“It is a GREAT DAY for a PICNIC”

        “WOW” and another “WOW”

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St. Vincent’s Home Picnic, invitation said to bring your FAMILY, so this photo has some of my FAMILY!

This is my son, Al and his two daughters, which are my “GRAND-DAUGHTERS”  which is absolutely  terrific, if I say so myself. 

That is  “JAIME” on the left,  and then on the right is “ALYSSA”   and, is there a  better  word than,  “WOW”  that, I can say, as I am so proud to be their “Grandma” – so, and here we go, with an  “Oh- well”  – but!

Just have to exclaim, and maybe even  a little louder, so  how about another  and very loud,  “BIG WOW -WOWEE!”

We had FUN and enjoyed  everything and  meeting everyone that  we had not seen for so very many years  – so glad that so many “golden-oldies” did show up, and for our rating  for this extra special occasion,   just to let you know, that is for  all of those, who did not show up,  it was “Excellent” – “TOP DRAWER”   the best of times – for all of  those, that were there!

Just to make everyone feel  real GOOD, and  to know,  that we had a terrific “good-old-time”  including  that excellent meal,  you may as well just say,  that this  get together occasion for all of us  “old-timers”  from the 1940’s was just,   “OFF THE CHARTS!”

        “St. Vincent’s Home – Chapel”

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Here we are,  in the St. Vincent Chapel, on a tour guide to see all of the new and different things going on  today this, September 27th – 2015!

In the Photo above is  “GRANDMA”  MARY ELLEN ALDRICH,  Grandson, “ALAN” and his Dad, big “Al.” For those that like to read good books,   “Al” is  the  published author of   “AEROS” –  Book by Al Aldrich ********* Check out “AMAZON”    *****   “This book is terrific, if I say so, myself!”

This was one of the best days  for a “senior citizen” to have,  just to  be able to celebrate with FAMILY and old “CLASSMATES” from “GRADE SCHOOL DAYS” and to think,   that this  surprise was perfect, as  I  only had to wait, almost  a good  “seventy”  and  or more years to arrive,  at this point  in time, and be  really surprised!

  “WOW” what a wonderful   “LIFE” – and if we just  – do not weaken –  Let’s do it again!     D.V.


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“Still Talking About Going Back To School”

        “Back to School…”

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“This is a “Back to School” picture of me, at the “Hadley Tech”  at 3405 Bell Avenue in the Midtown area of Saint Louis, Missouri”

When I was hired by the Telephone Company, they told me,  that they  have a   four week training  period,  and  that, I would be receiving a full “PAY” check,  all during the training  weeks, and that they,  did not want to hire me, if  there was a possibility of my quitting just after training.

“So when,  “school” will  start up, will all of their  time   that  they  have invested  in with training, not to mention,  all of their money, spent  on the Instructors as well,  just to train me, will all of that,  have been wasted?”

Well, how could I let them down,  if they were good enough to hire me? I let them know  right there, that I only needed (4) four more credits,  and that I was going to make those credits up, by taking extra classes on my own time.

Before  ever applying for work,   I was planning on getting my High School Certificate,  and  that they could also count on me being on the job every hour, and every  day and any hour, that they would  need me.

So, that is  exactly what I did. After the weeks of training and then working the regular “DAY” hours of eight to five, for a period of time,  that is so they have enough supervisors that can check you out,  on how you are doing and if you are following their training course, to the letter and without deviating or doing something your own way,  which is not according to their  correct instructions.

Training was fun and very interesting to me, as each student had to write down in their own stenographers’s  note book,  everything that would be needed for any  future reference. Since  most  of this information  had to be remembered, so having written it all down, myself –  it was not too long  and before I knew it,   just the way  they figured, everything sunk in and stayed  with me – for LIFE!

The above photo, It just did not look like me,  but  now that I look at it, I  do wish,  that I still  had that nineteen inch waist line! Sure  would be nice if we could  just change ourselves, back to that extra special  good looking way, that   we  did look,  when we were very  young and in suck terrifically  good shape!

(There must be a secret to this idea,  and I  am guessing that,  I was not in class on that important day, to learn  how you keep the body from getting older and changing from what you  did start to look like?)   D.V.


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“Let’s Get Working NOW – Music”

When… I am ready to do some – WORK – I want this song playing – because it has the  “BEAT” to make my legs and feet –  do their thing –  MOVE!

Uptown got it’s hustlers
The bowery got it’s bums
42nd street got big Jim walker
He’s a pool shootin’ son of a gun
Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come
But he stronger than a country hoss
And when the bad folks all get together at night
You know they all call big Jim boss, just because
And they say

You don’t tug on superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jim

Well outta south Alabama came a country boy
He say I’m lookin’ for a man named Jim
I am a pool shootin’ boy
My name Willie McCoy
But down home they call me slim
Yeah I’m lookin’ for the king of 42nd street
He drivin’ a drop top cadillac
Last week he took all my money
And it may sound funny
But I come to get my money back
And everybody say Jack don’t you know

And you don’t tug on superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jim

Well a hush fell over the pool room
Jimmy come boppin’ in off the street
And when the cuttin’ were done
The only part that wasn’t bloody
Was the soles of the big man’s feet
Yeah he were cut in in bout a hundred places
And he were shot in a couple more
And you better believe
They sung a different kind of story
When big Jim hit the floor now they say

You don’t tug on superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off that old lone ranger
And you don’t mess around with slim

Yeah, big Jim got his hat
Find out where it’s at
And it’s not hustlin’ people strange to you
Even if you do got a two piece custom made pool cue

Yeah you don’t tug on superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off the old lone ranger
And you don’t mess around with slim

“Now that I got my feet moving… I’m off to doing my work!”….”YEAH”


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“Labor Day Coming UP”

       “Expecting? – Mr. Holiday?!”

Today – the 29th of August will just about  finish the month – but on the  2nd of September, we welcome “Mr. Holiday”  which used to be “Labor Day”  a rest  from our “work”  and according to whom?

Every store will be “OPEN” and so many will spend the whole day shopping,  and the rest of us are going to be in the back yard with our bar-b-cuing  and  “SUN-baking” ourselves to a crisp! After all these many years of doing the same thing, even  myself,  I’m  letting everyone else, do the work and  I will just sit back and enjoy!

While just sitting back and thinking about how this day was celebrated,  when I was  an “ORPHAN” and there were 350  of us children, and  when it came on  to a special “HOLIDAY” such as this, this would be considered a “RED LETTER DAY” in our times!

“LABOR  DAY” was  that day,  that all the children would have been preparing for. In the previous weeks,  there would be different “RACES”  which we would all participate in.  We were practicing to see, just  who might win  the special prizes.

If you were a runner, we would see  you running all around and with others,  just to see who possibly would win? Some of the kids would try doing the two-legged and three-legged races, also just trying to see which combination of kids could coordinate  well enough together,  and maybe win in those types of races? Some of us would get some spoons from the kitchen and each participant would put a rock in the spoon,  and we would run against others,  just to get an idea of  who  would be a winner?

On “RACE DAY” the NUNS would hand out an egg, to be used in that spoon, so you had to learn self-control and be fast, too!  – – “Dropped eggs = looser!”

There was one race that I enjoyed doing,  and that was the one which involves,  that you put a book on your head, and walk-fast,  using complete control over how you hold your head,  so as to not let that “BOOK” fall off!  I was lucky to win at this race several times, just guessing that  I might have a “HEAD FOR BOOKS!”   “Just a small laugh…here?”

The NUNS would have tables set up with all kinds of good stuff, that the kids would like to have. Almost  all items were donated for the kids,  but they would collect  and save things just for this “LABOR DAY” event, so that this would be, the best “HOLIDAY”  for all the kids to have fun!

Also, there would be 1st – 2nd  – 3rd  and 4th place prizes – that way, almost every child would get a chance to pick out something for themselves,  and having  “FUN”   while feeling like a WINNER,  of the BIG  “RACE” event!

We would always have “Supper” at 6:00 pm and to finish the “LABOR DAY” FUN,  there would be a movie for us to view outside on the “BOY’s” side of the play ground.  The plan being, if the weather is good, but  in the case of bad weather the movie would be shown in the Auditorium.

For “ORPHANS”  having FUN,  was the one part of living in the “Orphanage” that kept a lot of us growing up with some kind of “HOPE”  that,  someday when we leave and have families of our own, we did  have  some fun and will be looking forward to giving  even more  FUN to  our own families, and  with more “LOVE”  than, that which we had  received.

Just  thinking about those “GOOD OLE DAYS”   so long ago, but almost seems like – just yesterday,  just having  a thought to add, “LIFE” continues,  so that “TOMORROW WILL BE A FAR BETTER DAY!”   D.V.


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“Labor Day Weekend – Just Be Very Careful”

           “Story – Tellers”

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My husband,  Lee and his friend, Mr. Brewer could tell me something,  and as they were telling me,  they were so convincing,  I believed  their every word.

Mr Brewer, would bring his wife into the restaurant,  “Dobb’s House Snack Bar”  that we had in Florida, as she would be relieving  my husband – as “Cook” –  for the next shift.  Mr. Brewer would arrive,  at least an hour earlier  and on the sly,  he would check with my husband, Lee  – to see, if he wanted to get a drink   with him, before going home? 

So, Mr. Brewer would sit at the counter, and holding his head,  he would try looking like he was sick,  and say, “Lee, I don’t feel too good, could you take me down to the doctor’s office to get a shot,  for whatever I caught?” All of this conversation would sound  so legit – so I and all those listening in on this “sad-sack” story,  believed  that  this  poor “old guy” is not feeling too well!

Almost an hour later,  the two of them would walk in the restaurant,  and “Lee” would ask  “ME” –  if I was ready to go home, as my shift was now over.  Shortly, just gathering whatever I was taking home,  and loading  up the car,  off we went,  home.

Well, after   just so many weeks of this same old  scenario,  taking place and no one, that is “ME”  having any idea  at all, that this poor old Mr. Brewer,  wasn’t actually on the sick  side at all. Lee would  continue to so nicely take him to get his  shot.

As it  happens,  on this one day,  Mr. Brewer came in and was saying he thought he needed a shot?  So, I   also,  was not feeling too well.   So I said,  “If you have time, I would  also like to go and get a shot, just maybe I’ll feel better, too?”

So,  we all get in the car and away “Lee” goes and driving with  in a block’s drive,  he is pulling the car into a parking lot,  that does not look exactly like a parking lot for a “doctors office”  as our restaurant was surrounded with doctors’ offices.

“This is a short-cut,” Lee said, with a straight face and I am just following, them,  as we get out of the  car and walking into the back of a business.  “Into the back of a “Tavern”  to be exact, we are  entering.” 

So, I said, “this does not look like the “DOCTOR” OFFICE”  that,  I go to?”

  … “Ellen,” “this is where they have the kind of “shots” that help us!”

 …   “You mean to say, that this is where you, two have been going, all along?”

… “Yes!”  “We did say,  that we were getting a shot and that’s what we did? ”

… “You can have whatever kind of fancy drink, you like, OKAY?”

 …   “I guess, so?”


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“Cherry Cheese Cake Dip”

Prep:  5 minutes
Cook:
Total Prep:  5 minutes
Servings:

 

Ingredients:

1 – 8 oz block cream cheese softened

1 – 7 oz jar marshmallow cream

1 – 8 oz tub whipped topping

1 – 21 oz can cherry pie filling

Graham crackers, vanilla wafers, or animal crackers

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese and marshmallow cream together until well combined.

Add whipped topping and mix until just incorporated.

Pour the mixture into a 9-10 inch pie plate or a serving dish the same diameter.

Spread the cherry pie filling over the cheesecake mixture evenly.

Chill until served.

Dip with animal crackers, graham crackers or vanilla wafer

“So quick and easy to make –  and something that most people will like – that you will not have left-overs – and everyone will want this recipe – because you never know – when unexpected company shows up – YOU will have your chance to shine – when you serve this quick, easy  and delicious  dip!”


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