Marty Went to Harlem

I had a great day in New York with a group from the college. I am mentoring a freshman minority student and the group was minority students in a special program at the college to help students overcome adjustments to college. It was geared to black history. We visited the Apollo Theatre and had an opportunity to hear the history and go back stage. Did a tour of Harlem, ate soul food for lunch, visited an African-American museum, the African market, a slave burial ground in downtown Manhattan, Ground Zero, and the new memorial to the firefighters who died on 911. Also had some time to just walk around and shop. Started out with torrential rain but was sunny by later afternoon. I missed the PSU/Ohio game--just as well as I heard it was ugly!!!! Have a great week. Marty

in case you missed it, here's a picture of Quinn's black eye. the Navy whites really set it off, in my opinion.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

Need help here. I know Suzie through Flip and some of the grandchildren's birthdays but not all. Also don't know most of the anniversary dates (and years). Please email me at mattkid3@comcast.net and it will be posted as a link. Marty

"Now, if I smash those 'out-of-season' Christmas balls on Carol & Mike's table with this hammer... how much duct tape will I need to put them back together??", thought their father....

Potions and lotions

I don't know if Suzie and Mike remember "Oil for the lamps of CHIIIIII-NAHHHHHHHH". Mom made an event out of delivering our vitamin "oil". I now suspect it's the fish oil that is heavily promoted on talk radio shows.

Does anybody remember Daddy's Dr. John's syrup?

Does anybody WANT to remember the amazing gravitational enema device?

Sorry... if I hadn't been cleaning out a vanity that had, literally, mouldy cotton balls today, I wouldn't be flashing back to the "dirty closet."

Love,
Lizzie

Back in Time from Lizzie

Lizzie checking in from Cinnaminson, NJ on Sunday afternoon the 21st of October.

I spent the weekend with Grundgie and Grandfather (by the way, how DO you spell Grundgie? Grundgy???).

Inspired by the less-than-appetizing experience of cleaning out a medicine cabinet that still held ---- yes, it's true --- a prescription for a salve for the late Uncle Bud who has been in heaven for at least 14 years... well, let's just say that a flood of memories of potions and lotions came back.

Or maybe it was because there was also an encrusted bottle of Tincture of Benzoin in there too. (I fear, if the police ever had reason to come over with their CSI tools, they'll find washed-off blood spatters all over the walls and several questionable poisons that no other family harbors. What conclusions will they draw and how many of us will be indicted on circumstantial evidence??)

Thus inspired, after the cleaning project, I used the internet to look up Tincture of Benzoin (which we all called Tincture of BenzoiD) and discovered it has many topical uses and inhalant properties. But nowhere does anyone encourage oral ingestion of any kind or the ancient art of throat painting. Hmmmmmm....

Apparently it's mostly used in these modern times on the blisters of long distance runners and by survivalists in their emergency kits. Hmmmmm.....

I did find ichthymol and iodex. Both can be found on sites visited by herbalists. You can also find both by Googling "drawing salve".These are words we grew up with, like "dress the bed" --- words no other family we knew ever used.

It was a glorious weekend in Avalon. Marty and Pete's exterior improvements look really great in this gorgeous fall weather.

Love,Lizzie

King for a day!

I need more family emails to invite to blog

If anyone has email addresses for Kate, Quinn, MJ, Hank, Jay, Dawn, Briana, Brian, KC, Beth, Andy, Sam, Walt, Steve, Neil, and Carol, would you please email me at mattkid3@comcast.net so I can invite them to participate. I already invited Suzie, Mike, Lizzie, Laurie/John, Ellen, Mom and Dad, Emily and Sarah. Help me if I have forgotten anyone. Marty

Matt Family Blog - First Posting

Hello to all of the family--especially grandkids who are more computer savvy than your non-techie parents. I am creating this blog so we can all keep in touch with family news. Please be patient as we old folks try to learn a new medium of communication. I will send all of you the link and the password so you can post your news to share. This way we won't have to try to remember who we have told what and can share in all of the family news.

St. Joe's published an article about Grandfather in the HawkEye, the St. Joe's Faculty newspaper, 24 September edition. It is not yet available in HTML so I couldn't attach it but will do so later. I did send it out as email to as many of you as I could.

Here's a funny story. I bought four boxes of oak chair parts at an auction two weeks ago. Supposedly there are the the parts of four different chairs. I took them to Grandfather and he was thrilled--much more so than he was to graduate from St. Joe's--the old story: Study the teacher before you study the book. I should have realized that the best present for Grandfather at this stage of life is something to challenge the mind. Can't wait to see what the first chair looks like as he puts the puzzle together.

Here is a fun pix of Mason at G's party

Now it's up to someone else to post the next addition to the blog. Looking forward to hearing everyone's news.

Best! Aunt Marty