Harry Potter Loves Jello

Harry Potter Loves Jello is a quirky way our Pastor came up with to remember the Sundays in Advent.  Hope, Peace, Love and Joy.  And, may I say that it worked because this year everyone remembered,  in order,  the Sundays of Advent.  Advent is the start of the Church's year  - easy to remember - its starts with an A - Also if you ever get confused between Advent and Lent, remember ABC, Advent Before Christmas.

As I sit here aching from back to toe after toting 12 Christmas totes down 2 flights of steps I must remember that it is not just the decorations that get us ready for  Christmas, it is our hearts that we really need to get ready. 

Since Thanksgiving I have been busy taking Autumn stuff down and putting Christmas stuff up.  I went shopping at Target Thanksgiving night for some great doorbuster deals for my Grandchildren.  I even shopped a little on Black Friday.  I must say that after working 35 years on Black Friday it felt good to be off.  (I did have off a couple of years ago, but I was laid off at the time so it did not feel so joyous) 

I have decorated at home and I have decorated at Church and am almost  ready  for Advent to begin.  My Advent Candle Ring is still in the attic and I will get it down tomorrow, as soon as I get the rest of the junk off the dining room table and the Christmas table cloth on.

Parke and I had the annual Christmas decoration fight.  He says I have too many, and I agree, but some decorations bring with them memories.  Some of the memories I want to keep, like all the decorations my son made for me when he was in school.  Or the manger from my Grandmother's house.

I like good memories, I like Christmas and I love the Baby Jesus.  So here's wishing you Harry Potter Loves Jello, oops I mean Hope, Peace, Love and Joy this Christmas season.  May this year bring you some fond memories and may your heart be ready to accept the love that comes from God this season in the form of a baby.

and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Another Thanksgiving in Catasauqua

Thanksgivings are the best.  The smell of turkey in the oven - the filling, which is known as stuffing to others, is one of my favorites.  Not to mention cranberry sauce.  I use to make my own but I found the joy of Giant's cranberry orange relish through my bff Cathy, who ironically made her own this year.

Thanksgiving is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, which is on right now,  it's football for Parke later today.  And if you are a true Catasauquian it is the famous Thanksgiving Day Game between the Catasauqua Rough Riders and the Northampton Konkrete Kids.  I went for many years when I was young, until it became my turn to cook.  If you are not from Catty then you cannot understand the importance of the game - it is Tradition.  This year Catty Football has been doing great and Saturday Catasauqua will be playing in the PIAA Class 2A State Quarterfinal for the first time in school history.  So stay safe Roughies, do not use all your best moves today save them for Saturday.

Many years ago I lived with a "non-rough rider"  who got very angry (there is a dent in the kitchen wall yet)  because my son wasn't home in time from the football game, he obviously did not respect tradition.  Game first - dinner later.

I saw another tradition this morning while walking Petey - the toilet papered house of a senior.  I like Thanksgiving - its the calm of the storm before the frenzy Christmas shopping.  It's the forgotten holiday - we leap from Halloween to Christmas with a pitstop for turkey and gravy.

Until last year I didn't know Thanksgiving was once moved on the calendar - I found out in the funniest of ways with bff Cathy again, at the movies watching Holiday Inn, an old Fred Astaire/Bing Crosby movie.  When they showed November the Turkey kept jumping back and forth, it is when FDR had decided to fiddle with the holiday.

Food traditions have changed for me over the years, we still have Turkey and I make my grandmother's filling.  I have added Mrs. Werner's, my ex-mother-in-laws sweet potatoes and now Parke's mother's Cope corn casserole.  A few years ago I added my famous chocolate chip cookies for the Grandkids, and this year I even made my Grandmother's apple tarts for my Mom.

Thanksgiving is also time to give thanks.  I am thankful for my Mom and Parke, I am thankful for my son, Robert and his wife Amy and my wonderful grandchildren, Katie, Joey and Bobby.  I am thankful for soooo many BFF's to numerous to mention, plus I don't want to forget anyone.  I am thankful for my church, my job (even though I had the BIGGEST hissy fit that I have had in a while yesterday) and my home.

I am thankful for Catasauqua and for you dear reader.  May you take today to just be blessed, rest, eat and be thankful.

Go Roughies, and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Volunteering in Catasauqua

My Pastor, Pastor Michael Smith, of Salem UCC in Catasauqua, along with his wife, Meghan, have initiated a volunteer program called "First Saturday".   Every first Saturday of the month volunteers from Salem go out into the community and volunteer at various places. 

This Saturday I chose The Catasauqua Public Library.  Along with BFF's, Cathy, Tammy, Don, Carol and Carol we ventured out this morning and reported for duty promptly at 9:30 AM.  We chose papers that assigned us to different jobs. 

First Tammy and I worked on the video section pulling out duplicate movies.  Then later I was assigned to stamping DISCARD into the books that the library puts out as free for the taking.  Now, if you ever saw me at work with the VOID stamper, you know that I love to stamp.  So stamped I did.   I was in my glory.  In between stamping and dating the books,  I perused around the library and found more books that I hadn't read by my favorite author, Janet Evanovich.  I didn't know that she wrote these other series so I was so excited that I renewed my Library Card and borrowed "Metro Girl" to read. 

Cathy working

Then, in the discard pile I found another book that I wanted to read! A book I never heard of by Jacqueline Susann entitled "Yargo".  It is kind of a "Valley of the Dolls" meets "Star Wars", looks strangely interesting.

 Oy,  all I can say, good thing I wasn't assigned to an Animal Shelter, because I probably would of came home with 2 more dogs and cat.  This way I only came home with 2 books and a renewed Library Card and renewed love of the Library.

Thanks Meghan and Pastor Mike, for getting me off my butt and getting me out there into the community, into my community.  And that's another day in Catasauqua.

Behind the Scenes at the ROXY

The Roxy in Northampton was and still is one of my favorite places to see a movie.  It's not a multiplex - it is not even a duplex - it is a good old fashion movie theatre.

The theatre was first opened on Feb. 1st, 1921 as the LYRIC Theatre by Harry Hartman who previously had several other nickelodeons in Northampton.

As a child my Mom took the cousins and I to see movies there.  I saw every Elvis movie at the Roxy and for some reason a lot of gladiator movies to.  I remember seeing Ben Hur - it must of been a special showing of it because we even got a program book.  I still have it somewhere.

If you want to read about the history of the Roxy - they have a website -  http://www.roxytheaternorthampton.com/roxyhistory.htm

Why do I still like the Roxy - $3.00 movies and the best buttered popcorn in town!  But today was special - We Sing - North Catasauqua's Community Choir held rehearsal there.  We will be preforming tomorrow October 20, 2013 at 3:00 PM.  The concert costs $5.00 this year, but only because we are raising money for a good cause. A diabetic alert dog for Matt Globosits.

I was behind the stage years ago and the owner had posters and newpaper articles of all the headliners that performed at the Roxy.  Since they did some remodeling some are gone but still backstage is awesome.  It's like how I  imagine Broadway in the old days to be.  I have a terrible urge to sing:



Overture, curtain, lights
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and nursing a part
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, we'll hit the heights
And oh what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

Tonight what heights we'll hit
On with the show this is it

In case you don't know what that is from it is was Bug's Bunny and Daffy Duck sang in the beginning of the Bugs Bunny Show.

The wood, old posters, old furniture, the brick, the darkness - stepping out on stage - the bright lights - the feeling - priceless. 

If you can --join us tomorrow at the Roxy for We Sing's Concert.  If not enjoy a movie there sometime, because it is THE ROXY.

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

The Praying Mantis's of Catasauqua

In my front yard

My first encounter with the magical Praying Mantis was a bug collection for school that one of my cousins was doing.   They had just stuck a pin through it and were watching it pray as it was dying; and my heart went out to this poor little insect that was so close to God it would pray.  Now that I am older, I still marvel at the praying mantis especially since I moved to my house on Howertown Road in Catasauqua.

Each spring a bevy of the creatures hatch from cocoons that they laid in the bushes and always 1 or 2 hang around all summer and fall and I can continue to watch them grow.  They are an odd insect.  Last weekend I went up to one on the bushes out front and said hi, and then watched it turned its head and those two big bug eyes look at me.  It was like a bug horror movie, I backed away.  But since then I found our some interest facts about the praying mantis.

1)  The belief that it is illegal to kill a praying mantis (a crime carrying a $50 fine as a punishment) has been floating around since the 1950s, and no one has an idea where this bit of insectoid legal apocrypha came from. There is not (and never has been) any federal or state law prohibiting the killing of praying mantises. They're certainly useful insects that are best left alone since they eat a lot of other bugs we consider pests, but they're hardly an endangered species. (If they were endangered, killing them would carry a fine far heftier than $50.) Maybe because they're considered beneficial insects and have such an unusual posture (they're prayin', fer gosh sake!) people literally thought it a crime to kill them.

2) Mantids are closely related to cockroaches and termites. These three seemingly different insects – mantids, termites, and cockroaches – are believed to descend from a common ancestor.

3) Female mantids sometimes eat their mates. Yes, it's true, female praying mantids do cannibalize their sex partners. In some instances, she'll even behead the poor chap before they've consummated their relationship. As it turns out, a male mantid is an even better lover when his brain, which controls inhibition, is detached from his abdominal ganglion, which controls the actual act of copulation. (There is so much I want to say here but I am biting my tongue on this one)

4)  Mantids are unique among insects in their ability to turn their heads a full 180 degrees. 
Try to sneak up on a praying mantis, and you may be startled when it looks over its shoulder at you. No other insect can do so.  (This is I know since it scared the heck out of me)

5)  The word "mantis" comes from the Greek word meaning prophet.

Over in the bushes in the front yard

6)  The European Mantis (mantis religiosa), a native of Southern Europe became the official State Insect of Connecticut on October 1st, 1977!

7)  Did you know that most of the about 2,000 species' of mantids worldwide are found in Asia?
There are about 20 U.S. native mantids. Two species, the Chinese Mantis and European Mantis, were purposely introduced to control pests in farms and gardens.

Now I always thought of them as a harmless creature until I saw the video of one them killng a hummingbird. Yes a bird - you can check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neFuXVumxK8  

Well, I guess that's it for now, sorry I haven't been blogging much, I guess I gotta get back in the swing of it.  In the meantime, that's another day in Catasauqua

Happy Birthday America

This July 4th morning I picked up the bff, Cathy and we headed out to Catty's Historical hot spot, The George Taylor Mansion for the reading of the Declaration of Independence.  This year we were quite excited since it was going to be read by Pastor Bob Stevens of Zion's Reformed United Church of Christ, the church in Allentown that is famous for hiding the Liberty Bell during the American Revolution.   Pastor Stevens was Salem UCC of Catasauqua's  Interim Pastor many years ago. 

The program was opened by Jessica Kroope, a councilwoman in Catasauqua, and real history buff. On to the Star Spangled Banner and raising of the flag.  Then  I was in awe of Pastor Stevens, not only was he dressed in appropriate historical garb,  but he had the beginning of the Declaration of Independence memorized.  Not only did he speak and read it - he meant it and you could hear it as he spoke.

Another great event today at the Taylor Mansion was the Antebellum Marine Band conducted by Bandmaster GySgt Kenneth J. Serfass USMC (ret) a former Catasauqua High School graduate.  The music was truly patriotic and Cathy and I stayed to hear it all.  The Battle Hymn of the Republic was the last song and that has been always one of my favorites.  In between the songs a gentleman portraying David Thomas (no not the Wendy's guy, but the industrialist who found the Crane Iron Works in Catasauqua) read the history of the different patriotic songs.

Truly a great way to start the 4th of July.

I took some nice pictures with my iphone - but for some reason I cannot get them off the iphone .  Darn technology.  Anyway, have a Happy Fourth of July - be safe - enjoy and that's Another Day in Catasauqua.

S'MOREMAGGEDDON 2013

Last night I attended an event in Catasauqua known as S'moremaggeddon, hosted by BFF's Jaime and Rami.  From Rami I learned the history of the s'more, which is indeed, very interesting.

S'Morelius

S'mores were first invented by the Roman commander S'morelius, who invented the snack out of necessity during his campaign to recapture Nepal from the Malaysian cavalry.  When their rations dwindled down to just Graham Crackers, Hershey's chocolate bars and marshmallows.

Ben enjoying a s'more

S'mores were served before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Benjamin Franklin (inventor of the USB) declared "If freedom were half as sweet as this treat, I would gladly give my life for it and so much more! but  with a mouthful of melted mallow, Mr. Franklin's words sounded like "Shhhhmmmmoooooorrr".  His rousing speech gave this delicious food it's name, and finally convinced Canada to sign the Declaration of Independence.

Now please remember this was the history that was relayed to me and might not be completely accurate, although I am sure Rami would beg to differ.

General Patton celebrating S'Memorial Day

All in all is was the end of a perfect day in the S'Memorial Day weekend.  This was only the second time I ate a real s'more (the ones we make in the office with Hershey Minatures in the microwave don't count) and the first time every doing them over an open fire.  They were s'moretastic and tasted even more s'morelicious.

Rami provided not only the standard Hershey Bar, but also additional Hershey products such as the Mr. Goodbar and the Cookies and Creme Bars which made for s'moreprising taste treats.

Dana, another BFF, pointed out that the next holiday is the S'moreth of July but, alas, not everyone will be around for it.  Perhaps we can celebrate S'morabor

My s'more

Day at the end of the summer instead.

Even though I smelled like a campfire when I got home, I was s'more that happy with my tummy full of the delectable delights after the evening spent with s'moradorable friends.

I guess that is all for now, but remember, that's a S'moranother Day in Catasauqua.