Pink Sweat Bands for Breast Awareness Month

This morning my nephew Robert had a basketball game. When I went to their house before the game, Robert opened the door and put his wrists in front of my face showing me his pink sweat bands and said, breast awareness month, our coach got them for us.

I was so proud of him, and more his coach. I'm not sure what he told the team if anything more than it was a symbol for showing support to fight breast cancer, but he got them all to wear pink sweat bands, and for 11 and 12 year old boys, that's a big deal.

This past June Robert graduated from grammar school and for graduation the boys were told to wear pastel colored shirts with collars and a tie. The choice of shirt colors were pink, purple, blue, yellow, green, and grey and white included. Robert chose grey. There was no way he would have chosen anything else except the white. There was no way he'd wear any of the other colors, an absolutely ridiculous thought.

I for one love when a man wears a pink or purple shirt.

I wanted to take a picture of him and his teammates, again I know asking him was being an annoying aunt, making Robert feel so not cool having me even talk to him, but I had to get a picture of him in the pink sweat bands, which I did from across the court. I'll bust his chops about it for a few years and then when he's old enough to really understand, I'll tell him how proud I was of him for wearing those pink sweat bands today, how important it was to show support for something so important, even if it means wearing pink. My grandmother Naomi, Robert's great grandmother, died very young from breast cancer, years before I was born, my Aunt Libby only a teenager, something that God forbid might affect other women in my family. I'm proud of all those boys wearing their pink sweat bands today.

I saw Robert later in the evening, still in his basketball uniform, no pink sweat bands though, and I asked where they were. Again he gave me that look, you're not being cool Aunt Tricia. He shrugged it off and said, I don't know, I gave them to someone. One of the kids playing in the street asked him what I said and Robert told him, nothing, no big deal. He's 11, that's what I want him to think about breast awareness month, I hope he and so many more young children never have to know what a big deal it is, until unfortunately it becomes time to grow up and face so many hard facts about life, one of which my father constantly reminded me of...life's not fair little girl, who ever told you it was.

The Great Pumpkin (pickin' day)

On this rainy gloomy day in New York, I'm posting pictures of what October days should look like at this time of the year.

Not so long ago, me and my brother Joey and his family went upstate to my sister Linda's house for a day of pumpkin pickin'. Although while looking at these pictures I'm posting today it seems like they were taken ages ago, the kids are so much bigger now, they grow too fast!

My sister Linda is married to a real nature guy. Linda loves the country and the outdoors, just no where near as much as her husband Bob. He's always out there doing something, hiking, biking, taking his dogs on long walks in the woods, chopping wood, skiing, he even has those shoes that look like tennis rackets and you can walk on the snow in them. Before they moved upstate, Bob used to take us to cut down our own Christmas trees. Old fashioned, simple, and it so much fun, another special memory with my family. We'd bring hot chocolate, walk around looking at the beautiful trees and smelling them too! Different smells from different kinds of trees. We'd pick our favoite and chop it down. The car smelled like Christmas the whole ride home.

Last year, I guess around this time, I went up to stay with Linda and Bobby's younger kids, Emily and Christian. Linda and Bob were going further upstate to visit their oldest daughter, Hannah, in college.

It's the best time of the year up there, the colors are just breathtaking, even the most mundane street looks magical.

I took Christian to his basketball game and picked up his grandmother to come along with us. I know my way to my sister's house, have been driving up there for years now, I'm comfortable with the roads, know what they look like in the day, as that's mostly when I've driven up or down the mountains. I have driven home a few times in the dark, but their house is right off a main road (nothing busy, it just means there are some street lights out there) and I take it slow driving up and down the mountains and curves and enjoy the ride.

When I took Christian to his game it was still a little light out when we got there, unfortunately when we got out it was pitch black. I was so nervous driving on those roads. Thank goodness for Christian, he guided me through all the streets to get his grandmother home, to a pizza place to pick up our dinner, and then back home. Emily was no help, had no idea where we were or when the next turn was coming up. Christian was awesome, told me to when slow down as he knew exactly when the turns were coming up. Had Christian not been there, I would have pulled over and cried. Really! It's scary dark up there.

But our pumpkin pickin' day was so much fun. The farm is not far from my sister's house and at this time of the year the leaves in the city are turning colors, but not like upstate. It's like a bowl of Trix (the old Trix cereal, without the blue!).

These pictures are from about 2003, we haven't been back up there for pumpkin pickin' since then. Everyone is so busy on the weekends. The kids have their sports -- practices and games, homework, it just gets more busy as they get older, again God bless all you parents out there, you've got your work cut out for you!

We took an old-fashioned hay ride out to the pumpkin patch and then walked around picking out our own pumpkins. The leaves were turning beautiful colors as they are now. One of the most beatuiful seasons here in the northeast, it's my favorite!

Bob, Mr. Nature...out in the pumpkin patch.



Christian



JoJo



Bob and Hannah



Bob and Emily

Friendship

Today is my friend Karen's wedding anniversary. She and her husband Chris have been married 20 years! I am so happy for them but it totally blows my mind that they are married 20 years. Not because I didn't think their marriage would last, it's because I can't believe 20 years have passed since that beautiful wedding day, seems like yesterday. I was her maid of honor, an honor for me! And more, I can't believe how many years Karen and I have known each other, we met as teenagers when we both worked at Burger King.

I sent her a text this morning and she wrote me back agreeing that it's mind blowing 20 years have passed. She also said she's old and I wrote back a big fat NO!

Karen and I have been through so much together. She's a part of my family and I'm a part of hers. We worked together at Burger King and also at RKO. We had an apartment together for a few years, summer houses "down the Jersey Shore", vacations, so much.

Friendship. My sister Linda worked at the Post Office with Kathy and then I met Kathy. Kathy started hanging out with me and Karen and all our friends and then Kathy met her husband through one of those friends. Then Kathy noticed Karen and Chris "noticing" each other on a ski trip at Hunter Mountain, and brought them together! See what friendships can do.

I'm blessed with many friends and though some I don't get to see anymore or even talk on the phone with that often, we do share a piece of time together and "you can't take that away from me".

Some pictures of me and Karen from our teens to our 50s. The old fashioned picture is Karen, my sister Linda and me. We were at the Staten Island Mall shopping and stopped to take this picture. Sharing time together. And I'll say it again, take a picture, there's always so much behind it when you look at it years later, even if it's not a perfect shot!



This picture of Karen and I sitting on a curb in front of a house was taken on our first trip to California. We both worked at RKO at the time and we had a Los Angeles Office and were in contact with employees there all the time. One of the girls that worked there took Karen and I on a real Hollywood tour. She was dating a cop and really knew where the stars lived. I was in my glory that day! Now this curb we're sitting on is in front of either Lucille Ball or James Stewart's house, they were neighbors. Knowing me, it's more likely that it's Lucy's.



This current picture is Karen and I at her parent's 50th wedding anniversary party. I have shared so many special occasions with my friend Karen and her family. Her kids call me Aunt Tricia and again, though we don't get to see each other as often, or even have time to yap on the phone, Karen is always in my heart, she's family.



And I think it's appropriate to add the clip of Lucy and Ethel singing "Friendship". Remember the episode, they end up wearing the same dress for the talent show and ripping each other apart when they sing the song. That's friendship. You can fight, but you forgive and forget. Our friendships grow, we grow.

Friendship!

Trixie, Bruno, Mugsy and Molly

This is my neighbor from across the street, Trixie. When I was taking her picture you can tell she was right in my face, waiting for a kiss hello and a few scratches and pets on her back. She's often just sat on the walkway up to my door waiting for me to come out and say hello. The sweetest little puppy.

And then...a dog comes by....that sweet little cute puppy I adore turns into a beast!

I've been walking her for my neighbor as she's hurt her knee and this morning Trixie wouldn't come outside. She was all happy when I got there, wagging her tail and knowing I was taking her out. But it's raining. We put her leash on and she was still wagging her tail all excited and when we opened the door and she saw it was wet she walked away, turned her head away from us, like, are you kidding me, you know I don't walk in the rain. I tried a few times to get her to come but she still her her little attitude and as soon as her leash was off and she knew she won, she was back to herself again, cuddling and kissing me.

Our first time out her mom didn't think she would come with me, she did but I could tell she wasn't the same, she was a little unsure of what was going on. Probably thinking, I love this human but why is she taking me away from my mom? Her mom, Millie, told me that Trixie would lead me around the block, where her evil nemesis resides. A big German Shepherd! Trixie is always on the hunt to let that dog know she's boss around these blocks. I've seen her with her dad, Tony, or as I like to call him, Mr. B. Mr. B stands for Jack Bauer from the awesome TV show, "24", as me and Mr. B used to have many discussions about what we thought would happen next on "24". But I've run into him and Trixie around the block and she's heading right down that block and you can tell she's on the hunt, looking for her evil nemesis. She didn't do that with me. Maybe unsure if I was brave enough to fight back with her, which I'm not, I don't want to run into any dogs when walking this tough cookie. So far we haven't, but her own leash jingled a bit yesterday, and she stopped, making sure there was no one around but us.

I have another great neighbor, Dixie. Dixie barks a lot, but truly not annoying. It's just when someone walks by and she's just saying hello. I say hello and she stops. Yesterday when Trixie and I walked by Dixie's yard, she didn't make a peep, she knows Trixie the boss.

Trixie's parents are awesome neighbors, as are their 2-legged daughters Teresa and Gina and need I say, their 4-legged daughter Trixie.

And again what a small world. I have had my hair cut by the same person for the last 30 years at least. Theresa. Theresa and her sister Nora used to own their own shop when I first met them and Millie worked for them. It was funny, when I first moved here almost 7 years ago, there was something about Millie that was familiar but I just assumed it was because she was a nice person and I just felt comfortable talking to her. The more we talked though, we got around to asking what we did for a living, she was a beautician and then something clicked. I remembered! Hearing her name. She was just starting out then and as they all do, cleaning up, rinsing hair, ringing you up for your haircut. Millie, I remember you! I can't believe it, I've talked to you so many times. Even when I moved back to Brooklyn I still would come back to Staten Island to get my haircut by Theresa. It's just a small world. Theresa even drove up our block not too long ago and was yapping with Millie when I came home.

I have met so many people by introducting myself to their dogs first. And mostly I know the dogs names better than I do their owners (at first). Such an easy conversation to start...what's your dog's name, followed by, can I pet him or her?

Now this is Bruno, who lives up the block. He reminds me of my Molly but I honestly have to say he's a much better behaved dog than my Molly. She was the alpha. I'm a mush, too easy with dogs and my nieces and nephews!

Bruno will walk up the street with a stick in his mouth twice the size of his cute little body and when he sees anyone he jumps like a bunny through the grass and lays down for you to scratch his belly and give him kisses. He's another awesome dog in my life. There was no way I could get a picture of him without him kissing me.




And this is my nephew Mugsy.



Mugsy really is one of the dogs that is "man/woman's best friend". He's Robert, Jojo and Bella's brother. All he wants to do is play with you and a ball. He can do it for hours. He's like the dog in the movie "Spanglish". You couldn't start to play with the dog in that movie and Mugsy is the same way. I found a great ball a few years back that was great for all the slime that would eventually be all over whatever ball he had. This ball is a strong rubber ball and it's hollow with just strips of rubber shaping the ball and much less gross! You can't leave a basketball in the yard with Mugsy. He'll play with it for hours and eventually the ball is flat and ruined. The kids have learned after Mugsy already destroyed one too many of theirs.

Mugsy had a bad car accident a few years ago and thank God he survived, lost an eye but he just looks like he's winking at you all the time, and though there are very few times he's bumped into things, with one eye, he can see better than me. I was playing ball with him in the yard in the dark, I couldn't see a thing, but Mugsy kept bringing that ball back to me, I could barely see it when he laid it at my feet.

A lot of my friends and family say it's time for me to have a dog again but I know I'm not ready. I love my four-legged neighbors. My sister Linda has 2 dogs, my cousins Doug and Chrissy have a dog, my friend Maria has 3, Mugsy is right downstairs from me. I love all these dogs and I also know I'm not ready for another one...yet.

This was my last Christmas card I sent out with my Molly. I didn't want to have people asking me how she was. I couldn't talk about losing her and I sent this poem along with my card, made it easier for me. So I love dogs very much and someday I will have one again, I'm just not ready...yet.

Full Hunters Moon Tonight - 10:06p.m. (EDT)

Tonight is the full Hunters Moon! Unfortunately the weather in my area of NYC is calling for a cloudy evening, but we all know they could be wrong!? Hopefully they are. I took a few shots last night, almost full and absolutely beautiful, even in my neighborhood which has some street lights. I love thinking that my family and friends who live so far away are looking up at the same beautiful moon as I am. I'm always looking, so I hope you think of me when you look up! Bella Luna!



Do you remember when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon? I do. It was July 20, 1969 and I was 10 years old.

My family was on our first real vacation. A month at Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey. Our car at the time was a Rambler Station Wagon and we had 11 passengers in that car! (You should see how may we fit in my Aunt Libby's Volkswagen Beetle.) In the station wagon were my parents, my 3 older brothers, each with a friend along, me and my 2 sisters, plus all our luggage, pillows, blankets, etc. We broke down at least 5 or 6 times on the way there. It's not that far away from where we lived in Brooklyn, but that first trip took forever, I thought we were crossing half the country. No air conditioning, which didn't matter because we never had air conditioning, but it was hot! I was in the back of the station wagon, surrounded by pillows and blankets, I'll never forget that ride. And the whole month we were up there my father had to take the long way everywhere as the car didn't do so well going up hills. We've nicknamed all cars that are "mechanically challenged" as "Bo Asch Specials". He had some beauties over the years.

There were four houses on a hill across the street from the lake and the 4 houses were rented by my family, my mom's sister, Aunt Libby, and her family, their brothers, Uncle Arthur and his family, and Uncle Richie and Aunt Kathy. It was so great, a wonderful vacation and all our family together. And even my brothers were better about leaving Brooklyn having their friends along. It was a great vacation.

Aunt Kathy and Uncle Richie didn't stay the full month, and another family rented that bungalow during the time Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. They had a TV! My father didn't let us bring a TV. We were renting this great house, across the street from the beach, and we were not going to be watching TV all day. We made friends with the people who moved into Aunt Kathy and Uncle Richie's bungalow real fast!

I remember being in that bungalow watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, one of those memories that stands out. Maybe because it was part of that first real vacation for our family. I don't know? Because only one year later, when Apollo 13 was in danger of not making it back home. The brave crew, James A. Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred W. Haise, who I'm sorry to say, I only know their names because of the movie movie "Apollo 13". How can I not remember that?

As a kid, was it because I already watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, and, okay, what's next. Mars? Who cares if we're going to the moon again, there were only rocks found.

I don't think if I asked my young nieces and nephews what NASA is they would know. I will ask. But when we were kids it was science fiction coming true and I remember believing that going to Mars was next, maybe there was life there, I don't know, it just seemed like the next step and it was amazing, again science fiction coming true!

Now the wonder of science for kids is what they can do with computers, something I don't think we imagined at all when we were kids. I went to work with my brother Bobby once. I was probably around 14 or 15 and he worked 4p.m. to midnight or something like that, close to the Flat Iron Building in Manhattan. He worked in the computer room, maybe half the size of a football field with huge computers. His job was to take the used tapes out of the computer and replace them with big new reels of tape. I'm proud to say he didn't continue in that line of work, became of one New York's Bravest and is now retired.

I wasn't impressed by the computers, thought nothing of them.

My first exposure to computers was the WANG, way outdated now. That was about 1986 and then about a year later I was exposed to my first Apple. Not mine, but I got to play on it a bit. That impressed me!

This picture I made shows some of my first designs on an Apple! First time I used a mouse, didn't know what I was doing but I wanted more of this, I could see how special this was going to be, I never saw anything like it.
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Here I am, working at a big fancy firm financial firm, on a mini trading floor, created at first for the partners of the firm and then clients from the Forbes 500 list. Bruce Springsteen was one of our clients! Of course I still didn't get to meet him, but I did see his paperwork and signature, always so close!!!

I'm busting chops with my co workers as well as myself in these pictures. I had a perm in those days, and pulled the front of my hair off the front of my face, kinda like the Pebbles look from the Flintstones! My desk has a bowl of M&Ms, always filled up by my co-workers. And I've also got a rubber band by my hand, another thing I don't remember, but I'm guessing I was shooting rubber bands at my co-workers while working there. I don't do that anymore!!! How childish! Ha! I was also teased because I'm so short, no adjustable chairs for the secretaries in those days, I just couldn't sit higher, my feet wouldn't touch the floor!

But I was in awe of the Apple. I wanted one but it would be years before I would buy my own. I used computers at my jobs, Windows with Microsoft software and I loved that too, but I still remembered that Apple and though the computers I was using were very modern and could do so much, there was something about that Apple that intrigued me.

Kids today don't realize how many changes occurred right before they were born. My oldest niece at 30 grew up with VCRs, something that was new to me at 23 years old. Video games were played in arcades, not at home. My younger brother, I'm guessing here, had an Atari? I don't know, there's been so many changes with video games, I don't know the names of any of them anymore. But they don't know about Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and so many more geniuses who have created all this modern technology. They don't know who Neil Armstrong was and what he did. They know all the sports players' names and their stats, it's amazing! But walking on the moon probably wont sound like such a big deal to them, it's only what the next computer can do, cell phone, video games, virtual games. They'll walk on the moon virtually, Mars and Jupiter. A new science. A world I never imagined when I was their age. And look where we are, the world is nothing like what I imagined in my wildest dreams.

What wild dreams does this generation have? What will their future bring!

I hope peace! I think we all wished for that as kids and that hasn't changed and I hope it never does!

Share the full moon with me tonight, all together at 10:06 p.m. (EDT) watching the beautiful sky!
Bella Luna!!!

Jojo's CYO Basketball Debut

Last night I went to my nephew Jojo's first CYO basketball game. Jojo was never a sports fan. He loved video games and TV way more.

Now his dad, my brother Joey, is super sports man, has all three of his kids involved in sports. I even thought sometimes it was too much. But when I go to these games I see way more than sports. It's a community. A really wonderful community and I love seeing the kids be a part of this.

Even Bella is always whining about going to her practice, her games and/or going to her brothers' games. But every time she goes, she walks in and walks away from me instantly saying hello to everyone, kids and adults, she knows everyone and they know her. I have met so many nice people, I see them at all the games, know some of them by name and others just remember their faces, and I talk to whoever I'm sitting or standing next to. Just me, gab, gab, gab! And then my brother Joey comes and they look at our faces and say, oh, you're Joey's sister! Although last night, for the first time, some guy asked if I was Joey's mother! Oh well, I guess I'm losing it a bit, and Joey does look like a kid, even to me, it's hard to look at him and believe he has kids, and then of course the way he acts. He was hanging with two great teens last night. They ref at the church games and Joey has had them over for dinner with the kids and they adore Joey. Joey was making faces behind their backs, like a ten year old, and just cracking everyone up, even the kid he was doing it to, he said he expects it from Joey. These boys give me a hug and a kiss when they see me, are so respectful and nice, their parents coach basketball and soccer, a great family. I love that my brother has his kids growing up in this atmosphere. It's making a big difference in their lives.

When I got to the game last night, I was early and there was another game finishing up. The fans were going wild, for both teams. It was so close and the losing team lost by one point. The cheers from the bleachers were for both teams. So exciting to watch and be a part of for the players and the fans.

Then I saw Jojo and his team mates on the other side of the gym and walked over. I know it's not cool for Jojo to have me saying hello, but I can't help myself. He wanted me there, had asked me just an hour before the game if I was coming and I told him I wouldn't miss it for the world and he was happy which makes my heart just soar. I just walked up, poked him on the shoulder and said have a good game. He gave me a look, like, okay I'm cool, now walk away. And I did. But I wanted to grab him and smother him with kisses at that moment, which I do lots of times, in private, and he loves it, but I know I can't display that outside anymore. I must resist!

Jojo's godparents are my brother Bobby and his wife Janet. They adore him and are both very good to him as well as all the kids in the family, they do so much for them. Love them, spend so much time with them, buy them really great gifts I could never afford. And Bob and Jojo have had a special relationship from day one. Jojo adores his Uncle Bob. Janet told me recently, and she laughed about it because it was such a "Jojoism", Jojo and Bob were having a conversation and Jojo told Bob how much he loved him and that he was his favorite uncle. Bob told Jojo how much he loved him too and then Jojo said, but your wife's not my favorite aunt, Aunt Tricia is. I'm glad it didn't hurt Janet, she knows Jojo loves her too, and we all know how honest kids can be.

Jojo also said something really special to me this summer. I think I took him to basketball or soccer, I don't remember, but I was dropping him off and as we were walking down the block towards his house he said, you know Aunt Tricia I feel like you're my sister. Still searching for the words, he added something like, you know, I love you and you're always around. I think he explained his feelings perfectly. He fights with his sister but he loves her and as much as he can fight with her, no one else can, and then you make up, and it's gone, you forget about it completely. They look out for each other, have each other's backs. I loved Jojo a little more in that moment. How can I possible love more! But I'm so blessed, because it keeps happening all the time!

My batteries died in my camera right after Jojo's team started playing. Bella always yells at me, how can I forget all to have extra batteries! She wasn't there last night, so I didn't get in trouble. But I did get a couple. I was sitting next to Joey and asking him if Jojo would play a lot. Joey didn't think so, and said if it bothers him that much, then we'll deal with it, but he was on the "A" team and Joey is still in shock when people talk about how good Jojo is. Like, my son? Really? It's not just me thinking he's that good? You see it too? An overnight change from that boy playing video games and bored out of his mind playing soccer and basketball, now so serious, practicing, into the game and so proud and getting more confident of himself. Joey said he was nervous last night. He didn't look it to me but Joey said he knew he was.

Jojo did great. He played in the game way more than Joey thought he would and there was a time they were down 13 to 1 or something close to that, I know Jojo's team had 1. But by the end of the game they lost by 2 points. It was Jojo's night and I was so happy for him and again the community of people there, for the most part, are so supportive of all the kids. But I must say the coach for the opposing team sounded like he was going to have a heart attack through the whole game. He was screaming like madman, maybe it makes a difference, maybe that's why they won, I'm no sports expert, but the game before I didn't hear any of the coaches screaming like that, and both teams were really good. No screaming!

I know some parents take this stuff really serious. Trying to get scholarships for their kids. Some just living their dream through their children. But from what I've seen in the leagues that my brother Joey has his kids in, these people promote team spirit, the kids are so friendly. I took the boys with me to Bella's basketball practice on Saturday and the boys had a football game outside the front of the gym with a bunch of boys. They spend their days there, watching games, playing with kids coming and going. I'm so glad they are part of this community, they will be better adults for this experience.

Here's some shots of Jojo at his intramural games.



Kudos Jojo!!

Sunday Comics

Well I hope I started your Saturday remembering those morning cartoons. My niece commented, a simpler time, and it was. But some things never change. When we saw the commercials we wanted everything. All the sugary cereals, pop tarts, fake hot chocolate, even the individually wrapped cheese slices, rather than the fresh cheese my mom bought fresh from the deli, sliced so thin. At least our parents just had to go through that on Saturday mornings for the most part, now it's all day, seven days a week! My niece asks for everything. Every commercial that comes on she wants it. I've learned from her parents to just say yes, and she'll forget about it, and it works! No fights, no tears!

Sunday mornings were the comics and for me, the big movie section too. That was second to the comics for a while and then became the first part of the paper I went for.

When I was young, even on weekdays and Saturdays, the New York Daily News listed all the plays that were on Broadway. I loved just looking at that section, seeing what movie stars were here in the same city as me. What plays were in town, the reviews. Didn't matter that I wasn't going, they were here, movies stars!

And I wasn't exactly first in line to get the comics growing up, there were always a few of us fighting over it. And nobody wanted the theatre and movie section.

As I got older I can also remember my father screaming at me to read the rest of the newspaper. If any of us asked a question about something that was going in the news, and should have read about it, he flipped out (his bark worse than his bite!). He read every newspaper he could get his hands on, watched the news whenever it came on, morning, noon and night and even listened to it on the radio (as well as sports). He would be in his glory if he were alive today, having all those news channels to choose from anytime he wanted.

But we did read those comics, as I said in yesterday's post, it was another highlight of our weekends, Saturday morning cartoons, and Sunday COLOR comic section! During the week they were in black and white and I can't remember the Sunday comics first being in black and white when I was really young, and then being in color, but maybe they were.

We were still reading and I think that's important. I also loved comic books, would read everyone I could get my hands on and I remember lots of kids having that big box filled with them. Maybe they had one I hadn't read! There was even a little store not too far from where we lived and they bought and sold used comic books, I was in that store constantly, selling my comics and then buying used ones.

I was reading books during those days, but mostly books assigned from school and to be honest, it was very rare that the books chosen for us to read were ones I enjoyed. I guess to expose us to something different. But I think the Sunday comics and comic books were a big start of my reading. Eventually they weren't enough! I needed something more, something that would last longer, quench that thirst. I spent hours in the library. I would choose my books just by looking at the covers. If that looked interesting, I would pick the book and so many many times I was right. My comic book brain!? Then getting recommendations from friends and family. Comics were a good start for me.

I think I said it before, and I will say it again, kudos to JK Rowling, she opened the door for so many kids to read. I hope the movies don't ruin that for the next generation. I hope they are like me and never see the movie first, always the book, let the author lead you somewhere and use your imagination, live inside a book.

And back to those wonderful Sunday morning comics, here are a few of my favorites that I could remember.

Dondi, Brenda Starr, Dennis the Menace, Family Circle, Sad Sack, Beetle Bailey, Lit'l Lotta, Cathy, Annie, Dick Tracy, Hagar the Horrible, B.C., Doonesbury, Spiderman, Calvin and Hobbs.

Here's a short video showing some of the comics I loved!