Thursdays and Saturday

[Tom Merrick]

Here is some history. Did all of you know what a social person grandmom was? As I recall there was a must attend dinner every Thursday and Saturday. Thursdays were family dinners and Saturdays were family dinners featuring the best slow cooked in the oven roast beef and mashed potatoes. I recall the adults sitting in the living room having a hi ball. Grandmom and her daughters would be up and down checking the beef. During the summer grandpop would get fresh jersey corn and we kids would watch him eat the corn without teeth. Grandmom would say he had strong gums. Of course all of us remember the holidays, New Years in particular. I recall one year (do not remember the year) when we all went through following grandmom up the street banging on pots and pans, at midnight as you might guess everyone who was young Larry and Eddie in particular would get to the house and all would mummers strut up the street with uncle larry stereo, or maybe mono in those days with the front windows open and as you know the anthem was o dem golden slippers. blaring out the windows for all the neighbors to give a hug and a kiss and welcome in the new year. One year after 12 when everyone came in a fully dressed mummer danced into the house with all of us. we all thought it was uncles dan,larry or eddy. The joke was in was not any of them. it was some fellow who was going to the parade, so and heard the comotion and followed us in. to this day i do not think anyone knew who it was. Grandmoms response was , why did we not give him a hi-ball. As we always did Marilyn, Linda and I went upstairs to her TV room and watched the ball drop. On those special days as i recall all the single uncles introduced most of your mothers to the Casey group.. Grandmom welcomed all into her home withopen arms. She was the best you know!

[Joyce Day Meuse]

Great memories, Tommy. I absolutely know she was the best. Grandmom's spirit was so full of life, so joyous. And she loved us all so much and we sure felt it. She touched so many lives. She seemed to joyfully serve her family so well. It was, "our Dan, our Bill, our Honey..." How nice to be so included in the family. And she seemed to adore her grandchildren. And there were so many of us to adore. The babies just kept coming all those years.
I envy you the Thursday and Saturday family dinners. I missed so much growing up in Maryland. New Year's Eve at midnight was the highlight for me. Grandmom and everyone dancing on the front stoop. That's my memory. And everyone kissing each other at midnight. Darn it, I don't remember the real mummer either. The record player in the window playing the Golden Slipper Strut, grandmom dancing with everyone. From the photos it looks like there were some dynamite conga lines. Remember how dressed up everyone was? All the fur coats. The men in suits. It seemed so luxurious to be a grownup.
We are so lucky to have these memories. Grandmom was such a good role model for living a good life. She certainly enjoyed entertaining. And cooking those fabulous meals. What a chef! Imagine any of us these days cooking for so many people regularly. Her willingness to feed everyone seems amazing to me.
Yet, last summer talking to Aunt Josephine, I recalled Grandmom as social and outgoing, Josephine disagreed. She said that Grandpop was more outgoing and involved with people outside of the house. Josephine saw Grandpop as the outgoing one and Grandmom as a homebody. It shocked me. It was so different than how I thought of her.

[Brian Casey]

I guess there were so many people in the immediate family, it just seemed like she was so outgoing, but really she was just socializing with her children and grandchildren? I don't know.

I remember a few thanksgivings at the magee street house. The 'table' went all the way from the front of the house to the kitchen! Of course it was several tables and the infamous 'kids table'. Also, I can only imagine what it was like for my mom (an only child) to be at her first Casey new year's eve party! She must have thought they were nuts! I'd love to hear her impressions of the first time she was down there for that!.

Hey Tom, the title of this thread reminded me of Suite Judy Blue Eyes from Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young:

Will you come see me Thursdays and Saturdays?
What have you got to lose?

[Maureen Day Campbell]

What a great story Tommy. I remember the pots and pans and mummers strut and of course our family anthem "Golden Slippers". And you are right............Grandmom was the best. She was so sweet and such a good person. Everyone loved her until the end............. Her demenor never changed.............and she loved all her children and grandchildren so much.....................