Pictures of Lois

This picture was taken in May, 1966. Lois must have been 29. Monica was 1 1/2. Very funky 60's dress.

Christmas, 1966. Ray, 32, holding Tony, 17 months. Lois, 29, holding Monica, 2, and Loni, 8 months. She always looked so classy. Although I don't remember that Christmas specifically, I do remember those doggy slippers I was wearing. They must have been important to me.

January, 1968. Lois, 30, with Loni, 21 months. Lois was 8 months pregnant with Darron.

This was also January, 1968. Tony was 2 1/2 and Monica was 3.

Mom used to read us a story every night. I remember one of our favorites was called, "What Happened Next?" Every page would end on some climactic threshhold followed by the words, "What Happened Next?" You would have to turn the page to find out how the cliff hanger was resolved. Sometimes, the phone would ring in the middle of our story. We got so frustrated when Mom would interrupt our story to go answer the phone. She would put the book face down on the bed and warn us not to peek. Tony always did and Monica always scolded him for his disobedience.

When Mom came back and resumed the story, she would ask, "Did you peek?

Tony would always lie, "No-o-o."

Monica would always tattle, "Yes. Tony did."

Mom would look at Tony sideways, bite her lower lip and shake her head. She would repeatedly slide the index finger of one hand across the index finger of the other hand as she clicked her tongue in disappointment and exclaim, "For shame, Tony. For shame."

I remember there was a big, full pine tree just outside that window in the background. In the summertime, when we would take naps, Mom would open the window so we wouldn't get too hot. I remember pine cones falling on us through the window and sometimes bonking us on the head and waking us up. And sometimes, when we went in to go to bed, we would find pine cones and pine needles on our bed. I remember at least one ocassion when Tony leaned out the window and picked pine cones right off the tree and he and Monica had a pine cone fight. I still remember the sound that the wind made as it whistled and moaned through the trees. Even now, as an "old lady," I sometimes like to immitate that sound. My kids all know, "That's Mom's New Jersey wind noises."