Monday Moments - Roots

 I'm baaaaack!   Howdy Billy Penn

Time to learn how to talk again, see my sister (in DE), brother (in PA), friends, eat a cheesesteak, go to Longwood  Gardens, dip my toes in the Atlantic (Rehoboth), and generally hang out. 

Roots.   Still gonna be weird with no  dad to visit.  Can you go "home" again?  

Finally Friday - Off to See Dad

I'm probably a bit late for  fall color, but  I'm off  for  three weeks to see my Dad, siblings, friends, and eat a cheesesteak sandwich.  Flying up - hope all American Airline worker bees are working. 

Here's dad from last November.  No doubt we'll be sitting a lot at the kitchen table. He's slowing down, but still chows down.  Or  we can play rummy. 

 Dad back in 2016.  He's slowed a lot since then. But we'll have good laughs, talk about old times, and watch his Good Morning America at volume 80.  If you hear anything - that's the TV. 

So, bear with me on posts - I'm pre-writing and scheduling. But I might not be commenting back as much.  I'll be visiting, walking around the block, and fetching dad a glass of water. 

Hope you enjoy your weekend. 

Whatever Wednesday - March awaits

A mishmash  on a Wednesday. Flashback  to a late Valentines for my dad. David and Cherie delivered his favorites. This will last him forever. 

A pic from the  internet of a cool alley in Philly.  You can picture old Ben Franklin walking around the area.

Yep  - still sad for  the Eagles Super Bowl finish, but I am happy for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. That young man is a star.  

And spring  lurks. These are oldies from the arboretum. I need to get out there for  the tulip fix.

 Ready for some spring color pop!

March roars in like a lion here. It's windy all the time  and  now it's  blustery. Hang on to your hat!

Whatever Wednesday

 It’s the year of the water Rabbit, your year. Many things are going to change in your life this year, and this brings new opportunities, especially for relationships, career and creative projects. This is also a time of letting go. Rabbit natives need to release what hasn’t worked in your life. That might mean lightening the load by decluttering, letting go of difficult relationships or moving on from a dead-end job. This is an exciting year when you can go in a new direction and find out more about yourself.

Happy Lunar New Year  (well, back on Sunday)   But hey, we can celebrate any time. 

So  I wore my Eagles shirt on Saturday and they won.  I wore my Cowboys shirt Sunday and they went down in flames.  This Sunday I'll wear my Eagles sweatshirt and see what happens.  I know it's silly (and it kinda irks Ray), but what the heck. Sporty spice fun. 

Gotta laugh in the face  of this crazy world.

Hope your week in this Year  of the Rabbit is going  well. Hop  to it and try something new. 

Monday Moment

I'm stealing this photo my brother sent me from the new Philly observation tower. Good view of the town.

Busy weekend here, plus our internet's been up and down a bunch. So, sorry for not visiting blogs.
Ray and I babysat an 11 and 4 year old. Yowza - kept us busy. Not accustomed to non-stop chatter and mild chaos. The girls were good, but active.

Now, I'm off to work. Hope it's a good Monday for everyone. Take a moment to take in your view.

Whatever Wednesday - ICE

My week in Philly with Dad was uneventful.  No snow. However, we did have rain and then flash freezing. These are pictures I took from Dad's very ancient, non-insulated windows.

The sun burst through and the wind howled and conditions were not in the polar vortex range.  Whew!

I hope you folks in the Midwest are hunkered down now. I'm sending warm thoughts your way.
Happy  Wednesday!

Whatever Wednesday - Philly Fool

 Time to see Dad.  Assuming the TSA sorta did their job back on Saturday 1/19 (don't get me started on this shutdown crap-a-roni)  - I should have boarded a plane and flown to Philly.  My sister would have picked me up at the airport and then driven to Dad's in the suburbs.  Fingers crossed that the weather cooperated.  Even more, I hope we get to Pudgies for a Philly cheesesteak sandwich - the best around.

By Sunday 1/20 - snow-maggedon might have occurred.   This picture is from several years ago - my sister took it on her balcony.   Fear not folks. I shall be indoors at my dad's and toasty warm. He's a little hot house flower these days and keeps his heat cranked.  And supposedly my brother hired a guy for the season to plow my dad's driveway.

Traveling in January is a serious crap shoot, but I didn't get back east at end of last year, so it was time.  Time for some laughs with dad. Time to just sit at the old kitchen table and watch dad shuffle papers.  Time to watch dad snooze in his recliner (hint - always make sure you have control of the remote)

Hope you are having a good Wednesday. I am. I'm not working!!!

Book Review - I've Got Sand in All the Wrong Places

I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella is a hoot.  Lisa is known for her lawyer/crime thriller books, but with her daughter she’s carved a niche of humorous essays. The two yin and yang on various subjects.  Cover blurb – it’s a multigenerational take on a variety of topics, from on line dating to fleece as formal wear, sounding like two girlfriends you’ve known your whole life. Lisa is based in Philly, Francesca in New York. They joke, they fight, but always love their way through life’s best and worst moments.

Join Lisa and Francesca as they travel from the beach to the city to the suburbs and all the places in between, exasperating, supporting, and enjoying each other along the way.

p. 4 Lisa on the Jersey Shore. You’ll get sand in your sneakers. You’ll get sand stuck in the elastic in your bathing suit. The sand will come back to the rental house with you, where it will fall on the floor, and when you drive home, it will be in the well underneath the gas pedal. You will track it inside your own house, and you will feel a grittiness under your toes in your very own bedroom, maybe even your sheets.  Don’t let the sand bother you. Think of the sand as fairy dust. Because it is. It’s a magical sprinkling of a summertime mood.

I love that idea!  And I chuckled my way through this library book. Check it out if you need a pick-me-up kind of read. Short little chapters that are big on laughs and observations we’ve all had.

I’ve Got Sand in All the Wrong Places is just plain funny. Enjoy

Sail into the Weekend

Summer temps are here in Texas - heat index over 100. Whew!  I'd like to pretend to sail away. Here are pictures of Philadelphia's harbor courtesy of my sister. She was on a friend's boat last weekend. Aah - a sea breeze

Hope everyone cruises into a fun weekend.  Happy Friday!

Easter Break to Philly

Flying to Philly Thursday evening for a quick Easter weekend. Hippity-hop 

Time to check on my Dad and also do a white glove test - my sister swears she's been cleaning weekly. Hmmm. I'll let you know if she's telling the truth. I look forward to Easter lunch at my brother's. Should be calm and a good visit. 

Now Ray's invite to son Kevin's said, "What says Easter more than an egg hunt, 4-wheelers and a shoot-out (clay)? 

I'd be a tad nervous on the egg hunt - I bet snakes are waking up from hibernation and on the move. 

Best that I head to Philly and Ray head to the country. All parties are happy. 

I wish everyone an enjoyable Easter weekend. Reflect on spring - a time of renewal. 

Let's pray for peace for Belgium and the world

Movie Review Madness: Creed

The original Rocky was a sleeper movie – low budget, heartwarming story, and a lovable lunk mumbling “Yo, Adrian.” It won the Oscar for Best Picture back in 1977. Then the sequels arrived, each more outlandish than the next and the series became an excessive joke. Now, after a long time, Creed arrives on screen and it harks back to the original – a heartwarming story, a lovable lunk mumbles “Yo Adrian”, and there’s a kid with a chip on his shoulder who manages to prove to himself that he’s worthy of his name and he’s a fighter.

Michael B. Jordan is Adonis “Donny” Johnson, illegitimate son of Apollo Creed – the champion boxer back in the day. Donny fights his way through foster care until Apollo’s second wife takes him in and provides a home long after Apollo died. Donny never knew his father. Fast forward to today when Donny is winning fights in Mexico, quits his respectable financial job, moves to Philadelphia, and seeks out the Italian Stallion himself – Rocky Balboa. Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) keeps a low profile these days running a restaurant. He has no intention of taking on a boxer to train. But something about this kid, the history, and the chance for redemption for Apollo.

Now the focus of the movie is on training – running through the streets of Philly (which looks awesome in this film), the physical and mental strain, the slow build-up to a huge match against Ricky “Pretty Boy” Conlan – a tough boy from Liverpool with a grand reach, fast feet, and a faster lip. Who has the staying power?  Adonis Creed who must acknowledge his name and the demons that come with it?  Or Rocky, old guy, who gets a medical diagnosis that ain’t pretty? They have to fight together.

Creed is a boxing movie and yes it culminates in the Big Fight. But it’s way more than that. It’s about esteem, family, history, guts, determination , roots, plus heart and soul. Michael B. Jordan is excellent – he’s physically ripped, but he’s more than that. His face reflects his feelings and you want to root for him. Sly Stallone is great too – he’s always been underrated, and he shows a deft touch as a mentor. Philly shines, and yes, you want to run up those Art Museum steps with the Rocky theme wafting over the city. Step into the ring and soar.

Pope in Philly

I am in suburban Philly.  The Pope is in Philly proper, giving mass to the masses on the Ben Franklin Parkway. I shall be watching it on the news.

I don't agree with everything he preaches and proclaims, but I think he's a cool dude who does truly care about people. His sincerity shines through, and he has a kind smile.

I sure hope folks in Philly don't mess this up somehow. They have a reputation........alas.

So this Saturday and  Sunday, I send my blessing to the Pope on Philly fall days.

Senior Tales

Here's my Dad. My brother, David, took the picture probably after yelling at Dad to stop raking the leaves. David was there to mow and mulch. Ultimately in December, a service comes to suck up the balance and haul them away. Trust me, it's a lot of leaves and you can't burn them anymore.

I can report that Dad's in pretty good shape. Slowing down a bit at 83, but keeps a clean house. Frankly he runs a darn good Bed and Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner/plus Snack place.

His clutter piles are arranged. There's plenty that should be discarded but it's not hoarder status. His fridge is filled with tons of deli cartons. His freezer is full of goodies given to him from family events. He has soups, Italian foods, etc. The man can't starve. The fridge looks like it's filled for a family of six at least.

He falls asleep at the drop of a hat and the TV is LOUD.  I told Ray that no matter what - make sure Dad is NOT grasping the remote.  His head drops and you find yourself trying to ease the remote from his hand like the Grinch easing the candy canes from the littlest Who kids in Whoville.  Ray did witness this event.

Had a super visit, and I'll report a few more goodies in another post this week. I'm catching up now - did grocery shop, laundry is churning, and of course I have shows DVR'd to watch.

Reality bites but I survived first day back at work. Life is far more fun with the senior! 

Love ya Dad

Philly Fall

 I am headed to my Dad's in PA for a long weekend - Friday thru Monday. Ray's going too - we got a super cheap airfare. It's good to check in with the senior. We've had lots of emails back and forth. Today he was cleaning the guest bedroom and putting flannel sheets on the bed. I told him we could do that, but no..........

 Yes, this house still has an old rotary dial phone. He doesn't want to remove it, because it would leave a weird spot on the wall and he does not want to have to paint the kitchen. (Makes sense)

Here's a picture from a few years ago - some remnants of leaves stuck in bushes. Not sure if we'll be raking or not. He actually does pay for a service in December, but it drives him crazy to not rake every weekend. I remember, as a kid, when we burned leaves in the street. The neighborhood was a hazy smoky mirage.

If you wonder what we're doing this weekend, most of the time we sit at the kitchen table and talk, and eat, and snack, and talk some more. So, have a good weekend, and I'll be back soon with at least one good senior tale.

July Junque: Day 14 Bastille Day - Philly Style

Saw this blurb in my Philadelphia magazine -

In honor of Bastille Day, folks that show up at Eastern State Penitentiary (now an historical tourist site) can see 3,000 Tastykakes thrown from the tower by Marie Antoinette (played by London Grill co-owner Terry Berch McNally)

The thought of that cracked me up. My favorite Tastykake is peanut butter tandy cake, but the butterscotch krimpets would be more amusing.

Crazy times in July - Let 'em cake

Perfectly Good

Here's a sculpture in downtown Philly symbolizing struggle.

Cool ceiling in the Masonic Temple, a place that embodies learning, questioning, and skepticism.

Huge monopoly pieces as art - guess you never know when the dominos will fall. I read an obituary on a Mr. John Elson (see Time Magazine 9/21/09). He was a writer and editor for Time and I was struck by a few quotes. " He once said the process of editing was the opposite of jurisprudence. Every writer was guilty until proved innocent."

As I sat on my father's inviting front porch, I read Mr. Elson's advice to writers, " Never let the search for the perfect get in the way of the perfectly good."

But when in doubt, go to the library. The North Wales Library was my retreat, my haven, and a harbor of excellent childhood memories. It's going upscale in 2010 - new digs, new computerization. Good for them, but I'll miss the old card system where I could see my name on the list inside a book. Aah, perfect memories.

Joanne

Home - a writer's dilemma

They say you can't go home again, but that's far from the truth for me. I'm lucky - I don't have angst from my childhood. Perhaps my writing suffers, but while I live in Texas, this is still "home". I grew up here. My Dad putters (sadly my mother is gone) and while he's modernized his decor, the place is a step back in time. There's still a rotary phone hanging on the kitchen wall. We sit at the kitchen table for hours, laugh, do the NY Times crossword puzzle, and move from meal to meal. It's awesome! (Yes, I'm using an exclamation mark)

Huge oak trees guard the neighborhood. They tower over the two story homes, reign down acorns, and are squirrel paradise. No leaves yet. It's been a late spring and a darn cold Easter - awoke to 37 degrees. Brr. However, once the leaves arrive, there's plenty to rake in the fall.

Crazy rhododendron forest. When these bloom, it's fabulous. I've got a friend here in Texas (Linda T.) who's berserk for this flower. She's researched it and it just won't happen in this climate. Be content with your azaleas in Flower Mound, TX, Linda.

No fences. Merely a forsythia bower separates property. Truly glorious. How can you not smile at the splash of yellow?

Finally, this picture does not do justice to history. Old stone bridge. Old historic mill. I grew up amidst Revolutionary era buildings - we're talking late 1700s here. There's a Quaker meeting house nearby. No doubt George Washington slept somewhere in the vicinity. Look up the William Penn Inn, folks. Anyway, I've lived more than half my life in Texas (how can that be?), but I've got Philly (suburb) soul. (Cue an old Hall & Oates album - yes, I love them. Oates graduated from my high school.) No wonder my writing is skewed.

Joanne