November Memories
· Thanksgiving dinners. For years it was with Ida and Jack, Margaret
and Howard and just the 9 of us. Then
spouses started to be added and a new generation of nieces and nephews and more
tables needed to be added to accommodate all of us. My mother had a large turkey with creamed
onions and asparagus and stuffing and potatoes.
There were pumpkin and minced meat pies and wine and scotch and
soda. My aunt always had a “highball”.
· 1963- I am a third grader, eight years old, sitting in
my classroom. I see an older student come in to the back of the classroom and
speak to Sister Angela Marie. I think I hear her say that the president
was shot. I tell the girl in front of me but we are not sure what all of this
meant. Moments later we are dismissed from school so we can be with our
families. Sadness seeped into the pores of every adult I see. I run home
to tell my mother this very important news. As I get to our front
door, I ring the doorbell and a very large black woman answers the door.
She startles me and then I remember that my mother had just hired someone to
help with the house cleaning. “I have to find my mother," I blurt
out to her, “The president’s been shot. I have to tell my mother.” She
lets me in and points to the TV room upstairs. I charge up the steps and
find my mother and Mrs. Hunt sitting on the couch. Both women are
crying. It had just been announced that he was died. For the next
few days, everyone cried.
· Turkey Day Games: Stroudsburg vs. East
Stroudsburg (1988, '89, '90, '91, '92,' 93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98)
· Spirit Week at school; the tension and
excitement would be palatable and so very hard to contain.
November 1- the first day the heat goes on for the winter.
November 1- the first day the heat goes on for the winter.
Friday Night Football games which are always too damn cold.
Voting in general elections every year.
1998- Thanksgiving in Costa Rico
2005- Thanksgiving in Turks & Caicos
2014- I ran for State Senate in Maryland and lost.
2015- teaching in China for the World Academy for the Future of Women.
2017- teaching in Nepal for the World Academy for the Future of Women.
