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People talk about the good old days and groan about growing older. But I remember those days of juggling multiple jobs to stay afloat financially. Trying to keep the kids straight while trying to give them a good life in bad times was stressful.

Those days left me no time for classes or studying or doing anything what I wanted to do. Life was all about pleasing, supporting someone else; responsibilities, heavy weights on my shoulders not always with happy results. No more walking the beam; I’ll take the aging with the benefits of easier living, less responsibility and lots of time to indulge my passions.

1. Ancestor Edward Fuller for being brave enough to sail on the Mayflower.
2. The Native Americans who helped the Pilgrims survive that first winter.
3. Family Search who has connected me to my ancestor on the Mayflower!
4. Stuffing, candied sweet potatoes, homemade cranberry relish, and turkey.
5. Holidays where we pause to remember with gratitude.
6. Photographs that record everything including family that departed too early.
7. Photographs of family/ancestors where I can see an earlier me.
8. A warm bed on a cold night.
9. Fred Motley, director of Pandemic Blues show at the Kirby Theatre in Roxboro.
10. The cast, crew, writers and all who made Pandemic Blues production possible.

It was the dark of night on a road turned dark at sunset, each motel, restaurant, store, and gas station we passed was also dark, making Christmas Eve 1978 look not so good. My sons were with their father for the holiday; Bill’s daughters were with their mother.

Without children in the house why bother with Christmas so we decided to drive west from New Jersey so I could see the snow covered Rocky Mountains for the first time. All day on the road, passing cars piled high with brightly-wrapped presents, brought us here, west of the Mississippi River, where we were beginning to have second thoughts.

Down to less than a quarter tank of gas we spotted the brilliant light of a 7/11 convenience store like an oasis, or maybe a shining star approaching Columbia, Missouri. With hot coffee in hand, we read a sign leaning against the gas pumps at the station alongside that said, “honor-bound, pay your money in the box” we just knew a motel with a vacancy would come up next.

What If?

Maggie Chalifoux

What if

     hearts were kind

     full and generous

     with love compassion

     memories were golden

What if

     earth gave everything

     nourishing our needs

     food air water wine

     never-ending

What if

     countries were knit

     from such hearts

     hands reaching out

     to touch with lovingkindness

What if

     we trusted God’s promises

     to love protect provide

     we faced our fears

     blamed no one

What if

     our skies were purple

     our moons were two

     we lived in another galaxy

     would we be free to love

1. Art and artists whose work changes dull boring walls into personal art gallerys that make everyday a joy.
2. Lab technicians that are working hard to perfect a vaccine to finish off the coronavirus.
3. Music on my computer that feeds my creative thoughts.
4. Leaders who are brave enough to face public anger and cancel events anyway, in trying to keep people healthy.
5. www.gutenberg.org  who offers thousands of free ebooks with no strings attached.
6. Yoga, yoga, yoga.
7. Caregivers and all volunteers, many who give up having a holiday so others may have one.
8. Friends, friends, friends, they are the jewels of my life, both near and far.
9. Italian foods and Italian-descent writers who write about it.
10. The many people who have touched my life in good and unhappy ways that have changed my life path. They were all teachers.

I had much to ponder when my kids were young and needing gifts for the teachers to take to school for the Christmas season. There were more kids in the house than money in those days and they were all in the same school in kindergarten, second, fourth, and sixth grades. Actually, money was scarce for all the days until they grew into young men.

But that year I came across the directions on how to make attractive Christmas candles. This was a project they would enjoy participating in, so they crushed ice into chips as I heated the wax and dipped the wick into square, quart-sized empty (and washed) milk containers and filled them with  ice chips. Voila, when they cooled completely, I peeled off the carton paper, the water drained out and I had four, lacy Christmas candles to wrap for teacher gifts!

There is something special about people who love and care about food, where it comes from, how it’s cooked, how it is related to heritage, and the pride of it. This book, a collection of essays, blogs, recipes, and the wisdom of nonna that is handed down through the ages, is a great read about Italian food, culture, and memories. It’s a keeper to read again later. And again. And to refer to the recipes. Di Maio’s stories about Italian cookies during the Christmas holidays brought back memories of visiting my Italian girlfriend’s aunts and the wonderful cookies we (I) ate at each house. My mom wasn’t a cookie baker, but I became one when I was 10 because of the influence of these wonderful Italian aunts with their trays laden with all kinds of cookies that took weeks to make. Remember to read the chapter on Bread and Quarantines! I thought I had cooked all the Italian recipes over the years, but found ones new to me in the book, with pictures! I love this book and highly recommend it!

What if?

arlene s bice

what if 

that Texas cowboy

who came to Trenton

to play Little League

baseball play-offs

swaggering & swinging

a 10-gallon hat

wearing boots & denium

turned my head around

made my heart pound

instant love at first sight

what if he & I were

20 & 18 instead of 15 & 13

would I be living in west Texas

instead of Virginia?

***Can be found on Amazon.com

for personally inscribed contact me on my website

arlenebice.com

1.  Pets back in the White House.
2. Networking that gets results.
3. Beautiful area of Rudd’s Creek to walk.
4. Pumpkin is back on the menu for a while.
5. My UPS person who graciously brings deliveries to my door with such pleasantry.
6. The post office is open for mailbox pick-up 24/7 so I can go when no one else does.
7. Artists who see beauty and share it through their talent with the world.
8. Pandemic Blues and director Fred Motley at Kirby Theatre.
9. Paul UP for announcing today is World Kindness Day. Love it.

A break in the rainy days that I love so much.

so what if there is a pandemic

so what if beauty salons closed

so what if I face the big challenge

who cares what other people say

who is gonna see it anyway who, me – clip, clip, clip