Ashland Speaks

By Lula Anderson

Snow, Snow, Snow! It's only the beginning of December and I'm already getting tired of all of the snow. Since the big Thanksgiving storm, we've had an inch or two every day. Everyday Judy goes out and shovels the driveway so that it won't freeze, and by the time she's done, it's time to do it again. We've had a break today, and tomorrow it's supposed to rain again, but by Thursday it is supposed to change back to snow. And more shoveling. Winter in the Catskills!

Sorry to report, but the Cookie walk for the Ashland Community Church has been cancelled.

WAJPL members, under the leadership of DeDe Thorpe and Jackie Hayden met on Monday and created some really wonderful wreaths. There were several new people which is a wonderful way to teach and learn. Thanks to the heavy snow, there were a lot more greens than originally anticipated.

My thoughts on TV : While talking with friends, we brought up commercials. With the elections over, we thought that we'd get back to normal advertising. Now we start having the Please Help Me commercials. The ones that tug at your heart strings: See this poor puppy, only 50 cents a day will bring him hope. Please help this hospital, and that hospital. How many elderly will see these and donate without thinking that 50 cents a day will add up. A lot of times more that my poor social security check. Then we have the car repair scams, excuse me, insurance plans. Just sign up and you're covered for major repairs. Ernie has two plans, and all that was covered was the part itself. Not the nuts and bolts that were needed to hold it in, nor the labor required to fix it. If it sounds too good to be true it probably isn't. How about the drug advertising? You can cure wet macular degeneration with this shot. I looked into it, and it wasn't at all what it was made out to be. The ads offer hope, but, again, read the fine print. I'm not saying that it won't work, just make sure your doctor recommends it first.

Had a question today. Are you involved with that nice guy who takes pictures for the local paper? It seems that every time I look, there is a picture of you. Thanks Mike Ryan for making me so popular.

Prayers for health to Dot Giordano, Bob Bernach, Lola German, Liz Dewell and Mickey Gottsche.

AS I REMEMBER IT

At the luncheon I went to today, a comment was made on the title of this section. As I remember. We know it's a fact if you send three people in a room, each one will come out with a different experience. Although we of a certain age have similar memories, no two are completely alike. It gives us a chance to ponder on our youth and what we felt. The woman in question has admitted to using the title while talking to family as it is as SHE remembers. Thank you Linda for the input.

As I ponder the weather in the North East, My daughter just came for a visit from Texas where it is Hot, Hot, Hot and she was having a problem staying warm. Back to the past and the farm house 14 rooms and one coal fired furnace with a giant register in the floor near the diningroom. It was a great place to sit and keep warm, and to dry clothes. We had no living room, only a parlor that was used for Christmas and special occasions. We had the cook stove in the kitchen where we would sit around the table and relax. The bedrooms upstairs were cold, heated only by small registers in the floor that let the heat from downstairs up. If you had a back bedroom you were definitely out of luck. Three in a bed with a hot brick helped. In the morning you grabbed your clothes and ran to the warm register. On the bed were many quilts. The top was made of four grain bags ( which were specially made to be reused as material), covering a blanket. These were sewn together as a makeshift quilt and tied in several places to keep it from bunching. The bags were washed a few times to soften and matched to make a pattern. It was not a fancy, designer duvet, just a mother's thought of keeping her family warm.

If you had a glass of water on your nightstand, you can be sure it would be a class of ice in the morning.

I survived through it all, for 93 years, and am still going strong.