Wordful Wednesday - The Fisheye

Papi was testing a new camera lens called a 'fisheye'.  He had  lot of fun & got some funny pics. of you girls.




Love it when you all are playing and/or focused on something together.

Go Steelers!!

Girls, today is the perfect day to tell you about where I grew up.  Pennsylvania!  Today is SuperBowl Sunday & the Steelers are playing the Cardinals.  The Half-Time show is playing with Bruce Springsteen singing the hits that we can all sing along to.  The Steelers are leading & it is an exciting game.  And I would bet all 5 of you girls that Pap is watching the game right now.

Pap & Grammy are both from Pennsylvania - outside of Pittsburgh.

Pap went to Temple University in Philadelphia, and Tia Kelly and I both were born there.  I remember going back there in high school, and Grammy showed me where her and Pap had lived. Talk about a rough neighborhood - their apartment looked like a crack house. 

We lived about 45 minutes from Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city.  I have memories of Three Rivers Stadium, Carnegie Museum, & lots of snow.  Grammy took Kelly and I on the train to go downtown, and I bought my first cassette - The Go-Go's.  Until this point Kelly and I only had records (Michael Jackson's Thriller, Neil Diamond, Kenny Rogers, Pink Floyd & others- holy cow this is the most random selection of music now that I think of it).  I think I can still sing all of the Go-Go's songs, and dance away to We Got The Beat!  Good stuff.

Now that I'm sitting down & writing - a FLOOD of memories is hitting me. So here are some highlights:

-  Living within 1/2 hour of grandparents, uncles & aunts

-  Spending every holiday, b-day, & event with extended family

-  Building a fort under the neighbors tree.  We 'borrowed' Pap's tools & cut a bunch of the branches so that we could play & hide under the tree.  Pap was not happy we forgot to return his tools, and our neighbor was not happy we hacked up her tree.  But boy did Kelly & I have fun!

-  We had an above ground pool that we swam in a TON.  I don't think Kelly and I had cold nerve sensors back then - yowsers - I would NOT be getting in that pool as early as we did as kids.

-  We took many trips with family to Atlantic City in the summer.  I loved the beach, and Nanny loved the Casinos.  Good combo.

-  Kelly and I walked through the woods to the local park for our softball games & practices.  I would NEVER let you do this now.  It is crazy to think of how we 'roamed' at a younger age.  It is slightly sad to think that it is just not safe like that anymore.

-  During softball games when it was Grammy's turn to man the refreshment stand - I ate a pound of shoe string licorice & swedish fish (and I wonder why I have cavities).

- Pap was a football coach & we would go to all of his games.  In the winter Grammy would pack hot chocolate & hot dogs & blankets.

-  We would go to Round Hill Park in the summer to feed the ducks & see the animals.

-  We would go to Round Hill Park in the winter to go sled riding on big inter-tubes.

-  Running behind the neighbor's houses in a few feet of snow to catch the bus.  I was a little late & ran up the road after the bus.  It stopped, and as I climbed the steps I realized that it was the bus for the high school.  The buses were behind schedule b/c of the snow.  How embarrassing!

wow - girls - I have so many more things to share & you guys keep coming out of your room.  You are supposed to be sleeping. ugh.  I will continue a post of PA later - I hope.

Til then:

GO STEELERS!!!!