Another day in Catasauqua

Retirement is not for Sissies

2026-10-07T08:30:36.172-07:00

I am tired today. Last night I stayed up to late watching shows I Tivo'd since I was watching Dancing with the Stars. All the shows are now starting up, and all the NCIS shows were on last night.

We had Friendship Circle at church last night and now, as I write this, I am boiling some of the biggest Red Beets ever seen by man. Tomorrow I will join the Red Beet making crew at church.

More things come out of the woodwork when you are home. I am farther behind in my laundry than normal, because more things come up in a day.

We take care of my mom, which at 92 she can get to be a handful. Most days everything is ok, but there are the days she starts hallucinating or telling the therapists that we are stealing from her or saying that I pushed her down, when in truth, she decided to go up the stairs on her butt and ended up on the floor in her room with no way to get up, so I picked her up.

My favorite hallucinations are about the house next door. For some reason she thinks it is for sale, and that people come by and look at the concrete and shake their head no. The fact that she cannot see anyone out her windows does not stop her from telling the stories though. I just humor her. I found arguing or correcting her does not work. The other day she thought she didn't know me again and just found out I was her daughter. I tired arguing but got nowhere. I get downstairs and Parke says to me, going down that rabbit hole again. I said yup; and he advised me just to agree.

Oh, and I hate cooking every day. I used to prepare my meals ahead of time on a Sunday, now I am home, so I prepare them at dinner time and let me tell you. I don't like it.

Well, that is enough complaints for now. I have to go fold some laundry.

and that's another day in Catasauqua.

It's True

2026-09-29T12:44:13.534-07:00

Yes, it's true, I am busier than when I worked. But today just ruffles my feathers. Wait, I don't have feathers, but if I did, they would indeed be ruffled.

One thing about retirement is that I get to sleep late. No more setting the alarm for 6:15 AM, but this morning I had to set it for 7:00 AM so that I could meet a Verizon Technician at my church between the hours of 8:00 AM and never. I say never because I sat there at Salem UCC, until 2:00 PM. They had given me the time of 8:00 to 11:00 AM. First at 12:00 Noon they tell me the Tech is running late. Then at 2:00 PM I called multiple times fighting with the AI operator and finally after way to long I got a human. He told me the tech was not in the area, so I reschedule for tomorrow morning meaning I have to get up at 7:00 AM again. This time I am taking something to eat.

Today I got hungry around lunchtime. I found the bin where we keep left over snacks - everything was a little stale, so I settled for some Easter Candy. I knew it was Easter because of the Kit Kat bunny. Which, even though it said good to 11/26 - it was not.

If they don't show up tomorrow, too bad, so sad, because I have appointments and commitments the rest of the week. Who knew retirement would be so busy.

I will be making halu
pkies for the BASKET RAFFLE and FLEA MARKET at SALEM UCC on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3 from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. And if you are really feeling lucky you can go over to Holy Trinity who is also having a basket raffle.

Watch for previews on our Facebook page. Some great baskets and great deals at the flea market.

Well, I better go. It's almost time to make dinner.

and that's ANOTHER DAY IN CATASAUQUA

Retirement is not the End, just the Beginning

2026-09-15T12:02:35.594-07:00

I still don't feel retired. My friend, Judy said, you wonder where you found the time to do anything when you were working. She was right. But since I retired I had my own problems, then Parke was in the ER yesterday with now another UTI. Today I had the MRI and now I am about to do my final Trustee's Report for Church. I won't get the books back until next summer.

So every day - before I know it - its dinner time.

I just past the Angel that my manager, Nicole had given me with a bag of gifts. The Angel has these words printed on it "Never underestimate the Difference you made and the lives you touched" It made think. I hope I am still doing that.

Sundays I teach Sunday School, I had a conversation with Duncan, a 4th grader, about fried chicken, we both want to try the new Dominican Fried chicken place in Catasauqua. I think I might explore the place and maybe even write a blog about it.

I sincerely hope that I still touch lives. From the people who just walk by me while I read out front and I smile at, to the children I teach on Sunday. I hope I touch the lives of people I stand in line with and strike up a conversation with.

Do you ever wonder whose life you might touch. We will hardly ever know the results that come about from it. I don't need to know. You know why? Because I will just keep trying to do better.

Remember:

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop
“Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.” – Lucius Annaeus Seneca
“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.” – Lao Tzu

So, let's try kindness today, smile, and be gentle. You know why don't you, because that's Another day in Catasauqua

Is it really 25 Years

2026-09-11T08:25:49.839-07:00

Probably like most Americans over the age of 40, I remember 9/11/01 like it was yesterday.

First it was a phone call from my bff, Cathy, who told me a plane at hit one of the World Trade Centers. A building I was in once. I could not fathom what she was saying. Then the second one hit.

Twenty five years ago the internet wasn't what it is now - I remember my co-worker, Oliver trying to see it on our computers but CNN was frozen, TMI coming in at once.

The radio went to just reporting about what was going on as best as it could.

The Tower falls, people run.

I was worried about Cathy's niece, but she said that she doesn't work in that area. We later found out she was there, just got off the subway when the second one hit. She got out of there and was ok.

At work I felt stuck, I cried with my other bff, Annette. Not knowing what was happening was horrifying. We could only get bits and pieces of what was going on. The phone system to Washington wasn't working. There was another plane it hit the Pentagon,

The fourth plane never hit its target, the passengers heroically overcame the highjackers and they crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

My son worked for Exxon at the time, and my DIL at the time worked as a teacher. I couldn't get a hold of either for the longest time - they lived in Virginia but were very close to DC.

When I got home that night, all I could do was watch it on TV, by this time Parke had seen it over and over and didn't want to watch it. But whenever I could, I did.

How do you recover from that, we did, we flew our flags, we gathered in our places of worship and we prayed. We came together, we were the United States of America. One people, one country and we were proud.

I could say something about our politics today, but let's not tarnish the memory of those who died and the first responders.

Let's remember how we came together.

and that's Another day in Catasauqua

The Daffiness of Dementia

2026-09-09T08:27:44.209-07:00

As if my mother is not funny enough, she has been hit by UTI's and Dementia. Today she had me look out the window to see all the chairs outside at the neighbor's house. I did not see any. She said they probably took them inside then. She has seen a lot of people go in.

Poor Ida, my neighbor, if she only lived the stories that my mom came up with, she would be exhausted. Like the other day. She saw 12 women, all dressed up and with lots of makeup on,
dancing on the roof, yes, the roof. It was a wild party. Supposedly the women saw my mom watching them and waved (how nice of them) and she quickly got away from the window. I missed the whole thing. Can you imagine?

Usually when she starts hallucinating like this it means another UTI or the continuation of the one she has had. She drinks plenty of water and goes to the bathroom somewhat normally right now. And now, I wash her every other day, so she has been keeping cleaner. But if the hallucinations continue - or get worse I will need to contact the doctor again.

My mom has always been a source of entertainment. Sometimes my true stories have been funnier than anything I could make up.

I am used to her dementia - but not the hallucinations, sometimes they catch me off guard. Like the day the soldiers came and covered Ida's house with a white sheet. The whole house! Well I argued, note to self, don't even try to do that.

Meanwhile, I think I might finally feel retired. I have nothing I have to do today. So I picked another book from the "Someday I will read" pile and later I will enjoy the weather outside and read.

and that will be, Another Day in Catasauqua

Is it a Holiday today? What is Labor Day

2026-09-07T10:32:58.622-07:00

So I just went through my first week of retirement and I really haven't noticed much. More like a weeks' vacation to get things done. BUT of course, guess what happened.

I basically could not get up. Not off the sofa or the toilet. It took me by a shocking surprise. Especially the toilet. I have since stacked a bunch of pillows on the sofa so I sit higher and I have devised a way to get off the toilet; but, in the meantime I went to the Doctor.

Well, it wasn't good news. I thought it was my knees. I need two new ones but must lose about 40 pounds first before my doctor will do them. But there was so much more happening. First my knee went numb. I thought maybe years of putting stuff on my knees made them numb. But then the whole leg went numb. Sometimes when I stood most of the time when I sat and one muscle across the front of my thigh hurt like hell.

Turns out - pinched nerve in my back and I see the spine specialist tomorrow. Most likely a shot in the back or (I didn't like hearing this) surgery.

So, please say prayer for healing, I would greatly appreciate it.

Anyway, it is Labor Day. What is Labor Day - from Wikipedia -

Labor Day is a federal holiday in the United States celebrated on the first Monday of September to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements in the United States.^[1][2][3]

Beginning in the late 19th century, as the trade union and labor movements grew, trade unionists proposed that a day be set aside to celebrate labor. "Labor Day" was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, which organized the first parade in New York City. By the time it became an official federal holiday in 1894, thirty states in the U.S. officially celebrated Labor Day.^[4

In the late 1800s, at the height of the Industrial Revolution in the United States, the average American laborer worked 12-hour days, seven days a week, in order to eke out a basic living. Despite restrictions in some states, children as young as 5 or 6 toiled in mills, factories and mines across the country, earning a fraction of their adult counterparts’ wages. (Holy Crap)

First Labor Day Parade

Many of these events turned violent during this period, including the infamous Haymarket Riot of 1886, in which several Chicago policemen and workers were killed. Others gave rise to longstanding traditions: On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.

The idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” celebrated on the first Monday in September, caught on in other industrial centers across the country, and many states passed legislation recognizing it. Congress would not legalize the holiday until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view. On May 11, 1894, Chicago employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives.

On June 26, the American Railroad Union, led by Eugene V. Debs, called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the Pullman strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen workers and the arrest and imprisonment of Debs.

I never realized that Labor Day had such a violent start. My grandmother did talk about going to work in a mill at a young age. She had to stand on boxes to do the work because she was so small. Now, you can work from home. I can write this blog in my living room on my laptop.

In fact, Labor Day is Another day in Catasauqua

RETIREMENT

2026-09-01T11:52:05.710-07:00

Well, it happened, I am retired - this is day 2. First thing I would like to tell you about retirement is that the days go faster. How comes 8 hours at work takes an eternity while 8 hours at home goes by in a flash.

Day 1 I did as I said I would - slept in, read and then went to Aldi's. Later I went to the Catasauqua Library for my Crochet Group.

Day 2 is busier - got up - took care of Mom, then she had a video doctor appointment at 12 noon, The doctor was 45 minutes late, but we finally got that over with. Then I made a charcutier board for tonight's Friendship Circle, went down to church and hung a welcome back banner. Now I am home writing to you. I have things to do for next few days. I really don't see me getting bored soon.

I worked 50 years, 48 of them in Title Insurance so I think it was time to call it quits. My legs have been giving me more problems than usual - I thought they would get a little better. Darn

I want to finally do things that I had put off before . Go places, see things and do things that you just don't get to do when you work all the time.

Who knows what time will bring.

especially in Catasauqua.

And that's another day in Catasauqua

Starting a New Chapter

2026-08-05T10:36:03.361-07:00

Well, the time is finally coming. As of the end of August I will be retiring. I have worked since I was 18. First for Attorneys then I worked for Hamilton Abstract Company for over 30 years and after that two additional Title Companies.

I have a total of 48 years in Title Insurance.

I am not sure what is next. I do know 2 reasons I am retiring - 1) I will be 69 this month, it just sounds like I shouldn't be working yet. 2) My mother needs more care. Would you believe she is 92. Right now we are battling a UTI which causes hallucinations. The Ugly Midget is back. From what I understand he is on my neighbor's roof. Parke thought she would stop seeing him after she said he was not there for her but for Parke, my significant other.

Every day is an adventure, not knowing what kind of mood she will be in, what she will remember or what she thinks. This week she doesn't know my name - I am simply known as Parke's girlfriend.

If that is what I will be like in 30 years, make sure someone puts me in the home.

One thing I know - I might get to write more here. Just my mother's hallucinations are a hoot.

I might get a little relaxation in.

I might clean out drawers and closets I have put off forever.

So we shall see. I will take it day by day; and maybe share her some of the stories here with you.

Because, it will be.......

Another day in Catasauqua

Where have all the hippies gone?

2025-09-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

I was born in 1957 and basically just missed the "hippie times". I was a wanna be hippie wearing jeans and my Pat Paulsen for President sweatshirt practically every day.

I believe the world needs hippies right now because they embodied a spirit of radical generosity, community and environmental consciousness.

Hippies taught us the importance of living in harmony with nature and the planet, advocating for nonviolence and promoted LOVE AND PEACE.

What happened - where is that generation? We need you now.

"Blowin' in the Wind" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962 and released as a single and on his album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in 1963. It has been described as a protest song, and poses a series of rhetorical questions about peace, war, and freedom. The refrain "The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" has been described as "impenetrably ambiguous: either the answer is so obvious it is right in your face, or the answer is as intangible as the wind". In 1994, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man
How many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

Yes, 'n' how many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head
And pretend that he just doesn't see
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

Yes, 'n' how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind

_____________________________________________________



How many deaths will it take till he knows that too many people have died. Wow, that hits hard now, with useless assassinations and school shootings.

I remember -

Bomb threats in school as a way of getting out of class - there were no bombs, and it was usually done close to the big Thanksgiving Day football game.

Hands Across America - May 25, 1986 - it was a way to raise money for the hungry, homeless and poor population.

Woodstock - celebrated peace, love and music in 1969

The counterculture movement of the 1960s and ‘70s was arguably one of the most influential time periods in modern American history. A more individualized identity was sought after by coming-of-age outsiders that took over the nation due to the baby boom. Nonconformists emerged and publicly rejected traditional social norms. The anti-war perspective encouraged an idealistic peace and love movement that made the decades somewhat euphoric.

Maybe social media has ruined that all - or maybe the next generation can use it to create something even greater.  To unite people, to end wars, end hunger, end the destroying of our earth and to stop us from destroying ourselves.

The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind.

and that another day,  inside my head, in Catasauqua.

Batter, Batter, Oh NO

2025-07-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

July 3, 2025 - the Iron Pigs game for 7:05 has a rain delay. That's ok with me. I go for the food. Every year we have a great time with a group that rents the Iron Pigs Suite. I love going and I eat my weight in hot dogs and fried chicken wings and end with a cookie. It is a tradition for Parke and I.

I love being with my friends, I love watching Baseball and I love the food.

So, the game has a late start, 8:25. That's ok, I watched the first pitches, the dancers and talked with friends.

Finally, the games starts and then it happened. I think it was the 3rd inning. I heard the crack of the bat, I saw the pop-up fly. Then I saw John in front of me move, his hand going up and then the next thing I know Bing, bang, boom. Bing, it hit my calf, my legs were cross, Bang, it hit my stomach, Boom my hand. and then it was gone. In all that, I never saw the ball.

The usher came and the group said no one was hit, mainly because I could not say a word - the only pain was where it hit me stomach - but my leg was numb, and I couldn't move it.

When I finally got feeling back,

I went into the suite and asked for ice and then all the commotion starts, seconds later ushers are there. Then a few minutes later, an EMT.

Everyone was so nice, and a lot of questions asked.

No, I didn't want an ambulance, nor did I want to go to the hospital to get checked out. No, I didn't need a wheelchair.

I kept asking is there anything on my belly, I kept pulling my shirt up, nope nothing there and amazingly that was the only thing that hurt without touching it. My leg only hurt when the EMT touched it.

The bummer part was we went home - it was only the 4th inning. I didn't get to sing the 7th inning stretch song or watch the pork race, and cheer on my fav - Ham Bone.

Maybe we can go back for a game one night this year and I can try to make it through the whole came without injury.

Kudos to everyone that works at the iron pigs. From the hostess in our suite, to the ushers and the EMT. Everyone was so nice and caring.

To the ball that hit me. YOU SUCK

and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Freedom Let it Ring

2025-07-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you want a good cry today, listen to Trace Adkin's song Arlington. I know it's July 4th - I am not all decorated like I used to be. I do have one American Flag out and I asked Alexa to play patriotic songs, which led to the song Arlington. I cried.

Two years ago the freedom of what woman can do was taken away from us. Roe vs. Wade was overturned. I called my friend Cathy and all I could say was Cathy and she knew and felt like I did. Being 67 I can remember what woman went through with back room abortions. But that day freedom was taken away. I cried.

Yesterday the BBB was passed, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you a Rich White man, you lost a little freedom. You might not feel it now, but I guarantee you will.

Today is July 4th, today we celebrate the Declaration of Independence - “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.”

I think right now we are losing that happiness. I remember hearing patriotic songs on the 4th and they made cry, but not because I was sad, but I was proud, proud to be an American. Proud to think about how our forefathers fought for freedom.

My family came from Poland. Their names are at Ellis Island. This country is made up of immigrants, everyone, unless you are a Native American. Yet we are persecuting immigrants right now. I know some are in the country illegally, but all they are looking for is the same thing we want, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

Isn't there a way to help, instead of sending them to Alligator Alcatraz?

And, if they can build that in a few days why can't we do that for the homeless. Remember what the Statue of Liberty had engraved on it -

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, temptest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

I cried

Do you remember 9/11 - Cathy called me to tell me - we came together as nation that day. Showing the world nothing can tear us apart. Except right now we are letting something tear us apart. We aren't the same. We lost the happiness of the USA.

Do you know what I like to hear on this day - July 4th - it's not a speech by Washington, Lincoln or JFK. It's a speech from a movie President in the movie Independence Day where we are attacked by Aliens. The space kind.

"In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. Mankind, that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interest. Perhaps it's fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution, but from annihilation. We're fighting for our right to live, to exist. And should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, we will not go quietly into the night. We will not vanish without a fight. We're going to live on. We're going to survive. Today, we celebrate our independence day." yup - I cried.

Best line is - We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. So true!

Happy 4th of July - may you take this day to remember what it is all about. Remember what freedom means. Remember the flag, the Statute of Liberty, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States of America. Remember those who died for our freedom, for America,

Liberty is the right to live free, you and me, let us not lose it to any authority which chooses to oppress us.

and I cried, but that's another day in Catasauqua.

The Great Dirt Hole of '24

2024-04-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

Last night while I was at crochet group at the Catasauqua Public Library, my friend, Judy asked what Parke thought about all the trucks going by. I wasn't sure what she meant until this morning.

As I did the morning struggle to get in the car while parked

on Howertown Road during school traffic, I was memorized by the fact there were 2 giant dump trucks in front of me, crossing paths. When I looked down, I saw that dirt covered parts of the street; and then it dawned on me, these were the trucks Judy was talking about.

The trucks that were putting the end to an era. The trucks that were filling the Catty pool with dirt.

Yesterday after work I was making a run to Hartzell's to pick up a prescription. I had seen pictures of the pool being filled with dirt on Facebook, but when I saw it in person my heart dropped.

The pool which opened in 1935, Grand opening July 11, 1936, which measured 60 feet by 220 feet. The pool which became my home away from home in the summer months. The pool where I learned to swim and where I tried to learn to dive but couldn't. The pool where I hoped to be one of those ladies that sat under the tree (best spot on the grass) someday, watching my children play and swim. But it never happened, we sat along the fence. Three generations of my family swam there, my mom, me and my son. The pool was now a giant dirt spot.

I am not going to get into the politics or price that led to this. My point is I am sad to see it go. It is an end to something that lasted 89 years.

It was where I got snow cones and pretzel rods as a kid. It was where I met friends, and even fell in love once. It was the pool.

Yes, the Catasauqua Swimming pool has bit the dust, literally, and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Happy Father's Day

2023-06-18T14:10:00.003-07:00

For many, many years I did not celebrate this day. Yes, I did with my ex-husband and son. Plus today I called my son to wish him Happy Father's Day, a special one with a baby on the way. I had a grandfather I celebrated and Pop-pop my Step-Father but never a Father.

You see, my mom and dad were divorced when I was 4 months old. My grandmother thought it best that I had no contact with him. Let me tell you, she was so wrong. I met my paternal grandparents once, they came to my grandmother's house, they seemed so nice and brought me a giant stuffed rabbit, but I remember hearing her tell them to never come again. And they didn't.

When I around 17ish my Aunt Anne, my Father's step sister mentioned where my dad was living. I thought here it is, the opportunity to contact my father. Visions of uniting were in my dreams. The man would take me in his arms and call me daughter. I wrote a letter, in it I gave him options. One my phone number to call me. Two, write me back. OR three, if he did not want further contact from me, just put the letter in the self addressed stamped envelope and mail it back to me, at least I would know he got it. I would respect his wishes and never contact him again.

Well, I am guessing you know what happened. The letter came back in my self-addressed stamped envelope. No comments, no hello daughter. No, I love you.

But I still love the man who donated his sperm even though I will never know what he thought about me. He passed away December 5, 2022. I didn't know until a few months ago when I googled him. I did this periodically. I was sad that no one let me know, but then who would. Does anyone in his family even know I exist.

All I know about him is what I read in the obituary:

Luther was an amazing husband, father, and grandfather. As a long-time member of the Paradise Hunting and Fishing Club in Weatherly, Luther was known for his love of hunting and fishing. He enjoyed the opportunities to pass he love for the outdoors onto his children and grandchildren.

An amazing father.

It looks like I have half-siblings, but I guess I will never meet them. I wasn't even mention in the obit, although my twin brothers, who died, were.

I don't write this blog out of hate, I write it out of love. Love for the father I never knew, but also as a message to those fathers out there. The ones that leave and never ever have contact with there children again. You leave a hole. You leave a hole so deep in a child that you could not possibly understand.

I would have been happy with a birthday card or a phone call. One I love you in the last 64 years would of sufficed.

As usual I don't really celebrate this day: but let me say this -to my dad in heaven, happy father's day.

And to my heavenly Father, thank you for always be there.

and that's another day in Catasauqua

Getting Back to Normal

2021-09-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Ever day is a new day and with each new day comes a little more normalcy in our lives. Today was the First Day of Sunday School again. Of all the things that I missed the most during Covid was my Church family, especially the children.

Tammy, bff and co-teacher and I are blessed with a great group of children. They are smart, even when I think they aren't paying attention, they are. They are funny, they do and say the funniest things, I am always laughing with the. They are our future leaders and I don't mind leaving the world to them.

The most popular spot in our room is the hot chocolate corner and of course, the marshmallows. We had all kinds of marshmallows. Big ones, small ones, flavored ones and the kind that are in marshmallow cereals. I seen them wear marshmallows on their head, spear them with coffee stirrers and finally put them in their hot chocolate.

I learn, as I teach them and I have been learning for over 30 years. All the children that have come through have blessed me in some way. When I see some of the ones that I had years ago now married with children I realize how old I am. But you know what, the new ones keep me young. They give me energy that I usually don't have and let me tell you, covid had sucked a lot of my energy away. Even though I worked every day, nighttime was mundane. Come home, eat and sleep - repeat.

When I cleaned the room last week I found a lot of spider webs, one daddy longlegger, which Linus tells me is the most poisonous spider but is unable to bite humans with its fangs, and the world's most hardest marshmallows that ever existed. Along with out dated snacks, candy that was 2 years old and some other outdated items.

Today is was only Linus and I. We did the lesson about Deborah and Barak, talked about what we can do for others in the church. Talked about the food bank, the church carillons and daddy longleggers. Being it was only the two of us, we were done early so we threw yarn balls around and then did some origami, unsuccessfully. But I was never happier.

Yes, maybe we are taking baby steps to becoming normal and some things may be never normal again, but for today is was at Salem UCC Sunday School, and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Let's have some Cheese with you Wine, oh wait that gets delivered on a Tractor Trailer

2021-05-30T13:39:00.001-07:00

It's a rainy day, a soggy Memorial Day weekend. I can't help but read Facebook and one of the Catty pages is really getting bogged down with whining about noise and tractor trailers. Especially Fed Ex tractor trailers. But we need to face one big fact - none of use could live without tractor trailers, they bring us our food, our clothes, our medicine and basically everything. Unless you live your life on a farm, raise animals, butcher them, and grow all your food you rely on tractors trailers.

Of the 1.9 million semi-trucks that operate in the U.S., one-third of them are registered in California, Florida and Texas.
In 2015, commercial trucks traveled an estimated 279.8 billion miles collectively.
A typical semi-truck diesel engine weighs 3,000 pounds.
70 percent of American goods are transported via semi-trucks

During Covid we even relied more on Fed Ex and Amazon. Let's face - some of us didn't go out to shop and we had everything delivered.

I worked for Fed Ex (for a whole week) and do you know what that truck was full of - everything. Chewy.com; medical supplies, rugs, furniture, box after box after box going somewhere around the United States. It gets from place to place by tractor trailer.

Yes I know that the tractors trailers are big and our streets are small - I live on Howertown Road, I hear it all, trucks being the quietest. Motorcycles and loud cars don't bother me like they bother my mom, who has to say OY every time they go by.

I lived at 2nd and Mulberry Streets growing up and I am old enough to remember the noise from the Brewery. And lets talk about the airport, I could hear planes start up and roar overhead. They are much quieter now. Oh, and what older Catasauquan cannot remember the banging from the Phoenix Forge.

Oh our poor ancestors. Historically, manufacturing was Catasauqua's principal industry, and, in 1839, it was the location of the first manufactured anthracite iron in the nation.. Betcha that was a nuisance at the time.

Let's face it, there always something to gripe about, but I love Catasauqua, the small town charm, it might not be the best place to live but it surely is not the worse. I love the trees, the parks, and yes I to will miss the pool this year but it is what it is. We have Skelly on Race Street that makes me smile and we have a lot going for us and that's what we should be happy about.

You can complain if you wish, but the next time you have get a box from Amazon, or Zulily or anything for that matter, remember it probably was on a tractor trailer at sometime. and that's another day in Catasauqua

The New Normal

2020-12-27T11:07:00.001-08:00

Let me just state that I don't like the new normal. The normal means for me working 24/7 - and I don't like it. When I was a little girl and I played "secretary" I sat behind my desk and my toy typewrite and pretended to work. And I pretended to work 9 to 5 with a lunch hour and breaks. Boy, was I a dreamer.

I have a different title now and I am not sure the term secretary in used anymore, you more of a personal assistant or administrative assistant. Although we do have the Secretary of State, etc., which mean something different.

When Covid hit - working from home became the new normal for a lot of people. I hate working from home. I hear the tv, the dog wants to sit on my lap and everyone talks to me. While at work I hear music, the dog is at home and everyone still talks to me; but usually about work. The fact is almost everyone I deal with is working from home which means everyone now has a different timetable they are working. We have the early birds, the after lunch bunch, they hey I just start moving at 3 and the night owls. I just want to work 8:30 am to 5 pm with some sort of break at lunch, but that just doesn't happen anymore. Because they work, they think I work; and when someone decides they have a question on a Sunday afternoon they call.

Guess what people, I food shop, go to the drug store, take a nap and cook. I clean my house, go to church and see my family. I do laundry, I like to read (although it has been forever) and crochet (same for crochet) and in the summer -- garden (which went to hell this summer).

Maybe I am just to old for this, I come from a whole different generation than everyone else I work with. I still can remember when I rested on a Sunday.

Speaking of rest, I need a nap. I will say this, my Company is very good to me. Although I think they sometimes live in that perfect world I dream about when they say enjoy your time off. There is not a time I am truly off - I would have to go completely off the grid with no computer and phone. I need to learn to camp or something. To completely unplug, how nice that would be for just even a day.

Well, I am done whining for now. Occasionally it happens, LOL, but that's Another day in Catasauqua.

Christmas Spirit 2020

2020-12-23T18:16:00.001-08:00

I don't get much time anymore to write this blog, but I felt the need to write about Christmas Spirit, or the acute lack thereof, this year. It is peculiar times; Covid has cause isolation even in a crowd. Our masks cover not just our mouth and nose, but our smiles. Social distancing has caused the absents of hugs and kisses, (Thank you Emmy for not following that and giving me a big, meaningful hug today),

Some people are even spending the time alone at this holiday, maybe for the first time. A holiday that circles around family. From the story of a baby, born to a virgin mother and a earthly father who raise Him in love, Everyone visits that baby, shepherds, wisemen and if the song is right, a little drummer boy. That family is why we celebrate with our families and love ones. That is why we share gifts at the holiday as a symbol of love to each other, sometimes even as a symbol of hope as did the gifts of the Magi, of frankincense, myrrh and gold, gifts for a future king.

When I have gone shopping this past week the spirit that is usually there every year that you could catch in a strangers smile as they held the door, or talking with people in a long line at the store while you wait to check out, is missing. You can't talk unless you shout, people can't understand you because the mask muffles your voice. Handshakes and hugs don't exist and there is a sadness about that. But what even makes me worry is that this will be an ongoing way of existence.

All stories from a Peanuts Christmas to Twas the Night before Christmas revolves around people and family. Will the future Santa wear a Hazmat suit and use hand sanitizer, think of all the cross contamination that man causes.

How will Hallmark Christmas movies ever find love is a social distance society. How will Snoopy kiss Lucy through a mask, oh the inhumanity of it all.

Well, I have no answers, only questions and I can only hope and pray that the future will be better. That the Christmas Spirit will return, that hugs will come back.

Until then, I wish you peace, love and hope this Christmas, and that's another day in Catasauqua

Memorial Day 2020

2020-05-25T07:25:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday which occurs every year on the final Monday of May. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.Formerly known as Decoration Day,(my grandmother called it this) it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the Civil War. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died while in the military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

The preferred name for the holiday gradually changed from "Decoration Day" to "Memorial Day", which was first used in 1882^. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which moved four holidays, including Memorial Day, from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. (Thank you Congress I love a three day weekend) The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971. After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted Congress' change of date within a few years. (whew)

Memorial Day 2020 will soon not be forgotten, for in Catasauqua we are still in the RED Zone of the Covid 19 Quarantine. So gatherings, parties and picnics are not a good idea unless it is with your family that you been stuck with for the last 146 days - yes it has been that long.

Yesterday I ventured to Lowe's, which is apparently the gathering place for the world - I haven't seen so many people since this all began. I got some fertilizer and tomato plants, and apparently an impossible to open propane tank replacement, which is going to mean a return trip to people central to either find someone bigger and stronger than me or get a new tank.

So today we will have grilled (hopefully) chicken and potato salad and pretend for the day that this is normal.. I don't like the phrase the new normal, I don't want this to be our new normal As I sit here and write I see things around me that represent my normal, a bingo dapper, bills, and paper work. My new normal has hand sanitizer, gloves and masks to my right.

Somethings from the Covid Crisis I keep just because they make me smile. Notes from my bff Cathy.

Yes, today is Memorial Day, a day to remember the fallen in Armed Forces, who secured our freedom and liberty. Today that is what I will remember.

and tomorrow, well, that's Another Day in Catasauqua

A case of Corona

2020-03-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

A case of Corona means something different today - more like a virus than a good time. In an effort to keep Catasauquians updated, I am posting any cancellations, or virus updates for our area on my Facebook page.

So what are you suppose to do at home as this virus sweeps the nation.

Yesterday I said to Parke, we should play cards - some gin rummy or Uno - we use to have fun doing that. But as computers and iphones and Amazon prime filled our time we got away from that. What have you gotten away from that you might like to try again? Board games, cards, baking, crafts? I crochet and I saw on Facebook a meme that said Crocheters have been in training for this. So true, I have enough yarn at home to complete dozens of projects.

If you want to use your iphone or computer, learn a new skill like belly dancing, a foreign language or learn to whistle through your fingers. Here is a great article - 50 Amazing Skills you can learn on YouTube

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/572087/learn-skills-on-youtube

The thing I miss the most is Church, the singing, the prayers and the people. They are all like my family and to be without them makes me feel like a piece of my life is missing.

I am lucky to have people at home with me, if you know someone who doesn't it is
time to reach out to them in a phone call! Check on them, see how they are handling the situation. Let someone know you care.

Meanwhile at my house I won't consider it a crisis until my mom has no where to go every morning. So far her and her friends have been meeting at the buffet. So it's not a real crisis until my Mama stays home.

and that is another day in Catasauqua.

The Paradox of Evil

2019-12-30T12:19:00.000-08:00

You know, I don't like to post, to often, my personal opinions on anything. I prefer telling something historical or an event in and around Catasauqua. But today I am troubled.

Yesterday there was another senseless shooting in a church, not to mention a stabbing at a Rabbi's house. And what bothers me the most is the fact that the shooter in the church was shot dead by security. I know the security guy was doing his job, he saved countless lives, but he took a life in a place where rule number six is Thou shall not kill.

The volunteer security member was a former reserve deputy sheriff who is a firearm instructor. So my question is, why not just wound him.

When did we become as aggressive of a society as the evil we so often point out.

The paradox of evil. What's the answer - I have none.

Romans 12:19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it[a] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Matthew 5: 38-39 You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Are those the answer, turning the cheek, or leaving the gunman go. No, it would of caused more deaths. Did God put the security team in the right place at the right time - to protect his people.

I don't know - but in searching the scriptures for an answer I came up with the next one. For some reason this struck a chord. In the ever increasing evil that seems to plague us as a society, we need to look for the source, we need to find answers.

Ephesians 6:12 - For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

and unfortunately, that's another day in Catasauqua.

To Feel The Love

2018-12-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have been crazy to say the least. Two weeks ago I got a call about a new job with another Title Company. If you know me, you know that I have worked at the same place for the last 39 years. And, to get a new job was exciting, scary and sad all at the same time.

I hadn't want to really look for a new job, I liked mine, but I was only working part time due to the fact we were laid off part time, and unemployment was a joke. I tried to cut our expenses where I could but sooner or later I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the bills.

I tried working part time at night for Fed Ex but besides finding out why everything is broken when it is delivered it was too hard for me to do and way to dangerous for an old lady. I applied to a lot of jobs on line and then I got the call for an interview about a month ago for another Title Company doing more or less the same thing I am doing now. And when the call came that I got the job, well it was kind of sad at work. We all teared up because we now knew that the three of us would soon be down to two.

I spent the next two weeks packing up 39 years of accumulated stuff. Christmas stuff, stuffed animals, food stuff and how many coffee mugs can a girl have stuff. All of which ended up in my dining room. The last day was difficult, but not as bad as I thought it would be. Presents that I did not expect, a lunch which was delicious and good byes that were heartfelt and heartbreaking.

Not only had I worked with Annette all those 39 years, Barb came along 19 years ago and became a BFF easily. How do you leave them? Well, one thing is that I will visit often. Thankfully it is close by. I didn't feel the emptiness until a few minutes ago when I was putting Christmas cookies away. I didn't pack any for the girls for tomorrow. It felt like I had a hole in the stomach and I got a lump in my throat. Instead I will take some to them later this week.

Now just when I thought it couldn't get anymore emotional, yesterday proved to be even more so.

Saturday we had a Santa's breakfast at our church. So much fun, so much food. It was a great time. At the end when the helpers got a chance to sit down I was eating with another BFF of mine, Cathy. My mom was sitting next to me and then suddenly there seemed to be a lot of people around. I just figured they were talking, but the next thing I knew there was a present. Gail, a wonderful women from my church had a gift for me. Now, I don't like to be singled out, so at first I thought what could this be, why am I getting a present? Well, to my surprise it was a painting that Gail did of me. Me, as Super Stewardship Woman. Me, with blue wig askew, cape flying and crazy tights. In that moment I felt like my heart would just pop out of my chest with love.

So, that's been my week. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but whatever it is I know one thing for certain, I am loved. And I don't go through this world alone. I have so many dear friends. So many BFF's that I feel blessed. More blessed than one human being should be.

It has been a rough couple of months but I am looking forward to new adventures, new friends and new challenges.

And that is Another day in Catasauqua

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas

2018-11-25T13:48:00.000-08:00

I just finished decorating for Christmas and I decided to take Blade for a walk, when I noticed that the neighborhood is also decorated for Christmas.

I had just thought that my house was looking a little under-lit probably because I lost my mugo pine this summer so one less shrub to decorate. All my older stuff had broken, deer, angel and candy canes. They only last so long. I was toying with the idea of buying some lighted character or characters for the lawn to spice it up a bit. When what to wandering eyes I should see, but the Hallmark Pickup Truck carrying a Christmas tree. Yes, and it is adorable. Then I came across a shark and a NARWHAL! The narwhal was so cute. Now I am all excited to go out a look for something for my lawn.

You have to love Catasauqua and North Catasauqua, we know how to light the Christmas night. I know when I use to walk Pete at night at Christmas time it was almost as bright as day. So, I guess I will have to do the same with Blade, take a night walk, and some pictures for here, so I can share them with you. I hope that one house in North Catasauqua still has the chimes that play songs, it was my favorite last year. This year who knows what is out there. I am excited to find out.

and that's another day in Catasauqua

When I was a Little Girl, I Kept a Dragon in a Jar

2018-07-12T05:57:00.000-07:00

When I was very little,

I thought I kept a dragon in a jar. Every so often I would let him out to fly around and then I would scoop him back up and place him into the jar again. My dragon's name was Puff, of course, the song by Peter, Paul and Mary was popular at that time, I was about 6 years old.

Puff was an actual puff, you know the puff that is bigger that a dandelion puff, the way the seeds of a plant spread. Anyway, when I was a child I caught one of these big puffs (thinking it was a dragon, hey I didn't know what a dragon was suppose to look like, don't judge me) and that was what I kept in my jar. It was truly magical, I had it in the jar for days and I would let him out to fly and I would run around the yard with him. I sang to him (Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the see and frolicked in the Autumn mist with a girl called Beverleeeee, sorry I am a creative singer) I tried to feed him. but he didn't eat anything. But like my grandfather taught me, you can't keep creatures in a jar really long, they will die. So eventually I left him fly away. I truly loved Puff, I told him all my secrets, well at least the secrets of a 6 year old girl.

So why am I tell you this, well, this morning on my way to work suddenly there was a puff on my car window. It plopped right directly in front of me, like it was looking at me, then it swirled across my window, just like a little dance and I smiled and all the memories of Puff, my dragon, came rushing back to me. I even had tears thinking about it. Isn't it amazing how little things can make you happy.

In this world, as a grown-up, it seems like it takes a lot to make us happy. Everything seems so technical and we are skeptical of everyone and everything. But, then I thought about it, isn't the simple things still what make us truly happy. Think about it. A baby being born, love, a smile and even a fart makes us laugh. (Yes, Barbara I am thinking about you!).

Today I am thankful for that magical puff, the one I met today, and the one that played with a lonely little girl back in 1963. Heck, maybe it was the same Puff.

May you find still find pleasure in the simplest of things. Don't let life get so busy and complicated that you miss it.

Smile, because, that's another day in Catasauqua.

Oh Say Can You See

2018-06-14T07:56:00.001-07:00

You know, all this controversy with the Star-Spangled Banner and the Philadelphia Eagles and the President got me thinking. Where did it all start.

We all know that Francis Scott Keys wrote the lyrics come from "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by the then 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry
and observed that the fort's smaller "storm flag" continued to fly, but once the shell and rocket barrage had stopped, he would not know how the battle had turned out until dawn. On the morning of September 14, the storm flag had been lowered and the larger flag had been raised.

During the bombardment, HMS Terror and the HMS Meteor provided some of the "bombs bursting in air".

The 15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" that inspired the poem

Key was inspired by the U.S. victory and the sight of the large U.S. Flag flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, had been made by Mary Young Pickersgill together with other workers in her home on Baltimore's Pratt Street. The flag later came to be known as the Star-Spangled Banner and is today on display in the National Museum of American History, a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution.

The song gained popularity throughout the 19th century and bands played it during public events, such as July 4th celebrations.

A plaque displayed at Fort Meade, South Dakota, claims that the idea of making "The Star Spangled Banner" the national anthem began on their parade ground in 1892. Colonel Caleb Carlton, Post Commander, established the tradition that the song be played "at retreat and at the close of parades and concerts." Carlton explained the custom to Governor Sheldon of South Dakota who "promised me that he would try to have the custom established among the state militia." Carlton wrote that after a similar discussion, Secretary of War, Daniel E. Lamont issued an order that it "be played at every Army post every evening at retreat."

In 1899, the U.S. Navy officially adopted "The Star-Spangled Banner". In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered that "The Star-Spangled Banner" be played at military and other appropriate occasions. The playing of the song two years later during the 7th inning stretch of Game One of the 1918 World Series and thereafter during each game of the series is often cited as the first instance that the anthem was played at a baseball game. There is a great story here - (From the History Channel ) "Yet even though the event featured two teams at the top of their games, the crowd was somber that day, writes ESPN The Magazine. Since entering the Great War a year and a half ago, more than 100,000 U.S. soldiers had died. And just a day before the game, a bomb had exploded in Chicago, (the city in which the game was held), killing four people and injuring dozens more. In addition, the U.S. government had recently announced that it would begin drafting major league baseball players.
All this sat heavy on the shoulders of both the players and the smaller-than-usual crowd of fans that day. But during the seventh-inning stretch, the U.S. Navy band began to play the Star-Spangled Banner; and something changed.

As the song began, Red Sox infielder Fred Thomas—who was in the Navy and had been granted furlough to play in the World Series—immediately turned toward the American flag and gave it a military salute, according to the Chicago Tribune. Other players turned to the flag with hands over hearts, and the already-standing crowd began to sing. At the song’s conclusion, the previously quiet fans erupted in thunderous applause. At the time, the New York Times reported that it “marked the highest point of the day’s enthusiasm.” The song would be played at each of the Series’ remaining games, to increasingly rapturous response. And patriotism played a part right from the start, as the Red Sox gave free tickets to wounded veterans and honored them during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner before the start of the decisive Game 6."

President Hoover signed the bill on March 4, 1931, officially adopting "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem of the United States of America.

Now here is an interesting FACT - When the U.S. national anthem was first recognized by law in 1931, there was no prescription as to behavior during its playing. It wasn't until 1942 saluting and taking ones hat off came into play.

Since 1998, federal law (viz., the United States Code 36 U.S.C states that during a rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present including those in uniform should stand at attention; Non-military service individuals should face the flag with the right hand over the heart; Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are present and not in uniform may render the military salute; military service persons not in uniform should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold the headdress at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart; and Members of the Armed Forces and veterans who are in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note. The law further provides that when the flag is not displayed, all present should face toward the music and act in the same manner they would if the flag were displayed. Military law requires all vehicles on the installation to stop when the song is played and all individuals outside to stand at attention and face the direction of the music and either salute, in uniform, or place the right hand over the heart, if out of uniform. The law was amended in 2008, and since allows military veterans to salute out of uniform, as well.

The text of 36 U.S.C. is suggestive and not regulatory in nature. Failure to follow the suggestions is not a violation of the law. This behavioral requirement for the national anthem is subject to the same First Amendment controversies that surround the Pledge of Allegiance. For example, Jehovah's Witnesses do not sing the national anthem, though they are taught that standing is an "ethical decision" that individual believers must make based on their "conscience."

All this hooting and hollering lately about the Star Spangled Banner and the NFL seems to me to be up to the individual and shouldn't even be dictated by the NFL it is suggested and not regulatory to stand. It says you should stand and not you have to stand.

Yes, we do it out of respect for what the flag stands for in the song. But even the song has been debated. It is hard to sing. The music for the our National Anthem was written by John Stafford Smith, who was from England. The tune was from "The Anacreontic Song" was the official song of the Anacreontic Society in England. The Anacreontic Society was a gentlemen's club of the kind that was popular in London in the late eighteenth century. The Society was dedicated to the ancient Greek poet Anacreon, who was renowned for his drinking songs and odes to love. Its members, who consisted mainly of wealthy men of high social rank, would meet on Wednesday evenings to combine musical appreciation with eating and drinking. LOL - I don't know why this makes me laugh, it just does. Because the tune of the Star Spangled Banner is from a drinking song!

But it all boils down to this - It is a National Anthem, no matter how it got there. It stands freedom. The flag flies for a country "which is the land of the free and the home of the brave" . It stands for liberty and justice for all. You know, I think our Country has forgotten this. The flag isn't to be worship, it's not an idol, it is a symbol. I don't think we are the people we use to be. We are slowly loosing our freedoms. We are being told more and more how to act, who to like and what to be. We are loosing our voice in government. We are a people divided and that's not good. That is not what America is.

For me, I stand and put my hand over my heart at baseballs games. I even stand at home. And patriotic songs make shed a tear. I love America, but I am worried as to where we are headed.

For me...this is another day in Catasauqua.

The Loss of a Firefighter Made Me Think

2018-05-31T06:07:00.001-07:00

My Mom always has the WFMZ news on in the morning. As I passed through the living room this morning they were talking about bringing home the body of Erik Hirner. Erik was an 11 year veteran of the Reading Fire Department and a life member of the Charotin Hose Company in North Catasauqua.

Erik lived in North Catasauqua and was only 38 when he departed this life from injuries sustained when his motorcycle collided with an SUV.

Today a procession will bring him home and to the Funeral home in Northampton for a viewing Sunday and Memorial Service Monday. This is a sad time for all Firefighters and his family and friends; and I am sure that so many are asking why.

This morning I thought about that on my drive in. I don't know why; but I do know that we should live our life everyday to the fullest that we are able, because we don't know when our time is up.

Now, I don't mean that we should live recklessly or party like it is our last. I always had this dumb way of thinking, if I died tomorrow, how long would the line at my funeral be and how long would my obituary be. I know it sounds lame but I want to be more than 3 lines that say....Beverly Werner of Catasauqua died peacefully in her sleep leaving behind a son, 3 grandchildren, her partner and her dog. No, I want it to say Past President of Consistory, choir member, Sunday School Teacher and occasional Blogger. I want it to go on and on. I want people to miss me who didn't even know me personally but knew me as "that nice lady who smiled" "the lady who always said Thank you kind sir" when the door was hold open for her.

Lately this world has been filled with a lot of hate. Social media, which for me, was a way to see what was happening with friends and family has turned into a playground for adults insulting each other's politics.

Twitter has turned into a weapon. We have the freedom of speech but lets not turn it into the freedom to be stupid. Where is the love, where did it go.

As we mourn the loss of this young man, let it help us not to ask why but to ask how we can be better.

and that's another tear in another day in Catasauqua.

Firefighter Erik Hirner

Procession & Service Information

Procession from Reading

Departing Reading Hospital

through the city approximate time 1pm - 2pm

VIEWING
Sunday, June 3rd from 6 PM - 8 PM
Schisler Funeral Home
2119 Washington Ave
Northhampton, PA 18067

MEMORIAL SERVICE

Monday, June 4th at 11 AM
A viewing will be held prior to the service

Schisler Funeral Home
2119 Washington Ave
Northhampton, PA 18067