June 13, 2015- Mom-Part 2

Some of her Bradlees salary helped to pay for most of our Catholic school tuition. She probably talked Dad into getting us braces. I doubt that he wanted to spend his money on that. He had no problem giving it to his family though.

   In the fall she would rake the leaves into low piles to make a house for us – these would divide the rooms of it.

   She always made sure that she got us nice presents for Christmas and birthdays. There was a board game under the tree nearly every year. We still have some of these, including Hangman, Battleship and Connect Four.

   We’ve had good times at flea markets and Chinese Auctions (which are now called tricky trays or gift auctions to be politically correct, I suppose). Some of both types of these events were at Roselle Catholic.

   Kathy and her mom Helen came with us most of the time. I got my Fred frog stuffed animal in a grab bag at a Chinese Auction in Mother Seton high school. Mike said that our grade school had one but I hadn’t remembered this until he mentioned it. 

   Some of the outdoor flea markets that we liked going to were Columbus (near Aunt Ann’s house), Englishtown, Westfield, and Woodbridge. I think that we went to Collingswood a couple of times too. US 1 Indoor Flea Market was our family’s favorite.

   Mom and I used to enjoy watching classic films together. Our favorites include Gaslight, Rebecca, Rear Window, The Uninvited, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Great Escape, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and To Kill a Mockingbird.  Sometimes Mike would watch them with us.

1979

 

 

June 13, 2015- Mom

Mom used to make some of my clothes and costumes when I was a little girl. She knitted me nice sweaters. Once she made the same pattern in 3 different colors - mine was blue and the 2 others were for my friends Cindy and Jessica.

   She also made Mike and I yarn dolls when we were kids. I only kept one of them but wish that I had them all. She liked doing counted cross stich as did her two sisters and mother.

   I remember her doing ceramics at the community center in the 70 and early 80s. We loved when she would have some of her pieces glazed- this made them look really nice. She did busts of 4 classical music artists for Dad.

   She had a few Tupperware parties and a Faye Swafford pocketbook demonstration that were fun. I remember most of everything that we used to have from both of these.

   She’d make some good meals like stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers, stew, and desserts too like chocolate mayo cake. Our family friend Jeff didn’t like mayo but had a 2^nd piece of it even after finding out that this was one of the ingredients.

   She made this delicious dish that we called “the ugly meat that tastes good” in the Crockpot that we still have. It was beef roast that was so tender that you could cut it with a fork. She often made us pancakes or French toast as a weekend treat.

   We’d bring her baked beans to barbeque parties. Of course, we’d have them at ours too, along with her potato salad and coleslaw which she also made at Easter time.

   I can almost taste her special party punch in my memory now- pineapple juice, ginger ale, raspberry sherbet and frozen strawberries. She made us freezer pops from fruit juice with the Tupperware molds.

   Everyone loved her lemon meringue pie and stuffing which was even better than grandma’s and Aunt Ann’s. Her meatloaf in tomato sauce was also good.

   Mike and I really enjoyed baking cookies with her at Christmas time. We used her mom’s chocolate chip cookie recipe that is probably from the mid- 40s. We still have the original card that it’s on.

   We also made sugar, peanut butter and oatmeal cookies. Sometimes we’d make magic cookie bars which is Aunt Ann’s recipe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Photos from internet- last 6- food, PF stuffing cubes, lemon meringue pie, Magic Cookie Bars, and the Faye Swafford pocketbook                

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 18, 2015- Chris Young Concert

I enjoyed the Chris concert very much. The Westbury, L.I. venue was small which was nice. I had a pretty good seat but part of me was wishing that I could be even closer to him- first or second row.

   The opening act was a duo; I forget their names. They were pretty good. They did cover versions of “Walking in Memphis” (I have this cassette single) and Garth Brooks’ “Calling Baton Rouge”.

   Chris also did a couple of cover versions- ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” and Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing at All”. I had to lean towards my left to look around two people 4 rows ahead of me who stood up during the latter which was annoying.

   The girl next to me was so excited when he performed “You” as was I. I like the video for that song. Chris is a gas station attendant in it; I wish that our station had someone who looked like him working there.

   He did “Neon” which I like a lot. Not that many people clapped after that one though; I am not sure why. It is a good song. He did a new one, “I’m Comin’ Over” also. I wonder when the album that it is on will be released. I loved “Lonely Eyes” and “Tomorrow” too.

    I bought a nice photo of Chris at the souvenir stand. It was only $5.00.

    He had been one of the opening acts at the Brad Paisley concert that I went to in 2013. I think that Lee Brice was the other one. I wish that I had paid the extra $15.00 for a seat then; I was in the first row of the lawn section.

   I had arrived at this venue earlier than I had intended on. I probably should have taken the next LIRR train. I waited in a VIP outdoor eating area. I was reading my New Jersey magazine, journaling, and talking a little to a nice lady employee who was going to be doing the grilling there.

   She seemed happy when I told her that she made my day a pleasant one and that I would always remember her. I had been nervous about socializing, naturally, but I guess that I did an okay job of it.

   I talked to both of my cab drivers too. The first one said that he plays guitar. I had been embarrassed when telling him which concert that I was going to. He said that I shouldn’t be. His friend also likes Chris so he was going to call her up to tell her about this. I wonder if she actually got a ticket for it.

   I had used my cell phone for the first time ever to call for the cab back to the station. The dispatcher told me to go to the top of the hill to wait for it. That seemed odd; even the driver agreed with me. He offered to drive me back into the city but I said that I couldn’t afford that.

   I had heard a guy telling someone that he had been at this venue for a Vince Gill concert. I wonder when that was. I wish that I could have been there for that and/or the concert in Jersey that I missed out on either earlier this year or sometime last year. I’ve never been to one of his shows before.

   I should have taken a photo of the equipment truck with Chris’ picture and name on it. I had also regretted not doing so when I saw the Luke Bryan one in Central Park after his mini concert there.

   I had a fan pass for the Alan Jackson mini concert in the Plaza for the next morning but I was way too tired after this event to attend that. I wish that it had been the following Friday so I wouldn’t have missed out on it.

   I did watch it on TV. Alan performed “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere”, “A lot About Livin’”, and a new song. He seems like a nice guy.  

   I hadn’t gotten to sleep until 2:15. I was awake by 5:45 but went back to bed after eating my breakfast. I had forgotten to set my alarm and the DVR to tape it but luckily I got up by 8:36 and was able to see this.

   I ordered the David Gilmour ticket for Mike this morning. I had left him my Ticketmaster info just in case I wasn’t going to be home for this. Today I will be getting him a Janet Jackson one.

  I have Duran Duran on my mind now. As always, I am worrying that I won’t be able to go to one or more of their concerts next month.

   I can’t believe that I got a ticket for the Dock Rocks event that they are a part of. This is at the South Street Seaport in the city. It is taking place only 2 days before the PA one. I probably will be so worn out by the end of the week from all of this DD stuff but it will be worth it.

 

 

July 14, 2015- Chris Young Stuff

   I watched 3 videos by Chris Young on You Tube this morning. My bad side has been going a bit gaga over him lately which naturally I am a bit embarrassed about.

      I can’t believe that a couple of months ago I was doing research on hotels, buses and trains, and cab companies for 5 different cities that he was doing a concert at. This was before he added the Long Island one that I am going to in few days.

   I had to search for the cities that either buses or trains go to that are closet to the places that these shows are being held. For Glen Allen, Virginia it is Richmond. That would have been my second choice. Mt. Pocono, PA is the closet so it would be the most practical and least expensive.

    I would not have the courage to drive there. A part of me did think about trying to do so. I don’t understand why the bus from NYC doesn’t just take you directly to that resort in PA like the one that goes to Foxwoods, CT did. I did not understand the shuttlebus schedule.

   Varysburg, New York is all the way up near Buffalo. That is way too far. Webster, MA is near Worcester. That would have been a good place to go to also. The trip to Dover involves a train to Wilmington then a bus to that city.

   There was also a show in Pomona, NY. There is a NJT train that goes to Spring Valley, NY, which is about 6 miles from that town. But because the concert was on a Sunday, there are not that many trains running later at night so I wouldn’t really have been able to go to that one.

   That was when I first thought about getting a prepaid cell phone so that I would have it to call for a cab. It was kind of crazy that I was even fantasizing that I could go on an adventure like that.

   I had done so for Duran Duran too during their last tour for the North Carolina show. I don’t think that I could ever actually travel that far to see any music performer, not even them.

   It was kind of fun looking into these travel destinations but also depressing. Travel will never be able to be a part of my budget. I didn’t even research the airlines; I would much rather go by bus or train so I can look at the scenery. It was so much fun doing that during the trip to CT nearly 3 years ago.

   I should just be happy because I was able to get this ticket but part of me is regretting that I didn’t go to the Ticketmaster site earlier to check out the prices. If I had, I would have seen that the show at Westbury Theatre had been added and could have gotten an even closer seat than row M there. I was able to do the presale purchase because of having a Citi Card. 

   I wish that I could remember more about my party dream. Three of my cousins- Missy, Terry, and Mandy- and my brother were there. So was Lionel Richie for a little while. He sang a bit of “All Night Long”. This was strange but cool.

   I also saw a music magazine on the coffee table. An article about Duran Duran was in it. I was too embarrassed to read it though which was ridiculous.

    How can I be happy about this concert when I have to deal with the family stress?  Mike was talking even more than usual yesterday, totally ruining my enjoyment of the Mets game. I think that from now on I have to spend most of the time in my room because my brain can’t take much more of his constant interruptions. It hurts so much from his loud motor mouth.

 Sometimes, I picture banging my head up against the wall and also screaming “Shut up!” I know that this is part of his illness, but he used to be not as bad. Are they not giving him the proper meds, or is it that he isn’t trying as hard not to do these things anymore?

   I am pretty sure that he has been on psych meds since the early 90s, or was it the late 80s? I do remember him taking Ritalin for his hyperactivity when he was a kid. I don’t think that he was on it for that long though.