* UPDATE ON OUR DEAR FRIEND, CLAUDiA...AKA BOOKiE *

On May 30th, I wrote a post about my friend, Claudia Mundell, AKA "Bookie".

Since that time I've received a few short emails from Claudia, relating to her illness and subsequent battle. I have no idea how I would react to receiving news that I had cancer, or how I would handle all the pain, discomfort, and sometimes pure hell that a person goes through. But I can tell you that Claudia's courage and strength continue to amaze and inspire me.

She is definitely a fighter, and I recently wrote to her "You are one tough broad! And I mean that in the best, most meaningful way!! Keep hanging in there." 

Another thing I love about Claudia is her way with words. She is, after all, a very good writer! Below are some of her charming thoughts she shared in an email:

"...This morning I dressed in color for first time in 6 weeks... It only took me four hours to bathe and dress! But it felt good...I saw___doctor and he is a cute little butterball with scruffy face. When he enters a room, there is this crunchy energy that comes with him. I want to curl up in his scrub pocket and ride along on his energy!"

Can't you just envision that doctor? J

If you are a person who believes in prayer, please include Claudia in yours, that as she continues to fight this disease, she will have both physical and emotional strength, and keep her wonderful sense of humor.

* Hee hee! Another "Oh So True"! *

* Grandpa Had a Perpetual Calendar *

Grandpa had a shiny, brass perpetual calendar. He kept it on top of the ornate, built-in wooden cabinet that separated the living room from the dining room. (It was similar to the one below.) As a young child it intrigued me because it was something I didn't see in anyone else's house. I always looked forward to getting up in those summer mornings....to go outside and play, of course....but also because grandpa would let me turn the little knobs and make the correct day and number appear. How fun it was!

Google source

(And how cool is this that I found one with yesterday's date??)

The only calendars I knew about were the paper kind you hung on the kitchen wall, above the bright red step-stool chair. (Like the one below.) Ours was probably the free one that our church handed out after Mass. It had all the holidays and Holy Days already on it, so families wouldn't forget when they had to go to a Mass that wasn't on a Sunday. 

Google source

Many years ago, a wonderful friend gave me a perpetual calendar as a gift. It was either for Christmas or my birthday; I don't remember which, since they're only 12 days apart! ☺ We met when we had young sons in the same school, and attended the same church. We both sang alto in our church choir and those practices were both solemn and loads of fun. I'm sorry to say that as our boys grew up, we drifted apart as happens quite often, but we still send Christmas cards to each other every year. 

photo by Becky

I'm happy to say that I still have this darling little calendar. It's in my kitchen and every time I even glance at it, I think of her and of my grandpa. 

"Elephants and grandchildren never forget." -- Andy Rooney

Hello and Welcome to 2013

No, I didn't welcome 2013 with an alcoholic drink, 

but I'm taking on Maxine's attitude for the year

because this is the year for 60th Birthdays

for myself and most of my school-age friends.

I just happen to be the one born the earliest in 1953,

and I'm happy to lead the way in Celebrating our Sixties!

The following song lyrics just popped into my head and I think they'll be my 2013 Theme Song because no matter what I do this year, especially pertaining to my writing or publishing, "I got to keep on moving"!

Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down, oh-no 
I got to keep on moving
Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
I'm running and I won't touch ground 
Oh-no, I got to keep on moving

~~

Matthew Wilder

Please don't forget my Kickstarter Project ends on my birthday, January 6th. If you can help in any way, I'm very grateful. 

* Nostalgic Sunday *

It's Time for Another Nostalgic Sunday!

Although I'm still on my blog break, I miss posting my Nostalgic Sunday memories, and some of you have said you miss reading them, too. 

A little over a month ago, on April 19th, I got together with three of my OLDEST friends! We've all known each other since I entered their school in the 4th grade. (I'm pretty sure they all met in 1st grade.) We were in Girl Scouts together, and went to high school together (STA). That is....until Barb's family moved away around 1969, as did mine around 1970. So, although we didn't actually graduate from the same high school, I've attended almost every STA reunion, because that is where my heart lies. 

Barb and I have stayed in touch really well. We live fairly close to each other and meet for lunch or dinner whenever our schedules allow. Cheri and Chris certainly don't live that far away, but trying to get four busy women together is almost impossible. 

Thanks to Cheri, our official party planner, we all met for dinner and drinks at Blueberry Hill, in University City, Missouri. It's in a very popular dining/shopping/entertainment area known as The Loop. The legendary Chuck Berry still performs there one night a month! (I've been saying for years that I'm going to attend one of his shows....but I forget, and/or they sell out too fast! I know. I know. None of us are getting any younger!)

NOW PHOTO
Four Very Glamorous Gals!

From left to right: Cheri, Barb, me, and Chris. 

(next time, Chris and I need to have much better sunglasses. We just had our clip-ons.)

I love the caption Cheri posted with the photo(s)

"Four St. Philip Chics Loudly Reunite! 19 April 2012 Blueberry Hill - The Loop"


We had a BLAST! We struck up conversations as if we'd gotten together just the week before. We talked, laughed, snorted, giggled, howled, and roared. The young waiters looked at us like we were a bunch of crazy old ladies, but to each other, we still looked and sounded the same way we did all those years ago.
Amazing....the friendships of women.

Okay, that's the NOW PHOTO....wait until you see the THEN PHOTOS.....

THEN PHOTO

Cheri (left) and Chris! June 1967, our Girl Scout troop took a bus trip

to Washington, DC. This was at a road-side park for lunch. They don't look

too happy, do they?! Maybe they'd already seen and/or smelled the food!

THEN PHOTO

OMG! Here's the Piece de Resistance!

Barb (left) and me. No, she was not taller than me. We're standing

on the steps of the US Capitol Building, getting our picture taken 

with Illinois Congressman, Melvin Price and our entire troop. 

(It's pretty obvious why I wasn't with the "In Crowd," don't ya think?!)

We're all looking forward to another "Four St. Philip Chics Loudly Reunite!" It may be months from now, but we surely won't let it be years from now, as in the past.

 * Welcome to my two newest followers, Jennifer and Carrie Lynne. I hope you'll stop by often and always enjoy what you read and see! Thank you! *

"A friend will tell you she saw your old 

boyfriend - and he's a priest." 

-- Erma Bombeck