Chicago Airport: Story

 I run into an old friend. We did not see each other for some time. I ask how she is doing and how the family is doing. I ask how her mother is doing, which was always very nice and kind to me. This is the story my friend told me about her mom. He said that she hates the Chicago Airport because her mother fell down the escalator stairs and broke her hip. She got her to Baltimore, the city of her destination and stayed with her till full recovery. "I still have guilt," - she added. From my side, I said that I am really sorry to hear about her mother's accident. "It must be tough time for both of you. Don't be too hard on yourself, you were there for her when she needed you. That's what truly matters." 

"Well, I did few mistakes, but God wanted us to be together for each other." They stayed in the hospital with her, sleeping in the art chair in her room and in the grandson's apartment in Baltimore. She learned to make needle shuts to avoid the blood clocks. I learned that she took an economical flight with two planes to change, and she did not have a proper luggage on wheels, just a large-size bag from the seventies. Her hands were busy, and she could not catch her mother's body under the pressure of the crowd coming up from the same escalator. I told her that it sounds like they both had same precious moments together, despite the circumstances. I insured her that she did her best out of a difficult situation and demonstrated a lot of strength and love. I put my hand around her and said: "Your dedication is really touching."

I totally get it! Traveling with multiply planes and managing luggage can be quite a challenge, especially when you have hands full. But hey, she made it work and that's what matters.

 When the school is over at the long summertime break the children as usual are home alone as parents have to work. What options parents have? Perhaps they can sign up them for summer camp or take the two weeks of vacation to spend quality time with the children at the beach, with swimming activities. Children can play videogames, watch TV, listen to the music, and catch up on sleeping without looking at the clock. Also, every year, children bring the list of recommended books for summer reading for the book report present on the first day of the new school year. As usual, this reading activity is not a priority, and could be waited for a rainy day or two when they cannot play in the great outdoors and have to stay inside. So, you can imagine how helpful it was for my friend to have her mother to come to visit her and help with the children during the summertime.

On This Day: April 23 1564/23rd April 1616

 

On this day ~23rd April 1564/23rd April 1616

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Birth and death of William Shakespeare

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William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright, and actor, born in Stratford~upon~Avon.

His birthday is most commonly celebrated on 23 April, which is also believed to be the date he died in 1616.

William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on 28th November 1582, and they remained married until Shakespeare's death.

At the time of their marriage William was 18, while Anne was 26, and pregnant with their first child.

Anne and William's first daughter Susanna, was born six months after their marriage, and they would go on to have twins Judith and Hamnet a few years later.

Hamnet died at the age of 11 during the Plague.

Susanna married a local physician, Dr. John Hall and Judith married a vintner, Thomas Quinney.

Altogether Shakespeare's works include 38 plays, 2 narrative poems, 154 sonnets, and a variety of other poems.

No original manuscripts of Shakespeare's plays are known to exist today.

It is actually thanks to a group of actors from Shakespeare's company that we have about half of the plays at all.

Shakespeare died in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23rd April 1616, at the age of 52.

Shakespeare’s grave is in the Holy Trinity Church, his local parish church in Stratford upon Avon.

Shakespeare’s grave is famous for having a curse as an epitaph on the gravestone, which Shakespeare himself wrote.

Relic hunting was popular in Shakespeare’s day, and Shakespeare was aware his status as a leading writer, may have meant his bones would be dug up by one of the hunters.

The curse on Shakespeare’s grave warns:

"Good friend for Jesus sake forbeare,

To dig the dust enclosed here.

Blessed be the man that spares these stones,

And cursed be he that moves my bones"

It was unusual for anyone to be buried inside the church, and Shakespeare managed this by buying a tithe deed for £440, which gave him the right to have a grave in the chancel of the church.

Shakespeare’s legacy is as rich and diverse as his work.

His plays have spawned countless adaptations across multiple genres and cultures.

His plays have had an enduring presence on stage and film.

William Shakespeare is well-known as a romantic poet, who had a fulfilling love life with his wife.

Reportedly, some of his last words to his wife were~

"Life is too short to love you in one,

I promise to look for you in the next life"

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/537859523834021

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Sources ~ shakespeare. Org.

nosweatshakespeare. com

Snickerdoodle Muffins

 https://bellyfull.net/snickerdoodle-muffins/

My goodness!! Delicious and tender 

Snickerdoodle Muffins that taste like a snickerdoodle cookie. 

Baking goals this weekend!

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The Ruby Ring Story: Epilog

Epilog

In case you wondering what happened to the ring, with the beautiful ruby stone. When I left the country and followed my husband to live in the United States, my mother took it off from her finger and gave it to me. Possibly, she benchmarked not only her finger... but the history, and the end for the story for now. It is still too big for me. I wear it on the same finger where is my wedding ring. It became a part of me, first goes the ring with the ruby stone and then the wedding ring. Now, you too, my friend, know why my ring was a story and a history behind it. 

One of my history professors at the university compared the history to a spiral with progress and regress my making one step forward and scooping from the past at the same time. In my story the ring represents a cycle of life. The meaning of it is symbolic. Throughout the story, the ring connects the family's past with the present and makes room for the future continuation. I think that I have it for a reason. I believe that the fact that I own it is provisional. The future will take over, and a new twist will take a new wrinkle on the history and will create new stories to tell.

P.S. Fact. Five days later after a wrote this story, my daughter got her first professional job. I am not in a hurry to pass my ring to her. The time is not right yet...

Ida Tomshinsky@2005-2024

The Ruby Ring Story: Part IV Sasha and Paula

Part IV: Sasha and Paula

What else I know about Paula? My father always called her "an angel" for her kindness and soft character. My father's mother, and my grandmother, Rachel, passed away young at age of thirty-seven from a heart disease. Sasha who became motherless at seven years old was very close to his sister. Their friendship and love for each other was very touching. Her letters written during the war years on the covers of the old school notebooks were warm and moving. She loved and worried deeply about her brother and my father, Sasha, in the years of separation. Every word was sincere as only a loving sister can express. She was "an angel." Paula was a very special sister for my father. He always cherished the warm memories of his sister. He saved all her war correspondences. He even kept a piece of her cloth as a spiritual object till his death. Upon his request, it was thrown in his grave to unite them after death. 

When I think about Paula, my memory always brings up a photo from my family album. I picture a nice summer day. On the porch of the summer house sits a young woman with three beautiful children, two girls and a boy in sailors suites in Art Deco fashion style. The photo, probably, was taken in late twenties or early thirties. Both girls have loosened hair with big bows, and a boy of two or three years old peacefully sits on his mother's lap. This boy is my father, little Sasha, and the two girls were, my aunts, Paula and Amalia. I did not know Paula. She never became an aunt to me. At the present time, all three siblings passed away. I want Paula to be remembered for what a wonderful human being she was.

The Ruby Ring Story: Part III Aunt Paula

Part III: Aunt Paula

I know very little about Paula. If she would be alive, she would by my aunt. Paula was my father's middle sister. She was only twenty-nine years old when she died. She was married right before the World War II for one of the Perlow's brothers. Both of them, Michael and Jacob, voluntarily joint the Soviet army and went on front in nineteen forty-one. Both of them came home alive: Jacob, without any scratch, and Michael was limping. They were heroes like every young man of their generation. Paula evacuated from Riga in a hurry, with the family of her older sister, Amalia.

At that time, many Latvian families took a chance of evacuation going out of the eastern part of Soviet Union to the south, known as Kazakhstan, to avoid the Nazy invasion. Among the evacuee were women with children, elderly men and women, parents of military personal, etc. Paula was not alone. She was with friends, neighbors, and a part of her older sister's Amalia family. Unfortunately, they left behind their father, my grandfather, who refused to leave the country and stayed back home at the occupied territory by German military forces. There were two adorable toddlers in their community - the kids who were born in nineteen-forty, Nat and Abby. They were the inspiration of the community. Both Paula and Amalia were working at a kindergarten daycare center of pre-school children of immigrants and the locals. At the military time, every strong man, who was capable to operate a rifle, was in the army protecting the motherland from unwanted enemy invaded the country. At the same time, women went to work and worked at the plants and factories replacing the men. At every workplace, women-workers got paid with food and food coupons in exchange for their labor. Paula was proud to bring home vital products from her workplace such as flour, margarine, and potatoes. She was very devoted to the wellbeing of the children. She always was making sure that the two little boys have enough food and are healthy and happy. In fall, when all staff at the daycare got a typhus vaccination, Paula got sick. Her body was weak and did not resist the deadly disease. The hospitals were full of wounded soldiers. The epidemics of typhus and cholera were not unusual. Paula passed away very fast. The family did not have the time to grieve. On the windy-cold winter day was a fast funeral because of the sanitary issues of war time. The soil was hard and rocky. In these conditions the grave digging is almost impossible. As usual, the dead bodies were covered with rocks, and the graves were rising at the cemetery from far away. It would not be unusual, if the hungry coyotes would finish the prey. The story makes me sad that nothing left to remember sweet Pauline, not even a stone with her name.

The Ruby Ring Story: Part II Mrs. Ina Perlow

Part II: Ina Perlow

Who is Ina Perlow? How my father gets to know this blond petite with blue eyes and pale make up woman? She had a good modern manicure and a stylish diamond ring next to her wedding ring. I think, it goes as a package with the uniform for the salesgirl's appearance. Did not she work at the Jewelry store?!

Who is Ina Perlow? Is she one of my father's clients? It is a strong possibility. No, she is not. Turned out, she was a wife of Michael Perlow. Once upon a time, Michael was married to my father's middle sister, Pauline. I do not know how to say it. I am in inconvenience to explain because I am not quite understanding it. Is Ina Parlow a relative to us? No, she cannot be a relative. She is a second wife of Michael Perlow. There is not any blood relationship between our and the Perlow family. We did not write greeting cards to them on holidays. Well, there was some kind relationship. For example, when we stopped to say 'hello,' walking by on the street, I would want to know how her sons are, and what they are doing, how smart they are, and all kind of these type of questions. Why? Because, somewhere deep in my heart, I would like to imagine and fantasized that they could be my cousins, if only my Auntie Paula would be alive.