-
IT SNOWS ON THE CHICKEN FARM – OOPS!n
Today’s upcoming first snow of winter on November 13 brought to mind dozens of my childhood adventures with snow. Most of all, today reminded me of my family’s sojourn on a chicken farm in Richland, NJ between 1941 and 1947. Chapter One: America was not a time of content for my parents. They missed the…
-
PERSONAL HALLOWEEN HISTORY – Ragamuffins and Anarchists
>< ~ >< ~ >< Chapter One Halloween begins in my life When I was a child in the early 1940’s, we lived in a lower-middle-class working neighborhood in a section of Queens – one of New York City’s five boroughs. This area is, still, to this day, named Astoria. Visiting…
-
POLISH MUSHROOMS OUTSMART COMMIES – Ya Gotta Do …
The history of Poland, homeland of my mother’s family since the 1500’s, tore through that unfortunate nation during the 20th Century. The beginning of the Second World War saw both Nazi and Russian invasions as the realm was shredded. In 1945, the eventual Russian “liberation” of this war-torn nation led to the ultimate nadir…
-
Halloweens Then and Later – Thanksgiving Followup
>< ~ >< ~ >< Chapter One Halloween begins in my life When I was a child in the early 40’s, we lived in a lower-middle-class working neighborhood in a section of Queens – one of New York City’s five boroughs. This area is, still, to this day, named Astoria. Visiting Queens through the last…
-
POLAND’S MUSHROOMS – Ya Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do
The history of Poland, homeland of my mother’s family since the 1500’s, tore through this nation during the 20th Century. The beginning of the 2nd World War saw both Nazi and Russian invasions as the realm was shredded. In 1945, the eventual Russian “liberation” of this war-torn nation led to the nadir with the Communist…
-
OUR MINISTER’S DAY OFF
In the 1960’s we moved to scenic West Milford; then a rural community in the rolling hills of North Eastern New Jersey. Our four bedroom Cape Cod was built into a half acre of wooded hillside – so the front looked tiny. However, the back was actually three stories high and consisted of an above-ground…
-
STRAWBERRYRASPBERRYDUKEFAMILY – EH! 09/02/13
INTRODUCTION: I love to relate the tales of my parents’ and grandparents’ interaction with the rich and famous during their sojourn in Austria. These family exploits and adventures were related to me over and over again throughout my childhood and early adulthood. Quite often, there was a great deal of reminiscing during conversations amongst themselves…
-
THE WHEELS ON THE BUS – 08/06/13
Look at that title, will you? What do YOU think of when you hear the word wheels? Those of you who know me well have always been amused by my lifelong love affair with wheels. AUTOMOBILES HAVE WHEELS. Memories of: At the wheel of a Mercedes yclept Hannah from Utah to Phoenix; nine or ten…
-
MEMORIES OF THE YARNALL & PRESCOTT 07/18/2013
Liz in my hat. HONORING THE HEROIC HOTSHOTS AND THE OTHER WONDERFUL, CARING PEOPLE WHO RESIDE IN THAT PART OF ARIZONA This essay started out as a light hearted tale of my delightful adventures in Northern Arizona which I was anxious to share with friends and Eva’s writing class. Then tragedy struck. Now there are three…
-
The Road To Emmaus – 07/18/2013
WHERE WE ARE WHEN WE STRAYFor Pastor Cheryl and Reverend Joe O The road to Emmaus is dusty and long.We walk upon it to ponder what’s wrong.It feels so very comfy to keep laying blame.It keeps us conceding our own dead flame;Thus no longer need to ponder His words of love.We believe we’re no longer…
-
BUTTON BOX – WHO’S GOT THE BUTTON? April 22, 2010
My granddaughter looked around my apartment and the stacked and labeled boxes that were to be moved to New Jersey. “It’s not as cluttered as it was now that everything is packed,“ she said quietly. I detected a note of gloom in her tone. “But I miss the collections you used to have when I…