END OF SUMMER/SCHOOL SHOPPING

[marie-elena (ferracano) r]

HELLO OLD & NEW FRIENDS,
HOPE EVERYONE IS BUSY ENJOYING THE REMAINDER OF "SUMMER 2009". THERE IS STILL PLENTY OF TIME TO BBQ & HANG OUDOORS WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS.
AM I THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS DEPRESSED WHEN THE ADS START FOR "BACK TO SCHOOL"?
PERHAPS, IT'S BECAUSE IT MEANS "BACK TO WORK", FOR ME AND OTHER FOLKS EMPLOYED IN THE EDUCATION FIELD. I KNOW THAT THE REST OF YOU, WHO WORK ALL YEAR LONG. WAITING FOR THAT 2 OR 4 WEEK VACATION TIME. CAN NOT UNDERSTAND THIS FEELING. OR HAVE ANY SYMPATHY FOR US. bUT I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT HOW SOME POVERTY STRICKENED PARENTS RECEIVED $200 PER CHILD FOR SCHOOL CLOTHES AND SUPPLIES. I AM NOT GOING TO GET ON A SOAPBOX AND VOICE MY OPINION ABOUT THIS. NOR DO I WISH ANYONE ELSE DOES EITHER. BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF US SHARING OUR "END OF SUMMER/BACK TO SCHOOL" STORIES-MEMORIES.

TO ME, BACK TO SCHOOL MEANT WOOLWORTH'S IN PARKCHESTER. FOR ALL MY SCHOOL SUPPLIES. WESTCHESTER SQUARE FOR SHOES AND OTHER CLOTHING ITEMS. SINCE I ATTENDED P.S.102, I DIDN'T WEAR A UNIFORM. BUT AS I HAVE SHARED BEFORE. MOM MADE MY CLOTHES USING WHATEVER PATTERNS SHE HAD (SOME WERE 10 YEARS OLD. SHE BOUGHT FOR MY SISTER) & WHAT EVER MATERIAL SHE COULD AFFORD TO BUY. OR LEFTOVER MATERIAL FROM ITEMS SHE MADE FOR OTHER PEOPLE. MANY DRESSES LOOKED LIKE SLIPCOVERS OR CURTAINS. I REMEMBER THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOLYEAR. IT WAS STILL VERY WARM SO THE TEACHER LET US KEEP THE WINDOWS OPEN WITH THE SHADES UP. WE FACED AN APT BUILDING (TAYLOR AVE). ONE OF MY MOM'S CLIENT'S WINDOWS WERE FACING MY CLASSROOM. AS YOU CAN GUESS. THE CURTAINS WERE THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE DRESS I WAS WEARING THAT DAY. I LOVED THE SMELL OF THE NEW NOTEBOOKS, ERASERS & OF COURSE THERE WAS THE ELMER'S GLUE.THERE WAS THAT STUPID RUBBERBAND THINGAMAJIG. THAT HELD YOUR BOOKS TOGETHER, TIGHTLY WITH A CLIP. BUT SNAPPED AT A FINGER, IF YOU DIDN'T REMOVE IT CAREFULLY. I KNOW OF MANY FAMILIES, THAT SCHOOL SHOES, AS WELL AS UNIFORMS WERE PASSED DOWN FROM 1 SIBLING TO ANOTHER. BUT WE ALL HAD CLEAN FACES,HAIRCUTS AND HAIR RIBBONS ON THE 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL. THERE WAS NO COMPETITION WITH SNEAKERS. WE WERE JUST HAPPY TO HAVE A NEW PAIR. WELL ENOUGH OF MY CHATTERING. HOPE SOME OF YOU WILL ALSO SHARE A STORY OR 2 OF "SCHOOLYEARS PAST".

[regina buckley emilio]

maria elena, dont' get me started on sneakers. we bought our white sneakers, walked outside stepped on our feet not to make them look knew becuse then they would be stepped on by our friends.
my kids would walk into a store walls full of sneakers, look for 5 seconds and say i don't see anything that i like. give me a break. thanks god they go shopping for their own clothes now. i hated to go sneaker shopping with them. easier times. enjoy the rest of your summer. regina

[marie-elena (ferracano) r]

Dearest Regina,
Don't know how old your kids are. But mine have debit cards or gift cards. My boys are now 16 & 20.
So I haven't been thrilled with shopping with them in years. but I have to admit. I walk into some of the sneaker stores & walk out emptyhanded. It's very overwhelming for me. We wore skippys.
My 16 yr old, has been shopping for himself for 2 years. He & his friends, will even get on the bus to get to the Galleria. this year, Both worked hard all summer. So they are buying their own clothes. I may not like some of their choices. But neither did my mom. When I was old enough to buy my own clothes. I purchased overalls at 16. My mom asked me if I was going to go work on a farm. Or my carpenter pants. which I loved so much. How I loved Lerner's, in Parkchester, when I was a teen with a part-time job. Since I worked on Fordham rd. I shopped there all the time. But these kids make me laugh. Because they think they are so original. my only complain now is: the pants below the waist. i don't need to see underwear! I have to fold them, every week. After doing laundry. HAPPY SHOPPING TO ALL!!!!