News Flash! Weenie's on Facebook!

Not even kidding.  Here's the link but if it doesn't work, go to Olean NY fan page on Facebook and look for the St. Bonaventure Football Album.  He's the first picture in there--our own leatherhead!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150930988806638.401500.265586096637&type=3


This is just hard to swallow.  You can find the coolest things just wandering around the internet without specific purpose.  Can't wait to retire and do this full time.

The Fredonia Censor Forestville Personals

Despite appearances to the contrary, I have not abandoned this blog.  The heart has been willing and I don't really have a good reason except to say it is not because I've lost interest.That is definitely not the case.  As soon as I can figure out how to transfer the nearly complete (and genius) blog entries that I compose as I'm driving to this screen, you should hang on to your hats!  There are no fewer than a dozen complete entries floating around inside my head that can't seem to find their way to my fingers at the appropriate time.  

One day when I was fooling around (searching professionally and with great purpose), I came across The Fredonia Censor November 8 1956 because it mentioned Dad and Forestville in the same article.  I was very intrigued to find this listing:

This seems to say that Dad lived in Forestville when I was born.  Well, I assume Dad lived there while Mom lived in Olean because I am quite certain "we" lived in Olean when I was born.  I think perhaps the Ellicottville job and living arrangement was not the first time Dad lived separately from his family for the sake of work.  I guess I did not put together that Dad worked in Forestville the year I was born even though "we" lived in Olean.  I am constantly surprised by the new things I learn about what I thought I knew very well, thank you very much.

A little further down the page was another tidbit:

This one did not surprise me one bit.

We visited Amy this weekend.  It's been too long since I've put my arms around her.  The weather wasn't too pretty on Sunday so we went shopping at the outlets.  On Monday we got a tour of the zoo -- always a treat.  We stepped into some new territory when Amy offered to pay for our meal.  I was reluctant to allow it but quickly remembered how I felt the first time I paid for Mom and Dad's meal.  It made me feel so grown up and responsible.  It puts that parent/child relationship onto a new plateau.  So, Miss Amy, thank you for breakfast!  We love you.

I don't know how this happens, but it seems the same with Ryan.  You probably know he recently got a tattoo and I expect you know that Jim and I aren't really in favor of that for our children.  But it's one of those times when parents need to allow their children to make their own decisions complete with the knowledge that Mom and Dad aren't on board.  This relationship also has reached a new level.  I now have (nearly) grown up children.  Sigh.  

When they were very young, moving from one developmental step to another always brought joy at the same level as wistfulness.  So I find myself sighing heavily with a slight smile on my heart.

Nostalgia for Silver Creek

Something about the first part of fall makes me very nostalgic for Silver Creek. This year, the wistful remembrances are in sharper focus due to (of all things) Facebook coverage of the recent reunion held during the Grape Festival.  It was meant to be a reunion for all 70's alumni and I was kind of tempted to go but chickened out.  It's hard not to kick myself a little bit about that decision now that I'm seeing the pictures on Facebook.  I can't believe how many faces I recognize!!!  I did not expect that at all.  It isn't that hard for me to recollect the names, but to be able to identify faces after 40 years surprised me quite a bit.  I'll bet you would know the names if not the faces too.

The Grape Festival was a lot of fun but I don't think it was in existence for too many years before we moved.  I wonder if they still paint the curbs purple?  One of the events of the reunion weekend was held in the theater where Mom allowed me to see Romeo and Juliet after Jean told her it was suitable, though I don't believe it's a theater any more.  I barely recognize the pictures inside or outside the school.  Our principal Alvin Crowe was even at that reunion and he looks great!

I'll be glad to take a ride to Erie next week to get a little bit of that lakeside landscape, though I do not think I will be able to smell the grapes there the way I remember from Silver Creek!

Mom's Birthday

This owuld be Mom's 79th birthday.  It's hard for me to imagine what she would be like today if we were still lucky enough to have her.  Nanny lived past 79, but it's still hard for me to picture Mom.  There are still times when I think of Mom, briefly forgetting she's gone.  I thought you might enjoy some random favorite pictures that I think tell parts of Mom's story.

I love this one as everyone seems to be having a grand time and it reflects some of my favorite memories of card playing--that's not something my kids have experienced but it's one of my most cherished memories.  This was when we celebrated Nanny and Weenie's 50th.  In this picture, Mom is younger than any of us are today except for Judy!

Amanda's baptism 1983

I love how Mom is sharing something special with Jess.

Matthew's baptism

Great Dennison Road shot.  Look at Chris!

Looking very happy in 1980, though I never really did like that blue dress very much.  Not as flattering as she deserved. 

Classic

One of my all-time favorites.

Happy Birthday Mom.

Take a break

On this last sweet weekend of Summer 2012, I was sitting outside watching the birds delight in their new treats and feeder.  My thoughts wandered to the long-empty hummingbird feeder wondering if I'd be able to find the food mix I'd bought for it.  Then Hummingbird flitted into view!  He wasn't interested in me this time-- more so the food Jim had put out-- but there he was like a talisman called forth by my thoughts of feeding him.  This isn't the first time I've had a close encounter with Hummingbird (I like to think it's the same one) recently and this one felt magical.  It felt destined.  It felt very, very Irish.

Our Irish ancestors were quite extraordinary.  I recently got to watch a documentary called "Death or Canada--Fleeing the Irish Famine".  Intellectually I know the Irish faced hard times in the Famine years (1845-1852) but this documentary put the day to day hardships into sharp focus for me.  Disease and starvation forced Irish fisherman to sell their boats and nets to buy food for their families.  Typhus caused many more deaths than starvation brought upon these families. 

I'd long known that many of our Irish came to the United States through Canada.  Apparently as the wave of Irish immigrants began to overwhelm Eastern US ports, they reacted by increasing the fees owed by the shipping lines and immigrants.  Canada was kinder (read:cheaper). Many Irish took the long two month voyage to Canada because they had no other choice for survival.  Survival. 

I believe Timothy Ryan immigrated during the Famine years.  We know that Patrick Flynn's mother Ellen immigrated from Ireland but I believe this was later, though I'm not certain.  The Pierces and the Nevins came from Canada but each are Irish families.  Even if Ellen did not leave Ireland due to the Famine, she survived the Famine years there--imagine the strength and certain Irish luck working in her favor!

No small wonder the Irish are generally dark and brooding.  No wonder their stories are often fanciful if not outright falsehoods.  They are strong and resourceful.  And we descend from these people.  "Take a break and think about the past" came from this documentary and I think they are appropriate words for Labor Day 2012.

This is a picture of the oldest Irish ancestors that I have so far:  William Sr (Timothy's son) and his wife Kate Bentley Ryan.  I can almost picture Timothy from this as well as so many of the other Irish fishermen and farmers.  I think you've seen it here before but it pays to look again with new eyes.

Happy Birthday Strongheart

Be Kind To Francis Day 2012.  Spoil someone today.  Judy's suggestion is to give yourself a break today. Either way, I'm thinking about Weenie and perhaps you are too.  Although I always understood that we were very lucky in many ways that Weenie was our grandfather, I didn't appreciate it nearly enough.  It wasn't until I realized that my own children will never have a similar experience that I truly saw the blessing it was to have Nanny and Weenie in our lives so regularly.

Seeing that envelope with Weenie's familiar handwriting in the mail was always a special treat.  Here's one I have that appears to have been written while hospitalized with a heart attack.  Although I don't know for certain, the Congrats for Mary Jane at the end makes me think this might be about the time she received First Communion--probably around 1969.

He lovingly refers to Nanny and notes his appreciation at being remembered from his friends in Olean.  How ironic considering the coverage his death generated!  And he signs off "Strongheart", which I can't help seeing and thinking how (once again) he was before his time and the time of "Braveheart".

I remember T.B.I.B.; declaring a dividend; 4-5 and Fat Aunt Marge and loads of other classic "Weenie"-isms.  Do you have any letters of his still that you'd like to share?  If so, let's get them scanned and posted.  This one might be a few weeks after the one above.  It references moving to town so that had to be 1969/70 time frame.

I take great comfort in seeing that familiar handwriting again.  Thank you Strongheart for loving us just for being your grandkids.

A shout out to Ryan Patrick newly arrived at Clarkson!  Have a grand adventure. 

Disney Here We Come!

We'll be on our way to The Happiest Place on Earth soon and I got to thinking about previous Disney adventures.  We've been very very fortunate to be able to go to Disney a number of times but this will be the first time without children.  I expect it to be a very different experience than those we've had before. 

Our first visit to Disney was 25 years ago on a senior class trip. 

We spent most of our free time with another chaperone who's still teaching with me.  Cindy and Jim abused me a great deal for the number of flower pictures I took on this trip. 

Our next trip after that was nine years later in 1996.  I recall planning the trip carefully for when Ryan no longer needed a daily nap.  This particular trip was very special because we spent time with Kathleen and Nick, our sister Kathy AND our friends the Hamiltons.  It was (can I say it?) MAGICAL.

Kathy shamed me into setting up a lunch with the characters and this is from that event. I hadn't intended to spend that money but I'm so glad we did.

Four years later we returned and were chosen as "The Millenial Family of the Week"!  Our room was decorated for our arrival and we got a number of nice little perks including beach towels I still have.

Kathy came along on this trip too and was also a Millenial Family of the Week Member.  What I especially remember from this trip was promising myself that any future trips required only a pool, ESPN and a remote control.  That's all the kids seemed to care about even though we were in the Happiest Place on Earth.

We didn't really plan it this way but it worked out that we returned again 4 years later.  It takes that much time to save the money I guess!

This trip was memorable for the characters we met.  As you can plainly see.

I planned the 2008 return carefully realizing it may be the last time the four of us could take a big trip together.  Amy was in college meaning she'd be going off on her own soon.  This was a wonderful trip.  I expected the kids to go off on their own but they didn't--we mostly stuck together and experienced Disney magic in a really special way. 

 This was the morning we left and we were doing some last minute shopping.  We ended up stranded at the airport in Orlando and spent another night there.  Their hotel is right in the airport and it's like a mall.  Couldn't ask for anything better for kids this age. 

All the trips have been memorable and we are fortunate we were able to share such experiences with our children.  But I'm looking forward to this one especially! See you on the other side!