Meal Prep (Frances & Diane)

Coming up next is the thirtieth part to Diane Richardson’s “When I Met My Hubby,” but first let's talk about food. 

We all eat to live, and our working days are spent making the money to buy the food or in some cases growing the food we'll eat later. With the modern supermarket and online delivery, it can seem easier than ever to get exactly what we want, when we want. But there's always little hiccups here and there, due to lack of funds, lack of time or lack of options. Today's stories show some creative ways for older buds to go food shopping and to get their square meals.

Frances Bryce

09.07.2021  

Detours

The city offers many buses, trains, and the subway. To get from Point A to Point B I have become accustomed to walking out of my door if I needed to go to anywhere on South Street on a plan and hunch to 2nd and Lombard that I planned on. Sunday, the day of the Farmer’s Market is open at the above address- 2nd and Lombard, my intended destination. As we approached 15th and South, the driver alerted the passengers that the route was blocked, and we could wait until SEPTA informed us that the trip could be continued (Detour).
30 minutes later we were informed that the blockage was still in effect, and he would be returning via another route. The driver offered a very sincere apology. I began to think of my options, buses run infrequently on weekends and holidays. 15th and South is quite a distance from 2nd and South. A possible solution, wait on Broad and Lombard and return home.
No buses in sight, I was fortunate to get a bus on Broad and got off at Walnut Street. Still a sit and wait (who knew how long). I began to walk to one of my favorite places, Reading Terminal, with a previous stop in Rittenhouse Square with a book in my bag. The wait was short.
At Reading Terminal I was able to have lunch, purchase a meal for later and all the fruit and produce that I missed at the farmer’s market. A detour can be another way of not letting a bus detour stop me from using another plan to have a great day. There are many other routes that let me achieve a day that I had not planned.
My final bus route ended at 23rd and South. The area has a wonderful yogurt with which I rewarded myself for such a pleasant day. No detour stopped me.

We now return to our continuing story, “When I Met My Hubby, Part 30.” 

Diane Richardson

11.08.2022

When I Met My Hubby Part 30

Today I would like to tell you about my Hubby’s cousin Ron. Ron lives across the street from a large church in South Philly that often holds weddings and funerals. Whenever either is held, Ron gets all dressed in a suit & tie and attends the services. He goes to the funeral repass services and the wedding receptions where there is a buffet of food, drink and pastries all homemade from family members.
He goes over to the church early in the month to get a monthly program of what’s going on so he can plan his monthly activities. He shops at Goodwill and Salvation Army for suits and ties. He’s always the one of the sharpest uninvited guests there. After he eats, he always packs up a few platters to take home. Then comes back and packs a few more to go. None the wiser. He’s been doing this for years. Even going so far as volunteering to sometimes clean up so he wont be considered a stranger.
He never has to go food shopping or cook. He always has plenty of homemade food and pastries on hand.

If you want to transcribe for Best Day, then email us at info@bestdayofmylifesofar.org. You can also share our older buds' adventures by donating to Best Day, subscribing to our newsletter, sending a note to our older buds, or following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And if you or the older buds have any stories of food and how they find it, then you or they can submit stories through our portal right here. We're especially interested to stories from Black older buds, but we're always looking for stories from older buds of color, older buds with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ older buds, older buds of any gender or sex, older buds of any religion, and older buds who just plain break the mold.

And don't forget to maintain contact with the older buds in your life. If you can't be there in person, please call them, email them, or message them on social media. And if they're using teleconferencing or remote events for the first time, give them a call and help them set things up. Check in on them to see how well they're getting used to these programs. Buy them a computer or an internet package if they don't have one of their own. It's a human right, after all. 

Curated by Caitlin Cieri

Volunteer Appreciation (Elliott & Diane)

Coming up next is the twenty-eighth part to Diane Richardson’s “When I Met My Hubby,” but first some appreciation for our volunteers. Yesterday, I went to The Philadelphia Senior Center's Volunteer Appreciation Ceremony. The most interesting thing about the event was how many older buds were present as volunteers. Of course, there were the older bud representatives of each group, but there were also several older buds and baby boomers volunteering without actually attending the Senior Center...or any senior center necessarily. Apparently,  we have a larger percentage of volunteers born between the forties and sixties than we did back in the 2000s. I believe it might be double, but don't quote me on that.

We've been getting in new prospective volunteers to write and read on behalf of older buds with visual impairments, many of whom are older buds themselves. One prospective volunteer was Nancy, who wrote for Elliott. They struck up a friendship over their shred tastes in literature, and Elliott believes she knew exactly how to write and read aloud his story as a result. I'm looking froward to sharing the story Nancy transcribed, but in the meantime, here's a classic story from older bud Elliott.

Elliott Doomes

09.12.2019

Who Am I?

This is a story about two people who seemed to be compatible in every way. With the exception of controversial issues. They can never agree on the correct stand to take. Whichever stand one would take, the other would contradict and take the opposite. They would argue their points almost to the point of verbal hostility. They would even go so far as to judge and condemn the others’ opinions. I think that they could accept the fact that they are different people, and allow each other to be who they are and not judge them for who they think they should be. That’s the key point right there. Perhaps in that understanding and acceptance, they could begin to bond and form a lasting relationship and friendship.
Now this is the third person coming here, and this is what he says: he said “Well, sound and interesting advice, sir. But tell me, how do you stand on controversial issues?”
Well let me say this: I may not always be right, but I’m never wrong.
I’ve met people like that; they’re never wrong. I don’t care what you say, they’ve always got a way to interpret something. There’s a guy here who’s like that. He’s gone everywhere, he’s done everything, he’s even worked on a nuclear submarine if you can believe that! I call him every once in a while, and ask why he doesn’t come to the center. He says, “Most of the days, I’m down at the casino.” Well that wouldn’t be for me. Maybe one day I might go in a group, but he’s going in two, three times a week, but for what? But the stories that he tells me! He’s done everything. Whatever you say, he’s done it. One day he’s going to tell me he was Admiral or something.

We now return to our continuing story, “When I Met My Hubby, Part 28.” 

Diane Richardson

10.25.2022

When I Met My Husband Part 28

So at this time I am on assignment at a O.B. GYN practice at H.U.P. I don’t like working O.B. GYN because there is nothing but women all day every day and I need to see some men sometimes. My agency knew I didn’t care to work the practice but not why. They needed a tech to work until they hired someone permanent which who knows how long that could be. So, they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I agreed only because they were closed on weekends and holidays. Their regular tech was getting married and leaving the country.
The practice was owned an operated by a husband and wife team. I’ll call them Smith and Jones. The wife Smith, the husband Jones. Smith was white and Jones was black. He loved soul food, and she didn’t know how to cook it so they would go out to eat most nights after work.
After I had been there for a little while I asked if I could make a suggestion. I told them I had a trusted family member that was retired and could cook up a storm. I could talk to her and ask if she would be interested in cooking for you. She could do the grocery shopping and have dinner ready when you get home. They asked if I knew her well and if I trust her.
I answered, “Very well. I wouldn’t recommend her if I didn’t, I wouldn’t put my reputation on the line.” They said they would meet with her, and I talked to her and she agreed to meet with them. They met, loved each other, and agreed she will be their cook. Everybody was happy. I want everyone to know who the cook was,
Pearlie Mae!!!
To Be Continued …….

If you want to transcribe for Best Day, then email us at info@bestdayofmylifesofar.org. You can also share our older buds' adventures by donating to Best Day, subscribing to our newsletter, sending a note to our older buds, or following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And if you or the older buds have any stories of volunteering or volunteer appreciation, then you or they can submit stories through our portal right here. We're especially interested to stories from Black older buds, but we're always looking for stories from older buds of color, older buds with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ older buds, older buds of any gender or sex, older buds of any religion, and older buds who just plain break the mold.

And don't forget to maintain contact with the older buds in your life. If you can't be there in person, please call them, email them, or message them on social media. And if they're using teleconferencing or remote events for the first time, give them a call and help them set things up. Check in on them to see how well they're getting used to these programs. Buy them a computer or an internet package if they don't have one of their own. It's a human right, after all.

Curated by Caitlin Cieri

The Lost Chapters (Diane & Diane)

I have a confession to make. I do not have part 24 of Diane Richardson’s “When I Met My Hubby.” I checked previous weeks, but it’s just not coming up. There’s a few more parts of her story that I also cannot find. However, the next part to her story follows pretty well from Part 23, so that’s what I’m posting. I’ll continue posting chapters of Diane’s story in this way, and I will let you know when I find the lost chapters.

Without further ado, Part 25 of “When I Met My Hubby” by Diane Richardson

Diane Richardson 

10/18/2022

When I Met My Hubby Part 25

 

So Joe and I are enjoying our new home and all is well. But every day I hear knocking on the wall from the right side of the house. It happens almost every day and night. I asked Joe what he thought about it, and he says, “Don’t know.” The knocking continued for a couple of months then stopped.
Then my neighbor on my left asked me if I knew the old lady on my right has passed away? I said I did not. I said I don't know anyone as I am new here. She went on to explain that the mother (the homeowner) was discharged from the hospital to home hospice, care to her daughter Lydia. She said the mother left Lydia the house.
The next thing I know there was all kind of construction going on at the house. A new front and back porch and a new wrap around deck put our deck to shame. Let me not forget the new Mercedes. Lydia was doing it up. I wondered if I should have called the police when I heard the knocking on the wall. What could I say, I hear knocking on the wall? I was new there and if I had known there was and old lady living there, I would have known what to do.
To Be Continued …….

 

And we also have a bonus story from Diane!

 

Diane Richardson

02/08/2022 

My Uncle's Funeral

 

I come from a very large family. We all live in different states all across the country and we all don’t know or have met one another. The only time we all really got together is at weddings or funerals. My grandmother had thirteen children, four girls, nine boys. My father is one of the boys and I doubt he had any problems in school with bullies.
Our family always used Bakers Funeral Home on North Broad Street. It is the largest funeral home in Philadelphia that has three parlors inside that could hold three services in one day. So, this day I went to attend my Uncle Cecil’s service. So, I walk into the parlor, I see a group of people I think I recognize. I approached them, they embraced me and hugged and cried. We all started talking and crying together and saying how good a person he was and how we all loved him. We all had a good cry together. As I am standing there crying with everyone, I hear my aunt Erma, my father’s baby sister, yell out to me. “Diane get over here. You’re at the wrong funeral!” So I said good bye to everyone I was crying with and went to the correct funeral.

If you want to transcribe for Best Day, then email us at info@bestdayofmylifesofar.org. You can also share our older buds' adventures by donating to Best Day, subscribing to our newsletter, sending a note to our older buds, or following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And if you or the older buds have any stories of love and/or marriage, then you or they can submit stories through our portal right here. We're especially interested to stories from Black older buds, but we're always looking for stories from older buds of color, older buds with disabilities, LGBTQIA+ older buds, older buds of any gender or sex, older buds of any religion, and older buds who just plain break the mold.

And don't forget to maintain contact with the older buds in your life. If you can't be there in person, please call them, email them, or message them on social media. And if they're using teleconferencing or remote events for the first time, give them a call and help them set things up. Check in on them to see how well they're getting used to these programs. Buy them a computer or an internet package if they don't have one of their own. It's a human right, after all.

Curated by Caitlin Cieri