This was my prayer...a piece of ground not over large with a garden and near to the house a stream of constant water.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

One of my favorite books while growing up…


DSCF0138
    

        How I remember going down to the basement of the G.C. Murphy store on Crawford Avenue in Connellsville and buying this book! Like just about every little kid with certain books, I read and reread this story a million times. There were several reasons I really liked the story. Most of all, it was a story about two children--a sister and brother.  Even at five in 1954, I seemed to have a finely honed sense of the inequality between boys and girls (my dad told me I could not help him paint because I was a girl. He also told me that I could never pump gas and check the oil dipstick at Cheesy Soisson's Pennzoil station--a job I much coveted--for the same reason).

       Both kids in the story were not only welcomed into the family's candle-making shop by their large family of aunts, uncles and cousins but were encouraged to help make the candles. Also, they were Italian! The backstory here is that their grandfather Antonio had been a candlemaker in Italy and had made a coronation candle for the new Queen's father. Somewhat predictably...ta da...Angela and Toni's (the author's spelling) father, now in America, was invited to make one for Elizabeth. Then, in dizzzying fashion, the two kids not only got to fly on an airplane to London--quite a feat in 1954--but then they got to present the candle to the Queen herself!   It almost made me faint. No matter how many times I read the story, my little heart would always quicken when I was about to turn the page when this magical moment was to occur.  

       Unfortunately, as did many of my childhood treasured possessions, my book was put into the box on our attic steps with other stuff destined for the Wakefield Culture Club rummage sale. I found this copy on eBay and still get a little of that same fuzzy feeling when I pick it up. (I have myself convinced this IS my book).

      Best wishes to Queen Elizabeth on her 60th jubilee. We were Irish so there was never a lot of monarchy admiring in our house and I was just devastated at the treatment Princess Diana got, but the Queen was a real trooper during World War II and then there were those hats!!! My ex-husband used to tell me I was like the Queen, given my habit of walking around with a purse with no money in it.  Hopefully, maybe a little like her in some other ways.

P.S. I did get a brief glimpse of Prince Phillip, first president of the World Wildlife Fund International, while in Victoria, British Columbia. Love that panda! I was supposed to be sitting in a lecture hall at a really boring medical meeting, and I ran away before I started to tear my hair out. It was an unofficial visit so the Prince just got out of his car, spent about three minutes standing around with the provincial governor and wife, smiled, looked princely and that was about it. I figured it would be the only chance I might have to get even that close to a real bona fide prince. And, to date, I've been right.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Mr. Wu…


DSCF0005

       Here is the previously promised picture of Mr. Wu. For those of you who do not know the tale/tail of Mr. Wu, here goes. He is a rescue dog, found through the Action for Animals in Latrobe web site in February, 2009. He, his mate and their three newly-born puppies were left in a foreclosed house in Ohio. The mom (whom I refer to as Mrs. Wu) gave birth alone with no human presence. Blessedly, she and her three puppies were all healthy when found.

       An amazing woman from Latrobe named Jennifer rescued them. She is one of those people the late writer Cleveland Amory called "angels on the earth". Her life is devoted to animal rescue, focusing mainly on guinea pigs but she has a "Dr. Doolittle" house...you never know what wee beasties and critters she may have when you visit. She got all five dogs excellent medical care and lots of TLC. Mr. Wu was the first of them able to be adopted after he was neutered (the mom dog was still nursing her pups and she had to be spayed before being put up for adoption).

       Now a little background: my beloved Border collie, Fiona, had died in early January at age thirteen and I was devastated. All of my kitties (I have had a total of seven) were gone, too. It had been just me and Fee. I had sworn to everyone I could never go through the illnesses and loss of another pet. But in February, I called my friend Marlo to give her a heads up that I was trolling the internet for a dog. Then***bingo*** at the stroke of a key, there was Wu! He was pretty traumatized; he did not bark for three weeks. His coat was fully grown out though smooth, not matted but he still looked a wreck. He had been well-trained and would sit pretty if he wanted your attention. And he loves to kiss! When I went to get him, I put out my hand and he licked it...I was in love. His "personal best" record for consecutive kisses is 137. He could have kept kissing but I stopped him ay 137. Jennifer said he had been a good father, not all shih tzu males are, sometimes needing to be separated from the pups.

      When I called to adopt Mrs. Wu, she had already been placed. This story ends quite happily as she lives just across the street from Jennifer and has quite a cushy life. Mr. Wu has been down to see her twice and they remembered each other.  It was like something out of an old WW II era movie...they halted their steps, gazed at each other for a few seconds, then rushed towards each other and kissed! They played and snuggled...so sweet.

      Anyhow, that is the tail of Mr. Wu. He is so Zen and influences me to be Zen also...not always successful but more calming than having a Border collie in your house.

    

Newly-posted picture(s)...or the learning curve

       What do I do when I wake up at 2:30 am and cannot get back to sleep? I decide to try and figure out how to figure out stuff on the computer! My poor dog, Mr. Wu, whose picture you are likely to see soon, grumbles and gets up and goes out to the kitchen where it is cooler and darker and plops down to sleep.

       I sit here and tremulously drag down and click on things...I get so frustrated. I told my friend Rose yesterday that using computers, in my book, should be like using cars. You unlock them, get in, turn the key and***voila!*** you are in business. And I do not understand why I am so intimidated by them.

       Well, bird-by-bird. That is the name of a wonderful book about writing by Anne Lamott. She tells a story about how, when growing up, her younger brother waited until Sunday night to begin work on a big school project, due Monday. It involved writing descriptions and drawing illustrations of a number of birds. Understandably, the kid was panicking. Then his dad sat calmly down next to his son and said: "Son, just do it bird by bird." And so, I try to remember to jettison my usual "all or nothing" approach to doing things, especially new ones.

       So please bear with me. My blog looks a little "squee-jaw" as my wonderful grandmother used to say. Isn't that a great way to describe things that are just that?