I think I just lost my first post, that's not a good sign.
Here I go again.
Following the examples of the blogs of Tricia and Bjorn I have decided to create this one so people can keep up to date with the progress made for the reunion in August. Here everybody can make known their opinions, ideas, concerns and questions.
The response to my emails has produced the following list of family hoping to attend:
Rob, Bonnie, Nicholas, Jessica, Therese, Mary, Christine, Len, Kelly, Amy, (Campbell), Marty, Karen, Mike, Diane, Lindsey, Luke, Shannon, Christine, Ron, James, Christine, Presley, Chris, Kristin, JJ, Nevan, Lucas, Marcia, Dennis, Shawn, Brant, Julianna, Kahless, Briana, Braden, Ed, Deanie, Heather, Holly, Jamie, Eddie, Mia, Lui, Ellie, Lou, Marie, Tricia, Brandon, Dana, Davis, Jack, Tony, Carol, Sonia, Justin, Jacob, Jordan, Dustin, Kelly, Keenan, Jenalee, Mary-Ellen, Bob, Anne Marie, Mike, Zach, Noah, Jacob, Barbara, David, Emmanuel, Grace Anne, Hannah Lynne, Louise, David, Paul, Alan, Melissa, Bjorn, Vic, Don, Michelle, Mike, Penny, Logan, Geron, Betty Jo, Bob, Louise, Steve and of course Mom. That makes 91.
News to date:
Holy Rosary Cathedral hall has been booked for the gathering Sunday August 26 from 12 to 5. People wishing to do so can invite their own family and close friends.
I ran into Art, the super at mom's building, and asked the capacity of the hospitality suite and he answered 40. The Cathedral hall is booked for a wedding the 25th so I am working on booking the student lounge at Campion College, with Heather's help, and it's looking hopeful.
Dave and Louise's offer to look after the snacks for Saturday is obviously too much to ask of them or any other couple. With ideas from the rest of you we should easily be able to come up with some kind of plan for feeding ourselves. Anybody else who have plans they need help with they need only ask for help.
Tony has answered my call for somebody to look after a budget for our event. Chris has let me know Marty has offered to play, Therese is looking after a performance program, Marcia has a great idea for family photos, Rob is looking after a cake for Sunday, and Vic and Don are looking after a photo and pin. Chris has also asked to let mom know what friends you are inviting. That is a good idea, it will be a little less overwhelming for mom if she knows who is coming.
That is what I have so far, like I said if there is any other news you will be able to post it here or let me know and I can. I am looking forward to seeing all of you. 159 and counting!
1,400 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1001 – 1200 of 1400 Newer› Newest»Ok so I cant count this is actually 1001 So #999 is really 1000!!!!
Tahnks for the Warning BJ
Wow, Melissa, you popped up out of nowhere - good thing, too - that 1000 milestone really snuck up on us! And just think, we still have over two months to go!
BJ, your joke didn't get past me!
wow - i lost a whole day on the blog!
My computer at work went just a little crazy today - now I am thinking that our systems people did this to me on purpose....(yes - i know they can do that - having a nerdy computer brother confirms that story) The City was just trying to force some extra work out of me and it worked!! But here I am, now unproductive at work for the rest of the day. So there.
I missed 1000!!! Wow, this is like that song.....This is the blog that never ends, it just goes on and on my friend....some people starting blogging it not knowing what it was and they'll continue blogging it forever just because....it is the blog that never ends, it just goes on and on my friend..... i could sing this until 5pm - but that would be so wrong - and i would get kicked off the blog.
When I read the riddle about my mom I knew it was her! We are glad she is this way, she is a great mom......and it makes for some great fun-poking at family get-togethers. Get all of us going about the vacuum and the garden and the clean house....ahhhh the sound of the vacuum running.....sniff, there is something in my eye. Oh wait that is my hair - no mom, i am not getting a hair cut.
Blog entry 1002 (or who knows maybe it is 1050 by the end of my story) is another dedication to my mom! Even though we get great satisfaction in bugging you mom - you know we love you and keep track of us.....someone has to! we all have a bit of dad in us (which is a very good thing to have too!) No - I am not buttering you up for anything - nothing (other than my central vac) is broken at the house right now!
Ahhhh, IMTB (I missed the blog)
Sonia
ah, i was correct, holly snug an entry in...
Tony here!
In case you didn't know.
Thank you Louise, Holly and Marcia for your words about Carol. Mom puts it quite approriately when she says. "I think without Carol we would have lost you long ago."
Lou:
Do you recall asking me shortly after we were married. "Do you still throw your clothes on the floor?" And, Do you remember what I said?
I spent most the afternoon with Mom, and she was extremely pleased that you brought her communion, Holly.
Mike, Louise, Vic, and Therese, - I'm impressed! It takes some pressure off the teacher when his students are so clever.
Mom actually gave me one that she will be looking for on the blog hard copy (what an oxymoron!)so I will add it after supper.
Yes Louise, Mickey was the real culprit. Joe knew and little Lui knew (I think) but we didn't think the fairer sex could have stood the shock of it all.
Honesty, I thought it was common knowledge. Lou: Didn't the Leader Post carry the story?
Toe Knee
When I picked Carol up from work she said we are ordering supper, so I have about one-half hour to get the MOM on the blog that MOM is going to be expecting. Fortunately, I was involved in the MOM form the start and I will be able to give my conclusion to MOM's story:
“Jimmy was so sick. He knew that he didn’t have a lot of time left, and with Christmas still several weeks away, he told me that he didn’t expect to be around for Christmas.
I told him not to talk like that, I had already bought him a Christmas present and couldn’t take it back. I told him I was saying a novena for him.
But, Jimmy knew how sick he was and told me to give his present to one of the boys.
He died on December 23, and I gave you the shirt I had bought him, and I think it fit you pretty good. Do you remember it?”
My Conclusion:
I guess I remember that shirt!!!
I was known as a bit of a tough guy, but it wasn’t because I wanted to be. When Jimmy died in 1966, I was in my second year of university and was home from Saskatoon for Christmas. The present was a work shirt, because Jimmy was a working man. Being a plaid shirt with as many colors as the rainbow, including pink, it was not the kind of shirt a 20 year old should be wearing to university, but there was a feeling of commitment that made me do it.
Like Mike, and his long hair (or lack of it), I was concerned that I might be in for a beating when I got back to St. Thomas More College and took off my parka the first day.
I didn’t get a beating that day, but the campus bully took a real sh……kicking!
Toe Knee
Vic,
A Tale of Blue Cities for A Tale of Two Cities? BJ
To The Whole Clan:
MY DOE GO AROUND!!!!
Oh, heck, I'll just say it plain out:
DAMN YOU"RE GOOD!!!!!
Glad we're related,
ME xoxoxoxoxoxo
Hello everyone,
I have a question. the time that is posted when you publish your comment, is that the time it was sent from the city you live in? Or is it a general computer time like Eastern or Pacific time. If it is the actual time that you live in, my question is: Does anyone in this family SLEEP? I developed this bad habit of sleeping between 11:00PM and 6:30AM The funny thing is my mother is the worst one!!!! LOL-Just kidding Mom. Hope everyone is well.
Let me check about the time...
The time posted is an hour earlier than Regina time, so what does that mean? We Saskatchewanians don't know how this here ol' time savin' thing works, hyuck, hyuck.
The time is Pacific time. The Blog is owned and operated by Google and their U.S. Headquarters is located in Mountainview, California. That's probably the reason for Pacific time.
how do you know these things lou?
t-bone - that business of the campus bully takin that beating, its the hardest i've laughed so far, laughed so hard my eyes watered
as the sun sets slowly in the west, i bid you all a fine farewell
mike
Yes, Lui,
The sign pinned to the front door of our Retallack home read:
QUARANTINE.
It was put there by health authorities during an outbreak of one of those childhood infectious diseases; maybe it was chickenpox. The polio campaign came after we had moved to Garnet St.
(I tried to check this out with Mom by phone last night but her line was busy for hours on end.) Anyway that highly-visible sign warned others to stay away from us. And it was effective! What we had was not a bad as how that sign made us feel.
Because Dad had to work, he stayed away during our isolation period except to bring us supplies and groceries. He waved at us through the window and made us feel that things were eventually going to be okay again.
Anything that came into the house had to remain there. Those were the days of glass milk bottles in the quart size. The milkman left 4 or 5 of them on the step every morning. Usually we exchanged the full bottles for empty ones but instead Mom washed out the bottles and lined them up in the back porch. By the time that quarantine sign came down, we were wading through a sea of milk bottles.
These are the impressions that stay with kids long after the relevant stuff is forgotten.
Let's try something more current:
JET SET GAL, AND CONSTANT FAN
OF MATCHING KIDS AND ONE LUCKY MAN!
Luv, Lucy
Post Scripts:
Sonia ...I like the way you put in a second posting for your mom. Let's give her a third (1015) for the daughter she was to her mother.
Tony ...Thanks for sparing the feelings of the "fairer sex" when Mickey dug up Bluebell's matchbox. When did you toughen up enough to let us have it with both barrels?
Mike ...I was also moved to tears over Tony's story about wearing Uncle Jimmy's shirt. I must have cried as hard as you laughed. Go figure!
Holly ...thanks for the update on Mom in the hospital, receiving communion, visiting with Jo and Barbara, and finally getting the swelling down in her feet and legs. I guess Dad's words ring true again, "Everything happens for a reason".
Paul ...your Uncle Lui sure clearer up that time zone problem for you, didn't he? He's a source of precise facts about all kinds of stuff. Like Mike, the rest of us often wonder, how does Lou know these things?
Melissa ...I see you're still counting up and helping us click over postings by the hundreds.
BJ ...I hope your Tale of Blue Cities is correct but I doubt it. Some of Vic's POW's are really tough.
LOLOL, Louise
Just checking out the time zone thing. BJ
Lucy,
I don't know about impressions remaining with kids--although I remember quarantine signs I don't remember Dad not staying with us, him bringing us groceries, or the milk bottle jungle. Maybe it was too long ago for some of us. My age is showing.
Love, BJ
BJ ...I sometimes wonder if our memory of things is cluttered with childhood imaginings, too. My impressions may be more fiction than fact.
Lucy
BJ and Louise:
I remember vividly Dad coming to the front door at 1525 but not being able to come in, and I also remember the sea of bottles.
That other stuff about Mickey making the headlines may not be as vivid but I know Joe and I have joked about him digging Bluebell up more than once over the years.
I still talk to Joe on occasion and visited with him and Heather in Port Alberni a couple of years ago. Keenan did the West Coast Trail in May this year and Joe and I talked several times as he provided updates to the progress of the reconstruction.
If you didn't know, the winter storms had rendered the trail impassible in several locations and there was a danger it would not open in May. Keenan and his trail hands had prepared all winter to start on the first day, and were extremely grateful for Joe's advice.
Toe Knee
hi
Just to let you know Kelly and I are enjoying reading the blog.
Kelly says you must be an antonini when writing down where you left off on the blog you now have to write a.m. or p.m.
Len & Kelly
There are some great stories on this blog about the 'olden days'. no offence to anyone with that quote - i myself refer to the 'olden days' when i talk to my kids!
They have a hard time believing me when I say that I was such a good little kids and did all my chores without even questioning my mom and dad. I don't understand??
Last year, when I was in Burlington with the kids for racquetball we visited with Cory quite a bit. I had rented a vehicle and Cory had taken the train from Toronto on the Saturday morning and then we drove back to Toronto and stayed with Cory for the night. As we were driving into Toronto, the boys were scrapping about something in the back seat, hitting each other, the whole brotherly love thing.... Cory says "Heh - you guys cut that out. When grandma and grandpa took us on holidays we didn't do stuff like that while they are trying to drive...." Then we just looked at each other - knowing they were actually being perfect little angels compared to the antics we performed on holiday vacations!! I don't know how we ended going on more than one vacation. My mom and dad must have secretly enjoyed the torture...... Those family vacations (and the car rides..) are fond memories that we still laugh about today.
So here's to mom and dad for taking us all over the US - and Canada. more than once. We loved those trips, the great memories and the quality time spent with each other. And the fights - those were great!!!!
Sonia
Hi "The Gang"
Another update on my POWs.
B.J. - with the wonderful answers you have come up with for Metropolis of Another Color(i.e. Green Streets, A Tale of Blue Cities)and Walking Small for A Very Small Step, I'd think you were a movie buff, only I know you better. Have you been checking the Video Hound?
I've decided to give a second clue for the POWS still out there and add four more new ones that I think might be easier, although I've found out there are lots of movies/books that fit my descriptions.
Additional Clues:
Metropolis of another color - the name Molly might help.
Gorgeous Chick - I'm adding en to chick.
This is Not Your Conveyance - as a S.A. Marcia might be someone to ask.
Sensible Royalty - think musical oldie.
A Very Small Step - Those who guessed The Little(Marty, BJ, Therese) as the first two words are right.
New POWS:
Gladsome Guardian.
Ogre Stash.
Arachnoid Newbie.
Fish Zoo.
Be back to blog later. I have work piling up for some strange reason. Still, IALTB, MLTA, Vic
Hi Len and Kelly - long time no blog! Still, I'm glad to know that you are following the action on this site.
Campbell, if you are within blogging distance, please know that you are in our thoughts in a special way these days. Grandma Antonini mentioned that during a recent hospital visit YOU were encouraging HER about how to manage her blood sugar levels. What a guy!
Isn't it the truth? Postings on Ed's Edition are so frequent now that you have to at least the record the total number of comments you have already read so that you know where to start when you sign on again.
You know you're an Antonini when you have to devise a tracking system to keep up with your relatives.
I'll be backing up to #1024 the next time I log on.
Lucy, logging off
Vic,
City in Pink for Pretty in Pink?
Gotta go work on the new clues and POWs.
Thanks.
BJ
Vic,
The Little Hop for The Little Shop?
The Glass Menagerie for Fish Zoo?
Still puzzling.
BJ
Oops, forget the menagerie-I lost sight of the POW for a minute there.
BJ
Vic,
Nanny Nice for Fanny Brice? BJ
Wow, I better get some guesses in - BJ's on a roll!
How about The Green Pile (The Green Mile) for ogre stash.
Thérèse
Vic,
I'm back on ther POW trail. How about the Bass Menagerie for the Glass Menagerie. That's a play on words.
Therese, Your Green Pile is brilliant! If it is wrong, it may be better than the original.
BJ
lucy - lens lone entry tipped me off to look at the time instead of trying to find the last entry - pretty smart brother that len is, or should we have noan better, lol
sonia - one of the most disapointing things about leaving antonini and sons in the mid 80's, was i would'nt be working with my brothers anymore, your dad was an awesome boss
love mike
I was away all day and I don't think anyone guessed Tricia for Louise's latest riddle. Obviously everyone was leaving it for me. Thank you.
Yes, Lui,
When no one jumped in to answer my latest riddle, I wondered what was going on. I guess they were waiting for you to do the honours once again. Good eye, Lou!
Who can keep up with our "Jet-set gal"? Tricia's Tides tells of her 2007 travels in:
January to Maui
February to Regina
March to Cayman in the Caribbean
April to Las Vegas and Miami
May to Vancouver and in
June to New York (with Regina pending)!
We don't yet know what Tricia has in mind for July but, like the rest of us, she has the family reunion booked for August.
Tricia's blog postings also prove that her twin nephews have captured her attention and her heart. She has to be their constant fan, following their first year with an Auntie's pride. They are often featured on her blog site in words and in pictures.
Tricia is also your biggest fan, Lui. Her mom may be her best friend but her dad is her constant support. You are lucky to be the father of a woman of such beauty, strength and inspiration.
So, Tricia, we dedicate this 1033rd posting to you. I couldn't have planned that better.....10 for your upcoming anniversary and 33 for your recent birthday. Cheers!
Let's see if the family will hold back on this riddle:
HE WAITED FOR THE MAIL TO SHOW
BEFORE THE NEXT MOVE HE COULD KNOW.
Lots of love, Louise
Hi, Vic
Yes, I am still talking to you despite your maddening POW's.
Is an Arachnoid Newbie a "spider deb" (for spider web)? Yes? No?
Either way, Lucy still loves you
Vic....I have a better answer, I think:
Charlotte's Deb for Charlotte's Web
Lucy....still puzzling
Lucy,
Is the answer to your riddle Grandpa (Silvano) Antonini and his checkerplaying? He played checkers by mail for years. He would send his move to the opponent, then wait for his opponent to mail the next move back to him. He had the neatest little table for playing. When Thomas was a teenager he played a game with Grandpa, who let him down lightly in the first game. and then found out what a great player Grandpa was.
Love, BJ
Yes BJ,
Your answer to the latest riddle is correct. The additional story about Thomas playing checkers with his Great-grandpa Antonini is a delightful insight into this very quiet man.
I once asked Grandpa how he kept track of the moves in checker games that sometimes took months to play. He showed me a small book with a checkerboard on each page. Below the board, Grandpa made note of each move as it happened and he marked the squares on the printed board with special symbols. It all looked very complicated to me.
Each time a move arrived in the mail, Grandpa would reassemble his game board and reflect on his own move before firing it off to his playing partner somewhere else in the world.
Whenever grandchildren played with his checkers, Grandpa enjoyed their interest; he interacted with his visitors at their own levels - whether they were toddlers or teens.
I figure Grandpa must have played as many games of checkers in his life time as Dad played games of solitaire. I wonder what the two of them would think of today's computer and Internet versions of their favourite pastimes?
(Since Marcia showed me Spider Solitaire, I never have any free time anymore. I love the fact that I never have to shuffle the cards, too.)
Oh , look, I just happen to have another riddle for someone to solve:
IN A MOVE WE MIGHT ADMIRE,
WE BELIEVED HE SWALLOWED FIRE!
Love, Lucy
uncle jimmy lucy, i believe your latest riddle is inspired by tonys last mom story about the gift of a shirt
mike
i used to watch in stunned disbelief when uncle jimmy used to douse a firey piece of paper down his throat, i can still see him sitting on the pianio stool doing this. and then he'd wrap it up with boom, boom, boom
Vic,
How about Merry Poppins for Mary Poppins?
Mike,
We also loved it when uncle Jimmy did his fire trick. Mom used to get so annoyed with him. As I got older, I not only understood Mom's feelings (I think she was afraid for him), I wondered if he ever burned himself. Because he had always been drinking when he did it, perhaps he didn't feel it until he sobered up!
Lucy,
I love your riddles, and the fact that they cover such a wide range of people and memories. I hope you never stop doing them.
Love, BJ
Hi BJ
I play checkers on the internet just think what Grampa would have thought if he knew he could play a game long distance that fast he probably would have loved it.
Rob
This recollection of Grampa's checker mastery has always made me laugh:
Grampa was visibly perturbed one day when I was visiting and when I asked him what was wrong, he told me his opponent was late with his next move. I believe he was playing in a semi-final or final in the world correspondence checker championship.
I asked what reason the player would be late and he told me, "He knows he's going to lose, and he's getting too old to keep track."
I asked him how old the player was and his response was 68 or 69 if I remember correctly.
Grampa was surely in his eighties when that happened and he may have even been ninety.
He went on to win the World Championship that year.
As Louise says sometimes our childhood memories are clouded by our imaginings, but I don't think this one is far from the truth!!
Toe Knee
Tony
Hi Robert,
I'm not sure Grandpa A. would have loved it. He used to hold those checkers in his hand, and slide them across the board and rub his fingers over them. I think he liked the feel of the them. We live in a much faster time, and love all the technical advances, but there is something to be said for the old ways, too.
love, BJ
Hi BJ, Lucy, Therese
Just a short blog to say you guys are good! Lucy, I thought Arachnoid Newbie would take longer to solve but you guessed it with Charlotte's Deb. BJ, you are right on City In Pink and The Bass Menagerie and Therese, although The Green Pile isn't my solution, I agree with B.J., it's brilliant. Later, gotta go. IALTB, LTA, Vic
Hey Toe Knee,
You snuck one in while I was writing mine. Maybe I'm wrong--Grandpa may have loved the Internet.It is instant gratification at its fastest!
BJ
Mike:
Jimmy used to also turn his cigarette into his mouth with his tongue and lips, and blow smoke out of his nose.
I tried to show my university buddies that one time at the Cavalier Bar in Saskatoon.
I burned my moustache off!!!
T Bone
In honor of Uncle Jimmy, the following is my favorite Jimmy Tale of all time:
"I was playing for the Roughriders and we were down 5 points with 4 seconds left on the clock. We were on our own one-yard line. There was no time to run for a touchdown, so I lined the guys up in fieldgoal formation and kicked a double fieldgoal! Boom Boom Boom."
He also coached the New York Rangers. Anyone want to relate that story?
T aNTonini (Boom Boom Boom)
Hi Guys
Hey Tone
TNT...cool. You are too clever man.
Well, I'm back from Regina. I thought that I would keep track of the blog while I was there, but there were too many people around. And now I realize, "LIVE PEOPLE IS BEST". This blog is outta control. I finally got caught up.
Mom looks and sounds great. She may be going home Monday.
Tony, I have a few stories from MOM, so I will give you one that she told me to put in the blog.
About that garage of ours:
Mom's version about Martin:
(in mom's own words):
I can't remember how many times you kids almost burned that garage down, but I do remember the fire engines, and I do remember all of the different versions of how they got started. I know Leonard was involved in a few, ( I love that she used the word "few") and I know you(Martin) may have been in on one at least one of them too. So why don't you tell me your version.
Okay, so I talked to Len and then I talked to Mike and here are all three of our versions;
Mike's version
Lennie and I would pour small puddles of gas( from an A&W rootbeer bottle(3/4 full)),on the garage floor. We would light it with a match and watch the little fire poofs. For fun, I thought I'd pour some gas on Len's toes. I handed him the bottle and lit the gas. He jumped back, dropped the bottle, and POOOOOOOOF!!!! THE FIRE WAS HUGE! We grabbed an old mattress and threw it on the fire and-"poof"- it went out. We went out to the back yard to play and maybe keep and eye on it, and a few minutes later, smoke started out of the garage. We ran and hid behind the North side of the house and watched as dad ran out, looked in the door, ran back in and called the fire departmnt.
Len's version:
Len said Mike told it Gospel except for one detail. WE didn't hide behind the house. MIKE did. I went in and told dad about it.
Here's how Marty was involved:
Marty's version:
I'm sitting in the living room watching cartoons. Dad's reading the paper. Len comes in, slowly walks over and opens the curtains on the rear window. He leaves. I'm kinda confused. He wanders back in nonchalantly over towards the window, looks out and yells: Hey! There's smoke coming from the garage!
That's how I was involved mom.
Great stories Marty.
Now here's the rest of the story:
When we were done with something we just threw it in the garage. It seems to me we would clean it out every five years or so, whether it needed it or not.
Soooo. When the firemen got there, it toke them forty five minutes to find the fire!!!!
Toe Knee
Actually the previous post is not quite right.
Lou would say when the firemen got there they opened the big double doors, and the fire fell out!!!!
T Bone
You are one funny guy Tone.
And I just realized something: That might be the smallest role I've ever played.
Marty
I was going to sit and play spider solitaire all day and check the Blog from time to time (maybe after each hand). I am exactly 50% on the two suits level after 1447 games. I don't even try 4 suits (Dad would not be proud of me!)
However, Carol just called me from work and caught me so I'll have to sign off and check back later. I have 14 chores that I have been neglecting, and I think were having visitors over tonight.
I'll see if Sonia can help me with the lawn.
CULTR
Toe Knee
Not only is this blog out-of-control but so am I! I can't tell whether the tears are from laughing or crying. Most likely a mixture of both. I seem to be on an emotional roller-coaster and the memories just keep coming. I've felt like a little girl at times, back in my childhood days. Wonderful!
You guys are awesome with your story-telling and games and solutions. DAMN GOOD!!
Thanks for the up-date on Mom, Marty. It's good to know she is improving. I talked to her last night and she sounded pretty good.I could hear people in the background and they sounded like they were having lots of fun - a mini reunion!
Love you,
ME xoxoxooxoxxoxo
#1053 ( I think )
can't pull myself away.... feels like magnet.....must resist....have to eat .....I'm late already for something.....
Oh to heck with it!! One last comment Marty.
I think the humor comes from my kids.
I don't mean I got it from them; I mean if I didn't find something funny in everything that happened, I would have gone stark raving mad (that's assuming that I'm not you understand?)
TNT
I started typing this a couple hours ago when it would have fit better but you guys are just out of control so I'm putting it in here.
Louise's last riddle and comments about grandpa and his game are especially fond for me. I have the little book she is talking about. I also have his copy of "BIG LEAGUE CHECKERS" the book he won for placing second in the B. Hayes Tourney of 1955. He showed me the book one day and I challenged him to a match if he would let me use the book. He played white, I had black, he made a move, I countered, he made another, I matched it, my adrenaline was pumping, on and on I matched him move for move, what a game I thought, I'm doing great! With only 3 or 4 checkers each on the board he made his move, I remember his smile as I flipped through the pages of the book looking for the strongest reply only to find "white wins". He was amazing!
If I remember I will bring these to the reunion.
Ed #1055 (maybe)
Ok as of post 1055 at 12:29pm Blog Time here are the stats:
1st - Louise with 166 Entries
2nd - BJ with 124 Entries
3rd - Ed with 84 Entries
4th - Marty with 83 Entries
BJ has now also broken the 100 entry mark.
Enrty 1033 has a special detication on it to Tricia who I'm sure is a hero to all of us, She is to me!
1000 Spot I have thanks to BJ, She called me and said "Its 998 Hurry you have to take the 1000 spot" and the Entry count for June is 498 and counting, for the month of MAY there was 445 Entries
Hello Dennis
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!
Have a great one!
Ed 1057
marty, i told you i accidently spilled the gas on lennys toe. and i accidently dropped the match on it. i was'nt that bad of a kid.
ed, no maybes on the books, i gotta see those
mike
I got one thing done but thought I could sneak an entry in before I start another task.
I just talked to Mom on the phone because I won't be able to visit her with the cough and sneezing that I have contracted. She is feeling a bit sick to her stomach but otherwise is feeling quite well. A second doctor confirmed this morning that they think she may be going home on Monday, and I sensed a feeling of apprehension.
Earlier today, when I was telling the Jimmy football story a mosquito must have gotten through the screen and flown into my eye and I wasn't able to tell the hockey story.
Since no one else picked up on it I will try to relate it now:
"I was coaching the New York Rangers and we were tied 1 - 1 with one minute left in the third period of the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Final. We scored a go-ahead goal with 55 seconds left.
Boston had the five best scorer in the league and their coach put them all on the ice. I called time out and pulled off all the forwards and defensemen and put six men in goal. There was no room for Boston to score and we won the cup. Boom Boom Boom
TNT
Oh, my good galloping gosh,
I cannot believe this blogfest and I have to say it -
This blog's the site for info galore.
You're trying to catch up? While you do, there'll be more:
Tales, like the Christian baptizing a friend.
Riddles by Lucy, we hope there's no end.
Reasons to make us glad for in-laws.
Gollies from Toe Knee, of the super grandpas.
Horrors, like Bluebell interred, then unearthed.
Of such stories we know there's never a dearth.
Guesses on POWs coming at a pace, steady.
There's more in my store whenever you're ready.
Ideas like Holly's on name, Antonini,
Bringing submissions from Nini to a Pin-a-Nini.
Laughs at antics that make our ribs hurt.
Tears at stories like Jimmy's new shirt.
Quick answers from Lui whenever we're flustered.
Blogs that come in at a rate we'd call clustered.
Thanks to Sonia for providing much humor.
Her lawn's finally cut, at least that's the rumour.
Kudos from Lellan, our cheerleader supreme.
No matter how scrambled, we know what they mean.
Hellos from Lenny and Kelly, his wife.
How do they find time with their hectic life?
Witticisms from Marcia, like this is torture...indeed?
You know you can't fool us, we're all up-to- speed.
You love this blog as much as we do,
Evidenced by answers to Lucy's guess-whos.
New insights for us from Rob, youngest of all.
Reminiscences from B.J., the "big" sister to call
'Cause you know without doubt she'll be there if you fall.
Memories of parents on a long ago night,
Brought to life by Therese in a comical bite.
Quips from Marty, our kaleidoscope man.
Perform better than him? We say nobody can!
Mike and Thom@bigdog's sorry lament.
Admissions from someone of her youth misspent.
Absences for awhile, like most busy Chris.
When are you coming back, dear, little sis?
Countdowns by Mel to the one thousandth blog
On this fantastic or better said, ultimate log.
Days, seventy, before the really big day.
Thanks Ed, you're the best for showing the way
To strengthen connections, renew our relations.
Now, we'll know "us" better at the celebrations.
Toe Knee - Good Luck with getting Sonia to help you with the lawn.
IALTB, MLTA, Vic
beautifully said vic, you just gotta love it
your brother mike
Mary-Ellen,
I'm with you, half the time I don't know whether I am laughing or crying.
Wow, Marty,
Way to go on the Mom story.
Mike,
We knew it was an accident all along.
Len,
Of course, you went in and told Dad about it!
Marty,
Your great embellishment of the story just made your role in it a whole lot bigger.
Tony, I had forgotten Jimmy's stories. Have you got any more?
Holy Cow, Melissa,
How long did it take you to tally up the blog count?I gave up a long time ago.
Great verse, Vic. How do you do that? By the way you didn't say whether my Merry Poppins for Mary Poppins was correct.
Ed, I hope you are keeping a list of the things you are bringing to this reunion.
Everybody else,
Where are you?
Love, BJ
Just watching the US Open and reading the blog from time to time.
Don't say anything about the results though because Marty is taping it
Just spoke to Marie and they are packed for an early flight tomorrow morning and are heading out for their last supper in New York. They've had a wonderful time.
One day during the week all the doctors that work with Leukemia patients did a special review of Tricia's file which was sent down from the Tom Baker Cancer Center in Calgary. I guess they have taken a soecial interest in her. I'm not sure if that will help but it can't hurt.
Hey Mike
My apologies.
If I can recall you accidently filled up the jug with gas too.
Martinini
First things first,
Mike you are absolutely right, memories of Uncle Jimmy came flooding back to me with Tony's story of his Christmas shirt.
There is not much else I have to say about Uncle Jimmy. Mom's only brother amazed us with his stories and his tricks. We enjoyed his visits; in our innocence, his drinking was not a problem for us. He liked us and we knew it from the the time he wanted to spend with us and the way that he captured our attention. Boom, boom, boom.
My fondest memory of Jimmy was of the conversation he had with Dad on the night that he described how Antonini and Sons could save so much money on grouting tiles by using cake-decorating techniques. It all made so much sense to me. Boom, boom, boom
This latest riddle generated so lot of family interaction. Let's see what happens with this one, boom, boom, boom:
FOR OUTFITS WE JUST USED OUR HEADS;
LOOT BAGS CAME FROM OUR OWN BEDS.
Love, Lucy
Hey Louise
Were those the outfits that you made for Buffalo Days that made stardom in the Leader Post.
Amazing, once again.
Mart
Hi Lucy,
My guess is home- made Halloween costumes and our pillow cases to stash all the goodies. We chanted Halloween Apples ( never Trick-or-Treat) and got apples as one of the treats. I also remember the orange & black suckers, orange & black kisses, molasses kisses and lots of peanuts in the shell. Occasionally, I'd even get a popcorn ball! Times have changed!
Hey Lui,
No wonder the doctors take a special interest in Tricia. She is so totally special and such a fighter & miracle that I'm sure she has taught them many things. We're all thinking & praying for her.
Love ya,
ME xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
#1067
Post Scripts:
BJ ...Thank you! The riddles just seem to keep on coming ...I'll post them as long as the inspiration lasts.
Lui ...you'll be awaiting Marie and Tricia's return to Calgary. Happy Father's Day!
Dennis ...Happy Birthday!
Vic ...your poems are becoming collector's items. You make us feel so good about ourselves and about one another.
Tony ...I'm running into the same problems with blog time. I wanna be here all the time. Other things keep getting in the way.
Ed ...I hope you're keeping a list of the things that you're bringing along to the reunion to make the rest of us remember. Add kleenex!
Vic ...your poems keep inspiring me to write my simple verses. Have you and I had that discussion about poetry as compared to verse?
Marty ...it was great that you got to Regina for a visit. I have to agree that here really is no substitute for "being there".
M-E ...welcome back. I missed you! O MOODY RANG DUE
Rob ...I haven't tried computer checkers yet. Solitaire is bad enough. Where would I find time for checkers? Where do YOU find time for checkers?
Melissa ...you could fool us with those amazing totals. There isn't a person among us ( not even the accountants or newspaper reporters) who would go back to verify your statistics.
Darn, it's bed time again. Good night from St. Andrews.
Love, Lucy
How did that happen?
Yes, Mary-Ellen,
In the Antonini family, Hallowe'en "costumes" did not materialize until about 10 minutes before we hit the streets on October 31st. Our pillow cases were perfect bags for collecting the door-to-door treats.
Nowadays, when I see all those fancy witch, gypsy, fairy, monster, pirate and superman costumes in the stores, I know they are nothing compared to the stuff we put together for trick-or-treating.
We would return to the house with piles of stuff to share and trade. Think of it, this all happened in the neighbourhood that Thomas recently visited by car. For safety reasons, he never got out of his vehicle. Boy, have times ever changed!
I was on my way to bed when this latest answer came in. (Marty, the Buffalo Days outfits were a lot more work than our hallowe'en costumes and not nearly as much fun. Let's forget about them, shall we?)
I'll quickly post this riddle and disappear without looking for an answer:
EAGER PARTNERS HE WOULD CHOOSE
AND LET THEM STAND UPON HIS SHOES.
This really is good night now; see you in the morning!
Lots of love, Lucy.
Hi Lucy
I haven't made a guess on your couplets for awhile but this one is so appropriate for it comes for Fathers' Day. To all you dads out there - Happy, Happy day and let your little children dance on your shoes, just like Dad did for us. I remember your comment Lucy from our tape - "Daddy, can I dance on your shoes". That's what we did when we were little and I remember it quite vividly. IALTB, MLTA, Vic
Hi BJ
Forgot to say that your Merry Poppins isn't my POW but it should be. Take another guess.
IALTB. MLTA, Vic
Vic,Is Ogre's Stash "Monster's Haul" instead of "Monster's Ball"?
BJ, Maybe we should get on the phone and put our two heads together to solve some of these POWS. They're the TOPS (Terrifically Orchestrated Puzzle Samples), but I'm finding some of them are the PITS (Practically Impossible to Solve).
Louise, what a great rhyme for Father's Day - as you mentioned before a triple celebration this year. There's definitely something in my eye!
ME - SOY BETTER HUE
Marty, Sorry we didn't see you when you were here - now that I love my role as a bass (the singer not the fish), I'm looking forward to the natural blend of your voices at the reunion.
Marcia, I replaced my stolen shoes - the story I have to tell everyone is worth way more than $7.50 anyway.
Dennis, Mom remembered your birthday today, so I'll pass on her birthday wishes to you.
Lou, I'm glad your 'girls' will be back with your for Father's Day tomorrow. You certainly deserve a great day for the courage with which you have filled that role.
Ed, long time no see.
Mike - are we still on this week for lunch?
Therese
Vic,
Ain't Your Wagon instead of Paint Your Wagon for This conveyance is not yours?
Therese
Hi Therese
Way to guess Sis. Both Ain't Your Wagon(for This Conveyance is Not Yours)and Monster's Haul(for Ogre's Stash) are right! I'm adding two more to replace those:
A Large Upset.
Prison Marina.
IALTB, MLTA, Vic
HI Louise
suprisingly internet checkers doesnt take that long if the person your playing moves fast you should try it its fun. if they take to long to move I just resign and quit.
Whoa - you guys are nuts (in a totally lovable way!)
It took me two nights to catch up on the blog entries - I gotta try to check the blog daily - catching up on weekends just doesn't cut it! (I'm reminded of Carol's reference to falling from a stupid tree and hitting every branch on the way down - I was in hysterics over that one!)
Thanks to everyone on the blog for the great stories and rememories.
Welcome Thom - great to hear from the eldest grandchild (I know, I know, I'm not that far behind you). Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
I finally got one of Lucy's riddles but Mom beat me to it - "can I dance on your shoes".
You might be an Antonini... if you ever saw Grandma & Grandpa dance in their kitchen.
LTA,
Michele
Yes, Vic, Dad's shoes were long and narrow. We could place our feet firmly on his toes while he led us in a dance around the room.
Mom and Dad had fun dancing anywhere to the rhythm of the music. Sometimes, in our large front room, they would let one of us join them in a threesome.
Often Dad would change partners and take one of several waiting children for a lively, solo spin on his toes. He held our hands tightly and covered our missteps with ease. In the dance of life, Dad never stopped doing that.
It was just my luck that this riddle appeared on the eve of Father's Day. While congratulating Vic on her correct answer, I now get to greet all the fathers in our family on their special day. There are too many of you to list: brothers, brothers-in-law, sons, sons-in-law, grandsons, grandsons-in-law, nephews, cousins, and uncles. We know who you are; HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
I know you'll be looking for another riddle. I like this one:
WE BEHAVED AND SAT QUITE STILL,
IN AWE OF THOSE BEHIND THE GRILL.
Love to all, Louise
...and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY grandfathers! Even in my general list of those being celebrated today, I missed you... (and this grandmother knows that there are several of you out there.)
Luv, Lucy
Post Scripts:
Therese ...you are not just clever at solving Vic's POWS, you have created a witty summary of how those POWS are both TOPS and the PITS. I couldn't agree more. As M-E would say: GO MODE YO URN AD!
Robert ...I didn't know you played checkers. Like you, Grandpa lost patience with slow players. Only a man who knows he's going to win can walk away from a game in progress.
Michele ...thanks for the memories you packed into your latest version of "You might be an Antonini if..." Your grandma and grandpa Antonini would dance anywhere and if there was no music playing, they hummed their own tune.
Vic ...I am encouraged by my latest correct POW. Thanks for the fresh ones, too. I'm trying but so are they!
Darn, it's lunch time; I have to sign off the blog now but I'll be back.
Lucy, lunching
Happy Fathers’ Day to all you fathers, and to those mothers who do double duty.
As a storyteller, I have often told people, “Don’t get me started.”
You’ve seen what happens!!
I have used stories throughout my career, particularly to make a point, or to counsel an employee. This is true, more so since my departure from the private sector, than while I was in it. Generally, the virtues and qualities of Luigi S. Antonini are the theme of these stories. Go figure!
The following is a true story that has not been embellished in any way. It articulates the virtue of integrity which I believe was the foundation for what, how and when Dad did what he did.
This one’s for Father’s Day.
I had been working with Dad for only a few months when he got a call late one afternoon from a general contractor who needed a price on a small job. I had just completed a two week estimating course, and I guess he had the confidence to let me try my hand. He asked if I would pick up the plans on the way home, and have a look at them the next morning.
Eager to get into the real action, I reviewed the drawings after supper, and discovered that a copy of one of our competitor’s tender for the job had been ‘inadvertently’ rolled up between the pages of the drawings. I went into the living room quite excited and said, “This one will be easy”, and told Dad what I had found.
He told me to roll the tender back into the plans and return the package to the general contractor the next morning. He would call him and let him know we would not be able to provide a bid for the job. I didn’t ask why, because I guess I knew. And, I don’t know what he told the general contractor, and although I would have liked to have known, it wasn’t necessary. I learned something about integrity that day.
Dad was an anomaly in the construction industry. A man who didn’t swear, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, and treated his workers and business associates with fairness, empathy and complete honesty. He was held in the highest regard, and served in almost every capacity in the construction associations and related clubs, on top of his extensive community service. His principles were the same whether he was in the home, the community, or in the office. There was no façade for this man. He was truly a man of integrity.
My biggest concern following that episode was, “How will we be able to follow this path, when he is no longer with us” (thinking only of his retirement). To use one of his favorite expressions: “It scared the living daylights out of me.”
However, like all great leaders, he had already paved the way!
Sincerely grateful,
Tony
Thank you Louise for the greeting. However, I couldn't come up with one of those you listed who, if missed, wouldn't be covered in the simple "Happy Fathers' Day" greeting. After all, you need to be a father to be any of the others. No?
ME and I went to listen to Marty play the piano last night at a bar in Airdrie, just 10 minutes north of Calgary. The bass player who was with Ian Tyson when Marty first joined Tyson's band, the Chinook Arch Riders is in a band and they needed a keyboard player for the gig. It's amazing how Marty can just sit in and play any song the band knows.
Just before we left Marty did a solo of a Rock and Roll medley that filled a previously sparsely populated dance floor. We are a little biased but it is amazing how he can play. Anyway we had some fun, it has been a while since ME and I have been out like that.
Funny, we must be getting old. I dropped ME off before midnight and she laughed and said "When Mom and Dad used to come to see Marty we wouldn't get home until 2:00 am. Mom and Dad would be the last ones dancing!!"
Honestly now, is the Old Course really closed today?
Hi Tony
I read your account about Dad with interest and then through tears. You're right about Dad being an anomaly in the construction industry, especially I think in those times.
We are so fortunate to have had a Father that lived all aspects of his life in the same way - with integrity, dignity, faith and love. He told me once that he loved Mom more each passing day and I never doubted that was true and that he loved all of us, unconditionally. He was grateful for every day and was gracious with the gifts he had been given. Thanks for posting your story on Fathers' Day and have a wonderful day with your family. I see how they love you. So do I. Vic
Hi Lui
I would have loved to have been with you and ME last night, not only to hear Marty play but just to be with the three of you. I haven't heard Marty play for several years now and it's one of many reasons that I can hardly wait until the fourteen of us and our families are together with Mom in August. Happy Fathers' Day. I hope it's an especially happy one. Love from your big sister, Vic.
Hello all,
Lou and ME - how great that you got to spend an evening out together, and even greater that you got to listen to Marty all night. It's true that he seems able to slide into any musical situation, and while there are probably not many who appreciate the how truly exceptional he is, we know that last night there were at least two in the crowd who did.
Vic, I have a couple of guesses for your new POWS. The Big Spill for The Big Chill, and Jailhouse Dock for Jailhouse Rock.
Therese
Tony,
I absolutely love your funny stories, but I like your latest one even better. What a wonderful tribute to a wonderful man on his birthday, Father's Day and wedding anniversary. The love your own children have for you is proof that you learned from him. Happy Father's Day.
Lui,
You are another proof that Dad's example lives on. Your love and devotion for your own family are outstanding and we love and honor you for it.Happy Father's Day.
Love, BJ
Mary-Ellen,
How wonderful that you and Lui got together last night and went to hear Marty. Lucky you! Marty is truly gifted and such fun to listen to. I would have loved to be there with you.
Therese,
Way to go on the new POWs. I had hardly read the clues before you had them solved. Wow!
Vic,
We need more POWs.
Lucy,
Since no one else is going for it, I'll take a stab at your riddle. We used to visit the Sisters of the Precious Blood in that huge old house on Albert Street. Because it was a cloistered order they could only visit us through the grill. (And was it only one of them that could even do that?) It was always awesome to visit.
Love, BJ
I did not know that the wooden cage at the Sister's residence was called the grill. I was trying to figure out who was cooking what!!
How about this one.
ONCE A YEAR FOR FOWL FARE
DAD WOULD TAKE THE FAMILY THERE
Sorry for barging in on your territory Lucy but your latest entry made me think of this. lol
Hi Therese
Wow! You're on a roll. The POWS - Jailhouse Dock and The Big Spill are right. I'm adding two to replace those and a third for Fathers' Day:
Huge Husk.
Direction To A Performer.
Suburban Dad.
Michelly, glad to see you blogging again. You have now discovered that you gotta check the block every day or you spend a whole lot of time just catching up.
IALTB, MLTA, Vic
Hi Schweetie
I meant you gotta check the blog.
Happy Fathers' Day, Brian. IALTB, Love you both. Mom
I just got Jenalee's Father day cheer:
Dad, Dad, He's the Man,
If he can't fix it ......
.......
.......
.......
.......
Your going to hear a whole lot of cursing,.........
And, watch out for the flying tools!
TNT
Chris!!!
I hope you get on the blog today.
You are going to have to watch closely as we approach the next highly significant number of comments.
I am sure it has a special significance for you.
Remember, some of us are so blogdicted that we will have a hard time avoiding 1140, and the window may be open for a very short time.
Toe Knee
I took up Lou’s suggestion to take a look and you are all blog-erific! And yes - crazy. What fun. I haven’t read them all but the one about starting the garage on fire was hilarious. Simultaneously Jack figured out how to open a door while Davis climbed up on a large chair, they both turned and smiled at me…..hmmmm….I see some similarity.
Can’t wait to meet the rest of you. The boys are going to have a great time as they love new people and lots of music!
You might be an Antonini if……you can’t remember where you left your car keys.
Lui,
I'm leaving your riddle for Christine. Good one, though.
Tony,
Jenalee is another chip off the old block. Her Father's Day cheer is hilarious.
Jenalee,
Right on! You go girl!
Vic,
Thanks for the new POWs. I don't know if I'll have time to work on them today, but by the time I post this, Therese will probably have solved them anyway.
Dana,
Welcome to the blog. We are all looking forward to seeing you at the reunion. By the way, your last comment shows you sure know your Antoninis!
Melissa,
Where are you?
Love, BJ
Vic,
Beverly Hills Pop for Beverly Hills Cop?
BJ
BJ:
I don't remember any more of Jimmy's stories, but I do know that he once fought Joe Dempsey for the World Heavyweight championship, played in the world cup, and the world series. He also had several (I forget how many) consecutive hole-in-ones including at least one par five, and had a run of 148 (perfect game = 147) against Willie Masconi for the World snooker championship.
Louise, this may interest you particularly:
When we tiled the Holiday Inn kitchen and dining areas in 1963 or 64, Dad ordered a rough surface tile from Summitville, Ohio. The brick-surface was supposed to come with a parafin wax coating so that after grouting you would steam clean the surface to remove the grout.
The wax coating was far from satisfactory and after the floor was grouted Dad was forced to bring every worker he had to try to get the surface clean, including his inventory manager, Jimmy Wilson.
Things were not going well until Jimmy and his brother-in-law Gerry Thompson disappeared for half an hour or so and reappeared with a supply of burlap terrazzo chip bags cut up into rag size pieces. Jimmy figured this would provide a solution.
It was a solution that set the stage for the most difficult grouting jobs from that day forward.
TNT
Hi Everyone,
Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there.
I love your story about Dad, Tony. He was an extraordinary man & gave us many wondeful memories and gifts. I read the following quote in the Reader's Digest many, many years ago, and I wrote it down cause I thought of Dad. Here it is by Theodore M. Hesburgh ( ?? )
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A FATHER CAN DO FOR HIS CHILDREN IS TO LOVE THEIR MOTHER.
Well he definitely did that!We all knew, without a shadow of a doubt that Dad loved Mom and did he ever!!! What an impact that has had on all of us!
Yes, I was with two of my little brothers last night and had a great time. Thanks Lui & Marty. You're both awesome. I do love my brothers and this brings to mind another quote from years ago.
Clara Ortega : THE MILDEST DROWSIEST SISTER HAS BEEN KNOWN TO TURN TIGER IF HER SIBLING IS IN TROUBLE.
Ain't that the truth? Look out Barry Munger!
Love,
Tiger Sister
# 1097
...What time is it?...
Almost 2000
1099
I reall need to learm how to count its Only 1100
1100 still impressive not quite 2000 I will give a few days!
Happy Fathers Day To All The Dads!
OH!...OH!...OH!...
Let me tell the Barry Munger story!! Please, Please, Please!
Lou's version:
(I know it goes something like this).
Barry Munger was the guy who owned that big mean dog: KING
One day Lou came home, crying. Mom asked him what had happened. I guess Barry had beat him up and Lou was pretty sore.
Well, little did Lou and mom know that Mary Ellen was right there, listening in. Now I lay me down to sleep. LOOK OUT! Mary Ellen was up and out of there with Lou right behind her.
Oh, somewhere in this favored land,
the sun is shining bright.
The band is playing somewhere,
and somewhere hearts are light.
And somewhere men are laughing,
and somewhere children shout.
But there is joy in Mudville.
Mighty Munger is flat on his ass.
Mary Ellen's version:
...Oh, I think I may have slapped him.
Lou's response to ME's version:
Marty.. she kicked the livin' #&*@#!! out of him. You DO NOT MESS with Mary Ellen.
Mary-Ellen, Marty and Lou:
Laughing out loud, lolololololololol
Love, BJ
welcome dana, hows the house, i saw it just when you had moved in?
michelle, you can't take any breaks from the blog and i got choked up on your might be an antonini entry
tony, thanks for the story about dad. both of you have had a profound effect on how i run my real estate business. i often ask my self when i've got a problem, what would tony do, i've been doing it for 22 years now, so i don't know if you remember but i've actually called you a couple of times for advice. thanks again
therese, wednesday is the best day for me this week, call me monday
love mike
Vic,
The Mighty Shucks for the Mighty Ducks
BJ
Hi, all, I have been away from my computer for a few hours and now I have no idea where to start.
I suppose the first thing I should do is take care of my latest riddle. Yes, Betty-Jo, you are right about those awesome visits that we made to the Precious Blood Monastery on Albert Street. Those contemplative nuns have been praying for the Antonini family for years and they continue to do so to this day. Mom and Dad were generous benefactors to the community and close friends to individual members.
Today, Gerry Garrity, the daughter of Bernard and Irene Garrity is a Sister of the Precious Blood.
Lui, I had to laugh when you referred to the wooden grill that separated us from the sisters as a "cage". As far as we knew, nothing was cooking behind that grill. However, when we visited the sisters, one of them would pass a plate of cakes and cookies though a wicket in the grill. We were offered dainty tidbits but we were so polite that we barely touched them. The atmosphere in the convent was almost too solemn for us to do anything but sit and wait for the visit to end.
Mom and Dad's faith meant that they counted on this Order of religious women to support them through continuous prayer. While our parents were busy raising us, the sisters were praying up a storm on our behalf.
Lui, ...I'm happy to see another riddle out there in blogging land - keep them coming. I'm even going to guess that the answer to yours is our annual trip to Grandma and Grandpa Antonini's home for Christmas dinner.
In the meantime, here's another riddle from me for your consideration:
LET US HOPE HIS SHIFT TO PRAYER
HAS SPARED SOME KID ROUGH ORAL CARE!
LOLOL, Lucy
Marie came up with the answer to this one Louise!! YES THEY ARE HOME!!!!!!
Dr Riffle, the mean old dentist Dad would take us to. Yikes I hate to even think about it. Well it seems he became a priest in later life, according to my wife.
Holy Corn Vic:
I'm a poet and didn't know it, but my feet show it --- They're Longleeows and stink like the Dickens.
Oh, Louise, my riddle did not refer to the annual trip you referred to but yours is probably a better answer than mine. My memory probably isn't very good. When I told Marie my answer she said she thought we only had this meal at the weddings. I thought we went there once a year. If no-one gets the answer then Marie may be right!!
That was supposed to be Longfellows and now that I think about it, we had a wedding once a year didn't we!
Oh, let me answer this one!! Is the answer the dreaded Dr. Riffel who in his retirement years became a priest? I have never experienced that kind of roughness in any other dentist I have gone to. But to be fair to him, although he was rough, his fillings lasted me for years. He was also ahead of his time, doing individual tooth implants long before they became popular. So if you could stand the pain, his work lasted. I quake just thinking of some of my visits!!!!
Your " I don't like going to the dentist to this day" sister,
ME xoxoxoxoxo
#1108
Whoops!! Late again.
#1111
ME xoxo
Yike! You guys are awesome, again I am stuck for something to say but maybe Lou is referring to the trip we would take out to the Wascana Golf Course for a meal in the club house, although I don't remember it being every year. Just guessing.
Lost for words
Ed 1112
Hello all,
How appropriate that the Sisters of the Precious Blood made the blog. Yesterday they called me and told me to tell Mom that they and Gerry Garritty are praying for her recovery!
I visited Mom this afternoon, and she spent some time reminiscing about her wedding day. As she spoke about how much she loved her blue dress and hat with the pink trimmings (purchased for all of $15), it was easy to imagine the young woman preparing to become a wife. She told me that Jo and Vic came to see her outfit before the wedding, and said they were both so pleased with her. They officially became sisters that day, and she and Jo still maintain a wonderfully close relationship.
Mike, I'll give you a call Monday - Wednesday should be fine for me.
BJ - great POWing! MADE YOUNG DOOR!
Therese
I'm off to Smithers early tomorrow. I will be back next Sunday. Nobody say anything until I get back!
See you in a week.
Love, BJ
BJ, Have a wonderful time and enjoy the wedding. Do you seriously think we can NOT say anything for that long? You just might be an Antonini if you don't want to miss any of the blog entries.
Therese, by the way, I loved your SOY BETTER HUE, and I say it back to you: TRUE BOY SHEET. Actually I say to everyone: BEE REST YOUTH. So glad we're family.
Love ya,
ME xoxoxo
#1115
I'm Back! I just had to check to see if anyone was going to say something. Sure enough I'm not even off the computer and you are already blogging on without me. I can see I will have a lot of catching up to do after all. Sigh....
Love, BJ
the problem with dr. riffel was he did the freezing needle and then started drilling 2 seconds later, i remember that, either he did'nt know it took time to freeze or he did't care. ouch!!!!
i not only don't like going to the dentist to this day mary ellen, i have a dental phobia
marty, the barry munger story is halarious, i don't remember it, but i do remember mary ellen looking after us at the beach and i don't know why anyone woulda messed with her.
bj, you shoulda bought a laptop!!! lol
love mike
I think we're going to have to re-invent the old "busy as a beaver" adage to "busy as an Antonini."
There have been more than 200 posts since I was last here and I'm not even going to try to catch up.
I'm sure there was much hilarity and tear-jerking, however.
I just got back from the north coast. Three days of fishing and camping on the border of B.C. and Alaska. My best man and two colleagues hijacked my butt, with the help of my soon-to-be bethrothed.
It was incredible. Wait until you here the story about the one that got away.
But, I have to put out a newspaper tomorrow during the day before BJ and Bob get here in the evening and the wedding is on Thursday.
So, I will have to catch you on the other side.
We will be including Trish and Mary specifically, and Antoninis in general, during the intercessions.
Love,
Thomas (first grandchild)
I'm suprised that none of you remembered that Jimmy was the one who actually wrote "My Blue Heaven". Boom, boom, boom.
Thom, have a great wedding day. congratulations in advance to you and Lorraine!
Marcia and Dennis
Dennis says thanks to all for your birthday greetings. He said, 'you must have told them it was my birthday'. I said 'no, that's just how they are - very thoughtful'.
Lui, I have a vague memory of going to dinner at the Kiwanis or Knights of Columbus or...?? One year they served duck instead of turkey. One of the older kids asked Dad, 'what is this?'. He whispered, 'shhhhh...it's duck.'
I thought he said 'buck' as in deer, and I reluctantly ate it with tears in my eyes.
In my adult life I have eated venison and bear and even alligator in New Orleans, but that buck was the worst thing I've ever had to eat!
Anyway, I'm not sure if that's the dinner you were referring to.
I'm loving this blog!
Marcia
Good Eye, Marie! (Welcome home from New York, too.)
Dr. Riffel is the answer to my latest riddle. Others from the family have confirmed my suspicion that our present-day fear of dentists goes all the way back to childhood visits to Dr. Riffel's office. Man, he was rough; and he scolded while he worked, adding insult to injury.
Mary-Ellen did put in a good word in for our dentist-turned-priest and she's right, the work he did on our teeth lasted for a long time. I also have a personal, redeeming story to tell about Dr. Riffel.
Four days before my wedding, I broke a front tooth. I was home from Whitehorse, making preparations for the August 1st celebrations. Dad was able to make an emergency dental appointment for me with you-know-who. The repair job was not an easy one. It involved both a temporary cap and a permanent replacement. After the initial preparatory session, I had to return on my birthday for the new crown that Dr. Riffel had placed on special order for me.
When the work was completed, I asked him what I owed him. He said, "Nothing, Dear, this is for the smile of the bride".
What can I say?
This is a good time to present another riddle:
LIKES HER NIGHT JOB; LOVES HER GUY;
FAMILY IS HER STRONGEST TIE.
LOL, Lucy
Post Scripts:
Mom ...I knew the Sisters of the Precious Blood would be praying for you right now. That's what made me think of them. They have always had a special place in their hearts for you.
Lui ...I didn't mind missing the answer to your riddle. For me, it brought back memories of Christmases with Grandma and Grandpa Antonini. So, you made me feel like a winner anyway.
Marcia ...I'm not surprised to hear that you forced yourself to eat the "buck" supper. You spared someone else's feelings despite your own discomfort ...how typical!
Thom ...don't forget that you owe us a story about the one that got away. Have a great week. We will raise our glasses in a toast to you and Lorraine on Thursday - to love and happiness.
BJ and Bob ...enjoy your time in BC. We'll watch for your return next week. Even if we do keep talking while you're gone, we promise to keep track of every word for you. After all, BJ, no one loves a good book more than you do.
Mike ...isn't our Mary-Ellen something else? She has a kind word for everyone, even our childhood dentist. As you suggest, she's a perfect combination of the gentle and the fierce.
Therese ...thanks for writing so vividly about your conversations with Mom. You bring her close to those of us who are so far away.
This blog is very good for me.
Lots of love, Louise
Lui,
I forgot to mention that the Old Course WAS closed on Sunday, as it is every week. The townsfolk walk the links at their leisure on that day.
People are allowed on the course throughout the week, too. But they are advised to stick to the footpaths and they have to give way to golfers. It's hardly a safe place to go for a walk on a weekday.
The only time the Old Course is open on a Sunday is during a tournament like the Open and the Dunhill Links Championship. It's hard to believe that the longstanding rule regarding closure of the Old Course on Sunday has remained in effect in modern times, isn't it?
You'll be interested to hear that Dave golfed the Old Course these last two Thursdays in a row. He shot 90 on the first round and 91 on the second.
LOL, Louise
whoa - i missed the whole weekend!!! dad told me last night what number the blog was at, and i said "that's a hundred more than when i posted on friday...."
uh, dad??? you want me to come over to cut the lawn so you can blog MORE? yeah right.
I remember one time when my mom and dad went away to BC I think (taking my grandma holt out there to visit Beryl and see the mountains as she so loved to do). Well Keenan had this great calender that my mom did up. For example - Monday - NO PARTIES, feed cats, clean litter, clean up the kitchen, NO PARTIES, water flowers, clean up mess you made in the kitchen, make your bed, NO PARTIES, hang up your towel, go to work, come home and lunch and water flowers, go back to work after you cleaned up the messs you made in the kitchen at lunch, come home, feed cats, NO PARTIES.....you get the picture. Well, on all the days that it said "mow lawn" he didn't do that. SOOOOOO, on the day they were coming home I said, you better mow that lawn. HE PAID ME TO DO IT!!!!!! it was great - thanks keenan.
Dad wore his new shirt i got him yesterday. It said "dad's service something or other, open 24/7" He must have not spilled syrup all over it at brunch and was able to wear it. Don't know how he did it, but he spilled syrup all down his arm, into his bag, all over the table..... but mustn't have hit his shirt! and i thought my kids made a mess...
he got felt for father's day......minds out of the gutter - it was felt for his pool table!!
On that note - I better go.
Sonia
Bonnie says
LOL,LOL,LOL
Sonja, you crack me up. (Felt, I read that twice...HAHAHAHA)
Can't wait to see everyone this summer....
QUOTE OF THE DAY
To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family fueds & secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time.
--Clara Ortega
Love ya,
ME xoxoxoxo
#1127
Oh M-E,
Now you've made me cry!
Lucy
its sounded so much like us, i thought you were writing it mary ellen
love mike
I guess my childhood recollections must be wrong or at least exaggerated. No one has solved my riddle so I will ask if anyone remembers Dad taking us to the Saskatchewan Hotel for Chicken a la King. I just loved it and in fact had my Restaurant Manager put it on the menu once a month so I could have it and remember those trips with the family.
PLEASE DON'T TELL ME I WAS JUST IMAGINING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lucy here Lui,
I'm sorry, I don't remember Chicken a la King at the Saskatchewan Hotel. Perhaps that special treat was something Dad did with family after I left home. When you think of it, we Antonini children span 26 years from the first to the last of us.
I have a problem with some of my own riddles, too. I suppose that's why some of them have multiple answers. Everyone reads the clues with a different perspective. What we need is people from each generation of the family calling up memories that are specific to their own eras.
I'm sure your memory is based on fact, Lui, and if the facts have created an element of myth, all the better. Your Chicken a la King has become a tradition for you because it meant so much to be there with Dad and the family, no matter how many times the gathering actually happened.
Now I'm curious, too. PLEASE, SOMEONE, TELL LUI THAT HE ISN'T IMAGINING IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOLOL, Lucy
(Planning to make Chicken a la King for supper tomorrow - just for the memories)
Speaking of an unanswered riddle, Dave tells me that my latest one is too general. I'm going to add two more lines for an additional hint:
LIKES HER NIGHT JOB; LOVES HER GUY;
FAMILY IS HER STRONGEST TIE;
SCOTTISH ROOTS (LIKE EVERYONE);
GROWN UP CHILDREN -(DAUGHTER, SON).
Luv, Lucy
It's after midnight here in St. Andrews. I'm probably going to have to go to bed and wait until morning to see if Lui got some confirmation on his Chicken a la King memory.
Lucy, loitering on the blog
Loitering Lucy, back again
We are drawing very close to the 1140 mark on our blog comments, too. I'm sure you'll go beyond that very special number while I'm sleeping. Good night, sweet dreams and happy memories!
#1134 and counting....
Hey Lui,
I remember 'Chicken-a-la-King' at the Sask. Hotel. The reason I remember is that is what Dad ordered for the menu at my wedding. Dad planned quite a few of our weddings and I know the chicken was always one of the items he ordered.I think he also ordered it for a couple of Anniversary dinners. Does anyone else remember having that at their wedding? You would have been at all those weddings & celebrations, Lui, and let's face it, there's enough of us to make it seem like a regular event.
Loving the blog,
ME xoxoxoxooxox
#1135
PS:
I think Diane is the answer to your riddle Lucy. I think she has Scottish roots - am I right Mike?
If she isn't the answer, I still want to say she is a delightful part of the family and her sense of humor is legend. Love ya, Diane!
Hoping I'm right,
ME xoxooxoxxo
#1136
louise- your latest riddle would be my sweet little wife diane, i was going to guess after the first two lines, but dave was right, i was'nt quite sure. thanks for the rest, it made it easy.
lou and me - was that chicken smoothered in a heavy cream colored sauce? if it was i remember the chicken but not the hotel. lol
i'm late for another appointment
taxi!!
Yes Mike it was a cream colored sauce served over a big helping of rice. And my mistake, it was the Hotel Saskatchewan not the other way around. Obviously I've been gone too long.
Your making me hungry lui
OK, I'll try another one that should get answered fairly quickly:
He was so cool, or so he thought,
Because he drove a convertible, Not!
Hi Lui
is it tony and his GTO
hey your entry 1140
right on!!
lou - ed was the coooooooleest of you three, was it the red 65 chevelle that he owned, and man was that car fast!!!!
I've got a story!
I just found it tonight.
Robert just called me and invited Karen and I to stay at his place for the reunion. We are honored to.
We love Rob and Bonnie and the kids, and we are looking forward to it.
But THIS is my story:
Robbie and I talked for a bit and we got around to talking about our lives. He had mentioned, the other day, while I was in Regina, how much he enjoyed playing the drums. He found a drum-kit the other day, sat down to play and was surprised at how good he sounded. I reminded him that he was a great player and that if I ever moved to Regina, I would love to start a band with him. Then he wouldn't have to work on his knees anymore putting down tile.
He simply said this:
I don't mind laying tile. In fact, I kinda like it. It reminds me of Grandpa.
Well, it all hit me at once.
My grandfather came to this country with a nickle in his pocket.
He couldn't even speak our language, yet he created a very successful business with hard work and integrity.
And today we are all living pretty comfortable lives because of our hard working parents and grandparents.
Robbie, Eddie. I am so proud that you are my brothers and that you have shown me to never forget where I came from and how I got here. Here's to you and the family TORCH.
Love,
Martin Silvano Antonini
Okay, so the reason I haven't posted on my own blog is I have been reading YESTERDAYs (only one day takes FOREVER)blog postings with mom and dad and laughing like crazy. As you know we returned from NYC yesterday. We had such a great time and I have pictures, but I thought I needed to post before I blinked and 100 more posts went on. Dad is even trying to talk to me right now and I am telling him - stop! I need to post!
So, since I missed the Father's Day tributes, I had to add two others. First, to my own dad, who at the bang of a bed-pan on my hospital bed, would leap from his sleep and run like a chicken with his head cut off to grab the bedpan and rescue me from further humiliation, every night for 2 months. I have no words that can express my love and appreciation for his support during those months, and the past ten years.
Second - before we went to New York, I came across a letter that I wrote in the days after Grandpa died...I was 20 years old at the time. I don't think I ever shared it but needed to write it at the time I think. I thought it might be a good time to share it...
***I've only had the opportunity to know for a short while a great man many others have known all his earthly life. And so I do not attempt to capture the abundant victories he realized in the time prior to my memory. Rather, my purpose for this writing is to primarily vent my emotions surrounding the final day of my grandpa's life and secondly share a perspective on his wonderous presence.
To say that he was a great man is appropriately general and inappropriately modest. His intelligence amazed me, and he inspired my creativity as I watched him, awed by Rubik's cube record times, cross sum techniques and figure logic genius. His mere ability however was highlighted so entirely by his EXCITEMENT, and his true desire to share this excitement with others. And it did.
My recollections of his gnocchi preparations are ones of happiness, to be involved in the family operation. And now looking back I know tha his apparent satisfaction with the final product included the cooperation and unity of his loved ones in the process.
I see him as a master of the game. The Rubik's cube, card games, crossword puzzles, gnocchi-making and more recently Word Perfect. But the bigger game he mastered surroundes fourteen children and numerous granchildren and great-grandchildren. And even he, I don't think, quite realized his unbelievable accomplishment of such a loving family until very recently.
I saw this realization in his eyes on the weekend of his 80th birthday celebration. The room full of family were engrossed in laughter and discussions amongst themselves, and grandpa had a brief moment to himself to observe the sight. And I have never seen a greater example of joy than the light in his eyes, as he said "Just look at them all - laughing, enjoying themselves, enjoying each others company".
He truly mastered the game of life and that, for my own sake, is the reasoning I use to explain his passing from our world. Such a great man now joins the other Master, to give his advise and greatness to all. ***
Grandpa, we are sure enjoying each others company these days!
Cheers
Tricia
Bonnie says
Welcome to the blog Tricia, your beautiful letter brought tears to my eyes.
Hey Lou,
It wasn't Tony and his GTO and my chevelle was not a convertible either, but Dennis drove a convertible...not. They weren't really convertibles, they were topless by means of a hack saw. Cooooool.
Ed #1146
Hi Tricia,
A MOO GONE RUDDY!!!!
Thank you that wonderful description of Dad. You have certainly captured his essence. My heart is full of both tears & joy at the memories you have brought back. WOW!
Welcome home to both you & Marie. I'm looking forward to now going to your blog and hearing all about NY.
I have a new deck of cards that needs breaking in, and they are beautiful - Tiger Lilies ( Sunny Saskatchewan ). I'd love your help with that, when you're not too busy.
Love ya,
Mary Ellen xoxoxoxo
#1147
I was inspired by Tricia's Grandpa story to dig through my old papers for a short story I wrote just after his funeral.
It was more of an essay, I guess I hadn't really figured out "story" yet. There are some nuggets there, however, which I'll share at some point after I wrap my head around it.
I also found a bunch of old poetry (guess I hadn't really figured out that form either) including a letter I wrote to Holly way back when.
I was appalled by my lack of skill but encouraged by some of the insight so I'm really glad I kept all that crap because I might actually be able to use a fraction of it to do some decent writing one of these days. Or, if I think about it, I have been without thinking about it.
In any event, I used three quotes in the story/essay/piece of crap that still say Grandpa to me.
"In the end, there are three things that lasst, faith, hope and love the greatest of these is love." Paul, First Epistle to the Corintheans.
"Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending." J.S. Longfellow.
"I hope you get to stand in the Sea of Tranquility and touch the moon you loved so much." Heather Antonini.
Hear, hear.
Sorry. Of course, I meant H.W. Longfellow. Getting my genres crossed as is wont to happen with dementia and/or genius.
And finally, the reason I blogged on in the first place was to let all y'all know BJ and Bob arrived safely on THE flight this evening and are nursing jet lag at the Hudson Bay Lodge as I type.
Lucy here,
Just as I predicted, the blog came to life after I went to bed.
Lui ...I knew your memories of Chicken on a bed of rice, smothered in creamy white sauce had to be real. Your next riddle proves my point about the unique recollections of different generations. Oh, how I wish my mind's eye could conjure up a picture of Tony's GTO, Ed's red Chevelle and Dennis' home-made "convertable". At least I got a blog-peek at them through the memories of others. Thanks for that!
Marty ...I see you paint with words, too. Your tribute to our brothers who carry on the family's history in flooring has an artist's touch.
Tricia ...I must have been looking at my dad at the same moment you were observing your grandfather at his 80th birthday party. I, too, recall the light and the joy in his eyes. Dad seldom cried openly but even he could barely keep his emotions from spilling over on that occasion.
Bonnie ...Like you, I didn't even try to stop the tears from flowing as Tricia wrote about her dad and grandpa with such insight and regard. How is it that love makes us cry as easily as it causes laughter?
Mary-Ellen ...do you know that the tiger lily is my favourite flower? When you and Tricia have broken in your new deck of cards how would you like to trade for a delightful deck of 54 photographs of Historic Scotland properties? I'll bring it to the reunion with me just in case. Deal or no deal?
Rob ...Good eye! You spotted 1140 as we moved along the house numbers to our old family home on Garnet Street. We have kept right on going on the blog and in life, just as we should.
Mike ...I'm beginning to think that your taxi is never going to arrive! If I could, I'd pick you up myself and join you and Therese for Wednesday's lunch.
Thomas ...as ever, your timing is perfect and your words are powerful. You even saved the greatest quote for last...awesome!
Give BJ and Bob our love when they recover from jet lag.
Lots of love, Louise
Lucy here again,
Yes, Mary-Ellen and Mike, Diane is the answer to my latest riddle. Mike, when you signed on exactly ten hours after I posted the riddle and you didn't attempt an answer, Dave said, "Well, if Mike doesn't get it, no one will". So I immediately went to work on adding a little more information. I see that worked like a charm.
I remember talking to Diane about her job. She told me how much she enjoys working the late-night hours and likes the people with whom she works. Those of us who prefer day jobs, take our hats off to such dedicated people.
Diane and I also talked about her trip to Scotland, her reconnections with family roots and her travel impressions. As is so often the case, being away made her appreciate home all the more when she returned to Canada.
When Lindsay and Luke were young, Diane's energies were entirely devoted to their growing up with goals and purpose. Now, I'm sure she looks on their achievements with pride and a sense of personal satisfaction.
Most importantly, the love between Mike and his "sweet little wife, Diane" has grown and deepened over the years. We can tell that when we see them together, but I also know it for a fact. Mike has mentioned that time has taken away nothing away from his and Diane's happiness; rather it has brought them closer together in love. Who could ask for more?
So, Diane, we dedicate this 1152nd blog entry to you. Cheers!
Let's see if I can pack enough info into this two-line riddle:
HOW WE LOVED THESE RIDES THROUGH TOWN,
ONCE A YEAR, UP STREETS AND DOWN.
Love, Louise
Yes Ed, I was referring to Dennis' old Studebaker (if I remember correctly). He came to pick up Marcia one day and had cut the top off to make himself a convertible.
I'm sure Marcia or Dennis himself could elaborate a bit on this one!!!
WOW!
I have never enjoyed reading soooo much. This blog is not only better than any book, it also never ends.
Louise... Words cannot describe the sensations I experience when I read what you put down sister.
I think your riddle might have something to do with the car rides dad used to take us on. When I was a kid, we used to go a lot more than once a year.
I remember a lot of times, when we used to stop at a light, someone in the next car over would start counting the kids in our car and then just as they would be almost finished counting, a couple more heads would pop up.
Thanks for that memory.
Tricia... Wow! Ditto on the writing. You truly are my hero.
Marty
Hi Louise,
I look forward to morning because I can get on the blog to read your early morning thoughts and reactions to the blog. It's a bonus when BJ is on early and Thomas has added some late evening writing.
I believe Tricia's tribute to dad had the tears flowing in households across North America and across the Atlantic. I have fashioned an umbrella of sorts to protect my keyboard from excessive moisture.
I think your newest riddle might refer to the drives to see the Christmas lights throughout the city.
Have a great day, and thank you for the early morning postings.
Edward #1154
P.S. Once again my blazing typing speed has allowed another blogger to slip in before me so let me just say #1155.
Good morning! Wow, what beautiful writers and storytellers. It definitely runs in the family.
You might be an Antonini if....you've run out of tissue.
In response to your now very old message Mike, lol...we love the house and the area even more so. Living beside Fish Creek Park is like having nature in your backyard and occasionally the wildlife come to visit.
Marty did you know you after playing for our wedding come-and-go tea, you inspired a girl to buy a keyboard and stretch out some old playing fingers? Unfortunately I played it three times, got pregnant, and now it decorates our basement. Looking forward to hearing your music again!
Happy blogging everyone.
Dana
Whew, finally caught up! I was away in Calgary this weekend and tried to keep up on the blog on our hosts' laptop every now and then but they kept wanting to visit - sheesh! My cousin had just moved to Calgary for her husband's work and was feeling overwhelmed being there alone all day with her 2-yr-old and newborn baby - I think the 6 of us cured her of that!!! I'm sure she'll think twice before telling me she's lonely and needs company again!
We had a busy weekend, as did Tricia, but she still found time to come and visit her little namesake! We also enjoyed the Crave cupcakes she recommended!!!
I promise next time I will find time to visit the rest of you Calgarians!
Anyways, everyone wrote such great things, I simply couldn't possibly address them all. However, I've started to cut and paste the stories and comments about Grandpa to save for Lui so he can read about the great man for whom he is named!
Hey Dana
Welcome to the blog.
To be honest with you, I used to play piano too. I used to be an actor, an artist, a racquetball player and I used to go outside once in a while too. Now I'm just a blogger bum. I guess it's kinda like having a baby. You wouldn't know the number to blogger's anonymous would ya?
Marty
Hi Everyone, it's Dennis here. Though it was over 40 years ago, I do still remember some of those old "converted" days. Just to clarify some details, The first of 4 cars to go "quazie" convertible was my very first car, a 52 Studebaker with suicide doors purchased for $36.00 (cash). Unfortunately the two passenger doors had not survived the previous owners accidental encounter with another car entering his interior at a right angle, thus leaving them permanently closed.
After a dreary winter without a place to plug in the block heater, spring finally arrived and one very sunny day I just knew I needed to feel the sunshine while driving... so with only a borrowed hack saw I cut from the top of the drivers door post to the top corner of the windshield. Then cut from the lower back door to the bottom of the back window and repeated this on the other side of the car.
In only a few hours of hacking and a few blades, I was able to flip the car roof right off onto the street, (the rearview mirror was mounted to the roof so it had to be reinstalled on the dashboard more like a periscope) but finally after many hours of wishing for a convertible car, my converted car was done.
My first trip was to 1140 Garnet where I proudly displayed my handywork. Unfortunately I didn't realize that the roof (when attached) provides a great amount of structural strength, and when permanently removed, the frame can sag. So it wasn't long before the only two operational drivers side doors became permanently crimped closed.
It was a great summer and as long as one was moving at least 30 mph, the rain only caught the top of the back seat.
That's all for now.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in August.
Dennis
I think that was the first of many times Dad said "that Pinvidic"!
M
Ahahahahaha!! No, but I bet someone will start blogger's anonymous before the reunion.
".....has your blogging caused friction in your personal relationships....have you missed work or has your work suffered as a result of your blogging? There is help call 1-800-blog-a-nini"
OK I'm not a comedian, back to my day job :)
Oh yes another post-script to Dennis' story. At the END of the summer, he sold it for $40!
Marcia
Yes, Ed, my latest riddle recalls the Christmas light tours Dad ran for us throughout the holiday season. He could always find streets we had not yet seen; but we also never tired of our favourite displays like the animated windows in Simpsons downtown store.
At the mere suggestion of our going for a ride to see the lights, we would be on the road again. On colder nights we'd have to keep rubbing condensation off the car windows so that we could get a better view. Sometimes the lights sparkled all the more because their glow was fractured by water and ice crystals. Christmas was a magical time of year for us.
You got it right, Tricia, when you wrote about Dad's EXCITEMENT at sharing the excitement of others. It was infectious.
As you suggest, Marty, Dad didn't need an excuse to take us for car rides at any time of year; his load of kids did make quite an impression on other motorists, too. These Christmas holiday rides were just the best of such family times.
Try not to break a tooth on this one:
WITHOUT DOUBT, A FAVOURITE TREAT:
INSIDE BITTER, OUTSIDE SWEET.
LOLOL, Lucy
What a terrific story, Dennis,
Those of us who never saw that convertible of yours, certainly get the picture now. And imagine making a $4.00 profit after a full summer and several "dry" runs at speeds above 30 mph. If I didn't already know the author of this tale, your name would come immediately to mind! What a hoot!
Lucy, laughing out loud
Hey Dennis
HA HA HA...Welcome...HA HA HA... to the...HA HA HA...Blog.
Now THAT was funny.
I would have loved to seen that car. Too much.
Hey Dana
On the contrary... you are a comedian. Well done girl. I'll call B.A. immediately.
Marty
Lucy again,
Lui ...were you ever right when you said that Dennis and/or Marcia could probably elaborate on the Studebaker "convertible". They have done so to our absolute delight. Good eye!
Holly ...we missed you on the blog this past weekend. Welcome back from your trip to Calgary where it seems that your family of six was a perfect antidote to your cousin's lonesome feelings and her need for company. Shock treatments can sometimes effect permanent cures.
Marty ...if you are a blogger bum, you can just imagine what my family is saying about me. Ah well, at least they haven't lost track of me completely; they can always find me on the blog.
Dana ...your ad for Bloggers Anonymous is too close for comfort. Fortunately, I'm retired and so far I am still able to put a few essential things before the blog. In any case, your number to call is a catchy one - easy to remember if things do get out of hand.
Ed ...like you, I check the blog first thing in the morning. Strangely enough, my 5 to 8 hour head start on the rest of you means I have a lot of catching up to do. Go figure!
Luv Lucy, (blogging while Dave is golfing)
Dennis,
I'm still laughing at your description of your convertible!!!!
Marcia,
I loved your post script to Dennis' story. A $4.00 profit is a hoot!
Dana,
I agree with Marty - you are a comedienne!
Holly, welcome back!
Louise, DEAL!
By the way is the answer to your latest riddle Dad's favorite candied almonds? Yummy!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.
--Christian Morgenstern
LOLOL,
ME xoxoxoxoxoxo
#1167
Blogging from Smithers. It is a beautiful place surrounded by mountains. We love it already. I have managed to read everyone's blog but can't begin to comment. I will say that I never went to the Sask Hotel for Chicken-a-la-king, I thought Louise was talking about the roller coaster rides that Dad took us on out on the beach roads, and I think the answer to Lucy's latest riddle is the basket of concord grapes that Dad bought every summer. We loved them.
Love, BJ # 1167
Yes, Mary-Ellen,
Whether or not you are particularly fond of almonds, the candied version of them often turns up at special events in the Antonini family. The 7 sisters once gifted a bag of them to their brothers to share at a reunion, in honour of Dad.
On one of my recent visits to Regina, I remember Leonard making a stop at a specialty shop to purchase a bag of this confection for us to share during a hockey game we were going to attend.
Whenever one of us could not think of a gift to give to Dad on some special occasion, we would fall back on this, his favourite treat, bagged, boxed or packaged in some unique way.
If I remember correctly, Marcia and Dennis used silver-coated candied almonds at their 25th wedding anniversary to symbolize the mix of bitter and sweet in life itself, and in any relationship that survives the test of time.
If you haven't yet tried candy-coated almonds, their part in your family history will have you hooked before your first taste!
Ed, how about getting a big bowl of these special treats for all of us to share at the reunion in August - just for the memories?
BJ ...I had almost forgotten about those baskets of concord grapes. They might have been the stuff of another riddle if only I had remembered. Yum! On the other hand, those roller coaster rides on side roads were yet to come... with thrills for some and nausea for others.
Here in St. Andrews, another day is drawing to a close. Of course, I'll post another riddle before signing off.
TWO AT ONCE MADE HER A MOTHER -
SOUL MATE OF A SEVENTH BROTHER.
Good Night with lots of love,
Louise
Okay. I can't contain myself anymore.
I have to tell you why Dennis's story really knocked me out. You really have to know Dennis to get the full impact from that story.
Many years ago I lived in Victoria and hung around a bit with the craziest couple uh ever saw.
One thing I remember about Dennis Pinvidic is: He never had to buy anything. Why buy it when you can build it for less. He could build anything with whatever he had.
In fact, I remember the first time I drove up to their house, in my van. My Universal Joint was shot. I didn't even know what a u-joint was, but I do remember that Dennis fixed it like new.(I think I still owe you for that D). Since that time, I have seen him fix anything that's broke...Anything. He is a master of all trades believe you me.
Now...about his cooking(back then).
Unfortunately, I think he used the same philosophy with food. Why buy more until you've used up all the food in the house. Man, he used to mix some concoctions. Can you imagine what six different kinds of breakfast cereals mixed together might taste like. Dennis also believed in not wasting anything. Each box was almost empty so why not?
I was there one time and I'll never forget Brant and Shawn's expressions when they took their first bites. Another time I can still hear brant as his dad put another bowl in front of him..........Ahhhh Daaaaaaaad......
Though I couldn't help but laugh under my breath, I really did feel sorry for the kid.
Anyway, Dennis and Marcia. Thanks for all the good times and I can't wait to see you both.
Love Marty
You know you're an Antonini when you have to take just one last peek at the blog before going to bed.
Mary-Ellen ...It's a deal then - tiger lilies for historic Scotland sites.
LOLOL, Lucy
I've had those candied almonds (la bonboniere) and have purchased them from Italian Star Deli here in town, though we may need to order in advance to make sure we have enough for everyone! They are yummy!
Hey Louise, it's the Bonnie lass.
rob - where are you
The unspoken truth about the convertible is that it was lime green........ No. that green would have been at least acceptable. It was kind of lime green!!!!
TNT
Welcome to the relatively new bloggers - Dana and Dennis to mention a couple.
I just love to read these days!!
I haven't read a book in five or six years. But who needs em?
Toe knee.
The best flying kite...
Today after supper we went kite flying with Papa. I started flying the kite... I accidentally let go... it whacked me in the face... Mommy ran and caught it.
The End
I think my mom may have just invented a new word for our blogtionary. I'm not sure of the definition, but I'll give you the exact quote and I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out:
"Get off that BLOGGING blog!"
I think I better go now...
I'm here Mike I'm trying to keep up with the blog but I'm still behind and have missed a few days but I still read it a little when I can and I'm in love with the answer to louise's latest riddle. that story about Dennis's car is classic
Rob
Hey Marty
Your story about Dennis's cooking reminds of the time we were at Brant's wedding and the day after the wedding Dennis and Marc had everyone over. Dennis made a clam chowder and just like you said everything went into it. I can't remember all the ingredients but I remember he put in some left overs a can of tuna went in hot sauce and a number of other things he had in his fridge and cupboards. He also had a cut on his finger and had been wearing a band aid. he lost that band aid and didn't relize it ttil after we were well into dishing up his wonderful concoction. what he also didn't know was that his brother allen had taken a band aid from the medicine cabnet and slipped it in to his own soup. Dennis was the only one who wasn't in on the prank. Allen acted quite suprised to find a band aid in his soup and our crafty brother in law Don pretended to throwup over the balcony. We had a lot of laughs that day
Oh, Yes, Lui,
You have correctly identified our "Bonnie lass". Before long, Robert signed on to add, "I'm in love with the answer to Louise's latest riddle", paying a nice blog tribute to his wife.
Whenever I visit Mom in Regina, Bonnie invites us over for a meal. I get to spend time with Jessica and Nicholas over books, videos, toys and food. Suppers around the table or refreshments in the back yard are happy family times.
Nick and Jess are wide-eyed kids, filled with the same enthusiasm for life that their mom and dad still have in their adult years. When you drop in on this young, upbeat family you are in for a lot of fun and good conversation.
I once complimented Bonnie on being such a terrific wife and a supportive partner for Robert. Without hesitation she explained what a good husband Robert has been for her throughout their marriage. When two people care so much about one another, their love makes the rough ways smooth.
So, Bonnie, we celebrate you today by dedicating this 1181st blog entry to you. Cheers!
Now, shall we begin another day of blogging with a new riddle to solve?
BUTTERY BAGS BOUGHT FROM A TROLLEY
HELD DELICIOUS STUFF, BY GOLLY!
Lots of love, Louise
Lucy again,
It's just after noon here in St. Andrews. Your day is just beginning.
Deanie ...Dave has a strong second for your "Get off that blogging blog". He knows exactly what you mean!
Little Eddie ...believe it or not, you will be talking about your early kite-flying experiences with your Papa for many years to come. It's a case of having fun now and storing great memories later. Enjoy!
Holly ...I'm glad you know a good source for la bonboniere. Those candied almonds sound even better in French.
Dennis ...it seems that stories of you always illustrate creativity, boldness, humour and profitability. Your kitchen adventures alone are already legendary and I'm sure you have yet to make some of your best dishes. I won't even ask if anyone approached you about catering for the reunion.
Tony ...so Dennis's convertible was worse than lime green, eh. You may just have sent Don back out to the balcony railing for an encore performance.
Dave and I are going to use our bus passes for the first time today. We're heading over to Dundee for a shopping excursion. Denim and white, right Marcia? I have the denim so I'm half way there.
LOL, Lucy
Louise, I think you are referring to the popcorn stand that was situated on the East side of Broad St between 11th and 12th avenues. I think it would be the 18 block Broad. Was it an old trolley car?
Hey Family,
I'm off to Tulsa for 5 days - try to behave yourself.
Lucy, Just last night I thought about the Popcorn Man! BJ and Bob have a favorite story about that.
Blog you in a few days!
Marcia xo
Wow, Lui, did you ever get that riddle correct, right down to the exact location of our favourite popcorn stand in the city of Regina. Your attention to detail is amazing.
For many years, that outlet was a permanent fixture on the corner of Broad and 11th Avenue. Yet it was a trolley of sorts, that could be moved if necessary, like a gypsy wagon. I don't know what eventually happened to that stand or to our popcorn man.
As the noisy corn pushed its way out of the popper, the vendor scooped it, fresh and hot, into brown paper bags of various sizes. People lined up to buy from him.
The heat of the popcorn made the thin brown paper bag crisp to the touch and the melted butter made stains along the bag's sides and bottom. The last thing the vendor did was hang onto the two top corners of the bag and give it a couple of 360 degree spins between his hands, sealing the package for the buyer. He never lost a kernel in the process.
Sometimes we would get individual bags that we nursed long after we arrived home. At other times, we bought family-sized servings in huge, deep sacks that were taken back and shared.
There was never any question about where we would buy our popcorn when we had a craving for this particular treat. Our quest involved a car ride four blocks south to Dewdney Ave, a good 12 blocks east to Broad St. and another 3 blocks south to 11th Ave and back again. This popcorn was worth seeking out and waiting for!
Marcia ...I haven't heard Betty-Jo and Bob's favourite story about the popcorn man. Maybe they'll share it with all of us when they return from Smithers. I hope so.
In the meantime, here's another riddle:
SNOW MIGHT CHILL AND WINDS WOULD BITE
THIS ARDENT FAN OF GREEN AND WHITE.
Luv, Lucy
Marcia,
Good luck in Tulsa! I know it is a working time for you. May you be energized by your active participation in discussions about judging and by the positive feedback you invariably get when you teach others your craft. We hope to see you back on the blog soon.
Lots of love and good cheer, Lucy
lucy - i wonder if i can be the official winner of the candy coated almonds because the official name for them are "italian confetti", i don't believe anyone called them that, can you check with the blog officials, on the official name to name an official winner please? lol
marce - have fun in tulsa, and i'm not even going to tell my dennis story when diane and i came to victoria on our honeymoon, its too traumatizing.
dana congratulations on your house and the great location, sounds to me like you've found a wonderful home for your little family for the future!!!
little eddie - lets go fly a kite, up to the highest hight, lets go fly a kite and send it soaring, up threw the atmosphere, up were the air is clear, come lets go, fly a kite
love mike
Mike, You are absolutely right. I looked up Italian Confetti in Wikipedia on the Internet. Candied almonds, also known as Italian Confetti, are given as gifts at weddings in hopes that the couple will have a fertile marriage. (I wonder if Dad knew that. He ate a lot of candied almonds in his life time.)
We may even want to rethink the suggestion made about stocking up on these goodies for our family reunion. However, in his wisdom, Tony would probably remind us to keep "everything in moderation, even moderation". So, maybe we could have a small bowl of Italian Confetti on hand at the reunion with a card warning those who indulge that they do so at their own risk.
Sorry, Mike, the rules committee determines that credit for solving the original riddle goes to Mary-Ellen. Still, you deserve special mention for drawing our attention to the correct name for candied almonds and for leading us to the discovery of their real meaning. Good eye, Mike!
Luv, Lucy
Dad was an incredible Roughrider fan. He bought 15 season tickets in the fifties and sixties and never missed a game.
TNT
Carol's first Roughrider game was quite an experience. Actually, not so much the game itself, but the other things that went on.
Dad would yell, "Get em in the backfield", a fan somewhere high above never particularly liked Peter Lysak, a rather infamous referee, and he would offer, "Clean your glasses, Lysol" or "get an eye Lysol", but most often "Go home Lysol!!".
The guy on the west side of Dad smoked the most obnoxious cigars.
And, to top it off Dad offered us a ride to 1140 from his executive fan parking spot. That was the final straw. Carol never accepoted another ride. She claims to this day that when the fans that were walking got in the way Dad just pushed them with the car. She was sure we would all be lynched.
Needless to say we never had to waste football tickets by offering them to Carol!!!!
Toe Knee
Gee Louise:
I wonder if I answerewd your latest riddle?
T Bone
La bomboniera
Ok, I can add a bit more to our almond facts. At the marriage renewal that Jamie and I spoke at (and focused out talk on Grandma and Grandpa), all the guests were handed a little tulle bag containing three almonds, and this was what was written on the card:
The bomboniera is a traditional Italian favour given to guests in appreciation of their attendance at a wedding. The three candy-covered almonds (“confetti”) represent the bittersweet union of matrimony and the three persons present in a marriage:
the husband, the wife, and Christ.
Sometimes there are 5 almonds, representing health, happiness, fertility, long life and wealth.
Thanks for the warning about the fertility part: we don't have much room left in our vehicle for too many more children! We used to have a van that only had room for 4 carseats, so we joked we'd have to stop at 4 kids or one of them would have to walk... then Jamie bought us an 8-passenger Yukon! Well, as Grandma has told me many times "Don't feel you have to catch up to me!"
Waiting for the next riddle; although I haven't know the answers, it's always delightful finding them out!
Hi All,
I'm loving all the comments and guesses and added info. I'm alternating between laughing & crying!!
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
Call it a clan,
Call it a network,
Call it a tribe,
Call it a family.
Whatever you call it,
Whoever you are,
....YOU NEED ONE!
--Jane Howard
How true,
ME xoxoxoxoxoxo
#1193
Yes, Tony, you have answered the latest riddle in your usual creative and hilarious fashion. I hardly need to add anything more.
Like Carol, several of us had the "pleasure" of accompanying Dad to a Roughrider game whenever he had a spare ticket. It was fun to sit beside him and listen to him yelling advice to the team from his seat. Going once was enough for some of us but others, like Therese, jumped at every opportunity to attend a football game with Dad.
What was often unbearable was the weather. Dad never let anything keep him from going to a game but as the season wore on, the days definitely got colder. He hardly seemed to feel any discomfort up there in the stands. You could smell the "reinforced" coffee in the thermoses of other fans around Dad but he didn't need anything but his love for the Saskatchewan Roughriders to keep him warm.
You'll have to look long and hard to find a truer more loyal Roughrider fan than Dad was in his day. Now, the way he drove is a whole different topic.
We won't go there. Let's tackle another riddle instead:
LOVES AN ARTIST, CHEERS HIS NAME,
SHARES HIS LIFE, APPLAUDS HIS FAME!
Luv, Lucy
Holly,
Your additional information on the Italian Confetti is wonderful. This story just keeps getting better. With 3 almonds to represent key persons in a marriage and 5 more to stand for desireable goals, we could allow 8 candied almonds per guest. Now it's the candies themselves that are multiplying!
Mary-Ellen ...keep those quotes for the day coming...they are blogging brilliant, if you know what I mean.
Once again, I'm up after midnight. I simply must sign off now.
Good night, everyone!
Love, Louise
Louise - is it Karen?
Go Green and White!
Our Roughies roughed up B.C. Friday in Vancouver 24-15 in exhibition play. I'm proudly wearing my Saskatchewan cap this week. Especially sweet out here among all the Lions fans.
Keeping the dream alive.
Btw, your discussion about the Italian wedding tradition of three candied almonds was extremely timely. I am on my way out to get some candied almonds and tulle to make up little bags for our guests.
1200 coming up
who will it be
Am I going to get the spot?
Post a Comment