Category Archives: In remembrance

Nov22

50 years gone by

Posted on Friday, November 22, 2013 by Dianne

Being a little girl of just 4, I don’t remember too much about this day. I know my mom and grandmom were quiet and the black and white Zenith was on all day long for several days showing coverage that 3 and 4 year old children aren’t very interested in.

Several years later, in 5th grade, I would write a paper about President Kennedy, travel to Washington, DC and then see the Kennedy grave.

There were some things about the assassination that I didn’t know and am sorry I had to see…like that lost film footage of the actual fatal shot.

I also didn’t know that they took seats out of Air Force One so the President wouldn’t have to go in the cargo area. Also didn’t know that Johnson wouldn’t have the plane take off without being swore in as President first. Mrs. Kennedy sat with the coffin the entire way back to the nation’s capital.

When Brian and I were first married, we traveled up to New England on a car trip that took us a week. We saw the Kennedy compound from a far in Hyannisport, MA.

We also went to Newport, RI and decided to see Jackie’s home ‘Hammersmith’ and took a tour. It was where she and the President had their wedding reception in 1953.

These are from 1984, so not the best quality (and a scan)

Brian is the same age as Caroline and my brother is the same age as John, so you see we grew up with them. When John got killed in 1999, it was like losing a brother.

Life goes on, a new generation of this family may or may not take the limelight. Senator Ted Kennedy was the last of his generation. He was popular and outspoken until the end of his life.

Just recently Caroline became Ambassador to China. This is very interesting. She’s written several books of different genres.

I just heard the pink suit that the First Lady wore on that terrible day won’t be seen by the public until the year 2103 as requested by the family. I don’t blame them.

Sep18

Daytripping to Bucks County, PA

Posted on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 by Dianne

Gallery

This gallery contains 20 photos.

I see those ‘deals’ in my email almost everyday and one came up for Sand Castle Winery in Erwinna, PA. I happen to love trips up to Bucks County as it’s about 60-75 miles one way, so not too bad for us, so we decided to go yesterday, the 17th. My first wine tasting! We […]

Apr18

New Year’s Eve will never be the same

Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 by Dianne

Standard

I was saddened to read that legendary tv host and producer Dick Clark passed away today from a heart attack at age 82. He had suffered a stroke several years ago and had made a few appearance on the Rockin’ New Year’s Eve show. He looked good this past January, though of course he never regained that wonderful voice of his.

So this is what he looked like when he lived in suburban Philadelphia back in the 1950s:

He just happened to live in the same apartment complex that Ed McMahon did. Less than thirty years later, I was to move in the Drexelbrook Apts with Brian as our first home as newlyweds. I thought it was pretty neat that they lived there during their Philly connections.

Wiki’s Drexel Hill page: Television personality Dick Clark resided here from 1954 to 1956 at the Drexelbrook Apartment complex before moving to Wallingford, Pennsylvania (which is close to where I grew up)

We lived on the second floor (they all looked pretty much like this-we had a two bedroom one) which got harder for me as I got more pregnant with Sean. We moved from here to this house about 6 weeks before Sean came along. We had noisy neighbors below us. The nice thing was the sidewalks that wound all around that I used for exercise.

Historic marker in Philly:

The last time for Dick:

May31

Roses and Spookiness

Posted on Monday, May 31, 2010 by Dianne

Standard

Happy Memorial Day. A day to reflect and remember the brave soldiers and those who gave up their lives for our freedom.

Yellow rose bush with 17 buds, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

Yes, and they all have bloomed except one or two. My other roses, though not as big, are blooming nicely also.

Here’s a pink one:

The guys are both home today. Not planning to do too much.

We decided to take a vacation to Ocean City, MD this year as Brian’s dad hasn’t been well and it’s not a plane trip away like a Carribean trip would be. Plus, the prices are better and I told Sean we can stay right on the beach if we could find a reasonably priced place. We pinpointed a place through Ex*pedia, but he has to see when he can take 3-4 days off.
Yesterday I had the entire afternoon to myself. I read, I sat a spell, I cleaned lawn furniture and I planted the last of my herbs. The bugs are coming out, so I need to buy mulch. My flowers in the front garden are much happier and productive being mulched.
Saturday I planted some perennials in my round bush edged garden where I have mainly irises. My pretty irises did not like the 4 feet of snow and only 7 out of 15 varieties made a show this spring. I then went and planted flowers in the pond garden and Brian edged it for me. It looks so much better.
I’m reading a young adult fiction by a lady also named Dianne (K. Salerni)
Sean and I were in a bookstore a few weeks ago and he saw her name on the cover and pointed out that she spells her name like I do! I then remembered she was the daughter of prominent church members and that there was an article in the paper about her writing ‘We Hear the Dead’-so I bought it. It’s based on a true story about the Fox sisters from the middle 1800s who were said to start seances. There are yet other coincidences besides our first name. In the first 30 pages of the book, there are two names of people with the same first and last names as people I know or have known. The doctor’s name is my maiden name of Knowles and they have an older brother David! Spooky. I plan to have Dianne autograph her book for my niece and I will pass it on to her in a year or so. I found Dianne on Facebook and we friended each other there.

Feb1

Grammys 2010

Posted on Monday, February 1, 2010 by Dianne

Standard

I was watching this year’s music awards and enjoyed many of the performances like the duo between Sir Elton John and Lady Gaga; Greenday and other singers doing ’21 Gun’ and Pink doing her ‘swinger and singer’ act on a twirling silk scarf that went toward the ceiling and then sprayed water on her. I had to fish around for my 3D glasses (saved from a game Sean had) but didn’t get to see much of the Michael Jackson tribute. His eldest two children Prince and Paris very eloquently accepted the award in his name.
I was very sad to learn that Kenny Rankin, one of my favorite singers had passed away last June at the age of 69 from lung cancer. His voice fit into so many genres-pop, jazz, folk. I had many of his records.

This is how I remember him-with his big mustache.
Also Dan Seals passed last year. Remember England Dan and John Ford Coley? He’s also Jim Seals younger brother. Their big hit was ‘I Really want to See You Tonight’.
Three singers in the last 12 yrs I have admired have passed: John Denver, Dan Fogelberg and now Kenny. I got to see John and Dan in concert. Kenny and Dan had cancer, John died in a solo plane accident.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sean is getting use to Wally World. It’s hard being on his feet a lot, but he seems to work two days and is off two. They have him working 30 odd hours, is that part time? If he is called by the Census bureau to work, he’d have to work something out with Wally World as it’s just for a few months.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am so dry today and it lead to a coughing attack. My sinuses started draining and it was hairy for a few minutes. I swear I have food allergies too. We had some of that rice (Dirty Rice) that you just heat up in it’s own package. I’m wondering what was in that too. Sometimes it’s a pain to cook everything from scratch, but if something is loaded with MSG, it’s going to bother me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m amazed by all the comments for my One World, One Heart entry! Wow!! Thanks everyone for visiting. I still need to visit lots of the other blogs myself, but I get eye strain so easily. I’ll do my best.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congrats to my friend Rachel and her hubby Mike on the arrival of their son Connor last night, just before 11 pm. He came on his due date and is home already. Rachel’s blog is Willing Hands on my blog roll. She has photos of his nursery. I have some goodies to mail off to her (she only lives in Abington, PA and I have met her once). Better get busy!

Jan11

Dianne and Dot

Posted on Monday, January 11, 2010 by Dianne

Standard

Dianne and Dot, originally uploaded by DianthusMoon.

In memory of my Uncle Don’s stepdaughter who passed away on 1-8-10 (also my brother’s 43rd birthday). Though we didn’t know each other on a personal level, it was always nice to see Dot and her sisters and their families once in a while. Pancreatic cancer is such a sneaky disease. Dot only found out in June or July of last year that she was sick. She got to see her son marry and have two daughters, both are still young. Her husband, who was 15 yrs older than her, passed away only 2 yrs ago.
This photo is at my uncle’s house where he has resided for over 50 years. This was the first photo in my personal photo album that starts with my babyhood and on to when I’m a new mom. I sent a copy of this photo to her sister and son in sympathy cards. I think the funeral on Wednesday will be well attended as Dot was in the bell choir and a current and not really old member of the church. I would have gone if my uncle wanted me to. Here’s the obit.