Memories Time

 Mary O'D called to let me know about a estate sale at 9110 next week. She hopes she can get a group together to check it out. Wow. Wish I could be there. Weird that Zillow doesn't think the house sold for near what it should have. Mom sold for 34000, now worth 569000. Times change.

How about all the memories? I've been flooded with my own since talking to Mary, all of them good. Who wants to keep bad memories? If you're going, please share as many pictures as you can.

I don't want to go back, Just revel in good memories.

Wasn't thinking too much about one of these, but then Amy and Peter reported that it's a big hit in their house. Bidets have come a long way from the stand alone units like the one Joaners had in her home. Easy to put in and works great. WooHoo!

 

Back to normal (sort of)

 We will be returning to Florida next March after a year Covid hiatus, thanks to Joyce's persistence in finding a place. It ends up looking like the best we've had so far. Wonderful location in St. Augustine, with ice cream shops and eating spots within walking. The beach is close enough for easy access and the St. Augustine beach is wonderful. So, let's hear it for Joyce!  https://t.vrbo.io/Rl7aMqWJGfb

We have 3 Buffalo grads this year: Dakota (Buffalo State College), Maddie (Canisius College), and Dewey (Canisius High School). Dew is planning on University of Dayton in the fall.

All the best to the Fishbacks who are welcoming Wren to her new home! It's been a tough go but what a great family.

In case you haven't heard,

 we're working on plans for a summer visit to Chicago. Most of us but probably not all. The only time that works is in the second week of August. We're looking to get an Airbnb somewhere convenient for south side family. Please look at your family's commitments and let us know if it doesn't work. I know, it gets harder to find everyone free. Maybe trying to find a good time that works for most is out of reach.

I imagine you are following parts of the Chauvin trial. It was neat to see that the most effective of the docs is a pulmonologist who practices a stone's throw from Matt and Jen.

Text me at 716 464 8392.

Ancestors or Influencers?

 My interest in genealogy has been based mostly on the question "Who influenced those who influenced me?" I suppose it's the psychologist in me. Somehow that became "What is my family (i.e., genetic) history?" In pursuit of that I, along with millions of others, sent in saliva to have my genes codified. We all get emails saying that dozens of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, ad infinitum cousins have been found. Well, I have no more than a mild interest in them. Genes are extremely important but not so much in answering the question I started with.

Often it's necessary to learn more. An example is my maternal grandmother, Ann Josephine Cullerton (Graver). Her parents died when she was very young and the Kelly family raised her until she married at 19. Here's the note added to her dewjoy genealogy.

So those two elderly women I knew as distant aunts were far more important in understanding my grandmother than her biological relatives. It's time to contemplate those kinds of connections more.

COVID-19: A Horrible Year

 And it's not over yet. Rates are dropping but could surge again easily. Joyce and I have pretty much been hibernating. Last year at this time we returned from Florida, where state police were greeting people entering on major highways, trying to turn them back. It was so good to get back home, where we seem to have isolated much of the time. So far more people died during the influenza of a century ago, the year my father was born, but unless we move faster on vaccinations, we'll beat them.

We are having our first full family celebration today, for Mary Fran's birthday. Most of us have been vaccinated. some may still wear masks. We are tentatively hoping to visit Chicago family in August. Surely it will be better then!  🙏🙏

MAAC Swimming 2020 Championship

The event is being held in Buffalo this year. Our Grace has competed in three events so far and placed in all. That's quite an accomplishment for a freshman in a conference with eleven colleges. Canisius does a good job using social media and I picked up this image from one of their Twitter accounts.

The entire meet has been streamed as well so I took video off the TV for two of the three events (50 Free and 200 Free Relay) with Grace getting her medal and celebrating with teammates who also placed. Not the best, but something.

50 Free Individual

200 Free Relay

Big sports fan (yeah, right)

Dew and Joy have season tickets for the Canisius College basketball games. The team played Marist yesterday and naturally we were there. A very exciting game, back and forth until Canisius won in the final seconds by 1 point. You can see the sports enthusiasm on Dew's face. Oh, wait---I'm looking at my phone. Never mind.

Then it was on to the Van Burens to watch the Super Bowl. Another very exciting game. Who won?  😂

DewJoy Books is No More

The time has come to discontinue them. Why? Because public libraries across the country now provide a service that can't be beat. It's called Libby and even I use it. You can check out both books and audiobooks and download them to either your phone or tablet. Follow the link to learn more about it.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Winter sport?

We drove through a snowfall of some magnitude and loved by skiers to watch Grace and her Canisius teammates compete against Niagara University. The pool was heated like a summer day and Canisius won. Each swimmer is allowed to compete in 4 events and Grace won two and placed second in two. Then we drove home through even more snow. 😒

Have you heard of this game?

Dakota brought it to our Christmas family get together at the house last night. I was in another room while they were playing and was blown away by the screaming and laughing.
It involves a large ball of plastic wrap that is layered with all kinds of little treats. Players get in a circle and start passing the ball from one to another based on whether doubles come up as dice are repeatedly thrown. While in your possession, you wear mittens and madly try to rip off layers of plastic to get at the treats, which you can then keep. Sounds kind of dumb but it's infectious and great party fun.

Here's a brief video.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

We Buffalo Bayers are without the Van Burens this Christmas Day. They are in Cancun celebrating with extended family so our traditional dinner get together on Christmas Eve has been postponed until Sunday. But the rest of us got together for drinks at the house followed by dinner at a favorite local restaurant. Real good time.

Here's a brief video we sent to the Van Burens through Snapchat.

I'm not fully conversant in using it so thanks, Zann for instructing me.

All the best to Chicago family! Thinking of you.

Smile! You're on camera!

Seems like everywhere we go some surveillance camera catches our movements. Never bothered me. Indeed, long ago I started playing with them at home. I've now evolved to the best camera and recording options I've found---Wyze. Look for it on Amazon---25 bucks. I've got three, providing me with various views around our house, primarily of the outside. Android and ios apps give you access to the camera from anywhere.

Here's a sample of what you get. I pointed my front door camera into the living room and set it to record motion as Joyce and I work on the tree. Notice me waving after telling the camera to start detecting motion as the video starts. Then I told the camera to stop. Happy Christmas Season!

Canisius In Chicago

My former employer (WooHoo! I now am a Professor Emeritus) sent the basketball team to my hometown, Chicago, last night to play UIC in Credit Union Arena. The team won big, 94-64, and number one fan Joyce Ann listened on the radio. Our family has two Canisius graduates (Zann and Amy) and two enrollees (Maddy and Grace) so I guess you could say we're a Canisius family. Dewey and Charlie are currently attending the high school of the same name. The Jesuits have a hold of this family.

I had never heard of the arena. It's near Little Italy. Looks like a very neat area of the city.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A new family member.

Join me in welcoming Agnes to the Van Buren family. Another labradoodle. No surprise given how important a member of the family KatyBelle was. So far she's been pretty laid back but no telling how long that will last.

We're not ready for this.

Winter. We once looked forward to it. Skiing, you know. Well, that's long gone. Now we want to spend more of winter down south. Last year was one month in St. Augustine. This year another month there preceded by 2 weeks on Amelia Island. Snow in Chicago last week and snow forecast for us this week. Bah, humbug.

St. Augustine           Amelia Island

Daylight saving time?

So really, why do we need it? Seems to me it's better to get the hour of sun in the AM all year long. If you live closer to the equator, you don't need it and we in the north don't care much any more. Spring forward, fall back has seen its time.

Grace had another meet this past weekend and earned some recognition. There's a limit of four events for each swimmer, and she's always at the top. You go, girl!

Obama on the mark

I enjoy Halloween. I'm in charge of giving out candy. It will be windy, cold and rainy tonight. Bummer.

Even Ann Coulter praised Obama for his comments on "woke." Me, I wish he were still president, But I guess I can live with him being able to impact our discourse.

An eventful weekend

Zann is reuniting with college friends in Chicago and Grace's first college swim meet, against the University of Rochester, was last night. Zann is planning fun things like the architectural tour on the Chicago River and taking tomorrow to visit with family in Tinley.

Canisius walked (swam?) away with an easy victory and Grace won both her individual and medley races. Very exciting.

She's in lane 4 

We're jealous of Zann and hope she takes and shares a lot of pictures.

Our Catskills visit

We planned on 6 nights but returned after 3 because our friends Ralph Vastola and Katie Martin died. We are mourning two old friends but celebrating their lives.

The Catskills only needed 3 nights anyway. Great to see, no rush to return. Unpopulated, winding roads, very small towns, but definitely worth a must-see if only for the scenery. The Grossingers of past years are long gone, replaced by the "fly fishing capital of the world" (Roscoe, NY) Here are our few pics.

Catskills 2019

Next up, Amy's birthday party on Sunday.

Remembering sisters

Frannie died 4 years ago tomorrow, Joaners 9 years ago in January of this year. They aren't gone if we remember them and I for one do that a lot. My beautiful sisters.