Rings n Things

Last night I was romantically remembering the first time Susan cuddled up under my arm and she remembered it as well, even to the coat I was wearing (tan corduroy winter one). I was living at Deseret Towers back then, before mission, and played on the floor's flag football intramurals. It was a cold day, not exactly raining but not really bright. While I played the games, Susan walked to town and came back to discover we had lost a tournament game. She was consoling me and I loved being able to put my arms around her as we walked back to the dorm, accompanied by Neil Henry, another floormate.

Susan surprised me that day with a leather ring...one for her and one for me.
Her's is the one on the left, in much better condition than my much loved, Velveteen Rabbit one on the right. Since then Susan has bought me all my rings....which basically I don't wear...except for one.
Here are my rings all lined up.
From the left...a silver ring Susan made for me in the lab at BYU using the disappearing Wax method. She melted down real silver quarters, etched in the Hebrew which I can't remember what it said and gave it to me before I left for my mission.

Next is my wedding band, more of an oval now rather than a circle since my job doesn't allow rings and so I have seldom worn it. I must have worn it more at the first because I know we took it in to have the rather Aztecian dodads re-colored.

The 3rd ring is a ring Susan had all her family contribute to when I graduated from BYU. Again...not worn and I AM A COUGAR! and happy to say so. I AM true to my school altho Susan is not.

The next ring is a very special ring. It was a ring Susan's father, Henry S. Czekala, gave to her grandfather, Richard James Holman. It is engraved on the inside with HSC to RJH. Certainly, it fits my initials and keeps the bond between her father, grandfather and me. Currently the ring resides in Susan's jewelry box cuz, again, I seldom wore it.

The next ring is still kept in the box. I got that ring for working at the mill for 25 years, specifically USS KOBE at the time of the ring. Diamond, no less...but not treasured at all.

And finally, the my favorite ring of all time is the one on the right. I saw that ring when Susan and I went to the Virgin Islands last summer. And I knew right off that this was a ring that I would wear often, and do.

I love to give Susan rings when we visit special places, or as a surprise, or for no reason at all. She wears them all at one time or another. Rings...interesting things, aren't they?

French Onion Soup and the cemetery

Today Susan and I went to Hollo's Papercraft store in Brunswick, OH. We stopped at Petiti's Garden Center while making our way back to the turnpike. I could have purchased something of every kind there. We did buy 3 clematis...1 white, 1 red, and 2 purple....2 Bellisima in pink and red. and finally a Bleeding Heart. Pam and Ken Barlow had given Susan a Bleeding Heart plant when Bonpapa died but it didn't survive well OR it's surviving now with the new owners. This new plant will replace the old one and Bonpapa will continue to be kept alive in our hearts. I seem to remember the Barlows giving us an hydrangea plant when Gunner died and that we did transfer up here. Hopefully it will grow this year as well.

We had planned at eating in the MapleSide Inn but it is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so we continued on home and ate at the Applebee's at the mall in Elyria.

Mom ordered the Oriental Chicken Salad but when I saw the French Onion soup with the French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich I knew what I wanted. And it was very good. But I remember the first time I ever had French Onion Soup. It was the first time I had been out to my mom's newly acquired cemetery, I was about 14. I think it was in late summer and we had to turn off the water/sprinkling system. As we drove in we noticed a car was parked near the office. Two love birds were necking in the car and my mom stopped that activity quickly. But then she took me to a restaurant on the west side of the old Pasco Bridge. And that's when I had the soup. It is still enjoyable.

The 2nd time I went to the cemetery, my folks said I needed to mow the lawn...which had grown very tall. . .with a PUSH MOWER, no less. About 4 acres of lawn! I made it once around and nearly collapsed. That's when my folks said, "Well, it looks like we need to buy a riding mower."

Thank goodness! I was going to be the one who mowed the lawns and dug the graves and moved the sprinkling system (don't live in a desert) several times a day.

But the soup was good then and today as well. Last night Mom made me Macaroons, dipped in chocolate. They were better than the one I bought at Presti's Saturday when we were in Little Italy. Daphne came down today and she ate one and agreed. Well, she did say they were better than in any store but I am not sure she's ever had one at Presti's. Mom used the Alton Brown procedure....I sure do like Alton Brown. I might have to blog about him and the rib eye steaks Mom cooked on Sunday.

RUNNY EGGS

This morning we went to The New York Deli for breakfast. They made a very fine breakfast and Susan and I enjoy eating there. It seems like Susan always chooses the best meals, no matter which meal, which restaurant. So lately I have been ordering what she orders. Today it was the standard, favorite breakfast...eggs over easy with bacon and home fries and toast. I, of course, added a side of sausage gravy. The the plates arrived Susan mentioned that I should have ordered eggs over medium, not over easy, since I don't like runny eggs. Then she told me if I slid the eggs over the home fries the runnyness would seep to the potatoes and all would be good.

I told her why I have never cared for runny eggs and thus begins my Blogging experience.

When I was about 6 years old, there was a couple who lived in our apartments, Mr. and Mrs. Plowman. They lived in apartment #5. This couple REALLY liked me, probably because I was such a cute little munchkin. But the Plowmans were really old, old people. Mrs. Plowman walked with a cane, I remember.

One day she invited me in for breakfast and served me runny eggs. I had never seen runny eggs before let alone ate any. Suddenly my throat constricted and I said, "I can't eat these."

"Sure you can," Mrs. Plowman said. "Just try them."

"I don't like them," I again stated. And I never did eat them. But from that time on I have never cared much for runny eggs.

The Plowmans moved on after a time, on to Seattle as I recall. My parents kept in touch with them for awhile. But I so remember that morning and those runny eggs.