Monday, April 21, 2008

My sister, the left-winger















A few days ago when I introduced a bunch of people in my life, I forgot to introduce my sister Katie (above left, with author). She lives in East Aurora and is a left-wing liberal. I live in the City of Buffalo and am a right-wing Republican. Naturally we are best friends. I mean, we slept in the same bed -- that bed you see in the picture -- till we were 14. That was back when kids didn't have their own separate suites the way they do now.

Anyway, I can write freely about my relationship with Katie because she will never see what I write. "I've got this new blog," I told her. But when I tried to give her the address she put her hands over her ears. "Everyone's trying to get me to read someone's blog!" she yelled. "Margie called up and told me to read one of her friends' blogs. I told her no." Margie is our other sister. She lives on a cul-de-sac in New Jersey and is a whole other story.

So, about Katie. There are topics we have to avoid. Global warming is one. Wal-mart. I don't tend to shop there but I back its right to exist. Urban concerns, like our church closings. When I got mad about the diocese closing my church, Gerard's, she said, "Well, our church (in East Aurora) sends money to a church in Haiti and that's more important, so Buffalo's East Side can go to hell." OK, she didn't put the part about the East Side exactly in those words. But that is how I heard it. Oh, and I prefer not to talk about East Aurora. East Aurora gets on my nerves, I'm not sure why. And I think my sister prefers not to talk about Leonard Pennario. I tend to talk too much about Leonard Pennario because he is on my mind all the time with this book I am writing. I think that's why my husband bought me this blog.

The good news is sometimes I am amazed by how much Katie and I agree on. We hate kids having I-Pods and having their own separate suites. And we think Williamsville was crazy to make its Main Street into a five-lane superhighway. We have long discussions on how to keep trashy music at bay. We deplore how our mom has been known to recycle coffee grounds.

Perhaps when the presidential election gets even uglier than it is now all the candidates could be made to sit down and confer on subjects like that.

Maybe we could also ask them what they think about Leonard Pennario.

Why didn't someone warn me that writing a book would give me a one-track mind?

6 comments:

george honduras said...

unbelievable openness. what a family! enjoyed the mention of your writings on "BlogAbout" Congratulations on that plug.

Pauldub said...

Excellent picture. The look on the face is worth a thousand words!
Oh yeah, welcome to the ozone, glad to have you out here with us

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary,
Im enjoying your blog! I drive by St Gerards everyday and it makes me sick..The price tag is 350k and I cant help but wonder who will ever buy it.. We can hope someone with great imagination and spirit( and deep pockets) will fall in love with it and want to reuse it somehow.. We can dream... Hope to see you & Howard soon,
Your Friend,
Michele Johnson

Anonymous said...

Just another damned left-wing liberal chiming in. Welcome to the blogosphere, Mary!

I may have atheist leanings, but (surprise!) I am also enraged about the church closings.

Even _I_ know that abandoning the most spectacular buildings and the neediest neighborhoods and retreating to the well-off 'burbs is not what Jesus would have done.

Grrrrr, don't get me started...!

Maggie Mills said...

(uh-oh. Matthew--- Emily--- hide your iPods when you're around Aunt Mary or Aunt Katie!!!)

Maggie Mills said...

(p.s. In my defense, I don't let the children walk around town with the white iPod wires hanging out of their ears, obliterating any chance of conversations with me or the rest of the world. We have some rules about when they can and can't be used.)