Little Annie turned six years old the other day. She wanted a strawberry cake with white icing, blue sprinkles and purple butterflies. She asked for mint chocolate chip ice cream. She also wanted to go bowling as a family. Those were simple requests from a gentle spirited, kind and loving little girl.
We are so happy you are in our lives, Anne Marie. We love you very much.
I have tried so many times to find the right words that will do justice to memorialize my mother. But all will fall so very short and ring empty when compared with the flood of emotions in my heart. My dear mother, Beverly, passed away yesterday at the age of 73 from complications of pneumonia. I am still in shock and am reeling with sadness over the huge loss that we have experienced. My mother has been the most devoted, trustworthy friend, confidant and companion to me since I was born. She has devoted her entire life to loving me, her only child, and my family. She has always been there. And now she is gone. The void is tremendous and I am crushed, as are my children. But out of the aching sadness comes the whisperings of joy that she is now at peace. We take refuge in the promises of Christ which tell us that Mom is now surrounded by those she loved who passed before her.
May her soul and all the souls of the faithfully departed, rest in peace.
Safe home Mom. Oh, how we love you.
Summer has come and gone. I have written and rewritten posts summarizing our last few months but they all sound pale and faint compared to the real thing. Our summer was like most of our summers--equal doses of fun and relaxation. My favorite day this summer was mudpie day. Annie made mudpies while Chris and Mary swam in the river. Tess stayed on the shore and skipped rocks with me. We did so many other things but this day stands out as a magical, lovely moment that I will remember when I am old and grey. (Well, older and greyer than I already am. :) ) And rather than continue to try to describe it in words, I will just post the photos.
Other highlights:
Our summer was rich and memorable. We recently planted mums near the front door and put out scarecrows and pumpkins. Fall is in the air and I am happy because it is my favorite season of the year. I love it when the air is cool and crisp and the heavy humidity is gone. It's nice to be able to wear a sweater with a pair of jeans and be comfortable.
I hope all of you had enjoyable summers. I hadn't checked google reader for a couple of months and when I returned, there were 534 posts to read. I'm embarassed to say that I marked them "all read" rather than try to catch up. I hope to be better at keeping up with reading blog posts. Happy Fall! :)
Love, Rebecca
Sometimes, as I go about my days, I realize there are things around my home and life that I am fond of and that I'd like to share with you. So I've decided to post them one at a time and share the stories behind them...sort of like an online "Show and Tell". When I was a little girl in elementary school, we had Show and Tell on Fridays. So, in keeping with that tradition, I will post one of my favorite things each Friday. It would be nice if you'd like to do it too. I don't have a clue how to make a blog button or use a Mr. Linky. But if I did, it would be fun to collect all of our posts in one place so we could have Show and Tell together.
The first thing I'd like to share with you is a photograph of my grandfather's tool and die shop.
I think this photo was taken around 1935-1940. The man on the far left is my paternal great- grandfather, Johann, who immigrated from what was then Austria-Hungary. He spoke seven languages fluently and came from a family of Hungarian gypsies, hence the name of this blog. When he came to America, he founded the General Die and Tool Corporation which thrived in the Cleveland area for decades before closing in the 1960s. When my great-grandfather passed away, my grandfather, John, took over the business. John is second from right in the photograph, wearing the vest and tie. His younger brother, Bill, is on his right. My father often worked there as a young boy, sweeping the floor and learning drafting skills.
My grandfather John lived in a large brick house near a pond. He and I often walked down to the pond to feed the beautiful swans that made it their home. His home and property was a magical place to me with so many happy memories and places to explore. My grandfather's people were very musical and he was no exception. I vividly remember him walking around his home serenading me with his violin or accordion. He allowed me to sit on the bench beside him while he played the organ. He often played Strauss on his old Victrola. He wore his ever-present three piece suit and I stood on his feet while we danced to the music.
I have the photo of the tool and die shop on display in my home. It is in a wooden frame which has a pencil glued to the bottom. I found the pencil in my father's apartment when he died. It reads: "Don't Settle for Less, Get the Best at General Die and Tool Co., Quality, Service, Satisfaction." It also has the company's phone and address. The building no longer stands at that address. It was razed in the 1970s.
I remember my grandfather often using those leftover company pencils when I was a little girl. He sharpened them with his pocket knife over a metal waste paper basket. I am so glad I still have one in my possession. Together with the photograph, they are a little glimpse into my family's history.
Thanks for visiting me today and sharing some of my favorite things!
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
More here.
I finally completed the Toasties for my sister-in-law. The pattern is from Leslie's site which is such a lovely place to visit. I have been knitting in spurts, a few minutes a day. Her birthday is next week and I am going to ship them off sometime soon. The good thing is that we have plenty of winter left here in Northeast Ohio. So I am hoping she is able to get some use out of them.
I have started another pair for a different birthday gift, this time in charcoal grey. I'll post photos when I am further along.
In other news, there have been some mighty sweet cowgirls running through the house, yelling "Giddyap" and generally creating a ruckus. Funny, I thought the Sheriff was supposed to bring about law and order. Apparently, not in these parts, badge or no badge.
I hope you all had a relaxing weekend with your families. Thanks for stopping by this winter evening.
Our Christopher turns nine today. We celebrated yesterday. Chris frosted his own cake and made the Lego Star Wars ship for the top. :)
Today there are more lego ships to build and a trip to the toy store. There is the requested pizza for lunch and spaghetti for dinner. Happiest of birthdays to you Christopher! I love you so much!
Well, we thought we were feeling better but as it turns out, I went from a head and chest cold with one day of respite to a stomach bug that sure resembles the flu. Ben got hit with it even worse than I did. I am not certain it is flu but it sure feels that way. So we have been lounging around in our jammies. On another note, we received over a foot of snow so we can gaze out at it from beds, sofas or wherever else we find ourselves plopping down. :) It really looks like a winter wonderland. We are surrounded by woods and all of the branches are covered with several inches of snow. Here are some photos I took from inside the house for you to enjoy.
Stay warm this snowy Sunday! Thanks for visiting.
Labor Day weekend is traditionally a busy one for our family because there are many local fairs and parties, (add to that the Air Show) and a myriad of other events one could attend. This past weekend was also my 20th year high school reunion. I had decided I was not going to attend until about an hour before the scheduled time. I ended up going anyhow and had such a fun time. I laughed out loud quite a bit and saw many old friends. I always fear social functions but they usually exceed my expectations by quite a bit.
Anyhow, on Sunday, after a very early Mass, we made the drive to Mike's parents' house. Mike's folks live about an hour and a half from us and their county fair is the best around. We met his family and spent the day roaming the grounds, riding kiddie rides, eating far too much fair food, petting sheep and milking cows with cousins. Then we did it all again yesterday, only closer to home (at a different fair) and my mother joined us.
I thought you might like to see some photos. Sorry I can't share the fair food but I had sweet tea and a steak sandwich (for those of you who were wondering. :)
Tons of fun had by all. We are taking a couple of days to catch up on the house and get things running smoothly again around here. :) Have a great day today!
Bresnahan joins Hafner, Martinez on DL
Injuries mount for growing list of Cleveland Baseball legends
by Mike Bresnahan
(AP)- The 8U All Stars, along with its parent organization, the Dairy Queen Aeros, announced today that First Baseman / Shortstop Christopher Bresnahan has been placed on the 60 day disabled list, effectively ending the season of the eight-year old phenom. Chris sustained multiple fractures to the right arm after a freak accident that the club would not comment on. However, sources close to the family said they witnessed the first baseman “swinging out of the play house window on a rope” shortly before the injury occurred. It was not immediately known if such activity violated the terms of his contract.
“This is another big blow to Cleveland Baseball,” lamented Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro. “It just seems like anything that can go wrong this year, does.” Bresnahan was in the midst of an eleven-game hitting streak and his uncanny ability to leg out infield hits earned him the nickname “Bullet Feet”.
“No doubt I will be back next year, better than ever”, quipped Bresnahan , who is already looking forward to facing former teammate and all-star pitcher Ben Zimmerman in his first year of kid-pitch at the nine-year old level.
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Surgery scheduled for early next week, plus an eight week recovery and physical therapy. Not quite the way he envisioned the summer...
