Forgive and Forget

Forgive and forget...there is strength in those words.

I perform the act of forgiveness. I usually take a few moments to ponder about the incident. I may vent to someone, or drive down the street with not-so-soft, soothing music soothing my thoughts. Then, all is well. I am rational. I am calm. I make a statement of apology underlined with extreme sincerity. I am also lucky to be forgiven for my antics as well.

When I was growing up, our neighborhood was filled with children. Since our street was very small, it was almost like a little community of kids. Of course, personalities clashed, tattle-tales squealed irrelevant information to the first adult they encountered, a sand fight or two may have errupted. However, when the next day arrived, we usually forgot about those interuptions. If we didn't, who would we play with when the other kids weren't around?

One particular family created a mini-war with my family. We lived very close to each other. Life was not pleasant when members of both households were outside. Much havoc was created from cruel words and lies. No wonder my mom always says that TALK IS CHEAP. It was not very pleasant to be harrased, on the way home from school and on the day-camp bus, from the one member of the household. She was a few years older than me. I tried to protect my younger siblings from hurtful words spat at us from the same person. We endured it - what else could we do?

When I began high school, my self esteem flowed. I was not going to let her bother me. In fact, I would laugh or smirk if we passed each other in the hall. She was the loser - not me!

Many, many years passed since I encountered the mom of the household. She was quite friendly to me. I was reserved when I responded to her inquiries regarding myself and my family.

Two days ago, I was at an event pertaining to high school. There she was.... I looked the other way. She walked towards me with a shy smile and said hello. I was pleasant, shook her hand and said hello. We spoke for a moment or two, shared a few kinds words and parted.

I was with Alisa at this affair. I told her about the encounter. She said, "You are older now, let it go". She was right. I thought to myself - I am a forgiving person. I am the one who always quotes that "Life is too short.. don't hold grudges, keep in contact with people, etc. "

Alisa and I went into the ladies room. Once again, the former enemy was standing in front of me. We started a conversation. We spoke of happiness and sadness. Shared smiles and tear glistened eyes. I hugged them both. The white flag was raised..I did forgive. Although I try to forget, it is difficult to do since I have a great memory (which I am thankful for) The important part is that if we ever meet again, I will not turn away and run. I will smile and say hello.

Thou shall not steal

In my last blog, I wrote about kind people. This is about people who are heartless, thoughtless and basically dirt.

My sister's car was stolen, from her driveway, almost one month ago. The vehicle is five years old and she was not planning on purchasing a different car this month- until someone, without asking, just decided they wanted her car.

Did this person(s) have any remorse? Any thoughts that the owner of the vehicle needed the car for transportation to work, to help others in need, to drive to any destination she desired because it was HER CAR??? Probably not.

Besides the fact that the car was stolen, the contents inside were the most treasured. My sister just received a bag of photos, from my mom, of herself growing up. Baby, toddler, elementary, middle school photos. She left them in the car. Gone...

My sister's birthday was a few weeks ago. I went through so many photos and photo albums and found about 20 photos of her as a baby, toddler, etc. I printed them and gave them to her!!
She was so happy!

Today they found her car minus the stereo system and battery. The stereo system came with the car - it wasn't some high end music blaster. Just an average cd player and radio. No photos were found but at least she still has her car....

Firefighter

Saturday, November 15, 2008
Detroit firefighters mourn veteran killed battling blaze at vacant house
Charlie LeDuff / The Detroit News

Visit the Detroit News website or just type in Detroit Firefighter killed.

I did not have the honor of meeting this brave, wonderful man but I was so touched by listening
and reading about him through the words of his family, friends and collegues - I just had to share this.

I spoke to a few people who felt the same way I did. Even shed a tear or two.

This firefighter was about to become a sargent. He was so young. Yet he was doing
his job. Did not matter that the fire was deliberate. He was doing his job...

Rest in peace firefighter...rest in peace

Dedicated

I was a teenybopper before I was a teen. In that case, I guess I was not a "teeny"bopper - I was a pre-teenybooper or a tweenybopper....Whatever the correct term is, I was the epitome of it!!!

I was 8 years old when the Partridge Family debuted on television. Every Friday evening, I was in front of the tv, anxiously waiting for David Cassidy aka Keith Partridge to appear on the screen. I had the albums, the cassettes. I was very in tune with fashion since I had a "shag" hairstyle which mirrored David's. Of course I belonged to the Partridge Family fan club.

After a few years, the Partridge Family was off of the air and David Cassidy, at the ripe age of 22 or 23, vanished from the industry. That was ok because his younger half brother eased his way into "tv land" when I was 13. His songs were forever played on CKLW and I was his biggest fan. In fact, my friend and I waited, in the icy mist of the pre-dawn winter morning, two hours in front of Cobo Hall to purchase tickets for his concert. Imagine that. Two teenage girls, waiting with a handful of other fans, in front of Cobo Hall. To quote a famous line: "Things were different back then". Did I mention that our dedication did not reward us with good seats. However, in the summer, the same friend and I participated in the Walk for Mankind in Livonia. We treked twenty miles in eight or nine hours, just to see Shaun Cassidy in the back of a pick up truck. We

raised money which also made it worth the effort.

Summer of '77 I heard one of the most beautiful songs on the radio. When I discovered that the person who recorded the song was going to be a guest on one of my favorite shows, American Bandstand, I made sure that I was in front of that television set. When I laid my eyes on the honey kissed strawberry blonde sil tresses, the ivory laden smile, the hairy chest - this was my man. I am sure I was not the only young woman thinking that thought.

Since my mom obliged to my every wish regarding concerts, autograph parties, and the such, she happily drove me to retrieve his autograph at Music Stop. (I am sure she was having fun too - in fact, she is still "with it" when it comes to what is "in" in the music and movie industry ) This singer/songwriter/baby brother of a very famous musical trio was full of smiles. He seemed so polite. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, it was my turn to receive his autograph. My thirteen and a half year old love-struck heart was pounding, my hands were a sweaty. I recited to myself, "act normal, act normal" as I anxiously, patiently, waited in line. Alas! It was finally my turn! I handed the Flowing Rivers album to him so he could sign it. Suddenly, I did it.  I did not think twice.. I leaned over and kissed Andy Gibb on his sweet lips. My first kiss!! I sauntered through the store with my mouth open in awe and disbelief. I was in a trance for about 3 minutes. A moment of sheer bliss....

I participated, once again, in the Walk for Mankind, in Livonia, MI.. I walked twenty miles to get a glimpse of Andy. A few months later, I went to see his concert at the Michigan State Fair. Collette, another friend and I waited eight hours in a very small, fenced-in area with about 150 other teenage girls. The seating was general admission. Since the temperature outside was about 80 degrees, we were very warm, sweaty, thirsty and fourteen years old. We were invincible. When those gates opened at 4:00 pm, it was a stampede to the stage. Lo and behold, we made it!! We found a location to stand and it was  very, very close to the stage. I pretended I was Annie Leibowitz as I put my camera into action. Those photos are  tucked away in a very safe spot.

Needless to say, the Bee Gees were on my list as well. Forget a hot bath or a glass of wine, I enjoy  listening to Barry's falsetto voice, the harmony the brother create ...my troubles always seem to be lifted.

I had stock in the teen magazines too. I would use my hard earned cash that I earned from babysitting and purchase Tiger Beat and "16" magazine. I did not have to paint my bedroom since the walls were adorned with posters of these talented "foxes". My friends seemed to enjoy my gallery too!

However, my life as a teenybopper was not easy. I was constantly harassed and teased in Middle School because of my admiration for the singers. I did not back down. Never will. I have Andy's album on my ipod. I listen to the Bee Gees very often. I even listen to the music of David Cassidy. In my opinion, he really has a nice voice.

I remain a dedicated fan....

So Many Choices....

Today, I went to the store to purchase a bottle of hair conditioner. I decided I wanted to try a new brand - change is good so I am told....New brand, no problem, The dilemma was WHAT to buy? This is what I saw on the shelf: conditioner for - long hair, frizzy hair, short hair, color treated hair, dry hair, conditioner to add shine, conditioner to help lengthen hair... all I wanted was conditioner that conditioned NORMAL HAIR. After ten minutes, I found it.

What happened to good shampoo's and conditioners that I adored from the mid-70's to late 80's... AGREE (my favorite - it smelled soooo good), GEE, YOUR HAIR SMELLS TERIFIC, LEMON-UP, REVLON FLEX, there was even a shampoo that had something to do with beer named BODY ON TAP.

So, why al of the choices? Marketing? I wonder what would occur if I used conditioner for short hair on my medium length hair?

It seems like there are so many products that come in a thousand fragrances that have a million different uses. Then there is concentrated,ultra concentrated, fortified with vitamins, high in anti-oxidants, whitening, enriched, unbleached, lactose free, sugar free, organic, light, no msg (why even bother with msg???), ...whew!! I am getting exhausted just thinking about it.

I do not mind shopping for groceries and household supplies but I just find that it can be time consuming. There are moments when time is of the essence but C'est la vie.....

Lucy

Clumsy is my middle name. In my opinion, this curse began when my mom missed a step and fell off of a curb when she was pregnant with yours truly.

I call myself Lucy (aka Ricardo) because she was always getting into trouble due to her clumsiness such as when she locked herself in the freezer, baked a bread that expanded out of the oven, etc.

Here is a short list of my clumsy and sometimes careless endevors:

- I went on a double date, to a dance, in the middle of winter. I decided I did not need to wear boots to walk on the icy path from Alisa's porch to the warm car. A fancy dress and a pair of winter boots are a fashion DON'T. After all, I was 16 years old and I knew everything! I gracefully walked down the path with my date and splat. The ice can be an enemy at any time and this was my time. There I was, flat on my butt, my azure blue dress hiked above my thighs. My date was a gentleman and wanted to assist me. I refused and insisted that I wanted Alisa's help. That is what friends are for! Talk about em barr assed!

- Once again, this involved ice and Alisa. I was going into my car, opened the door and just as I was about to get in, my foot caught a patch of ice. Alisa did not know where I was. The lower part of my body, mostly my legs, were under the car. Go figure!

- Ahhh, another classic. My dad took me and my friend Collette to Northland Mall. It was time for new clothes because school was starting. The dressing room had swinging doors. I was trying on a pair of jeans. As I attempted to insert my leg into the pant leg, my foot got caught somewhere, I lost my balance and flopped through the swinging doors, landing on the floor. Needless to say, the pants were not on . It is not everyday that someone falls out of a dressing room, half undressed. It was crowded that day too! I created laughter without even trying!

- While visiting my grandmother in the hospital, I decided to utilize the staircase. I was unaware that certain staircases are locked. Of course, I choose the "locked" staircase. I walked to the main floor, attempted to open the door and no luck. Locked! I walked back to the floor I started from and tried to open the door - LOCKED! I tried to knock on the door but nobody came to my rescue. This was many years ago before cell phones. Once again, I walked downstairs, took a chance and opened the emergency exit door. I really did not have a choice. This was the door to freedom. The alarm began to go off but I did not care. I made it outside and now ......I was trapped!!! I ended up in a construction zone. Large piles of sand surrounded me. I was wearing four inch heels and my shoes started to sink in the tiny warm grains of sand piles. The entire area was fenced in with soft, orange fencing. I was facing the parking lot so I waved my hands to get someone's, anyone's attention. A lady motioned for me to come to the edge of the lot. There was a way to leave but I had to jump over this large crevice. Thank goodness I have long legs. I was able to stretch over the cement fracture safely. That was a story for Reader's Digest!!! "Trapped in a Fenced Sand Lot"....

- Careless Cook: While baking a peach pie, I decided to talk on the phone. I added the ingredients and let the pie bake. It smelled like summer and cinnamon....When I cut into the pie,

everyone was eyeing it, claiming the first piece. When I finally took the first piece out, the fruit and juice ooozed all over. It was a big vat of dough, peaches a lots of juice. I discovered that I was so involved in my phone conversation, I forgot to add sugar, which is a thickener. Everyone started laughing which made me have tears in my eyes. Lesson learned!

Bridges

Massive, intricate ironwork. Bands of steel supporting a road over a body of water. Oak planks pieced together, housed beneath a wooden roof that protects the planks from water and snow. Bridges enable us to cross the river, lake or ocean delivering us to our destination. Large or small, bridges unite.

Over the summer, I wanted to take a different vacation. I bought a book titled Michigan, Off the Beaten Path. After I browsed through it, I made a decision. I wanted to visit the oldest bridge in Michigan.

Whenever we went to Canada, we always drove through the tunnel. When I was 18, I drove across the bridge from Windsor to Detroit, by myself!! There is a first time for everything and that was one of them. Maybe it was a rite of passage for me - I don't know... perhaps a feeling of accomplishment...? Now my quest was to visit the bridges north of Grand Rapids.

This little get-away was quite different from the normal Michigan trips we take. First, we visited the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek. We walked through the African Safari park. The trees created a cooling effect as we walked endlessly through the woods, visiting exotic species along the way.

By mid afternoon, we headed for the bridge. Of course, I wanted to stop at a local farm market/bakery/store. I truly enjoy these detours. I am not shy and I strike up a conversation with the local residents that work in these establishments. Of course, this occurred once again.
After a twenty minute discussion about the town, I purchased a few home grown peaches and a homemade cookie and we were off to the bridges.

The bridges were definitely OFF THE BEATEN PATH! Five miles down a dirt road and there it was..built in 1873. The large sign warned that vehicles over 6 tons could not cross. I was very adamant that we would not be taking the F-150 across this bridge - yes, I can swim, yes, it was shallow water - no, I was not taking any chances!

The second bridge was about four miles away at a park. It was very pretty. I gained a lot of knowledge about these bridges, tucked away along the west side of the state. I tried to take in the architecture of the bridge, wondering about the people that walked or drove their horse and buggy across the strong wooden planks.

Now off to visit MADISON COUNTY!!!