Monday, May 31, 2010
Memorial Day
I honor all of the men, women, and children that have lost their lives because of the wars of mankind. 'War is such an ugly thing and I pray each day that we can have peace on Earth without war. I don't see it happening. It seems that there has been at least one, and sometimes many more wars going on in this world for as long as the Earth has been in existance. Will it ever end? Will mankind ever learn? Wars are fought over property, deeds, water rights, personal jealousy,and many other things but mostly it is fought over religion. So help us ,God.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Jane
"And can it be that in a world so full and busy, the loss of one creature makes a void in any heart, so wide and deep that nothing but the width and depth of eternity can fill it up! "
It is with heartfelt sympathy that I write of Jane's passing. She was a teen-ager when she first came to our attention, she was a classmate and friend of Karen's at Assumption. They were typical teen-agers of that era. Mike and Jane started dating and in 1961 she married Mike and became a member of the family. Our daughter-in-law.
She was a very talented person. She loved to sew and could make just about any garment that she set her mind to. Her artistic abilities were directed to creating objects of art that all could enjoy, she loved classical music and kept the classical music station on in her car at all times. Her own sense of style was apparent in her own clothing. She always had the right accessories and always wore coordinated outfits.
She made rosary beads for all the nieces and nephews and for her young brother-in-law when they made their first Communion, she made jewelry for all of us. I have necklaces and bracelets that she made for me. A few of the flower arrangements and the vases in my house were made by Jane.
When I had to have an ostomy after my colon surgery, the medical people said I should have someone in my family learn how to maintain it and assist me in adapting to the monumental life change. Jane volunteered. She spent hours and days at my bedside, she sat in on the instructions that were necessary, she supported me during my adjustment period. She was with me when I had to do it solo for the first time, we stuck together through trial and error; believe me there were many errors and we would laugh our way through. We could have named it," Lucy and Ethel apply an ostomy bag!" We finally, gradually mastered the technique but it was not something that we could boast about to the family and the general population. It was our accomplishment and we were proud of it!
She would come everyday about noon and bring her own lunch and prepared to fix mine for me. She would sit in my room and eat while I ate. We had many intimate conversations and many opportunities to laugh, mostly at ourselves but sometimes at others. Doc was usually downstairs and he appreciated the fact that Jane was with me. He would come upstairs occasionally to see what was so funny but he didn't always get our humor.
As I grew stronger, she encouraged me to get out of the bed and dress and we would go on little sojourns. Sometimes to Walmart, lots of visits to Walmart, they had just opened and there was a bench in the main aisle that I could sit on and rest when I got tired and she would go off and do her shopping and come back and check on me. We went to Target, and my first trip ever to Whole Foods, to Rainbow Blossom and any place else we could think of. Gradually she helped me build my strength up and thereby recover. What would I have done without her?
After her dreadful illness and seven months of hospitalization and more months of recovery she once again called me after Doc's death and my retirement and we went off to the movies together and visited knitting shops to buy yarn to continue the knitting projects we had started and sometimes finished while I was recuperating. We compared quilting accomplishments and other activities. She promptly submitted her recipes for the Family Cookbook I am writing. She was one of a kind.
Love is a behavior, not a feeling. She truly loved. She was not a fragile soul, she was tough to the end and I hope God puts her to work, she's up to the task. Rest in peace,Jane. Ciao
It is with heartfelt sympathy that I write of Jane's passing. She was a teen-ager when she first came to our attention, she was a classmate and friend of Karen's at Assumption. They were typical teen-agers of that era. Mike and Jane started dating and in 1961 she married Mike and became a member of the family. Our daughter-in-law.
She was a very talented person. She loved to sew and could make just about any garment that she set her mind to. Her artistic abilities were directed to creating objects of art that all could enjoy, she loved classical music and kept the classical music station on in her car at all times. Her own sense of style was apparent in her own clothing. She always had the right accessories and always wore coordinated outfits.
She made rosary beads for all the nieces and nephews and for her young brother-in-law when they made their first Communion, she made jewelry for all of us. I have necklaces and bracelets that she made for me. A few of the flower arrangements and the vases in my house were made by Jane.
When I had to have an ostomy after my colon surgery, the medical people said I should have someone in my family learn how to maintain it and assist me in adapting to the monumental life change. Jane volunteered. She spent hours and days at my bedside, she sat in on the instructions that were necessary, she supported me during my adjustment period. She was with me when I had to do it solo for the first time, we stuck together through trial and error; believe me there were many errors and we would laugh our way through. We could have named it," Lucy and Ethel apply an ostomy bag!" We finally, gradually mastered the technique but it was not something that we could boast about to the family and the general population. It was our accomplishment and we were proud of it!
She would come everyday about noon and bring her own lunch and prepared to fix mine for me. She would sit in my room and eat while I ate. We had many intimate conversations and many opportunities to laugh, mostly at ourselves but sometimes at others. Doc was usually downstairs and he appreciated the fact that Jane was with me. He would come upstairs occasionally to see what was so funny but he didn't always get our humor.
As I grew stronger, she encouraged me to get out of the bed and dress and we would go on little sojourns. Sometimes to Walmart, lots of visits to Walmart, they had just opened and there was a bench in the main aisle that I could sit on and rest when I got tired and she would go off and do her shopping and come back and check on me. We went to Target, and my first trip ever to Whole Foods, to Rainbow Blossom and any place else we could think of. Gradually she helped me build my strength up and thereby recover. What would I have done without her?
After her dreadful illness and seven months of hospitalization and more months of recovery she once again called me after Doc's death and my retirement and we went off to the movies together and visited knitting shops to buy yarn to continue the knitting projects we had started and sometimes finished while I was recuperating. We compared quilting accomplishments and other activities. She promptly submitted her recipes for the Family Cookbook I am writing. She was one of a kind.
Love is a behavior, not a feeling. She truly loved. She was not a fragile soul, she was tough to the end and I hope God puts her to work, she's up to the task. Rest in peace,Jane. Ciao
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Leaping Lizzards, Sandy
Back in 1924 Little Orphan Annie and I were born. She came on the scene in August and I showed up in November.We traveled down the long road together. We both had red hair but there the resemblance ended. She was an orphan and I had a full blown family. Mother, Dad,Joe, Mart, Paul and I. She was adopted by Daddy Warbucks who made his money pretty much like Haliburton and was obscenely rich. She had a friend named Punjab, an Indian Prince. My dad worked for the Big Four Railroad and barely eked out a living. She had a dog named Sandy, I had my Grandpa Charters, the blacksmith, and my Grandpa Morrissey, the cattle trader/farmer. and a dog named Trixie. Annie had eyes that looked like marshmallows and mine were blue, Sandy's eyes were like marshmallows, also. Trixie's were brown. Unlike me she never aged nor did she ever change her dress. Her dress was red, long sleeved and had white collars and cuffs. My dresses were varied and usually had former owners, but were never red. She had many adventures and pretty much spurned the luxury life offered her by Daddy Warbucks. Her favorite expletive, when she got in some of her fixes was, "Leaping Lizzards, Sandy." Mine was, "Rats!"
So, maybe you can understand my sorrow and regret to hear that after 85 years of her saga printed in the daily papers across the country she is leaving. Yes, it's true. Her last published account will take place on June 13th, 2010. It behooves me to think I will not get to see or read her swan song or strip because our paper does not print her strip on their comic page. In recent years the name of the strip changed to just plain, "Annie". Goodbye, Annie, you will be sorely missed, I hope you find a new venue because I don't intend to quit so you should not either.Ciao
So, maybe you can understand my sorrow and regret to hear that after 85 years of her saga printed in the daily papers across the country she is leaving. Yes, it's true. Her last published account will take place on June 13th, 2010. It behooves me to think I will not get to see or read her swan song or strip because our paper does not print her strip on their comic page. In recent years the name of the strip changed to just plain, "Annie". Goodbye, Annie, you will be sorely missed, I hope you find a new venue because I don't intend to quit so you should not either.Ciao
Friday, May 7, 2010
Seems there are so many things to write about that it is hard to pick a favorite subject. I wrote a number of months ago about the Rock that Ohio and Kentucky were each laying claim to. The dispute heated up to the point that Kentucky sued Ohio to get possession of the disputed Rock. Well, it finally happened! Portsmouth, Ohio, the culprit that has had the Rock hidden away in some garage on their side of the Ohio River, has had to go down in defeat. They have been ordered to transport the Rock back to the Kentucky side of the river, to its rightful home. Court ordered! Major problem is, that while they are compliant with the ruling they have had to admit that they do not have a hoist strong enough to lift the Rock onto the truck to transport it to its Old Kentucky home and then unload it when they get it there. (Is that a run on sentence?) Well, anyway,case not closed quite yet. Question, why don't they use the hoist that they used when they pulled it from the river in the first place? What a conundrum!
We got the derby under our belts and are now preparing for the next big event i.e. The Fitzgerald Family Fun Festival. It takes place on June 19, 2010 at Andrea and Travis's house. Y'all come. Since the family has grown from two (Doc and I) to 60 members, we are talking big time event. I have taken on the task of writing a second edition of the family cookbook. Gregg has helped me to get it all together and Shannon has taken on duties of helping where ever I need help. If it does come together by June 19th it is going to be a thing to behold. I have recipes from almost every family member already and expect more in the coming days. It is so much fun to see all of the different foods and I want to try every one of them. As a matter of fact, I have tried a few of them and plan to eventually try them all. What a collection of gourmet recipes. We hope to serve some of them at the Reunion on the 19th.
We have had some devastating storms around the country, Nashville being the nearest. Billions of dollars in damages. Then the dreadful oil well explosion off the coast of Louisiana that has not yet been reigned in. The oil spewing from that well has the potential of being felt by people all around the world. A terrorist parking an SUV in Time's Square that was loaded with what he hoped to be a deadly bomb reminds us all that we are still vulnerable and should be ever vigilant. We should be thankful for every day that we live through. So far the suspects of terrorism lately, have been totally incompetant.
See, I haven't even mentioned the political turmoil that is on going in our country. People complaining about big government when a lot of our distress is because of too little government. The lack of regulations on Wall Street participants, and big banks, the disregard of the gov't regulations set for mine owners that if they had been held to abide by the regulations set for them, lives could have been saved. The high cost of health care and health insurance in the country because of a lack of government regulations. I could go on and on. We need more government not less. We are the people of this country and our taxes are paid so that the gov't can see that we can be insured of Domestic Tranquility, provide for a common Defence,promote the general Welfare,and secure the blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our posterity. The Government is supposed to be for the people, by the people. How can people persue happiness when they fear that their home will be foreclosed, their job will be shipped out of the country, their life may be in unnecessary danger because of lack of control by the government to enforce rules and regulations made to provide for their safety. We need to get more for our buck. We need to reign in the out of control Wall St. gamblers, banks and anyone else that is jeopardizing our general Welfare! Ciao.
We got the derby under our belts and are now preparing for the next big event i.e. The Fitzgerald Family Fun Festival. It takes place on June 19, 2010 at Andrea and Travis's house. Y'all come. Since the family has grown from two (Doc and I) to 60 members, we are talking big time event. I have taken on the task of writing a second edition of the family cookbook. Gregg has helped me to get it all together and Shannon has taken on duties of helping where ever I need help. If it does come together by June 19th it is going to be a thing to behold. I have recipes from almost every family member already and expect more in the coming days. It is so much fun to see all of the different foods and I want to try every one of them. As a matter of fact, I have tried a few of them and plan to eventually try them all. What a collection of gourmet recipes. We hope to serve some of them at the Reunion on the 19th.
We have had some devastating storms around the country, Nashville being the nearest. Billions of dollars in damages. Then the dreadful oil well explosion off the coast of Louisiana that has not yet been reigned in. The oil spewing from that well has the potential of being felt by people all around the world. A terrorist parking an SUV in Time's Square that was loaded with what he hoped to be a deadly bomb reminds us all that we are still vulnerable and should be ever vigilant. We should be thankful for every day that we live through. So far the suspects of terrorism lately, have been totally incompetant.
See, I haven't even mentioned the political turmoil that is on going in our country. People complaining about big government when a lot of our distress is because of too little government. The lack of regulations on Wall Street participants, and big banks, the disregard of the gov't regulations set for mine owners that if they had been held to abide by the regulations set for them, lives could have been saved. The high cost of health care and health insurance in the country because of a lack of government regulations. I could go on and on. We need more government not less. We are the people of this country and our taxes are paid so that the gov't can see that we can be insured of Domestic Tranquility, provide for a common Defence,promote the general Welfare,and secure the blessings of Liberty for ourselves and our posterity. The Government is supposed to be for the people, by the people. How can people persue happiness when they fear that their home will be foreclosed, their job will be shipped out of the country, their life may be in unnecessary danger because of lack of control by the government to enforce rules and regulations made to provide for their safety. We need to get more for our buck. We need to reign in the out of control Wall St. gamblers, banks and anyone else that is jeopardizing our general Welfare! Ciao.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Derby 136
I and 156,000 other people had a grand and gloriously soggy day at Churchill Downs! I'm already looking forward to Derby 137. Each and every derby is unique. This year one of our guests that came had never been to a derby before and was quite shocked when I told her the KY Derby Race is actually the final event in the annual event.
We started two Saturdays ago as usual, with Thunder Over Louisville. We had over 700,000 people attend in person on the river front to see the most spectacular firework display in the country. It was preceded by an air show that included para-shooters, fighter jets, stunt fliers, all types of military air force planes, and many other flying events that kept the crowds happy until 9PM when it became dark enough to start the fire works. The Air Show started about 3 PM. The following weekend, Balloon Glow took place at Bowman Field. It also waits until it is dark enough for the gorgeous sight of the glowing balloons rising up over the field. I takes place on Friday night and then on Saturday morning there is a balloon race and also a mini-marathon (thirteen miles) and a regular marathon (23 miles)that draws participants from all over the country. The full marathon runners start their run across the river in Indiana. They run across the bridge and then continue on the course on the Louisville side of the Ohio River. I don't remember how many ran in that race but 17,000 ran the Mini. Michael was one of the Mini runners. He had run in that race for lots of years and then stopped about 5 years ago. This year he decieded to run again. He was pleased with his time. It was not quite as good as it was 5 years ago but Hey, he did it and he was not quite as young as he was 5 years ago! (The actual balloon race had to be cancelled because of the weather.)
Mean while the "Rat Race" was run at Spaulding University,( the run for the Cheery-o's),the next day the Run for the Ros'e (wine) a few waiters and waitresses have treys of glasses of wine and run a course on the Bellvedere to see who has spilled the least by the end of the race, The Bed Race is run by competing groups, WAVE 3, Ford and many others, rig beds up with wheels and steering devises and while a young lady attempts to steer and a group of males push from the rear of the bed with long 'handles' they race two at a time on parrallel tracks to see who has the best time. As rediculous as that sounds, I have watched those races on TV and find them to be very funny. Ford plant workers are the most frequent winners.
On Wednesday of the week preceding Derby the Belle of Louisville races one of the Cincinnati boats that come down the Ohio to race. It is great sport, they first have a calliope competition and then amid cheers and jeers set off up the river to Three Mile Island where they make a turn and come back to the 4th St. Dock. Both boats are filled to capacity with passengers. I noticed this year, the Captain of the Cinci Boat was quite large, I mean quite!! Which ever boat can figure out how to cheat best is always the winner. This year it was Cinci so probably next year The Belle will have mapped out a strategy for winning. Trust me they have some big time cheating ploys!
Thursday is the Pegasus Parade. It also is very well attended. Usually some celebrity or other has the honor of being the parade uh,uh, I forget what he/she is called.Could he be the Grand Master? It is sometimes a sport's figure, Movie star, TV star or someone recognizable.
Friday is Oaks Day. Originally the Oak's race was supposed to be the day the locals went to the track but in recent years more and more out of towners have descended upon us and it is as crowded as the Derby. Only Fillies run in the Oaks. I bet on Tidal Pool this year, had her across the board and she came in 3rd. so I made a little money. I actually lost a little money. The weather was beautiful! Sunshine, about 75 degrees, breezy and generrally pleasant. Great crowd.
I should mention here ,that at about 4PM Thursday Linda, Gregg and Nathan started the ball rolling for establishing our 'spot'at the Downs for the upcoming events. Chairs,coolers, libations, tarps, tent type items etc. were stored in an undisclosed place. Then at about 5:30 or 6:00AM on Friday morning they were there to set everything up for the day. I did not take part in that activity but I had a direct line to Linda and could place my bets from home. (placed only the one on the Oaks race) ( Put down $6 got back $5) . Nathan had a few umpire friends join in the fun along with the other family members.
Finally, the big day arrived!! My neice, grand nephew and his significant other came down from Cincinnati on Friday night and stayed with me. Cynthia is a bona fied member of the 'hold the fort down' committee since she and Linda went last year to do the honors, also. So she and Linda left about 5;45 or 6:00AM in the teeming rain, dodging lightning bolts, and cringing at the following thunder to do the duty at the track. What can I say? How dedicated is that? Bravo, L. and C.
Karen, Paul, Sandena, her Paul, Gregg and I went out about 10 O'clock AM Neither rain nor hail and all that stuff could keep us away. The lightning and thunder had stopped. Just rain, more rain and more rain. We did have a break around 11'00 but it all came back. I had on boots but not those cool, decorative rubber books that are all the rage this year. I would buy some but it might not be raining next year and that is the only time I would wear them. Alas!
You may have heard that old saying; "rain before seven clear before eleven"? Guess what? It did clear-up before eleven but then started raining harder about twelve or so. Undaunted, we all got our programs out, mapped out our bets for the day, ate chicken, drank our libation of choice, took copius pictures of horses, put down bets and slogged around in the mud. There is so much to see. The parade of horses and their owners and their entourage walk past our site. The ladies in gorgeous outfits and spike heels (on ocasion are carrying the shoes and walking barefooted.) The horses and their stable mates passing by along with the outriders. The track keepers driving the tractors and dragging the track after each race. The gate sometimes has to be moved into the shoot when the race is a really long one We can walk down about 100 yards and see the horses loaded into the gate. That's fun! When an actual race is being run, it is so breath taking to see the horses coming around the turn and thunder right past us. There is a fence and about 10 feet of grass between us and the horses! I love to hear the horses huffing as they go by. We can see what position our horse is in when they run past. So much excitment and fun. What an experience.
We didn't get to go visit the barns or go into the Lucas barn because it was too rainy and muddy. I did go sit in the Lucas barn for awhile as a respite from the rain and then later took a few pictures of Wayne's pony standing around loking bored.
I had Super Saver (Calvin Borel was the jocky and Todd Pletcher was the trainer) across the board. (He won!)and I had Ice Box across the board and he placed so I will collect place and show on him. Win, place and show on Super Saver! I didn't cash my tickets yet, maybe I should wait and see if Super Saver wins the Preakness and the Belmont. Ciao!
We started two Saturdays ago as usual, with Thunder Over Louisville. We had over 700,000 people attend in person on the river front to see the most spectacular firework display in the country. It was preceded by an air show that included para-shooters, fighter jets, stunt fliers, all types of military air force planes, and many other flying events that kept the crowds happy until 9PM when it became dark enough to start the fire works. The Air Show started about 3 PM. The following weekend, Balloon Glow took place at Bowman Field. It also waits until it is dark enough for the gorgeous sight of the glowing balloons rising up over the field. I takes place on Friday night and then on Saturday morning there is a balloon race and also a mini-marathon (thirteen miles) and a regular marathon (23 miles)that draws participants from all over the country. The full marathon runners start their run across the river in Indiana. They run across the bridge and then continue on the course on the Louisville side of the Ohio River. I don't remember how many ran in that race but 17,000 ran the Mini. Michael was one of the Mini runners. He had run in that race for lots of years and then stopped about 5 years ago. This year he decieded to run again. He was pleased with his time. It was not quite as good as it was 5 years ago but Hey, he did it and he was not quite as young as he was 5 years ago! (The actual balloon race had to be cancelled because of the weather.)
Mean while the "Rat Race" was run at Spaulding University,( the run for the Cheery-o's),the next day the Run for the Ros'e (wine) a few waiters and waitresses have treys of glasses of wine and run a course on the Bellvedere to see who has spilled the least by the end of the race, The Bed Race is run by competing groups, WAVE 3, Ford and many others, rig beds up with wheels and steering devises and while a young lady attempts to steer and a group of males push from the rear of the bed with long 'handles' they race two at a time on parrallel tracks to see who has the best time. As rediculous as that sounds, I have watched those races on TV and find them to be very funny. Ford plant workers are the most frequent winners.
On Wednesday of the week preceding Derby the Belle of Louisville races one of the Cincinnati boats that come down the Ohio to race. It is great sport, they first have a calliope competition and then amid cheers and jeers set off up the river to Three Mile Island where they make a turn and come back to the 4th St. Dock. Both boats are filled to capacity with passengers. I noticed this year, the Captain of the Cinci Boat was quite large, I mean quite!! Which ever boat can figure out how to cheat best is always the winner. This year it was Cinci so probably next year The Belle will have mapped out a strategy for winning. Trust me they have some big time cheating ploys!
Thursday is the Pegasus Parade. It also is very well attended. Usually some celebrity or other has the honor of being the parade uh,uh, I forget what he/she is called.Could he be the Grand Master? It is sometimes a sport's figure, Movie star, TV star or someone recognizable.
Friday is Oaks Day. Originally the Oak's race was supposed to be the day the locals went to the track but in recent years more and more out of towners have descended upon us and it is as crowded as the Derby. Only Fillies run in the Oaks. I bet on Tidal Pool this year, had her across the board and she came in 3rd. so I made a little money. I actually lost a little money. The weather was beautiful! Sunshine, about 75 degrees, breezy and generrally pleasant. Great crowd.
I should mention here ,that at about 4PM Thursday Linda, Gregg and Nathan started the ball rolling for establishing our 'spot'at the Downs for the upcoming events. Chairs,coolers, libations, tarps, tent type items etc. were stored in an undisclosed place. Then at about 5:30 or 6:00AM on Friday morning they were there to set everything up for the day. I did not take part in that activity but I had a direct line to Linda and could place my bets from home. (placed only the one on the Oaks race) ( Put down $6 got back $5) . Nathan had a few umpire friends join in the fun along with the other family members.
Finally, the big day arrived!! My neice, grand nephew and his significant other came down from Cincinnati on Friday night and stayed with me. Cynthia is a bona fied member of the 'hold the fort down' committee since she and Linda went last year to do the honors, also. So she and Linda left about 5;45 or 6:00AM in the teeming rain, dodging lightning bolts, and cringing at the following thunder to do the duty at the track. What can I say? How dedicated is that? Bravo, L. and C.
Karen, Paul, Sandena, her Paul, Gregg and I went out about 10 O'clock AM Neither rain nor hail and all that stuff could keep us away. The lightning and thunder had stopped. Just rain, more rain and more rain. We did have a break around 11'00 but it all came back. I had on boots but not those cool, decorative rubber books that are all the rage this year. I would buy some but it might not be raining next year and that is the only time I would wear them. Alas!
You may have heard that old saying; "rain before seven clear before eleven"? Guess what? It did clear-up before eleven but then started raining harder about twelve or so. Undaunted, we all got our programs out, mapped out our bets for the day, ate chicken, drank our libation of choice, took copius pictures of horses, put down bets and slogged around in the mud. There is so much to see. The parade of horses and their owners and their entourage walk past our site. The ladies in gorgeous outfits and spike heels (on ocasion are carrying the shoes and walking barefooted.) The horses and their stable mates passing by along with the outriders. The track keepers driving the tractors and dragging the track after each race. The gate sometimes has to be moved into the shoot when the race is a really long one We can walk down about 100 yards and see the horses loaded into the gate. That's fun! When an actual race is being run, it is so breath taking to see the horses coming around the turn and thunder right past us. There is a fence and about 10 feet of grass between us and the horses! I love to hear the horses huffing as they go by. We can see what position our horse is in when they run past. So much excitment and fun. What an experience.
We didn't get to go visit the barns or go into the Lucas barn because it was too rainy and muddy. I did go sit in the Lucas barn for awhile as a respite from the rain and then later took a few pictures of Wayne's pony standing around loking bored.
I had Super Saver (Calvin Borel was the jocky and Todd Pletcher was the trainer) across the board. (He won!)and I had Ice Box across the board and he placed so I will collect place and show on him. Win, place and show on Super Saver! I didn't cash my tickets yet, maybe I should wait and see if Super Saver wins the Preakness and the Belmont. Ciao!
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