Bentley Beetle

**There are people who can build you an
older Beetle for around $35,000.00
And there are lots of older Beetles 
for sale via the Web. 

  This photo was taken in New Hope, PA.  Ed's brother
Ken made the silver key.  Here I am pregnant 
with Laurie!!!!

Before we became officially engaged, I said to Oompa I wanted (needed!) a robin's egg blue VW Beetle with a patch sunroof and fat white wall tires.  There were several VW dealers in Pittsburgh. Oompa found Bentley at Ted McWilliams.  When we first saw him he was raised up high on a hydrolic lift.    Love at first site, he was anxious to meet his new owners.  He was a 1963 with the pimple tail light which changed to the straight-across type in 1965.

I was teaching at Johnston School not far from where we lived.  Oompa's car, a volvo named Agatha had the garage with Bentley sitting in the driveway.  If it snowed, I used a hose to wash off the snow before going to work.

Next Saturday at this time, we will know if anyone shows up at Denny's for the Planning Session for Beetle Lovers in B/N and surrounding communities and to move to the next step -- deciding a location for the actual Meetup!  Oh there are soooo many VW Beetles in B/N.

Last week I distributed the Meetup
flyers to places around town who service
Beetles and also to the VW dealership.
**It was at Kelley's Automotove where
 I met Ken who knows everything there is
to know about VW's. 

Oompa Snapped these Dear Deer Yesterday

In front yard we counted 7 hungry deer
A problem:  too many deer in Illinois 
 

Taken from sun room

For VW Beetle Lovers -- a Meetup

In a world filled with too much sadness, this Meetup is designed to bring a smile to your face.  Picture many VW Beetles together in one location.

From quilting, belly dancing, card games, book groups, specific kinds of foodies, mom's groups, cyclists, you name it, there is a Meetup. 

Meetups are all over the world and are designed to bring people together with a mutual interest.  Click on the box with the date to learn more about the Beetle Lovers Meetup.

The process for starting a meetup is fairly easy.  Meetup headquarters staff were right on top of what I was doing the minute I became involved, i.e. sent them $29.00 for 6 months.  

Performing at the Lyric in Chicago with a Broken Ankle -- and learning my friend was at one of these performances

Ed and I are going up to the Lyric in Chicago in early  March to see Tannhauser.  When I was tooling on the web to learn about the opera, I came across this link about Joyce DiDonato doing a brilliant job singing Rosina in the Barber of Seville with a broken ankle.  Truly amazing.

My dear opera friend Karen Khusro and a member of UUBN with her husband Qazi's family at one of these performances.  What a coincidence!!!!  There is Joyce DiDonato in her wheel chair bringing down the house. 

 

Cartoon by Andre Jordan

Can You Hear (my cries, can you see my eyes, I am calling out to you).

Can You Hear by Jim Papoulis is one of my favorite choral pieces. In this rendition, rhythm instruments are used along with piano accompaniment but our director (and I agree) thinks the rhythm instruments detract from the overall effect.    We performed it 3 years ago so several members of the Choir are familiar with the piece.

The Poplar Trees and Mole

What a gorgeous woman!  Poplar trees lined the long driveway.  Poplars are a short-lived tree and do not last for more than 25 years.    I remember hearing the story of Digby purchasing them for 25 cents/tree at Gimbles Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh.  One weekend I returned home from Pitt to find they were gone.  I cried like a baby.  I can still hear the rustling sound of their leaves in the wind.  Note date -- 1948.  Jan and I were born in 1940. 

Digby and Mole, our Beloved Parents

Dr. and Mrs. Albert J. Hyde were known as Mim and Al Hyde to their friends.   When my twin brother Jan and I became teenagers we dubbed them Digby and Mole.  To this day, when we talk about them we call them Digby and Mole.  In my dad's eulogy, the rabbi mentioned how the twins used to call him Digby.  

Digby was the first oral surgeon in Pittsburgh.  In those days after dental school at the University of Pittsburgh, there was no graduate program to learn how to become an oral surgeon.  So Digby shadowed a well known surgeon, Dr. Thomas Schubb for many years. 

Dr. Schubb was a relation:  he was the brother of my beautiful Aunt Lil Schubb with whom I spent a summer at her home in Santa Monica CA after my bad time.  Dr. Schubb performed Aunt Ruth's mastectomy. 

Digby and Mole lived 11 miles from downtown Pittsburgh where his office was located.  They built a home, 4600 Gardenville Road, on several acres of land.  This was where I was raised.  To this day, I have dreams about moving back into this home.  They loved to entertain. 

In front of the stone fireplace in the living room of 4600. 

Candy Beets

Into bowl, coat beets with olive oil.

Roast in a 350 degree oven for an hour.

Cataract Surgery for Daad! He did GREAT!!!!!!

First of all, Oompa was scared of undergoing this surgery because when he was two years old, and again when he was twelve, he had the muscle shortened in his right eye.  He claims this is when he was born!  From then on, he has been extremely skittish when anyone goes near his eyes including Dr. Brownstone, our  ophthalmologist.  When the glaucoma test is given Oompa becomes an unhappy camper.

A friend of ours at UU told Ed when she had recent cataract surgery with the same ophthalmologist she felt the operation!  Instead of motioning to the doctor there was a problem with the light anesthetic, the surgery continued as she experienced extreme discomfort.  This happens rarely.  So she told Ed to definitely get a "block" , a stronger anesthetic that would virtually put him out. And so he did. Although the block could not be given during the time the laser was reading his eye, the block was given as an injection into the corner of the eye a few minutes before the actual surgery and lens implant.

At the routine exam the day after the surgery, Dr. Brownstone apologized for the black and blue mark at the inside corner of Ed's eye.   Both patient and doctor were very happy with  the end result.

Of interest, the day of the surgery we were to be at the Surgi Center at 9:50 am.  Nothing to eat after midnight including liquids.  Ed slept fine.  I did not.  Because of Ed's nerves, my mind played a trick on me and I felt nauseous to the point I didn't want my morning coffee and I couldn't finish my oatmeal.   I said nothing to Ed about how I felt.  At this point he was ready to roll!  On January 26th the routine is repeated on Ed's left eye.  

Because of the block, Dr. Brownstone had Ed wear this patch
for several hours after the surgery.