After digging out the picture with Sister Peturna, I called my niece, Joan, to ask her to look in the 1930-194? diary that her mother, my sister, had kept in high school. I wanted to find out if she mentioned anything when Sister was our au pair. Happily, Joan said she had typed it out and would email me the copy, which she did. I had read it years ago, but will look forward to it again. I told Joan I'd been typing out my father's 1945 work diary and would send her that.
At about noon, I was so pleased to get a call from Muckie Datesman. She said she was "returning my call," which I made, by the way, about a month ago, and we laughed over that. We had a good talk, then Jim came and I told her I'd call her back after.
As we usually do, Jim and I firs sat on the couch and chatted. I showed him the Gene Registry box I just got--must swab my mouth and gums here and there, then send in. We talked over a few more things, then sat down at the table. I just served hard-boiled egg sandwiches, along with my applesauce and lemon cake/blueberries/yogurt for dessert. Wine and beer, too, of course, then we each had some Molloy's Irish Creme. After, we again sat on the couch and talked. Jim suddenly got very solemn and said he wanted to say something.
I actually became uneasy, thinking it was something--well, I didn't know what, but something I didn't want to hear. But it wasn't; it concerned a problem in his apartment. He doesn't want to notify the landlord because he thinks his rent will be raised. I know what he pays and it boggles the mind. I won't mention the amount, but incredibly, it's four hundred a month less than I pay, although his apartment is considerably larger than mine, plus he has two bedrooms. It's certainly in as nice an area and is as well kept, it seems to me, so I'm amazed. What's even more amazing is that Jim said his rent hasn't been raised since he moved there seven years ago. I just find that impossible to grasp, having tenants myself.
Anyway, it seems he has some plumbing problems and he's afraid if he tells the landlord, his rent will be raised, so maybe he should pay for repairs himself. Sheer idiocy, but he asked me to go on the Internet to find various handymen, then search each in the Better Business Bureau site to see what their ratings are. Some were on, some not, and Jim wanted me to look up what the ratings mean--another exercise in futility, if you ask me, but I spent a full hour and a half on all this. Jim seemed oblivious to the time and effort this took and, as ever, expressed little appreciation. We (again) had words and I'm beginning to wonder if this friendship is worth it.
It was five o'clock when Jim left and I immediately called Muckie and we had another great talk until close to six. She mentioned that someone had given her the picture below (which I may have posted here before--not sure) and we tried identifying people. I had put the picture on Facebook some time ago--I think it was from Jeanne Dollard Painter--but have yet to come up with the occasion. These are all members of my class of '54 and, interestingly, Betty and Mom are in it, but I'm not. Muckie, who uses neither email or anything else on the Internet, asked for Betty's and a certain friend's 😄 contact information, which I gave her. Before we hung up, we resolved to keep in closer touch.
2 comments:
I think I see Betty and your Mom. Then on your Mother's left is an unidentified person...then Joan Welsch ...not sure or spelling and. next to her you....what do you think?
Pat, I can identify about two thirds of the girls. I suspect the one on my mother's left is Maria Palmer's mother, because Maria is next. Notice that all the women have corsages on, so this could be some kind of Mother's Day luncheon. I'm pretty sure it's in a restaurant because of the décor. I still don't know what the occasion was, or why I'm not in it, unless I took the picture--HIGHLY unlikely.
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