Uncle Ed at Stan's Memorial

Sara, our cousin in Ohio, sent this nice photo of our Uncle Edward Straight with all of us.
Seated, left to right, Ed Nicholson, Patricia Walls, Barbara Nicholson.
Back Row, left to right: Amanda Nicholson, Trisha Miller, Uncle Edward Straight, Tracy Strother, and Joey Nicholson.

How these kids have grown up!

Delia and Zoey in October 2008.

1992 Tracy's Graduation

This was a good day! I'm betting that Trisha took this photo, aren't you?

Mom and Dad must have been smiling

This is a joyous occasion and I know Mom and Dad sure were smiling at us.

We are so lucky to have had their lasting and loving influence, we were all embracing them that afternoon.

The mid-point between Dad's birthday and Mother's Birthday

This is almost the mid-point between the date of Dad's birthday 4/24 and Mom's birthday 5/9. Every year for the 60 or so that I have memory, we have celebrated Dad's birthday with chocolate cake and Mennen Aftershave, the green stuff. Once in a while, I broke with tradition and got a tree - pink dogwood, which never seemed to survive the first winter after it was planted in the front yard. 

For Mom's, I usually bought an Alfred Dunner outfit from Penney's. And since it fell so close to Mother's Day, the extra expense was no problem. Some years I bought Fiesta ware.

So, I think it is fitting to post some photos that remind me of our parents (and your grandparents) and the traditions we will always cherish as we remember these remarkable people.

Now, I've discovered, this computer has stopped uploading photos.  I'll try again later.

Happy Mothers Day 2010

For our Mom's Day Celebration this year, we will be thinking of Mom, who would have turned 88 years old this day.

I've decided to add this photo, which is one that Mom took!
This is of a very fun trip to Orlando in 1978. Mom had a good time, got to see her sister, her sister got to see two of the grandchildren, Tracy and Amanda.

We're waving at you Mom!

On the funny side, I think that is the last time I rode an elephant! Glad I did it then....

Signs of renewal for February 2010

It is Monday morning, Feb. 8, 2010.

I couldn't believe the birds coming to my balcony this morning. I seldom see the birds on my railing, but it was beautiful today.








This one is a really cool looking robin.







Mr. Zeus is enjoying the warm sunshine, I'm not sure he would know what to do with a bird, he just seems startled by the birds. I don't think Hera can see them.

January 2010 ~ 10 weeks until Spring

Christmas in Phoenix was really a lot of fun. These are a couple of my gifts! Joey found these in an antique shop in Chicago. On says A T & T, the other says "Made in the USA." I love the colors especially. I was a little worried about getting these aboard the airplane for the 2,500 mile trip home, but it turned out to be OK. One of them even smelled a bit like burnt electrical wires....I have seen these all over the country, especially when we've been hiking. I can't tell you how many times I tried to get Ed to climb an abandoned telephone pole to get me one of these, but he was No Way to that. In Colorado, we talked to a farmer from Nebraska that told us he had bushel baskets of these in his barn. He offered to send me one, but I was too shy to really take him up on his generous offer. I should have left him my card! (How did this come up? We saw some of these on the train ride to the top of Pikes Peak. The farmer heard me admiring them. These are fun!





While we were in Palm Springs, we saw a model train exhibit - low and behold, they had taken the time to include these electrical insulators in the display! So cool!

I was tickled to find a package from Ohio under Amanda's tree! It was so much fun to get those East/West Coast photos of Z ! She is the star of my fridge right now. I can't say that Lilly was too thrilled with the cutest sweater, but she was tolerant of our playing with it and her. That was funny too, the dog weighs 35 lbs., and 25 lbs of that is her hair! Lilly is a quiet dog, very well mannered.



I was sick most of last week, home for 4 days straight with no contact other than these two cats. Poor cats!! They were loving the sunshine, warn through those glass doors, even though it was in the teens outside and blowing so cold.
I'm feeling a lot better now, sadly back into my windowless office, missing this sunshine. I leave the drapes open for Zeus and Hera.
Actually, I can't really say "No Contact" -- not with Facebook, Skype and the iPhone. But, I digress.
I even hosted a conference call for attendees that were all over the country, they had no clue I wasn't in my office.

Pretty things from Mom's

I always loved the salt cellars and the toothpick holder. Here they are, joining the collection of wonderful beautiful art pieces in my overcrowded china cabinet. Behind the Jewel T dish, there is the blue art glass vase from Rosie's.


Lovely pieces.

Photos to share

I love this photo. It was one of the ones Patsy found for the photo board display at Mom's funeral. I took it home so I could scan it. I don't remember ever seeing it before. This was on our back porch prior to Pat and Stan's wedding. Really neat photo, one of my new favorites.

Remembering some oldies but goodies.

Thought of these handwritten recipes I had posted a while ago from Mom's.

http://pazzofamiglia.blogspot.com/2008/12/moms-recipes.html

Delia descends from a long line of strong women

Patsy at Sun Valley November 1976

Tracy enjoying the autumn sun at Sun Valley, Nov. 1976

1989 was a good year

This was the first Thanksgiving Ed & I had to miss with our family. Mom made me feel included by sending me lots of photos --- seems funny now. It was so "pre-Internet!" The handwriting on the back is Mom's, of course. This was taken at Park Blvd. That's Rosie with Stan, and Beatrice in the background of this one.

I'm trying to clean house in my little overcrowded condo, but I'm really enjoying going through these things. Here is Mom & Dad on the San Francisco BART train in 1989, just after we moved to California.


Amanda Nicholson, the 1988-89 Bridgeport Jerry West cheerleading squad.

Great Strong Family Times

April 1994

Well, the Gold Gate Bridge was the view from Ed's first office in San Francisco twenty years ago. No wonder he had a good work ethic, right?

It didn't take Dad and Mom long to fly west. This photo is not from their first trip, but about 5 years into our life in California. This time Mom and Dad had brought Trisha too. I have pictures of everyone in California! Dad really enjoyed these trips, and I like to think Mom did as well, after the plane ride was over. 8-)


This one is Mom's 72nd Birthday, on May 9th, 1994. I couldn't be there, but Mom sent me this photo. It shows Dad, Stan, Trish and Tracy and Mom. Patsy took the photo.

Celebrating the Work Ethic

Ed doing what he would rather do than work.



This June 2009 was the 20th anniversary of Ed's beginning of work for the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. They recognized his dedication to service by sending him a nice pin in the mail that has the "20" on it. It was June 1989 when we drove across country in our red Chrysler Town and Country station wagon with the Sears Roebuck egg on top of the car. And, of course, our two energetic and squirrely kids inside.

T W E N T Y years. We should have some cake!

Our visit in Biloxi

This is the beachfront right across from the old VA Med Center in Gulfport.

Light fixture in Treasure Bay Casino, note the view of the ocean, these places are right on the water.
Man, it is hot and very muggy though......

Joey's Marathon in Seattle

Brookside Gardens ~ My personal Sanity Spot

Can you spot the turtles? My favorites!



This fountain makes the most lovely sounds, there is a neat bench nearby where I like to meditate if it is a quiet day there.





Just wanted to take a minute to share with you some images of Brookside Gardens. This is where I go for peaceful walks and exercise - sanity savers. There are not many places as nice as this one is.

My friend and peer of nearly 18 years, Ginny DuPont died on Thursday. She had fought ovarian cancer for about 2 years. Ginny, single most of her life, had found the love of her life and just married him right before they found the cancer. He was at her side when she died at home. She did manage to retire, although she certainly wasn't ready to. She had been the mainstay of the VA Library network for many years. Her husband was her rock during the rounds of chemo and treatments.

ch-ch-ch-changes

I woke up this morning:
I go to bed tonight:
10" of hair will be mailed to locks of love tomorrow.

Mom's 87th Birthday

Mom on her 87th Birthday at Sun Valley




Saturday was Mom's 87th birthday. Ed came in from California and we were able to drive home for Saturday. We got the cake at Bonnie Belle's, which is a real family tradition. I think she enjoyed it. I ordered the lemon filling, which I think she likes. She seemed to enjoy it. I was glad to spend that day with her.

Mother's Day we drove back to DC and I got Ed to the airport in time for his flight. We got to have dinner together in the airport before he left. Heard from both my offspring! All in all, a very nice Mom's Day.