The Glass Slipper is So Back!

Santa brought me tickets to Cinderella on Broadway and yesterday was the big day!!!  Although the ticket taker was no Cinderella herself, we made our way into the theatre and found our seats with plenty of time to spare.  Most of our row and most of the row in front of us was empty until just a very few minutes before the curtain rose when in trooped a lovely little princess parade to take their seats.  We got to sit in the vicinity of maybe a dozen 5-6 year old girls all dressed up like princesses for the show!  Their reactions most definitely added to the enjoyment of the show.

The producers don't tell exactly the Cinderella story we are accustomed to.  In fact, as Cinderella is racing out of the ball at the stroke of midnight, she rushes back to the staircase and grabs her glass slipper back before the Prince can pick it up.  You could literally hear the gasps from the little princesses as well as from the teenage princesses seated behind us. 

It made me very nostalgic for those days when the kids were little.  Amy sang "In My Own Little Corner" for one of her Talent Show presentations and I believe she compared favorably to the version we saw yesterday.  Of course, there have been other versions available to view--Whitney Houston did a fair job as the Fairy Godmother in the 1997 Brandy production.

But the 1967 TV version with Lesley Warren will always remain my favorite.  Stuart Damon was familiar to us from General Hospital in later years and he does a great job here.  We like this version better than what we saw yesterday.

Regardless, it was a great day --we even had brunch at an Irish pub nearby.  It was right around the corner from the Letterman Show and we hear tell this place is where he goes after the show tapes!  Anyhow, they told a great story, it was a wonderful set and it brought back wonderful memories.  

Nothing's Impossible!!!

Finding the Eagles

Many of you have seen the pictures, but we had a great day yesterday over in Walton looking for the eagles.  We had driven over the check out the place Paula had told us about on the Cannonsville Reservoir.  We saw wildlife, but not eagles.  We were heading over to Hamden to see the nest over there when Paula let us know she was done visiting with Tim and Pam. She offered to join us and be our "eagle guide". 

We headed back to the Cannonsville spot and again, had no particular luck.  We were leaving the area and Paula spotted a white head high atop a tall evergreen.

This is telephoto and cropped.  It wasn't as obvious as this but Paula had "an eagle eye" (HAHA).  We took some pictures from afar and then cautiously approached for a better view.  We just barely got settled to gaze at him when he took off in glorious flight!  I was snapping pictures as fast as I could--my camera was not in auto mode for continuous shooting but I didn't dare take the camera away from the eagle to change the setting.  I didn't want to break the spell.  He just glided, soared and generally made his presence known over the river for quite a while.  Jim opened the sunroof so I could pop out and take some shots from that angle.  It was really magnificent and we surely have Paula to thank for her advice and keen eye.

This one was from the sunroof angle as he left our immediate view.  Sail on, big guy!

This adventure brought to mind the Nevins family and their apparent love of the outdoors, hunting and fishing.  There are no end of pictures of them in Canada on these adventures.  It appears that Gammy Nevins did not join them but EVERYONE else seems to be there. 

It seems that Henry (Mom's grandfather) enjoyed Weenie's company too!

I think this is Mom with Nanny and Henry Nevins in Canada

When I wasn't our hunting eagles with my camera, I was sitting here at the computer continuing my family research.  I was presented with this document I'd never seen.  YOu know those Ancestry.com commercials where they say they just clicked the shaking leaves and VOILA!  Well, that's exactly what this was.  Henry died in Canada which, of course, must have created a raft of paperwork.  This is one of those.  I found it interesting and thought you might too.

Belated February Birthdays

Paula reminds me of the other birthdays celebrated in February:  Bill, Julia, Delaney.  I didn't mean to exclude them--I was just trying to pay special homage to birthdays that are special for some reason this year.  Sorry!  March:  Aiden and Amy (let me get a little ahead of the game)

Additional February Hodgepodge

I knew there was something I forgot to include in the earlier February post.  I follow the Good Morning Gloucester blog (and if you love Gloucester too, I highly recommend it) and they had lot of footage of the recent storm.  I was particularly moved by the power of the sea during the storm in this video:

I am reminded that some of the storms that took our ancestors occurred in February.  Far out to sea.  I can't imagine the power of the storms out on the ocean.  I can really respect their courage in the pursuit of their livelihood.  God Bless them all.

February Hodgepodge

Still having a little trouble getting back into a routine.  I hope this isn't a pre-retirement indicator!  I believe I will feel a great deal more motivation once I've regained some perspective following retirement.  Can't lie, though--the prospect is a little scary.  No more work.....all day every day.....it's kind of intimidating.  Not so much that I'll change my mind though!

It's Mardi Gras today and I have to admit to feeling a little bit celebratory--we got an unexpected day off from school due to water problems.  We even got the word last night so that it was a glorious evening anticipating how to spend this gift of time and relaxation.  It's these little February holidays that I grab on to in order to make my way to spring.  It's a tough month without something to hang on to. 

Valentine's Day this week.  Those bright splashes of red in the stores and decorating establishments draw your eye away from the snow and ice.  It's just a fun holiday though I guess it can be rife with tension and worry or perhaps disdain depending upon your relationship status.  Regardless of that, there are bright decorations and CHOCOLATE treats available everywhere.

This is a classic -- I don't know WHY he doesn't appreciate my efforts to celebrate Valentine's Day!

February also brings Ryan P's birthday!  I hope the first birthday away from home wasn't too difficult for either Judy or Ryan.  I know it was hard for me the first time so I imagine others feel the same.  I don't think my kids felt that same twinge but I did.  

Happy 19th Ryan Patrick!

February also brings Paula's birthday and birthday celebration.  Hmmmmmm........what a way to end a month!

Less said about this, the better

Coincidence?? I wonder........

Doing research on family members often turns up some interesting connections with the past.  For example:

Earl is actually a non-blood who married one of Grampie Brown's granddaughters.  They apparently divorced and perhaps you'll notice he died the very same day Jim was born.  One door closes and another opens?  I don't know.....it was just interesting.

Also to note is that Judy and Patrick share an anniversary with Dad's aunt and uncle Florence (Pierce) and William Gleason.  Perhaps you remember Dad's cousin Bill Gleason.  His parents were married on Aug 10 1924 in Gloucester.  Whenever I see matching dates, I smile a little bit to myself.  I wish I had a picture of them to share with you.

Another interesting piece of the family history is that there are more twins on the tree than you may have expected.  On the Bentley side (Gloucester sea captain), there are twin boys Philip and Charles born in 1907.  The Ameros are related through the Handran side (Nanny Ryan's mother was a Handran) and they had boy/girl twins Edna and Reedy in 1898.  Another set of Handran twins are the Butler girls Anastasia and Ann born in 1873 in Gloucester.  OK, so maybe an entire century went by before there was another set of twins with Calvin and Claire, but still.......... Actually I can't say there weren't other twins in between.  I'm just not there yet and I've been surprised to run across what feels like so many sets of twins!  Somehow I did not expect that.

There are always surprises to find in this hunt. 

Summer 73 - Fall 74

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts and she mentioned her oldest pictures.  I thought it might be fun to take a look at my very first pictures.  Pictures I had taken, put in an album and stored away.  I dreamed I'd write about the development of photographic technique  and blah blah blah.  Hang on--I knew I could make it interesting. Really.

My first official photo album is one of those magnetic page albums with a pink straw cover.  It's labeled Summer 73 - Fall 74 and numbered 1.  HEY!  I'm a librarian--what did you expect?  I realized right away this time period was a very critical one in our lives.  We moved to Walton in the Summer of 1973--40 years ago this year!!! Forty.  Four decades.

So the first pictures in that album are of the last summer in Silver Creek on Buffalo Street.  The very first pictures are of Kathy and I with a couple of the neighborhood kids that we babysat.  I think you've seen this before.  I have Marcy Homokay who lived in that house you see behind us.  I know Kathy has told me that name of that little boy she has but I can't remember (Scotty?).  I believe they lived right next door.  I"m pretty sure I made that top for myself. 

We must have camped at Allegheny that year too--funny I don't remember that trip being the same summer that we moved.  Obviously done deliberately by Mom, Dad, Jean and Burt.

I think you've seen this too but it's never too many times to see Mary Jane and Paula on this kid's motorcycle at Allegheny! 

Mom let me have a going away party and I thought it would be fun to have a "make your own pizza" party.  I'm pretty sure this is the SEX pizza--Sue Tampio, Dave Wilson and hello Paula!  Always loved that kitchen.

Then the first Walton pictures follow with Thomas boy from across the street (Paul?  the older one?).  Kathy and I went to Florida that year too.  I remember choosing to go to Florida rather than on the senior trip.  I didn't think I'd earned my way onto that senior trip like the others did and, for me, it was a no brainer to go off to get spoiled by Nanny and Weenie instead.  Weenie was really pleased that we'd choose to spend our money and vacation with them. 

Judy celebrated her First Communion Spring 74.  Isn't she cute?  And pious.......

Prom pictures--Kathy with Jim Grotevant and me in my Nanny made dress with Glenn Schmidt.  Graduation followed by one very sad graduation party in our garage.  Tim, Emmy, Kevin and Cathy came to visit.

Judy, Mary Jane and Cathy (about 2)

The ole fan-in-the-doorway trick even though that house stayed pretty cool considering.

And my first Geneseo pictures complete the album.  I was in a triple that freshman year.  One of the girls was addicted to nose spray and that sound still makes me cringe.  Forty years later.  Four decades.

That album covers just a little over one year and it contains so many pivotal events and memories!  The pictures themselves lack quality but they are very much cherished for the memories they bring.  I"m glad I got this album out again. My most recent album is number 37 but I don't think I'll go through them all tonight.

PS Happy Birthday shoutout to Kevin Kelly!