May holidays, Scio’s backroads mapped, Office of the Aging, a poem for Mom
By Chuck Wiser I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
Well, May is well under way with the first two significant “May days” behind us. I didn’t celebrate the 1st of May, or May Day and didn’t drop any flowers on my loved one’s porch, ring the doorbell and run away, nor did I do anything special on May 5th, otherwise known as Cinco-De-Mayo. Mother’s Day is yet to arrive, but it is this coming weekend as a reminder for those reading to celebrate with your mother if you are so blessed as to still have one available. May 1st, May 5th, Mother’s Day. The grammar choice dilemma regarding the appropriate placement of the apostrophe accompanying the “S” in Mother’s Day is answered by AI (Artificial Intelligence), which now replaces Google as my data search (not voluntarily) resulted in the “official S” placement…”The correct, official spelling is Mother’s Day (singular possessive). Founded by Anna Jarvis, the apostrophe before the ‘s’ signifies that each family honors its own mother, rather than a collective celebration of all mothers. It is not considered standard to use “Mothers Day” or “Mothers’ Day.” Punctuation, if it’s considered that, now covered.
Short of having the words “Cold” or “Hot,” or the first letter of each, or a Blue dot vs a Red dot, on faucet handles or levers, I still have to ponder which side is which. I have now devised a scheme that makes it more rememberable. I now use the “3445 Rule.” Three letters are in first word of; “Hot Left” and four in second word. Then four in the first word Cold Right, followed by five in the second word. The explanation of that is more difficult than remembering the 3445. Then if you go into a house of a person that had their installation reversed, you are surprised to get “hot” when you expected “cold.”
From time to time, you are reminded of why I call my writings “Wramblings.” You also may need a road map to find your way through them. I say that as a lead in to my next topic. Scio resident, and previously our mail delivery guy Butch Cozzi, is a reader of my Wramblings. Having read my blogs mentioning of the Middaugh surname recently, he sent me an invitation to meet with him to review a very old Allegany County map that he happened to have in his possession. We met at the Scio Library the other day and reminisced about our personal former history. We had also interacted when we were both young enough and agile enough to play “fast pitch” softball. The Middaugh name comes to mind so easilyn since I have been exposed to it since my Friendship Central School days with classmate “Ruthie” Middaugh, then what might have been the Patriarch Vince Middaugh, and more recently my dear friend Cheryl Middaugh, now one of the managers at the Texas Hot.
Grosbeaks, Baltimore Orioles are now in abundance. Thank you aviary visiting feathered friends.
Part of what the locals always called Middaugh Hill Road, or East Hill Road between Scio and Friendship is not shown named as such on this map, with that spelling. As noted on the map, in the top, center area is the name Meadow Hill. I think that either changed or was incorrect at the time.
Not to steal Butch’s thunder but I took several pictures of his map and if anyone is interested I would be willing to share a copy in .jpg format.
I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting with Allegany County Office of the Aging representative Curdie Gardner at the Union University Church in Alfred this past week to discuss a potential musical performance for one of their upcoming meetings. In that meeting I learned that there are several nutritional meal offerings in our area. They include;
Alfred: Union University Church; Belmont: American Legion Hall,
Bolivar-Richburg: Richburg Fireman’s Clubhouse; Canaseraga: Fire Hall
Cuba: AA Arnold Community Center; Fillmore: Fire Hall; Whitesville, Fire Hall, and
Wellsville: Grace United Church. I believe there are others, say for example in Friendship.
For additional information regarding these sites, you may contact Allegany County Office of the Aging at:
https://www.alleganyco.gov/wp-content/uploads/5-26-final.pdonthly Activities at the Centers. If you need assistance, please contact our office at 585-268-9390.
With lawn mowing season now upon us, already having been practiced three times and that doesn’t include the County lot that I mow, I am “wreminded” of a conversation that I had with my former “across the street” neighbor, and who I considered a “father figure”, Charlie Young, his memory and his words regarding mowing the grass, still live on and in my heart. Charlie said; “If you can’t eat it or feed it to something that can, don’t cut it. At the time I wanted to start mowing the field just north of, and adjacent to our property. I then, with his permission, started a fairly good-sized garden plot and shared some of the harvest of vegetables with him. RIP Charlie💕
Wrepeating a previous wrant, Cell phones, and the expectation from others that you too have the phone in your hand on a continued regular basis, often are an inconvenient convenience. All too often these days I am admonished by the comment that: “I sent you a message; didn’t you get it?” Nope I often reply, I can’t even find my cell phone. That alone just tweaked my brain with the wreminder that I really can’t find it often even when I want to use it. In that case It’s usually in the pants pocket from what I wore yesterday. I have to call it from my “landline house phone” and then follow the phone buzzing or ringing. Unless of course it is the day after having attended some function or other where I turn my phone off completely, not wanting it to ring or even vibrate in the middle of a meeting or church service.
The winners of the 4th (now so designated) Poetry Slam hosted recently at David A. Howe Library are as follows. April was National “Poetry Month.” RIP and thanks to JoAnne Allen.
I was very disappointed to not having made this list and will follow this up with an explanation. The Poets name is followed by the name of their poem. Following is the list of top three placing Poetry Writers/Wreaders;
1st Place: Allora McEnroe – The Wild Few
2nd Place: Kaetlyn Glass – Broken Glass
3rd Place: Julie McHenry – Stand Quietly
Another Grammar Grievance (self inflicted) that I have is the proper spelling of words ending either with “er” as opposed to “or.” The pronunciation helps…until it doesn’t.
Rule 1: Use “-er” with verbs ending in a single consonant
Rule 1.5: Use “-or” with multi-syllable verbs ending in “-it”
Rule 2: Use “-er” with verbs ending in a silent E
Rule 2.5: Use “-or” with multi-syllable verbs ending in “-ate”
Rule 3: Use “-er” with verbs ending in consonant clusters
Rule 3.5: Use “-or” with verbs ending in CT
I will wrap up this Wrambling with a poem (which has rhymes) written for my Mother. Given her early “passing” at the age of 62 years, I’m not sure she got to see this and “faithfully” in trust I know that she can see it now. RIP Mom! You earned that peace.
