Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sisters: Part 3


                                                                               



My sister is visiting us from Napa California. Yep! The wine country; where everyone is happy. It must be the good wine.

                                                                          


            Don't we look happy? We were feeling no pain that day on the Wine Tour


                                                          

                                                             Little sister, Lucy
                

                                                                         

                      Brother Mike and his wife Joann, with Lucy and I on the Wine Train.



        Anyway, Jane wanted to know what we do at a book signing, so I took her to one.



She traveled with Dawn and I to Mullica Hill, N.J. to the Crescent Moon Coffee shop. Great place, great coffee and great food. We were joined by members of the South Jersey Writers Group

                                                                    

              From left to right: Amy, Christine, Dawn, Marie, Patti, Nanci, Barb



Jane fit right in with the group of authors who are featured in Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey.

                                    Jane even helped us sell books. Hooray for Jane!!
                                                                            

This month, I'll be taking her to a Steampunk Event at Dorian's Parlor and later in the month to a ghost hunting investigation.


Stay Tuned for more stories about "The Sisters"



Friday, June 28, 2013

Episode Sixty-seven of Lilith's Escape


                                                                  


Ruth led Edward and Scouter down the dark corridors to an underground tunnel. The guards here were more heavily armed and all wore full radiation protection hazmat jumpsuits.
                                                                
“You’ve got to be kidding, right?” Edward said to Ruth.

“Do I look like I’m laughing? Ruth replied, hands on hips.”
                                                            
“What weapons are kept in here?” Edward asked, ignoring her reply and attitude.

“We have several Peacekeepers, Russian SS-18 Satans and a few medium range warheads from Israel. If they try to get into this place, the Naval Base and all of Philadelphia will be history.”
                                                                    
“But, you’ll destroy the good people with the bad. Are you willing to do this?” Edward was a bit worried that Ruth was a little too hawkish.

“They crossed the line by creating those zombies, and yes, I’m ready to do what is needed to stop them.”
                                                                         
“You’re freaking nuts!” Edward replied.

“Am I?” Just do your job and bring back Lazarus,” Ruth replied. She turned away from Edward and headed back towards the refugee area.

“I don’t know who to fear more, her or the Illuminati,” Edward said to Scouter as they began walking back towards the refugee area.
 
“You go with the Devil you know,” Scouter replied.


                                                                            

Thursday, June 27, 2013

News from the Dark Side

                                                                       


Hello my little zombie snacks. This week's strange news from around the world starts with an article written by Ker Than for National Geographic.



Can we send world leaders on a one way trip?


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130412-iranian-time-machine-time-travel-grandfather-paradox/



This strange but true is from the Miami Herald.

Do you get chopsticks with this?

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/26/3472485/us-agent-was-allegedly-bribed.html


And last, but not least, a story from Huff Post Weird News.

Do you still send her a Mother's Day Card?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/26/dee-ann-sanders-michigan-bank-robber_n_3505071.html?utm_hp_ref=weird-news


Hope you enjoyed this week's news. Stay safe!!


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Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you’ve ever known—including yourself.

Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee.

Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee’s uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.

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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Sisters, Part Two

                                                                 
My sister Jane is back in town and we are dragging her all over the place. Lucy, Jane, Nathan, Joshua and I went to visit our mother’s crypt.
                                                                                  

 
I was surprised that my grandsons were okay with visiting the cemetery.
                                                                                  

 
                   Then my brother Mike stopped by with one of his grandsons.
                                                                             

 
                                                                                      

Then later in the day, we went to watch World War Z with a friend from the Academy. We had a ball and even though Jane is not into zombies, she liked the movie.
                                                I love when the whole family can get together.
                                                                                 

                                            By the end of the day, we were wiped out.
 

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Symphony For the Dead

                                                        
Last night my ghost hunting friends and I headed out to Laurel Hill Cemetery to listen to a concert in front of Millionaires Row. This is a special section located inside the cemetery that proves, once and for all that “You can take it with you”
                                                                     
The concert was given by an amazing group called The Divine Hand. What a treat!! I had heard this group play before at Dorian’s Steampunk Events in Philadelphia, but there is something just magical about hearing a concert while in a cemetery.
                                                                     
The Divine Hand ensemble is led by Mano Divina, who is a professional concert Thereminist. What is a Theremin you dare ask? Click here to learn.
                                                                        
                                                          

The group treated us to a special performance of funerary music, which was very popular during the 15th century. The belief at the time was that a soul would be more comfortable moving on to the next life if it was accompanied by music; makes perfect sense to me. Musicians were hired by the family of the deceased to play music from sunset to sunset on the day of burial. This beautiful custom was later stopped by Pope Clement. I don’t know why. Maybe the musicians weren’t playing the Vatican’s favorite hits? Here is a sample from a few months ago:

                                                                                                                               
The performers played in front of a particularly beautiful mausoleum. The audience was lifted to heights of surreal imagination via the music that soothed the souls of the living and dead who had attended that night.
                                                                 



If you get a chance to attend a performance given by The Divine Hand; please do so. You won’t me sorry. And I would suggest you attend one of Laurel Hill Cemetery’s many interesting, educational and fun, events.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Graduations and Grandkids: Gotta love them!!


                                                                             



This week was a busy and emotional time for me. I had two grandchildren graduating from High School.
                                                                                    

 
On Wednesday night, I went to see my granddaughter Anastasia Janco graduate from Audubon High School with a class of about 150 children. Annie is on the National Honor Society and World Language Honor Society and has won mucho awards. Congratulations to my beautiful and smart granddaughter!
                                                                            

Her sister, Katrina (published writer extraordinaire) was in the orchestra that played for the ceremony.
                                                                                 

                                                                   Annie with her family

                                                                          


                                                                   Annie with her friend

                                                                               

                                                        Annie with Mom

                                                                  
 
Thursday night I went to my grandson Jimmy Reid’s graduation. Here I am with Jimmy and my husband.
                                                                               

                                                                         Jimmy with his Mom
                                                                                        

 
 He graduated from Washington Township High School with a class of about 500 children.
                                                                               

 
 
 Later we were able to take pictures of Jimmy with his Dad and the Marine Recruiter
                                                                           

 
  Here is Jimmy with the other graduates that will also be heading into military duty with the Marines. Wishing all these young men and women success and my love.
                                                                          
 
My grandson, who had been doing some serious research on the Marines, surprised his family with the news that he wanted to be a marine several weeks before his graduation.
                                                                           

 His brothers, Nathan and Josh were excited about Jimmy’s enlistment and are waiting to use his room to store their Xbox and Wii Games.
                                                                            
                  
                                         His mother, on the other hand, is not so happy.

I’m not too worried about Jimmy; he knows how to protect himself and he’s on my team if there is ever a real zombie apocalypse.
                                                                        
 
 
 
Friday night, some of the grandparents, uncles and aunts went out to dinner to celebrate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Nathan entertained us with his antics as usual. 
 
 
 
 
Congratulations Jimmy. We love you; Ooh Rah!!

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Memories of a Crossing Guard


 
                                                                  
      

 

My little sister, Lucy Moses, is retiring from her crossing guard job with the city of Philadelphia. Lucy started this job in 1990 and after twenty-four years, she’s hanging up her bright green neon vest and raincoat.

You may remember my mentioning Lucy in several of my blogs; she’s the peacekeeper between middle sister Jane and me.

                                                                                


Believe me, it’s no small feat keeping me and Jane from fighting. The fighting in the Middle East looks like a Sunday picnic compared to our battles. In this particular picture, you  see me attempting to block Jane from the camera. Right after the picture was taken, Lucy turned around and kicked me; she had had enough!                                                                     

Lucy always held two jobs: As a Crossing Guard where she had to be at her post three times a day; file clerk for Dr. Malloy’s office on Passyunk Ave when not on the corner; and for a few years as a cashier at Thrift Drugs. She also had a house to care for and three boys; 10 years old twin boys and a 14 year old son.

She had earned the name “St. Lucy of the Elements” because she was on the corner of 17th and Ritner and later 18th and Porter Street in all types of weather.
                                                                      
 

Lucy took her job seriously. The safety of the school children, who crossed her corner, was her number one priority. Every year before the first day of school, Lucy would have the same recurring nightmare. She was shielding the children from an oncoming Mack truck that refused to stop.

I could understand her nightmares, because in reality crossing guards must deal with drivers, who should never be in the driver’s seat, ever!!! Remember this when you see the crossing guards standing on street corners using their bodies as shields to protect the innocents who cross back and forth to school.

I asked my sister to tell me the good stuff of being a crossing guard, and this is what she said.

“I loved interacting with the parents and children who crossed at my corner. I watched as children I crossed grew up in front of me, and later, I would be crossing their children. There is a bond between the children, parents and crossing guard that is based on trust. The parents trust us to keep their children from walking into the path of an oncoming car and that the children head straight to school or home. Even the older adults, who cross at my corner, form a bond with me. I’m the friendly face to confide in.”

I enjoyed the comradery between the crossing guards and also between the crossing guards and the police officers of the 1rst district. We looked out for each other and the children entrusted to our care.

                                                                               


Where there any bad parts to being a crossing guard?

“When it rained, for some reason, drivers pretended they could not see me. This would be unremarkable except that I was dressed in a bright neon green raincoat. I’m pretty sure that the Russian space station could see me. It was so bad sometimes that I felt like borrowing the bright blinking lights from a police cruiser and attaching it to my head to grab the attention of the oblivious drivers.

The worst part of the job was the strain on your feet from standing, the heat, the cold and during the winter the constant dressing and undressing from the multitude of layers to keep me from becoming a human Popsicle.

I don’t even want to mention the bugs. Even though some drivers ignored the neon green vest that I wore, the bugs loved it! I don’t know what type of flower they thought I was, but they were definitely attracted to the color.

Are there funny memories that you would like to share?

It wasn’t too funny when it happened, but now that I look back on it; it is. There were many days over my 24 years of service that during torrential rainstorms, I would need to frequently pull off my boots to empty the rain that had accumulated inside.

One year, after Philadelphia was hit with 30 inches of snow, I came back to the corner to find a 15 foot hill of snow blocking me and the children from safely crossing the street. But, like the mail carriers, neither snow nor rain can keep a crossing guard from carrying out her duties; I found a way to cross the children.

I could always tell by the way people drove past the corner if there was a full moon. You see a lot of strange stuff. I’ve seen people brushing their teeth as they drove by; putting on make-up; and even men shaving their face. You name it; I’ve seen it. I was even mooned by a student on a school bus.

What are your plans for retirement, anything special?

My sister Jane is coming out this month. I plan on doing a lot of day trips. Most importantly, I need to keep Marie from killing Jane.


                                                                               


They constantly disagree on politics and religion. My sister Marie is trying to get me to go ghost hunting with her, but I have enough problems with the living.

I’ll have more time to spend with the grandkids and to work on the house. Whatever I decide to do in the future, I’m happy knowing that I kept a lot of children safe and that is a good way to retire from a job.

                                                                       My Grandkids

 

Saturday, June 15, 2013

June Babies

                                                                  
 

                                                                            


There are two months of the year that I need to work three jobs; December and June. I come from a large family and everyone decided to be born on either the first two weeks before Christmas or in June. I wanted to say a special Happy Birthday to my nephews John and Tom, identical twins.
                                                                          
 

I could never tell them apart when they were infants and if my sister needed me to babysit, she would have to paint one of their toenails a different color. I was always placing them in the wrong crib or calling them by the wrong name. They call me the Warden. No…it’s not what you think, I’m not a meanie but when they drove their parents crazy, I would threaten them with special projects like pulling weeds from my garden or watching a foreign film with sub-titles. These guys are the best and I love them dearly.
                                                                       
Now some Happy Birthday wishes to the other June Babies. My grandsons Jimmy, Josh and Nathan celebrate their birthdays on the 6th 14th and 18th. My oldest grandson not only turns nineteen, but he’s graduating High School and is going into the Marines, Ooh rah!  He’s been doing his research and knows what he wants to do. He passed his physical and is waiting to get sworn in. He was born for this.
                                                                  
 
                                         Happy Birthday to the Desperados! Love you lots.
                                                                      
 
 
                                                                                 

 
 
If you’re wondering how many in my immediate family celebrate their birthdays in December, the
answer is ten. Don’t ask about Christmas.