What a year, since I've posted.
What a fantastic, year!
David and I discussed at the beginning of 2015 how it was a big year for our family. I would turn 50.
Regan would graduate High School. Rosey would finish Elementary School. Lucas would be launching his Senior year of High School the day his big sister graduated.
We knew there would be family visits for the graduation.
We knew we would travel to NYC to celebrate mine and Joe's birthday, together, in the homage to our now, 47 years of friendship.
We knew that Regan, Zachary and I would all be participating in Into The Woods to end the season at the Theatre, and that it would be Regan's final show with the Company. Mackensie and Lucas were on Crew, and David and Rosey made it to the show twice, so the Pelicanos were, together for the joy and the tears of this milestone.
Here is what we didn't know. We didn't know that on Father's Day, after the curtain closed on the final show of Regan's final season at FIRE Theatre Co., Zachary and Mackensie would gift David with the news that he is going to be a Grandfather. By association, it was a gift for the old Grandmother too! Even on that very day filled with emotion, we couldn't have known that we would find out on the following Tuesday, that we were going to be Grandparents X TWO! We are happy that our family is growing and that our dream of growing old together is actually coming true.
(Maybe the growing old part is happening a little faster than we had hoped!)
I can't remember another time in my life when I have so viscerally felt the transition in my bones.
I feel like it is time to change something, in a tangible way to embrace this new stage in our lives.
It can't be hasty, but it must be true.
I have only been 50 for three and a half months, and I feel like I've really begun ACT II.
We are leaving for a Beach Vacation and it will be the last time we are all together, for sure, for a Summer Trip. Things change. The kids could have jobs next Summer that prevent them from joining us for the whole week. Zachary and Mackensie will be relatively new parents of seven month old twins. We'll be ready to see Lucas off on his College adventure, as Regan will be on the way to her Sophomore Year in the summer of 2016.
Things change.
I've changed.
I've changed since the first time I sat in front of this computer and thought I'd "blog,"... "this" isnt' the same as it was in 2009, but yes, "I'm really doing it, whatever it is that challenges me, or makes me content in my world. I'm learning every day about what it is like to live in the moment, after having shed many of the ideas and, frankly, people that held me back. So far, 50 has been fantastic.
I expect it to only get better!
As Little Red exclaimed in Into The Woods, "I'm excited"!
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
May 26, 2014
Tribute
I've always loved handsome men.
I mention that because I lost one of "my" handsome men on Friday.
Even as a very little girl, I was very attracted to physical beauty. My cousin Peter P. Montera Jr. was a beautiful specimen. He was about 11 years older than me, so I started to understand that he was part of the genetic cream of our family crop when I was about 5 or 6 years old.
My cousins teased me a lot. They were a team. There were five Montera kids and one of me at the time.
From the time I was a baby, they called me "Pookie" baby. There are different explanations for this. I am going to skip those explanations and say that it was my "what do you call it, my sobriquet..." (Grey Gardens reference, sorry). I never minded because I was part of a very big, extended family and when we were all together, I had people that belonged to me, besides my parents. I liked that feeling.
Pete was the second of the Montera kids, and his sisters Nell and Toni were two and one year older than I, respectively. We were great friends as well as cousins.
Annemarie, Pete and David were the big kids.
When Pete was a Senior in High School, he was cast as The Tin Man in The Wizard Of Oz at John Jay High School. Nell and Toni were Munchkins, so their parents, Chickie (sobriquet) and Peter (sr.) took me to the show. It was my first Theatre experience.
All of this to say...I was in love in a very real way with my cousin Pete. He lit up that stage, and I was taken by the whole experience. If you know me, you know that the Theatre is a huge part of my life to this day and it is rooted in that performance.
With the expanse of years between us, we were not "close" by any means. Pete left for the Navy and married a girl. They had a son and I was still in second grade! We saw very little of him over the years. Families are like that. Ours is, at least. Sometimes I would get a post card from abroad, and they would be newsy and sweet. He always called me "cutie" or some other such term of endearment... after "Pookie" baby wore off.
At one point, I remember being in high school, (Senior Year, I think) and he came back to our home town for a few weeks. I think his sister Nell will remember this too...he visited and we went out as a threesome. I remember a few evenings out with him, and thinking at that time, he really was one of the most handsome men I knew. If I'm not mistaken, he pressed his jeans...meticulous.
We had some good times, and I was entering adulthood. I liked everything about Pete. He was elegant.
After he went away again, more postcards, and I married shortly after high school, and he and I saw one another at another family gathering, a funeral for Nell's beloved husband, Al in 1986, I believe. We joked about Pete's inability to grasp the idea that I was a "married woman" and we warmly shared the same ease and sweet familiarity we had always had together. There was never any explanation for it. We were just kindred spirits.
That was the last time I would ever see Pete.
Years went by. Family spread across the country. Sometimes we gathered, but not often, and certainly not enough. We were never, and will never all be together again.
In 2004 I was diagnosed with the Big Breast Cancer, and word spread through the family.
Oh no...not Cheryl. She's too young. She just had that baby! I can practically hear the banter between all of my sincerely concerned family members that had rarely seen or heard from me in the nineteen years since I had married, or nearly that long. ...but a couple of e-mails arrived in my inbox. I remember my cousin Annemarie, the eldest Montera kid sent me love and best wishes. I was moved by the gesture.
Chickie & Peter were living locally so they were in the know about my treatment and they kept their kids "in the loop" to the extent that was proper.
My cousin Pete sent me what I would characterize as a "shy" email, almost introducing himself to me and apologizing for being a "guy" and not staying in touch over the years. Imagine...an apology for something that we all, each and every one of us, as cousins was guilty of.
It was an email that was newsy, and informative of all things in his life since we had seen each other. I answered with all of the wonderful things going on in my life, and probably a brief outline of what the Treatment Cycle was going to look like for the next six months or so.
Pete answered the following morning...and so it began.
Every Day. Monday through Friday, I would get an email from Pete. I loved Mondays because they would tell about the weekend with his wife and boys, and what the family did.
He would share his vacation planning. I remember when he was looking into a Disney Cruise for the family.
He shared with me that he called the Disney Cruise folks and when they quoted the price, he told them "I don't want to buy the ship...I want to cruise for a week!" He was funny, and practical. He shared some stories about his travels in the Navy, and lots of updates on his kids.
Sports they were involved in, grades they would bring home, anything that was of interest about what we shared in common, our love for our families. Regan & Lucas are just a bit younger than Pete's twins, Justin & Jarrett. Jackson is a bit older. We shared daily conversation. We connected as adults. We took all of the extended family dysfunction and locked it up someplace out of view, from which it could not escape, and we became a new kind of fresh, real family. The kind one would choose if they had all the choices in the world.
Treatment ended. I was cured. Emails got fewer and farther between, but not forgotten. We touched base about every two or three months, with news about the kids, or a Holiday wish. In mid-January 2008 I shared with Pete the ordeal that Rosey had been through at the first of that month. She had a "terratoma" tumor the size of a coconut removed, and it had been a harrowing time for our family. I reached out to Pete to share the story, as I knew he would want to know. A couple of days later, an enormous bouquet of Cookies showed up on our porch for Rosey. They were from Pete, Julie, Jackson, Justin and Jarrett.
That was only the beginning...
Rosey has received a bouquet of cookies for every holiday ever since. Let me put that in perspective...
Six years of Cookie Bouquets about six times per year on the doorstep, for a little girl whom he never met.
Pete was an imaginary friend to Rosey.
Pete was a hero to my husband David. Anyone that shows that kind of love to his family touches David's heart. He reached out to Pete via e-mail, randomly one time after a bouquet arrived. They exchanged pleasantries about fatherhood and gratitude and family, our kind of chosen family. I am so glad that happened. Two of the most important people in my life connected over mutual love for family.
Last Father's Day, Rosey made a very special Father's Day Card for Pete. An expression of gratitude, and an exercise in connecting. I'm glad for that too.
I didn't mention that I receive a bouquet every Mother's Day, of my very own.
They arrive and I send an email thanking Pete, and he writes back to tell me how welcome I am.
This year, just last Sunday, I sat down and wrote a "proper" Thank You note to Pete, Julie and the boys.
I told him that I appreciate being remembered, and that I love him.
I'm not sure he got the Thank You note.
Pete was sick last week. Something lingering, from what I've been told.
He died suddenly on Friday morning. My cousin, one of the princes in my life and the life of my Rosey, passed away on Lucas' birthday. He left behind four sons, three of which lived with him, one of which was grown. He left behind a wife that by all accounts adored him. He left behind a brother and three sisters that had been estranged from him, and some from each other over the years. He left behind a Mother and Father. His Mother, is the matriarch of our side of the Woods family that remains.
We are not a "close" family. I received word of Pete's passing from Annemarie, his big sister, via a private Facebook Message.
How do you tell someone that a person who should be alive isn't alive anymore? Is there an appropriate vehicle to deliver such news? I am not certain that the Facebook message wasn't the best way to find out.
I was able to read it over and over. "My brother Pete passed away last night. We are all in shock."...
What? Read it again. What? Read it again.
I will end this post by telling you, readers, that I loved my cousin Pete very much. The good news is that he knew it. We stayed "close" with no expectations, no demands, we never even saw each other again, as we had planned..."this is going to be the year"...wishes don't always come true.
We stayed away from touchy subjects, and we never discussed our extended family. We respected each other's boundaries. I dare say, we didn't agree politically or on the topic of religion, but we never discussed such things so it didn't matter. We talked about what we did agree about, our spouses, our kids, our daily lives, movies we'd seen, shows we'd attended, things that our lives are made up of on a daily, real, basis.
Love allows you to skip the things that don't matter. Love is what our lives are really comprised of, in the end.
I got to tell him I love him, but I didn't get to tell him, goodbye.
This is my "goodbye".
I will miss Peter P. Montera Jr. forever. Forever...
I mention that because I lost one of "my" handsome men on Friday.
Even as a very little girl, I was very attracted to physical beauty. My cousin Peter P. Montera Jr. was a beautiful specimen. He was about 11 years older than me, so I started to understand that he was part of the genetic cream of our family crop when I was about 5 or 6 years old.
My cousins teased me a lot. They were a team. There were five Montera kids and one of me at the time.
From the time I was a baby, they called me "Pookie" baby. There are different explanations for this. I am going to skip those explanations and say that it was my "what do you call it, my sobriquet..." (Grey Gardens reference, sorry). I never minded because I was part of a very big, extended family and when we were all together, I had people that belonged to me, besides my parents. I liked that feeling.
Pete was the second of the Montera kids, and his sisters Nell and Toni were two and one year older than I, respectively. We were great friends as well as cousins.
Annemarie, Pete and David were the big kids.
When Pete was a Senior in High School, he was cast as The Tin Man in The Wizard Of Oz at John Jay High School. Nell and Toni were Munchkins, so their parents, Chickie (sobriquet) and Peter (sr.) took me to the show. It was my first Theatre experience.
All of this to say...I was in love in a very real way with my cousin Pete. He lit up that stage, and I was taken by the whole experience. If you know me, you know that the Theatre is a huge part of my life to this day and it is rooted in that performance.
With the expanse of years between us, we were not "close" by any means. Pete left for the Navy and married a girl. They had a son and I was still in second grade! We saw very little of him over the years. Families are like that. Ours is, at least. Sometimes I would get a post card from abroad, and they would be newsy and sweet. He always called me "cutie" or some other such term of endearment... after "Pookie" baby wore off.
At one point, I remember being in high school, (Senior Year, I think) and he came back to our home town for a few weeks. I think his sister Nell will remember this too...he visited and we went out as a threesome. I remember a few evenings out with him, and thinking at that time, he really was one of the most handsome men I knew. If I'm not mistaken, he pressed his jeans...meticulous.
We had some good times, and I was entering adulthood. I liked everything about Pete. He was elegant.
After he went away again, more postcards, and I married shortly after high school, and he and I saw one another at another family gathering, a funeral for Nell's beloved husband, Al in 1986, I believe. We joked about Pete's inability to grasp the idea that I was a "married woman" and we warmly shared the same ease and sweet familiarity we had always had together. There was never any explanation for it. We were just kindred spirits.
That was the last time I would ever see Pete.
Years went by. Family spread across the country. Sometimes we gathered, but not often, and certainly not enough. We were never, and will never all be together again.
In 2004 I was diagnosed with the Big Breast Cancer, and word spread through the family.
Oh no...not Cheryl. She's too young. She just had that baby! I can practically hear the banter between all of my sincerely concerned family members that had rarely seen or heard from me in the nineteen years since I had married, or nearly that long. ...but a couple of e-mails arrived in my inbox. I remember my cousin Annemarie, the eldest Montera kid sent me love and best wishes. I was moved by the gesture.
Chickie & Peter were living locally so they were in the know about my treatment and they kept their kids "in the loop" to the extent that was proper.
My cousin Pete sent me what I would characterize as a "shy" email, almost introducing himself to me and apologizing for being a "guy" and not staying in touch over the years. Imagine...an apology for something that we all, each and every one of us, as cousins was guilty of.
It was an email that was newsy, and informative of all things in his life since we had seen each other. I answered with all of the wonderful things going on in my life, and probably a brief outline of what the Treatment Cycle was going to look like for the next six months or so.
Pete answered the following morning...and so it began.
Every Day. Monday through Friday, I would get an email from Pete. I loved Mondays because they would tell about the weekend with his wife and boys, and what the family did.
He would share his vacation planning. I remember when he was looking into a Disney Cruise for the family.
He shared with me that he called the Disney Cruise folks and when they quoted the price, he told them "I don't want to buy the ship...I want to cruise for a week!" He was funny, and practical. He shared some stories about his travels in the Navy, and lots of updates on his kids.
Sports they were involved in, grades they would bring home, anything that was of interest about what we shared in common, our love for our families. Regan & Lucas are just a bit younger than Pete's twins, Justin & Jarrett. Jackson is a bit older. We shared daily conversation. We connected as adults. We took all of the extended family dysfunction and locked it up someplace out of view, from which it could not escape, and we became a new kind of fresh, real family. The kind one would choose if they had all the choices in the world.
Treatment ended. I was cured. Emails got fewer and farther between, but not forgotten. We touched base about every two or three months, with news about the kids, or a Holiday wish. In mid-January 2008 I shared with Pete the ordeal that Rosey had been through at the first of that month. She had a "terratoma" tumor the size of a coconut removed, and it had been a harrowing time for our family. I reached out to Pete to share the story, as I knew he would want to know. A couple of days later, an enormous bouquet of Cookies showed up on our porch for Rosey. They were from Pete, Julie, Jackson, Justin and Jarrett.
That was only the beginning...
Rosey has received a bouquet of cookies for every holiday ever since. Let me put that in perspective...
Six years of Cookie Bouquets about six times per year on the doorstep, for a little girl whom he never met.
Pete was an imaginary friend to Rosey.
Pete was a hero to my husband David. Anyone that shows that kind of love to his family touches David's heart. He reached out to Pete via e-mail, randomly one time after a bouquet arrived. They exchanged pleasantries about fatherhood and gratitude and family, our kind of chosen family. I am so glad that happened. Two of the most important people in my life connected over mutual love for family.
Last Father's Day, Rosey made a very special Father's Day Card for Pete. An expression of gratitude, and an exercise in connecting. I'm glad for that too.
I didn't mention that I receive a bouquet every Mother's Day, of my very own.
They arrive and I send an email thanking Pete, and he writes back to tell me how welcome I am.
This year, just last Sunday, I sat down and wrote a "proper" Thank You note to Pete, Julie and the boys.
I told him that I appreciate being remembered, and that I love him.
I'm not sure he got the Thank You note.
Pete was sick last week. Something lingering, from what I've been told.
He died suddenly on Friday morning. My cousin, one of the princes in my life and the life of my Rosey, passed away on Lucas' birthday. He left behind four sons, three of which lived with him, one of which was grown. He left behind a wife that by all accounts adored him. He left behind a brother and three sisters that had been estranged from him, and some from each other over the years. He left behind a Mother and Father. His Mother, is the matriarch of our side of the Woods family that remains.
We are not a "close" family. I received word of Pete's passing from Annemarie, his big sister, via a private Facebook Message.
How do you tell someone that a person who should be alive isn't alive anymore? Is there an appropriate vehicle to deliver such news? I am not certain that the Facebook message wasn't the best way to find out.
I was able to read it over and over. "My brother Pete passed away last night. We are all in shock."...
What? Read it again. What? Read it again.
I will end this post by telling you, readers, that I loved my cousin Pete very much. The good news is that he knew it. We stayed "close" with no expectations, no demands, we never even saw each other again, as we had planned..."this is going to be the year"...wishes don't always come true.
We stayed away from touchy subjects, and we never discussed our extended family. We respected each other's boundaries. I dare say, we didn't agree politically or on the topic of religion, but we never discussed such things so it didn't matter. We talked about what we did agree about, our spouses, our kids, our daily lives, movies we'd seen, shows we'd attended, things that our lives are made up of on a daily, real, basis.
Love allows you to skip the things that don't matter. Love is what our lives are really comprised of, in the end.
I got to tell him I love him, but I didn't get to tell him, goodbye.
This is my "goodbye".
I will miss Peter P. Montera Jr. forever. Forever...
Apr 13, 2014
Week In Review
Ah....Social Media.
I love it. I got a beautiful note in the mail from one who has found my Facebook inspiring. He actually donated to Rosey's Boosterthon and wrote a note to her, about her mom. Priceless.
He knew me years ago and finds my daily updates to my public status something that he looks forward to.
I appreciate that. I love human connection.
On the other hand, Social Media has caused many private thoughts to be public, and that leads to misunderstanding. I like sharing, and when things matter to me, or touch me, I like to share that with the folks that are interested to stay friends with me on Facebook. If something sounds like it is about you, it might not be. One never really knows an other's intentions, and that leads to a very dark "Three's Company" type situation, when feelings get hurt.
This week I turned 49. I was honored to be "Employee of the Quarter" in the City where I work (Honored and Humbled). Then things got ... not so great.
I don't plan to share more than is appropriate, but if you've gotten this far, you might be interested.
I was put in the position of defending myself (many times in a few days), and I've chosen not to do so.
That suffices for me and my conscience.
I am certain that unless one knows the entire story, they should perhaps give another soul the benefit of the doubt.
I was forced to make "decisions" that I had no intention of being involved in, and I will never know if I was right or wrong. I will be content in my intention. I will be second guessed and vilified by those who have chosen to be passive when they had every opportunity to step up. I will survive judgment. I always have.
I have come to some very strong conclusions through it all. I will continue to share my life and my thoughts and whatever I feel is appropriate to share. I will hope that what I post touches a heart, or gives information, or bridges a gap. I am not a spectacular daughter. I have been very much reminded of that over the past 24 hours by people who do not know me. I am not a spectacular friend. I have been reminded of that by many people, including "friends" that have disappeared from my life and put the blame for that on something that I did or didn't do. I am not a spectacular citizen of the earth. I use plastic bags and water bottles. I am not a spectacular wife. The man I married is far better at everything than I am when it comes to the holy bond of marriage (we've been married 29 years today). I strive to be a good mother. I think it has taken over all other aspirations, and I believe it is when I write about my motherhood that people respond.
I am not perfect. I am flawed, and I am also LARGE in my mistakes and my life in general. There are very few times that I am present and no one knows I'm there.
...but I'm 49 years old. I take full responsibility for every bit of it.
I am not every one's cup of tea. I don't mind that.
I am Employee of the Quarter. I am Zachary, Regan, Lucas and Rosey's Mom, I am David's Wife, Mackensie's Mother in Law, Jack's sleeping companion, and I am content in the seat where I sit at this moment and the view that I have in my windshield ahead. The rear view shows nothing that I regret, and I am going to sail on until I fail so big that there is no picking up the pieces. I am going to live this one, huge, wonderful, life that I've been given.
We are promised nothing, and I will hold no grudge. I've seen what it is like to be angry, or feel like one is owed something by someone. Futile. Ugly. Graceless.
That is not who I want to be. I will strive to be a "Steel Magnolia," the adopted name from the region that I have made my home for longer than any other. A delicate flower from a most beautiful tree, that is one of my favorites. What I have gleaned is that the shade from my Magnolia is only comfortable for those with the most exquisite understanding of what that phrase means.
I'm thankful for those of you who have read this.
It means that you care.
I love it. I got a beautiful note in the mail from one who has found my Facebook inspiring. He actually donated to Rosey's Boosterthon and wrote a note to her, about her mom. Priceless.
He knew me years ago and finds my daily updates to my public status something that he looks forward to.
I appreciate that. I love human connection.
On the other hand, Social Media has caused many private thoughts to be public, and that leads to misunderstanding. I like sharing, and when things matter to me, or touch me, I like to share that with the folks that are interested to stay friends with me on Facebook. If something sounds like it is about you, it might not be. One never really knows an other's intentions, and that leads to a very dark "Three's Company" type situation, when feelings get hurt.
This week I turned 49. I was honored to be "Employee of the Quarter" in the City where I work (Honored and Humbled). Then things got ... not so great.
I don't plan to share more than is appropriate, but if you've gotten this far, you might be interested.
I was put in the position of defending myself (many times in a few days), and I've chosen not to do so.
That suffices for me and my conscience.
I am certain that unless one knows the entire story, they should perhaps give another soul the benefit of the doubt.
I was forced to make "decisions" that I had no intention of being involved in, and I will never know if I was right or wrong. I will be content in my intention. I will be second guessed and vilified by those who have chosen to be passive when they had every opportunity to step up. I will survive judgment. I always have.
I have come to some very strong conclusions through it all. I will continue to share my life and my thoughts and whatever I feel is appropriate to share. I will hope that what I post touches a heart, or gives information, or bridges a gap. I am not a spectacular daughter. I have been very much reminded of that over the past 24 hours by people who do not know me. I am not a spectacular friend. I have been reminded of that by many people, including "friends" that have disappeared from my life and put the blame for that on something that I did or didn't do. I am not a spectacular citizen of the earth. I use plastic bags and water bottles. I am not a spectacular wife. The man I married is far better at everything than I am when it comes to the holy bond of marriage (we've been married 29 years today). I strive to be a good mother. I think it has taken over all other aspirations, and I believe it is when I write about my motherhood that people respond.
I am not perfect. I am flawed, and I am also LARGE in my mistakes and my life in general. There are very few times that I am present and no one knows I'm there.
...but I'm 49 years old. I take full responsibility for every bit of it.
I am not every one's cup of tea. I don't mind that.
I am Employee of the Quarter. I am Zachary, Regan, Lucas and Rosey's Mom, I am David's Wife, Mackensie's Mother in Law, Jack's sleeping companion, and I am content in the seat where I sit at this moment and the view that I have in my windshield ahead. The rear view shows nothing that I regret, and I am going to sail on until I fail so big that there is no picking up the pieces. I am going to live this one, huge, wonderful, life that I've been given.
We are promised nothing, and I will hold no grudge. I've seen what it is like to be angry, or feel like one is owed something by someone. Futile. Ugly. Graceless.
That is not who I want to be. I will strive to be a "Steel Magnolia," the adopted name from the region that I have made my home for longer than any other. A delicate flower from a most beautiful tree, that is one of my favorites. What I have gleaned is that the shade from my Magnolia is only comfortable for those with the most exquisite understanding of what that phrase means.
I'm thankful for those of you who have read this.
It means that you care.
Jun 10, 2013
Days 7 & 8 ....She's cheating again!
We happened to buy a new vehicle last Wednesday. It is the Nissan Pathfinder, and it is quite nice. What you have to understand is that I loved my Honda Pilot. I wasn't anxious to replace the old friend. We bought it in May of 2004 when we had to upsize for the baby that was on the way!
David & I had been married for 19 years and Zachary, our first born was a Junior in High School and Regan & Lucas were 6 years old and we were having a BABY! I remember thinking that there was something magical about that time. Our family was happy, and healthy and changes were abounding.
Zachary was at a Residential School for the Arts here in Greenville. I felt like the Baby was the reward for not holding on to him as tightly as I wanted to, and allowing him to pursue his passion. Little did I know, she was about to save my life.*
We were planning a trip to the Isle Of Palms for the first time,breaking with tradition of going to Surfside Beach. We decided to buy the new vehicle before our trip, since we needed it in October when the baby was due. That is how we came to buy the Honda. It served me well and has taken the family on two Disney Trips, three New York trips and countless trips to the beaches here in SC not to mention our beautiful Mountain Cabin. There has never been a moment of hesitation for Winter trips to those mountain roads where we have enjoyed the best Christmas Breaks and last Thanksgiving. It has been the faithful vehicle that has gotten my children to school every school day since 2004. They have never taken a school bus, so that is no small thing. It has been reliable and comfortable, and I will miss driving it. We held onto it for Regan. She will be getting her license in the near future, and she'll be the driver of that familiar old friend. It's funny that I feel like I can trust that Honda with my daughter. That's what happens when something never lets you down...you trust it.
The Pathfinder is quite nice. I feel like we'll be safe and I'll be happy building a long term relationship.
We leave for the Isle Of Palms on Saturday, so we'll see how we fare as a Pathfinder family. Shortly after the beach trip, I'll take my three remaining kids to New York. We'll take that trip with Simon and Garfunkel live in Central Park blaring as I drive and sing and they have their devices plugged in listening to their own tunes or watching their own movies. We can listen to MSNBC on Satellite, or NPR, or the Broadway Channel. Best of all we can listen to The Bridge or The Coffee House for variety of music that will get me "home" for my 30th Anniversary of Graduation.
So that is what "cars" mean to me. More memories. More adventures. The "outside" photo...that's just rainy, lately. Not much to post. I'll have some Outside pictures to share from our beautiful beach vacation next week, but that's not when they're due!
_________________________________________________________
*Stay Tuned....
I'm planning to go into details about the lifesaving that I referred to earlier. That will be a theme as I continue to share. Make no mistake. Rosey saved her mother's life. As you read my Blog, you'll understand more about the threads of this life that have lead to my outlook and philosophy of life.
Jun 9, 2013
Way Back When/Better Late than Never
My Grandfather, Jimmy Stapleton, Pop-Pop, as he was known to his grandchildren worked at this Grand Union. He was perpetually friendly, happy and beloved. He was one of the People that was known in the Village Of Wappingers Falls and I know now, that I am a grown up, that there are folks that go their whole lives and are never described as friendly, happy, or beloved. I was a lucky granddaughter to have him for a Pop-Pop.
Another perk for having Pop-Pop as my own, was when my mother enrolled me in Wappinger's Play Group when I was about 3-4 years old was that I met a friend who's Aunt worked with my Pop-Pop, so there was a level of familiarity with the two families. My Nanny & Pop-Pop would take me and pick me up from Play Group, so I guess a conversation ensued. Well, that guy, who's Aunt Emily worked with Pop-Pop is still my pal, brother, person. That was a result of the Grand Union Connection.
My dad worked part time jobs a lot when I was growing up. One of those jobs was at this very Grand Union. I remember my 10th High School Reunion where a young man that I had graduated with asked about my Dad. I had forgotten that he had worked with him, but he didn't forget. He asked about him and told me what a great guy my Dad was, and how much he enjoyed working with him back when we were in High School. I remember being very touched by how fondly he remembered my Dad, and the Grand Union.
Another Grand Union connection.
I worked part time at that very store when I graduated from High School and was working as a Singer. I needed a "real job" so I worked in the Deli Department, and I loved it! About 25 hours a week waiting on people that wanted their cold cuts "just right" was a wonderful experience that has helped me with my Customer Service Skills that I still use all these years later. If you can make an elderly Jewish lady happy with your treatment of her Kosher order, or the precise slices of the Lox, then you're on your way to a happy Customer Service Career!
I'll make a very long story short, and tell the thing I love most about this very Grand Union.
My husband found me there, or actually, I found him.
He had been on a crummy blind date and I met him through that disaster on a Friday night. Of course I was with my best friend that I mentioned earlier, when I met David on that fateful Friday and we were out on the town. I looked a lot different behind the Deli Counter on the following Monday when David walked in.
I have always been bold, so I refreshed his memory and told him that I was the friend of "miss mess" (I'll allow her to remain anonymous, although I've silently offered her my gratitude for the past 30 years)that he had met at "Berties"....another Way Back When.
I reminded him that I was much cuter than I looked in my deli hat, and he believed me.
After about 6 weeks of ham & cheese variations, he asked me out, after I told him that he'd better, because my tenure at Grand Union was ending that very night...I'd gotten a full time day job at Marshall's to supplement my Singing career, and as they say, the rest is history.
Thank you Grand Union. You were an incredibly large part of my formative years.
I was happy that I was able to capture this photo from a Facebook Page with old photos for the Hudson Valley.
Jun 3, 2013
Daily Picture Day 3: Pet
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He's a companion, a comfort and a true friend. He has taught our kids what it is to be responsible for another being. He needs us, completely. There is no judgement, no disappointment, only devotion. That devotion goes both ways. We are committed to caring for him as we care for each other. We meet his needs and take him into consideration when we make decisions because we don't want anyone in our family to think that they would be any less "considered" in the scheme of things. I guess Jack has made us even more openly considerate, and that is a wonderful thing to learn. So Daily Picture #3 made me think of all of the love that Jack has brought to us, and that is something to "blog" about.
It's not that hard to come up with things to write about when I take my head out of the daily grind and focus on the things that make my life so truly extraordinary.
xxoo
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