Dad: Yeah?
Lori: Well, he was obviously lighter in his loafers

So, we'd watch the next horses come out and bet the one who just 'dumped.' Sure as shit (pun intended), he'd finish last. So, the next round would go:

Lori: Hey, Dad! Did you notice that the horse who won this race was brown too?
Dad: Yeah?
Lori: Well, maybe it's 'brown horse' day.

So, we'd bet the brown horse. Of course, the next horse who won would be grey but would be wearing purple colors.

Lori: Hey Dad! Did you notice that all of the horses who won so far are wearing purple?
Dad: HUGE LAUGH...and then we'd be off to bet purple,..and, of course, the blue horse would come in but the jockey's initials would match the last winning horse's jocket....ad nauseum.

We had us some fun.

I just read this to Mom and she said 'Get the number 5 in there somehow. Remember how we'd always bet the number 5?'

Ah, life. Watcha goin' do but laugh?

As an aside, here's some links to Peggy's web presence; she's pretty amusing:
A Good Book is Awaiting
Found Money in the Street
The Lint Filter
Examiner
Suite 101

American Idol is upon us again.

So, it's cold out and Mom's been pretty much housebound lately, watching a lot of tv - she spends a lot of time on the 'Who's your daddy shows,' as she refers to the 'Judge shows'. We watch a lot of the food network too and actually try a few recipes here and there. All in all, a slow winter is being had by all. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Could be way worse.

So, we're both amused and chagrined to find that American Idol is starting again - We're not going to spend another season watching this show, are we', we ask each other?

So, we dialed it up. We talked about how Dad was sitting right here with us, rolling his eyes and asking:

'We're not going to spend another season watching this show, are we?' And he knew the answer too.

So, here we sit, watching the beginning auditions, most of which are truly horrible. But, the time spent has paid off in a few Gertisms:

1. A pretty horrible girl was warbling an equally horrible song. Mom looks at me and says 'How much is bus fare in Boston?' 'Why,' I ask (already knowing the answer). She looks at me innocently and says 'Because they need to send that girl back.'

Then, we were talking about Bobbi, John's and my local haunt, La Mex and some of the patrons there. There's one particular man, we'll call him Bobblehead, that just showers you with spittle when he gets tipsy. I came in the other night, freshly spittled, and lamented the fact to Mom. She looks at me and says:

'Now, Lori. You KNOW you need an umbrella when you're talking to Jimmy!'

Cracked me up. That woman is not right.

Remembering Uncle Al (1917-2009)

We got sad news a few days ago; Mom's 'baby' brother, my dear Uncle Al, died Saturday at 91 years of age - he's the one in the front in the picture to the left (I think he thought he was taller than he was....).

My favorite Uncle had fallen a few days prior and was in hospice when he just slipped away. Although the death of an elder is, in a sad way, not unexpected, it's never easy. We were very saddened over here, but still managed to raise a glass of sherry in his honor. BFF Bobbi came over to lighten the mood which was a nice relief. It's sometimes difficult to prop Gert up, even though she is very resilient and very wonderful.

Note: that very handsome man to the left in the photo was my gorgeous cousin, Jay - Uncle Al's son who passed away a few years ago from cancer. Jay and I were co-conspirators in crashing the Presidential Summit held in Philly when Bush was in office. But, that's a story for another time.

There were 5 children in Mom's family; Aunt Rose, Aunt Ruby, Uncle Herman, Mom, and Uncle Al. Four of these children lived into their 80's which, if you think about it, is amazing considering they were all born in the early 1900s. And, quite thankfully, Gert is doing quite well over here and about to be 93 on the 28th of October.

When I was growing up, we took yearly trips back to St. Joe, MO to visit my mom's parents (my Bubie and Zadie) and the rest of her family. I remember so well the stories her brothers and sisters would share with us about the antics that Mom and Uncle Al got into as children - like oiling Zadie's wallpapering board (his livelihood) so that they could slide down it and amuse themselves. Or the time Uncle Al ducked when a rival threw a brick at him and the brick took out a plate glass window at the pharmacy - only time in history a kid's been beaten for ducking!

And, of course, we, the next generation of Burdoo children, in a way, owe Uncle Al our lives. It was Uncle Al who knew Dad from their fraternity at school. Uncle Al invited my Dad on a hayride to be a date for his sister (enter my Mom) ‘with the good personality’. Of course, Dad's first question was 'is she cute?' Uncle Al's reply was honest and to the point: 'Hell no she's not cute but you'll have a great time with her.' And, they did, for 65.5 years.

On my folk's 25th anniversary, they went to Hawaii, with a brief layover in California. Now, Uncle Al and his wife (Aunt Lois) had move to LA right after my folks had married. Uncle Al and my folks were living on separate coasts of the US. Back in the day, air travel was not as easy to come by as it is today and, with both siblings raising families, they didn't see each other for 25 years. So, as the story goes, Mom and Dad stopped in for a quick visit to LA. As Uncle Al met them at the airport, he clapped Dad on the back and said 'You sure hold a hell of a grudge.' That pretty much sums up my Uncle's humor.

And, of course, there were all the wonderful times I spent with him in Arizona every year when I went to visit the folks. I'd always pick him up and take him out for marguerita's at Arriba's (our favorite spot) and sit and laugh the afternoon away. He and Mom shared the same sense of humor - he never failed to get me laughing, and laughing hard.

He and Aunt Lois happened to have the only bathtub, it appeared, in the entire city of Sun City, AZ. So, each year, I'd drop in with my bathrobe in tow to soak in the tub - showers are ok but there's nothing like a bath for relaxation. One time, I brought along some cookies I'd made and the three of us laid in their bed eating cookies, drinking milk and laughing. He never failed to remind me of that time. He also never failed to send off a card for a family birthday or anniversary - it was always magical when a card appeared on the exact special day.

When Uncle Al retired, he became quite the artist - wood was his first media, then there was stones - all kinds of jewelry came my way. I'm the recipient of miles of beautiful beads and earrings.

And, really, who can forget the mini-basset head bashers he made (well, that's what I used them for). Uncle Al, in later years, became quite the woodworker and made these things (said basset head basher) which were actually thoughtful tools designed to push items safely into a garbage disposal. Well, the theory was nice but, since my house is from 1857, I don't have such luxuries as a garbage disposal (or air conditioning, for that matter!). And, who can forget the toaster tongs (by the dozens) he sent over? I do have some very nice handmade bowls and spoons and a few gorgeous stained glass lamps - he gave that up when he tired of running to the drugstore for bandaids. Figures; that was one craft I really loved. I have a few very beautiful stained glass windows he made which I enjoy daily. And, he's the one we have to thank for the profusion of stone clocks we've all grown to love - I mean PROFUSION....

So, then there was one. Mom is the lone child left from her generation and I'm so glad she's here with me. So very glad. I tell her daily how lucky I am to have her with me.

I took Mom out this weekend for a little car ride. I decided to wander a few backroads and take her across the ford on our road to the 'other side of the woods'. We ended up wandering up toward Sugar Loaf, our only mountain which is, oh 700 feet tall. On the way though, we found ourselves wandering past a local winery where, of course, we just had to stop, get a few glasses of wine, olive and cheese platter. I'm always amazed at the amount of people who smile, wave, and talk to Mom (I'm invisible). It's just adorable to watch - especially the teenage boys who totally let down their guard with her.

So, on the way back, I took us on a tour of a nice cemetery up there - there's a Judaic gardens that I've always been curious about but never been in. It's gorgeous - as far as cemeteries go - very serene, birdbaths hold the memorial stones that we drop on headstones when we visit. It's a fairly new cemetery and very well cared for - much more like a park than a cemetery. We rounded the road to a particularly beautiful corner with a family plot tucked away down a small secluded meadow, surrounded on all side by oak trees with changing leaves. I mentioned that, if you had to go, that's not a bad place to spend eternity. Mom looks at me and says 'I prefer not to go.' Good enough.

Missing Dad!

Well, lookie, lookie! We've got our first tomato and, let me tell you, dear Joe has been sitting on my shoulder every single time I went outside to check its ripening status. I could literally hear his voice 'It's not ready yet.' 'No, not today, maybe next week.' 'It's looking pretty red, Lori' and so on. Yesterday, when I went to pick it and presented it to Gert, I heard Dad say 'Is that it?' Amazing how he impacts my life daily, even though he's no longer physically with us.

I find it interesting also that I've become a tomato eater just in the last 2 years since Dad's been gone. Always hated the little buggers but now I actually crave them. It must be his spirit infusing itself in me as he loved nothing more than to head to the garden with a salt shaker. He'd come back in 30 minutes, licking his lips and rubbing his belly.

Mom recalls a trip down to the Everglades in Florida where they went into a pick-your-own tomato field. When they got their sack of tomatoes and the proprietor put them on the scale, Mom told the gyy that he should weigh Dad instead of the sack...

Gert's doing ok but is having spells of shortness of breath still. I've finally got her adjusted to using the inhaler (boy, was THAT an interesting time...) as we use something called a 'spacer' with it. Much easier to use now although she still can't use it alone but that's ok, I don't mind helping her. I'm hoping though that, after her cat scan and follow up appointment with the pulmonologist next month, we'll have a clear reason why she's having periodic episodes. I've been checking the air quality index (AQI) daily to see what the code is and have certainly been aware of restricting even going on the porch to days when the AQI is excellent. Otherwise, she's pretty well and keeps me entertained, as do the dogs and the cat.

We're on our way to being millionaires...

Ha, sure...

Mom and I have decided that we just can't let the Belmont Stakes run without a bit of our money on the winning horse (it's our theory anyway). Now, this 'theory' has already cost me an extra $50 as, when John and I went to the Cracked Claw last night to place Mom and my's bet (100 to win on Mine That Bird, 20 across the board on the same horse - well, we couldn't decide....). Anyway, the gambler in me just had to hit a few races so, $50 later, I had nada. Nothing. No money. Out.

My Dad was there, right on my shoulder, as I placed my (stupid) bets last night. I bought a program for $4 (but not before checking the trashcans for tossed ones....). John and I looked through the program and picked horses by names - yep, you read that right. No need to check if it was a 'mudder', no need to find if it was a 3 year old maiden (never won a race....). Nope, we didn't need any of those pesky statistics that the owners throw at you; after all, the font is SO small, who over 50 can read it anyway....?

So, we picked by name - come on, who can LOSE with 'Tequila At Sunset'? We could. And, how about 'Kitty Power'?! I mean, come on now... I have a CAT! And, lest we need to explain 'Harbor Lights', who, as I type, is probably rounding the last curve right now.....

We laughed like hell. We were idiots - we faded right into the derelicts around us.

The best bet though was the one I placed in the last seconds before race 4 was about to be run at Penn National race track. The horse was named 'I Will Win' - now, really! Who the hell wouldn't go for that horse? This was a horse with confidence - And, the really funny thing was that there were 10 horses planned for the race and 5 scratched due to the muddy track. That left only 5 horses to run, and I Will Win went off at 10-1!!!! This was not a decision! We HAD to bet on her (3 year old maiden....). So, I went to the make the bet and bet just $2 on the win - none of that 2 dollars across the board needed on this horse. After all, she was going to WIN. After all, they've all but assured this when they named the sucker...We also had another horse in the same race so, we had a 2 out of 5 chance of winning something...
We would have had a better shot if this horse had run...

I'm sure I don't need to detail the moans, groans and cries of disgust as I Will Win came in 2nd. Yes, 2nd. I only had her to win - dammit....John just was astonished that I hadn't bet here across the board, then, at least, we would have gotten something! Nope, I 'saved' $4 by only betting 2 and missed a quite nice payout...

Well, we did quite badly. At one point, John told me that he thought my Dad was tossing in his grave - he was right on. I could hear Dad yelling 'WHAT are you DOING?' 'You shouldn't even be HERE!' 'GO HOME NOW.' John had me laughing so hard on the way home that I had to pull over. I couldn't see.

I don't believe John and I will be back to the Cracked Claw for quite a while...

Anyway, Mom and I went for Mine That Bird for the Belmont (well, our last name is BURDoo....). That horse better come in...

Well, anyway, I'd better find another way to make money so here's my latest eHow: How to Make A Delicious Low Carb Egg Salad

Tale of the folks marriage

My friend, Judy, asked me in an early comment to this blog, to document the tale of my folks marriage. I sat down this morning with the computer and just typed the words that mom said when I asked her to tell me the story. Here are her words - note; sorry about the quality of the pictures - I didn't want to take them out of the frames and just took pictures of the pictures):

My brother, Al, introduced us when Joe needed a date for a hayride on a Sunday. My brother said ‘My sister is coming in Sunday to visit me. You might ask her.’

Joe said ‘Is she cute?’

Al replied ‘Hell no she’s not cute. But you’ll have a good time with her’ and we’ve had a good time ever since.

We dated 5 years and it was dating, nothing more. I told him I either want to get married or I was going to visit my sister in Seattle where she had plans for me. She was probably going to introduce me to someone to marry because she was an orthodox jew. She was going to be a Yenta.

In the spring, I told him I was leaving shortly for Seattle, Washington. He said he was coming to Kansas City that night to see me, and he took the next train out from Witchita, Kansas where he lived at the time. He said he didn’t want to lose me and let’s get married.

We married June 15, 1941 in the synagogue. It was a Jewish custom back then to borrow a ring for the marriage because no one had any money to buy a ring. I was married with my mother-in-laws ring. Joe bought it from her for, I think, $1.

My mother-in-law made supper for us after the wedding for just the family.

We honeymooned at Excelsior Springs in North Kansas City (45 minutes away from the house). We borrowed my father-in-laws car as we didn’t have one. I was 25, Joe was 24.

Joe’s folks didn’t want him to get married as he would be marrying before his older sisters and, in those days, that was a no-no.

So, those are Gert’s words of the start of her marriage. Here’s mine:

An interesting side line of the story is that my Uncle Al, who introduced them, moved to California while my folks settled in DC. Traveling back and forth across the country just didn’t happen back in those days so my folks and Uncle Al didn’t see each other until the folks flew to California on the way to Hawaii to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

Uncle Al met them at the airport with the now famous line of ‘Man, Joe, you hold a grudge!’

My parents enjoyed 65 and 1/2 years of the most wonderful marriage I’ve ever seen or heard of. They were (and still are) ‘Gertie and Joe.’ Although Dad is now physically gone, they are still one entity.

Here’s one of the stories I told in the eulogy I gave for my dad – it’s one of my favorite memories of my two ‘twins.’

I remember one time, I was visiting them in Arizona, lying in the back bedroom about to go to bed. Dad was watching the news on the big tv in the living room, Mom went into their bedroom to watch another channel. I heard Dad turn off his tv and go into the bedroom. Then, I heard the sound of – what’s this? – arguing! I thought ‘Hot diggity! A heated argument! Better listen in!’ I hardly ever heard them bicker. This ‘argument’ though was amazing to hear. Dad had turned off the tv in the living room and gone into the bedroom where Mom switched channels to what he had been watching. He was arguing with her about her turning the channel to what he wanted to see! He said that she should watch what she wanted. She said she didn’t care - they’d watch what he wanted. They were arguing about who was the less selfish.

That was the story of their life – he thought about her first and foremost, and, in turn, she thought about him first and foremost. That was one secret to their 65 1/2 year happy marriage.

Their love was based on respect, honor, and gratitude that they had each other in their lives. Dad had bypass surgery when he was 65. The doctors estimated his life span at another 10 years. He lived another very full 24 years, and I have no doubt at all that he lived those years due to the love he shared with my darling mother.

On grilling and such

Well, got my birthday present from Mom delivered yesterday - a totally kick-ass grill! OMG! This thing is just amazing. I have to get my propane tank updated to handle the additional power it requires but, man o' man, that sucker turns out some hot dogs! More on dinner later.

Jeff, Mom and I took John's dog, Matee, to the vet over in Laurel yesterday. Pretty funny as it took 3 adults to handle a 13.6 lb pug but, trust me here, it did! She climbed up my shoulder, grabbed my neck with 2 paws and would not let go. Mom, Jeff and I tried to soothe her but she was not having it. Mom left the room at one point and returned with a new chew toy which had a softening effect on her but she was still very wary of where she was. Funny dog.

Stopped by Town Hall on the way home to say hi to brother Ron and get a pretty hefty liquor order for the Mansion East and Mansion West. Bought nice bottles of Scotch and Bourbon which John and I enjoyed later in the hot tub - something tells me those bottles won't see the Mansion West.

Evening time found us breaking in the new grill. Sophia, John, Jeff, Mom and I had an impromptu barbeque with hot dogs (Nathan's by request), grilled asparagus and red onions, and grilled potatoes on that spankin' new grill.

At one point, I was standing in front of the grill and watched a hot dog roll around under its own power - just rolling to and fro. Fairly strange occurrence until it dawned on me what was happening - I just knew it was Dad moving that dog around as he was a total hot dog man. After I'd make dinner on the charcoal grill at the cabin, he'd always say:



'You know what would be good on those coals now?'

Of course, I knew the answer but, with a slight grin, a twinkling blue eye and askance in his voice, he'd say:

'A hot dog?'

Of course, I'd always make him one or two for 'dessert' and he would just lick his lips as they were sizzling on the fire. I never saw him enjoy eating more than when he was chewing on a grilled hot dog - although, he definitely perked up every time he saw Sophia arrive toting homemade chinese food (Mom and Dad both said that Sophia ruined dining out at Chinese restaurants for them - no one makes chinese like dear Sophia!).


Anyway, I definitely felt Joey standing behind me last night, looking over my shoulder at that grill as that hot dog moved around under its own power. Mom and I shared a few smiles over that. His physical presence is well missed but he's always right here with us. Mom and I speak of him frequently, bringing John up to speed about who Joe was. Mom and I both feel him here with us. That's nice.

I had a request to impart to the blog readers a story of how the folks met. I plan on getting the details from Mom today and posting tomorrow (although I know the story by heart myself, I'll type what she says). She's such a gem.

Cabin weekend

So, after packing up the car and 2 dogs, we hit the road to the cabin. Make great time until…

About 45 minutes into the trip, traffic comes to a halt – road work. Now, it’s 95 degrees out, it’s 11 am on a Thursday and they’re painting and paving 70W? What the…. ? Anyway, turns out that it’s another opportunity for Gert to impart to me a life lesson.

We’re just chatting about this and that. Then she asks me:

‘Did I ever tell you the story about Dad and the road paint?’

‘Nooooooo’ was my hesitant reply. This brought on a slight giggle from her and then she started in.

Turns out that, one time, they were on the road going somewhere (details become less important as we age). There was a sign that said ‘Fresh paint, do not cross.’ Dad obeyed but, as was his wont, at some point, he wanted to get into another lane (probably to pass someone who was only doing 90)…anyway, I digress.

As the story goes, he turns to Mom and says, ‘Huh. Sign says 'Don’t cross paint' – what are they going to do to me?!’ Before Mom has time to reply, he’s across the freshly painted line and moving on his merry way, probably at warp speed (we share this trait). He appeared to be quite proud of himself as he passed the road crew and they didn’t stop him - in fact, they probably were laughing and waving in his direction. I’m sure he was pleased to have gotten one over on the ‘law.’

Mom and Dad drive a bit further before stopping. When they finally get out of the car, the entire side is coated in yellow paint. She looked at Dad and said: ‘THAT’S what they can do to you.’

As they say in West Virginia: See-me-like the moral of the story is:

Don’t worry about what ‘they’ can do to you. Worry about sabotaging yourself.

I believe this applies to all walks of life.

Mom and I rounded the evening out by sitting on the deck during the evening, hoping to watch the bats eat the moths which are attracted to a light out front of the cabin. Interestingly, bats weren’t flying but the moths were still pretty amazing to watch. Mom thought they looked like fireworks, I thought they looked like long worms. At any rate, it was a pretty spectacular show. I tried to get some pictures but these digital cameras definitely fall down in some categories – taking night pictures of moths appears to be one such category. I suppose there’s not really much of a call for this sort of thing anyway. But, here in W Virginia, it’s what we call entertainment.

Well, had a nice leisurely breakfast and then both of us showered and dressed and took off for Mom's facial appointment with our friend, Jenny (another amazing entity in our lives). I dropped Mom off at 12:30 and then ran some errands before returning in an hour to collect my charge. What a stunning woman I saw when I arrived (well, Jenny is always pretty but I mean dear Gert here...). She looked so relaxed and at least 10 years younger; had herself a nice nap too. Took the picture on my blackberry so it probably won't print out too well.

Headed home where part 2 of the nap ensued (after her requisite afternoon cheese and cracker snack shared with the 5 dogs). I sometimes wonder who gets more snack - Mom or any of the 5 individual dogs. Pavlov's response dictates that they all start drooling the minute she comes down the steps in the morning. All are eagerly anticipating her arrival...I can almost hear Killian say 'let's get this party started!'

I've got a pot of Aunt Mildred's recipe of spaghetti sauce on for dinner tonight with Bobbi and Sophia who will be here after work - Sophia loves spaghetti, and this is the best sauce I think I've ever run across. A bit of a pain to make though - especially when startled by a dog and dropping the spoon down the formerly white cabinets.

Mom and I are collecting items to take to the cabin tomorrow. It seems that, no matter how much stuff we tote up there with the idea of 'stocking up, ' we seem to eat/drink it all anyway and have to start all over the next time we visit the hills. But, regardless, heading up tomorrow morning for a change of scenery. John took Barley, Marguerita, and Matee so the house feels empty with just Killian and Hops floating around (although, I believe, Killian is secretly relieved).

On Sunday, John and I are hoping to take Mom to Winchester, VA to a great bar/restaurant we found while wandering the area one day. I know she'll love it - very quaint, beautiful place with a very friendly staff. And, Sunday (Father's Day) would have been the folks 67th anniversary so we'd like to get her out and about for a bit. Amazing to think that they shared 65.5 years together. Truly amazing. I was very lucky to share 48 with him and luckier still to have her here with me. We have a great time together. Nice benefit when your mother is one of your best friends!