The USS NY

I found out what the grandchildren did yesterday, the museum it was.  Not the ship.
I was talking with my son last night, and telling him about the doings of his niece and nephew, and was sorry that they didn't go on the ship.
His answer was:  'The ship will never, ever - NEVER, NO NEVER EVER come back to New York.  No, this was their last chance.  They will never, ever see the ship in the city again!'
I laughed.  That's so him.
He told me about his little one, he is 17 months old and in daycare.  He is the next to the youngest in his group.  The Teacher had the kids all around and asked one of the older one, what sound does a sheep make?  Nepomuk was the one to answer 'baaah', next what sound does a cow make?  Moooo, from our little guy.  Yup, only 17 months old and he is a chatty little guy. 

November Birthdays

Yesterday a friend of mine had a birthday.  I called her.  She lives on the island of Sylt, in the North See, right before Germany and Denmark.  We chatted for a good long time about all kinds of things.  The kids, her plans for the future, the grandchildren, the USS New York, which will be commissioned on Saturday, her plans for a vacation on Teneriffe in February, the political situation and our youth.   --- that sounds really funny, saying 'our youth'.  We became friends when we were both in a small theater group, we were both 16, and just starting out practicing being adults.
She got married when she was 18, had two sons right away, and we stayed friends across all that time.  Yes, we talked about her ex-husband also.  She volunteers at a suicide hot-line, and tells me the problems people call with are so familiar - she often thinks that she has been in that situation and handled it in her way. 
She's given me a book about Germany after the war, with photos, and it is as if my childhood is right before my eyes.  We talked about that as well.  That we grew up having nothing, and we didn't know it.

This morning my daughter called.  She took the day off - kids are off school, teacher's conference - and she was going into the city with three other mothers and eight kids total.  On the plan was maybe touring the USS New York, or, if the weather was bad, the Museum of Natural History.
I hope they go see the ship.

Election over

And the Republicans won.  Jon Corzine is out.

And life as we know it, will continue.

On Monday I was at the grocery store here in Irvington.  I was admiring this in a display.  They have weekly specials of this china, and I do collect it, when I see it at garage sales.  Now I need it like I need a hole in the head.  Really.  Cupboards  are full, guests few, and I have enough dishes to last me two or more lifetimes.  But a sale...  what a quandary!

Another shopper came up to me and asked what I was looking at.  The dishes, I said.  She told me that she eats from paper plates.  Uses the silverware, but not dishes anymore.  Hmm.  Okay, I get that.  Not wanting to do dishes - there is something to that.  Then she told me that she just had her 79th birthday.  The next birthday was going to be the big one.  And that she is proud, she still lives by herself.  Takes a bath every morning, gets dressed and doesn't complain.  And no, she doesn't want to live with her kids - one 'bitch' in a house is enough.  That's the way she put it.  Her daughter is her bitch in her house, and if she moved in, she would have to live under the top-bitch.  We laughed, all she wanted was a little company, and off she went.
Both of us happy we made someone smile.

In the meantime, I decided NOT to buy those dishes, even though you may purchase them one piece at a time... nope, going to be strong.

I still love my dishes, collected over umpteen years, started with a set of six plates, mugs, and dessert plates given to me in 1985 (still thank you, Linda!), then added to by trips to Mettlach in Germany, huge warehouse sales in Parsippany, and a couple of pieces in V&B outlet stores.  I can't believe I have those dishes almost 25 years!  And I love them.

New TV series

Is it me, or did the 'new' TV series 'V' run already?  Some time ago.  And I wasn't a fan, otherwise I would remember more about it.
Unless there is a compelling reason to watch it - like there is nothing else on TV - I will not be one of the viewers.  My guilty pleasure is 90210 from the 80's?  90's?  Yes, it's mind numbing, but sorta funny at the same time.
My back hurts.  I made the mistake of picking up Matthew, and my back, which was already hurting, now really hurts.  I am trying to ride it out.  Man, it does hurt, but hopefully will get better soon.
And yes,  I voted.

Halloween, Newark Visit

It was a big weekend!  Saturday I got to see my three grandchildren go trick-or-treating.  The weather held, it rained right up to the point of trick-or-treating, then it stopped.  The kids had a great time.

our little ballerina

our Mickey Mouse

and 'David Wright', our Mets fan.

then there are the Omas

and the haunted houses:

Yesterday, after I washed off my make-up, I drove back to the kids house and babysat while their parents went to see:

Yes, it's from the left Newark mayor Cory Booker, Weintraub running for Lt. Gov., the Prez, and Governor Jon Corzine.  And the photo was taken by my daughter.  The seats were good, as is her camera.

And here is the cheering crowd I know:

A good-looking gang.

While I went to the park with the three kids, with the red wagon, which I pulled sometimes, and then it was pulled a good part by the littlest one.  I warned all oncoming pedestrians that he wasn't so good in judging where he was going, it was their job to get out of his way.  After we played on the playground, went through the woods, we wandered home again, but not before the littlest one found a mud-puddle which he had to step through.  No choice on my part.  No, words didn't work.

Some lady looked a bit aghast, and I cheerfully told her 'I'm not their mother!'.  Which is true.  I'm their grandmother.

No, no photos of that.  My peak days with three kids are over!  No watching them AND taking pictures!