Uncommonly Close

This picture is not of our boys and their uncles, but it reminds me of some of their adventures and escapades. They were, in fact, uncommonly close like a band of brothers. They explored abandoned areas, on dares from neighbors, they walked on gutters across our roof, made their own backyard fires, and built forts …

Boyhood Adventures

The picture shown here is not that of our boys and their uncles, but it reminds me of some of their adventures and escapades. You see, our two sons, Bobby and Jeff were born in 1966 and 1968. My brother, Frank, the eldest uncle was born in 1958 and my younger brother Johnny was born …

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated

The following article originally published November 24, 2009, by History.com editors unemotionally describes the events of this day 58 years ago when I was just 16 years old. This event remains one of several searing historical memories in my lifetime, that I, like many others my age, can still describe precisely where I was when …

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated

The following article originally published November 24, 2009, by History.com editors unemotionally describes the events of this day 58 years ago when I was just 16 years old. This event remains one of several searing historical memories in my lifetime, that I, like many others my age, can still describe precisely where I was when …

Fast and Furious on Bee Oak Road

The Columbian Squires, the official youth organization of the Knights of Columbus, is a leadership and character development program for Catholic young men, 10-18 years old. My husband, Bob, was the Chief Counselor in charge of the St. Pius X Knights of Columbus Squires Circle in Forestville, MD. It was late summer 1978, when Bob …

Home, Sweet, Home

This is an open letter to house-seeking buyers. Real Estate deals are said to be one of life’s most stressful undertakings. Yet, one of Americans’ greatest aspirations is to acquire a house and to take pride in your ownership--it’s like one more step up that ladder to success. In contrast, just as equally or more …

Mom’s Address Book

I set mom's address/phone book aside about two months ago when we first started cleaning out our parents home of 60 years. She had always kept her cookbooks, hotpads, and address book in a drawer under her wall oven in the kitchen which was in close proximity to their wall phone and kitchen table. That's …

Keep, Toss, Donate, Pass On?

While going through my home office closet, I rediscovered my maternal grandmother's (Loretta Alice Lathrop Ford) suitcase that literally fell apart in my hands.  Years ago I had removed the small pictures and stored them in one of my photo boxes with her name on it.  But, left inside this dilapidated suitcase were still  two …

An Intimate Interview With My Dad – Part 4

8.  What are some of your indelible memories about World War II and the decade known as "The Fighting Forties" [Note:  According to the weather records, it was a mild Sunday in Washington, D.C., on December 7, 1941.  The temperatures were in the 40's] It was my BIG 13th birthday--the day I officially became a …

Drinking and Driving Don’t Mix!

The article that follows is a true story as told to me by son as we reminisced back 31 years and now can laugh about it: It was the Summer of 1988.  The weather ranged in the mid-80s to lower 90s.   I was 20, my Uncle John was five years older than me, and only …

Ancestors, Life, and Other Stuff

As I sit here today, eight years last week since my first blog post, I am reflecting back across 366 stories that I wrote about "stuff".  And, this past weekend at church the message to parishioners was about "stuff."It strikes me that I had initially so very little information about my ancestors beyond my maternal …

♬Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh.. Here I am at…♬

Camping has always been one of kids favorite activities. Hence, my lifting of the 1964 Alan Shermann song seemed an appropriate fit for this post's title. Earliest records show that girls attended camps as early as 1917 in the Washington-Metropolitan Area. In 1935, the Prince George's County Girl Scout Council was chartered from the Washington, …

♬ I Ain’t Afraid of No Goat ♬

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, about 3.6 million students are expected to graduate from high schools in the United States over the next couple of weeks-- my granddaughter and nephew will be among them.   So I guess it's only natural for me to reminisce back to my high school days where there was only radio, television, …

Life in the “Fabulous Fifties”

Just a few fast facts first: The average house in 1950 sold for $14,000 The average annual income in the ‘50s was just under $3,000 Most women were homemakers and stay-at-home moms Most families were married couples and raised three children In 1950 fewer than 1 in 10 American homes owned a TV set. By …

A “Christmas In Spring” Recollection

Young Love, Young Marriages Mom was 15-1/2 months older than my dad.  They married when they were 17 and 18. I was born when my mom was 19--seven months shy of her 20th birthday.  My parents had three children.  And, I was 11 years older than my first brother and 16 years older than my …

Moments (1980-2011): A Personal Career Anthology

Before I "turned off the lights" and "closed my office door" on my professional career in marketing and communications for the last time, I sat down and wrote a generic thanks and goodbye to my many colleagues and friends at the U.S. Census where I had worked for 32 years.  And,  the following is the …

I Grew Up In Forestville, MD

It’s been very cold outside these last few days of 2017.  Like many others, I have been staying inside and browsing my favorite sites on the web.  For example, one of the several groups I belong to on Facebook is called “I grew up in Forestville.”  It has about 1,500 members.  And many memories posted …

It’s Graduation Season – Whatever Happened To The Class of ’65?

Paying Homage to a Graduate for a Job Well Done!  This Sunday, we went with our daughter and two of our teenaged grandchildren to a high school graduation party to honor an outstanding senior from our church family whose parents have every right to be very proud of her scholastic accomplishments, God-given talents and exemplary …

Thanksgiving Invites–Anyone Dead or Alive

Who's On Your Guest List? How many times in life have you been asked; "If you could invite anyone dead or alive to dinner, who would be your quests?"  And sometimes this question has a follow-up or two: "Why?" And, "What would you say to them?" My Honored Guest List: I would first invite Jesus Christ …

Why do Americans and Canadians Celebrate Labor Day?

Reflections my Past Labor Days When I reflect on the meaning of Labor Day from my childhood years, I think: end of summer; back to school tomorrow; our family get-together's that always included outdoor picnics; softball, badminton, and other games; watermelon, potato salad, hot dogs, hamburgers, fried chicken, ice cream, and cake. And, in my …