A Rose by any other name is called Missy

I never started out with the intention to name my rose bushes after people as I planted them.  But it happened in the early months of 1993.  And it happened because of a dear friend and my first rose bush.

As I was planting my first rose bush, I was thinking of my friend, Melissa Kinder.  I always find that playing in the dirt gets me somehow closer to God.  I was praying for her, she was very ill and we knew God would soon call her home. 

I dug the hole and just as I was putting the rose bush in, which was to be a beautiful red, American Beauty Rose, my phone rang with the news that Missy had passed.  I looked at the rose bush and as I patted the ground around it I said to it, and you shall be named Missy.

A picture of Missy

Since then, I have planted the Jaime, Dana and Eric rose bushes, in various colors along with the rose that my son and daughter-in-law brought home in a vase from the Penn State Winter Formal dance WHICH I successfully rooted and planted out with the others, appropriately named, the Bobby and Amy rose.

The Missy Rose will alway be near and dear to my heart.  Missy is continually the first to bloom each and every year.  I sometimes cut the first bloom and give it to someone who might need a little cheering.   It is like Missy always knows. 

Well, sure enough, today I noticed Missy is in bud, and with raindrops on it I took a picture of Missy.  I share the picture with you, and maybe Missy will bring you a little joy today.  I know she always makes me smile; and at the same time helps me remember how precious and how fragile friendships are.

Missy made the handbell choir  learn "Simple Gifts", because it was one of her favorites.  It starts out:

Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
  'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

Her love and delight were her two daughters, whom she left too soon.  

My favorite song coincidentally is "The Rose"  which has my favorite line of all time-

Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose.

That's another day in Catasauqua.

The Answers to Mother's Day Trivia

Well let's find out how you did!

TV Moms

1.  June
2.  Lucy
3. Claire
4. Louise
5. Edith
6.  Carol
7. Lilly
8.  Jill
9. Wilma
10.  Betty

11.  Jane
12.  Morticia
13.  Lorelai
14.  Peggy

Bible Moms

1.  Eve
2.  Hannah
3. Sarah
4.  Rebekah
5.  Mary
6. Elizabeth
7.  Rachel
8. Bathsheba

So how did you do?

and that's ...another test - oops I mean .....another day in Catasauqua!

Mother's Day Trivia

Happy Mother's Day - for Sunday School this morning I put together the following trivia quiz to test the knowledge of the Mothers and Children - Have fun and see how many mother's names you know.

Answers will follow in the next blog!

Good Luck!



TV Moms

1) On Leave it to Beaver - what was the Beaver's mother's name.

2) What is Little Ricky's mother's first name?

3) On the Cosby Show what was the mother's name?

4)  On the Jeffersons - what is Lionel's mother's first name?

5)  On "All in the Family" what is the mother's name?

6)  What is Mrs. Brady's first name?

7)  What is Mrs. Munster's first name?

8)  On "Home Improvement", what is the mom's name?

9)  What was Pebbles mother's name?

10)  What was BAM BAM mother's name?

11)  On the Jetson's, what is the mother's name?

12)  On the Addams Family - what is the mother's name?

13) On the Gilmore Girls who is the mother to Rory Gilmore?

14)  What was the mother's name on Married with Children?

Biblical Mothers

1)  Who was the very first mother known as the "Mother of Mankind?

2)  Who was the mother of Samuel?

3)  This mother was very old when she had Issac - what's her name?

4)  She held her son, Jacob, trick his father to get a blessing.

5)  What was Jesus's mother's name?

6)  Who was the mother of John the Baptist?

7)  Who was the mother of Joseph?

8)  Who was the mother of Solomon?

My thoughts from the back row of the Chorus

We Sing to my left

Tonight We Sing - the musical choral group I belong to from North Catasauqua sang at Barnes and Noble for a fundraiser for an English teacher in Catasauqua High School, Mr. Whitehead who is battling cancer.  He doesn't want the money for himself, instead he would like to raise the money for the school library and English Department.  20% of proceeds purchased between 6-8 pm tonight will go to the school.

Kudos to Mr. Whitehead and Barnes and Noble for doing this. 

We Sing to my right

The bff Cathy and I left to go over about ten minutes before it was time to be there, but to our dismay we could not find a parking spot anywhere near Barnes and Noble so we parked at JC Penney and walked briskly through the mall, but we were a tad late, but the good thing about this we just snuck into the back row.

The joys of being in the back row of a chorus is that you can dance and no one sees you.  And hopefully the director doesn't see you acting up.

Look carefully and see our audience

Our little concert wasn't well attended - some friends and family of members along with a few curious shoppers watched us, along with a young "Mr. Gold"  look a like before he became the evil Rumpelstiltskin (Once upon a Time reference).

Young Mr. Gold

After the concert Cathy and I headed over to the Yankee Candle Shop - ATTENTION MEN - they have special candles for you, like  MMMM Bacon, 2 x 4 and Fresh Mowed Grass!

PS - Cathy - Thank you for the Tart for a Tart!  

All in all it was a nice evening for a good cause.  My prayers are with you Mr. Whitehead.

  And that's .......Another day in Catasauqua.

Play Ball!

Well it's that time of year again - Baseball Season! - I don't recall every going  to a game so cold as it was Saturday night.  We got to the game around

5:30 PM.  I wanted to walk around once to see what was new at the park before sitting down.

My favorites- the Philly Pretzel Company and "Aw Shucks" Roasted Corn return in two locations.  Most of the times we eat at home before going to the game because it is so expensive to eat there, but occasionally we splurge and have dinner.

Two new places, both of which I look forward to trying are the "Sooeey'te Spot" Frozen Yogurt Bar and the "Boar-rito" Mexican stand.  Other brand-new offerings include the Dietz & Watson "Brew & Brats Platz" Grill featuring regular and jalapeno bratwurst served on a pretzel bun, a one-of-a-kind bacon-wrapped hot dog along with a smoothie stand providing healthy fresh fruit drinks in a variety of unique flavors.

But, I can tell you that on Saturday night I was not eating at the frozen yogurt bar, nor having my favorite, dipping dots, it was just too darn cold.  I wore - cuddle duds, jeans, socks, boots with fur inside, a thermal top under my Iron Pigs sweatshirt, a scarf, hat with ear flaps, jacket, and a pair of gloves, with a pair of mittens on top.    Parke and I covered with a blanket and were the last people left in our section at the top of the 10th inning.  This is when we left.  Parke wasn't dressed in as many layers as I and was getting cold. 

The Pigs won in the 11th inning;  bummer, that we didn't get to see it, but I got 17 more games to go.  Maybe more.  My next game is Wednesday, temps are suppose to be in the 80's in the afternoon and down to 59 at night, a little better than the 49 degrees we experienced Saturday night. 

I can't tell you anything about the new urinal game for men, but the ladies room had - what I thought was a media board that showed upcoming events, until I walked over to it and it turned into a mirror, thanks to the motion sensor, which I of course,  had to keep moving back and forth watching.

Also new is PorkCenter - Minor League Baseball's first and only fan-interactive social media command center, affording fans the unique opportunity to supplement their game day experience at Coca-Cola Park and beyond. Download the IronPigs brand-new app, available for iPhone and Android on Monday, April 1, for a chance to enter PorkCenter during each IronPigs home game.

I can't tell you anything about this yet, since currently I own a dumbphone.

Anyway - so it begins - spring, baseball and soon time to start planting the garden, another year......another day in Catasauqua.

Blue Light Special in Catasauqua

Tonight some houses are blue in Catasauqua, and I don't mean sad.  Brubaker's Funeral Home, Mr. Brubaker's house and Ben Ferenchak's house are shining blue with blue lights to raise awareness for Autism.  Today is the sixth annual World Autism Awareness Day. Every year, autism organizations around the world celebrate the day with unique fundraising.

The Empire State Building in New York

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe.

Iconic landmarks around the globe – including the Empire State Building in New York City will change there lights to blue in an effort to raise awareness.  What I find amazing is that it trickled down to our community - yes the Empire State Building is lit up in blue - but so is Brubaker's - Yes the Great Pyramids in Giza, Egypt are shining blue - and so is 5th and Pine Street. Blue lights shine at the Sydney Opera House is Australia, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Warsaw Stock Exchange in Warsaw, Poland and a house on Howertown Road in Catasauqua.

It gives me goose pimples to realize that our small town is part of a bigger, global movement. 

You can check out - www.lightitupblue.org for more information and ways to donate.  

In the meantime check out the blue lights in Catty and that's another day in Catasauqua







 

St. Patrick's Day part 2

One of my most popular blogs since I started "Another Day in Catasauqua" is  St. Patrick's Day Trivia that I posted last year, it has almost 6000 hits - you can find it here:

 http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3960544181181866141#editor/target=post;postID=7197431007522557707

So while the corned beef brisket cooks on the stove and before I add my potatoes and cabbage I thought I share some Irish one-liners with you.  I had come across them when I was getting ready for my Friendship Circle earlier this month.

my favorite part of St. Patty's Day - The Shamrock Shake

Q: What is out on the lawn all summer and is Irish?
A: Paddy O'Furniture 

 

Q: What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?
A: A sham rock. 

 

Q: Why do people wear shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day?
A: Regular rocks are too heavy. 

 

Q: Why can't you borrow money from a leprechaun?
A: Because they're always a little short. 

 

Q: How did the Irish Jig get started?
A: Too much to drink and not enough restrooms! 

 

Q: Why do leprechauns have pots o'gold?
A: They like to "go" first class! 

 

Q: How can you tell if an Irishman is having a good time?
A: He's Dublin over with laughter! 

 

Q: What would you get if you crossed Quasimodo with an Irish football player?
A: The Halfback of Notre Dame! 

 

Q: What would you get if you crossed Christmas with St. Patrick's Day?
A: St. O'Claus!

 

Q: Do leprechauns make good secretaries?
A: Sure, they're great at shorthand! 

 

Q: What do leprechauns love to barbetrcue?
A: Short ribs! 

 

Q: How did the leprechaun beat the Irishman to the pot of gold?
A: He took a shortcut! 

 

Q: When is an Irish Potato not an Irish Potato?
A: When it's a FRENCH fry! 

 

Well that's enough blarney for now,  Happy St. Patrick's Day and that's another day in Catasauqua.