Red Nose

Day 22: Peppermint I love peppermint. My favorite tea? Peppermint. My favorite chewing gum? Peppermint. Life Saver? Pep O Mint. Soap? Dr. Bronner's Pure Castile Peppermint. (All one! All one! (IYKYK)) This time of year brings a plethora of peppermint. So far, I've tried the Wendy's peppermint Frosty - delicious. Zwahlen's, our chocolate and ice cream emporium, released their peppermint stick ice cream yesterday - superb. Finally, today's delightful cube of chewiness was peppermint! It... Read more →

Okay then, it’s the eighth shortbread finger - just the thing to sweeten up quarantine. Tonight is the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. It is also the 50th anniversary of the longest night of my life. At the end of that long, cold night, I saw the most beautiful sunrise. And I knew that I’d walked into hell and come out the other side, into the light of a new day, heading... Read more →

You find the damnedest things when you open an old photo box. Y'know, like old ticket stubs. From the 90s. Those were some great shows, every single one of them. Let's start with the non-rock shows. Five Guys Named Moe celebrated the music of Louis Jordan, the great jump blues sax player and bandleader. We saw that show at Ford's Theater, home of the most uncomfortable theater seats ever. (If you go to a show... Read more →

Joe loves vinyl records. When we moved here to Pennsylvania, we found a couple of great record stores - one in Doylestown and one in Phoenixville - and boom. The store in Phoenixville closed, but apparently when God closes one record store, he opens another one. So we had to go and check it out. Now, Joe is the one who usually buys the records, but I do flip through the offerings and occasionally pick... Read more →

Quite a while ago, the lovely and talented Bev tagged me on Facebook with the "List 25 Random Things about Yourself and Tag Another 25 People" meme. Of course it sailed right past me, but then my mind stopped short and said, "Wait a sec. Didn't Bev tag you to do something or other?" So I looked it up and sure enough, I was tagged. Now I'm a spoilsport who never tags anyone else, and... Read more →

My older sister, Joanne Wise Williams, died last Monday. She was 84. Joanne was almost 16 years older than I. I used to open her closet and gaze at her beautiful dresses, hoping that someday I would have dresses as pretty as that. She got married when I was nine. I got to be a Junior Bridesmaid, while my younger sister was the Flower Girl. And I had a beautiful dress too! So many Thanksgivings,... Read more →

Snow is pouring down, adding to the snow we got yesterday, falling on top of a layer of sleet. Oh, the joy of living on the rain/snow line! I am at the point in my life when I can gaze out of the window and enjoy the pretty scene without worrying about shoveling, shopping, or driving. Apartment living has its advantages, and having parking spots in the garage really has its advantages! It is worth... Read more →

As soon as my Pop heard about Pearl Harbor, he was determined to join the military. The Army didn't want him, so he joined the Navy. Because of his age, education, and experience, he started his service as a Lieutenant JG Gunnery Officer, and was in charge of the Navy Armed Guard on cargo ships. He served on the SS Esso Concord, the SS Trevilian, and the SS William Pepper. My Mom kept a scrapbook... Read more →

Mom was born 109 years ago today. Happy birthday to you, Mom! I love this picture of her. This was taken on Christmas Eve, probably right around the turn of the century, so she was very close to 90 years old. Check out that Bloody Mary she was drinking! She was very particular about her Bloody Marys - there was always a bottle of vodka under the sink and a bottle of Clamato in the... Read more →

So that last post was a little heavy, eh? Thank you all for your love, your hugs, and your understanding. Now, let's head on over to Sunday Stealing for something a little lighter. Where did your name come from? My father suggested "Mary" because every Catholic family needed a "Mary." My mother chose my middle name, Ramon, after the priest who converted her to Catholicism. Where were you born? Takoma Park, Maryland. What was your... Read more →