Homework Assignment #17...Animals Speak!

Pets...they come into our lives, take over, you love them like crazy, give them human attributes and cry like a motherless child when they leave...K.T. was a small boned Dalmatian, so small that people thought she was a puppy at age eight.  But she had the heart of a bull mastiff....she tolerated me, it was okay for me to feed her, wash her, comb her but her love was all for my hubby.

Anyway, the question I would ask K.T. would be:

"How do you know to exactly sit at the door and wag your tail for Joe when he barely has turned onto our street...? You can't see him or hear him?? Tell me how you do it? Huh, Huh....please

I think her answer would be that she could just "feel" that the time was right and she had waited dam long enough for the love of her life to walk through that door!

Grapeleaves

Standing at the kitchen counter trying to open this darn old bottle of cured grape leaves I flash back about forty-five years ago and it almost seems like yesterday.  My Grandpa was from the isle of Crete, coming from a village high in the mountains...as tough as nails and yet the gentlest man I've ever met.

"Nick" came to this country at age 16..and when war broke out he joined the army at 17...of course, he was sent back to Europe with the cassons.  He never spoke greatly about the war years, just kept everything in.  He met and married my grandmom, a South Carolina belle, started a family and enjoyed an American way of life.

He was an excellent chef....no one ever went hungry in his house.  My grandparents house was the focal point of the family, all our vacations, holidays were spent there, drawing all fractions of the family like a magnet every year.

For some reason Grandpa decided to teach me how to cook and I will forever be grateful that he did.  One of my first lessons was making "grape leaves" filled with chopmeat, rice & cumin..rolled just so - so, add water, lemon juice and wait for the aroma to fill the kitchen.  Forty-five years later my husband is grateful that I'm a good cook and it's all due to someone that he never had a chance to meet.

It's funny, standing and rolling the leaves makes me feel a compelling connection to my past, I can hear "Nick" say "Don't forget to pinch the stem off if it looks tough" followed by "that's right..you are doing a good job".  Anyway I know that I learned the right things sitting at his kitchen table.

My Grandad & Grandmom used to "battle" with one another, playfully it would seem.  Grans would say "Nick!" What is that man doing now?"  Grandpa would counter with"Lee! What are you going on about?" "I'm just cooking"...then either side would enlist myself or one of my sisters to "tell" Nick this and he would do the same, as if they couldn't hear what each other was saying.  It was hilarious.

Oh, boy when everyone came for dinner the dinning room table creaked & groaned under the weight of the repast that Papoo would present to us mere mortals.  Grandma was allowed to set the table, with us helping, fix real ice tea and help bring the food in.....everything else was pure Grandpa.

Every time we would be leaving..they would be on the porch waving goodbye and Grandma saying "You'all come on back now yahear".

I spent almost every summer with them in Norfolk, loving the southern night air, humming birds and pink trees...but most of all them.

And the beat goes on

Today went by rather quickly for some reason, I turned around and here it is evening and the convention in Boston is on.  I heard a rather familiar voice introducing a past president and was amazed at the reception he received.  I do believe if he were running again or allowed to run...Bill would sweep the field!  Oh, I know the law was changed after Roosevelt's s three terms...but I do really do believe Bill Clinton could do it again with no problem.

I have a feeling that John Edwards is kind of cut from the same cloth..extremely good at speeches, terrific appearance and oozes likeability.  You just look at him and you like him.  

Being an ex New Yorker I had not expected Hilliary to be totally taken to heart by New York...however, from everybody I've spoken to she is doing a damm good job, pays attention and pulls her weight.

You know, when I think back about the scandal in the White House I can't believe that we let Ken Star run with all that crap.  It cost the taxpayers millions to try to nail Clinton on something that should of remained private between him and his wife.  Is there any wonder that we have lost "face" around the world....I mean the jokes that went on and on were not doing our national interest any damm good.

Well, I firmly believe that Bush should follow his Dad and let history repeat itself.  I just wonder what went through their minds...it's going to be 1,000 young people lost after the invasion!  Were they trying to impress us with Shock & Awe? Looking now it was a failure...well, now wait..maybe not a failure...the oil wells weren't hurt too much if that's what counted.  And WHY did they let everybody keep their weapons? That made alot of sense, arm your enemy.

Normally I feel more compassion for people but I think we are beating our heads against a brick wall....this region, it's people so unstable, so volitile, yet unchanging in thousands of years...how can we think that we will instigate change? They want us out of there, they are not and never will be grateful for American blood spilled on their desert sand. 

With a change of administration comes a ray of hope that we can restore our sanity  and lead this nation forward in peace. 

Sunday, Sunday...lazy day

Hello again.  I have to get used to writing my thoughts down, it's something that I haven't done since I was a "lovestruck" teenager mooning over Fabian & Elvis.  I can remember writing poem after poem about love and a teen's rather slanted view of life.

I loved acting, was in drama class, acted in plays..took lessons outside of school and wanted desperately to be an actress.  Family, friends and yes, strangers had told me that I was very good.  The star magazines ran different contests at that time....one was to get an interview with a famous drama coach.  I wrote from the heart and won!  At this point, her name is lost to me but she was the drama coach for Sal Mineo, Tuesday Weld and others. I think I impressed her, but because I had only 8 months left of school before graduation she felt I should complete school first.

I also managed to put myself on TV specifically The Alan Freed Show.  They had a contest for "Miss April Showers"....well, I wrote, got interviewed and was picked as one of the contestants.  I found myself in a dressing room surrounded by pretty girls mostly models with makeup on I would swear was an inch thick.  Here I was barely 16...only wearing lipstick!  Well, you can quess what happened I looked like a ghost, granted a pretty ghost...but not enough to pull in the votes from viewers.   One of my most vivid memories is standing back stage waiting for my turn to speak on camera to Alan Freed and the person behind me sweating profusely was none than Chubby Checker in his checkered suit!  At that time he was extremely heavy and the warmth of the lights really got to him.  I don't remember if this was his first TV appearance or not...but his song "The Twist" really caught on.

As I have said life is full of surprises and twists.  Eight months later my life went in a different direction and I don't really regret it. 

Talking about poetry makes me want to look for my old poems, think I'll do that....bye for now

If I had a SUPER power

I think I would like to be known as the Super Silly Lady.  I would spread silliness wherever I went.  It would be great, come across someone arguing...point my finger and declare them "silly"... soon they would be laying on the floor reeling with laughter. 

My powers would spread slowly....each person infected with "silliness" would infect others....slowly gathering speed around the world.  Finding "silliness" in all four corners of the world soon there would be no cause for fighting, war or mayhem...we would all be too busy laughing at one another.

Along with the "silly power" comes attached kindness and concern for others......finding a whole world changed from being hateful, warlike, deceitful, uncaring...into a wonderful paradise where neighbor cares about neighbor, people are truly happy for one another and people treat one another as they would like to be treated.    Silly Rules!

9/11 Intertwined Memories

Yesterday, with the Commission's Report coming out, my emotions got the best of me and I relived the day of 9/11 over and over again.  Just couldn't get past the horror of it all.

My early working life evolved around the site where the "twins" would be built.  I worked for a Japanese Import-Export Company, Okura & Co. situated on Church St.  Our building was part of the area that was torn down to make room for the towers.  So we moved up Broadway near City Hall...still being able to revisit the area and watch demolition. 

I got married, left the country for awhile, moved back to another state...and finally in 1971 wound back up in New York..and the towers still were not totally completed.  I forget what year it was but a good friend of mine, Guy, worked in construction for years on the towers.  He arranged to take me on a tour of the not yet opened Tower I and it was awesome tour that I will never forget. He took me over to an area in the center that acted as a wind tunnel..partly blocked with wooden boards there was a squared off hole that when you put your face there you could hear a terrific howling coming up through the area.

Later, in the 70's my ex's company relocated from Broadway back to their old area...and moved into the towers.  During those years I had to make the trip into the city many times to meet with him because of one thing or another...so I found myself quite familiar with the Towers and the underground maze of trains, shops, etc. 

After moving to Florida, on my trips back to New York to visit children & grandchildren, I hungered for the city skyline view.  I guess I still do, but now it hurts to look and not see those two majestic towers shinning in the distance.

I was at work, doing a bridal consultation with a young couple, when another employee said "oh! My God..turn on the TV..a plane just flew into the WTC, it was on the radio!"  I jumped up, said "excuse me" to the couple and ran for the phone...my older son and daughter work in the city.  My daughter works for a prominent real estate lawyer and had clients at the WTC..I really needed to know where both my kids were.  I was really lucky I was able to reach her husband who didn't know about the situation because he had cartoons on for the grandchildren.  He grabbed the kids, jumped in his car and sped off after my daughters express bus.  He was able to stop the bus before it was caught up in the mess that ensued with people exiting the city.

My son was at work already quite near the Empire State Bldg. his company decided to send everyone home and clear the building, not that everyone could get home. 

After finding my children safe, I found myself very angry at an unseen enemy.  Someone had destroyed thousands of people without a second thought, wiped them out with a particularly horrific strike at the center of my world.  I cried for the people lost, for the children who would not know their parents, for the parents who would never know grandchildren, for lost friends and lovers.   I cried for myself....all my memories gone in a flash.\

My feelings today are whatever is necessary to combat this evil must be done.  We all have to watch each other's back...if someone acts suspicious well do something about it, let someone know.  The public is very fickle, it's concious mind holds on for only a brief time before jumping to a new subject.  We need to stop this mindset...we need to focus and not let the enemy win.

 

Empty Nest ?

This past month has been unusual for me....it's the first time since in 39 years that I have been without a child of mine in my house.   I find I don't particularly like it...I've grown so accustomed to being a "mommy"...it's hard to imagine what my role is now.

I "know" my youngest had to break the apron strings, has to spread his wings and fly....and God willing he'll soar with the eagles. 

I'm in the process of cleaning out his bedroom, that in itself is hard to do.   My husband seems to be okay with everything and looks at it as gaining another room.

With my older son and daughter I didn't have these feelings because I still had the care & responsibility of their toddler brother when they left home.

I know that we've raised him well, he's respectful, honest, hard working, & reliable...almost every girl that he has ever dated has had parents that love my son.  I guess I can't ask for more than that.

I just wonder if alot of older mothers feel like me....life is full of changes and surprises.

Rain Rain Go Away!

Sunny Florida...NOT...For some reason when it rains here it seems to go on for days on end.  Everything is sticky, mushy, just waiting for the mildew to set in.

Yes, I know that we need the rain or nothing will grow...but deluge is a bit much.  Because we have the ultimate distinction of being one of the most places hit by lightening you can hardly turn on your computer for fear of crashing.

I do know what I'm talking about, we've been hit by lightening that has struck one of our trees, set it on fire and it looked like a 70' Roman Candle ignited into full flame.  As I opened the front door,  it sounded like a freight train coming towards me..unbelievable sound.  Luckily, the firemen were able to get the fire out quickly, without it spreading to the other trees.

A neighbors tree was struck and the charge ran across the property line and found it's way to my telephone wiring...well, there went an expensive telephone/answering system that was only two months old.  After this I learned I was really lucky that none of us were on the phone when that hit...so now I don't talk during a storm...the phone can ring off the wall for all I care.

Well, it looks like the sky is clearing abit..maybe if I'm lucky our plants have not drowned and the sun will come back in the morning.

 

Moments In Time

As I sit by my computer and look up at the wall a certain picture captures my attention...it's a photograph of my Grandma Lee at just about the age I am now...she's sitting in her overstuffed velvety soft, metal riveted easy chair...resting her head back against a hand crocheted doilie. I am totally drawn back in time feeling like a lost two old who aches to be held in those arms.  Next to her chair is a table that holds a photograph of my Mom in her graduation gown and next to it is a picture of me at age two. This photograph can instantly take me back to Grandmom's wonderful house, which was filled with nooks and crannies, just wonderful places to grow and explore. Because of the war, my dad was in the Marines, Mom worked hard and Grandmom took care of me.  Gran's house was a old colonial type with a wrap around wide porch, roll up awnings and of course, lots of wicker rockers including a big couch swing.  The heat of the summer would make the storms sometimes fierce..but little could stop me from cuddling up on the swing to watch the storm roll on in..the lightening, the pounding rain cascading off the awnings...I was so in touch with nature it felt magical. Now when I hear the thunder rolling in, I find myself wishing I could be young again...hiding on that porch listening to the rain.  Miss you, Grandma

Straight From The Horses Mouth

Hello, again.   This past year my family underwent a remarkable passage back through time...no we didn't have a time machine....we have a dad who is turning 88 this year, with his memories took us and horse lovers back to the 1930's and the competition between Seabiscuit & War Admiral.   My dad was born in Brooklyn, grew up in Queens.....near Aqueduct Racetrack.  During those years a teenager did what he could to help his family survive, so Dad applied to a stable at the track to clean barns, hot walk ..whatever..he really loved horses.   Turns out he was working for Sonny Fitzsimmons, a really great trainer at that time.  One day Dad is told to go meet the horse cars bringing the new stock in to break...he and another guy get four horses off the car...one of them really looks like a wild mustang and is small in comparsion to the others...well, Dad gets him to break to bit and gentle...that horse's name was "Seabiscuit".  He spent almost a year with Seabiscuit, including surviving a really bad trip down to Florida for the winter.....they were locked inside a horse car and it started filling up with water from a bad storm they encountered running through Florida...my  Dad really thought that they were all going to drown.  Dad said when they finally opened the doors and the water drained out, the Florida sun shone through he thought he had died and gone to heaven...it was so beautiful & different than dark, ice cold New York.  This last part would be interesting enough, however, it gets better....times were rough in the 1930's jobs were fought for and what you had yesterday didn't count much toward tommorrow.  In 1935 Dad found himself as low man on the totempole looking at other stables for work.  Well, he applied at a Belmont Stable and was hired on to again break to the bit and gentle more horses....he was sent down to Maryland working at the Glen Riddle Farms and given the responsibility of several horses....one of those horses was none other than "War Admiral".  Little did my dad know what the future would hold for both these horses...that they would both go down in history as two of the world's best.  When Laura Hildenbran's book "Seabiscuit" came out, my sister Barbara thought there might be "some" interest to someone to interview my Dad and glean some "hands on history" straight from the horses mouth.   So far, Dad's fifteen minutesof fame hasn't stopped.  This past year, he has given several speeches at various libraries....attended by horse lovers...especially the one in Gainesville.  He's been interviewed by radio, TV and various newspapers starting with the St. Pete Times and reaching as far as Europe.  Even though he is the age he is...he's loving it.   Since alot of the people that shared his experiences are no longer with us, the memories can sometimes be very bitter-sweet for him to remember....he was asked how he felt about being the first man to "break" both Seabiscuit and War Admiral...Dad responded.. "I was only doing my job "  and the stories he can tell......

 

Just Listening to Political Dialogue

Hi again, just watching the TV news and Kerry announced his running mate as John Edwards...everybody expected it...well, why not the younger John brings alot of charisma to the campaign...something that the elder John is lacking unfortunately.   We are living in an age where the "Terminator" gets overwhelmingly elected to Governor, and the more "on air" time kind of decides who the public will love or hate.  I used to know politically "who" I was, proud of the fact that I've voted faithfully for the last forty years.  Well. this election is a toughy..I just don't trust President Bush, I know in todays political arena you shouldn't expect a squeeky clean persona but lord I just wish we could have a candidate...the likes of a Barry Goldwater or even a John Wayne type...I want a person in a white hat!  Granted he should be packing and carrying a big stick!  Oh, well....I guess we'll see as time goes on....I'm just part of the great middle of the road, cliff-hanging, fence sitting faceless horde that will probably decide the next President of the United States...that is..IF...the hanging chads don't get us again and in this state run by Bush's brother anything is possible as evidenced by the last election.