HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS AND DOLLS

HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS AND DOLLS:

STOPPING BY TO WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR. MAY YOUR YEAR BE FILLED WITH BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE, LOVE, HEALTH AND ALL THE JOY POSSIBLE. NOW FOR HAPPY NEW YEAR WISHES TO MY READERS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES.

POLISH – SZCZESLIWEGO NOWEGO ROKU
RUSSIAN – S NOVYM GODOM
SPANISH – FELIZ ANO NUEVO
BULGARIAN – CHESTITA NOVA GODINA
CZECH – STASTNY NOVY ROK
HUNGARIAN – BOLDOG UJ EVET
HEBREW – SHANA TOVA
ITALIAN – FELICE ANNO NUOVO
NORWEGIAN – GODT NYTT AR
WELSH – BLWYDDYN NEWYDD DDA
SWEDISH – GOTT NYTT AR
ROMANIAN – LA MULTI ANI
PAPIAMENTO (FROM ARUBA, CURACAO) – BON ANA NOBO
UKRAINIAN – Z NOVIM ROKOM
CHINESE – GUNG-HAY-FAT-CHOY
ALBANIAN – GEZUAR VITIN E RI
PORTUGUESE – FELIZ ANO NOVO!
GERMAN – EIN GLUCKLICHES NEUES JAHR!
JAPANESE – SHINNEN OMEDETO

FOR THOSE I MISSED HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM JOEYZ’S SPEAKEASY.

TAKING A REST

SPEAKIES:

TAKING A REST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS, WILL LEAVE YOU A POST FOR THE NEW YEAR. BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

THANK YOU BONNIE

I FORGOT TO POST THIS TESTIMONIAL FROM BONNIE ABOUT MY BOOK. THANK YOU BONNIE AND IF YOU LAUGHED THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME.

IT'S CHOCOLATE DAY - ENJOY THE DAY

Good Morning Speakies:

I hope you Jersey Speakies are keeping warm and digging out from that blizzard on Sunday. May the sun shine and melt it all way real soon. The temperatures here in Sunny Florida is a nice 27 degrees this morning but a warming trend will be here by New Year’s Eve.

Today is “NATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY.” I like chocolate just as much as everyone does, so I think I’m going to list my favorite chocolate goodies and see if we are on the same thinking line. Remember chocolate can also be white chocolate and other goodies covered with chocolate. Here I go:

TastyKate Chocolate Cup Cakes and KandyKakes or as they sing it “TASTYKAKE KAKES AND PIES.”
Hot Chocolate with marshmallows.
Chocolate covered Cherries for the Christmas holidays they have to be Cella’s they are the best.
White chocolate bunny ears for Easter.
Just had this one, chocolate covered coffee beans really good.
M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces candy.
Chocolate Peanut Butter cups.
Chocolate milk, “NESTLES MAKES THE VERY BEST CHOCOLATE.”
Nestle Crunch Bars.
Chocolate Ice Cream.
Funny Bones
Here’s one I’m not fond of but this one is in honor of my Southern readers, a true down South treat “A MOONPIE WITH A MOUNTAIN DEW SODA.”

Well there are some of my favorite chocolate treats, send me yours and don’t be afraid to comment and while you are at it become a follower of JoeyZ’s Speakeasy, it’s easy to join. Have a great day and root for those Eagles Tonight.

ENJOY THE REST OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

Good Monday Morning Guys and Dolls:

Hoping you all had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Roe and I had a very nice quite Christmas Eve with my son Joe and his wife Elizabeth, a nice dinner, a rowdy game of Uno for present exchange and just all around fun. Christmas Day was spent with my son Jeff, his wife Sam and our two little grandchildren. The fun in seeing them opening their gifts truly made for a wonderful Christmas Day.

I'll be taking it easy this week in writing, gathering thoughts for the new year to come but I think I will make one post later in the week. Please take care, enjoy the rest of the holiday season and be careful out there.

MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS AND DOLLS:

TO ALL MY READERS, I WISH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES, THE LOVE OF YOUR FAMILY AND MAY THE BLESSINGS FROM ABOVE SHINE DOWN UPON EACH OF YOU THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

I WANTED TO WISH A MERRY CHRISTMAS IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES SO HERE I GO:

WESOLYCH SWIAT BOZEGO NARODZENIA – POLISH

BUONE FESTE NATALIZIE – ITALIAN

KELLEMES KARACSONYI UNNEPEKET – HUNGARIAN

FROHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN – GERMAN

KALA CHRISTOUYENNA! – GREEK

FELIZ NAVIDAD – SPANISH

VESELE VIANOCE – SLOVAK

SROZHDESTVOM KRISTOVYM – UKRAINIAN

NOLLAIG SHONA DHUIT – IRISH

LINKSMU KALEDU – LITHUANIAN

POZDREVLYAYU S PRAZDNIKOM ROZHDESTVA IS NOVIM GODOM – RUSSIAN

NADOLIG LLAWEN – WELSH

JOYEUX NOEL – FRENCH

MERRY CHRISTMAS ONCE AGAIN, BE JOLLY AND I HOPE SANTA IS GOOD TO YOU ALL.

JUST STOPPING BY

HELLO SPEAKIES:

JUST DROPPING BY TO SAY WE ARE ENJOYING A GREAT BREAKFAST FEAST AT WORK - YOU NAME WE ARE EATING IT. GOING TO ENJOY THE REST OF THE DAY'S FUN. HAVE A GREAT DAY AND EVENING AND BE CAREFUL OUT THERE.

YOUNG CHRISTMAS MEMORIES AGAIN

Happy Hump Day Speakies:

Well Christmas is getting closer and I’m really enjoying the feelings of the season. Looking back again when I was young I remember being an altar boy at our parish church. Our parish was Polish with a lot of traditions kept from the old country we called Poland. I loved serving Mass, baptisms, hated funerals but one of the most interesting experiences was going with the priests to bless the neighborhood homes over the Feast of the Epiphany. All the altar boys took turns we got out of school at noon and either walked or rode with the priest to the various homes. Once inside the house the room was blessed with holy water and above the front door was written in chalk was the initials KMB (of the three wise men – Kasper (Gaspar), Melchior and Balthazar). The blessing was in the belief that it will spare the homes from misfortune. One of the neatest things for a kid of my age at the time were the tips, parishioners would give the priest some money and usually the altar boy too. At times we blessed those little mom and pop stores and I remember getting a vanilla milk shake once. Those were good days and memories.

I’m off the meet some of our personnel for a nice Christmas Luncheon and tomorrow we are having our Christmas brunch at work so tomorrow is a party day for me and you probably won’t hear from JoeyZ. Have a great day and be careful out there.

OUR CHRISTMAS DAY

Good Morning Guys and Dolls:

I hoped you all enjoyed reading about the way I spent Christmas Eve as a youngster, it was fun recalling all those memories. When Roe and I got married we shared Christmas Eve between my parents and hers. With all her brothers, their wives and kids her parent’s house for Christmas Eve was packed and it was a more festive atmosphere being that my family was smaller. Now being Italian their meal was also meatless. I remember having smelts, shrimp, broccoli patties, flounder and French fries. After dinner there were always desserts and then came playing poker.

On Christmas Day, Roe made a breakfast brunch for her parents. She made a delicious breakfast quiche with eggs, sausage, peppers and other great stuff. She still makes it today and it’s great for breakfast, lunch or dinner for me. We stayed home on Christmas Day, my parents, grandmother, my aunts, our good neighbors Mike and Lena would come over to spend the afternoon and enjoy the day and the food Roe made for the holidays. I remember ham, kielbasa, those rum balls, cookies and some food that just slips my mind now. It was a nice time for all of us to gather and have fun.

When our sons were born Christmas became very special, the waking up early, the excitement in their eyes to see all the gifts under the tree, the pictures of them opening their gifts and the look on their faces when they saw their presents from Santa. They played all day long with their new toys; once in a while a little fight broke out amongst the brothers but that was to be expected. We use to bring the toys over to our neighbor’s house to wrap and keep until they went to sleep on Christmas Eve, then rush over to pick them up and place them under the tree. Of course I could not forget to put out that half a glass of milk and cookies crumbs that Santa enjoyed while paying our house a visit. Now that they are both married I wish them and their families the same joy on Christmas Day.

Hope you are enjoying my little trips down Memory Lane, for me it’s the fond memories I have and my hopes for having many more to share. I Love You Roe, Joe and Jeff thanks for making it happen.

Have a great day Guys and Dolls.

HAPPY FRIDAY SPEAKIES

Good Friday Morning Speakies:

Just making my usual Friday Fly-By to wish you all a wonderful weekend. Now this is the last weekend before Christmas to get all those things done you wanted to, so get busy but do take some time to relax. I bet those kiddies are really getting excited about Santa coming. I believe NASA still has their Santa Tracker on the net and it starts working Christmas Eve day, it's a pretty neat thing and the kids do get excited.

The weather here is turning once again to the mild side, so if you have vacation plans to come to Florida the weather should be nice, of course I'm not a certified weather man so don't hold me to it.

Have a great weekend, be careful, see you all next week.

Good Morning Speakies:

During the Christmas Holidays there are all sorts of customs and festivities from various nationalities that are observed. I will present my Polish Christmas Eve to you next week, but today starts the Nine-Day celebration with origins in Spain and now chiefly celebrated in Mexico. My daughter-in-law was born in Mexico so I thought I would give you a little insight to a celebration called Las Posadas. Las Posadas begins today December 16th and ending on Christmas Eve, December 24th. The word Posada is Spanish for lodging and is a tradition that portrays the trials which Mary and Joseph endured before finding lodging at the stable in Bethlehem. Every family in the neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home and act as the various innkeepers that Joseph and Mary encountered on their travels. Children and adults carry lit candles and a few others carry statues of Joseph leading a donkey on which Mary is riding. They stop at various houses and are denied lodging until they reach the designated home and allowed to enter. Prayers are said and a little party follows. Sounds like a nice tradition to see if possible.

Last Saturday night Roe and I had dinner at a new Iocal Italian restaurant and forgive me if I get the name wrong it was called Passa Luna and the food was great, service excellent and we will be going again. On the way home we spotted police cars with their lights flashing and decided to check it out. Turns out one of the local churches was holding a drive thru Nativity Scene so we decided to wait and check it out. The various scenes were reenacted with church members in full dress costumes depicting Mary receiving word of her conception, Joseph working as a carpenter, traveling on a donkey, the marketplace in Bethlehem and the stable with the wise men and shepherds including live animals. It was really a nice evening spent taking away some of the commercialism of Christmas.

Calling it a day Speakies, have a great one, I’m off to the doctors.

THESE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS

Happy Cold Hump Day Speakies:

Another cold night zapped Central Florida, lows were in the 20’s but today they say temps will reach the low 60’s. The weekend looks better with highs in the 70’s and lows in the 50’s. Better weather is ahead visitors unless you are leaving today, sorry for the cold. The tourists will be down starting next week when all the kiddies start their Christmas vacation. The theme parks, restaurants and roadways will be crowded till after New Year’s Eve, got to live with it.

Happy news for us Phillies fans, signing Cliff Lee again, man what a rotation they are going to have, now all they have to do is win the big games when necessary. Good Luck next season. There were no important holidays that hit me like a brick today so forgetaboutit.

I was reading Mack’s blog yesterday “Mack’s Truck of Wisdom” and Italian bakeries, restaurants; cheese steak sandwiches appeared making me hungry once again. I remember going to some very favorite restaurants for food that I loved, so I think I will name them and give you their specialties that Roe and I enjoyed. I’ll throw my sons in also if they went there.

Papa’s Tomato Pies – Great pie with anchovies and always delivered nice and hot.

DeLorenzo’s Tomato Pies (Hamilton Ave.) – Great all around pie, my son Joe loved the meatball; we loved plain, pepperoni or sausage. Great Birch Beer also.

Rossi’s Bar and Grill – What else A Rossi’s Cheeseburger and Fries. That’s fusion Amen.

Ernie’s Tavern in Robbinsville – Great place for lunch good burgers and topped off with a draft beer.

Nino’s Pizza – On Chambers Street. Good pizza, good Sicilian pizza and great cheese steak sandwiches and fries wrapped in paper, my boy’s favorite place.

LaGondola – One of the nicest families to know and great service. Mussels Marinara to die for, shrimp scampi on toast points, great veal parm sandwiches at the bar for lunch. Jerry the Gip was a great bartender and Angelo and Linda great host and hostess.

Crecco’s – Fine Italian dining never a bad meal. Roe’s Aunt Angie made the salads, real sweet lady rest in peace Aunt Angie.

WaWa Market – My sons enjoyed their hoagies, have to admit they were good.

How can one forget the diners, Pat’s, Mastoris and Town and Country just to name a few.

Casino Restaurant – Took my sons there for Saturday breakfast on occasion, but famous for their Italian Hot Dogs.

Hudson Beer Gardens – Ate there a few times, Roe loved their cheese steaks.

Back in high school near my grandmother’s on South Broad St. eating with my buddies, Lou, Tom and Richie at LaRoma or Sam’s Tomato Pies coal oven baked and pulling a soda out of a cooler filled with ice.

There are a few of our favorite places, but one that I hold dear is Top Road Tavern by my parent’s house. I still remember those fish and chips on a Friday night with slaw and fresh Italian bread. Great Tomato pies and just a nice place to throw back a few beers and eat. So I leave you with a photo of the Top Road, just as I remember it. Have a great day Guys and Dolls. You may not hear from me tomorrow, I’m heading for a checkup and depending how I feel I may write, I may not. Be careful out there.

MONKEYS AND TREES

Good Morning Speakies:

Greetings from a cold Central Florida this morning. I’m telling you its hot chocolate, tea, coffee or a chicken soup broth for this kind of frigid morning. I’ve already had my daily cup of coffee and turned on my portable heater and ready to start the work day. There is some really crazy weather happening across the nation, just be careful out there when traveling. Speaking of cold weather, Roe made me her famous Chicken soup last night for dinner. That soup hit the spot on a cold December evening. Love you Doll.

Today is “MONKEY DAY” in honor of those simians we all love to see frolic about. So today just hang out and have a banana. Here is an idea find an old Planet of the Apes movie and watch it. Forgot to mention I’m proud of those Eagles on Sunday Night Football they played to win and I hope they can go far this year.

Today is also “BUY A CHRISTMAS TREE DAY.” If you Guys and Dolls have not purchased your tree, go out today and get one Christmas is next week. I remember always having a real tree when I was little, then my mother got sick of cleaning up the needles and dad planted our last real tree in the back yard which grew pretty tall. Our next tree was one of those Silver Trees with the spinning colored wheel we had that for several years and finally came the fake green tree that remained for years to come blessed our home. In our house now we set up two trees, not large ones, but one is dedicated to the grandkids and decorated in children’s ornaments and pictures throughout the years. Roe does a great job decorating; all I do is pull them out. It’s funny when you start writing about things memories of past times come to you. I remember my grandfather my mom’s dad who could not wait for the Holidays to come. He decorated the tree, hung up ornaments on the archways and could not wait for Christmas Eve to come his favorite night of the year. I’ll tell you more later when I write about Polish Christmas Eve.

I think I’ll call it quits for now, remember hang out like a monkey, buy a tree and just be careful out there. Have a great day and evening.

HEY THIS IS FLORIDA

HELLO SPEAKIES:

WINTER WEATHER WARNING FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA. AS I STATED EARLIER TEMPS WERE SUPPOSE TO BE IN THE LOW 30'S TONIGHT, HOWEVER THE LATEST FORECAST IS FOR TEMPS IN THE LOW 20'S WITH WINDS AT 15 TO 20 MPH MAKING THE TEMPERATURE FEEL AS IF IT WERE IN THE TEENS. SOME LOCALES WILL REACH THE SINGLE DIGITS TONIGHT.

I FEEL SORRY FOR THOSE VISITING AND EXPECTING 70 LIKE TEMPERATURES. DON'T WORRY WARMER WEATHER WILL RETURN BY THE END OF THE WEEK.

TIE ON A COCOA WOO WOO

Good Monday Morning Speakies:

Well I don’t mind Monday mornings in December, because Christmas is coming and I feel happy about living and enjoying the holidays. I can only hope each of you feels the same way, we need that feeling with all the hate in this country and back stabbing going on. Let’s all wise up and have true peace on earth. The weather remains still on the chilly side with another cold snap approaching on Tuesday should bring the night time temps in the low 30’s. So if you are planning a visit, bring that coat.

Today we celebrate a birthday; it’s the birthday of “THE CLIP ON TIE.” I remember those ties from grammar school, I had both the clip on and the one I call the rubber band style with the clip on the back. We as kids use to go around and pull on the ties for the fun of it to see if we could rip them off. The only other time that I wore a clip on tie was in the Air Force as part of the dress uniform, the clip on tie was part of the issued uniforms at the time. So I say today go find one of those oldies but goodies and put it on for fun no matter how stupid it looks. If you see a pretty Doll that walks by give your tie a couple of tugs (if you have the rubber band kind) like a WOO WOO BABE YOU ARE HOT. You may even wind up with a date or she’ll just think you are a true retard.

We also have a holiday to celebrate today its “NATIONAL COCOA DAY.” You can celebrate cocoa day anyway you like, eat chocolate, bake with cocoa, I’ll take making a nice cup of Hot Chocolate with marshmallows as my means of celebrating. I remember as a kid always having a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter evening with some cookies or cake. So tonight enjoy cocoa day the way you want but have fun doing it.

So much for a Monday, have a great day Speakies, enjoy and be careful as usual.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

JUST STOPPING BY TO SAY A "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE SINGERS, "OLD BLUE EYES" FRANK SINATRA. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN 95 YEARS OLD TODAY. HOPE HE IS SINGING MY FAVORITE SONG UP THERE, "YOU WILL BE MY MUSIC."

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND GUYS AND DOLLS

HAPPY FRIDAY GUYS AND DOLLS:

Just stopping by to make my usual Friday wish of a great weekend to all my Guys and Dolls. I’m sure for most of us it will be a busy one. Christmas shopping, decorating the house, baking, running the little ones around to various activities, but whatever you will be doing be careful and just take your time. Spare some of the weekend for a little relaxation from all that hustle that come this time of the year.

There are some good football and basketball games on this weekend, the good old Army vs. Navy game this Saturday. The Skins at the Giants on Sunday afternoon and the Iggles versus those Cowboys at night. I think next week will be probably one of the busiest weeks for everyone with Christmas just around the corner but remember to take your time and do what you can.

I‘ll say goodbye for now, enjoy today and have a great weekend.

DANISH ARE CALLING

Good Morning Guys and Dolls:

Welcome to a bright and sunny Thursday from Central Florida. Whatever you are doing, stop if you can, pour yourself a glass of orange juice or a cup of coffee and dream of sunshine and warm temperatures. I’m going to do the same because it’s cloudy and only in the upper 30’s right now. I want my warm weather back; we get cold snaps like this several times a year from November to March so we just have to bear with it for a short time. Today we celebrate “NATIONAL PASTRY DAY.” My favorite pastries are Danish, Cheese, Apple heck I love them all with a cup of coffee when I can get them. I usually find them on the breakfast menu when Roe and I cruise. That’s what I miss here in Florida the good old neighborhood bakeries. My advice to you is get out there and pick up a dozen Danish for the office or your friends and celebrate the holiday.

For you parents of the little ones, I checked my sources today and planned a surprise history lesson but I found most of the history for today was boring so my lesson is hereby cancelled. The little ones right now are too involved in the Christmas holidays. They are getting ready for Santa, writing those letters to the North Pole, helping Momma Speakies baking cookies and all the rest of that Christmas madness. They are little allow them to enjoy every bit of it just like we did when we were kids.

Holiday drinks so many to make and choose from, I like a nice Amaretto on the Rocks or straight or some Sambuca straight up. Warms the cockles on Christmas Eve and Night. A Manhattan on the Rocks isn’t too bad either. Let me know what your favorites are, readers don’t be shy, write your comments or better yet be a follower of this blog it’s easy.

Well have a great day Guys and Dolls and remember tomorrow is Friday, that work day of the week we love the best.

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

Happy Hump Day Speakies:

Well half the work week is here at last, that hump day in which everything starts to go downwards towards the weekend. It is still remaining quite chilly down here lows last night were in the 30’s but highs today should be around 68 or so. The weekend is looking at highs in the 70’s for those who are planning a visit.

I love the Christmas Holidays, I enjoy the decorations, the lighted trees, the lights outside even though at times I yelled like a sailor at putting them up, the music and just the general feeling that the season brings. Roe and I love watching those Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and if you have a chance catch a few some are corny but must of them are heartwarming stories for the holidays. If you don’t mind here are a few that we are recommending.

The Ultimate Gift – A Must See. 4 Star Review from JoeyZ.
The Christmas Card - A Must See. A 4 Star movie all the way.
A Boyfriend for Christmas – I just love this one.
Call Me Mrs. Miracle – Very Heartwarming.
It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year – The Fonz is great.
If you get a chance watch them and I hope you enjoy them also.

I plan to do a little writing about true Polish Christmas traditions, but I think I’ll wait till next week. The holiday season is so busy with all the rushing around, I think this year we should all take it a little easy, do what we can and just be kind to one another and remember that great saying, “PEACE ON EARTH, GOOD WILL TO MAN.” Have a wonderful day Speakies.

TO ALL THE BRAVE SOULS

Good Chilly Morning from Florida Speakies:

The northern cold has dipped into Central Florida overnight and the wakeup temps this morning tied the record here at a brisk 34 degrees. A warm up trend is scheduled by the end of the week. The only problem with cold weather in Florida that with it comes winds of 25 to 30 miles per hour whipping around which really brings in the chill factor. One can say there was frost on the pumpkins this morning.

Last night Roe surprised me with a nice pot of homemade chicken soup. Just as we were to sit down to dinner the power went off in the entire neighborhood. Everyone went outside to see what happen and we were informed power would be on at 7 p.m. So Roe and I enjoyed a nice chicken soup dinner via candlelight. Old Tom Edison finally kicked on the power around 9:40 p.m. and I’m glad he did, temperatures were dropping fast. You have to wonder what people did in the old days with no TV, radio, computer etc. I bet a lot of reading, writing and loving under the covers.

Today marks the 69th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands by the Naval forces of Japan. I guess we should all stop and say a prayer for all those men and women who lost their lives that day. I read there are about 3,000 survivors left out of the 18,000 original members of the Pearl Harbor Survivor Association. Even though not many of the members make the yearly trip to Hawaii they stand together and will not disband the organization. My hat is off to you brave gentlemen.

On a lighter note, we also celebrate “Cotton Candy Day.” JoeyZ was never a big fan of cotton candy; it’s sticky, messy and will put holes in your teeth like a Woodpecker does trees. It was always a big seller at carnivals and I remember it being sold on many of the Jersey boardwalks down at the shore. So for all my Guys and Dolls who love it, head out to the nearest place you can find cotton candy today and treat yourself.

Well I’ll try to keep warm today; you Guys and Dolls do the same and have a great day. Be careful out there.

GRUNTS, RUM BALLS AND STEW

Good Monday Morning Speakies:

Here’s hoping you had a nice weekend, I know I did. Took a little trip to the Gulf Coast to see my son, his wife and the kiddies. Old JoeyZ did some fishing with my son and I’m happy to say we had plenty of bites on those shrimps but JoeyZ was the only one to land a fish, a Key West Grunt. The grunt made its sound and was glad to be placed back in the bay to swim once more. We were hoping to catch some nice flounder but none took the bait. All in all a day fishing is like no other relaxation to me and the time I spent with my son made it even better.

It is already December 6 and if you haven’t started putting up those Christmas decorations get busy before you know it January 6th will be here. I don’t want you to be saying “Hey JoeyZ where did the time go?” It went, you missed it and that’s the end of that story.

Now let’s get down to Christmas food. Roe advised me after an absence of about 4 years she is once again going to make her famous Roe “Rum Balls.” When I say rum balls I mean rum balls after a few days in the container the taste is terrific and you may have to take a breathalyzer test if you drive. As every Christmas Eve she will be also making her famous version of Baccala (Italian Fish Stew). This is my treat that comes but once a year. She makes it with Flounder or Cod, Shrimp, Scallops and other mystery ingredients that are to die for. Get some crusty Italian bread and dip up what’s ever left in the bowl completes a perfect meal. Sorry for all this food stuff but being Polish I remember all the goodies that were made over the holidays by my grandmother and mom a taste I’ll never have again. I have to thank Roe for her making each Christmas a happy one by sharing her love for me and our sons and their families, also for cooking those good dishes. Love you honey.

Well Guys and Dolls have a pleasant day and evening and I’ll see you tomorrow.

HAPPY FRIDAY SPEAKIES

Happy Friday Speakies:

The weekend is near and the sky in sunny Florida this morning is bright and the temperature a cool crisp 46 degrees with highs today reaching 70. Great Eagle victory last night over those Texans who I thought would win the game. Let’s see what those Giants do against the Skins on Sunday.

This weekend we celebrate “Cookie Day.” One of my favorite cookies is the soft chocolate chip, so nicely soft and chewy. When I was a wee JoeyZ I use to love dunking Oreo’s in milk or hot tea, milk was my favorite dunking pool though. I really miss Mom’s homemade Polish cookies for the Christmas Holidays. I spoke of them in an earlier post; they did not last long during the holidays. You lucky Speakies that have true Polish or Italian bakeries in your neighborhoods can check out all those various holiday cookies they bake. I remember you had to place orders for various baked goods or you were out of luck come Christmas Eve.

Well I’m keeping it short as I usually do on Fridays. Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, but most of all be careful out there.

THEY ARE COMING

Good Day Speakies:

It is good to be back and writing once again. The weather has turned in Central Florida with windy conditions and highs in the 60’s with sunshine of course. Quite brisk in the morning and evening air but I like it. Traffic down here is getting crazy with all the Christmas shopping already and with the tourists it’s no fun out there on the roadways. Thanks to Roe most of our shopping is drawing to a close. If you must go out, go out early and be careful out there.

Today is “Science Fiction Day”, I guess you can relate it to books, movies or whatever other science fiction there is. Mine are the old movies for example here are some of my favorites:

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL – 1951
INVADERS FROM MARS
THE ORIGINAL “THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS”
WAR OF THE WORLDS
FORBIDDEN PLANET
MAN FROM PLANET X
IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE
THEM
AND THIS ISLAND EARTH, JUST TO NAME A FEW. So break out your ray guns and send me some of your favorite movies or books.

If you are an old radio show buff listen to Orson Welles, October 30, 1938, Mercury Theatre on the Air’s broadcast of “War of the Worlds”. It is great, just sit back and imagine yourself back in time, shut off the bright lights and enjoy.

With those thoughts, have a great day and be careful out there.

THANKS JOEY AND ELIZABETH

HEY GUYS, JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU BOTH FOR A GREAT DINNER, GAMES AND LOVELY CONVERSATION LAST NIGHT.

LOVE DAD

I'M BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

Good Morning Speakies:

Well I’m back in the saddle again. Had a little Running Virus for the past two days. You know running from one room to make it to that private office. Hoping you all had a great Thanksgiving, we had a great day and a wonderful weekend. JoeyZ spent Saturday putting up the outside decorations and on Sunday Roe decorated the house and put up the trees. She does a great decorating job on those Christmas trees. We have a small one dedicated to our grandchildren which is really neat. So around the Z house it’s starting to look a lot like Christmas.

Back to work and trying to catch up, so have a great day and a wonderful evening and I’ll be back tomorrow.