Category: Memories

I remember back in 1976, thinking it was sort of cool that I was graduating during our countries Bicentennial Year. We had a pretty neat class of interesting and good people.

Flash forward 40 years and here we are. Older, hopefully wiser, but I was really pleased to see that we are still the same good bunch we were as kids.

Our Pre-Reunion party was at a resort in North Falmouth, on Friday night. Mel and I had gotten a bite to eat before people arrived and then we mostly wandered around talking, once the party began. So many familiar faces. People I have known and cared for all my 57 years. It was so much fun!

Then someone suggested we go outside on the patio for a picture. Then things really got interesting! As we stood on the patio, suddenly off shore a thunder and lightening show began. It wasn’t raining where we were, but you should have seen the cloud to cloud lightening! Our own magic fireworks!

I sort of joked that we better get back inside before we became the next days headline in the local newspaper. “Class of 1976 Fries On Deck”!

It felt so good to be part of this wonderful group of people again. I think of them all often, keep in touch now via Facebook and enjoy or Reunions every five years!

It’s been three years since my Mom passed away. It’s a strange thing, losing your parents. When we are young, I don’t think we consider that one day that older generation will be gone, and we will be the older generation. But Mom and Dad are both gone from this earth. I cannot call them on the phone, or get a letter from them or even send Mom flowers. And remember all the times that your Mom or Dad were there just to listen to you, when life was getting you down? No, those days are over and now my sister and I are the older generation in our family, along with our cousins.

We miss you Mom. And we speak of you quite often. How thrilled you would be with your two newest grandchildren, April and Quinn and how you would have enjoyed Mel’s and my long weekend in Falmouth. We visited so many of your favorite places.

Rosamond Ruth

June 28, 1929 – August 21, 2013

And remember when you told us that we would know that you were close by if we saw a lovely Butterfly? Well, we saw you and knew you were with us when we went to Ghelfi’s to get Melodie’s favorite chocolate, Heavenly Hash!

Miss you, Mom and we think of you every day!

My Dad was a Music Teacher in the town where I grew up. Almost every one in town knew Dad and had him as a teacher. My Dad was an amazing teacher and guided kids to learn to love music of all kinds.

Here I am with my Dad, Jim Stevens, when I was about 4 years old. I believe it was taken at rehearsals for the community production of “The King & I”. I was the youngest member in the cast. I always perched myself on the piano bench, safely next to my Daddy.

The second picture was taken when I was 13 and Mom and Dad took me to Bermuda. An island I continue to love.

So as Father’s Day approaches, I am thinking of you, Dad, and missing you so much.

The Northeast blackout of 1965 was a significant disruption in the supply of electricity on Tuesday, November 9, 1965, affecting parts of Ontario in Canada and Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and Vermont in the United States. Over 30 million people and 80,000 square miles (207,000 km2) were left without electricity for up to 13 hours.

The cause of the failure was human error that happened days before the blackout. Maintenance personnel incorrectly set a protective relay on one of the transmission lines between the Niagara generating station Sir Adam Beck Station No. 2 in Queenston, Ontario. The safety relay, which was to trip if the current exceeded the capacity of the transmission line, was set too low.

I was coming up on my 7th birthday. I recall this pretty clearly. Mom had just finished making dinner (Dad always wanted to eat early, as he often had rehearsals or work at night), and she put it all on the table and bam, the lights went out.

My Dad was called in (he was an Auxiliary Police Officer) and we got the candles out. My Cape Cod friends know, you must always have a supply of candles. The power goes out down there, at the drop of a hat!

Anyway, they were talking about the fact that it has been 50 years, and I suddenly felt really old! I remember that. I was there. Fifty years! Yeah, now that is a long time ago.

Okay, I’m facing it. In a week I will be 57 years old. That’s, well, past midlife. I charging full steam into Senior Citizen territory!

Thursday found the group of Retired Army Aviators and families going out to the Air Force Aviation Museum in Dayton, Ohio.

This group of men had flown Otters and Caribou aircraft during their time in service to our country.  This museum has a beautiful Caribou aircraft for all to see.

Hubby and his friend and fellow pilot, Jim. We walked through and saw many other air craft. So many beautiful flying machines, including replicas of the Wright Brother’s Aircrafts. It was simply amazing. And I took a lot of pictures. Unfortunately, too many to put here. But here are a few. In the evening we had a lovely buffet dinner and after we were entertained by a Barber Shop Quartet! They were simply amazing!

Tomorrow we go to Carillion Park, a tour of Dayton and to The Packard Museum. It’s quite a nice area here. We drove through several neighborhoods, and I loved the charming little houses. Definitely a blast from the past.

I am so happy we have come and that for the first time in  a long time, things back home have been going well. We finally have a house sitter who fits the bill and loves our dogs as much as we do!

It’s been two years since my Mom passed away.  Ours was a difficult relationship, while she lived, but there were those moments, the good memories, that seem to be coming in and taking over, and the sad and bitter memories fade away.

Rosamond Ruth

June 28, 1929 – August 21, 2013

I hope you are happy, and resting peacefully

with all of our loved ones, who went before.

Today my Mom would have turned 86 years old.

She was born Rosamond Ruth Prussman, to parents Frederick and Mary.

She had a much loved older brother Robert and a cousin George, who grew up like a brother to her. In fact, until the day they passed, Mom and Uncle George really adored each other.

Mom’s brother, Robert and his wife Cynthia.

Aunt Betty, Larry, Janet and Uncle George.

She met my Dad when she was 13 and was dancing and my Dad played the piano. I asked Dad once what made him look twice at Mom and he said “It was a bright red sweater that she had! She looked so beautiful in it! I was hooked!”

A collage of their life together.

They married early on, and Dad finished getting his teaching degree. They moved to Monument Beach, Massachusetts ,

and lived in a little white cottage in the Burton-wood section, where my brother, Richard and my sister Melodie were born.

They moved to Falmouth, Massachusetts and shortly after, Mom had me.

Thanks Mom!

Mom was a stay at home Mom, and she worked hard to make our home a happy one. There were always hot meals on our table and birthday cakes, Thanksgiving Turkeys and Christmas dinners.

My parent’s were married for well over 60 years.

Mom was with him until the end. She never remarried. I think in her mind and her heart she was always Jimmie’s girl!

Mom loved all of her family. Grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Her pocketbook was full of our pictures, and she would tell anyone who asked about all of her kids.

Her last days were spent, not in fear of dying, no, Mom knew Christ and she knew she would see Dad again. She just worried about Mel and me.

Me, Mel & Janet with Mom.

The last time we were together before Mom was diagnosed with Liver Cancer. It was at the wedding of my niece Jin and her husband, Ian. Mom was so happy. I almost didn’t go because of my facial surgery, but I am so glad I did now.

The last time I saw her, we sat there, with Janet and the four of us were talking quietly. I asked Mom how we would know if she was with us. She smiled and said “You will see butterflies, and that will be me.”

And you know what? We see beautiful butterflies all the time. And we smile!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

In 1989, Hubby had a temporary assignment in Berlin, Germany flying for Pan Am. Some of the trips I could take with him, others I didn’t. But here is a picture of the two of us in Warsaw, Poland. We sat outside and drank cold beer and enjoyed the old square.