We sadly note George's passing on September 24th. George was Louise's loving husband and a dear stepdad and granddad. George loved to golf, fish, garden, tinker around the house, and visit the casino with Louise, where he often came home a winner. A native of southern Illinois, George ardently followed the St. Louis Cardinals. He especially loved to hunt with his son Tom in the Idaho wilderness, where his ashes will be scattered. We will miss George very much. Rest in peace.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
George Felkel, 1922-2009
We sadly note George's passing on September 24th. George was Louise's loving husband and a dear stepdad and granddad. George loved to golf, fish, garden, tinker around the house, and visit the casino with Louise, where he often came home a winner. A native of southern Illinois, George ardently followed the St. Louis Cardinals. He especially loved to hunt with his son Tom in the Idaho wilderness, where his ashes will be scattered. We will miss George very much. Rest in peace.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Keeping in touch
Hi All,
It's been a busy summer. We went to Lake Winnipesaukee for 2 weeks beginning the 4th of July, and rented a place on Alton Bay. Great sunning, boating, fishing. The boys & gals joined us for a week. Pete & Beth brought their brand new puppy, Porter, a frisky boxer-lab. He wasn't the only animal thereabouts. Next door was Ben, a gentle lab who made easy pals with Porter. Ben had a "sister", a pet parrot who squawked for her dinner. We were also visited by....a black bear, who visited our driveway one evening looking for some loose garbage can lids, before ambling away into the night.
Back home, we dog-sat overnight. It was fun getting back into the dog-walking routine so many years after Pixie left us. You meet so many new friends that way! Not to be outdone, Mark & Sarah (who now share a single apartment) have made things even more crowded by acquiring a pup of their own....Huxtable, a boxer-hound combo. Hey....mutts are the best. We visited last week & helped Mark take Hux for a walk to the local pooch park, where he frisked about with a dozen or so other dogs. What a life!
On that same visit we took in a Red Sox game with Roy & May....their first foray to Fenway! Though Roy's as dyed-in-the-wool a Yankee fan as I am a Sox fan, they still had a good time as the BoSox beat the ChiSox 12-8. For you non-Bah-stoan-ians, that score indicates what's known as a "Fenway Game".
Between New Hampshire and Boston, we made our annual pilgrimage to Haliburton, Ontario to visit our friends the Magnins on Drag Lake. Eight of us went out to dinner at a fine little pondside restaurant, while a thunderstorm raged outside the whole time. Power stayed on throughout, though.
Oh, yes....almost forgot. I quit my part-time position with the State as of August 13th, and am now fully retired. I won't miss the work. I loved it, but I could do it anywhere, including here at home if I were so inclined. But I'll really miss the people I worked with for the past year and a half....they were refreshingly different from the Counsel's Office crew I was part of when I was full-time. I find I also miss the little things that were part of my routine for so long: eating lunch at the downtown restaurants, seeing old friends from other workplaces every so often, jogging along the Albany streets and parks, shopping in the quaint gift shops, getting Chinese takeout, or just strolling through the brownstone neighborhoods.
Anyway, I'll have to go back for lunch every so often, because Sandy doesn't know what the heck else to do with me! (Just kidding.)
How's everyone else's summer been going?
Love to All,
Harry
It's been a busy summer. We went to Lake Winnipesaukee for 2 weeks beginning the 4th of July, and rented a place on Alton Bay. Great sunning, boating, fishing. The boys & gals joined us for a week. Pete & Beth brought their brand new puppy, Porter, a frisky boxer-lab. He wasn't the only animal thereabouts. Next door was Ben, a gentle lab who made easy pals with Porter. Ben had a "sister", a pet parrot who squawked for her dinner. We were also visited by....a black bear, who visited our driveway one evening looking for some loose garbage can lids, before ambling away into the night.
Back home, we dog-sat overnight. It was fun getting back into the dog-walking routine so many years after Pixie left us. You meet so many new friends that way! Not to be outdone, Mark & Sarah (who now share a single apartment) have made things even more crowded by acquiring a pup of their own....Huxtable, a boxer-hound combo. Hey....mutts are the best. We visited last week & helped Mark take Hux for a walk to the local pooch park, where he frisked about with a dozen or so other dogs. What a life!
On that same visit we took in a Red Sox game with Roy & May....their first foray to Fenway! Though Roy's as dyed-in-the-wool a Yankee fan as I am a Sox fan, they still had a good time as the BoSox beat the ChiSox 12-8. For you non-Bah-stoan-ians, that score indicates what's known as a "Fenway Game".
Between New Hampshire and Boston, we made our annual pilgrimage to Haliburton, Ontario to visit our friends the Magnins on Drag Lake. Eight of us went out to dinner at a fine little pondside restaurant, while a thunderstorm raged outside the whole time. Power stayed on throughout, though.
Oh, yes....almost forgot. I quit my part-time position with the State as of August 13th, and am now fully retired. I won't miss the work. I loved it, but I could do it anywhere, including here at home if I were so inclined. But I'll really miss the people I worked with for the past year and a half....they were refreshingly different from the Counsel's Office crew I was part of when I was full-time. I find I also miss the little things that were part of my routine for so long: eating lunch at the downtown restaurants, seeing old friends from other workplaces every so often, jogging along the Albany streets and parks, shopping in the quaint gift shops, getting Chinese takeout, or just strolling through the brownstone neighborhoods.
Anyway, I'll have to go back for lunch every so often, because Sandy doesn't know what the heck else to do with me! (Just kidding.)
How's everyone else's summer been going?
Love to All,
Harry
Monday, July 6, 2009
Jon Sprunk's Website
Check Cousin Jon's author website : www.jonsprunk.com I'll make a link over there on the right side of the page here, shortly.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
A Great Day at Citfield!
Hi All,
Just reporting that 9 Buono Clanspersons all had a great time at the Mets-Cardinals game at Citifield in New York last Thursday. In attendance were Joni, Rick, their son Peter, Lorraine, Roy, Sandy, Mark, Steve and I. We'd planned to take Mom (Louise) until she had to cancel her trip. George seems to be doing better lately....all our best to him and Louise.
We took in all the sights: the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, the Pepsi Porch, the old & new Home Run Apples, and had a nice get-together after the game in the Caesar's Club Lounge....which is right in the park and where you have a panoramic view of the NY City skyline as well as the World's Fairgrounds.
Oh, yes....the Amazins won, 3-2.
Just reporting that 9 Buono Clanspersons all had a great time at the Mets-Cardinals game at Citifield in New York last Thursday. In attendance were Joni, Rick, their son Peter, Lorraine, Roy, Sandy, Mark, Steve and I. We'd planned to take Mom (Louise) until she had to cancel her trip. George seems to be doing better lately....all our best to him and Louise.
We took in all the sights: the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, the Pepsi Porch, the old & new Home Run Apples, and had a nice get-together after the game in the Caesar's Club Lounge....which is right in the park and where you have a panoramic view of the NY City skyline as well as the World's Fairgrounds.
Oh, yes....the Amazins won, 3-2.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Truly Strange
One of the strangest things I've ever seen happened today. When I graduated from Union in 1967 I bought a class ring--a handsome, military-style job--and wore it for about five years. In the early 1970's I played basketball with a bunch of guys from work. We played at an elementary school near Albany. As the ring was pretty bulky, I always took it off before playing and left it in a locker. One night I finished playing, dressed and went home and....no ring. I went back to the school either that night or the next day and looked everywhere in the locker room, but the ring was nowhere in sight. So I figured it had to have been stolen.
I checked with the school's lost & found, and over the next few weeks I may have looked in a couple of pawn shops, but with no luck. So....careless stupidity, I figured, but the ring was lost forever.
Fast forward to June 17, 2009 (today). I came home from work and Sandy said that a spooky thing had happened and I should look in the front hall. There on the desk was my ring, with a note from a fellow named Frank, who said that he used to play basketball at the same school (though not with my group....he was only about 14 at the time) and that he had found my ring there one evening. He didn't know it was mine, only that it was a Union College ring from 1967 with the initials HJW on it. For years he had kept the ring, despite pleas from his eventual wife to find its owner.
Finally he checked with the folks at Union and discovered that I was the only one in the Class of '67 with those initials. And guess what? My name and address are in the local phone book. So he stopped over while I was at work and surprised the heck out of Sandy with his story (though Sandy vaguely remembered hearing me talk about losing the ring in a locker room--it may have happened before I even met her). The guy left me a note apologizing for his delay in returning my ring!
I don't know whether to laugh or go bowling. He's honest enough to rescue my ring, but then he keeps it for 37 years without making an effort to find me. Then, at his wife's urging, he looks me up and delivers it.
I haven't called him yet....I'll do that tomorrow. Yes--as a true Buono, I'll be very grateful for his (and his wife's) act.
I guess stranger things have happened.
Cheers All,
Harry W
P.S. Now, if only someone would find my high school ring that I lost in Great South Bay.
I checked with the school's lost & found, and over the next few weeks I may have looked in a couple of pawn shops, but with no luck. So....careless stupidity, I figured, but the ring was lost forever.
Fast forward to June 17, 2009 (today). I came home from work and Sandy said that a spooky thing had happened and I should look in the front hall. There on the desk was my ring, with a note from a fellow named Frank, who said that he used to play basketball at the same school (though not with my group....he was only about 14 at the time) and that he had found my ring there one evening. He didn't know it was mine, only that it was a Union College ring from 1967 with the initials HJW on it. For years he had kept the ring, despite pleas from his eventual wife to find its owner.
Finally he checked with the folks at Union and discovered that I was the only one in the Class of '67 with those initials. And guess what? My name and address are in the local phone book. So he stopped over while I was at work and surprised the heck out of Sandy with his story (though Sandy vaguely remembered hearing me talk about losing the ring in a locker room--it may have happened before I even met her). The guy left me a note apologizing for his delay in returning my ring!
I don't know whether to laugh or go bowling. He's honest enough to rescue my ring, but then he keeps it for 37 years without making an effort to find me. Then, at his wife's urging, he looks me up and delivers it.
I haven't called him yet....I'll do that tomorrow. Yes--as a true Buono, I'll be very grateful for his (and his wife's) act.
I guess stranger things have happened.
Cheers All,
Harry W
P.S. Now, if only someone would find my high school ring that I lost in Great South Bay.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Me and Lorraine
Hey all -
Sandy and I are on a history-nerd vacation in Washington, D.C. this week. We've been up and down the National Mall, visited the Smithsonian Museum of American History, got a behind the scenes tour of the Senate, and drove up to Frederick to meet Lorraine for dinner. Awesome trip so far, not the least of which was seeing Lorraine again after 50 odd years. Needless to say, we didn't scratch the surface, catching-up-wise.
Cheers,
Don
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Hey Buonos!!
Happy 27th of May, fellow progeny of Alphonzo and Maria! I know I haven't been here recently, been busy on Facebook and with church and Scouts....but wanted to let you un-Facebooked among us know what's been happening here in rainy Georgia!
John's last day of the 3rd grade was on Friday, if you can believe that! On Thursday, he was given the following awards: Merit List (all As and Bs all year), the REACH Award for Speech (there is one regular REACH winner from each class, and only one speech award given for the whole grade) and with this award, he and I got to have our hand prints added to the REACH wall outside the cafeteria at the school, and also a cool gold star pin! He was given a Speech Student of the year award, and a "High-Tech" award from his homeroom teachers for being the most knowledgeable about the tecchy stuff they use in the classrooms.
He scored an 807 on the GCRCT in Math and a 776 in Reading. 800 is baseline, so he did pass his math, but not the reading portion..normally, this would force him into summer school and having to retake the test, but since he's still considered "resource" this has been waived for him, and he's been placed in the 4th grade. I had him placed because his reading level has gone up 2 grade levels since the beginning of the school year. He's been working really hard this year and has just shown awesome improvement this year in his new school. We've been re-districted though, so next year he'll be going to the brand new elementary school right down the road.....
Aaron's still at the plant, he'll probably be carried out of there toes up....gets stressful at times, but he does seem to love what he does, so if that's the case, so be it. He was nominated for the company's Safety Committee, and from what he said yesterday, it sounds like he was approved for it. The committee travels to all of the Harcros facilities to do training and inspect them and make sure they're up to Federal standards. More travelling for him, but it gets him away from the everyday stresses here that he has with his older kids. He's also volunteered to be a teacher at VBS this year at church, which should be interesting, plus he's the Cubmaster of John's pack.
My elbow surgery went ok...the first one was kind of a bust (literally!), started leaking joint fluid from it, so Doc had to go back in and fix that problem. Seems to have taken ok, not in near as much pain as I was before in the ol elbow. I'm currently awaiting 2 more procedures, one in my shoulder joint to put in new anchors and tighten in back up, and one in my bicep to re-attach my biceps tendon that was attached there a few years ago in a tendonisis procedure. Still out on disability (yippee for me, right?) but it gives me a chance to spend some more time with John this summer, and we don't have to worry about the cost of day camp. I'm doing crafts at VBS this year (I'm still trying to figure out how THAT happened!) and I'm the Pack Trainer for Scouts, I've been helping our District Exec from Council with some stuff, and hoping to be nominated for Order of the Arrow this year, it's a pretty big deal, so keep your fingers crossed!
That's about it from here....will talk to you all soon!
Love and miss you all!
Cheri
John's last day of the 3rd grade was on Friday, if you can believe that! On Thursday, he was given the following awards: Merit List (all As and Bs all year), the REACH Award for Speech (there is one regular REACH winner from each class, and only one speech award given for the whole grade) and with this award, he and I got to have our hand prints added to the REACH wall outside the cafeteria at the school, and also a cool gold star pin! He was given a Speech Student of the year award, and a "High-Tech" award from his homeroom teachers for being the most knowledgeable about the tecchy stuff they use in the classrooms.
He scored an 807 on the GCRCT in Math and a 776 in Reading. 800 is baseline, so he did pass his math, but not the reading portion..normally, this would force him into summer school and having to retake the test, but since he's still considered "resource" this has been waived for him, and he's been placed in the 4th grade. I had him placed because his reading level has gone up 2 grade levels since the beginning of the school year. He's been working really hard this year and has just shown awesome improvement this year in his new school. We've been re-districted though, so next year he'll be going to the brand new elementary school right down the road.....
Aaron's still at the plant, he'll probably be carried out of there toes up....gets stressful at times, but he does seem to love what he does, so if that's the case, so be it. He was nominated for the company's Safety Committee, and from what he said yesterday, it sounds like he was approved for it. The committee travels to all of the Harcros facilities to do training and inspect them and make sure they're up to Federal standards. More travelling for him, but it gets him away from the everyday stresses here that he has with his older kids. He's also volunteered to be a teacher at VBS this year at church, which should be interesting, plus he's the Cubmaster of John's pack.
My elbow surgery went ok...the first one was kind of a bust (literally!), started leaking joint fluid from it, so Doc had to go back in and fix that problem. Seems to have taken ok, not in near as much pain as I was before in the ol elbow. I'm currently awaiting 2 more procedures, one in my shoulder joint to put in new anchors and tighten in back up, and one in my bicep to re-attach my biceps tendon that was attached there a few years ago in a tendonisis procedure. Still out on disability (yippee for me, right?) but it gives me a chance to spend some more time with John this summer, and we don't have to worry about the cost of day camp. I'm doing crafts at VBS this year (I'm still trying to figure out how THAT happened!) and I'm the Pack Trainer for Scouts, I've been helping our District Exec from Council with some stuff, and hoping to be nominated for Order of the Arrow this year, it's a pretty big deal, so keep your fingers crossed!
That's about it from here....will talk to you all soon!
Love and miss you all!
Cheri
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Happy Memorial Day
Happy Memorial Day weekend to all the Buonos! Let's take a moment to reflect on the service and sacrifice of all our veterans. They deserve it. In fact, they deserve a lot more.
Matter of fact, I just watched "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell" on our Netflix subscription. It's absolutely amazing to me how prescient the man was, in 1925, about the future use of air power and the nation's need to prepare for its implications. If you haven't seen it and you like military flicks, check it out.
Sandy and I are just hangin' out, enjoying the good weather, working in the yard and getting some garage cleaning and house painting done. We'll have our neighbors the Giulianos over tomorrow, and Pete & Beth over for some grill-out fare on Monday.
The other bit of news....we just signed on a new '09 Honda Accord, delivery due this coming Wednesday. Can't wait ( & can't beat that 0% financing)!!
Cheers to all.
Harry
Matter of fact, I just watched "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell" on our Netflix subscription. It's absolutely amazing to me how prescient the man was, in 1925, about the future use of air power and the nation's need to prepare for its implications. If you haven't seen it and you like military flicks, check it out.
Sandy and I are just hangin' out, enjoying the good weather, working in the yard and getting some garage cleaning and house painting done. We'll have our neighbors the Giulianos over tomorrow, and Pete & Beth over for some grill-out fare on Monday.
The other bit of news....we just signed on a new '09 Honda Accord, delivery due this coming Wednesday. Can't wait ( & can't beat that 0% financing)!!
Cheers to all.
Harry
Friday, May 15, 2009
Catching up
Hey Guys -
Traffic's been so low here over the last few months that I got out of the habit of checking in. Was thinking maybe we should join the kids over on Facebook. Jenny, Cheri, Fran, Sandy G. Lorraine and I yak away over there pretty regularly. But Facebook is pretty public, and this page is set up for family only.
Harry - New golf clubs! May you wear them out this summer. Sandy and I play pretty regulary at an executive course up in Brea. My putting is atrocious, so I must need a new putter! The Dodgers got off to a good start, feasting on the weak teams in the N.L. West. Then Manny got suspended for a third of the season, just in time for a swing through the East. I figured they'd come back down to earth then. But, two out of three from the Phillies ain't a bad start. So we'll see. Losing an impact player like Ramirez can't help.
Also, nice photo of your mom and young Mark. She called me a week or so ago about the availability of the movie my dad was in back in 1951. I have vague memories of seeing it on TV when I was a kid. It's available from Amazon so I ordered it and we watched it. It's called Yes Sir, Mr. Bones, and is a salute to the Minstrel Shows from the 30's and 40's: white guys in black face. It's a cringe-a-thon of racial sterotyping, but it was fun to see the old man in action again with his vocal quartet, even if they were in outlandish get-ups. No blackface, thankfully. I'll post a couple of photos from it here shortly.
Lorraine - That is so cool that your job includes international travel. We'd love to visit Vienna some day. Hope you have some time for sightseeing. Take pictures!
We are off to Vegas next week for a computer conference. looking forward to a break in the routine.
Cheers,
Don
Friday, May 8, 2009
I'm Here
Hi Everybody,
It's been so crazy lately, I haven't even thought about stoppin' in to say hi. So here I am.
Work is going great. I'll be in Boston next month for a meeting. Unfortunately, I won't be there long enough to say hi to anyone. Flying in on Tuesday and out on Thursday with an all day meeting in between.
In September, I'll be going down to Georgia to visit Cheri, Aaron and John. We're going to the NASCAR race Labor Day weekend at Atlanta Motorspeedway. We'll be camping in the infield for the whole weekend. Unfortunately, in a tent. I hate tents. John doesn't know anything about the race. It's going to be a huge surprise as it's his early birthday present. He knows we're going camping, but that's it. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see his face when he realizes we'll be there all weekend. Our space is very close to the garage area, so we can walk over and watch what's going on through the fence.
In October, I'll be going to Vienna for a week for another meeting. Very excited about that. Only foreign country I've ever been to is Canada and that doesn't count. :)
Sad news is that my car blew a head gasket. Good news is that someone bought it. So now I have a down payment for another car.
Enjoying Logan and very happy I can see him grow and thrive. Miss John alot though.
Can't wait to go to Long Island and have a mini family reunion to see a Met game at the new "Shea" Stadium. I know it has a new name, but to us die hard Met fans it will always be Shea. Then that Friday, Joni and I are going to see Huey Lewis and the News. One of my faves. And I'll spend the rest of the weekend with Mom.
Well, I guess that's it for now.
Love,
Lorraine
It's been so crazy lately, I haven't even thought about stoppin' in to say hi. So here I am.
Work is going great. I'll be in Boston next month for a meeting. Unfortunately, I won't be there long enough to say hi to anyone. Flying in on Tuesday and out on Thursday with an all day meeting in between.
In September, I'll be going down to Georgia to visit Cheri, Aaron and John. We're going to the NASCAR race Labor Day weekend at Atlanta Motorspeedway. We'll be camping in the infield for the whole weekend. Unfortunately, in a tent. I hate tents. John doesn't know anything about the race. It's going to be a huge surprise as it's his early birthday present. He knows we're going camping, but that's it. I'm so excited. I can't wait to see his face when he realizes we'll be there all weekend. Our space is very close to the garage area, so we can walk over and watch what's going on through the fence.
In October, I'll be going to Vienna for a week for another meeting. Very excited about that. Only foreign country I've ever been to is Canada and that doesn't count. :)
Sad news is that my car blew a head gasket. Good news is that someone bought it. So now I have a down payment for another car.
Enjoying Logan and very happy I can see him grow and thrive. Miss John alot though.
Can't wait to go to Long Island and have a mini family reunion to see a Met game at the new "Shea" Stadium. I know it has a new name, but to us die hard Met fans it will always be Shea. Then that Friday, Joni and I are going to see Huey Lewis and the News. One of my faves. And I'll spend the rest of the weekend with Mom.
Well, I guess that's it for now.
Love,
Lorraine
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Just a Reminiscence
Hi Folks,
Sandy just loaded a bunch of old slides onto our computer, and I just thought I'd post an interesting one. It's of Mark and his "Grandma Lou" at his first birthday party in January, 1979. Check out the train cake!!
BTW....where is everyone? No posts, no comments? In the words of Blues Traveler....Hey baby, let's keep in touch.
Harry
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Just Checkin' In
Hi Everyone!
Just thought I'd check in with some news. We took in a Kathy Mattea concert the other night over in Troy. Though "18 Wheels & A Dozen Roses" happened quite a while ago for her, she has a new CD out titled "Coal". It's all songs about--you guessed it--coal and coal mining. She puts on a great show and has great side musicians.
Sandy and I keep busy. We've joined a choral group over at Union College, made up of students as well as geezers like us. It's a lot of fun. In February we performed Mozart & Aaron Copland, and in May we're performing a concert of Haydn's music.
So our musical tastes run the gamut, you might say.
It's slowly becoming spring here in Scotia, though this weekend the weather is due to take a great leap forward with temps expected in the 80's. Whoo-Hoo!!
Hey Don, I bought a new set of Walter Hagen golf clubs. First new set I've ever had. It's got graphite shafts and a bunch of hybrid clubs that replace the lower irons. Gee--I sound like an expert, though I'm the rankest duffer. Can't wait to get out & hit 'em.
Also--Dodgers & Sox both holding their own.
Cheers everyone!
Harry
Just thought I'd check in with some news. We took in a Kathy Mattea concert the other night over in Troy. Though "18 Wheels & A Dozen Roses" happened quite a while ago for her, she has a new CD out titled "Coal". It's all songs about--you guessed it--coal and coal mining. She puts on a great show and has great side musicians.
Sandy and I keep busy. We've joined a choral group over at Union College, made up of students as well as geezers like us. It's a lot of fun. In February we performed Mozart & Aaron Copland, and in May we're performing a concert of Haydn's music.
So our musical tastes run the gamut, you might say.
It's slowly becoming spring here in Scotia, though this weekend the weather is due to take a great leap forward with temps expected in the 80's. Whoo-Hoo!!
Hey Don, I bought a new set of Walter Hagen golf clubs. First new set I've ever had. It's got graphite shafts and a bunch of hybrid clubs that replace the lower irons. Gee--I sound like an expert, though I'm the rankest duffer. Can't wait to get out & hit 'em.
Also--Dodgers & Sox both holding their own.
Cheers everyone!
Harry
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
We're Back!!
We're back from Florida. Despite some raw weather on the way down, once we got below the Carolinas it was basically balmy (for upstate New Yorkers!). We got to see all the folks, games, and sights we'd planned to see, including partaking in a fantastic Buono get-together with Aunt Marion and Cousins Mary and Marge and their families. See for yourself. In addition to the Buono photo--taken at Marge and Tom's place in Alva--we're seen on the beach at Sanibel Island, taking in a Red Sox-Marlins game in Fort Myers, and visiting my second cousin Maureen in St. Pete. Cheers. Harry W.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Family Photographs
My Mom, her friend Alice and Uncle Ralph looking rather raffish around 1943-44, I think.
Aunt Marion and Uncle Ralph, circa 1943
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Big News!
I report that Mark and Sarah are officially engaged! Their courtship took that turn this past Saturday in Boston. Mark's plan was elaborate beyond words. It involved surprising Sarah by having her picked up from work in a limo, thence being driven around town to several landmarks, at each of which she was greeted by friends and future brothers-in-law, a rooftop rendezvous where the ring was presented, and a late-night party at the Tavern on the Water (a stone's throw from Old Ironsides). Sarah was absolutely floored, and everyone's excited! After she sufficiently decompresses, they'll set a date. So there'll be more to come when I have it. Cheers! Harry
Friday, January 23, 2009
An "early" spring
This is just to let everyone know that Sandy and I will be starting Spring early by taking a road trip south, beginning in late February. We plan to make quite a few stops on the way down and back, to visit friends and to sight-see, but our ultimate destination is the Cape Coral/Fort Myers area, where we'll of course visit Aunt Marion and Cousins Mary and Margie! We'll be there from March 6-10, also enjoying a Red Sox DestiNation package that will give us hotel accommodations, Spring Training game tickets and other goodies. Mark and Sarah, and Sarah's folks, are planning to be in the area also. Can't wait for it all to happen! We'll post a story at the end of it all, hopefully with some pictures.
Cheers, Harry
Cheers, Harry
Thursday, January 8, 2009
We're home!
We're home, everyone's settled back in, and John finally went back to school today! So, I have some time to myself. (They cancelled school yesterday because of flooding, they closed 24 roads in Gordon County because of the 6" of rain we got on Tuesday!)
We had a great time seeing everyone again! We stopped first in PA and stayed with Mom, and had dinner with Jenny, Jon and Logan on Friday night. Saturday morning, Mom finangled her way into seeing a real race shop nearby. It is Bobby Gerhardt's shop, he runs for the Arca-Re/Max series, quite a good race car driver too, from all the awards he has! He's got a nice setup, more than 3o cars, I think he said. He's single, and had an eye on Mom the whole time we were there! (Cross your fingers everyone, I think it's high time Mom started dating again!) Jenny and I had our usual argument on Saturday night when we went back to their place for dinner.
Sunday, Aaron, Mom, John and I piled into the truck and headed to NY!! We had dinner at Gram's with Aunt Joni, Uncle Rick, Richie and Pete and everyone was awed at how tall John's gotten since the last time they saw him! We had a great time playing cards and talking.
Monday, Aaron, John and I went to Aaron's old stomping grounds and that night had dinner with his "foster parents" Fred and Cheri Albrecht. (When Aaron was 18, he moved in with them after a big fight with his Dad, long story.) Their son, John, and his family also came over to enjoy the night with us. John was Aaron's best friend in high school.
Tuesday, we went and saw my best friend, Genevieve and her family, then had dinner with Mom at Red Lobster (conveniently halfway funded by Aaron's waste handler at work) and then went to visit with Daddy's sister Pat, her "hubby" Bob, and my favorite cousin on that side of the family, JoAnne and her family. It's a small apartment, and there were alot of us in it, but we still had a great time! Hard to believe her kids are so big, but she can say the same of mine, the lastg time we saw each other was when I was pregnant!!
Wednesday, it SNOWED!!! We went and spent time with Aaron's sister Amy and her family. Unfortunately, his mom was out of town and we didn't get a chance to see her. John even got to drive the town's snow plow! Amy's husband, Shane, works for the town of Sidney, and he had to work, so he let John run the plow controls while Shane drove the truck.
Wednesday night was back at Gram's with the Schuberts for New Year's Eve. We played games and cards and had a great time together. John slept through New Year's, but he usually does. I think everyone left about 3am or so, it was late, that's for sure.
We stayed with Grama, so we got to spend alot of time with her, more so than anyone else. It was so good to see everyone again! We're hoping to go back this summer and visit again.
Thursday, we headed back to PA and Mom's. We met Jenny, Jon and Logan at the portrait studio, cause Mom wanted to get some pics made with her kids and grandkids. Friday, we headed home!! Didn't make bad time either!
John weathered the trip well, and we didn't stop much, so we were able to get home about 6pm. Then Saturday, we had to get up early to go to a Scout conservation project.
Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year!
Love,
Cheri
We had a great time seeing everyone again! We stopped first in PA and stayed with Mom, and had dinner with Jenny, Jon and Logan on Friday night. Saturday morning, Mom finangled her way into seeing a real race shop nearby. It is Bobby Gerhardt's shop, he runs for the Arca-Re/Max series, quite a good race car driver too, from all the awards he has! He's got a nice setup, more than 3o cars, I think he said. He's single, and had an eye on Mom the whole time we were there! (Cross your fingers everyone, I think it's high time Mom started dating again!) Jenny and I had our usual argument on Saturday night when we went back to their place for dinner.
Sunday, Aaron, Mom, John and I piled into the truck and headed to NY!! We had dinner at Gram's with Aunt Joni, Uncle Rick, Richie and Pete and everyone was awed at how tall John's gotten since the last time they saw him! We had a great time playing cards and talking.
Monday, Aaron, John and I went to Aaron's old stomping grounds and that night had dinner with his "foster parents" Fred and Cheri Albrecht. (When Aaron was 18, he moved in with them after a big fight with his Dad, long story.) Their son, John, and his family also came over to enjoy the night with us. John was Aaron's best friend in high school.
Tuesday, we went and saw my best friend, Genevieve and her family, then had dinner with Mom at Red Lobster (conveniently halfway funded by Aaron's waste handler at work) and then went to visit with Daddy's sister Pat, her "hubby" Bob, and my favorite cousin on that side of the family, JoAnne and her family. It's a small apartment, and there were alot of us in it, but we still had a great time! Hard to believe her kids are so big, but she can say the same of mine, the lastg time we saw each other was when I was pregnant!!
Wednesday, it SNOWED!!! We went and spent time with Aaron's sister Amy and her family. Unfortunately, his mom was out of town and we didn't get a chance to see her. John even got to drive the town's snow plow! Amy's husband, Shane, works for the town of Sidney, and he had to work, so he let John run the plow controls while Shane drove the truck.
Wednesday night was back at Gram's with the Schuberts for New Year's Eve. We played games and cards and had a great time together. John slept through New Year's, but he usually does. I think everyone left about 3am or so, it was late, that's for sure.
We stayed with Grama, so we got to spend alot of time with her, more so than anyone else. It was so good to see everyone again! We're hoping to go back this summer and visit again.
Thursday, we headed back to PA and Mom's. We met Jenny, Jon and Logan at the portrait studio, cause Mom wanted to get some pics made with her kids and grandkids. Friday, we headed home!! Didn't make bad time either!
John weathered the trip well, and we didn't stop much, so we were able to get home about 6pm. Then Saturday, we had to get up early to go to a Scout conservation project.
Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year!
Love,
Cheri
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