When my parents died, it really wasn’t so bad to take care of their belongings. My three sisters and I did it in a couple of days. My parents lived very simply. They shared a single closet that was maybe 12 feet long for all their clothes. They had a collection of about 20 CDs, … read more Exit stage left
Tag: Dad
Clogged drains
As a plumber’s daughter, I have a genetic dislike of Drano, Liquid Plumber and other uber-chemical solutions to clogged drains. They eat pipes. And they aren’t too great for septic systems, either. So I usually use a little wire snake for the bathroom sink, and hot water with baking soda and vinegar for the kitchen. … read more Clogged drains
Alma’s progeny
Every summer for the past five years, my sister Ann and I have come to Ohio for a week. We do ancestry research and visit old friends. And our Schnellinger cousins host a family reunion. Every year, there’s at least a couple of relatives I don’t know. Usually I know all my cousins, but not … read more Alma’s progeny
Someone else’s memories
By accident, I just found online seven photos of Dad from World War II that I didn’t even know existed. The caption for the featured photo above is “Burtonwood – Flying control personnel – 1 May 1943 Cpl Schnellinger, ‘Nice chap’.” Yep, my dad really was a nice chap. Everyone who knew him would have said that. … read more Someone else’s memories
70 years of marriage
June 11, 1946, was a Tuesday. There were so many weddings that year, with all the GIs returning from the war – churches were booked solid. So Peg and Walt got married on a Tuesday morning at her local church, St. Joseph’s in Monroeville, Ohio. I wonder how many people took off from work to come … read more 70 years of marriage
Farm boys at the airfield
When Dad was 22, he had never been on an airplane or been anywhere but Ohio. He was a farm boy before World War II. He was processed through Dayton at Wright-Patterson with thousands of other farm boys, and I guess that’s where he got a few days of training to be an air traffic controller. Then he … read more Farm boys at the airfield
I’m not who I thought I was
For many years, I’ve been proud to claim my German ancestry. The good qualities that Germans are known for – hard work, frugality, efficiency and organization – are ones that I like to see in myself. I’ve always bragged that I was German, on both sides, all the way back – unusual for an American whose ancestors immigrated in the 1830s … read more I’m not who I thought I was
Restoration work
My mother bought this bracelet 40 or 50 years ago, at a flea market or something. It’s sterling silver, from Mexico, and the stone is an amethyst. I always loved it. The stone had a fissure in it, which I thought was intriguing. Then Dad took some jewelry-making classes and replaced the amethyst with turquoise. It was … read more Restoration work
Scrap heaps
I waded into a quagmire today – and spent six hours in it. It’s been five weeks since the plumbing went to hell, and the pile of wet carpet and water-damaged stuff on the lower deck is starting to stink. Gypsum dust coats everything in the basement and a lot of the main floor, from the drywall cutting for the … read more Scrap heaps
No foolin’
Aunts Clara and Bette showed up right on time to pick up Dad for a lunch outing that day. They pulled into the driveway – and got a shock. Dad came to the door in his bathrobe and staggered to the car, moaning. “Ohhhh, take me to the hospital!” he groaned. Alarmed, they helped him … read more No foolin’