One Raspberry Ornament (Chapter Three)
Other neat attractions further down the hill included: Rosetti’s,
Buchannio’s, McDermott Field, the reservoir and town pool.
Around the corner was Tony Pisani’s Store, north on Union
the Holmes Twins and Mrs. Vanston’s Nason Street School.
Getting back to the fire, the inexplicable justice of the street
always kept the ledger right as we were often made to atone
by the presence of a nasty, bowlegged, rock throwing stick
of an old world grandfather at Buchannio’s, named Tadone.
We sledded all day long down that hill. Built excellent forts,
decorated only by nosebleeds and dog pee. Ate many icicles.
One summer a nice boy new to the area was very, very badly
injured trying to learn how to play downhill tag on bicycles.
Further up Union was the cemetery where we went to enjoy
Memorial Day Parades, with gun salutes and flags unfurled,
a massive library with glass floors and Brunelli’s cozy diner,
the pool hall and Route 140 leading to the rest of the world.
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Note to Santa: And an international music (for beginners and slow learners) blog site for Lady Ale's Lilac Scented Stocking.
😉
Originally posted by ale1552itamins fCOne Raspberry Ornament (Chapter Four, Grandma Came)
Bob, I have been at this for so long that I am the one who could write the instruction books on teaching piano to ages 4 to 94.
Then as it happened Grandma came to live with us one fine day.
We just figured it was F-------’s gain and N---- E-----’s loss.
One minor challenge surfaced, though, since she seemed to view
our mother and father as the children and herself as the boss.
She also liked to seize opportunities to sit us down to endure
timely sermonettes on behavior or, worse yet, a lengthy homily.
We were her sole mission field. She took her calling seriously,
as self appointed matriarchal Swedish conscience of the family.
She was a whole lot holier than we were, mere rascals and pagans,
and much higher in the divine scheme but her ears hung low,
eavesdropping in her bathrobe at the top of the winding stairs
whenever some friendly chick would call 5--- - X to say hello.
She usually wore that bathrobe unceremoniously open, her flesh
tone nylons rolled. Maybe it was the fashion way back when.
Her words we hid in our hearts, anyway, but the blue headache
face cloth she kept frozen in the refrigerator we hid in the den.
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Another Note to Dear Santa: Please, please give Lady Ale the patience to put up with the daily buckets of nonsense I deposit at her doorstep; and some nice ripe fruit for Trev (who, you might be interested in knowing) is now finally using both upper and lower case letters all by himself without coaching; and (please stay with me on this one) some nice adult beverages made in other than the color purple along with some strong meds to settle down Hecate's bowels, which nowadays are behaving an awful lot like Beethoven's Fifth Movement with Full Orchestration; and some vitamins or pain pills for CP who's been acting much too quiet lately. Thank you. Blah, blah.... blah, blah, blah. Amen. ~gb
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One Raspberry Ornament (Chapter Five)
One favorite interactive prank took place at the sink, since she
insisted on tidying up after meals quite against Mom’s wishes.
Required two. First one to distract. The second to carefully rotate
the rack back to the water, creating an endless supply of dishes.
She would just keep washing and rinsing. One day she got wise
and gave us this long speech about how cleanliness never hurts
and about how we really shouldn’t keep trying to ‘foolish’ her
even though the dishes were still quite greasy, especially Burt’s.
Guess we really loved Grandma, after all, deep down inside.
Papa had died. She was alone and family and had come to stay.
She did know how to make Swedish Meatballs. She had grit,
a good heart and inner beauty. Well, sometimes if not ‘alsway’.
Guess it was also quite important to relate to an older person
early on, playfully engaged. You can only do so much with toys.
If we didn’t, that is if we didn’t really love her, stands to reason
we probably wouldn’t have kept treating her as one of the boys.
(2003, CA)
Originally posted by kevcvs57You know, Kev, I was was thinking this morning about the the dear departed from RHP... especially dear Mathurine and unpredictable Bowmann. Knew the former, the latter vicariously, but appreciated their unique styles and capacity to absorb disingenuous people and public forum crap magnificently. They walked tall. When they rode, they rode their ponies wherever their ponies wished to go and did so easy in the harness on the way out as well as back to the evening barn. I miss them, almost as much as my dear bride of twenty five years and Mom who passed this past December. Wherever you two are away from the fray and up there in some heaven, behave yourselves and work on your chess ratings (especially you, Bowmann... it's coincidentally too close to my own). Above all, be yourselves... imperfections, warts and all. God only made two perfect ppl. They both messed up, violated divine tos and got their sorry butts booted out of the park and reigned down divine judgement and a genetically transmitted depravity gene on us all... except the few who still run the sandbox and spoil the show. Color me grateful for the many wonderful people and opportunities since July, 2007... gb
You must have known He was a Bohemian when you married Him, He must look damn silly in His smoking jacket 'n' no slippers.
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Originally posted by Grampy BobbyNever crossed paths with em Bobby but they sound as though I would have enjoyed the encounter.
You know, Kev, I was was thinking this morning about the the dear departed from RHP... especially dear Mathurine and unpredictable Bowmann. Knew the former, the latter vicariously, but appreciated their unique styles and capacity to absorb disingenuous people and public forum crap magnificently. They walked tall. When they rode, they rode their ponies w ...[text shortened]... ow. Color me grateful for the many wonderful people and opportunities since July, 2007... gb
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I think I have detected a lessening of tension in the GF since it started to accumulate a few more members, the more people at the party, the less likely we are to get in each other's faces.
You may have to live with the thumbs though, think of them as an old and much loved tradition.🙂
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Originally posted by kevcvs57every cloud has a silver lining is it?
Never crossed paths with em Bobby but they sound as though I would have enjoyed the encounter.
I think I have detected a lessening of tension in the GF since it started to accumulate a few more members, the more people at the party, the less likely we are to get in each other's faces.
You may have to live with the thumbs though, think of them as an old and much loved tradition.🙂
Originally posted by Grampy BobbyWhere did you acquire this bizarre, glorified view of Bowmann? Next you'll be telling us that Hitler wasn't such a bad guy either.
You know, Kev, I was was thinking this morning about the the dear departed from RHP... especially dear Mathurine and unpredictable Bowmann. Knew the former, the latter vicariously, but appreciated their unique styles and capacity to absorb disingenuous people and public forum crap magnificently. They walked tall. When they rode, they rode their ponies wherever their ponies wished to go...