Christmas 2009 and the Missing Ring

I had a wonderful Christmas with the family. Didnt make Church with my brother -I am bummed about that -but I will make it soon -just wanted to hear the Christmas Carole's. We spent Christmas day with the family at my brothers home -and My sister in law cooked a wonderful dinner for her family and ours . It is a nice blend of people. After sinner we all sing Christmas Songs and take the annual picture. My niece from Texas was in for the Holiday -her boy friend couldn't come due to work but her cousin's boyfriend came for the first year. We like him.

The following day we had our family over for the gift exchange. This year mother and I made a turkey ahead of time and served cold Turkey sandwiches. I also had hot gravy if anyone wanted hot turkey sandwiches. Dad and I cut up apples and grapes and raisins with walnuts and fat free Mayo -for a delicous Waldorf salad. It was perfect. But no pictures that night.

Over the holidays I got to visit with a friend for Penn State that lives in the area. We went to lunch at Quotations in Media Pa. I really liked it and I like Media. I think when I sell my house in
a few years and move back to PA, I will try for an apartment over one of the stores in Media. I wonder if the trolleys still run ? The tracks are still there and the Train still runs into Philly with connecting access to almost anywhere.

I also got to have a cup of tea with a HS friend and her husband and talk about everything and nothing. I miss my old friends -alot still live in the area.

I just got home to my house and when I called to tell my parents I was home -My Mother greeted me with "I found my wedding ring". She lost it about three months ago -right before they flew to Florida -if fact almost missed the plane searing for it in their home. NOW -while emptying the trash can -she heard something in the bottom of the can -when she pulled up the little bag can liner - THERE IT WAS. YEA -she was so upset and now she is very Happy.


Thank you God and St Anthony and everyone that made this another wonderful Christmas!


Pics:
1/3/ Rachel (22) and Heather(24) Christmas pictures

2/ Family Picture 2009 -

FR- Robin S (me) Parents Tom n Jerry S/ Mary and Joe C (karen's parents)/

BR- Deb n Barry M (my sister) Rachel S/ Craig n Jesse T (karens niece)/ Karen and Tom (brother and sister in law) Heather/ Tyler T (karens nephew) Denise n Don T (karens sister)

A Cheap Posting of my Christmas letter 2009

Merry Christmas 2009 and Happy New Year 2010 To Everyone :))))

This year has gone by so quickly –I have been retired 2 ½ years now and it seems like yesterday. I still am able to meet up with friends for lunch and occasional dinner out as often as the budget allows. I try to make the early matinee at the local movie theater –which only charges $5.00 for that show. Getting little things done around the house as I have the money –by a neighbor that is doing odd jobs. It works out well for me. I am doing ok –last stress test went very well –It has now been a year (Nov 2008) since my last 3 heart stents were added to the 4 from the heart attack visit. Knock on wood. Still belly dancing at my gym. Had my required colonoscopy and endoscopy –(friend Annie helped me out) and all is well. It was not a fun time. Still clearing out my house of stuff –yes it is going slow –and yes I am trying to clean as I go –smile. Not writing as much as I would like but blogging and of course Face Book and a book group at the CM county Library. I am forcing myself to read ‘good’ books –I dislike more than I like. But Mother is also reading them with me and that is nice.

My 40^th H.S. (Sun Valley) was a blast in August. I was feeling fine and danced (yes oldfriends were SHOCKED) all night long. Carol Cross-Todd and I went together (her husband declined to go this time) shared a room and had a blast kissing and hugging everyone and trying to remember all the OLD people. I can NOT be this old. Marian Sell-Lord kept dancing past and asking me who was I? And what did I do with Robin, who never dances? LOL Thank you Belly Dancing and Angelina!

Went on some day trips to Ellis Island and NYC ground zero and Hudson River Fall Foliage boat. Two trips. My niece Rachel went with me on the Ellis Island trip and I met up with Rach and her mother Karen for the second trip. I think we all had a nice ime.

Rachel graduated from Delaware Valley College in June and was able to fine a job with Cigna Insurance Co. (business major). She is also doing critical care pet sitting (diabetic shots /pills etc) and working at the Pet groomers.

Heather and her partner (I don’t know what to call him –he aint no boy and man-friend sounds to casual) anyway Heather and Ryan bought a house!!! in Magnolia, TX. It looks beautiful from the pics –I still haven’t seen it. Soon!

Tom and Karen are well. Tom will be Master of his Masonic Lodge in 2010 and is hoping to see Heather’s house soon. Yea, She will be home for CHRISTMAS- xoxoxoxo.

Mother and Dad are home from FL for the month. We lost her older brother, Jack Hampton, in the spring. It was sad but we celebrated his life.

Diane, Uncle Jack’s wife, is very ill and dying. I think she cant wait to dance with him again in Heaven. They were/are so strong in their faith.

My first girl cousins are getting together at every possible opportunity. They are all such strong and wonderful women. I am so blessed.

Deb and Barry went to Argentina to see his daughter, Kate and for Deb to meet Kate’s partner, Daniel for the first time. The trip was to short but they all had a good time. Barry was able to get to FL a couple of times in 2009 and help my parents with the house down there. Thank-you, Barry.

The best news is my dear little friend Kylie (who came for visits when my good friend, her mother Patty, lived with me for a short while) is now all grown and a MOM.

Oliver Timothy Listwan-Bush was born in October and I got to hold him when he was a week old.

sweet .

God Bless Y’all /love robin

We are not amused.

I am e-mailing my Sister to ask if she can drive the 2 hours down to my house.

" Can you come down after work on Nov xx? and stay over Friday the xxth? Bring ur keys. I have been researching -Colonoscopy-Endoscopy for a Diabetic/Hypertensive/Heart Attack survivor with 7 stents; and I am finding nothing on point -but lots of people say -you wll be out of it that day and maybe the next -so????? could you come down? i am not asking you to take off Thurs the xxth -I supposedly have arranged transportation . The Hospital will pick me up and return me to my house, on the xxth Thurs -so that is covered.

Oh YES I am freaking out

No popcorn 2 weeks be 4 (that means HALLOWEEEN :(((( )-I have to buy lots of clear liquid drinks --NO dark red or Purple -and it has to be w sugar -since I will not have any.

No Plavix or asprin 7 days before (sO THAT MEANS THE xTH OF NOV !!!!)

Something about diuretics and the RX prep pills -so i need to call the DR. AGAIN

Oh if they werent sure what sedative to give me =they will be after my first hundred calls

Just light foods after the xth -can i be in this house and not eat for 2 days? Plain noodles/chicken/turkey/ WHITE BREAD/ fat free stuff is ok / but no milk?in my tea? and i am craving lettuce -

I am a little stressed -they should offer Valium before the test.

Like a month before?"

If I dont make it -I am an organ donor and tell the med student that I still have my appendix -How cool is that in a 58 year old woman? -It should make up for the missing womb. :0

The only part I am looking forward to is...........the part that comes out after the procedure is finished and the body expels all that compressed air - Flatulence without smell -what a HOOT -I hope I remember that!

Attitude is everything -oh and a bathroom to yourself.

Helen Rothenberger Hampton's Granddaughters

I spent this weekend with my girl cousins.

see Photo ; Deb (my sister) Laura (in red) Connie (Laura's sister) Toni (in brown). Kelly (Toni's sister) and me


My Mothers' parents had four children. Two boys and two girls. 11 grandchildren -six of which are girls -and each girl has a sister. Our cousin Connie lives on the West Coast -but she is here helping with her dying mother, my mother's sister in law.

It is very sad but she is strong in her faith and has accepted her time here is short. My Uncle died this past Spring and I know he is waiting to dance with her again -like most couples of that generation. they loved to dance. At the party for their 50th wedding anniversary -I cried when they danced to their favorite song. So when we decided to have a girl cousin get together with Connie -we went to see Aunt Diane also.

It was a Kleenex weekend.

At one point we all gathered in her bedroom, on the bed and in chairs pulled in and she told us about how Uncle Jack asked her to marry him and meeting Our grandparents for the first time. We laughed with her and then left, when it was time for her nap. Later that day we went thru family reunion pictures , I had brought with me. I know we exhausted her, but she was so gracious to us.

Connie and Laura. arranged for a friend to come to the house and visit , while we all went out for a girl cousin dinner (Aunt Jerry, our mother, gave my sister, Deb and I money for the trip so we used it to treat all of us to dinner -with love from Aunt Jerry -it was a lovely surprise).

Then we all went back to Aunt Dianes home -where Connie is staying -and visited and laughed and mostly cried. Kelly and Toni lost their parents first and are a wonderful source of support , both practical and emotional. Deb and I can offer love and support anyway way needed. These women -all younger than I -are so courageous. they humble me. I am so proud of them and to be part of our family. My NaNa, would like her granddaughters, we are good, strong women.

I dont know what Deb thinks -but I am overwhelmed with the thoughts of my parents entering this stage in their life. When I came home I tried to talk about it -but they both changed the subject. I dont even know where the will is or who the lawyer is !

All of my Aunts and Uncles prepared their children for all the details and Uncle Dick even had his funeral home picked and had Thank you cards printed , to be sent after he died -It was a picture of an outhouse on the front and on the inside it said "When you Gotta Go -YOU Gotta GO !" ; he even signed mine! Jeeze..... I burst out laughing -my sister in law was very upset and cried.

Today my parents left to Fly down to Florida for the season -they will be back for Christmas -then fly back. But my Mother lost her wedding ring, She has lost weight and apparently it slipped off. She noticed it when she was putting cold cream on her hands but doesnt know when or where she lost it. SHE WAS VERY UPSET. A 59 year old , original gold band -she never wanted replaced. I hope St Anthony will help me find it while they are gone.

Life is funny.

One woman is saying goodbye , her wedding band still on her finger for however long God grants her life and then, in death, to dance with her husband again.

The other woman ,so very upset, knowing that unless she finds her missing ring, for the rest of her life she will miss that band of gold, from a man she can still hold.


I love them ALL..

Baby Shower

I am going to a Baby Shower on Saturday (actually it was Sunday - yes I went on the wrong day and then on the right day -I had a good time both days -Jeeze)

The shower is not a surprise. It is being given by a friend that use to be a neighbor- for her daughter. One of the requests on the invitation -was to bring YOUR favorite Baby Book for the wishing well -what a neat idea.

My favorite Book was 'The Little Mailman of Bayberry Lane". It is the story of a Chipmunk mailman -who identified a problem on his route with one of the residents. Initiated a plan and followed thru to the solution. Thereby effectively eliminating the problem to the satisfaction of all the residents.

Also it is a good story by Ian Munn and wonderful illustrations by Elizabeth Webb. Copyrighted by Rand McNally & Company MCMLII / 1952 . Ah, already you see the problem -It is out of print. I can not find my copy -sooooo I did the next best thing...........................

I searched on E-Bay and found one -well two and a Book with four stories which included my favorite. They were the ONLY ones on EBay -57 years later. I later found more on Amazon. My best friend is 38 -and he never even HEARD of this wonderful book. I was taking no chances. I ordered them all! The first one to come, was from the Goodwill of Bridgeport, CT.

I love this young woman having the baby shower -but I just got the one from Connecticut.

I dont want to give it away.

I held the brittle 57 year old book -with the name of some unknown little girl in the front -and gently read the words of this wonderful story of my youth. The colors in the illustrations are still rich and I can smell the Bayberry Candle made by Mrs Goose and taste the apple tart and lemon cakes made by Mrs.Pig.

How can I give this wonderful book to a little boy yet to be born? A rough and tumble little boy made of snails and puppy dog tails. Who will belong to a generation that may not even know what a mailman is or that yellow letters in yellow envelopes mean good news?

How can I not.

And so -I took it to Staples and had the brittle 56 year old pages laminated and then had them fastened with a spiral binding.

It will last until the he has his own Grand children -now THAT is a worthy present for the first baby of a dear girl, I have loved since she was 6 months old.

A Serendipitious Day With Rachel

My 60th Blog Post =Whew -I can not believe it -Just a little muse to practice my writing -well :))

Last Saturday I went on a trip thru Boscov's Travel Center and Atlantic Cape Community College. I planned to go alone -I had put out the word to various friends that always ask what i am doing next. I have time and interest -but little disposal money -so i really search for fun cheap and maybe ever free stuff to do. It is difficult to find free stuff -which is why i guess i spend so much time on the computer. It is my library/encyclopedia/ communicator and just neat almost free thing to do.

But no one was able to go -so I signed up solo.

The day bus trip was sold as: " -trace the path of our immigrant ancestors at Ellis island and take the Ferry back to Battery park for a guided tour of Lower Manhattan -including Battery Park, the Winter Garden, Wall street. Ground Zero, St Paul's Chapel and more. Dinner on our own at South Street Seaport." $89.00

I thought -like most of the 42 people on the bus that we would spend the day on Ellis Island and maybe take the ferry back to Liberty Island then back to Battery Park where the bus would drive us around for an hour with a local guide on the Microphone and then an hour or so for dinner. Having billed the trip as Ellis Island -we would spend most of the day there. Or so I thought.

Wrong- after the money was paid -about a week before the trip; the itinerary came out and the majority of the time was going to be spent on the four hours tour of lower Manhattan. :(( Bottom line -we got two really unusual tours and not sufficient time for the reason I bought the tour -Ellis Island!!

I could have spent 1 1/2 hours touring lower Manhattan and things relating to 9-11 . But that was all ; especially the day after the national coverage of the 8th anniversary. I would have liked to have spent all day at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Oh well.......

The best part was that my niece, Rachel (22 ),-decided she wanted to go on the trip with me! She graduated from college this year and has a job and a pay check and decided to spend the weekend with me. I am so blessed.

She lives in Pennsylvania, so she drove the almost 2 hours EAST and stayed with me Friday night and Saturday after we got home exhausted. We left my house at 5:30AM and drove to the Shore Mall around 6:15am -encountered no traffic -so we were on time) Rachel was up at 4:00 to shower and my alarm did not go off -but my back up cell phone alarm woke me at 4:30 -I showered the night before and had gotten everything together -sort of -I had about 4 hours of sleep -maybe :)) Rachel kept me on schedule. :))

I had a wing woman!!! to travel with -it was nice -Rachel is a very positive -upbeat friendly person -who likes to sit by the window (I like the the isle) is up for anything (the NYC tour guide had us walking Lower Manhattan in the rainy misty day and most of the people elected to stay on the bus -I had the wrong shoes on but Rachel had worn puddle splashing boots -so she splashed all ove NYC :)) and dear sweet Rachel -controlled me very well -'NO Aunt Robin we can NOT go off on our own and meet the bus -we dont know New York and there are lots of big white buses". Alone i would have stayed on Ellis and met up with the bus at Fulton Street. wherever that was compared to wherever I was. yea right.

It was awful when I missed the ferry from Skye back to the mainland of Scotland. The tour had to wait for me. It was unintended , I believe, but the tour guide had messed up and instead of a half day on Skye (as planned) we only had an hour. I was really upset -still makes me angry when I think about it. I think I may have to go back to Scotland.

Rachel and I had a nice dinner at Pier 17 (South Street Seaport)-third floor food court -Craepes (yes with an 'a') -I had a ham and cheese / Rachels was sweet spmething. I had never had one -it was good.

In fact the whole trip was good -not what I had expected -but good.

My next trip I really am solo -same tour group -up to Hudson River to see the fall Foliage. I still have no itinerary. But our tour guide did and apparently we will be seeing West Point and a Winery. I will pass on the Winery. So another adventure in travel. LOL Rachel and her mother may join me on the Hudson -because Boscov Travel centers are ALL offering the same trip on the same day and Karen called and they said we all meet up on one boat. LOL sure ............an adventure in the making!

Would I like to go back to Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty Island ?-YES YES IN a heart beat. I really enjoyed it but missed a whole exhibit -the new wall and walking outside. Inside the walls are hung with hugh blow up pictures of some of the immigrants. I cried when the audio tape had the people tell their stories in their own words. There was so much I didnt get to see and read and research I never even started.

If you go and you should (but not with little Kids) www.nps.gov/stli or call 1-212363-3200 for info and hours.
Access is only by Ferry and security like the airport is before you board.

Go back to NYC ?-no. Ground Zero and the horrible destruction we saw from all the media coverage -was somber. So maybe when the memorial is completed ?-no -Manhattan is still a dirty, crowded city. I have other places to go....................

-except maybe..... a Broadway Show again (Mama Mia?) when Patty M. took me for my Birthday (Mary Poppins) one year and we found that neat third floor walk up Indian place that did waxing and henna tattoos and THREADED eyebrows - ok I would go back to have my eyebrow's done again and a show.

Oh and Lunch at Sardi's -yep -Rachel would love that :))

Catch Up

I have written this blog at least twice -but each time have erased it by accident and then the auto save -saves a blank page.

It may have something to do with the fake gel nails I have on my fingers -for my HS reunion. Smile. They are very awkward and weird -but i love how my huge hands look so graceful, feminine and sexy. It makes me feel that way also. Maybe i will just have to find the money to treat myself with nails and a pedicure -more than every two years. I am not complaining -i am very blessed in my retirement -I am just still getting use to a budget. I could go onto EBay I guess and sell all the stuff I am taking to the ARC Thrift shop -but once the decision is made to donate it and put it into the bag -I have to get it out of the house FAST. So far more than 100 bags and only two regrets:
1/a double mattress pad and 2/ a set of twin bed sheets. Of course I am almost ready to go thru the house again. Ok so maybe this time -it will be EBay.

The reunion on Aug 14 and 15. was incrdible. From the Friday night Icebreaker to the actual reunion at the Corcordville Inn, Rt 1, Delaware County Pa. Our class was 312 and about 98 classmate and 15 others came on Saturday. I danced -for the first time at ANY reunion -all night. ( Marian kept coming up and dancing and saying -'Who are you and what did you do with Robin -she never dances?" LOL) Didnt get to talk much -but I had a wonderful time. My friend Carol and I split a room at the Hotel -her husband did not want to come this year -and it was one of the best ideas we had. Carol and I were asked to help with the crowd flow while everyone was registering, So we were able to meet and greet everyone first. It was so much FUN.

Later everyone is posting candids on Facebook -What a HOOT. I really like these people. Not many of them live in the area. But when I move back in three years -It will be ok. I feel closer to those classmates after 40 years and most people I have met since =with the exception of a very few.

I have to work on that.