Saturday, December 31, 2022

Memories

 

Memories of our House at 1266 Gantt Drive.

Dad was so proud of this house and so was Mom.

They worked together to fix it up.

Dad died of cancer on July 13, 1980.

We visited him at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan. They tried experimental surgery which did not work. He took loads of steroids to keep the swelling down in his brain.

Lung cancer with meta'd to his brain.

He was 59 years old.

Dr Day was his oncologist here.



Friday, December 30, 2022

Enjoyable meal at Daddypops in Hatboro Pa plus Farberware Knife

 Yep, Daddypops Diner is still there. Photo from Internet.

Earlier on Thursday, December 29, 2022, sister Ellen dropped me off at Eva Priestly's writing group at Warminster Library.

My fondest desire is to go out to eat afterward.

She agreed to go to the lengendary Daddypops.

They had changed a bit. You were now allowed to pay by CREDIT CARD, rathan straight cash. 

Fredda led us to a table. She was wearing a Jewish star. But then a Black gentleman came over and said, "I am your host now."

Important, for sure, to know.

He looked like a character in a cult movie, dressed all in black with a big gold cross dangling from his suit.

BUT I am confused. When did Ellen and I visit Allan Heller at Moreland Towers, the closest thing Hatboro has to a skyscraper.

We visited, said Ellen, just now, before Daddypops.

I am sipping right now on some lukewarm instant Nescafe. Geez, gonna warm it up one more time.

Two helpers are arriving this morning.

MaryKate first, and then Janie Black.

I had mentioned my left leg is killing me, so they will undoubtedly give me exercises.

Shit! I just sat down to continue blogging and stepped on a cup and saucer Martha had given me.

My coffee is nice n hot but fogs up my reading glasses.

Back to Daddypops. My friend Charlie from across the street used to eat there. He would sit in the chair that looked like a barber chair.

Very sad when he died!

That man knew how to train a dog... Pookie, half black lab, half retriever.

I went up to look at the cigarette machine. Old Gold, L&M, Unfiltered Camels like Uncle Marvin used to smoke, back in Cleveland.

I asked Fredda naively how I could buy a packet.

At the last minute I ordered a cup of coffee.

No way can you go to a diner and not have coffee.

Ellen ordered flapjacks with syrup, while I had two eggs on rye toast and a bowl of grits (boyfriend Curtis Branch in San Francisco, taught me how delicious they were), altho I said they are nutrtionally worthless, tho of course they are probably fortified.


Ellen and I had parked on a sidestreet. We then drove to our YMCA down the road a bit and did some walking, all that food bouncing around in my stomach.

I had not brought my insulin pen, tho when we got home, my sugar was only 250, not bad.

This morning I had a huge breakfast... two eggs, spring mix, tiny chopped purple onions, and finger-lickin stringy asparagus you could choke on.

Ken Smith, founder and owner of Daddypops, would arrive around 2 30 pm. The place closes at 2 pm, something I have always remembered.

Would he have remembered me? Full-bearded Simon and I frequently ate there.


The Farberware knife below was stuck fast in my front garden.

To get rid of it, I rolled it in papers and secured it with rubber bands.

Did it do the trick?

Hell no. 



Tuesday, December 27, 2022

The day after Christmas - To upload photos, see directions below

 

Great seeing you, Sarah and husband Ethan, who drove over from their Brooklyn pad in his buddy Gordon's Toyota RAV.

Also, Sarah, thanks for the great hat! I love it and so does Janie, today's helper.

Have a great time in Umbria, near Rome, Italy!


Shucks! Sister Ellen aka Ellie Belle, has pretty much been disqualified from moving into the new place on Davisville Road.

We all had a great time at Dan and Nicole's on Christmas Day.

Loads of great food including tenderloin steak like Mom used to make, which Sarah marinated for four days.

TO UPLOAD PIX

Have purple Nikon camera ready

Insert plug under WHITE TAB

Select pictures on computer you want to upload

Tricky part: to upload pix on blog, select BLACK SQUARE that seems to have 2 tiny mountains and press upload, as that is where pictures will be

ORANGE PUBLISH BUTTON is off to the right.

Good job, Ruthie!!!!

Lovely photo, eh?





Monday, December 26, 2022

NO MAIL TODAY?

 That is because today, the day after Christmas, was a federal holiday!

Thanks to our friend REMINGTON MURPHY for this important information.

Same thing for the day after New Year's Day.

How many times did YOU check your mailbox?

Oh, I stepped outside into the frigid air to check, about a dozen times.

Just watched the PBS Evening News.

Yes she will be leaving the first of the year.

This evening discussion concerned the TALIBAN and its forbidding women to hold responsible jobs. Many are physicians - or prescribing nurses -  who help the sick and dying. Photos of emaciated babies were shown.

What a corrupt society that is willing to sacrifice its own people to stay in power themselves.

I also watched the short series THE TWO POPES. Beautifully acted and mysterious. Let's see who made this film. 

The Two Popes is a 2019 biographical drama film directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten, adapted from McCarten's play The Pope which premiered at Royal & Derngate Theatre in 2019.[3][4] Predominantly set in the Vatican City in the aftermath of the Vatican leaks scandal, the film follows Pope Benedict XVI, played by Anthony Hopkins, as he attempts to convince Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, played by Jonathan Pryce, to reconsider his decision to resign as an archbishop as he confides his own intentions to abdicate the papacy.[5]

The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2019. It began a limited theatrical release in the United States on November 27, 2019, and in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2019, and started digital streaming on December 20, 2019, by Netflix. The performances of Pryce and Hopkins, as well as McCarten's screenplay, received high praise from critics, and all three men received nominations for their work at the Academy AwardsGolden Globes and British Academy Film Awards.


I will finish watching it tomorrow. I was relieved to find something terrific to watch after going through some really lousy films. 

Also wanna write something about one of my favorite people, though she passed away a couple of years ago.

All I have left of HAR are her dishes, her silverware, her brilliant ideas and a mind without peer.

 
Virginia Woolf famous for her novels, short stories, essays and life at Bloomsbury.

1882 - 1941. 

Age 59. The same age my dad died. 

Soon I must tromp upstairs so Scott can tuck me in with my CPAP Machine.

First though I will turn off my Christmas Lights and then go upstairs to brush my teeth and yes to use my Listerine Mouthwash.

Does mouthwash do any good?


Sunday, December 25, 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUTHIE

 I still miss Mommy and Daddy.

When I woke up this morning and looked at the clock with my b'day on it, I wished they were still around to wish me a good year with many more to come.

Sarah and Ethan will be here around 10 30 am.

Rich and Ada sent me a b'ful Jacqui Lawson e-card. 

Watched Rick Steves last night who had many Joyous Noelle in EUROPE segments on. Wanted to see his wife and kids named Ali and ...

Am trying to look nice for when Sarah and Ethan arrive.

Brewed my favorite coffee.... Maxwell House. 

Sister Lynn will call later.

Look, all this makes me feel great.

Later!!!


Nativity Scene. Sure I'm Jewish but the story is as magical as THE UGLY DUCKLING or RAPUNZEL, SPEAKING of which sister Donna was here this morning but left as she had nuffin to do.

But will return, she said, to trim my beard, oops, I mean my hair.

Four cards are in my mailbox. 


Friday, December 23, 2022

Of course I love beautiful things!

 

New York - Paris - and Tokyo!!!

Van Cleef and Arpels.

Hurray for Mailman Dante. He was just here as I finished licking the sky. 

MaryKate and I practiced dancing for my 77th birthday party at son Dan's. Look, if the weather is terrible, no prob in staying home.

Am gonna scratch my brain right now and think of something beautiful I own.

My LUX timer?

My collection of cups?

The blue menorah David Hunter made me?

The view out my living room window? 

Just finished watching the Naudet Brothers Documentary of the Fall of the World Trade Center.




First day of snow here in WILLOW GROVE PA 19090

 


Okay, okay, I accept this gift from Van Cleef and Arpels.

Stuck out my head from my teeny front porch. Looked high up and stuck out my tongue to taste the snow but I was basically blown back in the house.

Finished my short story for Eva Priestly's writing group called ALL THE BLONDES I HAVE LOVED.

Hathaway Brown School was mentioned.


Geez! My hot coffee got cold. 

And may all your Christmases be white. 

My asparagus is from Mexico. I boiled it in a huge saucepan.

Dee licious.


Thursday, December 22, 2022

She might make a believer out of you

 

CHRISTINE MARIE EBERLE

CONNECTING SPIRITUALITY, SCRIPTURE, AND EVERYDAY LIFE

This woman is a bride of Christ. 

Our Sisters and Associates appreciated Christine’s thoughtful preparation—especially the way she included the spirituality of our foundress—and her balanced flow of stories, music, quiet time, and group interaction.  Christine has a gift for connecting with people—despite the challenges of Zoom.”

HOW WE LOVE TO READ !!!! NOBEL PEACE PRIZE TO FEED A HUNGRY WORLD

 Emailed Katie Fitzgerald to say I could not get into the book OLYMPUS TEXAS, how I tried. Then I began

Three novels in one by Don DeLillo.

Fairly opaque. 

The character is in GREECE but hasn't visited the Acropolis or Parthenon yet.

Where, dear Reader, would you LOVE to visit.

I could check with RICK STEVES, who goes to Europe tho he says his favorite country is India.

Watched a documentary last night about a Nobel winner who invented something that would FEED much of the world. 

How he worried that he still could not feed enough people.

He was right. 

Who is the founder of the World Food Prize?

  • Norman E. Borlaug. Founder, The World Food Prize. 1970 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. Dr. Borlaug's CV | Extended Biography | National Academy of Sciences Bio by Ron Phillips. In 1970 Norman E. Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for a lifetime of work to feed a hungry world.




Zelensky, president of Ukraine, goes from comedian to president of his country

Holiday traffic is shaping up to be a nightmare, says narrator on Ellen's TV
I have been watching a fascinating program on Nine-Eleven

Unbelievably terrible. At first no one could figure out what was happening

This is my lamppost garden
The birdbath is pretty tough!
We picked out Monsieur Le Pumpkin at GIANT.

Melitta Coffee, never really tried it before. It is okay. 
Here is the menorah David Hunter made for us. With Mary Kate, my helper, we typed up 'words' for the prayer. 
Photo of Uncle Marvin and Dad. 

I may have been running down the street to ask the UPS man, what is so good about natural gas. Ended up goggling it. 




Welcome to my house, Lynn!!! She is very generous. 
Is the below Linda Greenwold? She said she has always taken care of her father. 


 Mondo Conni was a once popular film exposing all sorts of shocking things, including force feeding geese and RZD.

I asked ALEXA to play Bobby Darin. It was all I could think of.

Then I thought of writing a true story of my love for SANDRA DEE, who was married to the talented cocaine addict.

Monday, December 19, 2022

TOUGH WORKOUT FROM MARYKATE

 Last night sister Ellen and I spoke to Cousin Lloyd, our second cousin once removed. And his wife Kate.

He is 94 years old and still runs in Central Park. He has a PhD from McGill University in Toronto. 

We used to live near each other back in Cleveland. 

He was very close with Bernice, my late mudder.

Will continue this after Mary Kate leaves.

GREAT WORKOUT from MaryKate!

Walked down the street earlier today, and then walked her to her car when she left.

A piece of trash was in the street which I threw in the Yellow Bin. It was an offer to get a car seat at a reduced price.


It's been years but my ganglion cyst is back !!!!

 

Ganglion Cyst of the Wrist and Hand

Ganglion cysts are the most common mass or lump in the hand. They are not cancerous and, in most cases, are harmless. They occur in various locations, but most frequently develop on the back of the wrist.

These fluid-filled cysts can quickly appear, disappear, and change size. Many ganglion cysts do not require treatment. However, if the cyst is painful, interferes with function, or has an unacceptable appearance, there are several treatment options available.

Description

A ganglion arises out of a joint, like a balloon on a stalk. It grows out of the tissues surrounding a joint, such as ligaments, tendon sheaths, and joint linings. Inside the balloon is a thick, slippery fluid, similar to the fluid that lubricates your joints.

Ganglion cyst

The most common location of a ganglion cyst is on the back of the wrist.

Ganglion cysts can develop in several of the joints in the hand and wrist, including:

  • Both the top and underside of the wrist
  • The end joint of a finger
  • The base of a finger

They vary in size, and in many cases, grow larger with increased activity. With rest, the lump typically becomes smaller.

Cause

It is not known what triggers the formation of a ganglion. They are most common in younger people between the ages of 15 and 40, and women are more likely to be affected than men. These cysts are also common among gymnasts, who repeatedly apply stress to the wrist.

Ganglion cysts that develop at the end joint on the nail side of a finger — also known as mucous cysts — are typically associated with arthritis in the finger joint, and are more common in women between the ages of 40 and 70.


THIS MAY BE FROM THE MAYO CLINIC

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Thanks Lynn, Mother of the Groom, for photographing me for the most generous Sandy !!!!

 

Dyou know I got dressed warmly - see former neighbor Eileen Adams jacket on Red Couch - as I head to Mailman Dante's van.

It was NOT his van - and I froze my toes.

TODAY is Sunday!




On my walk just now I met SAM, a man with a RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK

 

The dog, named BEAR, is very sensitive.

Sam would say, Okay Bear, she sees you, about folks across the street.

I mentioned about Bob, who recently died on Sleighride Road. 

A black Ford Explorer was parked in the drive. 

Would YOU like to live in Bob's house?

I would not!

Though as you know, I paid dozens of visits to his father, Luke Sanders. I would bring him soup and chili and he would pour me a cup of Folger's Coffee.

This morning I made Maxwell House Drip Coffee that was delicious.

Then I emailed it to my WRITING GROUP and a few other folks.

Sam, whose mom/law now lives with him, might enjoy reading my blog. Find me on Ruth Deming, one M.

She does the laundry in the basement. 

Uncle Marvin, the late great, would wake up at 2 am and do the laundry in the basement. Hmmm, wonder where the movies are from Mark's wedding and bar mitzvah. 

We also go in the dark damp spidery basement. 

Am reading for our reading group - OLYMPUS, TEXAS, which we will discuss at 7 pm on Weds, December 28, 2022. 

On my walk down Cowbell this morning I was trying to catch up with a UPS truck that read, Better with Natural Gas.

WHY, I wanted to know. 

From the Internet.....

There’s also a great push toward another clean burning and renewable technology – Renewable Natural Gas (RNG). UPS recently made a commitment to purchasing 250 million gallon equivalents of RNG over the next seven years, making the company the largest consumer of RNG in the transportation industry.

“The use of RNG is a very important part of UPS’s strategy to increase alternative fuel consumption to be 40% of total ground fuel purchases by 2025,” said Mike Whitlatch, UPS vice president of global energy and procurement. “We’re using both liquid natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) as bridging fuels to increase our use of RNG. This will have a measurable impact as RNG yields up to a 90% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional diesel.”

Additionally, UPS recently announced plans to purchase more than 6,000 natural gas-powered trucks. This commitment represents a $450M investment in expanding the company’s alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle fleet.

Thursday, December 15, 2022

SO MUCH GOING ON IN THIS DREADFUL WEATHER - GOOD FILM TO WATCH

 

A former Montco school administrator stole nearly $600K for vacations, credit card debt, and IVF, DA says

Katherine Paprocka abused her authority at Penn Christian Academy in East Norriton, defrauding the cash-strapped school to fund her family's vacations and pay down her credit card debt, police said.

THANKS FOR SENDING THIS FROM THE INQUIRER, Rich and Ada.

Our Imani was hard hit!

......

Sleet this morning, Garbage Day. 

Must miss our CREATIVE WRITING GROUP this morning at the Warminster PA Library. 

....

Just finished watched THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE, on Amazon.com.

A spy thriller which turned into a love story that is well worth watching.

Donald Southerland and Kate Nelligan.

....

Last night one of the fitness gurus said, HYDRATE YOURSELF.

I am taking small sips of water from the Britta pitcher. 


Story by KEN FOLLETT.

.....

HAVEN'T YOU ALWAYS WONDERED HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE?

From Comsumer Reports about 8 yrs ago - I work at Starbucks, and I gotta say that water is the most important factor. Starbucks water is fine, but filtered sink water has a neutral flavor, which allows the coffee flavor to stick out.

BUT I am using Maxwell House Drip Coffee which is very good.

Gotta let it cool a couple of minutes.

Then as I sip I will watch for THE MAIL CARRIER and watch something good on Netflix.

Oops - my task bar says there is an incident on Easton Road.


Maxwell House is an American brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Heinz in North America and JDE Peet's in the rest of the world. Wikipedia
Owner: Kraft Heinz (North America); JDE Peet's (Rest of the world)


TEETH - NAIROBI

 Whatever you do, Sarah Lynn Deming

Take care of your teeth.

Mouth guards were good when you boxed


I however lost a couple of teeth

They just slid out when I was eating

How dare they?

But they did.


I found a new dentist

The Ocean Dental Center

Right next door to

Dr Ghantous 


My first appointment is in January

Will they use Lavoris like Dr Bell did

in Cleveland


And the sucker upper that rids me of

excess saliva 


Now my frozen enchilada is in the toaster oven

You can be sure I use my water pik afterward

And Glide from Doctor Mel


New teeth, blindingly white 

as we greet the new day

with rain sleet and hail

Mozart will trumpet his

Jupiter Symphony as

we celebrate our 

brave new world.

NAIROBI capital city of Kenya.

Famous skycap in Nairobi, image in public domain

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

WHAT A PANARAMA !!!

 Just finished watching a terrific movie on AMAZON. For free, of course.

THUNDERBOLT and LIGHTFOOT!

Starring Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, and George Kennedy. 

Stood at my front door watching for GIANT DIRECT. Ah, here it is now.

Just the sight alone is a turn-on!

We ordered our food this morning!

Good work, boys!!!

Oh-oh! We got 6 cartons of EGGS by mistake. 

Mailed a thank-you letter to Sandra Salveter this morning. First I made it a poem, but it was hard to understand, so I just thanked our Maker for making her so generous!

Am gonna inject 7 units and eat some DEE LICIOUS eggs. Will also have pitted black olives that Ellen bought.

WHAT A PANARAMA!

Standing at the cold doorway as the last customers of the day 

for GIANT DIRECT

I look at our beautiful street as its breath condenses up into the air

Why did I never see this before?

Yes, I'll remember. The two Christmas wreathes on the folks across the street

One on the front door, the other on the side.

Twilight. The time when the deer arrive, or is it Santa Claus

making his rounds early?


Thank you, Ken!!!

And, I said, we left you a nice tip, right? 

,,,

As Ellen reminded me, when our family grew up in Cleveland - our parents and grandparents - they were so poor, they could not afford money to pay a dentist. 



Sunday, December 11, 2022

Bill Cardinale drove to PA in his Cadillac - We ate at a Chinese rest. in Hatboro PA

 

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Friday, December 9, 2022

VOICES - true story - published in Literary Yard

 Dear Ruth,

Please check the link:

https://literaryyard.com/2022/12/09/voices-2/

 

How are you doing? Please share you short bio as well.

 

Best,

Onkar

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

From: Ruth Deming
Sent: 05 December 2022 19:42
To: onkar.sharma@outlook.com; onkar@literaryyard.com
Subject: Thank you, Onkar, for considering this true story! by Ruth Z Deming

 

VOICES

 

            When I awoke and removed the noisy CPAP machine from my nostrils, I remembered. Writing day! I peeked out my upstairs window. An enormously bright light grinned at me from the darkness across the street.

 

            The sun!

 

            When next I looked it was gone.

 

            Into the nearby bathroom I went and washed my hair. It took twenty minutes as I bent over the tub and scrubbed my hair with Head and Shoulders. When done I looked in the mirror and saw gobs of white hair hanging from the comb.

 

            Without missing a beat, I toweled myself off and ran outside, tossing the hair behind the mottled Akuba plant.

 

            Take that! Let the birds use it for a nest. What do I care?

 

Chrissie McVie was dead. Singer for Fleetwood Mac. Seventy-nine years old. Excruciating back pain. I knew what that was. I was operated on a dozen years ago. Got off the Tylenol with Percosets as soon as possible. The radio played her exciting song: You make lovin' fun! 

 

            Every bit of my clothing was wet from the shower. Ripping off each piece, I left the layers of shirts to dry on the floor of my bedroom.

 

            I put the Bradford Tea Kettle on and fixed my Chemex for “good to the last drop” Maxwell House Coffee.

 

            What was the matter with it? Cold. Stone-cold-dead like Chrissie McVie. Adding neighbor Patrick’s honey from his beehives, I tasted it again.

 

            Cold! Dammit.

 

            Chug! Chug! Chug!

 

            Oh no! The trash men were here already.

 

            In a single motion, like a ballerina, they easily lifted the Yellow Plastic Bin and slammed it to the ground.

 

            Jaws! Giant jaws! The drivers rode on the back wearing warm hats.

 

            Thank you for allowing me to see that. Perfect. Simply perfect.

 

            The rapist who lived on the next street and who gave me a cowboy hat he had found [was removed from his home and given a proper burial ]   we think. 

 

            Bob was not a nice person. When you read the archives note in The Inquirer you will see how he killed a young girl and felt no remorse.

 

            Bob died earlier in the week, walking his dog, Lulu. He sat down in his driveway and moaned. And moaned and moaned.

 

            The photo showed Bob, all right, his mustache going downward over his face. A face to avoid at all costs.

 

            Redemption? My dead friend Judy, whose planter is in my front yard, laughed and said, “Serves him right, the bastard!”

 

            Helene, whose poinsettia is doing well in my bay window, held onto her tummy and laughed. Words not necessary.

 

            There they are, gathered at the bus stop, at 7:30 am. The small kids first. Bob killed a young girl. Fourteen years old.

 

            My late friend Freda is a philosopher.

 

            “This, too, shall pass,” she says, wearing one of her colorful caftans.   

.......

AND NOW YOU MUST GO OUTSIDE - it is 8 48 pm, standard time, and look at the GORGEOUS MOON.

Waxing gibbous phase, meaning we passed the full moon. 


....

On AMAZON PRIME VIDEO, I am watching THE NIGHT SKY with the great actors Sissy Spacek and J K Simmons.

It is science fiction and has many plot twists. 

It is often very scary!!!

From the Internet!

Co-produced by Amazon Studios and Legendary Television, the eight-episode first season of Night Sky debuted May 20. Led by Oscar winners Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons, the sci-fi adventure ended with a shocking finale, leaving room for the possibility of another season.

The Night Sky pilot, “To the Stars,” is the latest installment of It Starts on the Page, Deadline’s annual series that highlights the scripts that serve as the creative backbones of the buzzy shows that will define the TV awards season. The scripts in our series are all being submitted for Emmy Awards consideration this year and have been selected by Deadline using criteria that includes critical acclaim, selecting from a wide range of networks and platforms and a mix of established and lesser-known shows.

Night Sky is created by Holden Miller and Daniel C. Connolly. Spacek and Simmons star as Irene and Franklin York, a married couple that discover a portal in their backyard that leads to a deserted planet. Their peaceful life is upended when a mysterious young man named Jude (Chai Hansen) suddenly appears by the portal.

Written by Miller and directed by Juan José Campanella, the series begins with a young Irene (Lily Cardone) and Franklin (Lowrey Brown) meeting for the first time in a bar. Fifty years later, in the present day, Franklin (Simmons) is preparing dinner for Irene (Spacek) and making idle conversation before Irene suggests they go to see the stars and the two head out to the shed in their backyard.