Norms Bait and Tackle

[patricia19]

Perhaps it is city versus small town? I only know that free neighborhood play is still alive and well here and in Idaho, where my sister lives, and we just discussed it over her cellphone call.

[MaryPage]

Hollar if you get sick of these "lessons."

When our Forefather's settled on a spot on the Potomac River, which feeds into, Guess what, Class?

You got it in one: the Chesapeake Bay!  Woo hoo!  Good on You!

They asked the Free State of Maryland on the one side of that river to give up some land for the Capital City for the new U.S.A.  And they asked the same of The Old Dominion, the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Both agreed, and the two portions together, if my memory serves me right, came to ten square miles.  After the city was laid out in plans (Pierre L'Enfant?), it was decided the Virginia portion would not be needed, and so they gave that back to Virginia.  So all of Washington was a gift from Maryland.  There is a humongous Beltway surrounding D.C., and every exit can take you into Washington, or into Virginia or Maryland.  Virginia was part of the Confederacy in the Civil War, while Maryland was Union.  There was a HUGE sentiment for the Southern cause in Maryland, however; and this has always been sung about in Maryland's official song.  They've been trying to change it ever since, to no avail as yet.

[Vanilla-Jackie]

Beef dripping sandwich, or spread on toast, toasted with our toasting fork over a blaring coal fire...three layers in the clear Pyrex measuring jug, the solid dripping fat, the jelly, the brown salted liquid, cant remember the order, who eats this nowadays...but wasn't it a luxury treat...

[MaryPage]

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2Fa%2Fa1%2FDC_locator_map_with_state_names.jpg%2F230px-DC_locator_map_with_state_names.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FGeography_of_Washington%2C_D.C.&tbnid=a--W5_mFCEMNzM&vet=12ahUKEwjA3-W4stbwAhURhuAKHehtCi4QMygIegUIARCpAg..i&docid=dnHC6jcKBFaGxM&w=230&h=178&q=MAP%20OF%20D.C.%20MD%20%26%20VA&ved=2ahUKEwjA3-W4stbwAhURhuAKHehtCi4QMygIegUIARCpAg

Hoping this simple map will make it entirely clear what happened.  Washington, D.C. is the little red space.  You can see it lies only on One Side of the Potomac River.  If you go over to the right (East) in almost a straight line, you will find Annapolis on the shores of the mighty Chesapeake.  On the Washington, D.C. side: not across the Bay.

[MaryPage]

Oh, shoot; it didn't take.  Well, if you want to see it, google "map of D.C. MD & VA

Then go into IMAGES

And scroll down to a very white, plain map with a smudge of Red in the center.  That will show you.

[patricia19]

Here you go, MaryPage!

https://tinyurl.com/2f9h6sdy

[MaryPage]

You never cease to amaze me, Patricia!  Thank you.

I found no other map that showed what happened as perfectly as this one.  The Potomac begins to dwindle off before it even gets to Washington. There is an island right smack in the middle of that now-small river right where the Georgetown portion of D.C. is located.  This looks out upon Georgetown University, and you can sit and have a picnic and watch the sculling teams from that island.

Originally, it was Mason Island, for one of George Mason IV's sons, who owned it.  Now it is Roosevelt Island, for Teddy, not Franklin.  There is a very beautiful memorial to Teddy Roosevelt on the island now, and most visitors to Washington, D.C. completely miss it.  It even has a moat!  And it is such a peaceful spot.  If you send your grandkids or great grandkids to tour their nation's capital, DO tell them to ask how to get on that island!  It is easy.  Motor over Key bridge to the Virginia Side and walk over the causeway onto Theodore Roosevelt Island.  It is part of our National Parks, now.  It is officially part of Washington, not Virginia.

Can you see that our Nation's Capital was measured off to be a perfect square originally?  And so it was, until they gave the Virginia portion back.

See the pointy part pointing East to the Bay? Follow that to the shore of the Chesapeake, and you cannot miss Annapolis.

I suggest if you are interested that you Google Theodore Mason Island, Washington, DC and then pull up Images.  You will be astonished at how beautiful it is.  And it is a FUN place to go.  One of my all time favorite spots.  So raise your hand if you've toured DC, but never heard of this island!

[Marilyne]

Mary Page -  I'm one of the few, who has never had the pleasure of visiting DC, Maryland or Virginia.    Too late now, so I can only enjoy and learn about the entire area, from your most interesting history lesson.   The maps posted help to clarify everything.   

Callie -  your elementary school sounds like it was about the same size and shape as the one I attended for eight years, plus kindergarten.  Funny coincidence is the tennis court!  We also had a tennis court, with high chain link fence, that must have been part of the original plans for the school.   Nobody ever used it for playing tennis!  Probably because nobody had a tennis racket?  I know I didn't, and neither did any of my friends and neighbors.  So we used this large space as you did,  for roller skating, playing jacks, and jumprope.   We also had a covered bicycle shed, that was quite large, open on both ends, and always shaded.   So that was a favored spot for jumprope, when it was hot.   Also an outside area for eating lunch, that was open on all sides, with a shed style roof.     Last time I visited the school, which was in the late 1980's, the outdoor lunch area and the bike shed were both gone - but the tennis court was still there, and looked exactly the same.

Jackie - your description of the beef dip sandwich makes me hungry!  Sure would go well for dinner tonight, but I have to be happy with much simpler fare.  I haven't decided what as yet, but I always manage to come up with something.       

[MarsGal]

I like that MaryPage - Free Range Kids. I was one. And we did range - from one end of the town to the other, down to the river and the nearby creek, wading unsupervised, and up over the top of the hill and through the woods to pick blackberries, picnic, and onto Mr. Fox's property to watch the sheep and his two sheep dogs. The property is now planted in homes, so sad. Mr. Fox was one of our Jr. High School teachers, but I never had a class of his.

[Sandy]

Free Range Kids.. 
Yes,  I was also one of them, but
My Mother knew where I was every
minute.   And if I slipped away
unnoticed. she would not stop until
she found me.   As I grew up,
she loosened the reins on me.. 
So I wasn't a free range kid,  but I
did grow up when they were all around
me..   !

[Vanilla-Jackie]

I remember once wandering off a few miles with a couple of boys i played with ( no girls to play with in my area, ) down to the salt hills, not knowing the danger of running up and down them, and very deserted...I had a row and attempted to find my way back home by myself, and i was not sure so, as i had to pass a long row of factories-offices, i went in and said i was lost, a suited man brought me home in his car, it wasn't far but i had ventured further than i should have done and could not remember my way back...a lesson learnt...I would have been between age 7 - 10

There was a road not too far from our homes with a bridge that traffic went through and the train went over and at the side was a steep bank of coal, us children climbed up towards the live rails then slid down the coal to the bottom, so you can imagine the state i was in wearing a pretty cotton summer dress walking home, and the good telling off i got...another lesson learnt, and a lecture on the danger of an electric live rail...

[MaryPage]

Scary stuff, Jackie! Made me shiver!

[patricia19]

Before age seven, while my mother worked, I had a babysitter and a fenced yard to play in. After age seven, my older sister and I were allowed to play in the neighborhood, which consisted of a five-block area.

We played some crazy games such as Bluff, where two people rode their bikes around a blocklong abandoned factory heading toward each other, never knowing when the other would round that corner. Luckily, only one broken arm resulted in many attempts.

We also roller skated, ice skated and played dodge ball, tetherball, tag, red rover, ran races and built treehouses out of scraps, and, I hate to admit it, had rock fights with rival neighborhood groups. There were perhaps ten to fifteen of us at different times and my sister and I, the only girls.

 Even as the elementary school, (grades, kindergarten through sixth), was in our neighborhood, the only girls we saw were when school was in session. So the play was rough and tumble. My older sister and I grew up during the fifties, and my youngest sister in the sixties, so different times and places.

My younger sister, born when I was ten, came home to the new house we had moved to and grew up with a group of girls, so her experiences were different as my mother no longer was working and was at home instead of a babysitter.

[Marilyne]

I was thinking this morning that it's likely each of us has a place where we go, or an activity at home, that we especially  enjoy, because it makes us temporarily forget our personal worries, illnesses, or the problems of our loved ones.  A place where we feel calm, and can forget about the ever present political turmoil here in the US, and the wars, deaths and illnesses going on in countries around the world.  Every care melts away when we are in our happy place, or engaging in our happy activity.  A feeling of calm prevails, and we come away relaxed and rejuvenated. 

My place of enjoyment, is any large antique mall, or shop, where I can slowly make my way through the many and varied  booths and displays from  another time and another place..  It's quiet and comfortable and you can linger as long as you like.   All of our antique shops and malls closed during the pandemic, and I missed them so much!  Now they're open again, and I can resume my favorite activity.  I never or rarely buy anything, except for gifts.  It's just the feeling of being there amongst all those old familiar things from the past, that makes me feel so good.

Tell us about some activity you all enjoy and look forward to - either at home, or somewhere else, that gives you that relaxed and positive feeling?     I remember that my Mother's "happy place",  was going to the park, and just sitting on a bench, and watching the children playing and climbing and chasing  each other.  She said it filled her with renewed energy, and hope for the future.

[patricia19]

My happy place is also outdoors, be it summer, winter, or any season. I can lose my worries, tension, or any headaches simply by walking among trees or alongside running water.

 Even in my remembered dreams, I'm in, on, or by moving waters. I wonder how many others are that shaped by the world they grew up in?

I'm lucky in that there are so many places left that I, with my limited mobility, can still access and gain a feeling of peace among the madness gripping so many.

[Marilyne]

Patricia  -  A understand your love and enjoyment of nature and being outside in it. Also, I relate to your dreams that take place near water! Most of mine do too.   When I was a young woman, I loved being at the beach, and watching and listening to the ocean waves crashing on shore, and breathing in the fresh salt air.  Sitting on a towel or low chair on the sand, or on a bench on the pier, was so refreshing and relaxing.  I remember feeling like all of my cares and worries were draining out of my system.  Too hard now to get to the beach, although it's less than 20 miles away.  It's a winding drive over a mountain pass, and then finding a parking place, and lots of walking.  I used to love walking in the sand back then, but I'm afraid it would be difficult for me now.  So I've replaced the beach, with the calm, quiet of the antique stores, filled with interesting or beloved items from long ago, that make me happy.  I know that's a hard one for most people to relate to. 
 

[patricia19]

Marilyne, while we have several local antique stores of the type it sounds like you mean, we also have several what I think of as novelty shops for those with money.

The type that carries wooden barreled fountain pens, Laurel Burch earrings or sweatshirts, and those large floral cloth bags,  and Italian tabletop music boxes,  among other expensive, unique items to display in your home carelessly, and show how au currant or selectivity on point you are. Their racked, textured paper greeting cards are sophisticated, and the novelties are behind glass doors while the stuffed animals are larger than you are.

I sometimes go in to wander around and make-believe I can afford their wares. I don't do it that often as it makes me want what I know, I can't afford or actually use. But sometimes I wish I was that person.

The antique stores are worth it because normally, you buy a thought-out purchase and it usually appreciates, such as my milk glass or my green vaseline depression glass.


About not returning to the ocean, do what I do when my night's restless. You mentally place yourself in that location in a mediative way and breathe in and then out. For example, your mind's going a mile a minute. So you set a mental brake, put yourself in that setting. Imagine the salt air, the freshness, and the sound of the waves ceaselessly rolling in and then softer, going back out.

Breathe in deeply through your nose, wait for a count of two and breathe out slowly through your mouth. Totally concentrate only on both the scene in your head and your breathing.

I've never learned to chant ohm and meditate, but I can turn my brain off and put myself under with this method. I use a forested walk by a stream with a wind gently rustling the leaves. You do you;  use the ocean or whatever scene works best for you.

[MaryPage]

My favorite spots have changed rather drastically with age and place over the years. In my imagination, I have fashioned a scenario that has never actually existed for me, so who knows whether it would actually do the trick, or not. I usually pull out this picture when I have had the unwelcome thought cross through my mind that I am probably the laziest person EVer.  Then I see me propped up on pink silk pillows of many shapes on a large round bed fitted out with pink silk sheets.  I am reading a book, with a large stack of them to one side of me.  I am popping chocolates, from a huge box of those to the other side of me, into my mouth while reading, with a large stack of unopened boxes of chocolates right there. This is very early motion picture show stuff, as anyone anywhere close to my age will agree; and I have probably had that picture that expresses the secret me since young girlhood. 

In my dreams, I am often in a flowered meadow, lying under a large, shady tree. It is obviously the height of summer, wherever I am.

My favorite spot on Earth is the Shenandoah Valley, also known as the Valley of Virginia, completely surrounded by the Appalachians and the Blue Ridge. Home sickness has been automatic just thinking of that place for most of my long life.

But honestly, given that in reality we cannot wind the reel back to a specific time and/or place, I have to give up a slew of favorite places and choose the one I like best right here.

It is my easy chair. It is not a rocker or a recliner. It is a perfectly ordinary easy chair. I bought it just for me. Back in 1996 at Belfort Furniture in Sterling, Virginia.

Belfort Furniture is the largest such place I have ever seen. If you can't find it there, you can't find it ANYwhere! Excepting the sell-direct manufacturers.  It is at least several football fields big. The store, not the chair. I went there knowing in my head that I would know my chair when I saw it. I've told everyone all of these years, and it is not all that far away from the truth, that I sat in at least four hundred and thirty-six chairs that day.  You see, I knew it had to fit ME. What I mean by that, I cannot describe.

I let out a large sigh when my body knew we had found each other.  The salesman, who had kept fairly good tabs on where I was for simply hours now, looked in on me and knew this particular salesroom with this particular chair had finally won the day and cinched his sale.  I said yes, that was the case, but now I needed an ottoman to go with.  I explained that what I REALLY needed was a chaise, but I had learned I was losing the bodily muscles to make a chaise go this way and that, while I attempted to get off it with a scrap of grace or dignity. He smiled broadly and disappeared, while I fell back into the chair and closed my eyes.  When he came back, and it took a while, he had an ottoman in his hands. It fit perfectly. Next came the material, and I told him that would take no time to speak of, as I wanted a flowery glazed chintz, and, again, I would know the one the instant I saw it. And so it went. A white background with blue & pink flowering somethings and lots of green leaves. He wrote it all up and it was delivered in a few weeks and I have lived in it and loved it every minute since. It sits in my bedroom and looks out of floor to almost ceiling sliding glass doors upon my blue pots full of many shades of pink geraniums on the bayside deck. These windows also show a view of a huge lot full of large and wonderful trees. I am so lucky to have water AND trees. The sliding glass doors in the living room open out onto the same balcony/deck, but the water predominates.

So I watch my Smart TV from that chair. I talk on the phone, a land line, from that chair. I read and nap and listen to music and rest my bones in that chair. My chair. All mine. There ya go! Best spot in the world, or near nuf.

[MaryPage]

P.S. Don't like shopping. Loved the beach as a child, but it lost its charms for me from puberty onward. I am more of a mountain lake person. Canoes & kayaks and lots of trees, and chilly nights even in summer. No sand. I am not fond of sand. I like me comforts! Very few people. Lots of books to read.

[so_P_bubble]

What about a photo of that chair?

https://www.seniorsandfriends.org/index.php?topic=384.msg198286#msg198286

[patricia19]

MaryPage, I agree with Bubble; what about a shot of that chair?

You write so beautifully. And humorous and, at times, compelling. While I'm not a seaside type, like three sides of my state or similar to you and Marilyne, I love the rivers, mountains, and trees of my Interior. Other than the twenty years, following a husband or two from one military to another, I've lived the other fifty next to forests, trees, and their wildlife.

I've been to, thru and lived among several large cities, San Antonio, Knoxville, Jackson, Anchorage, Chicago, and Cincinnati come to mind. But the smaller cities of 1000 or less, nestled in the woods and nourished by rivers, have always felt more like home.

[MaryPage]

Oh Lordy, Bubble: that's not just a fountain in Rome!  That's the Trevi!

I never got to see it.  Bob did, when a conference took him there.  We were going to go, had our plans all writ down in a tour itinerary, and he got sick.

So I never oogled the Trevi.  Except in dreams while looking at pictures.  My chair is old, now, and like many of us, battered by the ravages of time.  Did I mention I had them put rollers on the ottoman?  Well, I did, and the getting on and off the chaise is still a piece of cake.  Pictures will follow sometime today.  I'll email them to Bubble, and she can choose.  My chair is flattered by the attention and requests.

[Marilyne]

Mary Page -  I wish we had a Belfort Furniture Store, or something similar here, but no such luck.  We only have the department stores with their limited selection, or chain stores like La-Z-Boy, of questionable quality.  The chair I use now for TV watching and reading, is only good for about a half hour of comfort.  I'm an old lady, with no padding left, so these bones need something that's well constructed, small, soft, and supportive.   I've pretty much given up, and have resorted to arranging extra seat pillow, side pillows and back pillow, in my old broken down recliner.  (No longer reclines, which is okay by me!)

I never got to see the Trevi Fountain, either.  I've only enjoyed pictures, travelogues and movies where it's been featured.  Remember the 1950's movie -  Three Coins in the Fountain?    I was entranced by the Trevi then, and also, probably a little bit in love with Louis Jourdan.      

[MaryPage]

Really? I always thought he was too short. Also, didn't he have quite an accent? Good lookin', though; I'll give you that. Me, I swooned over another shorty: Alan Ladd.  I read once that he had to stand on boxes when next to his leading ladies, so as to appear taller than they, albeit the opposite was the truth. My true love was Leslie Howard, at least until he was killed in WWII when I was about 14. Later, I dreamed of Paul Newman.

[patricia19]

Evidently during WWII, Howard served England as a propagandist and was quite well known and active in that role. "in one broadcast Howard even used what was considered strong language for the 1940's when he said "To hell with whether what I say is propaganda or not, I've never stopped to figure it out and I don't think it matters anymore."'

"Howard left Portugal in June 1943 on a civilian Douglas DC-3 which flew regularly across the Bay of Biscay as there was an informal agreement for both sides to respect the neutrality of civilian planes. On this day, however, the agreement was ignored and six Junkers JU88 fighters shot it down killing all seventeen passengers and crew. The news of the death of incredibly popular Leslie Howard shocked the British people, and the reason for the German action raised many questions which have not been fully answered to this day.

Why was the plane shot down? Was it an accident or deliberate? If deliberate, who was the target?"

[CallieOK]

I've been reading posts on my Tablet but do NOT like trying to "type" on it.  However, I've come to the computer and want to go back and comment on all the really interesting topics MaryPage is introducing!  Bravo, Marypage   

Going back to playing with friends:    I grew up on 165 acres of pasture-land that were 2 miles from the small town limits. I'm an "only" so learned to entertain myself early on.  Although friends spent time out at our house and my parents welcomed my high school "crowd", those times always had to be arranged.
 My grandmother/aunt lived in town and quite a few of my classmates lived in that neighborhood.  I often envied them for being able to walk out the door and have a group to interact with.

Husband and I did the same for our friends and those of our sons but, now I'm glad I am comfortable being by myself.

Although I live near a very busy city intersection, the back yards on my side of the complex street overlook an undeveloped area with a small creek that runs into a larger creek along the west side of the complex.

My favorite spot is - and has always been - somewhere that's peaceful and quiet.  So my patio, comfortable chair with my e-books and comfy armchair looking out at my bird feeders and the gently waving shrubs and cottonwood trees (except when the "cotton" is blowing"} are my "go to" places.  Sometime during the past 20 years since I've been an "Independent Individual" (I prefer that to "widow" or "alone"), I've realized that a good way to unstress is to organize something. So, occasionally, my office work table is a Good Spot.

I saw the Trevi fountain on a tour of Italy in 2007.  This was my 5th European tour and it was my least favorite! The tour was from Rome to Florence and I was very uncomfortable in both places.  Reason was the groups of young people (not Italian but I don't dare i.d. them any farther) who were following tourists and pestering them to buy cheap scarves, etc.  This was technically illegal but the groups disappeared whenever the police strolled by - and were back again as soon as they were out of sight.
The visit to the Trevi fountain was ruined by a group of young men who had bottles of bubble stuff and were blowing them in tourists' faces. 

I had read that gypsy mothers often drugged their babies and would thrust them at a tourist who would then, of course, automatically, reach for the child - at which time, the mother's "companion" would snatch the tourist's purse or camera. 
We saw women carrying what looked like sleeping children in the Piazza Duomo in Florence and, so, could barely enjoy the sight details.

Re: swooning over actors. Remember movie magazines?  The sister of a good friend subscribed to several and "The Super Six", as I call my high school BFFs, would pour over them sighing at our favorites. 
I remember reading that Alan Ladd had to stand on a box and Paul Newman/Robert Redford were favorites.
Sorry, MaryPage, but I always though Leslie Howard was "prissy"-looking.

My husband's first teaching job was in a small rural school in eastern Colorado.  He was the Senior class sponsor -  all three of them!!!!  The class was larger when they were in 7th grade and a parent had given the class a calf to raise and sell to fund their Senior activities.  So we took them to Los Angeles for that Spring Break.
We went to watch one of the t.v. shows that featured movie stars paired with the contestants.  Cornel Wilde was one of the stars and the kids did not understand my  reaction at all.   

Just got a text from #2 son that he's on the way to my house.  So I'll stop chattering ("and all the people said, "Amen")and say

Ciao for now.

[Marilyne]

Callie - good to see a nice long message from you. Sounds like your visit to the Trevi fountain, was  a disappointment.  How can you enjoy the beauty of any structure or landmark, if you are being pestered, distracted and tricked by opportunistic strangers!  I would hate that, and would ruin things for me as well.

So nice that you have some calm and peaceful  places, right in your own yard, where you can relax and destress!  Much easier than jumping the the car and driving to a park or beach or antique mall.  I always feel like I have to get away, in order to feel refreshed.   
For some reason, that reminded me of a book I read long, long ago, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh.  It was called,  Gift From the Sea.  I don't remember much about it,  but it's sort of coming back to me now?  It dealt with finding a place alone, where you can find solace and comfort?    I'm definitely going to look for that book at the library and read it again.

Mary Page,  I have to confess that I Googled Louis Jourdan, and found out that he was a nice tall 5'11".  He was born in 1921, in France, and during the German occupation, he joined the French underground.  He married in 1946 and was married to the same woman for 68 years!!  His wife died in 2014 and he died a year later in 2015.  So now you know more than you ever wanted to know about Louis Jourdan!

I thought he was extremely handsome, but he was definitely not my favorite actor.  That would be,  James Stewart.   Not only was he was a fine actor, but he was a fine person as well.  He was in so many wonderful movies, that are now classics, and I saw every one - and continue to watch them on Turner Classic Movies, whenever they play.   Steward would probably be followed by Cary Grant - another one who has an endless string of great movies, that I still enjoy.   

[Tomereader1]

And my favorite actor, back in that time, and I know it sounds crazy, but I was absolutely gob-smacked by Sheppard Strudwick. He was not what you call an A-list actor, but was quite competent.  Sometimes cast as a not-so-good guy.  I think I was in love with his wavy, salt and pepper hair!  Of course, I was also "in love" with Fred Astaire, because of his dancing!

[patricia19]

I had to look him up but I remembered him when I saw the photos!

I was very taken by the tall, dark and handsome cliche which both of my husbands favored, black hair, over six foot, green eyes, and both from Kentucky, not that I had a type, oh no...

My crazy youthful crush was from the television show, Paladin, Have gun, Will travel, with Richard Boone. He was also Pat Boone's cousin

[MaryPage]

I find myself very confused.  I wrote a reply to Marilyne's post and then posted it and then reread it and then turned off the computer and watched the evening news and went for a walk.  After dinner I came in here to see if the photo of my chair sent to Bubble had shown up yet, and my post is Gone!  I cannot recall saying anything the least bit offensive or anything, so I cannot figure it out.  I said something in that post to Marilyne to the affect that my misremembering Louis Jourdan as short was My Bad.  Can anyone else remember reading that? Oh well, Jenny has been complaining of losing posts, as well and all.  Perhaps we are both misremembering.  Is that a word?

Good night; sweet dreams.