My Niece-a-Palooza Report

So -- how was my Niece-A-Palooza??

IT WAS EPIC...

F.A.B.U. L.O.U.S....!!!  SQUARED...I cannot tell you how much I loved my time with my nieces.  

For one thing -- I rarely get to visit with these lovely young Moms.  When I do see them, they've invited me to their house for a party or holiday and they're busy serving food or organizing large groups of people....

So, this was a very rare event.  Like -- it's never actually happened before.

Of course, this occasion called for my best china and Aunt Rozella's silver...

I wanted our supper to be something my Mom used to make.  So, homemade chicken and noodles (with turkey, of course).

I haven't made noodles for years...(they were chewy...and kind of a disappointment.)

I did a popover demonstration (while they ate appetizers -- shrimp; potato chips and french onion dip)

 

They each got several wraps and/or ruanas...(I decided to rehome some of my Ya Ya samples)

Also -- beach towel WRAPS (remember that show, Mary?)

There was an artsy fartsy light fixture up for grabs...

AND, they emptied my mother's Hope Chest...then, Kelcy took it home so one day her daughter Myla can inherit it.

Another category was Christmas rugs...they all got to pick TWO rugs...

 

Amy, Nicole, me (with my new Judge Judy collar) and Kelcy.

In my mind, I have many pictures of these girls when they were kids.  Amy riding a little plastic tricycle on the sidewalk of our first rental house....taking Nicole to see Sarah Brightman singing at the Mark... eating sheets of caramel on top of microwave popcorn with Kelcy...and it all seems like just yesterday.

Looking back, I can see each one of them in New York City...and I am so grateful to have these young women in my life.  I am also really glad we did what we did when we did it.

And looking forward, I am beyond delighted they allowed me to re-home so much treasure!!  They took artwork and prints off my walls...so many things I've acquired, and touched, and loved....books I've read, things I've sewn, samples I've made...I hope some of these things fit into their lives.  And maybe -- years from now -- one of them will be making scrambled eggs, and she'll remember that spatula came from Aunt Rita's Niece-a-Palooza...

 

My First Ever Niece-A-Palooza

Every time I try to use my NEW laptop (which I've had for over three years, and is loaded with Windows 10) -- I have an INCREDIBLY HARD TIME making things work. I just cannot get used to a computer where you touch the screen instead of using a mouse. And, the internal mouse on THIS dinosaur is worn out, so I have a corded mouse plugged in...it is pitiful people...

But, in the interest of trying to post a little blog this morning, I went back to my Old Faithful. Tonight is my first ever Niece-A-Palooza. I was calling it a Niece-a-Ganza. But Anne accidentally called it a Niece-A-Palooza, and I knew that was more fitting.

I am so lucky to have three nieces who live near me and include me in their lives. Deena's daughter Kelcy

Kelcy and Andy have four children, and they live about 10 miles from me.  This picture is from Aspen's baptism...which was a lovely outdoor event in Deena's back yard...

Several years ago (before she was married) -- I acted as the official tour guide for Deena and Kelcy. It was Kelcy's first visit to New York City. I went with my sisters and cousin Kim in 1997.

Somewhere along the way -- I became the Iowa-Girl-who-loves New York City -- and I went with my sisters, cousins, friends....and my last, most wonderful trip was in 2019.

Ronda's daughters, Amy and Nicole -- asked me to be their tour guide to New York City. John had dementia, but Ross agreed to stay at the house.  Jackie met us (she lived in NC at the time) and we had the MOST GLORIOUS TIME... 

 

This is my favorite picture of the girls -- setting off on bicycles in Central Park. After just two days in the city, they were completely comfortable...and I know one day, they'll go back.

 

These three young women are great about including us in their lives. Tomorrow night, we have a basketball game for Amy's son....Nicole always invites us to Easter dinner...and Lilly and Warren love swimming in Kelcy's pool with her kids.

As I've been sorting through my lifetime collections -- trying to rehome SO MUCH TREASURE -- it occurred to me that these three girls might want some of the things that once belonged to my mother.  

Nicole expressed a bit of interest in my piano -- then, I found a VHS tape with a label that says, "Nicole and Bill Kearney's Wedding".  Wow.  She got married 25 years ago...and I'm sure she would love to see this video...so I sent her a text and said she could have it as soon as she moved the piano...

I also have my mother's Hope Chest -- which is full of linens that once belonged to Mom, and her mother...and it's time I passed these treasures on....

For over a year now, I've been asking (then begging) my boys to take whatever they want.  Elliott took John's gigantic tool chest, and Ross wants the grill in the kitchen...but, other than that, they have ZERO interest in my stuff.  Boys just are not sentimental...

But, hey -- THESE GIRLS might enjoy some of this stuff.

So -- that's why tonight, I'm having my first ever Niece-A-Palooza.  There will be supper...and then a game element to determine who picks first...what will they be picking?  Well -- there's some art still on the walls, and some jewelry, spooners, Christmas rugs, bed linens, samplers...you get the idea

AND -- while they're here -- I might as well put them to work.  I'm hoping

2021 Thanksgiving

My niece Amy invited us to her home, butI was determined to cook the meal myself for our last Thanksgiving in this house...

But cooking a turkey is a lot like taking a ride in a dog sled -- I just don't do it often enough to be confident.  So,for insurance, i also purchased a turkey breast.

I got out the very large aluminum roaster my mother-in-law gave me for a wedding shower -- over 50 years ago...

I split the turkey breast, and it was finished in an hour. BINGO! Now, I have my back-up turkey meat, just in case the big bird doesn't get done in time.

I set the table with Aunt Rozella's silver

I worked all morning, in my favorite Mary Mulari apron

And I LOVE LOVE, LOVE setting the table with my good dishes.

Holy Cow! We really did a number on that turkey!!  Although we didn't cut up the extra breast for our dinner, I was glad I also cooked it -- because, without that, there would have been NO LEFTOVERS...

I was acutely aware that this was our last Thanksgiving in this house. And maybe that's the gift of old age. When I was younger, I never understood those "last" moments...so they mostly flew by, without me even knowing I just missed something important. 

Like -- when was the last time I read a story to my boys when I put them to bed, or the last time I saw Elliott pitch a Little League baseball game...or the last time my Mom and Dad would eat a meal at my house?

Oh, yeah...life moves pretty fast.  And Thanksgiving is a good time to push the pause button and take stock of where you've been, and where you're going.  

And I am grateful.  

AFTER the Parade.

 AFTER the parade, the kids and I walked to one of our favorite places -- Sippi's in downtown Davenport.  The first time we ever went there was quite by accident, that year Lilly was five and we attended our first Holiday Parade.  Their cheese fries are something people TRAVEL for miles to eat!!  and we're just a few blocks away.  

Warren was wearing his favorite Spiderman jacket -- and along the way, there was a toddler who pointed and screamed (with delight) -- SPIDERMAN..!!  Warren was thrilled with his super-hero moment...

These two country kids enjoyed doing a little city parkour climbing along the way...

Once we arrived at Sippi's -- we asked for an outside table.  Then, we set up for a few Grandma Games.  Crazy 8's and two speed rounds of Bananagrams...

Thanksgiving 2021

So, here we are again. Thanksgiving 2021.  This is our last Thanksgiving in this house...and I'm feeling more than a little sad about that.  But I'm also feeling like I want to make it SO SPECIAL, and SO WONDERFUL...that it'll remember well for years to come.  

Oh, yeah -- with that kind of pressure -- what can go wrong....?

But, hey -- the truth is this year MUST beat last year.  A year ago,  I was sick with Covid,  Thanksgiving was completely canceled...and I spent most of the day in tears.  John was having a really bad time, I felt shitty and was having quite the pity party.  I put John in the car and we had to drive to TWO different Kwik-Star locations to find turkey dinners -- which I nuked.  And, yes, that was just as miserable as it sounds....  

The holidays can be brutal.  I decided to go back and read my own words....this is my official annual Thanksgiving Post...Normal Rockwell was a wonderful artist who painted imaginary people...

   

Although some things never change -- Thanksgiving is not one of those things. A family is alive...which means it is always growing -- or shrinking. People come, people go (depending on the people, either one of those things could be the good news or the bad news).

Every family has their happy times. Birthday parties, graduations, good test scores, promotions, beautiful weddings, new babies.

Then there are the not-so-happy occasions. Kids move away. Couples get divorced and the dining room furniture is hauled off to the Goodwill. People die, they get sick, lose their jobs, or maybe their house burns down...

Every one of those things -- good or bad -- has one thing in common.

Change...

If you were having the perfect Thanksgiving....you probably would NOT be reading this blog today...So, I am going to assume that something about this day isn't going right.

You are not alone...Trust me...

If your day sucked -- if you feel lonely -- or somebody hurt your feelings -- or disappointed you...or you are dealing with a loss....well -- it's a very long line you're standing in...

Thanksgiving has become a holiday full of pressure. Norman Rockwell painted a fictional picture that no family could live up to. The people you THINK are having a better day than you are probably bored out of their minds, feeling jealous or resentful of their annoying siblings, pissed off at their ungrateful children, and have spent the entire day biting their tongues...

Chances are good they are telling you the heavily-edited Norman Rockwell-version of their day....and Facebook makes it easy to pretend everything was perfect....

If today REALLY sucked -- my advice is to write it all down. Just for yourself. It is so interesting to read these journal entries AFTER the fact. It's how I learn. Every single time. If you write it down honestly -- then go back and read it next year, maybe you can PREVENT having another meltdown, crappy Thanksgiving.

But that almost always means you must embrace...that's right...let's say it together....

CHANGE!!!

And here's the good news -- it's just ONE DAY, PEOPLE.   Give it a few hours and it'll be over...

*******

And -- here's the picture I promised you, Kathy!!  Thanks for the Shoefly Pie Recipe -- I still think it's the strangest thing I ever made...

My new Old Yellow Formica Table...

So, "Dan" was the guy I bought the yellow table from -- on the Facebook Marketplace.

Linda P. is having WONDERFUL LUCK selling her household furniture on Marketplace. She and Don will also be moving into the Suites of Bettendorf in January -- and she's got a major downsize to do herself. So far, every single thing she's listed has sold within a day or two. At our monthly shareholder's meetings, LP often gives impromptu Facebook Marketplace workshops...

At this point, I'm just a Marketplace BUYER -- not a seller. But that certainly is the way to go. For one thing, you don't have to pay a commission. With an auction, you're giving the auctioneer 30%...but then, they do all that work. AND it's done in one fell swoop.

Anyway -- we Googled our way to Dan's farm in the country. Turns out, he does a lot of business on Facebook -- and he also does flea markets and antique malls.

Deena also had actual furniture-moving-blankets!!

We were loaded in about five minutes -- and on our way back to Iowa.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this table.  The chrome is in really good condition (considering it's probably as old as I am)...I gave it a good scrub -- and may do a little more work on the sides.  OR, I might decide this is good enough...

I set it up in the basement, on my new rug...and I think it looks GREAT.  Altho,in the new place, it'll probably be sitting on a round zebra rug...with the zebra chairs -- do you think it's too much??

2021 Holiday Parade..!!

Last year, the Holiday Parade was another victim of Covid...CANCELED...but this year, it's ON AGAIN. And it was a beautiful day -- 50 degrees and sunny. PERFFECT. The parade started at 10:00. We found a spot in one of the downtown parking buildings (remember those?)....and walked several blocks to find a good spot.

We were at an intersection where the handlers had to pull the giant balloons down so they could go underneath the traffic signal.

We found a bench Warren could stand on...

There were some wonderful marching bands -- and also some drum and bugle corps.

So -- okay -- enough standing.  We were right in front of a lovely coffee shop -- offering $2 hot chocolate!!  It would be wrong NOT to go in there...

$2 was a mall price to pay for a heated seat -- with a GREAT view of the parade!!

We had the perfect spot to watch the game of Giant Balloon Limbo under the traffic lights...

So, what should we do AFTER the parade on this beautiful day??

My Wisconsin Sisters Trip

So, on Friday, I had a big SISTERS TRIP planned. I was soo excited about the $100 yellow formica table -- located in Platteville, Wisconsin.

Deena was the official driver -- she has a 2009 Ford Truck that has a sissy step that actually comes down the minute you open your door!

Don had agreed to take John on a Karaoke adventure that day -- so I was FREE TO GO!!

The three of us left at 8:30 -- and our first stop was breakfast in Dickeyville, Wisconsin. At a place called Katrina's -- famous for their homemade hash browns.  We had a WONDERFUL breakfast...

This is the very same table we sat at when we went to the 2019 Great Wisconsin Quilt show.

When we arrived in Platteville (it's just a 90 minute drive) -- we went to the Bargain Nook store on Main street. I've written about Bargain Nooks before...there are five of them in southwest Wisconsin. They are fundraisers for the Hodan Society -- and the profits go to provide opportunities for people with disabilities.

Each week, they get 2500 pieces of brand new things from Land's End -- a famous Wisconsin retailer, of course.

I purchased another coat for John ($189 in the catalog, $44 usual Bargain Nook price, $22 for this special 50% off sale.  wow.)...

Even though I bought him two coats last month...He is ALWAYS LOSING THINGS.  I found his wonderful new blue Land's End jacket under the bed two weeks ago...but now, it seems to be MIA.  

What the hell.  It's $22...I'll just buy another one!!

Hey -- now that the three of us are stocked up on new coats -- TIME TO PICK UP MY NEW/OLD YELLOW FORMICA TABLE...

Wisconsin is a beautiful place...and I'm always happy to have an excuse to go day-tripping there...

(I wonder of the Wisconsinites feel that same way about visiting Iowa?)

Reliving the Best Parade EVER

FROM THE YEAR LILLY WAS FIVE...

************

Lillian and I LOVE watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning.

As it happens -- there is a wonderful local big balloon parade right here in Davenport, Iowa every year to kick off the Festival of Trees. This year, Lilly is 5 years old, and the weather was cooperating (no rain, 50 degrees) -- so I decided at the last minute that WE SHOULD JUST DO IT...

We arrived in downtown Davenport about an hour before the parade was to begin. There were thousands of people, and soon, we were in gridlock traffic. Ugh. I parked the car and we got out to walk down to the parade route.

All those thousands of people were carrying those nifty lightweight folding canvas chairs...you know the kind -- with the carrying case they casually fling over their shoulder.

Oh oh.  It suddenly dawns on me that I'm going to have to stand for the next three hours.  

OH CRAP!!

I almost turned around at that point -- but Lilly was so excited.....So, we walked on -- and I hoped there would be a bench somewhere...or at least a tree I could lean on....

Then, on the corner of 3rd and Ripley, right where the parade is going to make a turn -- I notice all these people sitting on chairs and benches in front of a junk store I've never noticed before. We went in, and it is jam packed with my kind of treasure....it is packed tight with used furniture, some Retro stuff, many kitschy pieces....

I took this picture three hours AFTER the parade...because during the actual parade, it was impossible to cross the street to even TAKE the darn picture...

Lillian and I walked in and I looked around, hoping there was something I WANTED TO BUY -- so I could befriend the owner...(yes, I am an evil genius -- AND I used to own a retail store...!)

As Ritaluck would have it -- I found the PERFECT treasure (another post).  Larry (my new friend, the owner) negotiated a price with me.

Still looking around his exciting store, I said   "how much for one of those benches out front?"

Larry:  $5

Me:  Sold.  (getting my billfold out of my purse)....So, now, Larry -- you must go out there and tell those people to get off my bench...

Of course, laughing now -- he did exactly that. The two men who had settled in on the bench were dismayed to be losing their sturdy seat  (hey -- THEY HAD EVERY CHANCE TO BUY THE DARN THING)...

Larry brought my bench into the store...and I paid him the money. He told me we could set it up on the empty lot side of his store -- where there was a little rise -- and we'd be able to see all the balloons coming down the street...

I actually took this picture AFTER the parade -- when there weren't SO MANY PEOPLE

Lilly and I sat on the bench until the parade started. Once things got rolling, she wanted to be on the curb -- and as it happens -- we had a small tree right in front of us -- so she had a PERFECT watching spot, and she didn't have to push in front of the people who arrived before us...

There is more to this story....it'll have to be a two-part post....