Retroblog July 4, 1983

Today is Monday, July 4, 1983 Time 11:17 AM

Today is Indenpence Day. It sure dosen't feel like it. yesterday We got to Grandma J.'s house around 7:00 a.m. We got lost in Penn following Mr. Derr's instructions or we would have got here sooner. This morning I had breakfast over Uncle Hyram's with some relitaves. it was good, I am having fun.


After dropping my friend off at her grandparents' house, our family continued south to North Carolina to go to my maternal grandmother's farm. It must have been a long night of driving for my folks, since we apparently took the really long way. Now that I think about, it may have been a reprieve for them, somewhat relaxing and quiet (finally) with all three of us asleep in the back seat.

We kids must have gone to my great-uncle's house for breakfast so my parents could nap. (We referred to all our great aunts and uncles like Mom did, simply as Aunt or Uncle. Less confusing.) I'm sure we had a huge breakfast with Nahunta sausages from the store around the corner from his house.

There are many small pork plants in North Carolina, and each one has their own special blend for sausages and the vinegar-based pulled pork that is "barbeque" for this family. From all these visits south, our family has developed a deep abiding love for the spicy Nahunta Pork Center sausage patties. (The closest to the national brands I can find is the Jones brand, but they aren't quite the same thing.) Even now, whenever my mother goes south to visit with the copious amounts of relatives, she has to bring back CASES of sausage and pints and pints of pulled pork barbeque. I have a stash of sausage in my freezer and many a frozen patty has been shipped, flown, and trekked across the country to my brothers. (After I wrote this a few days ago, I had to go thaw, cook, and devour a half dozen from the freezer. Not the smartest move when you have gout and aren't supposed to eat pork .... but sooooooooo good.)

Trips to the farm meant hanging out with our cousins -- well, our second cousins. Mom was the oldest of 36 first cousins. Most of Uncle Hyram's children lived nearby and had lots of feisty kids around our ages. It was a bit disconcerting, though, to realize on Sundays that you were somehow related to every single person in the chapel. If you asked the right relation, they could verbally recite the genealogy charts back more than the standard four generations. We "Yankees" often felt a bit out of places, and cousin Krissy enjoyed telling us to "kiss it" when she felt we were being too uppity or thought we were mocking her accent.

We weren't mocking it ... too much. We were just trying to fit in. If that meant learning how to drawl, so be it.

Programming Note: Enjoy Independence Day weekend. I will be off enjoying a four-day mini-break.

More later, ya'll.

Legal Limbo Update

It is with great happiness that I’m able to give an update on my legal limbo.

While I was on vacation, I played voice mail phone tag through three time zones with the lawyer assigned to my case. [Another hint for legal professionals, when “you have good news,” don’t just leave a voice message that says that you have good news, leave the details of the good news so one doesn’t have to speculate or play phone tag for two weeks. Just saying!]

The words “settled,” “you don’t have to do anything else,” and “it’s over” made my day.

Last week, I got letter that had the following words in the first sentence.

"It was a pleasure speaking with you regarding the resolution of the lawsuit that was filed against you and defended by our office."

Once I fill out the questionnaire about the insurance company’s handling of my case, hopefully I can add it to the pile of documentation and finally close the drawer on this chapter of my life.

Last month contained the four-year anniversary of the accident. My driving record had been littered by minor fender benders, but this was the worse accident I had been involved in. It wasn’t pretty. Airbags were deployed. Glass was everywhere. Cars spun around. Others were stuck together. Most were totaled. A highway was shut down. Some injuries were reported. No citations or tickets were ever given at the scene. Three different households were involved. Unfortunately, litigation was filed. Depositions given. Paperwork piled up.

Honestly, it could have been so much worse. There could have been more vehicles involved. Catastrophic injuries and/or fatalities could have occurred. Tickets could have been issued. Totaling the car could have been the least of my issues. Believe me, I know how lucky I was.

I have so many people to thank for their support throughout this process.

My guardian angels were indeed with me that day. Once again, they were watching out for me – just like they had when they helped me walk away from my first accident, when I rolled the car into a ditch, totaled it, and had to climb out a window and slide down the side of the car.

I am so grateful to my former colleagues and friends who picked me up from the accident within 15 minutes, after I called them in shock and disbelief. They dusted me off and then supported me the rest of that day. Those same dear people were there the day I found out about the lawsuit, though they could have run interference and body blocked the process server. They also continued to be my transportation lifeline and moral support as the years rolled by. I literally could not, and still could not, get around without them.

My friends with legal training, and you know who you are, reassured me over and over and over again that this would be the end result. They shared with me their experiences with similar cases and let me know that I was in good strong and serious hands with my insurance company and their legal team. Let me tell you, you are, indeed, in “good hands” with that company.

Finally, many many thanks to my parents. They have proved steadfast and supportive despite hearing of this latest and greatest automotive catastrophe. Somehow, they have continued to trust me to drive their cars, a series of short-term loaners that ferried me around when I was away from mass transit. I know that it was mostly due to their many hours of prayers that I was able to call them with an update and hear the words … “Glory Hallelujah!”

Amen.

P.S. Thanks to you, readers, for all your prayers to your various deities of choice.

Darling Demon Drew

You know the expression: Let sleeping dogs lie? Same goes for sleeping children. You don’t know which Drew is going to arise from a deep sleep. Luckily for Auntie Nettie, on this particular day, the nicely tolerant Drew got up and eventually consented to play around with his aunt and his Mom.

So quiet

So cherubic

Why are you people staring at me?

I said NO Photos!

Come on. Leave me alone!

SO THERE!

My aunt is quacked up. Just like my duckie.

Look at those goof offs.

I thought Jabooty was in Africa, but there it is.

Love ya kid!

Toy Society -- Drop #411

This was the second drop that Auntie Nettie participated in for The Toy Society.

The Toy Society spreads the love throughout the streets of the world. Nothing to it really, just a bunch of handmade toys looking for a nice home.

What started as a small street art project in Australia is slowly spreading around the world. Should you come across a member of The Toy Society on your travels collect them up and take them home with you!

But don't forget to let them know about it here: thetoysociety@gmail.com

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Dropped: Snow Park, Saint George, Utah, USA

Number of toys: 1

Made by: Auntie Nettie

Dropped by: Auntie Nettie, with valuable assistance from nephew

When: Monday, June 8, 2009, 12:30 p.m., after the lunch rush

And Auntie Nettie says: My nephew was invaluable in preparing the note and in scouting out the location for this drop. We both hope the bear finds a good home.

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

Stay tuned at The Toy Society for updates.

Blooming Basil

Monday, June 22nd

It smells so good.

Another couple of weeks, and I'll be able to make a sandwich

Retroblog June 29, 1983

Today is Wednesday, June, 29, 83 Time 8:10 p.m.

What fun we are having. Audrey is staying with us until we down her off at her grandparents house (in Penn) The 24th of June we went to Boston, and the 25th New York City (places of paper.)

I think I am going to get my period. Clue my moods are changing (I think!!) **

Yesterday I saw the Return of the Jedi!***

[places (ahem, pieces) of paper]
Boston Mass. Places we went. 6/24/83
1. gas station
2. parking garage
3. Quenncy Market
4. Paul Reverve House
5. Old North Church
6. Old North Church Museum
7. Codd Cemetery
8. USS Constitution
9. Ice Cream
10. Quenncy Market
11. parking garage
12. Pylmom Museum
13. Lobster Pound
14. Home

Yeah

New York New York Places we went
1. Grocery Store
2. Gas Station
3. parking garage
4. Central Park
5. Parking garage, bus/ferry
6. Statue of Liberty
7. subway
8. Empire State Building
9. subway
10. parking garage
11. (illegible, probably parking lot)
12. Carnegie deli (yum)
13. parking lot
14. home

** I think this was one of the first movies I saw in the theater. I remember that Dad took us. I also remember that this when I got my first crush on Harrison Ford. That Han Solo. What a dreamy guy.

*** I did warn you that girls at that age talk about changes of life. I wish I could tell the younger me to chill out and not hope for the onset of the monthly loveliness. She's got decades of dealing with the monthly loveliness to torture her yet to come. Why rush it?

I'm glad I found this entry. I couldn't remember when I had been to the Statue of Liberty, because I remember climbing up the claustrophobic stairs, but I couldn't remember when exactly. We probably got to go up to the crown and torch, pleasures that are just now coming back to New Yorkers after all the restrictions.

This wasn't my first trip to NYC. Mom often acted as a tour guide. I do think this was one of the most jam packed trips. Doing the Park, AND the Statue, AND the Empire State Building, AND Carnegie, AND driving the three hours down and back ... is a LOT in one day, especially after a full day in Boston earlier that week. With house guests in residence and a trip to pack for to North Carolina, how did my poor mother survive?

(Cheesecake from Carnegie probably!)

Elle sings the lunchtime blues

Elle likes to sing to herself. She's got the lunchtime baby blues.

(Pay no attention to the background conversation, the bad lighting, or the pushy director!)

Look at her try to multi-task.

Sorry kid. You can't sing with your mouth full. That's one the first rules of singing.