Nancy had spent her last 26 years living at home with her parents and two sisters. That all changed when her mother got sick and passed away suddenly. Just as quickly, and maybe orchestrated by her mother, three weeks later she met and fell in love with a man who lived across the country. The whirlwind romance had her packing boxes and moving across the country five months later!
Now was the start of a morning routine with another person practically a stranger!
Mark woke up at 5:30 and sat watching CNN news with a cup of coffee. Not yet a coffee drinker, Nancy was up at 6 to take a shower and have some breakfast. Mark wasn’t a breakfast eater so he hopped in the shower while Nancy stared out the window trying to figure out the weather. The morning sky in the Bay Area was much different than the morning sky in Connecticut! Was it going to rain? No, no, that’s fog. Get dressed and off to work.
39 years later, Mark and Nancy wake with the 5:40 alarm, coffee for one, and the tv for news and sports. The pace is slower and how to dress is less stressful because the Connecticut sky usually leaves no question about the weather.
Nancy and Mark were sitting around one day early in the year. Mark said, “you know, I would really love to go see a Major League Baseball game somewhere new. Where can we go?”. “I know! Let’s go to Chicago! Easy flight, no connections and we can take the subway to the game.” Let the planning commence!
First up was picking the dates based on a baseball game. They found an afternoon game between the Cubs and the Pirates and good seats in a section or two behind the Cubs dugout. Nancy booked the flights and found a place to stay. It definitely had to be close to the prominent downtown area and close to the subway.
Next up was finding the attractions. Wendella for a boat tour on the river, stores in the area, and definitely time for the Navy Pier.
Everything was mapped out for the four days they would be there.
The big day arrives! Naturally, their flight is delayed by an hour but who cares – it’s their only flight! The flight was easy and when they arrived in Chicago, they figured out how to schedule an Uber and found the spot to stand and wait. Their driver was really nice but the trip took a long time! There was so much traffic.
Their Air bnb was a hotel which was really weird, but they didn’t mind. A restaurant was attached, but wasn’t part of the hotel, but it was handy and tasty.
One morning, they ate at Ed Debevic’s which had classic, American comfort food and waiters with a schtick. They didn’t care if they got harassed, the food was worth it.
On the day of the game, they walked downtown first and found a sports store and purchased some Cubs gear. Coming out of the hotel, they just followed the other people wearing Cubs shirts and hats and they led them right to the subway. It was fun talking to the other fans, because everyone was from somewhere else too!
The game was great, a little rain but they planned ahead and brought rain ponchos with them from home. Plan, Plan, Plan!
The river tour was fun but Nancy bought tickets for the wrong day! Luckily, there were still tickets available for the next ride so they purchased new tickets on line and ran to the line for the next ride. Sometimes planning ahead doesn’t work too well when you don’t check the date first!
They looked through the list of attractions they compiled and nearly everything was checked off the list. Mission accomplished!
On the morning they were heading home, they got directions on how to take the subway to the airport. It was a little quicker and a lot less money. They were glad they did a little research on that how to get there because it was a fun experience.
I will admit to hanging onto things for a very long time, but today the oldest thing I’m wearing today is my skin. HAHA! It is sixty-six years old and although it has seen better days, a little worn and out of shape from the day I received it, it is serving me well.
Right after I wrote that, I realized I am wearing my mother’s initial ring on my pinky finger. It has her initials EP on it.
I don’t know how old she was when she received it, but if I were to say she got it as a high school graduation gift, that would make it 86 years old.
Her ring is the oldest thing I’m wearing today. After my skin 😉
Gram, Uncle Lester, Janice, mom holding me and my twin (I don’t know who is who! 1963-ish)
I became my family’s historian in the early 2000s while sitting with my aunt and the family portraits, listening to her stories of the people in them. They were her legacy to me.
The Posluszny Family abt. 1908
For the past 25 years, I’ve collected information, discovered new family members and brought my ancestors to life. I discovered facts that may never have been uncovered without DNA and research.
I created a blog and have written about their lives, loves and losses, accomplishments and failures for ten years.
One hundred and thirty posts on people, places, occupations, and stories collected from when they were alive to share them with me.
This will be my legacy, sharing the voices of the past with future generations.
Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).
It’s a good thing I love to ride a bike because my most expensive personal item recently purchased is a new gravel e-bike I brought home in September. It replaced the first e-bike, a Salsa Confluence, I bought in February. It quickly became evident the Salsa was not up to speed (pun intended), for the rides our group takes. The Salsa was half the price as the Creo, had a smaller motor, thinner tires designed more for bike paths than dirt roads, and unfortunately for me on dirt roads with rocks, no shocks in the handle bars.
My new, best bike is a Creo Turbo 2 Comp with a 1.2 SL lightweight motor, and SRAM hydraulic disc breaks. A really crazy feature is the “etap levers” for changing gears. If you’ve ever shifted gears on a bike, you can hear it going on down at your feet as the chain moves higher or lower. Not this bike because it’s electric! There’s only a delightful little “click” as I press the right or left lever, and the chain makes its move on the cog.
My Specialized Creo Turbo 2 Comp bike
It is worth every penny because my hands no longer ache after a 30 mile ride, I’m more comfortable and confident barreling down a hill, and I have more electric power for that hill at mile 27!
Physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and relational. When I looked online for self-care, I found those categories.
Based on the descriptions, I was pretty surprised that I have always practiced self-care but never put the two together.
I eat heathy and work out every day. I write in my journal daily. I read my Jesus Calling devotional every day, followed by the associated bible verse. I read at bedtime and play the New York Times games (almost) daily. I have been working on my relationship with my husband to be more open and honest about things that concern me.
I was going to say that my social self-care would be where I was lacking but I realized – that’s not true! I belong to a group at the library, and attend library events at least twice a month. I meet with former neighborhood friends every month for dinner. I meet with our class reunion committee monthly, which consists of 6 other women who really like seeing each other every month because our next reunion is still 3-1/2 years away!
I could improve on all of that if I could stay off social media!
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
I grew up in a traditional household in the 60s and 70s. Sundays involved the 9:15 mass, picking up newspapers (New Haven Register, New York Daily News, Boston paper) with the possibility of a comic at Boylans, and a stop at my aunt’s house before we were home. Once home, we read the papers, and waited for Sunday Dinner which happened anywhere between Noon and 2 p.m. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating, but some Sundays it felt like it was that late because everyone else was out playing while we were still waiting to eat!
Except for that rare Sunday when we got Kentucky Fried Chicken….
Kentucky Fried Chicken. There was a store across the street from our church that opened at noon. On those Sundays (usually during the summer), my mom would head back out to pick up a box or bucket. They would also get the cole slaw and mashed potatoes and gravy that went with it.
Oh that chicken! So crunchy and greasy. I probably ate it for the skin more for the chicken. You can have those big old chicken breasts at the bottom of the box or bucket! Give me a leg or thigh for that juicy dark meat. As a last resort, I’d eat the breast but I’d need a lot of cranberry sauce to wash it down.
My father would jokingly swear that the cole slaw tasted “just like ice cream” and I’m sure we choked it down. Not like now – I love cole slaw!
Stores still exist, but the one across from our church is long gone and it’s probably a good thing because, like anything else that tastes so delicious, that skin is not good for you!
The last time I had it was in 2022 when we were traveling in California to visit my father in law and we stopped to pick it up and bring it for a dinner with him. It was as good as I remembered it and I’m sure as I did every other time I ate it, I told my husband the stories of my families KFC Sunday dinners.
Describe one simple thing you do that brings joy to your life.
I feel joy when I am riding my bike.
I received my first bike when I was about 7 years old. It was a second hand bike that my dad painted and put a new seat on. I would ride it all over the neighborhood. On weekends, my dad would take me, my sisters, and anyone from the neighborhood who wanted to join us on rides around town. The bike gained a banana seat with sissy bar and upraised handlebars when they came into style.
My first bike – 1967
I outgrew the bike and riding during high school but then received a 10-speed bike my senior year of high school. I brought my bike to college and rode around campus and up and down the country roads.
Woodstock Connecticut Route 169
When I moved to California, I brought my bike with me (in pieces, in a box!), but based on the rides my husband to be and his friends did, I bought a new bike designed for my short stature and for long miles. My longest ride to date is a 100K through the hills of Sonoma Country. I never did become fully comfortable clipping my feet in to the pedals!
Dry Creek Road area, Healdsburg California
After moving back to Connecticut, the road rides ended but we would take our mountain bikes with us on camping trips and ride from our site to the beach at Hammonasett and Rocky Neck State Parks or ride around Lake Waramaug. We also took our bikes on the ferry to Block Island and Martha’s Vineyard for traveling around.
Sights to see on Block Island, Rhode Island
Recently we purchased e-bikes to ride on which are electric, but pedal assist, which means you still have to pedal to move. People get the wrong idea because there are other types. When I first started riding my new bike, I would turn the assistance on and off and at the same time try to work through my gears. I quickly realized I need to just leave the assistance on at level 1 and just work through my gears and it created a much more enjoyable ride!
My bike – 2025Farmington Canal trail undergroundOne of the trails
So why does it bring me joy? I love the movement both in my legs and traveling a distance quickly! I love the feel of the sun on my shoulders in nice weather. I’m not incredibly fond of cold weather but my first ride was on ice and I can say I finished that ride! Some of the rides involve gravel, uphill and downhill, and I feel challenged, physically and mentally, to get up the hill and DOWN the hill! I’m always in the back of our 6 person pack but I’m getting better! The bike pedals allow for my shoes to clip in or remain free and I currently remain free.
I remember my dad bringing out the movie camera during the 1960s, along with the bank of lights attached to the top, and blinding us as we walked down the stairs to see what Santa brought. We’d view those movies during the summer and watch as he reversed and moved forward the moment when my sister tumbled down the stairs. Down she’d go, only to fly back up the stairs!
Every Christmas, my mother’s family got together at one sibling’s house or my grandmother’s. Presents would get tossed around, and a shaker of Brandy Alexander would be ready to be poured.
The family celebration has migrated to a weekend before Christmas, so families traveling from out of state can attend and then have their holiday at home.
My husband and I host it every year, and we have had anywhere from 15 (2021 after COVID) to 30 people with us. Before our family room addition, it was a tight squeeze – we even had people sitting in the front hallway and on the stairs to the second floor! But now with the extra space and the open floor plan, no one is without a seat.
I’m not big on decorating, and shopping for gifts is stress-inducing, but I really like getting everyone together!
I always think I will be so productive because I get out of bed by 6am every morning. But that really has nothing to do with productivity because I’ve perfected the art of taking my time.
I feel the most productive when I make a list of what I want to do and what I have to do.
I find it amazing that I have so many “things” I want to do, yet I never work on them, because I don’t remember them in the moment. If I have a list, I can look and say “oh, I’ll do a little work on this”.
