Happy Birthday: Elaine Hanner, Ragin Cornelius, Laverne Ferguson, Glova Schultz, Elizabeth Jenkins, Sam Slaydon, Brandon Jones, Charles Arnold, Dane Elbel, Emily Watts, Floyd and Lloyd Yancy, Hester Mary Eddins, Jeanetta Stewart, Derrill Cates, C. B. Burris, Jeanne Burris, Dubby Perry, Hayley Haglund, and Ed Mount.
Happy Anniversary: Doris and Jim Harkness, Dry and James Hinson, David and Pam Bowley, Don and Atha Martin.
Maricela's Forgotten Treasures Antiques Mall is hosting a Holiday Open House on Thursday, November 15 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. There will be good food, friendly people, door prizes and shopping.
Dorothy Temple was treated to lunch at Marteres Tea Room for her Halloween birthday by Martha Carswell and Woodie Hicks.
I want to tell you about Hannah attending the National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. in early October. We were so proud that she was able to interact with the lawmakers and staffers who determine our nation's legislative agenda on Capitol Hill. She was able to sit in the chairs used by House members. She proceeded to her congressional appointments meeting with representatives, senators and staffers which gave her a chance to ask questions and get a first hand view of life and work on the Hill. In the evening she switched her focus from legislative matters to judicial topics, engaging in the "Testing the Constitution" simulation. After an overview of the role of the Supreme Court, Hannah jumped into the simulation. With her group playing the roles of justices, petitioners and respondents, Hannah discussed and debated the constitutionality of regulating vehicle emissions to address global warming. The next day she participated in a panel discussion with members of the press. She heard from a panel of speakers representing different news media sources and participated in a question and answer session. Returning to the conference center at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland in the afternoon, she attended one of two town hall discussions focusing on national security and civil liberties and closing the achievement gap in American schools. Hannah prepared for the culminating event of NYLC, the Model Congress simulation where she was a part of Caucus J for banning spam as an amendment to a telecommunications bill. She and her group passed the amendment and then the bill. The conference lasted a week for 290 participants ages sophomore to senior in high school.
Monday morning in Connecticut, there was a frost and it was in the low 30's. Sun came out and warmed things. George and Sarah and I went to the visitation at 4:30 at the funeral home for the mother of one of George's baseball team players. There was a crowd and Tucker was outside with his team mates so George was able to be with them. When Tucker went back in the funeral home, we went to Wal-Mart to get Halloween costumes for George and Sarah. George had directions to Wal-Mart and we were in the 5 o'clock traffic. Horrible!!!!! We finally found Wal-Mart in Norwalk and got Band-Aids and the costumes. Sarah was a cute witch and George was a goblin called "The Scream" with a gadget that makes blood run down his face mask. I took a picture and he really is gory looking. They got a Subway sandwich at Wal-Mart and we were on our way home in the traffic. Hannah was working on her history project with friend Stephanie Havens and they completed it. I wanted to pick up something for the "sisters" at maybe a McDonalds but......they eat healthy and would not eat anything from McDonalds. I told them that I might disown them and keep George and Sarah since they like junk food like me. We watched Dancing with the Stars and Hannah was watching the Fantasy Football. She and Michael have a team and in the morning she found out that they are still 8-0. I don't understand that either. George and Isabelle play Runescape on the computer. They sell, trade and attack people. George calls it monopoly with a touch of violence. Do not understand this either???????
Tuesday Isabelle and George stayed home to attend the funeral at 10 a.m. of Diana Saitta. There were 6 children with the oldest being Isabelle's age (12) down to a 5 year old. Isabelle and George were very quiet. When it was over they said it was a nice service. George's friend Tucker got up at the end and gave a wonderful tribute to his mother. I was glad that George was there to hear him. He ended it like "I will miss you but you will be taking care of the children in heaven that don't have a mother".
I got them to school about 11:30 and went downtown and had a Subway sandwich and stopped at Talbot's to get directions from Hillary for Post Road in Norwalk. While there, I bought a pair of shoes like everyone here wears. I found the alley short cut to the municipal parking lot. I bought a map at the Book Store on Elm Street so now I can maybe find my way better than with Google. Sarah had CCD (Catholic classes) at the church at 4:00. George had CCD at 7 p.m. so we ordered Chinese food from Norwalk for dinner. Mary O'Sullivan picked George up at 7:00 for his CCD class.
I can add plumber to my list of duties while here. We had two occurrences that needed the plunger!!!! Of course no one would admit who was the last to use the commodes. Remember those days of "Not Me"?
Peggy Dannemann took me to Norwalk to Cosi where I had a flatbread pork tenderloin and mushroom sandwich. It was real different with the Italian bread. They also had salads, soups, pizzas, coffees and desserts. We made a stop at COSCO for cereal and other things. Halloween night we left about 5:45 for Connie and Ed Piotroski's house where Katy and Bill Young, Kathleen and Mike Abbott were together celebrating with children for Halloween. It was in a close neighborhood where the children could walk. Hannah dressed up in her Cinderella dress and walked with the girls, Sarah, Sarah Young, and Kaitlyn Piotroski, to trick or treat. She had her donation can to collect for the New Canaan High School Turkey Drive and got $60. The dads went with the boys, George, Eddie Piotroski, Conner and Ryan Abbott and Billy Young to trick or treat. Parents walking with their children to the Piotroski's house with their "roady" cups said "Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio or beer". They were having a good time. I passed out the candy and the children were very polite. They had 300 pieces of candy and ran out telling each child to take one piece. Isabelle was helping Mary O'Sullivan and her children with their Halloween spook graveyard. Later she went trick or treating with Elizabeth, Kate and Peter O'Sullivan.
On Thursday we had our first real crisis. Isabelle missed the bus and I had to get dressed and take her to school. She said that we were out of cat food and they were "trading" Halloween candy and it made her late. Sarah was upset about something when I got home and had locked her self in her bedroom. She wanted me to walk with them to the bus and I did and she seemed some better but would not tell me what had upset her.
George lost a tooth. He said it was loose when he was eating his Halloween candy. We saved it for Momma and Poppa. Isabelle, George and Sarah were funny trading candy. George would put out several pieces for Sarah in a trade and she would either take a piece or tell him that she wanted more for what he wanted of hers.
Thursday, Libba Griffin took me to lunch at the Sole Ristorante on Elm in New Canaan. She told me about her children Olivia, Amelia, Henry and Andrew. Nancy and Libba were friends at Texas A&M and Kappa sisters. George had football practice and Hannah had a Book Club meeting downtown. We gassed up the suburban and regular gas was $3.25 per gallon and it held $80. It said that you could go 392 miles per tank of gas. So I guess with the trip to the airport and return and my driving we have been almost 400 miles in two weeks.
Katy Young and I attended the Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk, Inc. 29 th Winterfair Gift Market at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk on Friday. There were over 30 vendors with all things for sale. After I purchased some fall colored crystal earrings, Katy took me to The Restaurant at the Rowayton Seafood in the town of Rowayton, on Long Island Sound. I had crab cakes and clam chowder for lunch.
She drove me around the community looking at the seaside houses and boats. I was able to hear the Panther football game on the computer at KYBI streaming voice of the Lufkin Panthers until half time when I thought the Panthers really had it under control.
Saturday morning, Isabelle cooked omelets for us. When we got in the suburban at 10:15 for George's football game, the battery was dead. I called Pat and Tonya across the way and he came with his boat charger. George called Dan Antonio and he and his dad came and got George. The dad said there was a party after the game at the coach's house and it would be 2:00 before it was finished. We did not know about the party. Good thing we had some help. They will bring him home. Back to the car.....Pat finally used a 50 amp charger and got the battery charged. Something is draining the battery he thinks. Poor car did not move on Friday and I told Pat it was rebelling. I had forgotten that we had the other car in the garage. So we will not be without transportation unless I park the suburban behind the station wagon. Nancy and Michael will be home at noon on Monday. Maybe we will be able to have transportation until then and they can deal with the car. Isabelle had a friend Audrey Piehl over since their softball was cancelled. They entertained each other for the afternoon. Sarah went to a birthday party for Allary Landeck where they rode horses at a farm. Hannah went to a Mission Impossible Football Party at the home of Megan Tuttle.
Sunday we set our clocks back the hour and slept in just a little. After breakfast, Sarah wanted to make jam tarts for our dessert. She and I made dogs in a sweater with hotdogs and crescent rolls. Isabelle went to a friend Meghan Franjoine's house before we went to 5 p.m. Mass. After Mass, we went to see the "Bee Movie "with Seinfeld for our final outing.
I think that I killed the Venus Flytrap but other than that I guess things were in pretty good order when Nancy and Michael arrived home. The weather has been in the 40s for the low and the low 60s during the day. There were two days of a frost. The leaves are turning and there is a beautiful red tree in the front yard. The golds, orange and yellows are all beautiful colors and it is truly fall in Connecticut. I will have the fall leaf earrings to remind me of my two weeks with the grandchildren in October. Memories are made for keeping and we all have wonderful memories. At least I do. Wonder what they will tell their parents about me????
Catch you in Lufkin. I will be home when you read this. Janice Ann email: roweja@suddenlink.net
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