Grandma Florence Remembered

This morning my girlfriend Connie told me that the round potholder Grandma Florence made for her is the only potholder her husband will use for removing items from their microwave and she needed to make a new one.  “Did I know what she used for padding?”

Grandma Florence passed away on July 16, 1994, about a  month short of age 99. During her lifetime she was constantly busy doing “handwork” as she called it, making quilts and crocheted rag rugs and curtains for her kitchen.   As she got older the jobs became smaller.  She made and gifted potholders to everyone in the family and all of my friends. Everyone I knew had stacks of her potholders in all shapes and colors.

  I knew that some of my friends had never used them, had kept them as remembrances. But what a sweet thing that after so many years her work was so valued that Connie’s husband wants it replaced.

Grandma Florence, you have been gone a long time but you are still in our thoughts and in our lives.

Outpouring of Love and Respect

Ralph and I went to the funeral this morning.  Got to the church early and already were placed in the second line of cars for the procession to the cemetery.  When the mass began the church was full of people.  When we came out there were cars with flags lined up everywhere in the church parking lot.  Once we finally began moving there were flagged cars as far as we could see both in front  and behind, but the hearse was way beyond what we could see, and we were heading in the opposite direction from the cemetery.  There must have been 150 cars in the procession.  At every intersection police cars blocked traffic for us and long lines of cars and trucks were waiting for us to pass.  Even at the end of our street to allow the deceased to pass his home on the way to his resting place.

We drove for 55 minutes, disrupting traffic in Westlake, North Olmstead, in Cleveland along Brookpark Road leading to the airport and on to Holy Cross Cemetery.  It was the largest funeral procession I have ever seen.  Not for a public official, or a corporate giant, or a priest or bishop.  For a 30-year old man with a heart of gold who had helped and touched the lives of everyone he met.

Rest in peace Tony.

India, Here Comes Claire

My granddaughter Claire Whitney leaves for India on Saturday, June 22nd, with a group of Park City students and chaperones on a humanitarian aid trip.  After a couple days sightseeing at the Taj Mahal they will travel on to Chennai where they will be working for 10 days with children in leprosy-afflicted colonies.

Daniels College of Business Academic Hood Presentation: Congrats Austin

On June 7,  179 MBA degree recipients gathered with friends and family for the Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, Academic Hood Presentation Ceremony.  Our grandson, Austin Albrecht, was one of those indiviuals.

Dr. Christine M. Riordon, Dean of Daniels College of Business, administered the ceremony.  Ethics in business is an important principle in Daniels’ training and Dr. Riordon ended her charge to the MBA recipients by  leading them in reciting and accepting the school’s Code of Honor:

Fawn Gone

Around noon I looked out my kitchen window and saw a young deer with a newborn baby deer standing in our neighbor’s back yard.  She was nudging it to walk but it just sat down.  She walked away into our yard.  After a few minutes the baby put its head down to sleep.  She watched it from a distance for a while and then walked away.  I watched her wander through the trees until she was about four houses away and I lost sight of her.

I didn’t go look at it for fear I would scare her away but at 2:30 I was getting concerned.  John from across the street came over and when he heard about the baby deer, he went right over to see it.  It was still breathing but was covered with flies.  He tried to rouse it but it would not wake up. There was no sign of the mother and we agreed that it would die if left unattended.  So I went in and called the police department to find out what could be done.

NYU 181st Commencment: Congratulations Grace

As many of you know, our family went to NYC last week for Grace’s graduation from NYU.  We arrived on Saturday afternoon, May 25.  Robin had rented a 4 bedroom/4 bathroom apartment for us at 59th and First Avenue.  We took Grace out for a family celebratory dinner at Isle of Capri, an Italian restaurant owned by the Lamanna Family located at 1028 Third Avenue at 61st Street.  Food was great and the owner came to our table and told us about the history of the restaurant and that area of NY.

The restaurant was around the corner from Bloomingdales and within walking distance of our apartment so how much better could it get.

That was the beginning of many days of graduation events so stay tuned for news and pictures.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBIN

Today is my only daughter’s birthday.  She has been a delight since the day she was born.  When she was born her father Ralph was in the army stationed in Virginia.  So my grandmother Florence and Ralph’s mother Mitzi went with me and played the excited “father” role.  They were excited, especially Mitzi when the baby turned out to be a girl.  Mitzi had 3 sons so was thrilled to get a granddaughter.  The nurse had to shush them up they were so excited.  So Robin entered the world with joy.  And it has been fun and joy ever since.

Have a wonderful day sweetheart!

Hats Off to Grandma Florence

Robin and I were fortunate to have this woman in our lives.  Well into her 90’s she still had more energy and drive than most people ever hope to have.   I was reminded of that on Saturday when I tried to duplicate her Lily Cookies.

General Hospital 50 Year Anniversary Marathon

OK.  You are catching me in another guilty pleasure:  I watch General Hospital.

April 1, 2013, is General Hospital’s 50 year anniversary.  To celebrate, SOAPnet is running a 50-hour GH Marathon, beginning on Friday, March 29 at 10:00 p.m. EST and continuing for 50 hours until 12:00 a.m. EST on Monday, April 1st.

To learn what episodes will be run, read more.