Sunday Musings Feature Mary, Rita & More

IT'S MARY'S BIRTHDAY!!  I'm musing mostly about Mary and her mom and her dad and her sisters and her grandparents--well, you know the family connections!  Proud godparents first appreciate the parents who selected them for the honor.  Thanks, Dik & Rita--I was honored and continue to be extremely impressed with Ms. Mary's Marvelous Moments of Glory, Fame & Continuing Pursuit of Fortune!

I so remember happy, fun snatches of The Baptism in Chicago, one of those hundreds of times over the years that this family gathers to celebrate. Anyone else remember more details?  I mostly remember ME!! AUNT KATHY--holding a BABY GIRL!!!   I don't remember who all else was there, I know there are more photos somewhere, and would welcome memories & pix from any/all whose "stories" will add to the joy of celebrating "through the years" with Mary! 

Thanks to Bob K's discs for the photo here. Maybe not one of those totally lovely photo ops, but don't you agree that Mary's eyes closed-in-delight and Rita's happy-as-a-clam smile are as good as it gets to show a prediction/reality moment of genuine pleasure!  

It wouldn't be Sunday if I hadn't had my "fix" of ABC/CBS/NBC Sunday news shows--all chatting away about the stimulus--no one being specific enough for me.  I'd like some MICRO views and more specific numbers and a chart or two--like, how many people have been foreclosed and what % and what is the real number of first home mortgages at BOA are actually in foreclosure, how many foreclosures are for 2nd or speculators' properties?   In CA, the actual number is 49 homes in 5000.  I like that kind of specifics!  Thanks, Arnold.  I enjoyed it as well when Donna Brazell on CNN reminded the Lousiana governor that Kristina and Rita were opportunities for "government help" that everyone could agree with--and we all know the stories of fraud & abuse that were involved in a dishonest administration.  Focus on facts, please.  Provide information not rhetoric and political ideology.  There is NOT a high speed train from Vegas to Disneyland--or is there?

In other news and notes--it's exciting to think that Kris is going to learn how to shoot free throws this week from a neighbor/nephew who scored 98 in a row?  (Hmmm, I didn't know that!)  If Kris wins the car, does Jim drive it one day a week?  I hooted at UConn's coach telling folks he deserved his $1 M salary because basketball "brings in" $12 M in revenues.  Yeah, right--what are the basketball team's expenses, including travel, scholarships, yadayadayada. We almost always only hear the sensational numbers--again, details and a micro economics perspective would be welcome.  

It's chilly & sunny in Charlotte--and the BIG news of a brand spankin' new i-Mac desktop in my oasis room is keeping me happy (and busy exploring!) during this first month of getting Social Security!  Got free and welcome i-mac purchasing advice from Bob Krider--always welcome, always free advice is, like being picked to be a godmother, --priceless and infinitely  rewarding!!

In the weeks ahead, Jennifer's sports news and her baby boy-to-be-named later discussions will be among my favorite items to read on the family site.  Oh, and thanks, Bob K for the urban dictionary link, I'll use it often to translate the jargon my student entertain me with on a regular basis. 

Happy February 22nd everyone!  Especially Mary Christina Potocny Krider--and will you let us know if our clicks for Chuny got results?  

Family, politics, learning, friends and other coincidences

Mandelas are those sacred drawings that like mazes and myths and memories have infinite numbers of points that connect--with no easy ways to find beginnings or endings.

I didn't go to Greenville to see my sister Betsy. I am old! Woke up with a pain--yes, Bill was still there! I also had a pain in my back and another in my head. Got up, took Aleve for the back, Advil for the head--and my daily dose of blood pressure medication to help cope with Bill!

Two hours later, at 11 o'clock, my loving and kind driver Bill graciously got up (early for him) and wanted to get going, I still ached in the back & the head, so no go. I hope Betsy isn't too disappointed. Probably not, because I know she & Deb, plus Georgia, Salsa & two other travellers I forgot their names, are enjoying the glories of a great dog show, it's a really pretty day and she understands--because she IS BETSY! Did you ever notice how wonderful women like Betsy always understand! Of course, she would for sure have been in trouble if she didn't call and say she was an hour & a half away, but despite being YOUNGER, she does understand aches and pains, and I know she would drive an hour and a half to hook up with me or anyone in the family--even for a short visit. Because, she's Betsy!

Other updates and commentary: Fun time with Bella on Friday--she is one fun young lady--what a gorgeous, long legged, savvy 6th grader. Kris & Michele went to Kris' UNCC college friend's 41st consecutive Friday the 13th party! A tradition that evolved during their "any reason to go out and party youth" years--and has continued in the same vein. Olivia was engrossed in watching TV, but ever the gregarious Bella was just fun to hang out with in that fabulous Kriders of Davidson kitchen.

Also, this week at our house, Bill finally went with an infected, swollen, painful jaw, to a dentist who then referred him immediately to an oral surgeon. So he's started that ever so needed process. KY and GA wins yesterday, good pain meds and of course a wonderful, doting, caregiver of a wife all have contributed to his recovery from this first of many extractions.

We had great news that after 16 weeks, Sean is totally cast & boot free--plus he had a great report card and loved our birthday box of Bakugan Warriors--only ONE duplicateof the many in his collection. In other grannykate news, Sam goes on his 5th Grade class trip to DC soon, and also soon Jay will have a minor surgery repair of a hernia--another "inheiritance" from his dad's gene pool.

On How & What Else I've Learned just this week: I have finished reading both Good Houskeeping & Atlantic Monthly magazines I got this week, and all the cartoons poetry and most of the commentary in the NYorker, plus my kids in jail wrote some nice essays about Abe's 200th Anniversary. Although one defiant kid told me it was BHMonth so he chose instead to write a great essay about Malcolm X. When I said his work earned him an A+ for content but an F for following directions, he told me that he did it for me--because I probably knew more about Lincoln and needed to learn more Malcom! Great rationalizing--got him where he is today, I said with my best teacher-knows-best smile :-)

On this week in Politics: The stupidity of "just say no" irritates the heck out of my sensitivity to an impatient inner voice that screams, "DON'T JUST STAND THERE, DO SOMETHING!" to those who only criticize and won't come forward with reasonable, specific alternatives. And, just so's ya know... Women's rights took long strides forward on this date: In 1820, suffragist Susan B. Anthony was born--and in 1973, Leah Michelle Krider!

On this week connecting politics, learning family & friends: Had a long really on the phone-not-email visit with Pat Krider, and read with delight some great facebook news that Sara's coming to Indy for the 500, and Jane & Darrell will stop by in their RV after Easter.

I also delight as many folks connect on Facebook to other interesting folks that I haven't thought about in years--like Josh Hadley or Lisa King or Diane Jung who are friends of family or friends of friends that have skirted in & out of my life. Diane reported that her parents' house on Tanner Ave. in Greendale is on sale--Her parents bought it for $35,000 in 1964, it's for sale for $300,000+ and we sit in amazement at the housing bubble?

Oh how I loved reading about Susan's gift to Will's teacher, and enjoyed the "perfect gift" timing from Fred for Valentine's Day. And kudos to Meg and Ben for being recognized as proud parents of a Student of the Month. I found a letter dated March 5, 1984 from Richard Negangard naming Bob as Student of the Week, "We sincerely appreciate the extra effort that Bob demonstrated, and we are proud to have him as a studnet at GMS"

Of course, I'm always a proud parent, I've NEVER been noted for humility! What struck me most--the "connection" links of Meg & Ben young, proud super parents of three adorable, smart kids to finding that old Student of the Week note about Bob /to learning aobut Diane Jung's parents house on Tanner Ave where Dick & Andrea Negangard lived, and who died waaaaay too young/to getting updated GMS demolition photos from Carolyn Blevins--and just a week or so after getting that funky t-shirt that Margaret found at Goody's.

No matter how I "spend" my time, as I blog and slog along through life, there are smiles of satisfaction--and endless circles of pain at how my memories and musing, both simply and with a complexity that I can't trace, link us through infinity. Knowing we are connected by just 1 or two degrees of separation because we're connected to someone who's my facebook friend--it's fun! Or because Jack's Dad and Elsie met up with Bill & Pat at an America concert on the Riverboat Casino in Rising Sun. Who knows. Providence? Magic? Mystical? Accidental? Encounters of Aliens? Doesn't matter, really. It is was it is--I am happy and probably have said enough.

Erika's #37- pinhole cameras-women-china- & of course, politics

First on the list--Jim & Sonya gifted Erika with a fancy but well worn, silverplate-patina-almost-gone, antique, dressingtable hairbrush & hand mirror. So--does anyone have mother's? I hope so. If it was thrown away or put into a box for giving away, I wonder even more if someone we don't know is treasuring it.

After my crabcakes & rasta pasta & French fried sweetpotatoes dinner at Anntony's Caribbean, cards & gifts opening, candles-blowing out, and a group photo-op, at this "locals" celebration of Erika's birthday there was a lot of talk to blog about. Kathy Schmid arrived about 8:45 for a first hand, live report on her sports gig of the afternoon--she had been hired as a personal assistant to Marv Albert at the oh so exciting Davidson loss :-(

Some threads and quick-shots of chatter and "deep conversations:" Have you seen Renaissance Man Alex Powell's Award winning photo of the Getty at Sunrise? It's gorgeous. (The Getty is one place that I'd live in LA just to be near--but now that the Satchwill's are in Davidson, maybe I can get them to take me along to visit again.) I digress--here's the point: if you haven't already done so, find Alex on Flicker and check it out.

Carla, Jim & Kathy & Rosemary Schmid also were into a wonderful chat/informal workshop of shared learning--about Carla's college photoclasses, to the ongoing debate of "is it cheating" to select a sky from this photo and a sunset from this photo, to the "good old days" of dodging the print in the developing trays in the darkroom techniques to an artist using a photograph so he can capture the sunrise in paint. Cheers to visual images and artists and choices and opinions.

Oh--and then Carla brought up pinhole cameras--so of course I was thinking of Jon's wonderful Sunday afternoon with Bill Krider/Dad/Grandaddy, making a pinhole camera and capturing a picture of Nanki Poo (or some Siamese relative) to create the beginning of his Regional Award Winning GMS Middle School History Day project. (That's why the photo of dad is my find and share of the day)

As we often do, for birthday ice cream, cake, & coffee I enjoy our heritage Haviland & Wedgewood china. That lead to more discussions of history which led to the question from Jay about how long ago his Great, Great Grandmother might have gotten married, and how much did she have to save to buy this China, which led us to the Bible and falling out clippings to read & stories to tell from Jim's trip to Cooperstown to reportcards (as you might imagine--some revealing history there, folks!!)--and yes, finding the actual date, June 1, 1909, for Tillie & George to have married.

Then, this morning's TV News Shows--and BookTV and more pictures and words and historical perpsectives and now I'm blogging, blathering and eager to go out and buy the book "So Damm Much Money" (I won't though--will wait for the Library!). The CNN Crawl says Kathleen Sibelius is indeed top-of-the-list for the Daschle position at HHS. Good on 2 counts--woman and outside the Washington/Congressional Corruption at the expense of citizens.

Speaking of women in government and really grassroots political activism--Pat Summit reached 1000 wins (cheers for lobbyists who made Title 9 happen & Cable TV for being desperate and telivising women's sports), and a tip of the family traditions hat to Marijo, editor of the LHS Dark Star that was "BANNED in the BURG" for criticism of the basketball disparities.

More blog topics I could blather on about because they are all good news and worth mentioning: Triple plays winners news of Sean, Sam & Jay's grades; I fun-chatted on Skype with JaneE in Cincy, tried to get Bob in Swissland, (wish I could jet to Vegas while they're here in the US); Did get online & videocam with Ann Satchwill's son Nate & hubby Ben Caplan in Georgetown, DC; got an updated series of photos on the demolition of the Greendale Middle School from Satchwill 2nd cousin once removed, Carolyn Blevins. Oh, and a lovely, handwritten thank you note from Carla's Grandma Irene. Carla had a fun-in-the-CITY--weekend to celebrate Grandma Irene's 90-something b'day amidst all the other FEB celebrations--which ain't over yet!!

Whew. Everything's all connected, isn't it? Women, men, marriage, family Bibles, sports, money, gifts, silverplated hairbrushes, DNA, photography, politics, lobbyists, TV, money--and words for my blog. How could I not paraphrase to act on Mother's admontions? "Since I have so much good stuff to share--I will say a lot!" Thanks, Betsy, for insisting I blog, and Susan Baker for setting a frequency standard.

So--Sunday musings over... I'm off to the mall for some shopping--it's friggin 72 degrees outside! And Eva's Kohl's peel off sticker is worth the max 30% off! Life's good.

Beer, Friday Night Lights, & Friends

It's not just any ole Friday night and time for a beer--it's DAVID POWELL'S BIRTHDAY BEER!! A great opportunity to raise a glass of anything you've got to the joys of godchildren, nephews, nieces, cousins, their kin and all those kids your kids bring in to your life. Then, suddenly, they are all grown up, marry wonderful folk, have kids of their own, and ta-da, give you more and more reasons than ever you could imagine--to be proud, to be honored by Dave's mother who picked me to be godmother, and of course to have a beer on a February Friday night! The photo-shop by super brother Bob Krider is worth another look if you've seen it before. If you haven't seen it before, yes, Bob has incredible talents.

I love TV! Watching Friday Night Lights is an emotional punt-pass-kick contest of my life from the good ole glory days of PeeWee, Little League, North Dearborn, LHS Tiger Pride, North Dearborn Bleachers, ALLLL great stuff. Recently I did dredge up with Margaret my worst sport memory ever--NEVER being a St. Lawrence Panthers cheerleader. I'll never get over it, probably.

This week I called Alice just because I have been thinking about her. Do you take time to call people you've been thinking about? Better than email, for sure! I certainly have some extraordinary friends --learned from Alice of an online organization KIVA that is intriguing. They loan small amounts of money to women around the world with ambitions to help themselves plant seeds (literally and figuratively) of opportunity. Ever the techno-wizard, she also waxed nearly poetic about the latest version of google earth and bemoaned the misery of Hoosier winter 09. Nope, don't miss it!

On Thursday night, I joined Rosemary to listen and learn from Marian Wright Eldelman, one of those women whose passion for activism for children in poverty began in the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to all the devastation of these days of economic ruins, Ms. Wright continues to inspire energy for helping the most vunerable of the poor, children. She warned us about the consequences if we don't--and begged for kids--while telling us to call Congressional reps and say "Don't touch money for kids!" Get this bill passed, Congress.

IT'S BELLA'S FREAKIN FABULOUS SNOWMAN! Other chills & thrills.

Yipee! It's another snow day!! The Krider girls piled almost every available flake in their front yard to build what Isabella commented on Facebook--A FREAKING HUGE SNOWMAN! (Photo by Kris online at www.DavidsonNews.net )

Learned some new data, was entertained by and thoroughly enjoyed hearing/watching Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) speak about his upcoming book on the prison system. Thanks to Carla for free tickets--and for a yummy broiled flounder dinner! Nothing like living down the street from a college like Davidson! And, despite their tough time adjusting from the sunshine of LA to this winter in NC, this morning Carla was waxing poetic about the magic of her late night after the lecture walk with Jim through the magic crunch of the inch or so of new snow.

The chill of this blustery winter has blown into to D.C. as CEO's are gonna have to cut back to $500,000 salaries? Cheers for the whistleblower in the Madoff case. I think HE should get a spectacular job ASAP. Markopolos, Harry Markopolos! Let his name become a household favorite!

How about Tom-who-didn't-pay-taxes going to have to work somewhere else? Probably we do need a smart, smart woman in that position anyway. Kathleen Sibelius from Kansas (and Cincinnati!) might be ok--or some super smart healthcare executive or a stellar human services professional who has a double degree in psychology and a Wharton MBA? Have you heard someone mention Dr. Howard Dean?

The worst worst chill of the day: listening to Dick Cheney's dark, dire, sinister, meanacing voice warning us --no, attempting to terrorize us--into believing that if we are attacked, it will be "all Obama's fault." He is evil incarnate. He speaks off camera--not in a face to face dialogue on subjects that reflect his total inability to recognize the horrors of the wars and destruction of human life, quality of life, and economic wreckage that are a result of the previous administration's arrogance, greed and absue of power. Cheney lies.

RENT, the Super Bowl & a bit of B.S.

Thanks, Paul OKeefe! Not only did we get to visit with you, chatter through some great stories, share some memories but.....FREEEEEEEEE! tickets to the show! Could there be anything better than a live performance of anything? Timeless and contemporary themes, dark drama, caustic comedy, mellow harmonies, and HUGE voices, spectacular music, dancing, audience engagement--"FAN" tastic! Plus a pre-show backstage tour, meeting and being greeted by stars and stage hands who really had lots of other stuff to do--oh, and as Erika, Kathy & I pulled up for Erika to be the super driver transporter for Paul to get to the Omni--a big ole shout from Kathy--the elephants were marching tail to trunk down the street on their way back to the circus train that was leaving Charlotte.

So, we missed watching the "best Super Bowl Game" in a really long time, maybe ever. The highlights and frequent updates from Bill kept us up to date and we groaned at how close Sean Nathan came to winning the big $$. It would have been soooooo ironic--the only Satchwill ever who's not into sports of all sorts! But glad Kathy's friends won (well just sort of glad!) and Erika and Jim Schmid will probably be easily into gambling from this day forward! So, next big burning question--how will guys from Batesville spend their million $$ and why the heck hasn't the Krider-OKeefe talent pool done a million dollar winning commercial?

In the BS/political commentary department--If the Democrats don't start reminding everyone that we ALREADY have a multi-trillion dollar debt, and tell the yammering pundits and mud-slinging "spokespersons for the Republican perspective" to shut the **** up about how we have to stop spending--I'm going to run naked through the streets--and THAT's not a pretty sight to even imagine! How about the GOP national chairman? Catholic, moderate, articulate, not a Rush-raging Conservative and and African American! Makes me re-think my Republican and roots. Gotta enjoy the whole Claire McCaskill commentary on common sense and idots. Hooray too, for her proposal to establish a commission to investigate profiteering in Iraq. Last, but not least, Mr. Obama, get on with finding folks other than "from Washington" to your Cabinet--among all the health & human services leaders in the USA, isn't there someone besides Daschle? Get over it and get on with it.

SEAN NATHAN, PAUL O'KEEFE & THE 1970 INDY 500

It's almost Sean's 10th Birthday! He is our favorite Colorado Cub Scout, a passionate fan of Pokemon, all kinds of big and small animals, sea creatures and of space. He spends hours on the computer, loves to watch TV at 3 a.m. while waiting for his super hard-working dad to come home from the night shift, and he and his mom reallllllly like movies and reading! Sean isn't too hyped about math homework, but usually gets it done! Sean's early picky eater history is legendary, and there's no one better than Sean at calling me when he has of a great snowfall, a thanks for the box of goodies-from-Grannykate & Grandpa Bill or a progress report on that broken leg! He's a GREAT storyteller!

Sean's a super caregiver to 19 year old Civvy--a cat Jim rescued in Terre Haute and Jon & Sue took "West" on their great adventure. Sean also has taken some awesome photos and mini-films of Baxter, his own younger cat--a live version of the stuffed Black & White Kitty who's been Sean's travel companion since Sean was a toddler. Ten is fabulous, of course, because it marks the final wonder-years of free-spirited childhood before the zits and stress and revolutions of the teens. WAY TO GO SEAN!! NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT ONCE THAT CAST IS OFF--YOU WILL CONTINUE TO FLY WITH THE EAGLES

In additional blog blathering--we've been reminiscing all week with cousin Paul O'Keefe as he visits Charlotte with the Broadway touring company musicians for RENT. Erika & Kathy have been super hostesses and last night Bill & I joined them & Rosemary for another suppertime gathering. Monday over Ole Smokehouse Bar-B-Que, it was all about catching up with O'Keefe family news, of Jana 's recovery from the crashing and crushing encounter with a NYC cab. We heard stories and praise for amazing male caregivers, Team Bazzoni, and got news of Tom and Christina and Dana--and continue to be dazzled by the generation-connections of Tariq, Gigi, and Mellen's frequent and fun visits to Davidson.

Last night at Don Pablos, we easily drifted to 500 history. For the first time ever, I learned that Paul was the "runner" and witness to real Krider Family 500 History--glued to his spot along the fence at the 1970 Indy Race, "just where Uncle Bill told me to stand in wait" to be ready to run the film of the start back to the UP/AP. Paul admits "I had NOOOOO idea what to do" when the cars came around the turn and smashed into the stands. "I just stared;Didn't move; hadn't a clue what to do. So I just stood there--at least Uncle Bill knew where to find me!"

When Dad finished with the Chris Economaki interview, which Paul and most of us remember vividly, he said he eagerly asked what should he do next. "I think I'm about done for the day," Uncle Bill told Paul. And then, according to Rosemary, Dad went to process those photos he snapped as the bleacher crashed. The Schmids were in NJ at the time--we weren't at the Race so saw it on TV--did you? Dik, where were you? Bill? Who else was at the Race in 1970? Betsy?

Lots of laughs as Paul shared the NYorkers' perspectives of coming to Indiana--including trying to explain to folks what this would be like when they were "recruited" to play football. Kathy admitted to her teen-age crush on Peter; and all moaned during a minor digression into the dirge PENNSYLVANIA--oh and we are amazed and pleased that HE STILL HAS THE BLUE VAN!!! We talked Patty Duke show, (love her Social Security Promo), As the World Turns--and learned some insider details about how Ronald Reagan screwed up SAG residuals for many, many early TV actors. We're sure Paul should get a laptop and write a book while he's on tour.

Last, but not least, Betsy, he got us free tickets for the show tonight--the Super Bowl can be missed for free tickets! Go Steelers gets me in big trouble, but I really don't care who wins, just the scores/digits that will win me $$$$ on the Super Bowl Squares sheet.