A QUESTION

Do I think I know a person to well?   Someone asked me that question recently. I was so ready to say yes, but stopped myself.  I actually thought about it.  Do I know my husband to well?  I know him well, but I don't believe I know him to well. Yes,  I know him as a husband and father.
I know him to well as a honest, loving, fair and fun father. I know him as a father who takes the time to listen to his sons. For never thinking twice to lend a helping hand. Seeing him melt when he is around his grandchildren  For giving when he sees that someone is in need. As a husband I think I know him more then to well and am blessed to have him.

But - - - as a employee in the work force I do not know him to well! Talking to a few people I found out that he is known as the "Guru" in his work field. Wow! I was surprised. I mean,  I know he is very intelligent and knows loads of trivia. It's evident that  he knows what he is talking about no matter what subject. He is a great musician and singer.  A excellent carpenter and handyman, but I never thought of him as the "Guru" in his field. The Computer field.

What a honor for him. I have always been proud of him, but this news made me  step back. I took  a good look - I know sometimes I tend to take people for granted. So no, I may think I know people
 to well, but realize that I don't.

SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDER IS "WAY COOL"

Well, it's past the 4th of July and the corn is far from knee high!!   The rain we had this past Spring might have slowed the process some. I can't wait to sink my teeth in some bread and buttered corn. We can make a meal out of just corn, there is nothing like a good piece of butterd corn on the cob with the butter dribbling down your chin - mmm good.
I have  put salt on my corn along with the butter since I've been knee high to a grass hopper, but in my older age, I'll settle for butter only.
My father-in-law always had to have his wife cut the corn off the cob in order for him to eat it. I oftened wondered if he missed eating it off the cob.

I would love to have daily, buttered corn on the cob, home grown tomatos with fresh Basil and  watermellon, (salt omitted) and I would definately think I was in heaven.

My tomato plants are slow growing, I am wondering if I will have any. I love picking the first ripe tomato off the vine and wiping it ever so slightly on my shirt while anticipating the taste. Biting into the juicy succlent meat of the tomato, taste better than any steak would to me..In case I don't have luck with my tomato plants, I can always go to the Farmers Market. Thank goodness for those farmers working their farms.

I have a delicious receipe for Blueberry Jam. It's easy - if I can do it anyone can. If your interested in the receipe let me know and I will send it to you.

Here is something different some of you might want to try. I found this in the Country Woman magazine. If it is as good as the Fried Pickles at Max & Erma's, than it is sure a winner.
Ready for this?

                                                                 Kool Aid Pickles

                                                  1 jar (32 oz.)          undrained whole Dill Pickles

                                             2/3rd cup                    sugar

                                          1 envelope (.14oz)         unsweetened Kool Aid mix, -flavor of your choice

      Drain pickles, reserving juice in a small bowl, combine the reserve juice, sugar and Kool Aid

     Stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside

     Slice pickles length wise or leave whole and return to jar.

     Pour juice mixture over pickles. Discard any remaining juice.

    Cover and refrigerate one week before serving

                                                          Yield - 3 cups

I plan on making this the week before we leave for vacation, so I won't be able to tell you how it

taste till after that. NOW if any of you who may be reading this wants to try it, please let me know

how you like it.

Do you like a cup of  Tea?  I enjoy having  a cup of tea on my patio in the early morning. It's my little haven, tho most mornings I share it with a little wren who's nest is just above the patio door.

She's not afraid of me at all. She just goes about her motherly chores of bringing worms to her family. I can see the worms hanging out both sides of the little wrens mouth as she first perches on a ledge a little bit away from the nest. Just when I wonder what she is waiting for, she flys faster than light up into the nest - - - I love watching her.  I can't see the little ones at all, I have no idea how many are up there or how big they are.

My youngest son and family have this beautiful white duck on their farm. We all love to listen to him quack and watch him waddle while following the chickens around. If the chickens go fast, he waddles faster,  funny to look at but cute.  He was a little fledging and we watched him develp into a beautiful duck.  We were sad to hear from Jeff that he is missing. Anything could of happened  to him, a animal might have got him, like a fox but we are hoping he went on a little trip and will be back soon.

Do you have Oak kitchen cabinets? What do you use to clean and polish them with?, I am unsure of what to use, but they need done and the sooner the better.

I hope you are enjoying some lazy, hazy, crazy days of  this summer.  I have been on vacation for two weeks, one shared with my husband and one by myself. It's been a working, relaxing and fun couple of weeks. I have another vacation week coming at  the end of July. We will be going  to Myrtle - this vacation I am really looking forward to. We will be with all of our grandchildren, I am so excited about this.

If you could keep our son's girl, Chere in prayer we would be very thankful, She had a heart valve replaced about 3 weeks ago and recovery is going slow. Also for two of our grandaughters to have a safe trip going back with their grandparents to Fla. to spend a week with them.  For a special intention of mine, God will know my special intention. For a young woman who is paying her dues and has a long way to go before they are paid, pray that she and her family have piece of mind.,  for all of those who are suffering in some way, for our men/women in the service, for ourselves and our familys. and whoever else I might not have mentioned.

May God bless you all with good health, peace of mind, and quiet of day <3

Many hugs to all

Dee, Dolores Rose, Dolores, Mom, MeMaw, Hon, Mrs.C, Dee

SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDER-- REMINISCES

Father's Day is this Sunday - 6/19/2011.  We will celebrate with a picnic up on the Farm for my husband and two of our son's. I'm sure Erika's dad will be there and I know it will be a nice day just with everyone being together. The kids playing together and making us laugh.

There is always a large void in my heart when this day comes around, I have not celebrated Fathers Day with my father, "John Carmen Mianzo" since he passed away in 1976. It was 35 years ago on April 22. He had just turned 66 on March 19 of that year-  retired for a month and so looking forward to retirement. He was diagnosed with Lung Cancer on March 22 and passed away April 22 - i month later. Unbelievable.
I know a lot of people who's dad's have passed away and I am sure they all feel bad that they can't celebrate with their dad also. But I can't speak their feelings.

My mom was 55, my brother 24, Ron & I  at 33,  my sons were 12, 11, 7 and 5 years old. So they hardly have any memory of him. The two older ones do have a few, but the two younger ones remember hardly anything.
 They grew up knowing and doing things with my husband's father. I am happy they have had that experience, but I feel bad that they never got a chance to do even an 1/8 with my dad that they did with my father - in - law.
My dad was President of Glassport No.#1 fire hall for years, maybe they could be firemen today just like him, they would of loved his Italian dishes and Dandelion wine and he would of loved knowing that they love to cook and that my youngest is a policeman - in fact he would be so proud of all of them and who knows - he is probably smiling down on all of us today.

Reminiscing is a good thing for that means we have memories - - -



I know we are to live in the moment but having memories is a good thing. And I have a lot of wonderful memories that I share but not as often as I should,  I will change that and talk more.

THE COOKIE TABLE

Those of us who live in the Pittsburgh area should know what a "COOKIE TABLE" is.
Do you know what a "COOKIE TABLE" is? Did you have a "Cookie Table" at your function? If you did, how long was it? What?,you say. Well,yeah - how long was your "Cookie Table"?
Some functions have 1 table, others have 2 tables. BUT - the longer the tables the more cookies you had. Let me tell you we had loooonnggg tables for my wedding and all of my sons!
What would a wedding be without a "COOKIE TABLE"? People looked forward to taking small paper plates filled with cookies for home when they left. (I hate using the word "FUNCTION: because they were mostly made for weddings.) You never had a store bought cookie on the table, that would be a cardinal sin.
As soon as the meal was done, everyone could not wait to make their way to the cookies. They would fill little plates sky high with cookies to take back to their table. People would rather have the cookies than have the Wedding Cake"! There would be both men and women gathering cookies for their plate. After all, it's not very often that you get to indulge in all the different kinds of cookies.
They still have "Cookie Tables" for today's weddings. It's a tradition, a Pittsburgh tradition thats been going on for years and years. A lot of people might have "cookie tables" for Wedding Anniversary's. Not so much for wedding or baby showers that I know of.
When people got married back in '6oty's, the ceramony (Mass)was held @ 10 am. At my wedding we then went to a resturant for breakfast. Of course, as custom, the wedding party went driving around town beeping the horns as long as they could. After doing that for awhile we went to the Photographer's Studio for formal picture taking. Our reception started at 7pm & went on till 11 or so. The Bride & Groom left after the Bridal Dance, around 10.
That's how it was back in the day. Weddings were a all day affair, We also had a live band, a polka band - so fun!
I remember when my parents were planning for my wedding. Cookies were made in advance by them, aunts, friends,and cousins.
Every kind imaginable. Italian Cookies, Polish Cookies, they were all mostly ethinic. I can't remember seeing one chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie.
I remember Nut Horns, Apricot Horns,and Pitzells along with all different kind of fancy cookies. They still cut our wedding cake. and the tradition at that time was to have a money dance where people danced a short, very short dance with the bride, then dropped a bill in the maid of honor's little purse. People would than be offered a piece of wedding cake wrapped in a heavy paper napkin. The woman could either take it home to put under her pillow to sleep on if she were single, or to eat it there. The guys would get a shot of whiskey or if they declined the shot then they got cake. No matter what, everyone got a piece of wedding cake when they left. The pieces were wrapped in a paper napkin and laid out on a dish by the exit door. The cookies tables were pushed by there also.

I had a Firehall wedding. The same people that made the cookies made all the food. So much food, it was unbelievable. They too were the servers at the firehall. All my mom's friends were the ones serving and cleaning up. The bartenders were friends of Ron's, except for Ray, a guy I went with for a couple of years who wanted to bartend.
My wedding was different then most because we had a uninvited guest - a tornado hit the town and our reception was cut very, very short but the main thing was that no one got injured.

Today's weddings are different and much easier for the parents as far as the food goes. They usually have it catered

Looking for Help

I really don't want "Free Blog Designs" where it is at- I want it on the side of my blog. BUT, I don't know how to do it - sigh-  I am not real savvy on how to add to the blog. I'm glad I know how to post!.Some of the blogs I follow are so well designed with pictures posted just so.-I envy them their knowledge.   If anyone can tell me how to do it I would appreciate it. I know how to copy and paste but I don't know where to paste it on my blog -this is a    PRIME EXAMPLE>>...>>...>...>........

SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDER -"REALLY"

   At one time I wanted to be a Journalist. I thought it would be so interesting and exciting to write on different news subjects. To be able to travel wherever the news was so I could write about it - -Oh -
I thought it would be such a great career.   BUT - - - - - -- -
    I am sooooo glad I never followed through with that education. Why, you ask?  One reason is that - -
I would find it hard to report the news on Arnold & Marie separating - WHO CARES?  I can just see me saying to my boss - "Boss-- I could not write about something so trivial, so unimportant in the scheme of life. Tell me, Do you feel bad? Do you care?"   He/She would have me walking if not thrown out the door with pink slip in hand.
    The News Media must be so desperate to report the news to make such a issue out of this. Spare me the details please, in fact, spare me from it all.
    They are reporting that they will publish Princess Diana's death picture? For God's sake why??  Let the poor woman rest in peace and don't bring unpleasant memories to her family. Let the people be happy over Will & Kate -
   There are so many people down South struggling because of the weather. What about Japan- never hear anything about their problem any more except maybe for a small blip here and there.
   It's getting to the point that I am not even going to listen to the news - - - so I will be uninformed -SO WHAT!  I am sure that if it were really of  importance I would hear about it or my family would let me know.
  OK, I feel better for getting that off my chest - - even if I am the only one to write/read this - it worked for my mental stress.
********************************************************************************
   My husband wants to move! Oh, I am so upset. We built this house, there is so much of my heart and soul here, so much of my husband's blood, sweat & tears in every room and outside.
 Our children grew up here.  I planned on growing old together here (I know I am old!)- - - so far it is just talk & I somehow manage to steer off the subject.
   True, the yard is a bit much for him to take care of - it has 3 levels and the front is not flat plus there is the bank that is a pain to weed - and at every turn there are steps - steps outside to the front door. Steps from the basement up to the first floor, then steps up to the 2nd floor - Yes, lots and lots of steps - I use to be able to run up and down these steps in a flash, never thought a thing of it - took it for granted actually - - - now, it's one step at a time and holding on to the railing  - Ron wants to sell and buy a smaller home and yard then we have now. It's to overwhelming for me to think on -
so I try not to -- - -
   It's funny how life is, when our house was being built we were so very excited and thought it was so big - after all we were going to have 4 bedrooms, a eat in kitchen, a dining room, living room, full bath and half bath. Why, I thought I was moving into a palace. I had to pinch my self to make sure it was true (lol) - -
   We were living on Grant street while our home was being built and I just found out that I was pregnant with our fourth child. Grant street was a hub of activity, people always outside, coffee clatches, parties in the evenings, kids riding their bikes up and down the sidewalk - I loved it there and living on Pittsburgh street across from Glenn's Custard - was the same way  AND  I was a city girl-born & raised - use to walking everywhere so this was ideal. The living conditions left a lot to be desired though, our row apartment was very, very small - two bedrooms and I'm pregnant with my fourth! One bathroom, living room and kitchen - yes, we needed to get out of there - a garbage path for a yard -walls so thin -you could hear when the people next door sneezed or flushed the commode. BUT - - - - -
 What was I thinking!  Moving up to Bucknell Street--God's country with only 6 houses here and there on the cul-de-sac - the rest were blueberry bushes, trees, emptiness  and sky - I guess I thought everything would be the same - seeing people -coffee clatches, kids playing out on the street - dogs barking ------boy, it was a rude awakening when we moved up here - no people to be seen, none - nada - no traffic noise - - -so quiet - oh, so very quiet - even with 3 little ones running around the house and being pregnant it was so quiet - of adult company - - - I was so lonely that if it were not for talking on the phone I would of gone crazy - plus some of my neighbors from the ole street would come up and visit once in awhile and listen to me moan & groan while I told them how lonely I was and wanted to move - "Move, they said - are you out of your mind?"?  They said they would give anything to live here. Yeah, well they had a car, I had none at the time, I was stuck up on this mountain till my husband got home from work and he worked a lot of overtime.(eventually I did get a car-that  saved me, even though it was a stick and I had to learn really fast and  drifted backwards big time every time I was on a hill!) I guess you can see I was pretty miserable. Those were the years I made a lot of home made bread, cookies, cakes and made good dinners, did sewing and counted cross stitch projects but it was still -lonely- tough for a people person and that is what I am - I love people and being around them - I like my own company also but not 24/7 - -
   Slowly, through the years, houses were being built, I loved hearing the construction workers pounding their hammers, or using their saws, it made the street alive with their noise. During that time I made friends with Elaine who's kids were the same age as my 2 youngest and lived 2 doors away - nice - I liked having a friend so close that we visited each other and took turns taking our youngest to pre-school, she was a dear friend and passed away much to young - she saved me by befriending me and I miss her still.  The other neighbors kept mostly to themselves, still do to this day, except for the family at the end of our street - she is a dear friend  and became so during our 40 years on this street. We did a lot through the years and have many fun memories along with some sad - - -this family keeps our street alive by being outside a lot. One year we went
 Christmas caroling on our street - people didn't even open their doors and we sang good (lol) The other neighbors kept mostly to themselves, still do to this day - doors are always closed and hardly anyone is out front- - -even us, sad to say- we spend most of our time on our patio and in our back yard - -  woods are at the end of our property out back - no neighbors there and the ones on each side of us hardly are ever out - - - I do mean hardly
   I went to work  for a while out of my home, I did Marketing Research- I was pretty good at it too, I always met my deadline and able to get the opinion of business people on different office products, then I went to work as a waitress (being a hairdresser, my parents were not real happy with me) but at least I was able to work nights when Ron was home. That is by far the hardest job I have ever had -
   Eventually, through our sons we met the people who had kids on our street. We became friendly with them and though we hardly ever had coffee clatches, we would attend different sport functions  & school functions together, Ron being baseball coach and cub scout leader was a big help to us  as we met a lot of  people and many of them became friends -I joined the PTA & met friends there.  Our street started to have yearly block parties at each other's homes -one year at the block party there were 3 or 4 of us who sang - we were called THE BUCKETTE'S - that was hysterical and fun -all the kids would camp out together - we joined the pool and took our kids swimming together - Then around 1989 all of the neighbors who had kids went on vacation together to Myrtle Beach - that was the best time ever - their were about 18 of us if not more - - we sure have come a long way - it was a good time in our lives- it became home, I grew to love it and appreciate the quietness of the morning, the sound of the morning dove, the glimpse of a doe running through the upper yard- catching firefly's and- listening to the crickets at night.- - - - -- - I don't want to move - this is my home

SUNSHINE ON MY SHOULDER MOTHER'S DAY

It's been since 1994 since I celebrated Mother's Day with my Mom. For the life of me I can't remember what we did. It's driving me crazy -

We always took my Mom and Ron's Mother out for breakfast or dinner or else we had a picnic here at the house.
I'm hoping we had a picnic here because that was her last Mother's Day with us. Picnics here were fun, the boys were still single and she loved spending time with them. Dom, my brother was so fun and the boys loved hanging out with him
 She spent Thanksgiving and Christmas in the hospital in 1995 and passed away March 22, 1995.

Just a few of the things I remember about - - - - ---

                                          My Mom:

               Her beautiful smile with a dimple in her cheek-

               Her contagious laugh,

               Her wonderful, warm hugs, not just a hug, but a real hug

               How she made you feel so special and welcome

               How she listened to you when you talked, really listened

               How she never offered her opinion unless she was asked          

               But most of all -how she never complained - never/ever - and she had a lot of pain.

               The love she showered on her grandchildren

               The love she had for Ron, my husband who could do no wrong (lol)

               Her wonderful meals, I could name so many special things she made        

                 but it would take forever

               Her delicious deserts she could whip up-

               Her homemade bread and rolls

               She amazed me with all the good friends she had-always visiting, always calling

               The closeness she had with her Mother and syblings

               Her unconditional love -

The time we had my aunts and uncles to the house for dinner and at that time we had a piano for me to take lessons, it was a player piano. My mom told everyone to come into the living room and she sat down on the stool and started to play - everyone was in awe because they had no idea she knew how to play - - - she didn't  - - - - she had set up the player piano to play and she tried to keep up with all the keys so it looked like she was playing - of course they soon caught on that she was not playing.    It is one of my funniest memories of my mom ----I miss my Mom, my friend

             No matter how old you may be you still will miss your Mom - if you have her -     enjoy her and show her in little ways how you love her

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