In Memory of Ruthie...

I have been so saddened this week about the passing of a friend, Ruthie Watson Iannazzo.

Her family moved here from Kansas in 1962 and they attended my church, Bethany Assembly of God.   We were the same age when she moved here - 12 years old, and we became friends.

After she got married she moved away and I rarely saw her.  The last time I saw her was at a friend's funeral.  That was two months ago.  Who could ever have known that in two months' time she would be gone also.

This is a picture of our combined junior high Sunday School class, probably 1962 or 63.  I am in the back row - fourth girl from the left.  Ruthie is the fifth girl, right next to me.  Most of these kids were in the youth group also.  It's hard to explain what a bond we had with the kids in our youth group at that time.

I still feel that bond, all these years later.
#tillwemeetagain

Dot and Steph

Paul and I took Dot to visit Steph today to celebrate Steph's 90 birthday (which is tomorrow).  They have been friends since they were teenagers.  In fact, when I came to live with my grandparents at 9 months old, Steph was living with them.  My grandfather gave her away at her wedding as her father was too ill to make the trip from New Jersey (where Steph was from).  I think it is wonderful that they have stayed close friends for so long.

Then.....

and now.

Throwback Thursday - My friend Judy

Recently a childhood friend of mine, Judy, had some scary health problems. It hit me that we are much too young to have these kind of problems. Or are we? 63. We are getting up there. It reminded me to take as good care of my health as I can and to appreciate every day.

This picture was taken in our Pastor's kitchen. Kathy, the pastor's daughter, was having a birthday party. They moved in 1965, so this picture was some time before then. We were probably about 13 or 14, so the year was 1963-64.

My friend Judy is in the center with the whitish sweater on. I am in the back, second over from Judy on the right.

Good memories. Judy lives in Florida now and I haven't seen her in years, but I still consider her one of my best friends ever.

Throwback Thursday - Pumpkin Pie or Squash Pie?

Having this pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving reminded me of past Thanksgivings at my grandmother's house. 

If you follow my blog at all, you've heard me talk of my Aunt Dot's friend Steph.  Well, Steph and her family used to come over on Thanksgiving afternoon for dessert. 

These are pictures from Thanksgiving 1966.


Ettie, Dot, Steph

These are the guys, in the living room, most likely watching football.  The women and kids were either in the kitchen or in the dining room. 

Steph's husband Ray, my Dad, and Ettie's husband Bob

The pumpkin pie that we had this Thanksgiving reminded me of a funny story about Steph and pumpkin pie.  Steph came from New Jersey where no one had ever heard of a squash pie.  Every year my grandmother would make either a squash pie, pumpkin pie or both.  Steph always asked which one it was before she ate it because she loved pumpkin pie but wouldn't touch squash pie.  One year my family decided to play a trick on Steph.  They told her she was having pumpkin pie and when she finished they asked her how it was.  "Delicious" she said.  They all had a great laugh when they told her she had just eaten squash pie!

This year, the day after Thanksgiving, my Aunt Ettie and cousin Lynda came for a visit.  We picked up my Aunt Dot and went to visit Steph.

Steph, Dot, Ettie

 We had a wonderful visit, talking alot about old times.  I brought up the pumpkin pie vs the squash pie and Steph told the story again.  We all had a good laugh! 

Good memories.

Throwback Thursday - Dot and Steph

Dot and Steph have been friends for about 70 years. This picture was taken in 1954; Dot was the Maid of Honor at Steph's wedding. My grandfather gave Steph away as her father was too ill to make the trip from New Jersey (where Steph was from).

Steph has been the one friend that has stuck by Dot during her years with Alzheimer's. She gave Paul and I so much moral support when we were in the middle of finding a place for Dot to live. She was the one who helped me get her to the Atrium on move in day. She faithfully stopped in on Sundays after church to visit Dot until she broke her ankle last February.

Since I knew that Steph could not come to any type of birthday party for Dot, we brought the party to Steph's. We sang Happy Birthday, blew out the candle, ate cake and had a wonderful visit.



They both seemed to enjoy the visit very much. I made a mental note to myself to bring Dot to visit Steph often. There's nothing like an old friend.

Happy birthday Dot!

Throwback Thursday - July 4th at the Newbert's

The year was 1995. It was July 4th and we were at our friends' house. They live on the July 4th parade route in East Longmeadow. For years they had a big gang at their house every 4th of July.

I remember the year they started it. Chris and I were doing Prims together (a 7-8 year old girls' club at our church). Kristen was not yet in Prims; I think she was about 5 or 6 at the most.

They had this get-together at least until my kids were in college so...yes, years. We would have to get there by 9 or so in the morning, before they shut off their road. After the parade was over, we would start getting the food ready. Everyone would bring enough meat to grill for their family and then something to share, a salad type thing and/or dessert. There was always TONS of food. We usually left in time to go to the fireworks in Springfield on the way home. For a few years the next door neighbors put on quite a firework show.

Then it started to get too big, or we all started to get too old - one or the other! Ha. Now their grandchildren get to enjoy it.

Good memories.

Dot's gift from Bethany

Tonight I brought Dot a gift from our church. Bethany honored all of their "50 years and over" members last week. It was a beautiful music box. Daisy received one also.

I am so thankful that Dot has such an old friend there with her at the Atrium. They both remember "the old days."

Throwback Thursday - The Lathrops and Belden Ct.

This is a picture of our good friends Linda and Ralph Lathrop, and their first son Bobby. It was taken in 1972 in our apartment at Belden Court in Agawam.

Linda has been a friend of mine since childhood. She married Ralph and moved to Florida where Ralph is from. After a year or so they moved back here and got an apartment at Belden Court. Before Paul and I got married we visited them and loved their apartment. After we got married we rented an apartment across the parking lot from them and lived there for two years.

This is a picture of where our apartment was. Our first apartment, a one bedroom, was where you see our little blue Volkswagen, and our second apartment, a two bedroom, was to the upper right of the pillars. Both Paul and I have very good memories of that place.



Linda, if you are reading this, could you fill in some blanks for me? What year did you get married, what year did you move back from Florida, and was this your first apartment after you came back from Florida? Thanks.

By the way, Happy First day of Spring.

The weather feels more like the first day of Summer. We hit 79 degrees today and tied the record for 1945!

Mark and Mason came over late in the afternoon. Mason brought his bubble gun that he got at the Big E, and had lots of fun with it.

Brunch at On the Hill

On Christmas day our friends Ralph and Linda (the couple to the right of Paul) will be "going South" for the winter. They have a condo and many family members in South Carolina. Paul was the only one of our friends working today, so we met at On the Hill so that he could join us during his break.

This is Ralph and Linda's second winter doing this. I'm going to miss them.

See you guys in the Spring!

Retirement Party

Today we went to a retirement party for our good friend Dave. It was supposed to be a surprise, and it was, but the biggest surprise was that their daughter who lives in Minnesota flew home for the party. Not even her mother knew about that.



It was a fun party, celebrating a great guy.

Afterwards, we stopped at Dot's for a little while and brought her some hanging plants for her garden, and then went for a little ride. This picture was taken at the end of Silkey Rd. in Granby, CT. It was such a beautiful view with Springfield in the background that I just had to take a picture. It came out pretty good seeing that it was taken through the windshield!

272/365 - Jennie and Nan

This is a picture of my friend Linda's mother and my grandmother. They were the best of friends. Jennie always used to call my grandmother "Ma". I love this picture of the two of them.

270/365 - Mountain Park

The other day my friend Linda asked if she could send my blog address to her sister Maureen in North Carolina (or is it South Carolina?). So...this picture is for you Maureen. The three of us at Mountain Park.

Left to right - me, Maureen, and Linda.

Throwback Thursday - Mt Tom, Choquette's

I had today off from work because I have to work Saturday. Paul was feeling a little better today and since it was such a beautiful day, we decided to take a short drive. We ended up on Mt. Tom Reservation. This reminded me of one of my Sunday School teachers who lived very close to the reservation. I think I was in 5th grade. She had her Sunday School class over for a sleepover (brave woman). Her daughter was in my class also. We all slept in the living room and the next day we hiked from her house up the mountain to Goat Peak, an observation tower. It seemed like the longest walk I had ever been on (we timed it today, it was 2 miles). This was probably when I found out that I was scared of heights. We all climbed up the tower, but when I got to the top I was so scared that I sat down in the middle of the floor. My friend, Karen, was sitting on the edge of the fence around the top of the tower (until her mother made her get down). I was horrified. I didn't know if I was even going to be able to get down the tower. I thought my friend was the luckiest person in the world to live in such a neat place!

My friend Karen's house at the base of Mt. Tom