Hi Group, I just got through looking at my home here in California and then put in Vee's address and was looking at her home too. What a kick!! Want to see Youngstown and the area around it? Want to print out the photos from the satellite views? This is a great addition to your genealogy information. You can go back and print out all the places you've lived in. Go to maps.google.com and then put in your addy. Click on the satellite view and then enjoy. You can move in any direction on the map so you can see all the old neighborhoods. I was just looking from Vee's house over to my aunt's house and then over to Fort Niagara. Keep in mind this can be definitely addicting so give yourself time to sit down and enjoy a real bird's eye view of the neighborhood. Beth Fleischer descendant of original first settler of Youngstown John Lloyd

Dear Folks, Today I was trying to find more details about my Suriname adventure in 1972. The brief journal I had kept at the time didn't go much into any detail at all. However, I knew that I had written some of them up years ago. I got out the manila envelope where I had saved everything regarding the trip and I found some things I had completely forgotten about. One was the transcription I had typed up of side 2 of tape # 6 dated July 5, 1972. Now mind you, I was describing what I was hearing on the tape. I'll try to give you the edited version of it. Before I do, I better reintroduce the people involved. There was Jytte our translator and tour guide from Denmark, Viano the Bush Negro boatman, Alan and his wife Karen from Saskatoon, Canada, Chris a retired school teacher from Boston and me. Along with us were two young boys Landoe and Jama to help out with the chores. July 5. On the Marowijne River. Rough water, rain and wind. Viano sang and laughed when a wave hit us [we were in some fierce rapids]. Viano was using a cooking kettle for a [jungle] drum. The change in sound of the outboard motor was due to rough and/or shallow water. We had a boatman we had brought aboard at a village on the way back down the river. Another Bush Negro was in the bow of the boat doing the duties of a lookout for rapids and rocks in the shallow water. Viano was still beating the drum(s)--he was also using an empty Planters Peanut can--and started to sing and laugh. On this trip out of Langteppetje it was quite chilly for a change. Jytte served us some rum and orange juice that was quite refreshing and relaxing. It was quite a contented feeling to sit back in the boat with the drink and listen to viano with his "drums. One of those rare feelings of utter contentment without a single thought of the rest of the world. Just the confines of the boat on the river--that was our world.

Dear Folks, This evening while I was editing "My Suriname Adventure" into the jungles of Suriname in 1972, I realized that I had overlooked telling about the more unique and important things I had experienced. I had the opportunity to witness two "End of Mourning" ceremonies that were celebrated by the Bush Negroes away from general civilization. It was explained to me that when a chief of the village died, the village went into a period of mourning that lasted for one year. After the one year was up, the whole village celebrated by beating on drums and gathering into a circle where ancient African dances went round and round. I was given the unique privilege of attending both of the ceremonies but I was severely cautioned not to take my camera with me because taking pictures of the ceremony would be forbidden. But I could take along my tape recorder if I kept it hidden underneath my purse. My memory is fading now and all that I can go on is the memories I still have of those thrilling occasions. Yes, I still have the tape recordings I had made at the time but I'll have to put the experience together into words. In addition to the ceremonies I had witnessed was the realization of the Bush Negroes' past in Africa when they were brought over to Suriname (Dutch Guinea) as slaves back in the 1600s. They brought with them not only their customs and way of life but also the importance of what their genealogy meant to them. I can only hope that I'll be able to put into words those experiences. Hopefully, my tape recordings will refresh my mind. vee

Dear Folks, Every day and every day I use my little brown teapot. Frankly, it's not pretty but it's not ugly either. It's ceramic with a dark brown and beige glaze on it. I can brew up two cups of tea in it nicely. It was given to me back in the 80s by my friend Fred who bought it for me in Switzerland and lugged it all the way back home. Even though it isn't the prettiest teapot in the world, it's just the right size for me. Before I go to bed at night I put a teabag in it and pour boiling water over it. When I get up the next day I have a perfect cup of strong tea. But as I'm writing this, I realize that I do have two other teapots that are really pretty. One was given to me as a wedding gift in 1950. It's a pretty royal blue with a gold stripe on the top of it. It was made by Hall and I'm certain that it's worth much more than it was back in 1950. Nonetheless, there's no reason I can't enjoy it all by myself now. The other teapot is one that my best girlfriend gave me as a gift back in the late 1960s. It was made by Noritake. It's white with a border of an aqua design. Between the two of them I think I'll ask my niece Deb or my neighbor Dawn to reach up to the top of my kitchen cabinet and bring down the blue one. Even though it may be valuable, there's nothing that says that I can't enjoy using it and looking at it. Of course it holds more than two cups of tea, but I think I can handle pouring in just the right amount of boiling water. Yes, I must enjoy my blue teapot at last. vee

Dear Folks, I had promised myself that I wouldn't tell you about the bad guy I met at the supermarket today but since it's still on my mind, I'll tell you anyway. This afternoon I headed up to Tops for some grocery shopping. I parked in a handicapped parking space, got out of the car and gathered up my straw market basket with empty soda bottles in it plus a plastic grocery bag with two more bottles in it. I had my purse with me and my cane and I made my slow way to the door to the market. However, I found that the automatic door opener wasn't working and I tried to push it open far enough for me to get through it. I was still struggling when a man behind me mumbled something that I interpretted that he would open the door for me. I was so pleased. He stepped in front of me, pushed the door open, walked through it and let it slam in my face. I was speechless! It's one thing for a man to open a door and let a woman enter before he does, but for a man (or woman for that matter) to see a woman with a cane and carrying things having difficulty opening a door, barge right in front of her, open the door and let it slam shut in front of her, was something I don't recall ever happening to me or anybody else. A kindly gentleman who was standing behind me reached forward, opened the door and held it open until I got through. That did a lot to keep my faith in human kind. I made myself comfortable in my motorized shopping cart and wheeled myself into the store. Right in front of me I saw the bin I was looking for. It was loaded with fresh corn on the cob at the sale price of 10/$1.99. I parked my shopping cart close to the bin and dove right on in. The couple of women who were also huddling around the bin were only too glad to help me pick out the ears of corn and even offered to husk each and every ear I had my eye on. Their kindness and thoughtfulness more than made up for the bad guy at the door. For the rest of my shopping, people realized that I was in a wheelchair that was difficult to maneuver and went out of their way to accommodate me. We exchanged smiles with each other and by the time I checked out, I was back to my old self believing in the kindness of strangers. 99.99% of everyone I meet are such nice people, but once in a blue moon I meet the .01% who can ruin my day if it weren't for the vast majority of the others. vee

Dear Folks, This evening while I was working in the kitchen I heard a familiar song that I had always treasured. It was "Blue Bird of Happiness" and was sung by the marvelous tenor Jan Peerce in 1948. It was so wonderful to hear him sing the lyrics and also so grand to hear him narrate some of the words. The lyrics and music were so personally inspirational to many of us in those days. To hear the music as well as read the lyrics, go to http://www.southcom.com.au/~seymour/kaufman/happiness/bluebird.htm So as the lyrics go, "So be like I, hold your head up high, till you find the bluebird of happiness." vee

Dear Folks, It was pretty much of the same sort of usual day for me but, nonetheless, it was a nice day. I did the usual things after I got up, had my cup of tea, had lunch, and started to read another of Sydney Sheldon's book. I swear he's a genius! I had checked my emails and kept them in the back of my mind as the day progressed. I knew which ones needed a response from me. After my dinner of leftover frozen hamburger and baked beans plus frozen French fries (a regular picnic dinner!), I read some more with a cup of coffee at hand and then turned my attention back to my emails. Before I even got a start, the phone rang. It was my friend Janet the village historian. and we chatted away as we always do. She told me about her problem with putting together next year's Town of Porter calendar. She, with the help of her daughter, had finally printed out what should have been the end product and only needed to be taken to the printer for completion. Well, it appears that the printer had a problem with the printout. Neither of us could quite figure out what the professional printer's problem was. We exchanged ideas about what the problem was all about but agreed that Janet had done her job in putting it together and handing it over to the calendar committee and washed her hands of it. Not only that, but on Monday she'll be flying down to New Orleans with a local senior citizens group to spend an exciting week there. Note: she promised me that she would tell me all of the details when she returned, sparing nothing. I can't wait! When I got back to responding to my emails, I realized that I hadn't responded to one that I received a week ago. It had to do with a genealogy query about how to find proof of an ancestor of hers that would tie him into his possible son Prentiss. Frankly, it's pretty much of a lost cause but the best I could advise her was to contact the County Court House in Avon, New York, and ask them if they had a will on file or had land records that would help her. Another query had to do with a woman's Parks family. I had researched her local family thoroughly and I had shared every scrap of information I could dig up. I guess that somewhere along the line she got "information" that her ancestors were buried in the old Tower Cemetery near where I live. The only information about burials in the cemetery is from tombstone transcriptions written down years ago. There's no mention about anyone by the name of Parks. She then asked me if there were records of the Porter Center Methodist church still available. I let her know that I have a copy of the only records in existence of the church that cover the years 1852 to 1892. I had copied the records and I made up a meticulous index of all names mentioned in the records. I did find some Parks mentioned in it, I gave her their first names and let her know that if any of the names sounded familiar to her, I'd look up the details of their association with the church. Another query that I responded to was a question if I had any old maps that would show where her ancestors lived around here. Yes I have maps but she was asking about her grandparents who died in the 1920s. No I don't have copies that would cover that time frame but I suggested she check the 1920 census, check out who their neighbors were at the time and then go from there. In between the spare moments I had today, I was most intense with editing more of the stories I want to include in my book. I have a definite feeling that I'll end up with way too many stories (latest count, well over 500) and it will be difficult for me to eliminate any one of them. That's ok, it's all in a day's work and today was a good day. vee

Hi Vee and all Yes, it's true. Having lived here 7 months now, I'm beginning to feel right at home. Why? I visited a cemetery!! This one, the manager said, has 500 burials before 1800. Wow, and it's BIG one. Found the first owners of my daughter's house, plus a whole lot more. Just know I'm going to be spending lots of time there checking out its residents. Of course many stones are no longer readable, and many covered with (is it lichens?). Also joined the historical society of Old Orchard Beach. So, sure as shootin I'm beginning to feel at home. ;-) Evelyn in Maine

Vee, How precious are these memories. Nowadays children would "love" such a gift for a day or so, then it would end up on their bedroom floor, or just "get lost" amongst all their "stuff". Okay maybe I'm just talking about my granddaughters here, though I don't think so. Evelyn - how times have changed ;-(

Vee, Sounds like a good plan since you know how we can't rely on our memories (except for ancestors names, who they married, where buried, etc. ;-) Evelyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <housman@adelphia.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, May 13, 2005 1:43 AM Subject: [FOLKS] I MUST inventory my freezer > Dear Folks, > > This evening when I looked in my refrigerator freezer, I noticed that it was > stuffed full of things I had dutifully frozen but didn't label what they > were. I'm certainly going to have to take care of that tomorrow. > > It won't be that big of a job but if I don't do it soon, I won't be able to > remember what's in those strange bundles. I won't have a problem with > identifying the frozen mashed potatoes nor the individual servings of > spaghetti that I continue to try to keep in stock in my freezer. But with > the rest of them, I have to study them closely trying to identify each one. > > First thing is the homemade applesauce that I was given a couple of weeks > ago. I knew if I didn't freeze it, it would grow mold any day now. Then > there's the leftovers from my Mother's Day dinner--hot dogs, baked beans and > hamburgers. (Note: I finished off the last of the delicious strawberry cake > this evening. Oh yum!) Also, I devoured the last of the macaroni salad. > > To add to all of that, this evening I cut up individual portions of the > chicken Deb and I had the other night. It truly amazes me how many servings > I can get out of a dinner out! Deb had added her leftover chicken breast to > mine and the waiter bundled it all up including the leftover baked potato > that I had. The leftover chicken portions numbered eight and the leftover > baked potato numbered three servings. My appetite is big but my stomach is > small. Therefore, it looks like I could live off what's in my freezer right > now for months to come. > > There's one package wrapped in aluminum foil that I can't remember when I > got it. It's either Polish sausage or Italian sausage and the only thing I > can remember is that my neighbor Ken's parents brought it over. I wonder if > it was included in my Mother's Day dinner. > > I'm anxious to put everything into my chest freezer and then post what's in > there up on the list on my refrigerator door. Hmm, I had forgotten about > the hamburgers and the baked beans. It looks like I've got a varied menu to > choose from for days to come. > vee > > >

Dear Folks, This evening when I looked in my refrigerator freezer, I noticed that it was stuffed full of things I had dutifully frozen but didn't label what they were. I'm certainly going to have to take care of that tomorrow. It won't be that big of a job but if I don't do it soon, I won't be able to remember what's in those strange bundles. I won't have a problem with identifying the frozen mashed potatoes nor the individual servings of spaghetti that I continue to try to keep in stock in my freezer. But with the rest of them, I have to study them closely trying to identify each one. First thing is the homemade applesauce that I was given a couple of weeks ago. I knew if I didn't freeze it, it would grow mold any day now. Then there's the leftovers from my Mother's Day dinner--hot dogs, baked beans and hamburgers. (Note: I finished off the last of the delicious strawberry cake this evening. Oh yum!) Also, I devoured the last of the macaroni salad. To add to all of that, this evening I cut up individual portions of the chicken Deb and I had the other night. It truly amazes me how many servings I can get out of a dinner out! Deb had added her leftover chicken breast to mine and the waiter bundled it all up including the leftover baked potato that I had. The leftover chicken portions numbered eight and the leftover baked potato numbered three servings. My appetite is big but my stomach is small. Therefore, it looks like I could live off what's in my freezer right now for months to come. There's one package wrapped in aluminum foil that I can't remember when I got it. It's either Polish sausage or Italian sausage and the only thing I can remember is that my neighbor Ken's parents brought it over. I wonder if it was included in my Mother's Day dinner. I'm anxious to put everything into my chest freezer and then post what's in there up on the list on my refrigerator door. Hmm, I had forgotten about the hamburgers and the baked beans. It looks like I've got a varied menu to choose from for days to come. vee

Uh - it would help if I included the url !!! :) http://www.yodelers.com/happytrails.htm Deb

> > Just for you, Leslie - and anyone else who wants it ... :) > > http://members.tripod.com/~mr_sedivy/happytrl.thml > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Deb, > > It's gone. > > Leslie --> Wow - it sure IS, Leslie! As I recall, it was a school teacher who had that site up. Hmmm - guess we're now saying "Happy Trails" to him! By the way - (I'd say please don't laugh - but I did - so why shouldn't YOU folks! LOL). Here's some news. I rent DVDs from NetFlix on a regular basis. Sometimes documentaries - sometimes films - sometimes even CARTOONS! LOL But recently, I had one of the series discs in the first season of the 1970s tv series "Wonder Woman". Yes, yes - I know - crazy nonsense. But fun too - "and" it all takes place in the 1940s. Even learned to keep an eye out on the costumes as they were lucky enough to "borrow' from the movie lot - so you'll see "hey - that's a Joan Crawford or Virginia Mayo or ??? dress" and things like that if you keep your eyes open. Anyway - all the episodes take place in Washington, DC. Well - all of a sudden - an episode started - and folks were riding HORSES. Suddenly, Wonder Woman was in TEXAS. And sure enough - the GUEST STAR of the episode was none other than ROY ROGERS. This would have been in 1976. I was delighted! LOL Guess you already know you can count on me to "come in from left field" sometimes, ey? LOL Sooooo - went on a mini hunting expedition. Here's another web url. You'll see all the lyrics for "Happy Trails to You". Then - wait - while a wav file automatically downloads. Then - you'll hear Roy and Dale. :) Hope you're all doing well out there. Have had rain off and on like nobody's business - even thunder - some hail - unheard of here - but really NICE in between. In the high 80s here today - sun shining - birds chirping. Wonderful! :) Deb PS - thanks for the heads up, Leslie. Hate it when good things "go away" on the web. Lucky that other new things are always arriving.

Dear Folks, I loved being in the third grade in 1938 at Pacific Avenue School in Niagara Falls. I loved playing in the playground there. There were metal swings, a metal sliding board and a seesaw. Of course all of them were set into the concrete playground yard. I can't remember any of us getting hurt with the exception of me. There was a small patch of ice in the playground. I got up a good running start and slid the entire length of it. Wheeee! However, I came to a sudden stop where the ice ended. As a result I sprained my ankle and I had to hobble my way home so that Mother could "fix" it. There was another incident that I still remember. Mother bought me a "sapphire" ring-she bought it at the 5 and 10. It was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen and I took such very good care of it. One day while I was sitting at my desk I pulled out a Kleenex and sat there polishing up my ring. When I got home, however, I noticed I wasn't wearing my ring. Oh NO! I remembered that I had wrapped it up in the Kleenex and it was obvious to me that I had left it sitting on top of my desk. The next day at school I hurried to find the janitor. I asked him if he found my ring inside a Kleenex. No he hadn't. Obviously, he saw only a wadded up Kleenex and into the trash it went. I can't recall that I cried my eyes out at such a tragic loss, but I sure felt awful that my priceless ring had been lost forever. In fact, if Pacific Avenue School were still standing, I'd still want to seek out the janitor and ask him if the ring had ever shown up during the past 67 years. Boo, hoo! vee

> Just for you, Leslie - and anyone else who wants it ... :) > http://members.tripod.com/~mr_sedivy/happytrl.thml ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deb, It's gone. <sigh> Leslie

Dear Folks, Last evening after my niece Deb and I had a scrumptious dinner in a restaurant, I was so excited over the joy of the evening that I wanted to tell you everything that happened down to the taste of the last bite of our dinner. But since it was obvious to me that I would have droned on and on, I thought I'd just simmer down and wait until tonight. So this is how it all came about. This past Christmas Deb gave me a $25 gift certificate to apply toward a dinner at the Clarkson House in nearby Lewiston. It was the restaurant that the two of us always looked forward to eating there. But since the non-smoking ban of July 2003, we never went back (I smoke). Nonetheless, we felt that the restaurant would accommodate us if we ordered take-out. Late yesterday afternoon Deb called me and asked if I was in the mood for Clarkson House take-out. Oh was I ever! We discussed their new dinner menu and we decided on precisely what we wanted. It was up to me to call ahead and order our take-out. I called, asked whether they would be able to handle take-out and the receptionist assured me that they could. I then told her that the reason we were ordering take-out was because of the non-smoking policy state wide. She surprised me when she told me that there wouldn't be a smoking problem because they now have an outside patio where we could have dinner. Oh be still my heart! I immediately made reservations for the two of us out on the patio. Even at 6:00 in the evening the temperature was still well above 70 degrees and when Deb and I settled ourselves at a table on the patio the setting was just right. The table itself was nice and each table had a large umbrella over it. In a few moments a waiter came to our table and introduced himself. He was John. He placed our table setting with a small plate, silverware and a cloth napkin and then asked us if he could get us something to drink. It had been well over a year since I had the opportunity to order my special drink and I stuttered a bit. Deb spoke up and ordered my drink just the way I've always ordered it--a perfect bourbon Manhattan on the rocks with "your choice of fruit or vegetable." John wrote down the order as if it were a routine one. As we waited for our drinks, we watched the passing parade on Center Street in Lewiston. There were cars aplenty and there were people walking their dogs and there were people pushing baby strollers and pausing at a nearby bench to sit down and enjoy the warm spring evening. John brought our drinks to us and shortly afterward, a waitress appeared for some unknown reason and introduced herself. She was Charlene and she was so pleased we were back. Just to refresh our minds, she told us that she used to wait on us back when. Oh wow, Charlene actually remembered us! But right on her heals was another waitress who was the bartender. She couldn't wait to see us again. She told me that the minute the waiter ordered such a strange drink (including a vegetable of her choice), she just KNEW who we were! She had remembered! Oh what fun! Our waiter John continued to wait on us professionally but in the middle of our salad, we heard something shattering behind us. My instant comment was that I hoped that wasn't our dinner! No, the wind had picked up and sent one of the umbrellas toppling over and taking the table, chair and ashtray with it. When John returned shortly after, we pointed out the disaster and he hurried over to set up everything the way it was. By that time he had let us know that we were the first customers to sit on the patio. They had just finished it up the day before. We felt special. It wasn't long after that another umbrella toppled over and took the table, chair and ashtray with it. By that time John had informed John the manager that they had a problem out on the patio. John the Manager came out and John the Waiter introduced him to us as his boss. The manager shook our hands cordially and then we could see that he knew that the restaurant had a problem with the patio. In the midst of the chaos, John the waiter, served us precisely what we had ordered for dinner and it was delicious. At the appropriate time, he came back to ask us if everything was satisfactory. Yes it was but we pointed out to him that another umbrella had toppled over in the wind right behind us. By that time Deb and I were getting silly and we confessed to John that the reason we were there was to trash the new patio! His sense of humor was such that he laughed along with us. And from there, there were laughs and more laughs. It got to the point to where I spotted a customer (a stranger) coming out of the restaurant reaching for his cigarettes. I spoke up and suggested he pull up an ashtray and join us. He was taken by surprise but laughed. While he was on the patio smoking, we bandied a few funny comments with each other. By that time we had finished our dinner, John brought me my container of leftovers, and as much as we didn't want to leave, we did. On our way home, Deb and I commented over how delicious our dinner was, we still marveled over the employees who were obviously delighted to see us come back and especially the toppling over of the umbrellas and how funny it was to us. It's been a long time since I've had such fun and such a delicious dinner at a special restaurant. vee

Vee, it sounds like you went to Chicago for that meal. What a delight to read and am so glad the two of you had such an enjoyable evening. Wish I could help you have more. Love, Charles ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <housman@adelphia.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 11:00 PM Subject: [FOLKS] A special dinner out > Dear Folks, > > Last evening after my niece Deb and I had a scrumptious dinner in a > restaurant, I was so excited over the joy of the evening that I wanted to > tell you everything that happened down to the taste of the last bite of > our dinner. But since it was obvious to me that I would have droned on > and on, I thought I'd just simmer down and wait until tonight. So this is > how it all came about. > > This past Christmas Deb gave me a $25 gift certificate to apply toward a > dinner at the Clarkson House in nearby Lewiston. It was the restaurant > that the two of us always looked forward to eating there. But since the > non-smoking ban of July 2003, we never went back (I smoke). Nonetheless, > we felt that the restaurant would accommodate us if we ordered take-out. > > Late yesterday afternoon Deb called me and asked if I was in the mood for > Clarkson House take-out. Oh was I ever! We discussed their new dinner > menu and we decided on precisely what we wanted. It was up to me to call > ahead and order our take-out. I called, asked whether they would be able > to handle take-out and the receptionist assured me that they could. I > then told her that the reason we were ordering take-out was because of the > non-smoking policy state wide. She surprised me when she told me that > there wouldn't be a smoking problem because they now have an outside patio > where we could have dinner. Oh be still my heart! I immediately made > reservations for the two of us out on the patio. > > Even at 6:00 in the evening the temperature was still well above 70 > degrees and when Deb and I settled ourselves at a table on the patio the > setting was just right. The table itself was nice and each table had a > large umbrella over it. In a few moments a waiter came to our table and > introduced himself. He was John. He placed our table setting with a > small plate, silverware and a cloth napkin and then asked us if he could > get us something to drink. It had been well over a year since I had the > opportunity to order my special drink and I stuttered a bit. Deb spoke up > and ordered my drink just the way I've always ordered it--a perfect > bourbon Manhattan on the rocks with "your choice of fruit or vegetable." > John wrote down the order as if it were a routine one. > > As we waited for our drinks, we watched the passing parade on Center > Street in Lewiston. There were cars aplenty and there were people walking > their dogs and there were people pushing baby strollers and pausing at a > nearby bench to sit down and enjoy the warm spring evening. > > John brought our drinks to us and shortly afterward, a waitress appeared > for some unknown reason and introduced herself. She was Charlene and she > was so pleased we were back. Just to refresh our minds, she told us that > she used to wait on us back when. Oh wow, Charlene actually remembered > us! But right on her heals was another waitress who was the bartender. > She couldn't wait to see us again. She told me that the minute the waiter > ordered such a strange drink (including a vegetable of her choice), she > just KNEW who we were! She had remembered! Oh what fun! > > Our waiter John continued to wait on us professionally but in the middle > of our salad, we heard something shattering behind us. My instant comment > was that I hoped that wasn't our dinner! No, the wind had picked up and > sent one of the umbrellas toppling over and taking the table, chair and > ashtray with it. When John returned shortly after, we pointed out the > disaster and he hurried over to set up everything the way it was. By that > time he had let us know that we were the first customers to sit on the > patio. They had just finished it up the day before. We felt special. > > It wasn't long after that another umbrella toppled over and took the > table, chair and ashtray with it. By that time John had informed John the > manager that they had a problem out on the patio. John the Manager came > out and John the Waiter introduced him to us as his boss. The manager > shook our hands cordially and then we could see that he knew that the > restaurant had a problem with the patio. > > In the midst of the chaos, John the waiter, served us precisely what we > had ordered for dinner and it was delicious. At the appropriate time, he > came back to ask us if everything was satisfactory. Yes it was but we > pointed out to him that another umbrella had toppled over in the wind > right behind us. > > By that time Deb and I were getting silly and we confessed to John that > the reason we were there was to trash the new patio! His sense of humor > was such that he laughed along with us. And from there, there were laughs > and more laughs. > > It got to the point to where I spotted a customer (a stranger) coming out > of the restaurant reaching for his cigarettes. I spoke up and suggested > he pull up an ashtray and join us. He was taken by surprise but laughed. > While he was on the patio smoking, we bandied a few funny comments with > each other. > > By that time we had finished our dinner, John brought me my container of > leftovers, and as much as we didn't want to leave, we did. > > On our way home, Deb and I commented over how delicious our dinner was, we > still marveled over the employees who were obviously delighted to see us > come back and especially the toppling over of the umbrellas and how funny > it was to us. > > It's been a long time since I've had such fun and such a delicious dinner > at a special restaurant. > vee >

Dear Folks, This evening I decided to sample some of the Mother's Day dinner that my neighbor Ken's parents brought over yesterday. I studied the piled plate and decided that a hamburger, some baked beans and some of the macaroni salad should do nicely. Because the hamburgers were huge I cut one in half, put it on my plate, spooned a nice helping of the baked beans and put the plate in the microwave to heat up. I spooned a helping of the macaroni salad onto a salad plate and aside from brewing up a cup of after-dinner coffee, I was all set. I found the hamburger to be very tasty, not just a plain hamburger patty. The baked beans were just to my liking but I feel guilty telling you that I was disappointed with the macaroni salad. To my taste buds, it didn't have the flavor of enough mayonnaise and it didn't have a touch of mustard in it. Nonetheless it did taste good and went well with the rest of my dinner. In my mind it was a well-balanced nutritional dinner--meat, vegetable and starch. But let me tell you this. When I sampled the strawberry cake, it was to die for! It's obvious that there was strawberry Jell-O mixed in with a cake mix and who knows but what there was also some strawberry preserves mixed in with it. It was light, fluffy, moist and utterly delicious. The over-sized slice of cake would have normally been three servings for me. But before I knew it, I had eaten a good half of it after dinner with my special cup of coffee. When I finally felt less stuffed, I tackled the rest of the leftovers and figured out just how to freeze them in individual servings. First I scooped up the remaining baked beans and spread them just right into a plastic wrap lined tray and put the tray into the freezer. I knew that there were two more helpings of the beans for another couple of meals. Then I scooped up the remaining macaroni salad and placed it into a small plastic container and put it into the refrigerator. Whether it's only one more helping in the container remains to be seen. Next on my list were the two long hot dogs. I cut each of them in half and added them to the freezer--four more helpings. What was left were the 1-1/2 large hamburgers. I cut the whole one in half, wrapped the three halves in plastic wrap and I have three more helpings. I know that the one plate of food that Pattie and John brought over would have been just right for John's appetite. He would have finished it up in one sitting complete with hot dog buns and hamburger buns. But thank goodness for my small-capacity stomach. There's nothing wrong with my appetite, it's that over the years I know just how much my stomach can handle before it starts begging at me "enough, enough!" Now you see what it means to me when anyone brings over "a bit" of leftover holiday dinners. I can feast on the leftovers for months!! Burp! vee

Hi Vee and Folks Love those kind of serenades myself. Haven't heard any crickets yet, and so far haven't identified the one bird I hear almost daily, but love the gulls' songs as they glide overhead. Now who of our generation would trade this for a rock - rap - etc concert. Evelyn in beautiful Maine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <housman@adelphia.net> To: <NYNIAGAR-FOLKS-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, May 09, 2005 1:03 AM Subject: [FOLKS] I was serenaded today > Dear Folks, > > It was a beautiful warm spring day and when I checked my outside thermometer > and found that the temperature was pushing up into the upper 70s, I couldn't > wait to throw open my two windows to let in the warm spring breeze with its > fresh air. > > As I sat in my living room enjoying my murder mystery book I could hear > birds singing to me. The most wonderful one was the serenade that the robin > sang. Robins are such harbingers of spring. Then there was the red wing > black bird who always sounds like a squeaky screen door. Added to that was > a bird I couldn't identify who just sat up on a tree limb and lazily chirped > at me. Chirp (pause, take a breath), chirp (pause, take a breath) and then > another chirp. Even though I felt that he was a bit lazy, it didn't mean > that I didn't enjoy his chirping. I was hearing the sounds of spring. > > I kept the windows open well into the evening. One of them was in my > laundry room and as I was taking care of the wash tonight, I was serenaded > by a whole bunch of crickets singing loudly at the top of their lungs. > > Oh how I enjoyed the sounds of spring today. > vee > >

Dear Folks, It was a beautiful warm spring day and when I checked my outside thermometer and found that the temperature was pushing up into the upper 70s, I couldn't wait to throw open my two windows to let in the warm spring breeze with its fresh air. As I sat in my living room enjoying my murder mystery book I could hear birds singing to me. The most wonderful one was the serenade that the robin sang. Robins are such harbingers of spring. Then there was the red wing black bird who always sounds like a squeaky screen door. Added to that was a bird I couldn't identify who just sat up on a tree limb and lazily chirped at me. Chirp (pause, take a breath), chirp (pause, take a breath) and then another chirp. Even though I felt that he was a bit lazy, it didn't mean that I didn't enjoy his chirping. I was hearing the sounds of spring. I kept the windows open well into the evening. One of them was in my laundry room and as I was taking care of the wash tonight, I was serenaded by a whole bunch of crickets singing loudly at the top of their lungs. Oh how I enjoyed the sounds of spring today. vee