Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma Honey

February 4th is my Grandma Honey’s 127th birthday. It isn’t easy to imagine her at that age. She passed from this world into the next 41 years ago. She was a very important woman in my life and taught me so much. Even now, I miss her like crazy!

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Here she is, Mary Frances Daniell, the day she married my Papa, Frederick Carl Prussman.

Here is a picture of Melodie and me with our much-loved Grandma Honey at Goodwill Park.

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Grandma Honey and Papa Fred. Theirs was indeed an epic love story! They met when they were less than ten years old. Grandma was friends with Papa’s sister, Kätchen, and taught Kätchen to speak English at the house. The family had recently arrived from Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany, and aside from the eldest sister, Hedwig, who worked as a Nanny, no one spoke much English.

Papa always said he fell in love with Grandma then, and as a teenager, he would chase off any beau that tried to court her. My great-grandfather eventually allowed them to become engaged but insisted Mary finish college before marriage.

They were married until Mary eventually passed from one life to the next. He joined her 8 months later.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Grandma Honey!

50581350056_bfbfc7b763_oMary Francis. My Grandma Honey.

Life

My late husband, Jack, was a pilot. He served in the Army and eventually went over to the airlines. He enjoyed flying, and he enjoyed talking.  This brings me to the next part of this story.

Back in the early 1970s, Jack was flying for Pan Am and was based in Berlin, Germany. The Wall was still up, so if you wanted to get in or out of West Berlin easily, you flew out, and Pan Am had the best routes and permissions from the East German government.

As a flight engineer, Jack did all the weight and balances for the fuel and walked around looking for damage to the aircraft. They monitored aircraft systems, including engines and other critical flight systems. He joked he knew more about the A300, 727, and 737 systems than he did about either of his wives.

After all, he needed to memorize everything at the drop of a hat. I can’t even memorize a recipe!

I bring this up for two reasons. First, Jack had a mind that retained everything. And second, Jack loved to talk.

So, after taking off and reaching altitude, Jack turned his seat to talk to the pilot who was sitting in the jump seat. It was then he saw a plane heading for them.

“Captain, nine o’clock!”

The Captain took the yolk and pushed it forward. Then he leveled the plane, and the Captain got on the radio once the plane was secure.

He asked the air traffic controller what altitude the Pan Am Clipper had been cleared to. Then he asked about the other plane.

A long silence followed, and the German air traffic controller returned with, “I am so sorry, Clipper.”

“My dear boy, you certainly will be.”

In the end, the air traffic controller was very sorry. However, there was a plane full of people who made it to Frankfurt, Germany, in one piece, aside from thinking their ride was a bit bumpy.

Jack (2)Captain Jack

The Friday Five ~ Ozempic

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This was a quiet week. Severely cold and one of those weeks when you only want to snuggle up with a warm doggy. And so it was.

  1. As you recall, I was diagnosed with diabetes in August. I was placed on Ozempic. I must tell you that people have not been kind about my having to take this drug. They claim this is like cheating to lose weight.
  2. Well, I am not taking it to lose weight. I am taking it to bring my sugar levels down as well as my A1C.
  3. Ozempic is also supposed to help with weight problems. Since the end of July, my sugar levels have decreased, and I have lost 34 pounds.
  4. Diabetes causes your body to be unable to digest sugars correctly. Ozempic seems to be working for me.
  5. Today, I have an appointment with my primary care to go over a few health problems. It is like you leap over 65, and suddenly, your body stops working.

Have a great weekend, and stay warm!

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My Life ~ Sea Sick

I decided to sit down today to catch you up on all the happenings in my life. As you already know, I got sick on the cruise. I had three days of good health on the ship before the Norovirus hit.

I have only a few pictures of me that came out well instead of green and sick!

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Yes, I was in isolation for eight days due to the Norovirus. You have never had real fun until you have had that! About a third of my ship had it. I slept, sipped ginger ale, and slept some more. I came home having lost six pounds.

No sooner had I returned than I started experiencing flu-like symptoms. I waited but eventually went to see my doctor. With her guidance, I started my recovery. So, what should have been a relaxing vacation turned into a fight for health.

I am so thankful to Hannaford for home delivery of groceries. I needed food, so I ordered everything from the comfort of my recliner with Heidi in my lap.

131059219_2793054987613754_7347382249664705514_nIt is -10 this morning, and I think this winter will be a bear. Meanwhile, I am making some hot tea and snuggling with Heidi.

Happy New Year!

Island PrincessEverything changes.

What do they say about life? One minute, you are at your top peak; the next, it is gone. And so it is.

I used to tell Jack not to be so hard on me as he would pull me into the grave with him. It’s been close, but I’ve decided to travel only on land after three failed cruises.

I want to go and see more of my grandchildren. I want to see my sons in New Jersey, but I need to be in better shape to do that. I want to see my sister, Melodie, in Connecticut; again, I need strength. And I will rent a small place on Cape Cod for Heidi and me.

When Jack and I married, I was just twenty-nine years old. He was forty-nine. We ran road races. We traveled everywhere, and I could not keep up with him.

Then, one day, it all stopped. He sat down and didn’t get up, and my job became twenty-four hours daily. I even slept in the family room so when he fell I could reach him quickly.

I’m afraid this tired old body needs some rehabbing of its own.

So, dear friends and family, I wish you a happy and healthy New Year! 2025!

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Christmas

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Well, here we are at the end of 2024. That sure went fast. I am posting this on the 21st, a Saturday, as I am going to Florida to hop on a ship!

  1. I am going on a 14-day cruise. Since the cold and windy weather moved in, I sure am ready for some sunshine!
  2. My suitcases are nearly packed, my house sitter is moving in, and life will continue.
  3. I am getting positive feedback on my hair. People ask if I had this color put in. No, not at all. This is me, and I like it.

    53daedab-352e-41c3-a78d-29bdaeb34d06I admit to a bit of surprise seeing myself for the first time with gray hair. It’s a good excuse to buy some silver jewelry.

  4. I have a book and some great music, and I am ready.  I will be posting a little something each day.
  5. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Happy Birthday, Amanda

Today is my daughter’s birthday. It was a special day for her, but in the beginning, it was a very special day for her father and me. Our first baby.

1Me & Amanda

Amanda was the first child born to us. She was healthy and happy and amazingly beautiful! We both immediately fell in love with our girl.

Amanda made me a mother, and as I took care of her, I realized that as each day went by, she was teaching me so much. It continues to this day.

She was a bright and alert baby, who seemed to grow up very quickly. Always sweet and loving, yet determined to set the world on fire.

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Whatever she sets her mind to, she accomplishes, but perhaps her greatest accomplishment is the fact that she is a wonderful mother to her two kids and their two dogs and a cat!

311696094_10229624793425838_1793860466664539530_nSavannah & Amanda.
295085709_10228958938019869_9022500550669028540_n (1)Quinn and Amanda.

I am so proud of the woman she has become. She is a self-made woman who continues tackling challenges many would run from.

So, on this special birthday, I wish her good health, much happiness, and the fulfillment of all her dreams.

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I love you so much, Amanda!

Many years ago, my parents sent me to a Summer Camp that focused on our Episcopal Church. The place was called Briarwood.

Briarwood had once been an enormous estate that was donated to the Episcopal Church. The Church put it to good use as a summer camp for teens.

So there I was at the age of 13, feeling a bit lost and very nervous. I met two girls during that time and we became friends. One girl was the type that would be voted most likely to succeed at anything. Worst of all, she knew it.

The other girl, the one that has been with me ever since, was, like me, just trying to find our way.

52055445729_04505130e3_oGail and I are in the middle of the second row. Back then, Gail was a brunette, and I was a badly bleached blond.

After camp, Gail and I began to write to each other. Long letters full of teen angst and news of our latest boyfriends. Back then phone calls were expensive so it was pretty much out of the question. Occasionally, my grandmother would have extra minutes on her old landline and she would allow me to use the phone for exactly three minutes. Her motto was, “If you can’t say it in three minutes, then write a letter!”

All these years, through thick and thin Gail and I have remained as close as sisters.

26826577730_3a9cfa1394_oYou can see that as we grew up, she became the blond and I became the brunette!

Today is Gail’s Birthday! And I wanted to take this moment to wish her the happiest birthday ever!

 

Happy Birthday, Gail!

Many years ago, my parents sent me to a Summer Camp called Briarwood, which focused on our Episcopal Church.

Briarwood was once an enormous estate that was donated to the Episcopal Church. The Church used it as a summer camp for teens.

So there I was, at the age of 13, feeling a bit lost and very nervous. I met two girls during that time, and we became friends. One girl was the type who would be voted most likely to succeed at anything. Worst of all, she knew it.

The other girl, the one that has been with me ever since, was, like me, just trying to find our way.

52055445729_04505130e3_oGail and I are in the middle of the second row. Back then, Gail was a brunette, and I was a badly bleached blond.

After camp, Gail and I began to write to each other—long letters full of teen angst and news of our latest boyfriends. Back then, phone calls were expensive, so they were pretty much out of the question. Occasionally, my grandmother would have extra minutes on her old landline, and she would allow me to use the phone for exactly three minutes. Her motto was, “If you can’t say it in three minutes, write a letter!”

Through thick and thin, Gail and I have remained as close as sisters all these years.

26826577730_3a9cfa1394_oYou can see that as we grew up, she became the blond and I became the brunette!

Today is Gail’s Birthday! And I wanted to take this moment to wish her the happiest birthday ever!

 

Time To Pack

A few days ago, my computer blew up again with a virus. I backed up things quickly, but it seemed it kept eating my machine. I had previously backed up things, so things are well.

Okay, so follow me here. It’s Christmas. There are a lot of sales, so I got a cute little machine.

It was due to arrive yesterday, and Heidi and I waited. I was here, and I thought I heard a vehicle. I felt like frickin’ Santa Claus as “I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter” (is a line from the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas, also known as Twas the Night Before Christmas)

I was just in time to see the FedEx guy driving away and a note on my garage door accusing me of not being home. Well, FedEx if your Driver weren’t so lazy and walked up the steps I would not be sitting here at 6:20 AM computerless nine days before departure.

I need to program, clean, and pack! Ugh!

Also, my phone will not hold a charge, and thankfully, I had insurance so that a new one would arrive, and the Verizon guy would help me switch phones!

Lord, help me. By the end of the week, I will need this vacation!

2024-12-12-06-30-22-569The new me.