True Confessions

Grandma J knows that today should be her Tuesday Trivia  post, but something has been on her mind for at least three days.  That would be a lifetime and a half for love bugs. 

Anyway, Grandma J was on her way to see a chick flick  Friday Matinee, just like she promised she would.  

But then she got sidetracked by an early preview of a garage sale.  She wondered around with the blessing of the homeowner for what was called an early preview.   She found some really good stuff, and was already to buy them when she was informed that early preview meant just that.  No sales until the next day.

Well, it was too late to go to a matinee, and she had to pick up JJ at doggie daycare.

So, Saturday instead of going to the garage sale,  she decided to spill the beans.

   Her penance was to be sure and get to a matinee ASAP! 


xoxo Grandma J

A Matinee By Any Other Name....

...is still a Friday Matinee if you are at Grandma J's, no DOUBT.

That's what I went to see, Doubt. I really thought this movie had slipped through my fingers like so many others have. I never saw The Queen, or The Other Boleyn Girl..... and I don't do movies at home. It's sad, I know. Anyway, when I saw that it was playing nearby, I put everything else on the back burner, and went to see it....me and one couple. Seriously, don't people go to movies anymore?

Doubt is a very powerful movie about the quest for truth and the consequences of blind justice based on one persons strict moral convictions.

Meryl Streep plays the principal, sister Aloysius, at St Nicholas Catholic School in the Bronx in 1964. She believes in the the power of fear and discipline, and sets off on a crusade to prevent and stifle change amongst the students, sisters (teachers) and especially Father Flynn, a vibrant charismatic priest played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

When Sister James, a sweet young innocent teacher, played by Amy Adams, shares with Sister Aloysius her suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to one of the students, Sister Aloysius sets off on a personal crusade to destroy Father Flynn. Without a shard of proof besides her own moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequence.

Doubt was very realistic in recreating the parochial school environment as I remember it. Standing whenever an adult entered the classroom, the insistence on using pens that required ink wells and blotters, and the strict discipline....and not necessarily a bad thing.

I recommend this movie by giving it five out of five confessionals

THE BARON, PART IV

Jack had an air about him that gave strangers the feeling that he must be someone important. He was very well mannered, well groomed and his aloofness made people basically give him the royal treatment.

He didn't have the typical physical appearance that some retarded people have. It usually took strangers quite a while to recognize the fact that Jack was mentally challenged because he was good at role playing. The fact that his parents were never ashamed of him, and never hid him away when he was growing up says a lot about their determination to make Jack fit in. Typically, retarded people are very good at mimicking behavior and in Jack's case, he had an extensive vocabulary that fooled people into thinking he was very worldly. My grandparents traveled extensively in their later years, and Jack went with them to numerous countries and cultures.

We were all amazed at the royal treatment Jack received in public. The stories were numerous. I have taken Jack to fancy restaurants, and let him give the hostess his name for the waiting list, only to have her seat us right away...practically bowing to Jack! I would ask him what he said to get to the top of the list and he never had an answer.

So, that's just a bit more insight into the man I always called The Baron. The man who wanted to marry me. The man who told everyone I was is favorite....and no bribe in the world could make him change his mind. It was for no other reason than the fact that I was silly. Jack loved silly. Jack used to say I made him hi.steer.a.cal. I was also someone who loved having Jack around. Even when he wouldn't lend me $2 for gas, telling me "if you run out of gas, you'll learn your lesson". I loved making time for him and taking him places like zoos, the beach, and there was always that banana split or any ice cream to win him over.

Now I have a cute story....one that I've hinted about. Jack going to confession. Jack went to confession all the time. He was raised strict in the Catholic faith, and my grandparents used this as a tool in handling Jack, keeping him in check. Don't get me wrong, my grandparents were very strong in their faith, and Jack followed suit...in the tradition of mimicking as well as a basic understanding of Christianity.

Their parish priest knew Jack, and in keeping with my grandmother's wishes, always reminded Jack of the ten commandments, specifically Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother.
The priest would ask Jack, if he was good to his mother at the close of each visit to the confessional.

On the weekends that Jack would spend with me and my family, I would take him to confession with me. I would make sure I went in before Jack so I could explain the situation to the priest. I mean I didn't want the priest to take anything Jack said the wrong way....and of course we never knew what the heck Jack said when he went to confession...so a heads up to the priest was in order.

This one particular Saturday, I go into the confessional, and before leaving give the priest the lowdown on Jack. I open the curtain to come out, and a strange man enters the confessional....Jack is no where in sight! I quickly went looking for Jack and found him exiting the restroom. I told him the priest was feeling ill, and said Jack could just say The Act of Contrition on his own, that was fine. We high tailed out of there.

Seriously? Did I want to be there when that man came out of the confessional? I'm wondering what the man thought about the priest asking him if he was good to his mother.

**Sitemeter Kills Thousands Of Sites For IE Users **
I suspect it's save to go back in the water....at least we know who the culprit was. Now if Hollywood comes back I can guestimate where they hail from. :))

LIFE SAVINGS IN A NUTSHELL

This weekend started out crazy and hasn't stopped. I've been preoccupied with my new laptop. I did tell you about my new laptop didn't I? Well I used a jump drive to transfer my stuff from my desk top, then deleted everything from it before I took it to the dumpster. No one wanted it! A totally functioning Sony Vaio. Not the church, not the school district...and no I didn't ask my neighbors. Honestly that would be opening another can of worms. Besides, someone will take it...keyboard, flat panel monitor, speakers the whole kit and caboodle.

So, here's what I did, I moved all 3K plus photos into the new fancy shmancy photo file on the laptop. Then I made sure I had the latest v. media player on the laptop before I dropped all my albums in it. I watched as they all opened with pictures of the artist and album covers. Then I tested it. fine.

Today I was getting ready to listen to some music while blogging and while everything looks good...titles, play time blah, blah, blah, I get an error..something about not recognizing something or other. So I went and got all my CDs out of my car, that's sitting in 104 degree heat, so I can reload them from scratch. Don't I have this stuff on my MP3 player you ask? Why yes I do! I'm not taking a chance...if it didn't work from the jump drive, then I'm doing the next best thing to having the artists live in my apartment...downloading from the CDs.

All this blabbering brings me to this little gem I've been toting around for decades....my bank passbook. Yeah, I think that's the old fashion word for debit card. I remember showing it to my oldest granddaughter last year thinking she's say "ooooh..aaahhhhhh! Wow, can I have that when you're dead?" No, I got the usual look of "you are definitely a couple of bubbles off center."


Now granted, it comes with a lot of history..as in coffee stains courtesy of Rita. I mean come on! If it wasn't Rita it would have to be Sister Annunciata Marie from St. Anne's School. No kidding, that's her real name. She made us say it in it's entirety every time we addressed her...or as she sailed into the classroom with her habit flowing behind her. I can still hear the class in unison.....

"GOOD MOORRRNING 'STER ANNUNCIATA MARIEEEEE".

My friend Leslie Hamilton and I secretly knew the good sister was practicing her angel moves. Oh and Leslie?...she was adopted by this rich doctor and his wife. They weren't Catholic so Leslie didn't have to go to confession every Saturday...I envied her in oh so many ways.

Excuse the quality of these photos, but as you all know, I'm patiently waiting to make the cut on Santa's camera list.

This is the balance as of around November 1954. The last three deposits aren't dated. You see, if you want your deposits dated, you have to write it in yourself. All deposits are in pencil...according to instructions. Don't you think that's crazy?

If any of you happen to be strolling down Empire Street, or South Main Street in Providence RI, stop in at Providence Institution for Savings "The Old Stone Bank" and mention my name. I'm like the oldest depositor they have...just maybe. And I think this is the extent of my wealth, all locked up in the third grade savings account.

Hang it there because I'm working on a post about my grandfather's desertion from the Army right in the middle of the War Between the States out west with Pancho Villa. No kidding. I will treat you to his Wanted Poster. Oh boy, I can see you, Carol Z getting all antsy. You've asked for this ever since you saw his wanted poster hanging in my cubicle eons ago.