Robinella

Almost forty years ago,(that seems impossible) I met Robinella Allen. Robin later became my college roommate. She not only had a unique name, but she was a one of a kind! Robin was an only child and was from Livonia, MI, just outside Detroit. She had little tolerance for anybody that she didn't immediately like. Luckily for me, she liked me. Robin ate things that I had never been exposed to like pistachios, black olives and peanut butter pizza. There was a restaurant that would deliver to our dorm and she would order pizza with big globs of peanut butter on it. We became quite a pair. I spent most of the time apologizing for something rude that she said to people. She spent most of her time trying to speed me up!~ She had legs that seemed to come to my shoulders. She used to tell me that I should sue the city for building the sidewalks so close to my butt.

Robin was thin and tall and had stylish clothes. She had eye makeup in every color! She walked fast and she talked fast. Her parents had run a night club in MI and worked a lot at night. Robin always resented not having siblings and a close family. She had all the material things that she could ever want. She loved coming to southern IL and spending the summers with her maternal grandparents. For her, the small town and unlimited attention was heaven.

Living in a dorm room with Robin was an experience. She was spoiled rotten and would throw temper tantrums when things didn't go her way. The worst one that I remember, was when she literally tore the phone OFF the wall!! She would scream and throw anything and then it would be over. I learned pretty quickly just to leave and come back when it was over. It didn't take long until she realized that I wasn't going to watch her fits and that made her even madder. It was very exciting and never a dull moment with "the bird"(robin)! We did all of the things that you do in college and had so much fun. We bonded in a way that you can only do when you live with someone. Robin had a boyfriend when I started to college and so did I. Thank goodness that didn't last for either of us. She then met Tim McGrath who later became her husband. Tim was a wonderful guy and very mild mannered. I was so glad to have him in Robin's life because he took some of the load off me of apologizing for her. He also would try to explain her actions and make apologies. It was a hard job---but we both loved her.

I remember their romance and how it blossomed. The first Christmas Tim took Robin home for Christmas with him, she was hooked, for sure. Tim had the family that Robin had always longed for. Tim had a wonderful family life, complete with a brother and two sisters, a "Leave It To Beaver" Mother and a high school coach for a Dad. She loved them all!

While we were in college--class registration was harder than it is today. One semester Robin and Tim needed another class and I talked them into taking a class called "Nature and Needs of The Mentally Retarded". We were all education majors. A part of the class was a field trip to Outwood Residential Home and School for Retarded children. I thought Robin was going to die before we got out of there. She probably will get sick just thinking about it now. The following summer Robin stayed with her grandparents in Eldorado and worked at a facility for mentally challenged children. This is one of those things that I have seen in my life that I know God had a hand in. Robin and Tim's first child was born with Down's Syndrome. Don't get me wrong, Robin never believed that God gave them Jarrod because they were special. I do believe that he gave Robin a path that would make the cross bearable.

This brings me to one of my funniest stories about Robin, as Tim told it to me. They were walking down the street one day when a member of a civic group asked, "Would you give a dollar for a retarded child (he was selling Tootsie Rolls)"?? Tim said R never missed a step as she curtly replied, "No, thank you, I already have one!!!" I am not sure how Tim apologized to the man and I am not sure how many Tootsie Rolls he bought. Typical Robinella-ology.

Robin has two other children a beautiful blonde daughter and handsome blonde son. Megan is married and has two children who Robin adores. She also thinks the sun rises and sets in her bachelor son ,Caleb. Tim and Robin have made their home in Eldorado,IL. They live on a corner in the middle of small town USA in a big yellow house with a pool in the back yard. Robin loves to be in the yard planting flowers and doing yard work. She is a retired teacher and Tim a retired teacher and coach---they are Mr. Tim and Ms. Robin. Robin has lived the life she loved and dreamed of----just enjoying her home and her family in the community that has always been her little corner of heaven. Everyone should be so lucky!!

To those readers who are college friends of Brittany's, I hope your friendships last this long. Robin and I don't spend much time together anymore, but there is one piece of my heart reserved just for her.

Happy Birthday Robin----who would have thought??

Easter Eggs

I just finished dying Easter eggs with Reed, my 3 1/2 year old nephew. I have been married for 38 years and think I have dyed eggs every year. It seems that there was seldom a year that a cup of dye didn't get spilled. Miraculously, me and a preschooler were able to accomplish what grown adults had never been able to--no mess. Reed did remind me that he could dye eggs like Daddy Jim showed him, that he learned in the Navy. Jim's method involves holding the eggs with your hand and dipping them in every color until they come out olive green or brown. Maybe that is why I didn't have a mess today--Jim, the old salt was MIA.

You see, I never got to dye eggs when I was growing up. The Easter Bunny always did that in seclusion. The closest I ever came to actually seeing the process was when I was a child, too smart for my own good. I found a dishcloth with traces of food coloring on it. My mother being quite the clever one, explained it away as traces that the bunny had probably had to wipe his butt after laying the eggs. Now, I know that baby bunnies don't come from eggs, but Easter Bunny was SPECIAL. My childhood Easter Bunny also spoiled us with only Russel Stover's candy. Even when grown, Easter Bunny always has made a visit--he still leaves a little RS candy and Jim must have Russell Stover jelly beans---no Jelly Bellies or imitations will do.

The first year that we were married, we joined our friends Debbie and Squirrel for a special night of dying eggs for their toddler. We had dinner and some light liquid refreshments. Some of us had more than others. We were having so much fun when we ran out of hard boiled eggs---we decided to dye the rest of the raw eggs in the house. Jim and I enjoyed the egg dying so much that we dyed some at home the next day. The kit of dye came with at least a hundred tiny rub on decals. Jim again, had way too much fun and decided to decorate our woodwork on the door facing. It was a rental house---I wonder what the next renters thought.

When the children were small we always had Easter dinner for the whole family---both sides. The kids would hunt eggs. When we lived in Owensboro, there was a hole in our driveway. I am not sure if it went to China or not, but it was about 4 inches deep in diameter and held a lot of eggs. Jodi has never forgotten the year that Jonas (our nephew) dropped almost every egg in the hole!

I used to be quite crafty and one year I let Jodi and the cousins in her age range make sugar shell panorama eggs. They put little bunnies and chicks inside and we decorated the outside with piped icing---Jodi's was yellow and Kim's was purple (according to Jodi). Yes, I was a brave soul in those days. My own kids did well to get to dye eggs, let alone make sugar eggs.

The year we lived in Spottsville we had the most fun with Easter. A very special older couple with no children ( Bob and Bea Green) went to my church. We made them a special Easter Basket and waited until it was dark and sneaked it on to their front porch. We then decided we had better make sure they got it rather than one of Spottsville's many dogs. Jim knocked on the door and we ran and hid. When the door opened, we ran home. The next day during church services, Bob got up in front of church and said it was the first time in fifty plus years---but Easter Bunny had visited them. I am not sure he ever knew who EB was, but he sure enjoyed trying to figure it out. He was an avid prankster and one of the kindest and most generous men I knew. What fun!

My family is coming for Easter and I am excited. It seems just a blink of an eye since they were young and dressing them for Easter was a big deal. I remember the year that Josh had the white suit and looked like the little guy on the sitcom---"de plane---de plane". I remember lace and pearl socks and ruffled panties, pale pink and black patent leather Mary Janes, ruffled dresses, ties, and hats. Boy was I a sucker for an outfit for the kids whit a hat! I remember Jessica and Cody and Josh and Brittany all dressed for Easter. Where has the time gone??

Another memorable year was the year I decided to dye eggs with my MOP group (a social group for adults with special needs). Brittany was also a volunteer then and I think we died six dozen eggs. I boiled the eggs. We were writing their names with crayons and dying eggs, when one of the guys decided to eat one. The eggs weren't done! Sabrina, who is lucky to have an IQ of 75 was not pleased with my culinary skills. We had to reboil the eggs after they were decorated. I told Sabrina that the moral of the story was to boil the eggs longer and always check one. Sabrina said, "the moral of the story is--let me boil the eggs, next time). My time with the MOP group always teaches me something. They love unconditionally!

Easter is special because Jesus died on the cross and I am always saddened and joyous at this time of year. But it wouldn't be Easter if I didn't get to dye eggs and make Easter Baskets! I love it, love it, love it. I do miss Brittany at this time because she loves it almost as much as I do. Today she is having Easter dinner with her friends in Charleston. Some of her friends are Jewish, so I guess it will be Easter/Passover Dinner. Her friend has never died eggs, so Brittany is taking eggs to dye. She wants to share her memories of dying eggs.

Happy Easter and if I don't see you---don't forget to hide your eggs!!!

Benson Barbecues

About thirty-five years ago, Jim went to visit a friend in Wheeling, WV. He came home with an idea that he saw at his friend's house. It was a wishing well styled barbecue pit. Shortly thereafter he built THE BBQ Pit in the back yard of our first home. We had massive friends and family parties. This has continued for almost thirty-five years. We would cook and then have a party or reunion. It was very hard work for all of us. Now that we have gotten older it has become mostly cook and carry. There used to be huge amounts of beer consumed---but that has changed to mostly cokes and Diet Dr Peppers. We still have one annual barbecue with dinner afterward the week before Thanksgiving with all of our old friends. We always look forward to it as the beginning of the holidays before everyone gets busy!

He started out cooking chickens and from there it has evolved into hams, pork loins, bologna, bratwurst, sausage, beef brisket and you never know what will be next. He even had the gall to BBQ rabbits one year for Easter. There seemed to be something a little sacreligious with that. Our recipe has been a secret to most people---except our friends the Fergusons. Jim helped him build two pits as we have. One in our first back yard and the second in the house we live in. Squirrel and Debbie moved also, and had to have a new pit. Our special recipe starts with a dry rub, then a vinegar base dip to tenderize the meat and finally Benson's Own Homemade Sauce. Everyone who comes to Owensboro visits Moonlite BBQ which is only a few blocks from our house. We always have a freezer full and the only thing I buy from Moonlite is the sides.

A BBQ is kind of like a quilting bee for men. They arrive early and spend the day. Some of Jim's friends just stop by for lunch or breakfast. Bratwurst and sausage patties are cooked early and the sampling begins. Dom Assalone is notorious for standing around the pit to get the burned "fall off". They enjoy the food---but I think it is more about catching up, telling whoppers and just plain fellowship. The old stories start rolling about 10:00 AM when things get settled down.

Yesterday, Reed came to spend the day in "men's town" at the BBQ. It seems like only a blink of the eye since Reed was Josh and Jim was Lafe. You may have to think about that a little. I refer to my son as Josh in his early years and today he is the man that I try to call Lafe. When I think of the people who have gone on I remember how much they loved the BBQ, especially Jolene, who could polish off a half and Chef Jeff and his fondness for the bologna. So many fond memories. So many children who are now adults. Jim is passing the torch someday to Lafe and Squirrell is passing his torch to Brandon. Maybe Reed will be the next generation. I think we may be the only people who serve BBQ bologna as an appetizer! Stop by and we will give you a sample. IT IS THE BEST!!!

April Fool's Day

Yesterday was April Fool's Day. It was also my favorite Great Uncle Geofrey's birthday. He would have been 90 years old. He passed away two years ago. He may have been born on April Fool's Day, but, he was no one's fool. I am sure it was a great surprise to his mother. He was a late life baby. My great grandmother was 44 years old when he was born--and it may have seemed April Fool's Day to her. My grandfather, who was his older brother was 23 when he was born. My grandfather had five children, one of which was older. So, I was probably at least nine or ten before I realized he was actually my great uncle rather than my uncle.

I remember that I thought he was so cool when I was a child. He had a daughter who was a year younger than me and I would sometimes spend the night there. He was a very gentle and tenderhearted man with the bluest eyes that could fill with tears easily. I remember his HAM radio and he had friends all over the world that he would talk to. I thought that was really neat!
In his later years he transitioned his radio to conversing via e-mail. He would e-mail me until shortly before he died. He was 87 years old but he always seemed so young at heart. He sent some of the best e-mails, I ever got. I still miss seeing the WGP5 handle pop up.

One of my favorite days of the year is New Years Day and my favorite thing to do that day is to watch The Rose Bowl Parade. I remember watching my first parade in color on his TV when I was a child. He was the only person that I knew who had a color TV--I was so impressed. Uncle Geoffrey also was active in his professional association for postal employees. He loved to travel. No one else in our family did much traveling and I also thought that made him a real cosmopolitan (actually didn't know that word then). My Great Aunt Ruby Lee was a l0ving companion and always has had a giggle that makes me smile all over. I never remember either of them not seeming to adore one another.

Brittany and I took a road trip when she was home from college. We went to AR to see Josh and then to Houston to see Uncle Geoffrey and Aunt Ruby Lee and our cousins Pat and Butch. We first went to Galvaston and spent a few days. Brittany and I drove Geoffrey and Ruby Lee back to Houston. Uncle Geoffrey knew the way and was giving me directions. As we were becoming more lost--he started laughing and said---I have seen more of Houston than I have seen for years. We then knew he was thoroughly enjoying our "being accidental tourists". We had a great time!

I am glad that I had a chance to get to know him, because he was special to me. Brittany and I learned that we also loved Pat and Butch, who Brittany would not have had the chance to meet.