The Early Years Part #2

What are those early years without some very important people being involved.
Below is a picture of my Bubby and Zady. Zady was a watch repairmen by trade. I remember that he had a small watch repair shop in Hartford, CT. I would visit him once in a while in the city, while he was at work. Everytime I saw him there he would have one of those jewelers monocle at his eyes so that he could see what he was repairing. Every morning before going to work, my Bubby would pack him up a peanut butter and banana sandwhich on toast for his lunch...his favorite. Zady was an excellent gardener too. He would grow roses and especially dahlias. Zady was very hard to understand because he spoke with a very heavy slavic accent. Bubby was the nicest person that you would ever want to meet. She loved to cook.
Here is a picture of my other grandparents, Nana and Gramps. Nana and Gramps lived in New London, CT. They owned a furrier shop. Back in those days furs were very sought after, fashionable and a widely accepted garment or accessory. One of my memories of Nana was that she had diabetes and she would sneak a bowl of ice cream or something else that she knew she wasn't supposed to eat. When we would catch her "sneaking", she would have this cheshire cat-like grin on her face.

All of my Grandparents are gone and I miss them very much but my fond memories of them will stay with me always. Stay tuned for more of "The Early Years".

BLOGGING MEMORIES OF LIFE Followup

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has visited my blog and for all of the comments that were left too. Many people, through their comments, wanted to know what relationship Veronica and I share. Veronica is my wife of just over 11 years. She is also my best friend. I think that it is also important for me to explain why I continue to blog and why I wrote the entry BLOGGING MEMORIES OF LIFE. When I first started my blog, I did it mainly to present my nature and flower photography with others. I was diagnosed with Mast Cell Disease several years ago. If you go back in my blog, you will finds entries about that medical issue. Just this last year, after being a smoker for about 34 years, I found out that I had myoplasia on the right side of my tongue. It was a pre-cancerous growth and yes it made quitting smoking a very easy decision and task. This medical issue is also discussed in depth, in some of my earlier blog entries. Because of these 2 events it gave me a different viewpoint of life, living and of my own mortality. Currently all medical issues are in check but you never really know when something will change. In some ways I continue to write in this blog as a way of preparing for my eventual death. I realize that this might sound rather morbid but it is a fact of life that I accept. It might not be today...tomorrow or the next day but it will happen. I wanted to leave something behind that Veronica could read, reminisce and hopefully it would bring a smile on her face after I was gone....giving her a partial look at the footprints through my life including things that we shared together. I guess like most of you out there...I just want to be remembered...to leave something behind that would mean something to others. Like I refered to in the original entry....I welcome all of you in sharing my continued journey but at the end of the day and the lights dim...it is mainly for Veronica that I do this.

BLOGGING MEMORIES OF LIFE

About 1 year ago, Veronica gave me a journal book and suggested that I write down my thoughts on a daily basis and she would do the same. That way when either one of us died, the other would be able to read the journal and have something that was written by the other. To be honest with you, I really did not have the interest or drive to sit each day and hand write how I felt, my thoughts of the day or what might be bothering me. Call my lack of interest whatever you want, but let's call it what it truly was....laziness and boredom. I really don't like sitting and handwriting anything down on a daily basis....I find it really boring. My handwriting is atrocious and my thought process does not blend well with handwriting everything down, especially when trying to compose something so that it reads like I had put some sort of serious thought to it. I originally started my blog so that I could journal what I felt was meaningful to me, throw in a few personal thoughts, some tidbits of humor, some photos for good measure and share it with all of you. But as my blog has grown over the days, weeks and months and looking back on it's growth and content, I have discovered that I was actually doing what Veronica had asked me to do but in a format that I enjoyed doing and one that is so much better than the hand written journal method ...instead of being one dimensional, now we have something that is multi-dimensional.I do enjoy people visiting my blog and I don't mind sharing portions of my life's journeys with you, but at the end of my days, this blog is truly for Veronica. One of these days after I have left this world and you feel alone or sad or just want to reminisce, with me in your thoughts....Veronica....with the snow lightly falling outside...with the fireplace crackling....put on your warm jammies and pour yourself a cup of our favorite coffee...not too much cream for you, so unlike the way I enjoy it...lol... find a comfy couch to sit in...and let's take that walk down memory lane together. Just like this blog, I will always be here...awaiting those special visits from you....where we can be together again. Love Always......Rick