Happy Mother's Day - Last Day of Wearing Contacts - Ancestors

What a great day it was today and I hope for you too. Love reigns on days like today.

Had brunch with the great loves of my life. When I came over their house at 10:15 am, they were all out in the front yard playing. Max loves being outside and cries when he comes in.

Swiped this photo off FB. They're at Masons Mill Park where I used to take the kids when they were little. They're now 40 and 37.

For Grace, I saved a branch of old milkweed from when Scott and I walked the Pennypack. Told her this plant is eaten by butterflies. It's actually the staple of the monarch.



Grace assured me The Demings have a milkweed plant in the front yard, which they assuredly do not.  They do have an enormous variety of flora in their front yard. So much that it could be called The Grace Katherine Deming Arboretum.

It was also great seeing Mom-Mom, aka Barbara Toohey, a truly great lady.

Max is walking nicely. He did a smart thing. To get from the hall to the kitchen, there's a step, which he can't navigate yet.

He wanted to bring a toy with him into the kitchen, so he tossed the toy from the step onto the floor of the kitchen. Then he sat on the step and moved his tush down to the floor.

For brunch, we had delicious hot French toast, all sorts of fresh fruit, sausages and delicious hot coffee.

Grace helped me set the table.

I was having such a grand time I never wanted to leave, but it was time to go to my own Mom's house.

Mom looked great and had these gorgeous placemats on the table. She bought them years ago at Bloomingdale's. She's slowly giving her possessions away b/c someone told her "You can't take em with you."

Hmmm, wonder where she's going?

Jade and Matt have been married two years already! Matt went to his 10th high school reunion - the college prep Solebury School.

I asked him if anyone died who was in his class.

Not a one, he said. My sister Donna piped up that we went to school in the 1960s when drugs were invading the country and some of her friends - or kids of her friends - died of drug overdoses. Today is Jenna's birthday, a young woman, dead of an overdose.

Matt's fraternal twin brother Mike lives up in Boston and loves his home and friends there so much he didn't attend the reunion.

Camellia, Tyler's affianced, looked lovely as always. From Ukraine, 20 miles south of the capital Kiev, today is Woman's Day at home. She spoke to her parents, both of whom are retired. Her dad taught English.

"No wonder your English is so good," I said to her. We asked about the Russians and the fighting. She and her family are very unhappy about it.

The population is being forced to vote. Her folks live in the same apartment where Camellia lived her whole life, until emigrating to the US.

Donna just celebrated her sixty-fifth.

We reminisced about my mom's family, The Greenwalds who lived in Staten Island, where Aunt Tay is buried. She was the last to go. 

Parents: Zali Bloom married Louis Greenwald (who died 'by taking poison')

Zali and Louis's children were:

Gertrude, the first-born, died as an infant.

Then Uncle Max.

Then Gramma Lily, who became 'the mother' to all the children, 10 of them.

Her mom, Zali, had a limp. The story goes that she was run over by a horse in Hungary. She was a wonderful baker and so was Lily - famous for her chocolate kuchen.

It looked exactly like this. I can still taste it.

Other sibs were Ethel, Henry, Benny, Marian, Sylvia and Ruthie, the baby.

We also reminisced about phone numbers.

In Shaker, we were WYoming 1-2391.

We were also ahead of our time and had a children's phone number, which we couldn't remember.

Aunt Ethel had a SKyline phone number.

There was also a WAshington.

Aunt Selma's is YEllowstone 2, 8164. Feel free to call her and wish her a Happy 96th.

 I arrived with a raw veggie salad left over from last nite's Bonfire.

Ellen had made delicious home-made mayo she made in the new Vita-mix. So we dipped the veggies in there.

Good job, Ellie-Bellie!

 Ellen modeling a lovely grey blouse.

My gift for all the women was CHOCOLATE. I partook of NONE of it.

When people asked me where I bought it, my answer was Willow Grove Giant.

Donna agreed it is THE BEST SUPERMARKET.

My Saturday Writers' Group meets there, as does our Daytime Meeting - Hi Helen! - and our special programs. Hi Raj Mago of Jefferson coming in June.



I went down de basement looking for the elusive automatic coffeemaker.

When I couldn't find it, Mom went down and brought up a moldy-smelling contraption missing an essential part. We searched the for brand name and Scott found it on de bottom.

Hamilton Beach, the very same name as the coffeepot I bought 'like new' on Amazon and which I returned on Friday, postage-paid.

Oy veh! The basement.

 Very hard to see the delicious rhubard cake with Trader Joe Vanilla Ice Cream. I just kept injecting more insulin and of course was low and shaking when I got home. Scott correctly chided me.

Scott has absolutely no appetite for sweet things.

My gifts for all the women in the family today?

Chocolate. Mary Ann Moylen told me it should be 70 percent or more Cocoa.

Donna, hold up your foot, I asked her. These lovely shoes from Macy's were a birfday gift.... gift card from Macy's. If I know my sister they were on sale for half price.

 Gee, I was oblivious that the door was open. This reminds me of a time Scott and I were leaving Pennypack from our weekend walk and the entire June Fete was set up across the street.

Oblivion, the bode of us!

At one point, I said, Dyou believe I used to have manic-depression? A few of us are lucky enough to have it go away forever. 

 Jade's lovely dress was from Target.

These two foragers made a delicious 'dip' out of garlic mustard and brought it to a party.

Since they're both vegetarians, Mom made her delicious meatless chili for them.

Scott and I had our homemade Sunday nite pizza. Watched a great episode of Rockford Files about illegal organ donations.

My little organ donor - Sarah Lynn - left me a lovely message. I played it at mom's on speaker phone so we could all hear her musical voice. Also listened to Ethan's Midwestern accent. He's playing a 4-nite gig in San Francisco. Just spoke to him. He'll go into the hotel for a nap before the two shows.

He always brings his earplugs.

Read Sarah's blog post about Granny's funeral.  You will love it.


Here's Sarah and Ethan. He also left me a message. The Bad Plus is playing in San Francisco.

Tomorrow I will wear my eyeglasses for one whole month b/c I'm getting a cataract operation in July.

My vision is terrible in the new eyeglasses. Am afraid to drive. 

 So, I've gotta get gas tonite and do some gardening.

Scott removed the thorny rose bush. I'm leaving the space blank, hoping the Sweet Woodruff my friend Carolyn gave me will cover the ground.

He put in a Japonica - very fragrant - like my mom has.

See how traditions are handed down from generation to generation? What talents or legacies do you get from your parents?