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Domestic Goddess: Pollock Fillets seasoned with Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper, Bush's Best Brown Sugar Hickory Baked Beans, Green Grapes and Chocolate Chip Cookies that my husband prepared.  Sorry about the previous type error with my last post.

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Domestic Goddess: Pollock Fillets seasoned with Mrs. Dash

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D

Norms Bait and Tackle

Started by dapphne, March 30, 2016, 09:23:16 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

MaryPage

I remember Uncle Wiggily well.  And wasn't there a Nurse Jane?  In the stories, I mean.

I agree there were a lot of great values taught us children from the books we read, but I gave a couple of my granddaughters a whole set of The Bobbsey Twins I had kept, and my daughter Anne bought a new one of one of them and told me to read my copy and the new one.  I did, and was HORRIFIED at the huge change in values that came through in the new version, but was simply awful in the one from my childhood.  This is the lesson I learned:  things we took for granted and never questioned when I was young are not acceptable now.  Mostly we were outrageously superior towards other peoples and other cultures.  I had forgotten about that until it came through in reading The Bobbsey Twins, for Heaven's Sake!

I had a beautiful copy of Water Babies.  I remember it as being bright red with gilt-edged pages, like some of the old always leather-bound Bibles.  And I adored every Oz book.  Later, Julius Caesar was my favorite Shakespeare Play.  The play I think of most often these days, though, is As You Like It; I think because it has The Seven Ages Of Man in it.

The fairy tale that tore me up, and still does, is The Little Match Girl.  I believe it was a Hans Christian Anderson story. 


MaryPage

#21931


Thriftbooks has paperback copies of Blue Willow for $4.19 and rebound hardbacks for $19.99.  I buy heaps of books from them for myself and my family.  You can Google them and find their website.







so_P_bubble

This talk of books reminded me that at school we learned foreign languages through reading books in the original version.

So I first learned English by reading in class The Water babies and Little Lord Fauntleroy. I had totally forgotten about that!

Another favorite was The Secret Garden.

MaryPage

#21933
I disliked Little Lord Faunleroy, albeit I sort of vaguely remember a movie with someone with a name something like Freddie Bartholomew?

But I still adore The Secret Garden.  Bubble, you had a GREAT education!

phyllis

#21934
Water Babies was a Christmas present to me when I first learned to read...the first book that was mine!  It still sits on my bookshelf along side my 1903 edition of The Wizard of Oz, and other treasured books from my many years of loving books.
phyllis
Cary,NC

so_P_bubble

My heart still aches when I remember all my beloved books left behind when I had to leave the Congo as a refugee because of the war.
I never went back :(

Marilyne


bubble - was that at the time of the Congo uprising in the 50's/60's when Lumumba, became Prime Minister?  I remember asking you many years ago, if you had read the novel, "The Poisonwood Bible"?   Still at the top of the list of my all time favorite books. 

so_P_bubble

yes the independence  was in 1960, and the secession of Katanga (when I left) was just a little after.
Here is a link of how it was like.  It's a bit long but very accurate.

 https://adst.org/2015/09/congo-in-crisis-the-rise-and-fall-of-katangan-secession/


Tomereader1

Thank you, Bubble, for this article.  So little information about this was available to us in the U.S.

I am so glad you made it out, and sorry you had to leave everything behind.

So many people who post on this site, have amazing life stories and it would be awesome to hear about them. 

Thank you again, for all you do for us on S & F, and for sharing bits and pieces of your blessed and interesting life.

Shirley

Amazing, Bubble, a piece of history I was totally unaware of. Thanks for the link. At that time I believe the US was living with riots & protests we didn't want to think about. I enjoyed the link. Have you written about your life in the Congo?  You really should. I still think the best/easiest way is to use loose leaf notebook & paper so you can write one complete thought/day on a page or two, put your age at the top so when you get all done you can put the pages in order and then write the continuity to turn it into a book. It is surprising what will pop into a memory when concentrating on one moment or day in time.

Vanilla-Jackie

#21940
Bubble...
...i so agree with with Shirley...it needs to come from the lips, and memory, of someone who was there, someone who witnessed with their own eyes...yes write about your experience and tell the world, or to anyone wishing to hear your side of the story...
" There is no present like the time "

so_P_bubble

I wrote some episodes in the  WREX discussion on old SN. It was fun to put some striking memories in words. But I never did write on the war. Maybe the trauma was too much to want remembering or reliving it.

I did write some on the terror episodes in Israel. Since Ben passed away, I seem unable to write again. The pen has dried and my mind is blank!

Shirley

Not true, Bubble, just memories hiding. Do what my mother did, take a day thinking of all you did, step by step, and put down in long hand so you can circle & put another thought in that place and have a hard copy to switch around as you recall different thoughts. One thought triggered another and one day she handed me a notebook full of papers that I spent an entire winter shuffling thru to put into timeline and then added the continuity but still kept her side thoughts (such as, "she was such a wonderful person" when talking about someone she loved). I would think Aviv will cherish your memories. I do think Bubble can tell a tale of fun and thoughts that would surprise and fascinate all of us, and show a life far different that most of us can imagine. In my mind the young Bubble was an almost Nancy Drew character, totally daring and full of adventure.  Maybe if you bring back some of those tales in WREX it might nudge you along, please?  I didn't visit the WREX of SrNet days.

Hi, Jackie, nice to see you!

Marilyne


Bubble - I'm in agreement with Shirley and Jackie.   I would love to read an account, or a memoir, as to your life in the Congo before, during and after independence and war.  I'm wondering if you still have the article you wrote for WREX? I would like very much to read it.   

Anyone who is interested in reading a fictional story, based on accurate history, I highly recommend "The Poisonwood Bible",  by Barbara Kingsolver.  It's the story of an American missionary family - parents and four young daughters - who travel to Congo, to establish a Christian church, in the depths of the jungle.  Instead, they get caught up in the uprisings, and the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium.  Wonderful, believable story and characters. 

It's now just a little past noon, and our outdoor temperature here is already 95 degrees.  Supposed to go over 100 degrees later this afternoon, so I plan to stay inside and read or watch a movie on TV, and also try to get caught up with emails.  I hope to come back to B&T later, and comment on all of your posts, the past couple of days, as well as naming a few more of my favorite children's books.    
     

Marilyne

#21944

Blue Willow, the book I ordered last week, arrived this afternoon!  :) 
I'm so pleased with the condition . . .  much nicer than what I was expecting.  The first printing was in 1940, and this edition is the second printing, from 1941.  The dust cover is beautiful, and the book itself is flawless.  The only thing that gives away its age, is that the pages have a faint yellow tinge. 

I sat right down and started reading, and it all came back to me.  What a beautiful story it is.  It takes place during the Depression, and is about  story of a young girl with an uncertain future,  moving around the country with her migrant farm worker father and stepmother.  I see online that it's now referred to as,  "the Juvenile version of 'The Grapes of Wrath'". 

I'm so pleased, and happy to finally own the book!  A little later in life than I would have liked, but that makes it all the more special!
Thank you MarsGal!

Vanilla-Jackie

#21945
Marilyne...
...i also saw your book Blue Willow by Doris Gates advertised ( Abe Books ) but it was very expensive especially the first edition but, money well spent if it is like the book you remembered and it brings back such good memories...enjoy... :)
" There is no present like the time "

MarsGal

You are welcome, Marilyne.

Well, I think I finally found the flooring I want for the kichen. The countertops are another matter. It looks like my contractor's sample trove is woefully out of date. Almost all of my choices do not exist anymore.

After a few nice days with breezes, it looks like the temps are going back up. Today is to get up to 86oF. I should go out and do a little weeding this morning.

It seems Oscar is wanting a bunch of attention this morning, too.

so_P_bubble

Marilyn, don't hold your breath about my "memoirs", I don't think it will be penned.
As for all the Wrex tales, they are too long to post here and I am not going to open a writing discussion: no-one seems interested in writing. We had a Dr Haseltine in Wrex who would write whole books in instalments and they were most enjoyable.

Denver

I have been missing for much too long, so today I will be playing catch up. 

I seem to never have anything to say other than my health woes🤪🤪🤪

I did get the epidural in my lower spine yesterday and it went very will tell if it was successful.  I am hoping and praying it will.  I go for the other procedure on my groin area the 7th. 

Bob has his tests all scheduled on the same day, the first of July to see if they can find a reason he went not A-FIB.  We just want all this crap behind us needless to say🤪🙏

The family are on their cruise in the Mediterranean and having a wonderful time. 

We all thought of Our Michele on her one year date of her passing.  Still seems so surreal😢

I wish you all well.  I will go back and read your posts to see what
I missed.

Jenny
🦋 Jenny
"Love many, trust few; learn to paddle your own canoe"

Marilyne

 Jenny -   :cheer: THE AVALANCHE! :cheer:  What a great game last night!   Tampa Bay looked a little "sour grapes" I thought?   They have won enough Stanley Cup finals, so we will be cheering for the Ave's to go all the way and win on Friday!   I hope your epidural and the other procedure are successful, and also that Bob's A-FIb tests turn out okay.   Hard to believe it's been a year since Michele's passing, and hoping that Dave and the kids are doing well?

Jackie -  I also saw the Blue Willow First Edition on Abe's books!   I think it was $275, or maybe even more?  No, I wouldn't pay that much, for a book!   The one I bought was $75, from Gargoyle Books.   That was also pricey, but worth it to me after so many years of wanting the book.  I'm really enjoying reading the story, and looking at the illustrations that I remember from so long ago.

MarsGal -  Hope you have settled on some kitchen countertops that you will be perfect for you?  I guess that granite and quartz, are still the top favorites for remodels?   I used to watch the HGTV shows about couples  remodeling kitchens,  bathrooms, closets, fireplaces, etc.    So many possibilities, and so much to choose from!

Bubble -  I understand.  There comes a time in life, when we can no longer accomplish all the things we had planned to do.   I'm sure you've  given your daughter a copy of what you wrote in WREX.  In the end, family members and loved ones,  are the most important, when it comes to our personal history and memoirs.

MaryPage

Good Morning!

I am in a state of guilt because so many are suffering extreme weather throughout this country, and we have been so lucky right here.  Mind you, the heat & humidity has pushed up from the South or East from the West and made Washington, D.C. miserable before heading North to Baltimore and further NorthEast, but we here in Annapolis have the mighty Chesapeake Bay and our lovely Severn and other rivers to keep our breezes blowing at a fairly brisk pace and gift us much comfort.  I will admit to a few days of too much humidity for my lungs, and I have stayed indoors and turned on my oxygen machine whilst enjoying all the comforts of my easy chair.

I have Atrail Fibrilation, or A Fib, myself, and my Bob had it for some time before he died.  I have been under the strong impression from my cardiologist that it does not improve with time.  In fact, just this week John Kennedy, and Yes!  That really IS his name, and he is a really handsome man; told me that I am now "always in A Fib."  Well, I take Eliquis both morning & night, which is supposed to prevent strokes, which A Fib brings on, and I just don't think about it.  It is much harder not to think about the lungs: especially when they are feeling the need for oxygen, but I cope with this whole business of being ancient and inhabiting a body that is falling apart and shutting down as best I can.  Each day I wake up to see the sun rising over my view of the Chesapeake is a bonus, and I think of myself as having a Party all day long.  Life is Beautiful!

I have been having a blast watching the Hearings on the telly.  What entertainment!  This is the third time around for me, or at least, that is the way I think of it.  In my lifetime I have watched, and never missed a second of, The Army/McCarthy Hearings, The Watergate Hearings, and now the January 6th Hearings.  I remember with great nostalgia and yearning watching the first two with dear friends, long gone.  It was the Watergate Hearings where I heard the late, great Barbara Jordan made her most famous comments about when they wrote the Constitution.  The entire listening audience wanted to elect her President on the spot.  Serious illness put a stop to her career.  It was those same hearings where I saw and got to know, as one feels one does, Joseph Biden for the very first time.  Time really IS a river, and we make many stops along the way.  Fascinating! 

Have a lovely day!  I sure intend to.

patricia19

Good morning MaryPage and all who come later! Another day here similar to yesterday. I always love to see your posts; they are so optimistic and lovely to read. You do have a gift for how you present yourself and your views.

MaryPage

Thank you, Patricia. You are a sweet, sweet friend.

And apeaking of sweet reminds me of a Wonderful Thing I've been meaning to share with y'all.  I know I am taking up too much speaking time; please forgive.

I am a fanatic fan of Spumoni ice cream.  Daughter Debi, son Chip and granddaughter Helaine & I used to go, pre-Covid, to an authentic Italian restaurant across town for lunch, and I ALWAYS ordered their Spumoni with 4 spoons.  Each of them, with their unbearably holier-than-thou demeanors, was allowed one spoonful.  Reaching for more would have ended any lifetime warranty regarding the use of that hand.  Then I enjoyed my Spumoni and ignored them completely.

Debi went to that restaurant to buy the dessert for my birthday party, only to find out they had quit making it for the time being, which I will translate from the Italian for you:  for the remainder of the pandemic.  She was devastated, so she went on line and found HOMER'S!  She had to order a minimum of 9 pints, as Homer's is a Chicago delicacy.  $119.50, which includes shipping East of the Mississippi.  (I learned to spell that back in my rope-jumping youth, you know).  She said it came by Fed Ex and was frozen solid.

Wow!  What devotion!  What's more, there was So much Spumoni, I paid no never mind to who was eating how much.  What's more, she gave me 4 pints of it to bring home!

Just sayin'.  If you love old fashioned ice cream to die for, try Homer's in Illinois.  I just ordered 9 pints for just me.  Creamiest delight EVer!

patricia19

We had a number of small regional restaurants that closed during the pandemic and may remain a casualty. Still, one I loved was named Finn after their springer spaniel and was operated by an Italian family. I would often go there for their cannoli and dessert rolls. They had ice cream and ices, but I was all about the fresh cannoli!

Denver

Friday HELLO to ALL.
These days just keep passing me by 😩

MARILYN, tonight might just be the night for Our Avalanche to take it all.  So excited. 🏒🏒. I hope and pray if this happens that the crazies don't let things get out of hand.  We can celebrate with out there having to be destruction‼️ I want them to cinch the Stanley Cup tonight, but then it is over and we will miss not having them to watch🤪🤪 What will be will be🏒🏒🏒GO AV'S 🏒🏒🏒

Unfortunately, Bob went back into A-FIB yesterday, but it stopped again last night.  Sure anxious to find out what is causing this😩🤪

MARYPAGE, I hope that there IS a hope for it to go away, but you do not seem to think so, from your experience.

PATRICIA, it seems there were many permanent closings of restaurants all over the US that just could not survive from the Covid issues.  Very sad for everyone involved.  Seems many of our favorite places did not make it and they were not all ma and pa.....some were big chains like Sweet Tomatoes.

We have no big plans for the weekend but do hope to go up and see our new baby boy again next Thursday. 

Have a great rest of your day.

Jenny
🦋 Jenny
"Love many, trust few; learn to paddle your own canoe"

Marilyne


Jenny - Sorry about the last night's loss. :'(  Still one more chance on Monday night.    We'll be watching,  and hoping the Avalanche wins the cup! :yes:

Nothing on tap here for the weekend . . . just trying to stay cool, and hoping for no wildfires!  So far, lots of brush fires, but nothing really big and destructive yet.  The humidity dropped into the teens a couple of days ago, which is a bad sign, but is back up again today where it belongs.

Mary Page - when you order ice cream, does it come special delivery, packed in dry ice?  I've always hesitated to order anything perishable, for fear of it spoiling . . .  but everything is so high-tech now, that I'm sure they have developed flawless packing techniques.

MaryPage

Marilyne, Debi reported being thrilled to bits over the way her pack of nine pints arrived.  She said it was all still frozen solid, and generously packed in dry ice.  I will be squealing in anticipation when mine arrives, and will let you know.

Jenny, I feel bad about the A Fib information I gave out, as in the first place I am not in any way part of the medical world.  I sort of cringe at things medical, as a matter of fact.  My grandfather was a doctor, as was an uncle; and both my mother and my step mother were nurses.  I have one daughter who is a nurse and two granddaughters who are also nurses.  All that around me, and I am still queasy over watching shots go into arms on TV!  So I actually have no intelligent information to give out re A Fib myself.  Bottom line, I have been given to understand it is, once you have it, something you have to live with.  A sort of immutable condition. Now, while that is the way they treated my Bob, and the way I am being treated; it does not follow that that is true of everyone who has it.  I just haven't a clue.  But Darling Jenny, I do hope you get all the Best of news about your Bob's!  Sincerely, I do; and with all love to you both.

Sandy

\

My heart is always in AFIB. 

I use Coumadin (blood thinner) which
prevents blood clots from forming..

The hospitals have "Coumadin Clinics"
who test my blood when ever it
the coumadin dosage might need changing. 

They watch me very carefully and I always follow 
their directions pertaining to the correct
dosage that I need to take daily. 

I have had strokes from my Afib condition
Fortunately, I can not feel the AFFECTS OF
AFIB,  so they use blood thinners on my to
prevent blood clots from forming and
causing more stokes. 

Every one is different and so far this
has worked well for me. 
As long as I follow the directions  they say
I should do ok for a nice long life. 

And since I am now 78, I take it one day
at a time and hope for the best. 

I love the care that I have been getting for
the last 10 years. 

I advise following the doctors orders
and prepare yourself for this being a life
long condition  that can be treated. 

My philosophy is that we all get
something at this stage of life and mine
is AFIB and I respect it.. 

The serenity prayer helps me accept
this condition.

(( God, grant me the serenity
to accept
    the things I cannot change,
courage to change
    the things I can, a
and wisdom
    to know the difference.))

Not always easy to do,  but I try..

Have a good weekend,  EVERYONE!

(Live long and prosper)

Sandy

  "It pays to keep an open mind, but not so open your brains fall out."

― Carl Sagan

Marilyne


Sandy -  Thank you for your words of wisdom, and your good advice regarding A-Fib.   

Seems like lots of people being diagnosed with A-Fib in recent years.   My husband had what they called a minor stroke, right at the beginning of the first Covid lockdown in 2020.  He was fine afterwards, but it left him with A-Fib.  He had a pacemaker installed, last Fall, and just recently he had surgery for a stent.   Right now he is on two blood thinners - Pravix and Eliquis, but will be taken  off the Pravix in another two weeks.   He feels great, and can do whatever he wants to do, at age 87.  It has not slowed him down.

It's so true that we all have health problems at this stage in life, and we have to carry on and do the best we can.  The Serenity Prayer helps, when things get difficult to handle.

Vanilla-Jackie

#21959
Quoting SANDY and MARILYNE...how true those words...

" My philosophy is that we all get something at this stage of life "

" my philosophy also, as none us will go through life unscathed as we get older day by day...as for me it is Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis which is here to stay till the day God takes me...and if it wasn't this it would be something else...Yes, we get what we get...

...Marilyne - Sandy, yes agree..." God, grant me / us the serenity to accept the things I / we cannot change "
" There is no present like the time "