A Childhood Memory

Today we have to talk about a childhood memory but honestly I have tons going on today.  I had my aluminum siding pressure washed yesterday and today it looks about 100 times worse then it did before I had it washed.  I have a call into the guy who did it and hopefully in my lifetime he will call me back.  NEVER, EVER A DULL MOMENT.

So I am just repeating a childhood memory that I have already blogged about.  Sorry for those who have already read it before.


 I was brought up in Queens, NY which is a stones throw away from New York City.   On special occasions, as a family, we would trek into the city.  Some of those special occasions for my sister and I were going into the city with my parents to attend live TV kids shows.  For whatever reason my mom must have thought my sister and I deserved to be seen on TV because she would get tickets for all the local NYC TV shows.  We were on Romper Room, Wonderama, Little Rascals with Officer Joe Bolton and my favorite appearance for my sister and I was Kartoon Klub.

Kartoon Klub was a local live TV show that was on everyday.  The host was Ted Steele who at one time was a very famous band leader.  For the hour preceding the Kartoon Klub, Ted hosted a live American Bandstand type show and when it was over it went right into him hosting Kartoon Klub, a kids show.  Now poor Ted must have done something very wrong in the universe because he was stuck with a bunch of teenagers for an hour and then he was thrust into a world of screaming kids for an additional hour.  I was so little but I remember how cranky he was.  The only time he smiled was when the camera was on him.

Just before the American Bandstand type show was over my sister and I and about fifteen other kids were led into a large studio with bleachers that faced a big screen.  I was so little and my mom that day had put my blond hair in a huge array of banana curls.  Very stylish at the time, I guess.  They sat me right in the middle of the bleachers telling me to make room for Mr.Steele.  From a distance I could see the teens dancing to the last song of the teen show.  Ted Steele came toward us as his first show ended looking none to happy to have to spend the next hour with us.  He climbed up into the bleacher and sat right next to me saying nothing to any of us kids.  I heard one of the guys yell, "we are on in 10 second,  10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 ,4, 3, 2, 1" and pointed to Ted.  Ted immediately went from grumpy to Mr Happy.    He started to explain who the shows sponsors were, one of which was a Baby Ruth candy bar.  He announces "every kid loves a Baby Ruth bar and all the kids here will get one to take home with them".   Now, little did poor Ted Steele know but I had some issues with eating nuts of any kind and was forbidden to eat them.  So as he was talking I tugged on his suit jacket, he did not respond, I tugged again and again.  He finally looked down at me not looking very happy and I said "excuse me but I can't eat  this candy bar".  He says "well little girl save it for later" and starts talking to the camera again.  That answer obviously was not good enough for me because I continued to tug away at his jacket.  He finally looks down at me again and with gritted teeth he says "yes little girl" and I quickly tell him that I can't even eat it when I get home because it has nuts in it and it will make me constipated.  Now remember this was live TV and none of this could be edited.  The entire staff was horrified, constipated was not a word that was said on TV back then.  My poor mother and father sat in the green room watching mortified as the other parents let out a collective gasp at my bold, bathroom, problem, confession.

Not sure if poor Ted was ever the same after that. My potty talk may have been the straw that broke Ted Steel's back because not long after that the show went off the air.

Mary Ann

Picture Day

OK so for today we are supposed to post our favorite picture of ourselves and why.  Well I have no favorite picture of me.  I hate to have my picture taken.  In the generations to come my great great grandchildren will have to wonder what I looked like because there will be so very little trace of my existence.

So I did find this one which was taken last year.  A friend and I went to see the Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo at a local venue.  We paid extra for a meet and greet which we thought would be a reading to hang with our dead relatives but instead it was stand and pose for a picture with her.   So this stinking picture cost about double the price of the actual tickets.  YIKES SUCKER!!!!!!!!!

My friend, Theresa not doing a reading, and me.

This picture of me on the right is about as rare as the Hope Diamond although I am a bit taller, but not by much.  The sad part of it, is that when I posted this picture on facebook, friends from long ago said that I had not changed a bit.  Wow I had not idea I looked this bad in high school.  No wonder I did't get any dates.

Can't wait to see what humiliation is in store for us tomorrow during this lousy blog everyday in May debacle :).

Mary Ann

Ten Things That Make Me Happy

Today I need to list ten things that make me happy.  Hmmmm well I know for sure that my kids and grandkids make me happy.  If I listed those individually that would be a quick eight but that seems way too easy.  So here goes.

Family - There are so many ups and downs along the way with families but when all is said and done the most happiness in my life comes from them.

Friends - Talking, laughing and visiting with friends.

Pets - I have had lots of pets in my life, dogs and cats and they never fail to give me unconditional love.

Home - My home to me is my haven and sanctuary.

Reality TV - OK this is showing my shallow side.  I love to watch competition  type reality shows like Survivor and Amazing Race among many others.  I love TV in general it totally makes me happy.

Sunny bright days with a warm breeze - Nothing like the sun to make me smile and breath easy.

Food - Love, love, love food.  So I sound a bit food addicted but I am.  I love food.  Give me a bowl of pasta and a cupcake and I happy.  Sad but true.

Mowed grass -Watching the guys I hire to mow my grass.  Its makes me happy that I don't have to do it.

Creating something new- When I think of a design and turns out just like I envisioned it. Celebration time.

A babies smile - Not much needs to be say about this.  A babies smile makes everyone happy.

Mary Ann

I'm Sorry, So Sorry Please Accept My Apology

Ok, so I am still plugging along on this challenge on day 13.  YIKES and I wanted to quit day one.  For today we need to issue a public apology.  So here goes.

To my daughter.
I am so sorry that I never got you a stinking Barbie Dream House.  It was just too big to fit into our apartment back then and it was lots of money that we did not have.

To my son
Sorry that I ever bought you that Bee Bee gun.  I know all the boys had one and I succumbed to the pressure but you used it irresponsibly and it goes down as one of the worst decisions that I have ever made as a parent.

To my dad
Sorry that I stole that .75 cents from your dresser when I was twelve.  Its all I needed to get into the movies with my friends that day and its kind of your fault because you told me that I could go if I could come up with the money.

To my mom
Sorry that I really hated everything that you ever sewed for me but you would always made the dresses way too long and in awful prints that I hated.  You got back at me though when you cut my bangs way too short and crooked .  Wow did it take a long time for me to look normal again.

To Reggie, Jake, Al, Ollie and Tanya, my cat and dog kids
Sorry that I had to put you down when it was your time  You all seemed to be suffering so I needed to make the really hard decision to say goodbye.  Still miss you all.

Lastly I am sorry for always saying I'm sorry when it wasn't even my fault.  Its my Catholic, Italian, guilt that kicks in. I can't help it, its in my DNA.

Mary Ann

Missing Growing Up In Queens

Today's May challenge task is to write about something that I miss.  It could be a person, a thing, a place or a time of your life.  Well what I miss is growing up in Queens, NY.   When I look back on that time it was full of fun, happiness and love.

I miss walking to school each day with mom holding my hand and my sister running up in front of us.  I miss coming home from school and smelling the aroma's of my mom's awesome cooking. I miss summers on 65th Street in Middle Village were my sister and I would leave the house after breakfast to play with friends, stop back for lunch and then be out again until dinner.  On really hot days we would sit on each others front stoops reading piles of comic books that we had already read over and over before.  Sometimes we would pool together our pennies and make our way down to the corner candy store where as a group we would pick out a new Archie comic book rush back home and take turns reading it. On not so hot days my sister and I would  roller skate up and down the hill having to quickly move to the side when a car came.   In the evening after dinner all the kids on the street boys and girls alike would congregate and play endless hours of Red Rover or Hide and Seek while the grown ups would sit outside and talk until it was time to call us all in for bed.

65th St looking down the hill my house was on the left.

I miss the huge snowstorms that we would sometimes get that closed schools and we could play in the street that was covered in feet of snow without worry of cars, before the plows came through.

Snowstorms in Queens, more fun for kids then adults.

I miss trick or treating when we could go without parents because there was no threat of people trying to harm us.  After we would all go to a Halloween party in the Stark family basement where we would bob for apples and the lights were turned off while scary stories were read.

I miss Christmas's when I still believed in Santa Claus and woke up to all the presents under the tree.  I miss the big holiday meal that followed, including my grandparents, aunts and cousins.

Mostly I miss my mother who has now been gone for many years.  Time moves on and now have raised my own children and I watch as they raise their children and hope that their memories of childhood were as happy as mine were.

Mary Ann

Ten Words Are Not Enough To Describe Me.

Today's challenge is to describe yourself in 10 words or less.  So here's the best that I can do.

I try everyday to be happy, witty, helpful and caring but most days I am usually miserable, cranky, and annoyed.  Wow I am really missing my daily goals by a long shot.  Oh well.

That's more then 10 words.

Mary Ann

Another Embarrassing Story

I have had many embarrassing moments over the years some of which I have blogged about before.  Baby Ruth,  Popcorn and Clowns  and Embarrassing High School Moment.  So for the purposes of this daily May challenge I will dredge up another embarrassing moment.  I will probably need some psychiatric intervention after spilling another of my moments that I would rather not remember.

OK so I am rather largely endowed in the breast area.  I know people are trying to go larger with implants  but if the Boop Fairy was passing through town my wish would be smaller.  Its always a struggle for me to buy bra's because they just do not fit right.  I was in a department store on a very busy Saturday, on a quest for the perfect bra to corral in my girls.  I tried on a number of them and finally settled for one that I thought would work OK.  I got on a long line to be checked out.  I was surrounded by small petite people holding bra's that would easily fit into one of my bra cups.  They were all sexy and lacy and in pretty colors.  Mine was stark white and almost a turtleneck.  So I clutched my bra tightly to me so no one would guess how big it was.  After feeling like an hour had gone by it was finally my turn to check out.  I placed my bra on the counter, standing in front of it to hide its size and before I knew it the cashier was holding it up high in the air for the world to see yelling at the top of her lungs PRICE CHECK!!!!!!!!  I just wanted to crawl into a hole but my boobs would probably not fit.  YIKES.  

Glad to pay and get the heck out of there.  The worst is that I hated the bra and never wore it.  It went to the bra cemetery where all my other big bra's that don't fit go to die.

Sad But True

Mary Ann

Moment In Time With Pearl

Had an early vet appointment with my cat Pearl.   She is 16, an old girl and she has decided that using the litter box is not to her liking anymore.  I am an animal lover and do love my Pearl but really I am not able to tolerate her bad behavior.  I am hoping there is actually something wrong with her so we can fix it and she and I can live in peaceful harmony for many years to come.

She had lots of tests taken and lots of money spent so we will see how it goes.

My Girl Peal At The Vets

                              Mary Ann

Words To Live By

So as I sit with my coffee and morn the loss of Sean Lowe (The Bachelor) from Dancing With The Stars. (honestly just kidding I could care less)  I am contemplating what advice that I would give to others.

An obvious one that comes to mind is "never pet a strange cat in a pet store that looks friendly".  Ouch!  found that one out the hard way. 

If I had to choose one grand prize advice giver it would be.  Never, ever stop talking to the people in your life that you love because you are not in agreement with their choices.   

This is huge.  I see so many people that I have known over the years, not be in contact with their child or parents or friend because they just did not like something that was said or done.  Life is way too short. We all need to forgive and forget (more advice) and move on to the things that are really important.  

Mary Ann

Fears, Got A Million Of Them

So today the assignment from the May month long challenge is to write about things that you are most afraid of.  The rules are to write under 250 words. Well for me I could write a book on this subject so I will just stick with my top three.

Fear 1 -  This is a big one for me.  I am totally and completely afraid of the dark.  I have been afraid for as long as I can remember.  I know its irrational and there is nothing that can hurt me in the dark but when I am in a dark room or space I feel myself having an all out melt down.  According to what I read online by some well known afraid of the dark expert (if there is such a thing) when your fear of the dark carries through to adulthood its becomes a phobia.  So I guess I am a Myctophobia or Achluophobia fear of the dark.

Fear 2 - Afraid of fire.  I hate anything related to fire, even nice fire things, like a nice smelling lit candle.  A roaring fire in a fireplace or a fire pit fire.   These kinds of fire are supposed invoke calm and relaxation.  My reaction is just the opposite.  It make me nervous thinking that the flame will jump off of a candle and set my house on fire.  So for this one I guess I am a Pyrophobic or Arsonphobia , fear of fire.

Fear 3 - Fear of mice.  I hate those little creatures.  They just come in from nowhere and scurry around the house leaving there dirty leftovers along the way.  I have cats and I have not had a mouse in my house for years but whenever one of my cats stares at a wall or under a chair I wait for one of those litter critters to come running out.  My toes curl just thinking about it.  So I am a Suriphobia  the fear of mice and proud of it.

Well I could go on and on and then on some more on this subject.   I could be Dr Phil's biggest challenge.

I SEE A MOUSE IN THE DARK TRYING TO START A FIRE.

Mary Ann

Combining Blog Challenges Is Challenging

Doing some blogging juggling today.  Trying to combine the May bog everyday challenge on Story of My Life with the Mothers Day challenge on Exploring Cricut.

So here goes.

For the Story of my Life May challenge the question of the day is
If you couldn't answer with your job, How would you answer the question, 'what do you do?

When I am not cleaning up after my elderly sick cats, I love love love to just make stuff.  A few years ago my son and his wife gave me a Cricut die cut machine for Christmas which I had been lusting over for months. That began my addiction to scrapbook paper.  Since I am not a scrapbooker or card maker I decided to forge my own use for my beautiful shiny new Cricut machine.  So I just started making stuff.  OK so here is where the Exploring Cricut challenge come in.

Create a card, layout, or papercraft for Mothers Day.

Since cards and layouts is not in my wheelhouse I am showing some necklaces that I make out of paper using my Cricut.

Screams MOM

I used the Paper Lace and Plantin Schoolhouse cartridges to create the back ground and the letters.  I cut a number of the same image and Mod Podge them together for strength.  I glued an acrylic shape to each, first lining them with a coordinating card stock. I added Mom and embellished them with some Swarovski crystal bling, finishing them with silver bails and chains.

Just a little bling for Mom

On this one I used the same process as above but layered different images and added some bling and beads.

Moms are in our hearts

This one is done with the same process.  This time I cut my heart images from the Plantin Schoolhouse cartridge in half layering them to create some depth for my patchwork hearts. Added some Swarovski crystals, a bail and a chain.

So I think I accomplished my goal on this one.  Two blogs for the price on one.

Mary Ann

My Favorite Blogger

Day 5 on the May challenge is to profess your love for a blogger friend.  Which could be a bit weird but in my case really easy.  My favorite blogger is my daughter Lisa.  Her blog name is Pigeon House Handmade.  She is funny, talented and pretty.  Amazing how much she takes after me :).  We have had tons of fun blogging and crafting.  We make a great team because my thing is paper and hers is fabric and knitting. We both have shops on Etsy and we have been doing a few craft fairs.

She made the owls and the quilt.

Her whales that she made are swimming in a sea of her handmade crochet blanket.

As you can see she is very talented.

Not my daughter

She is way prettier then Gwyneth Paltrow who was just named worlds most beautiful women.  Gwyneth is OK but does not hold a candle to my daughter.

And of course very funny.  Stop by Pigeon House Handmade to read this funny blog.  It was her homage to all the  home decorating blogs out there that have perfect homes which are beautiful but not real life to most of us.

Things are always more fun when you have someone to do them with.

Mary Ann

Favorite Quote And Why I Love It

Quotes that come to mind:

May the force be with you -  Its from the ever popular Star War series  which I have to say are some of my favorite movies.

The tribe has spoken - I am a huge Survivor fan.  I have been watching it now for the 25 seasons that its been on.  How sick and sad is that?  Its the same darn thing every time but I love it. When Jeff Propst says these final words its always at the end of a very enjoyable hour.

Take this job and shove it -  I think this is more of a song then a quote.  How many times over the years did I want to scream this one out loud.

Nobody puts baby in the corner -  Well you can tell how shallow I am from my favorite quotes.  I hate to admit it but I must have seen Dirty Dancing at least 20 times. YIKES,  really freaky to say that out loud.

Hmmm not sure how long I am going to hold on to this month long May challenge. I am really not feeling it, so I am going to take one day at a time.

I may be back tomorrow.

Mary Ann

Ta Ta's And Tupperware, An Uncomfortable Situation

A few months ago a friend asked me to come to a Pamper Chef's party.  For those who have never heard of one.  Its a home party similar to a Tupperware party but the difference is that the person who sells Pamper Chef' prepares food using Pampered Chef recipes and equipment.  You stand or sit around usually with a drink and watch her do her thing. You then eat the food and buy the products.

Last minute my friend called and ask if I could pick up her sister-in-law, Carrie who lived not far from me.  I was totally fine with that.  I had met her sister-in-law before and she always seemed sweet and extremely quiet and shy. On the 30 minute drive to the party we had a conversation  about our aging parents.  The time went  by quickly, we got to the party and we were offered drinks by the hostess. I took my usual diet soda,  Carrie went for the wine, which she immediately sucked down and went for another. Within a short period of time she was totally and completely drunk.  During the cooking demo she was heckling the cook, telling extremely inappropriate stories and laughing at things that were not even funny.  Some people at the party  were trying to ignore her but others thought she was a riot.  I of course knew I had to drive her home and was not that amused.

The party finally ended, many of us buying things that we never wanted or needed.  I helped Carrie to my car hoping upon hope that she would not get sick on the way. Our ride home started out like a bad scene from the movie Groundhog Day.

Carrie - So is your dad still alive
Me - Yes (we had discussed this on the way to the party)
Carrie - How old is he
Me - 96
Carrie- That's really great
then silence

Carrie - So is your dad still living.
Me - Yes (are you kidding me)
Carrie - and how old is he
Me - still 96
Carrie-  That's great


Carrie - So are your parent still living
Me - Only my dad  (not again)
Carrie - and how old is he
Me - 96 (calgon take me away)
Carrie-  Wow that's great.

This conversation was repeated about 4 more times until Carrie decided she was hot and wouldn't it be fun to flash her rather large ta ta's at other cars and people walking on the street.

OMG, talk about feeling uncomfortable.  I found myself driving faster hoping that I would  not meet up with the police.  Happily we arrived at her home and her husband rushed out to escort her inside and I was on my way.  

So the morale of my story is, never drive shy, quiet, large breasted women to cooking demo's EVER.
Words to live by, that's for sure.

Mary Ann

OK I Must Be Nuts

So after being relieved for a full 24 hours that the A to Z blog was over, I decided to do another month long blog.  This one seemed more casual  and specifies what to write about each day so I thought what the heck.
It started yesterday but I thought I could just catch up.

OK so here goes.
Day 1

The story of your life in 250 words or less

Hmmm where to start.  I was brought up in Middle Village, Queens, NY thousands of years ago.  Sounds like I may be a vampire, of course I have exaggerated my age a bit.  I have an older sister who did not not like me much when we were young.  A bit jealous of my flowing blond locks.(She had mousy brown hair) so of course she would be jealous HA HA.   I think she likes me more now.  

I married really young at 18, what an idiot, since I am still married to the same person.  Yikes what was I thinking?  I have two children, a daughter and son who are both married and have two children each.  

We moved from Queens to upstate New York over 25 years ago where I have worked in the health care field
as a computer analyst/trainer/writer/and manager.  My husband retired a few years ago and not long after was  diagnosed with Parkinson disease.  I thought it was time for me to stay home with him (again what was I thinking) and quit my stressful job.  So now I spend my days blogging, designing and creating crafty things, visiting as much time as I can with my grandchildren and hanging with my husband. 

House  where I grew up in Queens, NY

This is the street where I lived in Queens. Seemed much bigger when I was little

Day 2

Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at.

Honestly I am not sure I know alot about anything.  I think for me I know a little about alot. Well maybe I don't even know a little about alot, its probably more like I  don't know much about anything but I have been successful at it for a long time so I guess its working for me.

I would hope I am a good mother at least I have tried to be.  I hope I am a good and caring friend to people.   As I have stated in early blogs I am really good at watching TV and eating. 
I am also really good at yelling. 


Well I guess that enough to start.  Hopefully I can keep this up.  We will see how it goes.

Until tomorrow maybe,

Mary Ann

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Chevron Flower Key Chain

In my craft room I have a bin of a random stuff  that I keep because I know that someday I will use it.  The other day I was looking through it and came across a bunch of laminate that I had from a few years ago.  After much thought I decided to try my hand at turning them into key chains.

I covered the laminate with chevron card stock using Mod Podge.  
Antiqued the edges in black.
I added a felt flower.
Layered  it with a daisy that I cut out from the Serenade Cricut Cartridge.
Topped it with a button and a swarovski pink crystal.
Embellished the top with a ring of beads
Attached the key ring.

These are a few others that I have also done.

I am visiting The Fabulous Cricut Challenge Blog today.

Mary Ann