Happy Birthday Beverly Anne Soika Chisholm Furrow

On Sunday, August 31, 2008 my best friend in the world, Beverly Soika will be 58 years old. Now, usually I wouldn't tell you how old my friends are, but in this case it's different. Last Sunday, August 24, 2008, I celebrated the 33rd anniversary of my 25th birthday. Beverly is exactly one week younger than I am. We have known each other since we were in about the second or third grade--nearly 50 years. I can remember when people spoke of things that happened 25 years ago and I had no idea what they were talking about. Of course I was only 19. Please Beverly, don't be upset at the pictures I have here. I know I have some of you and Guy and I will look for them in the morning--it is 3 am as I am doing this--but I will find some tomorrow and will add the to the site. But these pictures display happy times. One thing I really regret is that I have no pictures of you and I together. How could we be friends for fifty years and never taken a picture of the two of us together??? Someday we will have to rectify that. Anyway, Happy Birthday, Beverly, and may you have many, many, many more--and me too. And some day when we wear purple dresses and red hats everyone will understand. So this poem, by Jenny Joseph is dedicated to Beverly, and maybe me too. I don't usually celebrate my birthday as my wonderful mother passed away on my birthday 21 years ago. For a while I was angry at her--three hundred sixty-five days in the year and she had to pick August 24th. But finally I realized we don't pick when we die, and it must have been a good day for her to die, so I let go of the anger. But I certainly do think of my mother, not just on August 24th, but at least once every day. Here's the poem:

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.

And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves

And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired

And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells

And run my stick along the public railings

And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain

And pick flowers from other people's gardens

And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat

And eat three pounds of sausages at a go

Or only bread and pickle for a week

And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry

And pay our rent and not swear in the street

And set a good example for the children.

We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?

So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised

When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

This is a picture of Beverly and Kenny a long time ago.

And this is just Beverly a long time ago.

And this is Beverly even longer ago--when we were graduating in the second graduating class of Northeast Senior High School in Pasadena, Maryland.

ANd this is Beverly once more--probably my dad would have asked me where I thought I was going in that short skirt!!
Now, this is Beverly's first child, Kenneth Chisholm, Jr. This was taken a long time ago, because Kenny has made his mother a grandmother!

And this was a happier time when it was Kenny, Sr, Kenny, Jr and Beverly. I only remember the happy times--forget what happened later.

Now, once again these are BOTH of Beverly's children--Kenny, Jr. and Teresa. And once again this is a really old picture, because BOTH of these little darlings have made their mother a grandmother

Now I don't even remember this guy--I was sent these pictures when I lived in Sicily. On the back of the picture it says his name is Jim, but I do know the other one is Beverly.

Fifty years is a long time to know someone, and I only hope in 50 more years we will still know each other. I hope we won't be too demented by then, and we can get on the bus and go downtown to shop, go to dinner at a "nice restaurant" and have a great day. I'll never forget you, old friend, and I hope you will never forget me. Happy birthday, a few days early. Celebrate, enjoy, share, and don't worry what others think. Do it YOUR way. I love you my dear friend.

Rome and Vatican City

It has been a while since I've posted anything, so I figured it was about time I got busy. The reason I haven't posted anything is because I have so much to choose from. The next thing on my list is Rome and Vatican City, and there is so much to talk about and to see that it is really difficult to decide how to do it. Rome is such a beautiful city and there is so much history there it is not possible to say what is my favorite site.

Rome is the capital of Italy. It is Italy's largest and most populous city, located on the Tiber River. There are about 2500 years of history in Rome. It was once the largest city in the world, and is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church, the center of which is Vatican City. Rome is the third most visited tourist attraction in Europe, and is the headquarters of three of the world's 100 largest companies--Enel, ENI and Telecom Italia.

Legend has it that Rome was founded by the twins Romulus and Remus, who were raised by a wolf. All over Rome you can find the image of Romulus, Remus and the wolf as this is the official image of Rome. You will find it on everything from municipal buildings to sewer covers. All of the shops have pictures of the pope behind all of the counters. When we were there, even though Pope Paul VI was the current pope, everyone had pictures of Pope John XXIII. He was a very well loved pope and even though he had died several years before, he was still highly reguarded.

Italy had been victorious in World War I, and afterwards Italian Fascism rose to power under the guide of Benito Mussolini. He marched into Rome in 1922 to take his place as the ruler of Italy, eventually declared a new Empire, and allied Italy with Germany. There was a period of rapid growth which continued until World War II, during which Rome was damaged by both allied bombing and Nazi occupation. After Mussolini was executed and the war ended, a referendum in 1946 abolished monarchy in favor of the Italian Republic. There was tremendous growth in Rome after World War II, and Rome became a very fashionable city in the 1950's and 1960's--the years of la dolce vita ("the sweet life").

Vatican City is the smallest independent state in the world. It occupies 44 hectares--one hectare is equal to 100 acres. The borders of Vatican City are represented by the walls around it and the travertine pavement curve that joins the two wings of the colonades in St. Peter's Square (more on this later). The population of Vatican City is about 800, over half of which actually have Vatican citizenship. The rest have permission to live there, temporarily or permanently, without benefit of citizenship. About half of the Vatican's citizenship does not live in Vatican City. Most of the citizens of Vatican City are diplomats, and therefore live in other countries around the world. The conferral or loss of citizenship is governed by special regulations issued according to the Lateran Treaty, a pact between the Holy See and Italy signed on February 11, 1929.

Vatican City has it's own flag and anthem, mints its own coins and issues its own postage stamps. The coins minted in Vatican City are legal tender throughout Italy and Europe. Vatican City is governed by absolute monarchy, with the head of state being the Pope. In the case of the death of a pope, the time between his death and the election and acceptance of the new pope (sede vacante) powers of the heaq of state are carried out by the College of Cardinals. The pope is elected by the Cardinals who are under 80 years old, and becomes a sovereign of Vatican City State the moment he accepts the position of Pope.

In the next few weeks I will post what we saw in Rome and Vatican City. There will be pictures and information on the Vatican, the Swiss Guards, the Monument to Victor Emmanuel, the Vatican Gardens and Museums, the Forum, the Mamertine Prison, the Coliseum, several churches, statues, art, the Sistine Chapel, the catacombs, Trevi Fountain, the Scala Santa in the Piazza San Giovanni, the Mouth of Truth, and anything else I can remember. I do want to say that in some instances I will be taking some pictures from the Internet as we didn't always get clear pictures. I am a horrible photographer, and 30 years ago cameras weren't as easy to use to produce fantastic pictures. Also, when we were there you were not allowed to take many pictures in St. Peter's Basilica--I don't know if they allow pictures now or not. As I looked at these pictures I had to laugh. Many years ago, before I was married I worked in the Comptroller's Office for the State of Maryland (Louis Goldstein himself--God Bless you all real good). I worked in the Admissions and Amusements Tax Division, and my boss at the time was of Italian descent. Every year he would go to Italy on vacation to visit family. One year they went to Rome and he took pictures inside St. Peter's. Of course, at that time pictures were taken with cameras that used film, not digital cameras. When he had the pictures developed the ones from St. Peter's did not turn out. He said you should listen when they tell you not to take pictures inside the Vatican.

So be sure to check back peridocally and see what I've posted. There was so much to see and learn. I wish now we had realized what an opportunity we had, but when you are 22 years old you don't appreciate what you have in front of you.