Quit bashing my home!

Bashing the underdog is easy.  Too easy.

This is frequent lately when referring to my hometown, and by "hometown" - I mean the city I was born, raised in and continue to live in.

Yes, our city isn't "the way it used to be".  Not many cities are.

We do have drugs, prostitution and buildings in disrepair.
We also have businesses popping up, eyesores being demolished and some people with an extreme pride for their neighborhood.

A local PTA recently got an entire playground build from the ground up, with the hard work from not only parents and teachers, but with financial AND physical assistance from local businesses and clubs.

Yes, we have crime.  A man robbed a local bank a week or so ago.
That man was arrested less than 10 minutes later with the help from local witnesses who were brave enough to give information to the police.

We have people like Mr. Rowe, who taught at our high school for many years and continues to teach into his retirement through his involvement with the Community Center.  He taught history, but more importantly, he taught things like dignity, respect and pride.

I am proud of my town.  Proud of people like the late Grace Girardi who organized a Veterans Day parade from her hospital bed.  I'm proud that when I once called City Hall with a question, the Mayor personally called me back and had the answers I needed.

I'm proud to be from the town where the great Willie Thrower was born.  I'm proud of the statue that stands in his honor at our football field.  I'm proud to have served many cups of coffee to Willie and to have had the opportunity to hold my tiny hand up against his giant palm.  Those great hands were and ARE the pride of New Kensington.  (Don't know about Willie - go google him)

My grandparents on both sides raised their families in New Kensington.  My grandpa on my mother's side owned a restaurant and fed many hungry families.  Our priest sent anyone with a hungry belly to Andy's restaurant and we welcomed them with open arms.  And when he was done serving his customers, he cooked for church functions.  I cannot serve canned green beans without thinking of the yearly dinner for 200 that my family prepared and served for the Anointing of the Sick mass.  It was service to the community - and you did it, without complaint.  I loved serving those meals - I felt like a celebrity being associated with Fran Datres.

My grandmother on my father's side was a girl scout leader, boy scout den mother, raised 6 children and organized crafts at the local park for FUN.  We would do crafts at the park and then the library lending bus would stop by to loan us books.  She also wrote, typed and delivered the neighborhood news letter, on her down time.  Her "down time" - quite a fallacy, Mary Elston never stopped moving.

These people are no longer around, but many like them exist.  KS and JR - girl scout volunteers whose own daughters graduated high school over 10 and 20 years ago, but they continue to volunteer.  KM - who has organized the local fireworks display for years.  There are many, many more I could mention.

New Kensington's citizens are ready to take back the streets from the crime and drugs.  Complaining isn't getting us any closer to "the way things used to be".  Getting off our butts and doing something might just get us back to where we were.

And with any luck, we might just get better than we used to be.

And that would make Willie Thrower, Eddie Adams and my grandparents even prouder to be from New Kensington.

ABCs of me

  
Addictions: Hummus, hot tea, pop tarts 

Bed size: Queen

Chore you hate: washing silverware

Dogs or cats: none of the above

Essential start of your day:  Check my email, blood pressure medicine

Favorite color:  Green

Gold or silver:  Gold but I love silver too

Height: 5'8 1/2" and shrinking by the minute

Instruments you play (or have played):   Flute, saxophone

Jobs titles you've had: Lab technician, paralegal, "candle lady"

Kids: Abby, Lucy and my step-daughter, Amber 

Live: Near enough Pittsburgh to enjoy it, far enough away to enjoy it

Mom’s name: Terry, aka Granny

Nickname: Sparkles, Sass, Momma Dog

Overnight hospital stays: ankle surgery, childbirth (X2)

Pet peeve:  Your/you're

Quote from a movie:  "What's your damage, Heather?"  (I ask Rob this all the time)

Right or left handed: Right

Siblings: 1 brother and 3 step-brothers

Time you wake up: 7 AM on weekdays. 8:30 AM on weekends

Underwear: See above, my mother's nickname   ;) 

Vegetables you dislike: Tomatos

What makes you run late:   Panic about diaper bag having everything we need, Rob's need to poop right before we leave

X-rays you’ve had done: teeth, ankle, back 

Yummy food you make:  Mexican, Cuban sandwiches, chicken pot pie, cabbage and noodles

Zoo animal:  Giraffes, sharks

Mis-fortune cookie

Rob and the girls took me to Chinese buffet for Mother's Day.  We also bought take-out for my mother.

Here are our fortunes...

Rob:  "Time flies.  Suns rise and shadows fall.  Let time go by.  Love is forever over all."
Me:  "You display the wonderful traits of charm and courtesy."
 (True, and it mentioned nothing about humility)
Abby:  "Time heals all wounds."
Lucy:  "You will be known for your generosity."
Mom:  "You love Chinese food."

Classic.

Oscar look out! Spoiler alerts ahead!

My Girl Scout troop has been writing and practicing a movie they wrote by themselves.  We will be filming it in the next few weeks and will show the parents at our end of the year party.

It is the story of a girl scout trying to sell cookies in an apartment full of crazy neighbors.

Here is a list of the characters created by the girls:

JENESIS:  a girl scout trying to sell cookies
CINDY LOU:  A cowgirl who is always dancing (Abby's role)
EDNA MURPHY:  Eddie Murphy's twin sister, and his biggest fan
CHICKA CHAW:  A woman who has a rap group comprised of 9 chickens
SHAYLEE JONAS:  A fashion designer
SORROW:  A sad, goth girl
MYRTLE BEACH:  A British soccer player
MABEL:  A nearly blind former spy
CAROL BRADY:  A mother of 8 who sings all of her dialogue
CHARLOTTE WEBB:  An obsessive exerciser who only eats potatoes

I am directing.

Oscar speech prepared.

At the end of the day, if I have taught them nothing, I have stimulated their creativity and imaginations.

Double Jeopardy

Category is "Planets"

Rob yells "UR-ANUS" as every answer.
and giggles every time.