Kate Collins's Blog, page 155
June 9, 2015
Ghosts…do you believe?
Duffy Brown here and I just got back from vacation. I toured houses, villas and churches and heard endless tales of days gone by and how some occupants refused to leave. Yep, that’s right ghosts are everywhere in Italy…drinking fine wine and eating lots of good pasta no doubt. This interested me as I just happen to live in a haunted house here in the US. 
I know I know, many of you don’t believe but I swear we have slamming cabinets, doors closing, books sliding, things moved and voices when no one’s there. It’s been so bad a few times I went to the top of the stairs and yelled, “Who’s there?” My daughter’s room is really creepy with lights and cool spots. I’m letting a writer friend sleep there on Saturday. Since she writes vampires this shouldn’t bother her one bit. And my cats stare at nothing in this one corner of the house. Their fur stands straight up, they hiss and they get the bushy tail thing. What is that all about? I thought it was just my cats going nuts but then my son’s dog does the same thing. 
My daughter went to art school in Savannah, the most haunted city in the USA, and stayed in a really old apartment building. One day she could not find her drafting pencil, looked everywhere and finally found it in the bottom of an old art box she hadn’t opened for months. From then on her pencil always went missing and she always found it in that very place. She hand an artsy-fartsy ghost.
Ask anyone who lives in Savannah and they have a ghost story to share. When we stay at this B&B the ghosts love to play with our cell phone and alarm clock. I had the owners of the Pirate House take me on a tour of his restaurant…the oldest building in Savannah. RL Stevenson wrote Treasure Island there. The inn where the map was found was taken off the Pirate House. The help had some great ghost stories to tell. One involved blueberry pie flying across the room. Mackinac Island is haunted like crazy too…or so the tour guide say. The courthouse is still frequented by long ago fur traders brought to trial for stealing pelt, getting drunk as a skunk and causing havoc in the local watering holes.
Has anyone ever messed with a ouija board or been to a séance? Maybe a psychic? When I was first married we went to this restaurant and the waitress dabbled in palm reading. Said I’d have 4 kids and be a write…the only thing I was writing at the time was checks. Very strange how she knew.
Soooo, does anyone have ghosts in their house? Stories to share?
June 8, 2015
Have You Experienced Tech Snafus?
by Maggie SeftonI'm posting a photo of one of my front yard flower gardens from last year. This year, I'm slower than usual in getting spring planting done due to my mother's recent passing. But, I'm making progress. On Saturday, I bought lots of flowers. And, I've started planting. A little slower, but I plan to have everything planted by the end of the week. My normal energy is slowly returning, too. Thank goodness.
By now you may be wondering what flower planting has to do with the title of my post today. Nothing, actually. I just wanted an excuse to scroll through my photos of flowers. Why? Because last week also included a very, very frustrating tech episode. The week before that, suddenly I wasn't getting phone calls on my new iPhone 6 Plus.
I took it to the Verizon store where I'd gotten it and explained. They put in an order for a new one which arrived right in the middle of my mom's last few days. So I let the package sit and made do with my old iPhone 4s. Last week I opened the box, took out the new 6 Plus and went to the Verizon store for them to transfer data and everything to get it started. I simply didn't feel like doing it myself. Last week I was still operating on only 4 out of 8 cylinders. This week, I'm up to 6 cylinders, so full brain functioning is definitely improving. :)
The techies at the store did their normal tech stuff and sent me on my way. I returned home only to be surprised when the phone didn't work. Nope. It went black, and looked dead as a doornail, as my Grandma would say. What I said is not printable in this post. Since I was pretty tired by then, I went back to my 4s and waited until the next day to return it. When I walked into the Verizon store, there was an older gentleman assigning the techie staff, and he listened to my annoyed description of the phone breakdown. He suggested that I take the phone to the Simply Mac store we have here in Fort Collins. We don't have Apple store, but the Simply Mac stores are scattered throughout the US, and have the very best young techies who can handle any Apple product.
I walked in and explained to two young women, then handed over the misbehaving 6Plus. Then I got to sit on the chair and relax and talk to them while they ran special diagnostics. I went out for another iced tea, and by the time I returned, they were finishing the hour long diagnostic. And guess what? There was absolutely NO problem with my iPhone 6 Plus. It functioned perfectly. That puzzled them. So, they took the next step and called the manager of the Verizon store here in Fort Collins. And kept at it until they got the manager, who checked into their database and . . . surprise, surprise! Verizon had NO record of my 6 Plus being registered in their system. So, of course I wasn't getting service.
Feel free to insert an expletive of your choice here. I mumbled a couple under my breath. Meanwhile, the Simply Mac techie gal handed me the phone so I could give the Verizon manager enough info to correctly ID me to their satisfaction. Then the manager promptly added my 6 Plus to the Verizon database. And I had service at last. Frustrating? That doesn't begin to cover it. Especially since I don't have my usual reservoir of energy, mental as well as physical. But----All's well that ends well. Thank goodness.
June 7, 2015
A Sucker Born Every Minute, said One of the Suckers
by Kate Collins
Last week I wrote about the book I wanted to read. It arrived and I’m halfway through it – and I truly have a hard time putting it down. The book, written by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, is called, “Doctoring Data: How to Sort Out Medical Advice from Medical Nonsense.”
I can sum it up in a few words: We are constantly being sold a bill of goods. Another way to put it is, how can we be so gullible?
Dr. Kendrick has a dry, droll wit that makes this book a pleasure. I find myself chuckling a lot. And then there are the other emotions: anger, surprise, indignation – because of what I’m learning. Kendrick lists the ways “studies” and statistics get us and how to spot the falsehoods. And there are so many ways we’re manipulated. Blood pressure, cholesterol, hormones, anti-depressants, and on and on.
Here’s the most common tactic : When A happens and B also happens, the conclusion is that A causes B. For example, (I’m making this up) studies have shown that the majority of women who drive Mercedes Benz and BMW vehicles live longer than women who don’t. Therefore, if you want to live longer, buy a Benz or a Beemer. Logical, right?
What if most women who drive those cars also exercise, eat organic, and live in France? Perhaps any or all of those factors influence their longevity. But the study would’ve been funded to sell cars, so who cares what the true reason is? This is exactly what happened with things like red wine and dark chocolate. Both are linked to better health/heart health only by association. Read the book and see.
This is how the entire pharmaceutical industry works. High blood pressure doesn’t cause heart attacks. It’s a symptom of heart disease. Lowering the blood pressure doesn’t cure the heart disease. It’s like putting a bandage on a symptom to hide it. You want to live longer? Find out what’s causing the heart disease and cure it, and the BP will come down. Are you told that? No, because doctors are told that lowering BP lowers death from heart attacks so they’ll push the medication believing they are saving lives. In actuality, it’s bogus. Read the book and see.
There are so many examples in this book that I’m appalled at how much we believe these manipulated statistics. I urge everyone to get your hands on a copy of this book and read it. When the facts are real, Dr. Kendrick is quick to point it out. When they are made up, he’s quick to pounce on that, too. And you'll see that most of the so-called "facts" are not facts at all. They are drug advertisements.
So here’s my challenge. Read the book and let me know one way you’ve been tricked into believing one of the many myths of medicine, and send me a message. If I get enough, I’ll include your responses in a future blog.
Be happy, friends. Live, love, and laugh. Those are the best medicines there is.
Last week I wrote about the book I wanted to read. It arrived and I’m halfway through it – and I truly have a hard time putting it down. The book, written by Dr. Malcolm Kendrick, is called, “Doctoring Data: How to Sort Out Medical Advice from Medical Nonsense.”I can sum it up in a few words: We are constantly being sold a bill of goods. Another way to put it is, how can we be so gullible?
Dr. Kendrick has a dry, droll wit that makes this book a pleasure. I find myself chuckling a lot. And then there are the other emotions: anger, surprise, indignation – because of what I’m learning. Kendrick lists the ways “studies” and statistics get us and how to spot the falsehoods. And there are so many ways we’re manipulated. Blood pressure, cholesterol, hormones, anti-depressants, and on and on.
Here’s the most common tactic : When A happens and B also happens, the conclusion is that A causes B. For example, (I’m making this up) studies have shown that the majority of women who drive Mercedes Benz and BMW vehicles live longer than women who don’t. Therefore, if you want to live longer, buy a Benz or a Beemer. Logical, right?
What if most women who drive those cars also exercise, eat organic, and live in France? Perhaps any or all of those factors influence their longevity. But the study would’ve been funded to sell cars, so who cares what the true reason is? This is exactly what happened with things like red wine and dark chocolate. Both are linked to better health/heart health only by association. Read the book and see.
This is how the entire pharmaceutical industry works. High blood pressure doesn’t cause heart attacks. It’s a symptom of heart disease. Lowering the blood pressure doesn’t cure the heart disease. It’s like putting a bandage on a symptom to hide it. You want to live longer? Find out what’s causing the heart disease and cure it, and the BP will come down. Are you told that? No, because doctors are told that lowering BP lowers death from heart attacks so they’ll push the medication believing they are saving lives. In actuality, it’s bogus. Read the book and see.
There are so many examples in this book that I’m appalled at how much we believe these manipulated statistics. I urge everyone to get your hands on a copy of this book and read it. When the facts are real, Dr. Kendrick is quick to point it out. When they are made up, he’s quick to pounce on that, too. And you'll see that most of the so-called "facts" are not facts at all. They are drug advertisements.
So here’s my challenge. Read the book and let me know one way you’ve been tricked into believing one of the many myths of medicine, and send me a message. If I get enough, I’ll include your responses in a future blog.
Be happy, friends. Live, love, and laugh. Those are the best medicines there is.
June 6, 2015
Cats and Quirks
by Leann
Every cat has a unique personality but the two I have right now, Wexford (named after Ruth Rendell's detective) and Lynley (named after Elizabeth George's detective) probably take the cake.
Wexford came to me as a shy boy, about 3 months old and nothing has changed. He's your typical scaredy cat, I guess, but I've never been owned by a scaredy cat before. All the ones in my past--and there have been many--were very confident and outgoing. This guy has learned to open cupboards and drawers so he can hide. He's quite good at opening one dresser drawer and climbing over the side into the drawer next to it.
The day we moved into this house we'd left him at the rental house with a few stray items in a closed room. But when I went to get him to bring him to our forever home, I couldn't find him. We searched everywhere and I was crying the entire time. Only a few items had been left in that room and after a long time hunting, I found him crammed into the tiniest box. He was, in fact, stuck in that box because his 15 pound body was never meant for such a small box. I was so happy and the tears turned to ones of joy.
Then there's the 6 month old Lynley. He is, as all kittens are, adorable. He loves to play goalie in a game of roll the treat toward him. He can also jump on top of a flat screen TV and balance there.
(Yes, it drives us nuts!) No deterrent has worked and trust me, we have tried everything we can think of. But his most adorable quirk is his little leopard on a stick. It's mangled from play. He loves it. Every single night, I go to bed and about thirty minutes later--I guess after he's decided I'm staying that bed--I hear him dragging that toy down the hall. He gracefully jumps over me holding it and lays it lovingly next to me. And then he leaves. Yup. It's like he's tucking me in with his most prized possession. It stays there all night. He doesn't play with it. After I get up in the morning, he drags that toy back into the living room to start his day. It's weird but it's adorable.
What about you, pet lovers. Do your cats or dogs or whatever pets you have do fun stuff like this? (Okay, jumping on the flat screen TV is NOT fun. It's scary.)
Every cat has a unique personality but the two I have right now, Wexford (named after Ruth Rendell's detective) and Lynley (named after Elizabeth George's detective) probably take the cake.
Wexford came to me as a shy boy, about 3 months old and nothing has changed. He's your typical scaredy cat, I guess, but I've never been owned by a scaredy cat before. All the ones in my past--and there have been many--were very confident and outgoing. This guy has learned to open cupboards and drawers so he can hide. He's quite good at opening one dresser drawer and climbing over the side into the drawer next to it.
The day we moved into this house we'd left him at the rental house with a few stray items in a closed room. But when I went to get him to bring him to our forever home, I couldn't find him. We searched everywhere and I was crying the entire time. Only a few items had been left in that room and after a long time hunting, I found him crammed into the tiniest box. He was, in fact, stuck in that box because his 15 pound body was never meant for such a small box. I was so happy and the tears turned to ones of joy.Then there's the 6 month old Lynley. He is, as all kittens are, adorable. He loves to play goalie in a game of roll the treat toward him. He can also jump on top of a flat screen TV and balance there.
(Yes, it drives us nuts!) No deterrent has worked and trust me, we have tried everything we can think of. But his most adorable quirk is his little leopard on a stick. It's mangled from play. He loves it. Every single night, I go to bed and about thirty minutes later--I guess after he's decided I'm staying that bed--I hear him dragging that toy down the hall. He gracefully jumps over me holding it and lays it lovingly next to me. And then he leaves. Yup. It's like he's tucking me in with his most prized possession. It stays there all night. He doesn't play with it. After I get up in the morning, he drags that toy back into the living room to start his day. It's weird but it's adorable.What about you, pet lovers. Do your cats or dogs or whatever pets you have do fun stuff like this? (Okay, jumping on the flat screen TV is NOT fun. It's scary.)
June 5, 2015
WHO KNOWS YOU THE BEST? YOU DO!
by Mary Kennedy
Who knows you better than anyone in the world? Well, you do, of course! Does this sound strange, coming from a psychologist? After years of being in private practice, I've learned that most people really do have the answer to their problems, the key to their hopes, wishes and fears. But...sometimes the truth is buried deep inside. Below the level of consciousness, as Freud would say. (And don't worry, I don't usually quote Freud on this blog!) Most of us are surrounded by friends and family, a network of people who love us, want what's best for us and have our best interests at heart. But is it always wise to take their advice? Are they seeing the situation through a different lens than you are? No matter how kind and well-meaning they are, they haven't "walked a mile in you shoes," and they don't have the insight and awareness that you do.
When a client is facing a dilemma, whether it's a career issue or a relationship problem, here's what I tell them to do. Write down the answers to these two questions. 1) What do I really want? and 2) What am I willing to do to get it?
The first one is easy but the second one is the tough one. Every choice has pros and cons, every choice has consequences. There is something powerful about writing it out. Many times, your friends and family will align themselves on one side of an issue and you may lean strongly toward the other side. Here's what I advise. *
Take in all opinions from all sides
. You don't have to agree. Just listen thoughtfully. Some of it may resonate with you, and some will be totally off base. *
Talk to someone neutral, a counselor, a spiritual advisor, a psychologist
. Someone who can help you filter out all the distractions and get to the heart of the problem.
*
Do an instant "gut check
." How do you do that? Let's say you're thinking of changing jobs. Take out a coin and say, "If I flip it and it says heads, then I'll stay where I am. If it's tails, then I'll start job-hunting." Then flip the coin. And immediately ask yourself what you're feeling. The beauty of this experiment is that you can instantly access your feelings on the issue. *
When in doubt, gather more information.
Very few decisions have to made instantly. Maybe there's another way of looking at the problem? Maybe there's a third choice and things aren't as black-and-white as they seem. Is there some avenue you haven't explored, someone who can help you see more clearly?
In the end, of course, it's your life and your decision. When you make the decision, move ahead with confidence and don't look back! Good luck and here's an interesting quote from Goethe that gave me a chuckle.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you make decisions, please chime in, if you can. Mary Kennedy
Who knows you better than anyone in the world? Well, you do, of course! Does this sound strange, coming from a psychologist? After years of being in private practice, I've learned that most people really do have the answer to their problems, the key to their hopes, wishes and fears. But...sometimes the truth is buried deep inside. Below the level of consciousness, as Freud would say. (And don't worry, I don't usually quote Freud on this blog!) Most of us are surrounded by friends and family, a network of people who love us, want what's best for us and have our best interests at heart. But is it always wise to take their advice? Are they seeing the situation through a different lens than you are? No matter how kind and well-meaning they are, they haven't "walked a mile in you shoes," and they don't have the insight and awareness that you do.
When a client is facing a dilemma, whether it's a career issue or a relationship problem, here's what I tell them to do. Write down the answers to these two questions. 1) What do I really want? and 2) What am I willing to do to get it?
The first one is easy but the second one is the tough one. Every choice has pros and cons, every choice has consequences. There is something powerful about writing it out. Many times, your friends and family will align themselves on one side of an issue and you may lean strongly toward the other side. Here's what I advise. *
Take in all opinions from all sides
. You don't have to agree. Just listen thoughtfully. Some of it may resonate with you, and some will be totally off base. *
Talk to someone neutral, a counselor, a spiritual advisor, a psychologist
. Someone who can help you filter out all the distractions and get to the heart of the problem.
*
Do an instant "gut check
." How do you do that? Let's say you're thinking of changing jobs. Take out a coin and say, "If I flip it and it says heads, then I'll stay where I am. If it's tails, then I'll start job-hunting." Then flip the coin. And immediately ask yourself what you're feeling. The beauty of this experiment is that you can instantly access your feelings on the issue. *
When in doubt, gather more information.
Very few decisions have to made instantly. Maybe there's another way of looking at the problem? Maybe there's a third choice and things aren't as black-and-white as they seem. Is there some avenue you haven't explored, someone who can help you see more clearly?
In the end, of course, it's your life and your decision. When you make the decision, move ahead with confidence and don't look back! Good luck and here's an interesting quote from Goethe that gave me a chuckle.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you make decisions, please chime in, if you can. Mary Kennedy
Think. Don't yank.
by Lorraine Bartlett / Lorna Barrett / L.L. Bartlett
And so we had a bit of toaster mishap yesterday.
Okay, not WE -- I had a bit of a toaster mishap yesterday. I usually have green (*shudder*) juice for breakfast, but yesterday I was in a hurry. (Green juice takes between 15-20 minutes to make. A nuked egg and a slice of toast takes about two minutes.)
I have an elderly toaster. I don't consider a 58 old for a person, but let's face it, it's old for a toaster. I bought my toaster at a yard sale in West LA more than 30 years ago and it has been a trusted friend ever since. How do I know the toaster is 58 years old? Because the first owner wrote the date they bought it on the bottom. It's a Sunbeam, and isn't it a beauty?
Of course, like the rest of us--it's had its little problems. The cord has been replaced, and the plug has been replaced more than once. In fact, the current plug is REALLY snug in the wall socket. It takes quiet a bit of tugging to get it out.
Okay, so yesterday I was in a hurry. The last slice of bread in the bag was a little bent, but what the heck--I put it in the first slot. You'll notice there's no little lever. Nope, my Sunbeam has a little thingy INSIDE the toaster that senses bread and gently takes it down into the depths to bask in the heat of the glowing elements.
After 58 years, my toaster is a little temperamental. You kinda have to watch it. But I was nuking my egg,and kind of forgot. Next thing I know, the kitchen is filling with smoke from my charred toast. The bent corner of bread was kind of touching one of the heating elements. So, panicking, I yanked the plug. Only ... the plug stayed in the socked, and I only held the cord in my hand.
Mr. L was not a happy camper. (He's the one who gets to fix the Sunbeam when I have a faux pas.)
I was out most of the day and came home to find this sign over the wall socket.
Yeah. I want toast.
What hoops do you have to jump through to get toast?
And so we had a bit of toaster mishap yesterday.
Okay, not WE -- I had a bit of a toaster mishap yesterday. I usually have green (*shudder*) juice for breakfast, but yesterday I was in a hurry. (Green juice takes between 15-20 minutes to make. A nuked egg and a slice of toast takes about two minutes.)
I have an elderly toaster. I don't consider a 58 old for a person, but let's face it, it's old for a toaster. I bought my toaster at a yard sale in West LA more than 30 years ago and it has been a trusted friend ever since. How do I know the toaster is 58 years old? Because the first owner wrote the date they bought it on the bottom. It's a Sunbeam, and isn't it a beauty?
Of course, like the rest of us--it's had its little problems. The cord has been replaced, and the plug has been replaced more than once. In fact, the current plug is REALLY snug in the wall socket. It takes quiet a bit of tugging to get it out.
Okay, so yesterday I was in a hurry. The last slice of bread in the bag was a little bent, but what the heck--I put it in the first slot. You'll notice there's no little lever. Nope, my Sunbeam has a little thingy INSIDE the toaster that senses bread and gently takes it down into the depths to bask in the heat of the glowing elements.
After 58 years, my toaster is a little temperamental. You kinda have to watch it. But I was nuking my egg,and kind of forgot. Next thing I know, the kitchen is filling with smoke from my charred toast. The bent corner of bread was kind of touching one of the heating elements. So, panicking, I yanked the plug. Only ... the plug stayed in the socked, and I only held the cord in my hand.
Mr. L was not a happy camper. (He's the one who gets to fix the Sunbeam when I have a faux pas.)
I was out most of the day and came home to find this sign over the wall socket.
Yeah. I want toast.
What hoops do you have to jump through to get toast?
June 3, 2015
Cheap and cheerful fun with flowers.
By Victoria Abbott aka Mary Jane and Victoria Maffini
Today, it's MJ here. And first of all hats off to fellow chicks Lorraine and Maggie who have new books out this week! Knock 'em dead, ladies.
I love flowers and cutting them from the garden (such as it is, a work in progress) is a joy. But sometimes there’s nothing to cut and if you’re, say for instance, hosting your BOOK CLUB, you would really need to get creative. Eeep. The lilacs were done. I couldn’t bear to cut the iris and no way would I plunder the planters. There were still a few of those stubborn dandelions, but you’ve got to draw the line somewhere.
Then I remembered that with one fairly ordinary bouquet from the grocery store and a few vases I could solve my problem.
By the way, one of my friends used to say if a container for flowers cost more than two dollars, it’s a vawse not a vayse.. Not all of mine are vawses! So my problem was about to be solved. And yes, in case you're wondering, I am aware that a house without flowers is not the biggest problem a person could have. Never mind.
A quick trip to the store yielded a bourquet of flowers ON SALE and in decent shape, with six different types of blooms.
My husband decided that he would buy them for me Kinda sweet.
By deconstructing the bouquet, I was able to get six different small and very simple arrangements for practically every room in the house, including these vivid carnations in the powder room.
Because they’re cheap and cheerful, these flowers will last for ages.
Anyway, I thought I’d share this little tip with you, because I know many of you share my love of flowers and of bargains!
Now all you have to do, is share your flower tips with me. I’m listening!
Our Roots…
Duffy Brown here.
I just got back from Italy! Yippeeee. It was a great trip and an adventure. I went with my daughter and brother and his wife to “discover” our roots.
My grandfather came to the US on March 23, 1904. He came through Ellis Island, stayed in New York for a while then on to Cincinnati where other members of his family lived.
He was a middle son from Bisaccia, a small town east of Naples. He was the middle son, his dad the town magistrate. The land the family had and the government position went to the eldest son, not my grandfather. He was an ambitions man...always...and came to the US to make his fortune as so many did at that time.
I cannot imagine leaving everything behind and taking off for worlds unknown. Grandpa Angelo didn’t speak English, had little money, but he did have family here so that was a huge help.
He was so very proud of becoming an US citizen. He had his citizenship paper framed and hung it on the dining room wall till the day he died at 97. The US was good for him. Grandpa was a real success, a born entrepreneur. I think that’s where my brother got the gene to start his own business and my daughter to work for herself in NYC. Both are very successful.
Grandpa loved the arts. We took him to the opera and he sang along. I think that is where my two daughters get their art ability. He could grow anything! I think that’s where I get my love for gardening. He was much butter at it than I am but I still try.
He made his own wine, grandma was the best cook on earth and I do love to cook and Italian food if done right is the best!
Here are a few pictures of our stop in Bisaccia where the town police and magistrate hunted up the Castelluccio family information. We found the marriage of Angelo Castelluccio and Angela Calpodo and the birth certificate of my grandfather and other family members. We had an Italian driver go with us to translate…this is Italy, they speak Italian and my Italian sucks. LOL
There is a castle in the town…hence the name Castell(uccio) that means light in the castle. And we found the street where grandpa Angelo lived. No Castelluccios there now, they are all gone. But there are a ton in the US.
So, has anyone else gone root hunting? Have you gone back to where your grandfather and relatives originated from? We are all mutts here in the US...unless you are Native American of course.What is your root story? Do you see yourself or any of your family in your ancestors?
I just got back from Italy! Yippeeee. It was a great trip and an adventure. I went with my daughter and brother and his wife to “discover” our roots.
My grandfather came to the US on March 23, 1904. He came through Ellis Island, stayed in New York for a while then on to Cincinnati where other members of his family lived.
He was a middle son from Bisaccia, a small town east of Naples. He was the middle son, his dad the town magistrate. The land the family had and the government position went to the eldest son, not my grandfather. He was an ambitions man...always...and came to the US to make his fortune as so many did at that time.
I cannot imagine leaving everything behind and taking off for worlds unknown. Grandpa Angelo didn’t speak English, had little money, but he did have family here so that was a huge help.
He was so very proud of becoming an US citizen. He had his citizenship paper framed and hung it on the dining room wall till the day he died at 97. The US was good for him. Grandpa was a real success, a born entrepreneur. I think that’s where my brother got the gene to start his own business and my daughter to work for herself in NYC. Both are very successful.
Grandpa loved the arts. We took him to the opera and he sang along. I think that is where my two daughters get their art ability. He could grow anything! I think that’s where I get my love for gardening. He was much butter at it than I am but I still try.
He made his own wine, grandma was the best cook on earth and I do love to cook and Italian food if done right is the best!
Here are a few pictures of our stop in Bisaccia where the town police and magistrate hunted up the Castelluccio family information. We found the marriage of Angelo Castelluccio and Angela Calpodo and the birth certificate of my grandfather and other family members. We had an Italian driver go with us to translate…this is Italy, they speak Italian and my Italian sucks. LOLThere is a castle in the town…hence the name Castell(uccio) that means light in the castle. And we found the street where grandpa Angelo lived. No Castelluccios there now, they are all gone. But there are a ton in the US.
So, has anyone else gone root hunting? Have you gone back to where your grandfather and relatives originated from? We are all mutts here in the US...unless you are Native American of course.What is your root story? Do you see yourself or any of your family in your ancestors?
June 1, 2015
PURL UP AND DIE---Kelly Flynn #13
by Maggie SeftonThe 13th in the Kelly Flynn Knitting Mysteries, PURL UP AND DIE, is
now available in bookstores and all retailers and online. It's also available in E-book format in all retail outlets. I'm calling it "Lucky 13." Here's a blurb-----
Kelly Flynn’s summer is off to a great start with celebrations with her friends and challenging knitting classes taught by her friend Barb at the House of Lambspun. But Barb’s life soon starts coming apart at the seams. A young woman accuses Barb’s son Tommy---a young doctor doing his residency---of assaulting her in his office. The yarns spun by the local rumor mill are bad enough, but when the young woman is found dead in her ransacked apartment, Tommy becomes the number one suspect.
Police are ready to close the case, but Kelly is convinced there are a few more likely suspects. Now she has to knit together the clues herself to uncover a killer who doesn’t seem to drop a stitch.
Ellery's Mystery Cozy Contest
Hosted By Ellery AdamsIt's the first of the month! Time for me to give away a $10 card to the bookstore of your choice.
This is how it works: I post a few lines from a cozy mystery. You post the title and author in the comment section. Then, I'll draw a random name from the winning guesses and post that person's name on this page and on Facebook by 10 p.m. on June 2nd.
Okay, here we go! Here are the lines from this month's mystery cozy:
"The brand-new Key Zest magazine in Key West, Florida, announced a month ago that they were hiring a food critic for their style section."
Ellery's helpful hint - I love the covers of these culinary cozies because they always show a dining al fresco scene and I love to eat outside during the summer months.
