tribute to moms and dads

8/7/2019 Tribute To Moms And Dads

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APRIL27,

2011

MOMS & DADS

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Flash-backtime. To20-someodd

yearsago,

when I was a teen cashierat Wilkes-Barres now-closed Sunshine Market,the one with the huge

windows overlooking anequally huge parking lot.

On work days, I wantednothing more than todrive myself there, park atthe very back and strollinto work all leisurely likethe cool kids, theirbright orange smocksswinging loosely in onehand and their car keys inthe other.

I had my license, afterall, and knew how todrive. What I did not have

was my own wheels. But Idid have two splendidparents, who, withoutprotest, transported me toand from work and every-

where else a girl neededto get in life. Only now doI realize what a nuisancethat must have been.

But did I appreciate it?Well Lets just saywhenever possible Id buyoff my older sister, thefirst sibling with an actualcar, forking over $5 for theprivilege of ferryingmyself to work in herMazda GLC. I pulled in$3.35 per hour, so you canimagine the priorities. Myparents thought me silly,of course, but stoppedshort of prohibiting thissisterly extortion. (Shedefended her exorbitant

fees by citing loss of herown vehicular mobility.)

If you want to be coolbadly enough

For me, the car was animage thing, and Id pay tomaintain an image. Godforbid, you know, any ofthe boys saw me gettingdropped off by my par-

ents. But when my sisterdenied me, I had nochoice but to board thefamily shuttle.

Dad, I asked one day,Can you stop in front ofthe brick wall before thebig windows and just let

me out there?Moment of silence.You bugger, he said,

using a favorite term ofendearment.

Its not that Im asham-ed of you, I explained.Lucky for me, he justkindly obliged.

But then did he get megood. As I strolled into

work with nobody, pre-sumably, the wiser, sud-

denly a horn started honk-ing, loudly, and I turnedto see Dad waving out theopen window and shout-ing, See you at 10, Tawn(nickname). Love ya!Have a great night.

Solidly mortifying!Good old, bad old dad.

Will parents stop atnothing to ruin our lives?

Well, if only he knew

how much Id like thattime back now, would like

him back now Flash forward.Kids today I wont say

what you think; Im notthat old yet they have itnice. Why? Mom and Dadas a species are cool again.

Sure, they might havebeen when I was young,but I was too stupid to

realize it. Lucky are thekids, of any age, who seethis and take advantage

now.Truth is cool kids today

are proud to be seen inpublic with Mom andDad. They even notifytheir friends via Facebook!I see it among my grown

friends, too. They relishtime they can spend withone or both parents.

As a grown-up now, too,(technically anyway), Imonly too happy to makeup for lost time. My chauf-feur Dad has died, so Icant as easily publiclyshow how proud I am tobe his daughter anymore,but I can, will and do withmy mom, without an

ounce of embarrassment.Like so many women,in fact, I am my mom. Irealize it in so many wayseach passing day. When Ifile coupons in my parti-tioned plastic envelope.

When I cant bring myselfto wear jeans to church.

When I find myself usinga host of familiar expres-sions, scolding the man inmy life, for example, in a

sentence that starts with,Listen, Mister (Theres a Missy coun-terpart, sure, but I was anangel compared with mytwo bold brothers anddidnt hear that as much.)

OK, I bend the truththere. But here I do notprevaricate: My mom anddad were and are certi-fiably cool. Yours are, too.Read the stories inside,and see for yourself.

All of us, the sooner werealize how fabulous ourparents are, the better off

well be. We may notalways show our gratitude(God knows I go off therails sometimes, and itsusually my patience-of-a-saint mom who pulls meback.) But if were lucky,time is still on our side.

Ill shush now. Have tocall Mom. Then maybe Illhound heaven and see

whats up with Dad. Idlike to make amends withthat bugger for a day ohso long ago.

Cool redefined

OPINIONS A N D R A S N Y D E R

Sandra Snyder is the TimesLeaders features editor.

PROJECT EDITORSSandra SnyderLindsey Jones

WRITERS

Mary Therese BiebelSara PokornyRachel VanBlankenshipSheena DeLazio

OUR TEAMON THE COVER/TIMES LEADER FILE PHOTOS

Caught in random moments, theselocal moms, dads and children

graced Times Leader pages during

the past few years.


3/24

SPECIALSECTION,WEDNESDAY,APRIL27,2011

PAGE3

MOMS & DADS

Howcan you turn the four peo-

ple on the planet that you

loathed the most into four of

your best friends? Maybe you just

have to grow up. And, if your Mom

and Dad stressed the importance of

siblings, that helps. Deborah J. Ken-

dra of Rice Township grew up in a fam-ilyof five children and admitsthey we-

rent always perfect little angels.

EverySunday wewent to7:30Mass asa fam-ily, and I would love to say that we sat still andquietly paid attention, but of course that wouldbea lie,shewrote ina recentessay. We fidget-ed, pinched, kicked the kneeler and whispered.

Every Sunday, we went home and had to siton the couch with our arms around each other,as punishment. How torturous it was to sitnext to the four people on the planet that youloathedthe most, with your armsaround them,no less.

As they sat on the couch together, the five

youngsters squeezed, pinched and argued.Still, their parents, Joe and Marie Moran of

Mother passes sense of loyalty to childrenByMARY THERESE [email protected]

PETEG. WILCOX PHOTOS/THETIMES LEADER

ABOVE: Deborah Kendra of Rice Township tries to impress upon her children Zack, 19, Dallas,

14, Noah, 8, and Kevin, 21 the importance of remaining close as siblings.

TOP: Deborah Kendra and her daughter Dallas, 14, are a close pair.

See BOND, Page 14


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DNESDAY,

APRIL27,

2011

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SPECIALSECTION,WED

NESDAY,APRIL27,2011

PAGE5

MOMS & DADS

DONCAREYPHOTOS/

THETIMESLEADER

ABOVE: Jane Ketchner,

left, of Shavertown has

been teaching her

youngest daughter,

Greta, and son, Thomas,

such skills as how to

change a bicycle tire,which is the kind of

thing her father, Fred

Turner, taught her when

she was growing up.

LEFT: Jane Ketchner

helps her son, Thomas,reassemble a bike. De-

scribing her parents as

the greatest teachers I

have ever had, Ketchner

said she hopes to pass

along similar lessons to

her children.

Jane Ketchnerandherfuturehusband, Richard, were ontheir

first date, travelingalong on the NewJerseyTurnpike, when

the cars alternator belt broke. They pulled into a service

center, where prices can be steep. Dont have them fix it, the

young woman suggested to her date. Just buy the belt. Who

would do the work? She herself.

The attendant was so surprised when Richard Ketchner said hisgirlfriend was going to replace thebelt, He came over and watched,Ketchner remembered with alaugh.

The task wasnt difficult at all,shesaid. Itwas justone ofthe manythings her dad, Fred Turner, hadtaught her while she was growingup, said Ketchner, 48, a physicaltherapist from Shavertown.

While her mother, Margaret

Turner, impartedsuch skills as bak-ing and decorating holiday cookies and allowed her to tag alongwhen shedid volunteer work herdad introduced her to the realm oftraditionally masculine know-how.

He never said that I was toosmall or too young or that I was agirl, she remembered. He let mehelp him, and I learned about a lotof different things.

Nowadays Ketchner doesnt doall the household repairs, she said,explaining herhusband, Richard, ispretty handy, too.

But if you asked her to build a

rabbit hutch, set up a tent, put aroof on a garage, change a sparkplug or split and stack wood, shecould.

Ofcourse,shecanfix a flattire ona carorbicycle andthat last skillisone shes passing along to her ownchildren.

A little boy from the neighbor-hood comes over and knocks andsays, Is Thomas there? My tiresflat, Ketchner said, explaining her13-year-oldson is happy to help the

youngster.Ketchners own bicycle exper-

tise, by the way, extends beyondchanging flats.

Shecantakea junkbicycle thatsomeone elsehas thrownaway andrefurbish it so its good to ride.

Describing her parents as thegreatest teachers I have ever had,Ketchner said, I am grateful toGodthatI stillhavemy parents andthat I continue to learn lessonsfrom them.

She herself is a mother of four:Debra, 22; Mary, 20; Thomas, 13;and Greta, 12.

A new generationembraces the D-I-Y life

ByMARY THERESE BIEBEL

[email protected]


6/24


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PAGE7

MOMS & DADS

When Mary Ripski was about 5 yearsold, her father taught her a simple

economicslesson. The two of them

could take the trolley to downtown Wilkes-

Barre. Or they could walk from their houseon

South EmpireStreet anduse thetrolley fare to

buy some Planters Peanuts.

YoungMary Lou,as her father called her, en-

joyed the walk and the redskin peanuts. She

also realized she was about to begin learningall sorts of new things, thanks to the world of

adventure her father was about to open.

As we walked, he told methisterrific place looked like a

castlebut itwas evenbetter in-side. It helps you to go any-where, learn about many plac-es, people, thingsand ideas. It was the Osterhout Free Li-brary.

What a master teacher!Ripski remembered fondly.

Ripski, 74, herself a retiredteacher and mother of four who now lives in Albrights-ville, said her father, the lateJohn Stanaitis, treasured edu-

cation, perhaps because pain-ful circumstances had forcedhim to leave school early.

His own father died when

Stanaitis was in third grade.He and his older brother,

Mike, had to drop out and get jobs to help their widowedmother and six younger sib-

lings.

He was the third-oldest ofninechildren, Ripskisaid, ex-

plaining the firstborn had diedat age 2.

Mike, who was a little older

thanJohn, wasconsidered oldenough for the coal mines.

John, at 8 or so, was too

young.

ByMARY THERESE BIEBEL

[email protected]

See LESSONS, Page 11

Master teacher taught daughter value of educationDONCAREYPHOTOS/

THETIMESLEADER

ABOVE: MaryRipski of

Albrightsville has shared a

passion for reading with her

father, the late John Stanai-

tis, who introduced her tothe Osterhout Free Library

when she was about5

years old.

TOP LEFT: In this vintage

photo, Mary Ripskis father,

John Stanaitis, is standing

at left with some other boyswho, likehim, worked in a

dynamite factory.

BOTTOM LEFT: John Sta-

naitis holds his daughter,

MaryStanaitis Ripski, and

son, John Jr., in this family

photograph.


8/24

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SPECIALSECTION,W

EDNESDAY,

APRIL27,

2011

A Mothers Day GiveawayA Mothers Day Giveaway

The Times Leader

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The Times Leader DAZZLE HER Giveaway

Your name: __________________________________________ Phone number: ________________________

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Mothers name: _________________________________ Mothers phone number: ________________________

Mothers mailing address: ___________________________________________________________________

Your e-mail: _______________________________ Mothers e-mail: __________________________________

To enter, go to timesleader.com and click on Dazzle Her:A Mothers Day Giveawayor return this form to The TimesLeader, Dazzle Her Contest, 15 N. Main St.,Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711. All entries must be received by Friday,April 29,2011 to qualify. Winners will be announced in The Times Leader on May 4, 2011.

No purchase is necessary to participate and there is no charge or fee for contest entry. Prizes cannot be exchangedfor cash and are nontransferable. Prizes cannot be refunded. Prize receipt is the sole responsibility of the winnerand the advertiser. Winners are solely responsible for any taxes that may be due as a result of the contest. All prizesmust be redeemed within six months of the day the winners are announced. Entries may be examined at our officeat 15 N. Main Street, Wilkes-Barre. The winners will be determined from all submissions received by Friday, April 29,2011. Winners names and associated prizes will be drawn at random. Odds of winning are dependent upon thenumber of entries received. Winner must be at least 18 years of age and a legal resident of the Commonwealth ofPennsylvania. Must present proper photo identification in order to redeem prizes. The Wilkes Barre PublishingCompany, Inc., and/or The Times Leader and/or any of their affiliates, subsidiaries, corporate officers or employeesare not responsible for supplying any of the prizes or guaranteeing any prize or service offered by any business and/

or individual as part of the Dazzle Her contest. By participating in the Dazzle Her contest, each person authorizes theWilkes Barre Publishing Company, Inc., The Times Leader and/or any of their affiliates, subsidiaries and/orsubsequent owners and/or operators and/or assigns of any of them to use photographs, video, film and/or othergraphic representations of each contest entrant for any promotional purpose. Sponsors employees and theirimmediate family members are not eligible to enter.

Mother must be 18 or older to win.

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9/24

SPECIALSECTION,WED

NESDAY,APRIL27,2011

PAGE9

MOMS & DADS

DONCAREYPHOTOS/THE TIMESLEADER

ABOVE: Thanks to long-ago

lessons from her grandfather,

Jennifer Thomas-Washney,right, enjoys skating with her

husband, Robert, and 7-year-

old daughter, Grace.

ABOVE LEFT: Robert was

the one who taught Grace to

skate, carrying on a family

tradition.

ABOVE RIGHT: William Piku-

tis, grandfather of Jennifer

Thomas-Washney, taught her

to skate.

For Christmas when she was

5 years old, Jennifer Tho-

mas-Washney received a

pair of double-bladed ice skates

and a promise from her Grandpop

Bill William Pikutis, also known

as Gramps that he would teach

her how to use them.

When he fulfilled thatpromise gliding around aneighborhood pond like FredAstaire and bringing a ther-mos of hot chocolate for apost-lesson snack it becameone of the West Wyomingwomans most cherished me-mories.

I remember donning my

snowsuit,scarf,hat, boots andred mittens. You could barelyseemy blue eyes flashingwith

excitement. Occasionally, astrand of white blond hair would escape from my hat,and Grandpop would tuck itinside, hiding it from thecold, Thomas-Washney wrote in an essay that pre-serves and celebrates the day.

I grabbed my skates, andGramps taught me how to tie

them together and rest them

Skating with Gramps a treasured memoryByMARY THERESE BIEBEL

[email protected]

See LEGACY, Page11


10/24

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DNESDAY,

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2011 MOMS & DADS

Never give up.

That was the consistent message Tiffany

Crispell Walsh heard from her parents and

grandparents duringher formative years.

Of course,it wasntalways easy.

When I was inelementary schoolI wanted tojoina

team that did danceroutines at footballgames. I tried

out multiple years, unsuccessfully, said Crispell

Walsh, 27,of Pittston.

Everyyear I would practice for weeksand every time miss the cut by one per-son. And every time I came home andcried.Andeverytimemy motherencour-agedme toGetback upandtryagain.

Her mom, Marilyn Crispell, did morethan giveadvice.

She would actually videotape thedance group and try to learn the routineherself andhelpme learn it.

Momand daughterwouldrehearsethe

dance together, and eventually, CrispellWalsh became a PlainsYankees strutter.

When she sat on the bench through

mostof thesoftballseason, andwhencol-lege courses were difficult,and when thesearchfortrueloveprovedelusiveeverytime life threw her a curve the parentaladvice was consistent: Get back up andtry again.

And it always worked.The one-time benchwarmer practiced

diligently and became a starter for thehighschoolsoftballteam.Shekept study-ing and graduated from college. She re-

mainedopentolove,foundaniceguyand

S. JOHNWILKIN/THE TIMES LEADER

Grandmother Marilyn Crispell and mom Tiffany Crispell Walsh read The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Madison Walsh, almost 2, in their Pittston home.

Daughter finds herself repeating her mothers helful adviceByMARY THERESE [email protected]

See PERSEVERANCE, Page 15


11/24

SPECIAL

SECTION,WED

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PAGE11

MOMS & DADS

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MOTHERSDAY

It was too dangerous to

work in the mines, but heworked in a dynamite facto-ry, Ripski marveled, add-ing the factory was in the White Haven area and shedoesnt know what kind oftransportation was in-volved.

Though he had to workhard, Ripski said, she neverknewher father to be bitter.

He was the most posi-

tive, pleasant, optimisticperson I know, and he wasextremely intelligent, shesaid.

Stanaitis served in WorldWarI and II, workedas a po-lice officerand becamea co-owner of Empire Oil Co. Inhissparetime, he taught hisdaughter how to paint thehouse, in a methodical andorganized fashion.

Hed say, Mary Lou, this

is the way were going to dothis. Remember, a lazy manalways does his worktwice.

But what Ripski remem-bers most strongly about

her father istheloveof read-

ing he passed on to her.In his later years, she

would send him copies ofthe same books she was

reading so they could dis-cuss them. We both read

Andersonville about thenotorious Civil War camp.

We were both so heartbro-

ken about the situations inthe prison, she said.

My father was my big-gest supporter when I said I

wanted to study mathemat-ics, said Ripski, who

earned a scholarship to

what was then College Mi-sericordia. When themen at

thelocal tavernsharedtheiropinionthat a girl should be

studying home economicsinstead, He would explain

to them women can do justas manythingsas men can.

Stanaitis was proud of his

daughter for becoming ateacher she taught in

Woodbridge, N.J., for many

years andshewasproudofhim for educating himselfand passing on the zest for

learning.

LESSONSContinued from Page 7

on my shoulder. Our journey was

only a block away from my houseon Phillips Street, but it seemedlonger.

Thomas-Washney grew up in theHanoversectionof Nanticoke, con- veniently close to a man-madepond on Front Street.

The pond was small, about 20yards in lengthand 10yards wide,she wrote.

The untouched ice glistened inthe winter sunlight, like a mirror.Tufts of weeds peeked through theice, strategically placed, andserved as an obstacle course. Skin-ny trees became an appreciativeaudience.

Grandpopbrought a ther-mos of hot choco-late. He said that we would havesome at the ENDof my lesson.

After he helpedher put on her

skates, her grandfather demon-strated a gracefulglide, then said itwas her turn.

He heldme up, asI crept acrossthe ice. The silence of the woods was replaced with the melodicsound of a childs laughter. I fellseveral times. One fall really hurt,and I started to cry.

Each time I fell, Gramps helpedme up. Jenny, try again! I wouldhear him say. I can still see him,brimming with pride, his face redfrom the racing wind.

Finally, we sipped on hot cocoa,

a chocolate reward for perseve-rance. Then we strolled across thestreet to Grammy Sophies housefor chicken soup that was waitingto chase away the chill

I am grown and times havechangedevenin thesleepy town of

Nanticokes Hanover section. Theman-made pond was filled in tomake a playground, and the rail-roadtracksare gone, replaced withgrass. My grandparents passedaway. I graduated to single-bladedskates, learned to spin, skate back-wards and even stop.

Life on the ice will continue tobe my grandfathers legacy.

Today the writer, 46, is a wifeand mother who works for theAmerican Cancer Society.

Shes busy creating new memo-ries with her husband,Robert, anddaughter, Grace, who all enjoyskating.

LEGACYContinued from Page 9

Each time I fell, Gramps helped me up. Jenny, try

again! I would hear him say. I can still see him, brim-

ming with pride, his face red from the racing wind. Jennifer Thomas-Washney

Pikutis


12/24

PAGE

12

SPECIALSECTION,

WEDNESDAY,

APRIL27,

2011 MOMS

The thing I learned most from my mother was how to cook. She

has been teaching me since I was little and still is. I can cook

summer courses like grilled chicken Caesar salad. I also make

winter dishes like chicken soup. I make desserts and appetizers,

too. My favorite dessert is definitely blueberry pie. We pick the

berries ourselves fresh in the summer. That makes it extra yummy.

We also make jam. During hunting season, my dad takes me out for

deer. I love making deer jerky. My favorite kind is peppered. It is

really hard to make but in the end, it is worth it.

Lauren Austin

sixth-grader at Bear Creek Community Charter School

It had been a terrible day at school, and it was just me

and my mom because my sister went home with her

friend. My mom said she laid out some ingredients to bake

sugar cookies. We cracked the eggs, melted the butter,

and we mixed the cookie mix. When they came out of the

oven, we decorated them with sprinkles. This made my

terrible day at school a whole lot better. My mom taught

me to cook, and that makes me feel like a million bucks.

Kaitlyn Metz

fifth-grader at Wyoming Seminary Lower School in Forty

Fort

My grandmothers are sweet as

sugarplums. I love them so

very much and love everything

that they have taught me, espe-

cially how to make great food! My

grandmothers are amazing cooks,

and they are happy to share their

recipes with me.

Emily Sims

fifth-grader at Wyoming Seminary

Lower School in Forty Fort

My grandmother on

my mothers side of

the family taught me

how to make good

eggnog. My grand-

mother on my dads

side taught me how

to make spaghetti.

Thomas Engle

St. Nicholas-St. Marys

School, Wilkes-Barre

In a recent essay contest organized by the Family Service Association and The Times Leader, several area elementary-schoolers

A very Krogulski whisked eggs

with a plastic

fork. He threw some

flour on his face, tangled

up a big pile of home-

made noodles, and then

sat comfortably in his fa-

ther Dannys arms while

thechicken for thechick-en parmigiana was drop-

ped into the pan.

Avery is not afraid to

get his hands dirty when

it comes to cooking. In

fact, hes not afraid to get

the entire kitchen dirty.

Lucky for him, dad

Danny, a chef of presti-

gious educational cre-

dentials, welcomes the

culinary assistance of a

15-month-old.

Sure, hisage might limit whathe can actually do, but thatdoesnt mean its too early tostart him on the path to becom-ing a great cook.

He absolutely loves it when

Danny holds him while hecooks, said Missie Krogulski,24, Averys mom and Dannys wife. Danny loves it, too. Hetalks to him like Julia Childwhen they cook together.

Danny attended the CulinaryInstitute of America in New

Yorkand haslovedto cook sincehe was young, due in large partto his mom, Diana Lee.

I havetwo brothers and a sis-ter, butI always seemedto betheone to hang aroundand helpmymom cook, he said.

One of his fondest memoriesis pork-chop night.

My mom would have to buytwo value packs of pork chopsfor all of us, Danny said. Wedhave a smorgasbord of breadedandfriedporkchopsthatIdhelpmake.

To thisday,Danny still makeshis moms meatloaf and sweetpotatoes.

Of course, Averyhelps. Dannycan seehealready hasa star chefon his hands.

I think weve got a new cook-ing show, Cooking with Avery,How to Make the Biggest Messin the Kitchen, he joked.

Perhaps thanks to theprolifer-ation of cookingshows, cookingas a family affair is more popularthanever, butplentyof area folks

Cooking together a tasty way to make memories

Danny, Missie and Avery Kro-

gulski are like a three-compo-nent, well-oiled machine in thefamily kitchen. Averys favor-

ite spot is in his fathers arms.

Danny is a chef, and Avery is

on track to become one.

By SARA POKORNY

[email protected]

See FOOD, Page 20


13/24

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PAGE13

DADS

In the summer, my grandmother asked me to squeeze some lemons

and oranges. I asked her what they were for, and she told me she

was making lemonade. I stuck around to see how she made it, and

ever since I have been making homemade lemonade every weekend.

Then she taught me how to make scrambled eggs, meatballs, Easter

cheese and burgers old-fashioned style. She taught me to make the

burgers so well I actually entered a burger contest. I am grateful

that my grandmother taught me to cook because now I can be a chef

at a restaurant and teach my kids to cook the way she taught me.

Paul Jason

sixth-grader at Wilkes-Barre Academy

My maternal grama taught me how to

cook. Let me tell you she is a great

cook! She makes the best apple pie,

cupcakes and other goodies. When we

go up to her house on Easter, I cant

wait for dessert. Boy, do I love her

food! When I make apple pie with her, I

eat the sugar apples, and sometimes

there arent any left.

Amanda Curcio

St. Nicholas-St. Marys School, Wilkes-Barre

I love to spend time with my family. One of the things I love to do is

with my mom. My mom taught me how to bake. The way I got in-

terested is watching television shows. The shows I would watch are

Cake Boss, The Next Great Baker and Ultimate Cake-Off. I got all the

things I needed and started right away. Ever since I made my first

cupcake, I cant stop baking. I feel that my mom and I have come closer

because of baking. Baking also helps me in school. The measuring

helps me in math. Spend more time with your family, get a little dirty

and have some sweets because its worth it in the end.

Isabella Greer

fifth-grader at Wilkes-Barre Academy

wrote of the fond food memories they already have and the lessons they learned from cooking with their parents or grandparents.

DON CAREY PHOTOS/THE TIMES LEADER

1. Fifteen-month

old Avery Krogul-

ski is a dough

roller in training,

under the watchful

eye of his father,Danny.

2. Avery plays the

role of sauce mas-

ter during the

chicken-parmigia-

na prep phase.

3. Avery helps

prepare family

meals often. His

favorite helping-

spot is from dad

Dannys arms.


14/24

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14

SPECIALSECTION,

WEDNESDAY,

APRIL27,

2011 MOMS & DADS

Local & Nationwide Delivery Available

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Mountain Top, were brave

enough to rent a Winnebago andtake the whole crew to Yellow-stoneNationalPark. Theystayedin campgrounds along the way,and if they occasionally stoppedin a restaurant, the parents weresure to jokingly tell the waitressthey were on our honeymoon.

All kidding aside, their dad ex-plained to the children how heand their mother hoped the sib-lings relationship would evolve.

One day your mother and I

willbe gone,he said.Hopefully,by that time youll be grownwithlives of your own, but there aregoing tobe times when you needsomeone to help you, andthe on-ly people youll ever truly be ableto count on are your brother andsisters, and Ive got to know thatthe five of you will be able tocount on each other, no matter

what.Yeah,right, Kendrasaid. We

were kids, and he didnt knowwhat he was talking about.Except, he was right.

Thirty years later, in 2006,Ken-dra herself wasa momoffivechil-dren. One night around 11, whenher husband was working thirdshift and she was falling asleep,

exhausted, she suddenly heard acommotion.Daughter Dallas, then 9, had

had a seizure, her older brother,Zach, was carrying her, andsomeone had called 911.

Children crying. Ambulancecoming. Talk calmly to my baby.

Everything is happening in snap-shots, Kendra wrote. I turn andthere with uncombed hair, in her

pajamas, is my sister. Relief. I goto the hospital withmy daughter,knowing that she(my sister) willtake care of everything else.

Im gonna tear up, Kendra

said as she recalled the emergen-cy during an interview. Just theemotion of the whole night.

Indeed, the hospital staff didtake care of Dallas, and Kendrassister, Mary, who lived nearby,took care of everything else.

So now Kendra has a slightlyupdated version of her fathers

words to pass along to her ownchildren:

Friends may come and go in

your life, but family will show upinthe middleof the night intheirpajamas, if you need them.

BONDContinued from Page 3

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER

Kendras three boys, Zack, 19, Noah, 8, and Kevin, 21, ham it up at home.

Children crying.

Ambulance coming.

Talk calmly to my

baby. Everything is

happening in snap-shots. I turn and

there with un-

combed hair, in her

pajamas, is my

sister. Relief.Deborah Kendra,

recalling a night several years ago

where her sister came to her aid


15/24

SPECIAL

SECTION,WEDNESDAY,APRIL27,2011

PAGE15

MOMS & DADS

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married him.Just a fewmonths ago,Crispell Walshwas

watching her 1-year-old daughter, Madison,learnto walk.

She would get so frustrated when shedfall, just as Imsure I didwhenI waslearninghowto walk,CrispellWalshsaid. Suddenly,sheheardherselfencouragingherlittlegirlina familiar way:Getbackup. Put one foot infrontoftheothercauseyourealmostthere.

Thats when it hither.She was giving the same kind of advice

aboutpersevering thatshed always heard.

Crispell Walsh said she benefits a greatdeal from living close to her parents. Shesgratefulto herfather,StephenCrispell,for alltheworkhesdone remodelingherbasementandto hermother, Marilyn, forbeinga greatbabysitter.

She was a teacher and retired nine daysbefore my daughter was born, Crispell

Walshsaid. WhenI saidYouregoing tobe aGrandma,she said, That settles it.

CrispellWalsh.whoworksasasecuritysu-pervisor at Wilkes-Barre General Hospital,andher husband, MichaelWalsh,are expect-ing a son in May, and little Maddie, now al-most2, seems excited about becoming a bigsister.

I dont know if she fully understands,Crispell Walsh said. She points to my tum-myand says, Jack!

PERSEVERANCEContinued from Page 10

M & D


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2011 MOMS & DADS

FORTHETIMESLEADER/SARA POKORNY

Months ago she had no idea she could make a cake like this, but

thanks to the classes she took with her mom, Karen, Sara Po-korny now has the skills to pull this off.

Pretty cakes are now in reporter Sara Pokornys skill set after

she and her mother took a class together locally at Michaels in

Wilkes-Barre Township.

Heres a cake mom Karen Pokorny made after taking a class

with her reporter daughter, Sara.

If mymom asked meto hang out withher10 years ago, her request would have been

met with an eye roll and a seriously? But at 25, I find myself looking for ways to

spend time with her.

Weve always been close, but as Ive grown older I have started looking at her as a

friend even more and have come to appreciate her company.

My mom, Karen,loves todec-orate cakes, so we decided toenroll in classes at Michaels in

Wilkes-Barre Township.

Every Wednesday for threemonths we got together to eatdinner before class, then spendthe next two hours with unin-terrupted, no-pressure time to-gether.

Shesharpened herskills, andI surprised her with my new-foundones.(Most peoplein myfamilybelieve Imin no way do-mestic).

We found more commonground as we simply enjoyed

each others company.Michaels hasa variety ofoth-

er classes to offer, such as cro-cheting and jewelry making,butif those dont pique your in-terestthereare plentyof thingsto do with mom or dad that gobeyond dinner or a movie.

Why not take the time to dosomething youll both enjoy

while relaxing and learningnew things, perhaps about each

other?Besides, we kind of owe ourparentsfor allthe headacheswe

caused when we were little.(Dad, Im still sorry I drew allover the kitchen wall withcrayons that one time.)

Ifyourelookingfora funnewway tospendtimewithmom ordad, here are a fewsuggestions:

The season offlea marketsandyardsalesis justbeginning.Not only can you walk away

with great deals, but a sale isthe perfect place for someone,like myself, who might have

just moved into his or her ownplace andneeds cheap dcor, orsomeone like my mom, who

lovesa goodbargainandis pret-ty skilled at haggling.

Graba newspaperon a Fridayandplan your attack on a roundof Saturday-morning yard sales,or hit up one ofthe manyweek-end flea markets in the area.

The Discount WarehouseFlea Market, 1950 WyomingAve., Exeter(7 a.m.-3p.m. Sun-days) and the Sixth Street Ven-dors Outlet , 231West Sixth St.,

Wyoming(10 a.m.-2p.m. Satur-daysand 8 a.m.-4p.m. Sundays)are two good choices. The Gar-

den Drive-In, Route 11 in Hun-lock Creek, also is a great placeto stop by, especially on a niceday, because the entire market,

open from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.Sundays, is outside.

Wine or beer sampling is atasty way to spend an intergen-erational day.

For those of us over 21, thereare plentyof greatplaces in thearea to try wines and beersmade locally. At Bartolai Win-ery, on Route 92 and CoolidgeAvenue in Harding, for exam-ple, bands often play on the

weekends, and wine and beerkits are available to take home,

which can be a whole other en-deavor for parental bondingtime. Pavlick Hill Vineyard,3250 Route 118 in Dallas, andNimble Hill Vineyard & Win-ery, 426 Route 6 in Tunkhan-nock, aretwoother spotswortha visit. The well-known LionBrewery is right in Wilkes-Barre on North Pennsylvania

Avenue and runs tours as well.

Hanging with the parentals is easy, funBy SARA POKORNY

[email protected]

See BONDING, Page 17

S

M & D


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PAGE17

MOMS & DADS

LargeSelection

OfSterlingSilverJewelry

Steve Hydock DiamondsSteve Hydock DiamondsSterling Silver Beads That Fit Almost Every Bracelet

Remember Mothers DayRemember Mothers Day

150 SOUTH WYOMING AVENUE, KINGSTON, PA.(Across From Jack Willams Tire and Auto) 283-0651

AnniversaryRings

Gemstone Ringsand Bracelets

DiamondBracelets

HoopEarrings

Mothers

Pendants

May 5 and May 21 are the nextdates to see the home of Lion-shead beer, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.on both days. The tour is only $2per person, plus tax.

How can you beat that?

This area is bigon communi-ty, and plentyof volunteeroppor-tunities are available. Spend anafternoon at the St. Vincent De-Paul Soup Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre or take a couple of week-

ends and help out with Habitatfor Humanity, which has homebases in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre.

Thevalleyalso hasthe Amer-ican Heart Association andAmerican Cancer Society in

Wilkes-Barre, United Way ofWyoming Valley and plenty ofother non-profits to choosefrom. Many of the organiza-tions have fundraising events

throughout the year that re-quire volunteers. Check web-sites such as www.volunteer-

match.org or www.servene-t.org to see whats available.

As we get older, many of uscome to appreciate a variety ofthings that have always been apart of our lives.

Sometimes that includes the very place in which we live.Northeastern Pennsylvaniais rife

with history and ways to learnabout it.

Eckley Miners Village in Weatherly is an original anthra-cite mining town that is now amuseum and open every day ofthe week. The Lackawanna CoalMinein Scranton, whichoriginal-ly opened in 1860, puts you in a

mine car that descends 300 feetbelow ground. The FrederickStegmaier Mansion in Wilkes-Barre was once home to CharlesStegmaier, a famous beer brewer

whose creations can still betasted at the Lion Brewery today.

The mansion has been re-stored and offers Victorian au-thenticity for a trip back in time.Other local historical attractionsinclude the Nathan Denison

House in Forty Fort, the Swet-landHomestead in Wyomingand

the Wyoming Monument.

SARAPOKORNY/FORTHE TIMESLEADER

Button flowers adorn the top of the cake Sara Pokorny made dur-

ing cake classes she took with her mom, Karen.

BONDINGContinued from Page 16

Michaels has a

variety of other

classes to offer,

such as crochet-ing and jewelry

making, but if

those dont pique

your interest

there are plenty

of things to do

with mom or dad

that go beyond

dinner or a

movie.

011 MOMS & DADS


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EDNESDAY,

APRIL27,

20 MOMS & DADS

When I startedsaying like youknow or like you

say ... I say it, mymother does, mysisters do and mygrandmother.

Jillian Rosser, 22,

Wapwallopen

Daughter of Lisa Rosser

The first time I told my daughterBecause I said so!

Kathleen Smith, Wilkes-Barre

When I shouted at my kids, You childrenleave me out of BREATH!!!

Katherine Kier, 42, West Wyoming,

Mother of Phaedra and Thaddeus

The first time I screamed, Mary Eliza-

beth Balut, what do you think youre do-ing?!!!! Then after the other two girls

joined the family and I screamed, ReginaMarie, Mary Elizabeth, Bridget Ann whatever your name is what do youthink youre doing?

Donna Balut, Wilkes-Barre,

Mother of Mary Beth, Bridget and Regina

When I started to

call everyone agypsy or when Istarted getting allOCD about how mybed was made!

Sarah Daywood, 26,

Pittston

Daughter of Deborah

Andruscavage

When I startedusing my handswhen I talk.

Amy Kaspriskie, 25,

ExeterDaughter of Gloria

Kaspriskie

When I caught myself vacuuming a room I

had just vacuumed. The transformationhappens to all of us.

Eileen Sweeney-Zamboni, 27 and holding. Or ageless.

Timeless really. Garner, N.C. (Wilkes-Barre native)

Mother of Laura and Madeline

Can you share with us an exact

moment when you realized you had

become your mother or father?

We put this question out into cyberspace via social networking:

FacebookSURVEY


19/24

011 MOMS & DADS


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20 MOMS & DADS

Growing up, I was sur-

rounded by wonder-

fulcooks. My mother

and two grandmothers havetaught me everything I know.

Most of my childhood me-

mories circle around Sunday

dinners, first at my Nanas

house for pasta, then at my

Grannys house for whatever

she whipped up for her large

brood of children and grand-

children.As I write this, it will be about

three weeks until I get married,and now I must prepare mealsIve learned from them formy fu-ture husband.

Ivebeen usingrecipes giventome by my mother, in a handwrit-ten cookbook she gave me at mybridal shower.

AsI pagedthroughthe recipes,several stoodout several I CAN-NOT WAIT to make, such as myGrannys potato pancakes, andothers that brought back awe-some memories of helping mymom in the kitchen.

One of those was monkeybread.

As a tiny Sheena (and, somemight say Im still tiny, just a bitolder) I remember rolling thedough for this recipe into balls,rolling it in the sugar-and-cinna-monmixtureand eagerly waiting

for it to come out of the oven.Im not all thatsure why thisis

called monkey bread. I can only

assume because monkeyspick lit-tle bugs off each other, and youare able topull this breadapart toeat.

My future husband and I re-cently had a Stromboli Sunday,and I had a leftover loaf of frozenbread dough. Because thatsneeded for this recipe, I decidedto make it. As I did, I felt like alittlekid again, andthe smellthatcame from the oven brought meright back to my mothers kitch-en.

Atthe bottomof therecipe,mymother, Donna, wrote, A quickdessert youll love.

Little didshe know, notonly isthis quick to make, but it wasquickly eaten and the pancleaned just a few hours later.

Im happy to share this recipe.The one thing my future hus-

band said could makeit even bet-ter would havebeen a confection-

ers-sugar icing for dipping. Ithinkthatwillbe mytweak totherecipe I pass on to my children.

FOR THE TIMES LEADER/SHEENA DELAZIO

Monkey Bread is a sugary, sweet and simple dessert and a family

tradition in the DeLazio household.

MONKEY BREADa sweet memorySHEENA DELAZIO

[email protected]

Ingredients:1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed1 cup sugar1/4 cup cinnamon1 stick butter, melted

Method:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Mix sugar and cinnamon together.Rip off pieces of the thawed doughand roll in to 1-inch balls.Roll the dough balls into meltedbutter, and then into the sugar/cinnamon mixture.Place balls in pan and bake forabout12 to 14 minutes.You can use a regular loaf pan or aBundt pan. I used a regular loaf-size pan.

MONKEY BREAD

have been engaged in the art offoodas family legacy longbeforeour televisionscreensonly ener-gized our interest.

Nancy Smith, 49, of Pittston Township also learned to cookat a young age, but from hergrandmother, Josephine Alex-ander, also known as Onna.

Every Good Friday she would come to our house andmake Easter pizza, Smith said.She would tell me, I want youhere when I make this because

when Im gone youre going tobe the one to take over.

Each year offered a lesson inEaster pizza that had to be fol-lowed down to everydetail. Thepizzaconsistsof ham,Muensterand American cheeses and al-

mosttwo dozeneggs.The ingre-dients are mixed together andpoured into a pan lined withdough, thencovered withanoth-er layer of dough.We used to

weave the dough on the top,Smith said. I had to pay veryclose attention to everythingshe did to make it just a certain

way so that it would come outright every time.

She never took what her

grandmother said lightly.At my young age I thoughtmy grandmother would be

around forever. I would justsmile and nod, but I would al-

ways stand there and watchclosely because, hey, you didntdare not listen to your grand-mother.

Alexander died in 1995, and,sure enough, the Easter-pizzatradition fell to Smith.

Every year, until this day, Ican feel her watching over me

while I make the pizza, Smithsaid.It always comes outprettyclose to hers. I think shed beproud.

While Smiths grandmother

taught her a step-by-step meth-od, Amy Alpaugh, 73, of Hugh-estown has almost never fol-

lowed a recipe thanks to hermothers teachings.

Everything is a pinch of this,a handful of that,Alpaugh said.Alpaughs mom, Faustina Ni-

nassi, never onceused a measur-ing cup or spoon. Alpaughlearned howto make bread,des-serts, sauce and various pastacreations, such as raviolis andcappellettis.

I remember that the cappel-lettislooked like littlehats, shesaid. They were very hard tomake. I would have five done at

thesametime shehad10 done.Not only does Alpaugh not

use measurements, she has nowrittenrecipe of anykind forref-erence.

EverythingI dois frommem-ory, she said.

One of Alpaughs most vividmemoriesis thewayher mother

would roll dough.She could roll it out into a

perfect circle, she said. She

could pretty much roll it to how-ever she wanted. She used tomake that rolling pin sing.

Alpaugh stillhas her mothersrolling pin, though she doesntuse it because of the wear andtear that comes with age.

Another tradition she holdson to is the way her motherdressed in the kitchen.

My mother always wore akerchief on her head and an

apron, she said. I do that tothis day. I feel like Imwalking inher footsteps.

DON CAREY/TIMES LEADER STAFF PHOTO

Which comes first, the chicken or the egg mix? Avery Krogulski learns the chicken-parmigiana

process from his father, Danny.

Avery Krogulski, in his fa-thers arms as usual, sprinkles

the all-important cheese on

the chicken parmigiana.

FOODContinued from Page 12

SPEMOMS & DADS


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PAGE21

Its often said that we look to marry our mother or our father,figuratively speaking, of course. Its a familiarity thing. We asked

some local engaged or recently married couples if theyve discov-

ered this is true in their own relationships.

ENGAGING

Dad - Ken Zekoski.Shannon: I wanted to marry someone as strong, hardworking and family-oriented as my dad, and I definitely see those characteristics in Matt.

Shannon and Matt Saporito, 24, Forty Fort

Dad Millard Galat Jr., Mom Anne Marie TigueChris: Both Elizabeth and my mom are loving and caring people, alwayslooking out for others. Theyre both strong women. When I was younger, myMom made sure I was always well dressed for whatever occasion we weregoing to. Elizabeth took over that job now. She OKs every outfit.Elizabeth: Both Chris and my dad are leaders in education and their commu-nities. Its rare that a week goes by where neither of them have some type ofcommittee meeting or event to plan. They are both go-getters and love to keep

busy. I believe that their similar interest is one of the reasons that they getalong so well, but most important, I believe they get along so well becausethey both love me.

Elizabeth Galat, 24, Nanticoke, and Chris Tigue, 34,Dunmore, to wed in June 2012

Dad - Gerald FalvoMom - Verna GoodSamantha: My father always knows how to calm me down without realizinghes doing it, and Frank is the same way. Theyre also both dedicated fatherswith a soft way of handling their children.Frank: My mother and Samantha both remember and hold on to everything,both good and bad. Its right down to the smallest detail or date that mostpeople wouldnt remember. Its something that can sometimes drive me crazy,but I also really admire it.

Samantha, 25, and Frank Good, 32, Pittston

Dianes mom - Karen Vavrek, Exeter TownshipLees mom - Sherry Tracey, Hanover TownshipI think when people say they marry someone who is similar to their parent itholds some form of validity. Take for example my loving husband, Lee Tracey.This gentle soul is 31 years young and likes to continuously let me know that hismother and I are alike all the time. He reminds me every time I take too longgetting out of a vehicle, or when I butter his bread for him because I think hemay not be capable of doing it on his own, which he gives me reason to think,due to him rolling his Lebanon bologna up and then biting it into snowflakes. It

helps that this wonderful man I said I do to is a chef, because I get home-cooked meals just like my mother used to make for me when I was growing up.I suppose it should be noted that theyre both obsessed with Ghost Hunters aswell.

Diane, 25, and Lee Tracey, 31,Allentown (formerly of Harding)

2011 MOMS & DADS


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EDNESDAY,

APRIL27,

2

F

eatures page designer and

photographer by hobby Rachel

Van Blankenship pays tributeto the value of some good, old-fash-

ioned mom time in a photo essay.

How often do you see your par-

ents? Once a week? Twice a

month?

For my family, spread out across

Oklahoma, California and Idaho,

seeing them more than once a year,

if not once every two years, can bedownright impossible. So when the

opportunity arose to drive five

hours to Washington, D.C., to

spend an extended weekend with

my mom, I was there in, well, four

and a half hours.

You could say I got my sense of

exploration from my mom. Seeing

the old and the new, wandering

neighborhoods we had never heardof before, eating food wed never

tried. And by the time it was over,

after all the sights we could

squeeze in were seen, my mom

said, I wish I could spend a

hundred hours in a coffee shop

with you.

When anOklahoma

mom and aPennsylvaniadaughter meetin the heart ofthe nation

ONE: I thoroughly enjoy a Cherry Wheat beer from the District Chophouse & Brewerys beer sampler. The Cherry Wheat, a seasonal beer, is brewed specifically for the Cher-

ry Blossom time of year in Washington, D.C. For dinner: homemade corn bread, sesame-encrusted calamari with an apricot ginger glaze, crab bisque and two orders of the

gorgonzola filet, paired with shiitake mushrooms and topped with gorgonzola and Worcestershire sauce. Mom and I shared; the second order was for my stepdad, Mark.

TWO:Mom, a.k.a. Debbie Aldridge, makes her third attempt at an iced-mocha mustache at Tryst in the Adams Morgan district. THREE:The Capitol city is hopping and full

of life as we take a nighttime stroll after dinner. FOUR: Even though the Cherry Blossom Festival was winding down, plenty of delicate buds could still be seen like these

framing the Jefferson Monument.

SPEMOMS & DADS


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ESDAY,APRIL27,2011

P

AGE23

ONE: At La Tasca, a lovely tapas restaurant in Alexandria, Va., what started as a quick bite to eat turned into a decadent feast. Pictured here is the Paella de Chorizo: mini-ature paella with diced chorizo sausage and an assortment of seasonal vegetables. TWO: Two mochaccinos share a window seat at Le Pain Quotidien in the Easter Marketdistrict of Washington, D.C. THREE:A fruit tart becomes an afternoon snack at Tryst in the Adams Morgan district. FOUR: Coffee, coffee and more coffee (it still counts ifits iced). Mom orders an iced mocha at Tryst. FIVE:Black-bean soup and homemade bread from Le Pain Quotidien creates a warm haven from the rain.

ONE: Springs in full bloom at the Smithsonian Castle building. During our time on the mall we saw the Washington Monument, the Holocaust Museum and witnessed an

honest-to-goodness political rally in front of the Capitol building. TWO: Next stop Adams Morgan, then Georgetown. Mom, a.k.a Debbie Aldridge, becomes the ultimate

tourist in the nations Capitol as she tries to find the closest metro stop. THREE:After four long days of touring the city, we take one last photo opp at a family friends

apartment in Arlington, Va. FOUR: Heels are not advised when traveling with us. Nor are they advised, as this mural states, at the Torpedo Factory. Formerly a WWII

Torpedo Factory, the space has been refurbished to accommodate artists and their studios. Buy, wander or ooh and ahh at the three stories of painters, photographers,

weavers, teachers and sculptors who make their artistic homes here. http://www.torpedofactory.org/

,2011


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