A Less Than Perfect Life

By Isabelle Olivia De Luca

My book is an autobiography, which describes my recollection of events and experiences I have encountered throughout my life, from the time I could recall them as a child up to the present time. Some experiences were good, and unfortunately some were bad. It tells about my immediate family, my relatives, all the friends that I have met throughout my life, in all the areas I have lived, as well as at all the places I have worked. Last, but not least, I talk about all the pets I have had from the time I was young, up until the current time. It explains all the bad luck, obstacle courses, trials and tribulations and hardships I endured, and how I was able to overcome them. I sincerely hope that you find my book interesting, as well as enjoyable!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781796085082

Isabelle Olivia De Luca

My name is Isabelle Olivia De Luca. I was born in September of 1948 to parents of Italian-American descent. I am currently enjoying retirement from government service since 2009. I have one grown son, who is still single, and resides in Long Island. I do hope that he finds his soulmate while I am still “a resident of the planet earth”! (LOL!) I have one younger sibling who is also single, and lives in Queens. I currently share my apartment in Upstate New York with my two female Chihuahuas. (As you can tell, I gave my pet my sister’s middle name.) I graduated from high school in 1967. If I had a chance “to do it all over again”, I would have attended college. I have taken some computer courses in the past, as well as some job-related classes. I consider myself to be a very generous person, with a good heart. My motto is “if I have it, it is yours”! Unfortunately, some tend to confuse kindness with foolishness, and have taken advantage of my “good nature”! I love and respect all animals, and cannot fathom animal abuse of any kind! This is my first book, and as you can tell, I was not lying when I mention “I did everything late in my life”!

Book preview

Copyright © 2020 by ISABELLE OLIVIA DE LUCA.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 01/25/2020

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Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1     Beware World, Here I Come! – From Birth To Six Years Of Age

Chapter 2     Age Six To Eleven – A New Life In South Haven Park

Chapter 3     The Birth Of My Little Sister

Chapter 4     Our Move To 31st Street In Queens

Chapter 5     Our Move To 25th Street In Queens

Chapter 6     My Engagement And Marriage To Joey

Chapter 7     The Birth Of Our Son

Chapter 8     The Tied Knot Becomes Untied – Back To 25th Street Once Again!

Chapter 9     My Move To 20th Street

Chapter 10   Our Move To 98th Avenue

Chapter 11   My Trials And Tribulations As A Home Owner

Chapter 12   Our Move To Pike Road

Chapter 13   A Brief Time On Ocean Drive

Chapter 14   Our Move To Sea View Road

Chapter 15   The First Time I Ever Lived In Brooklyn

Chapter 16   My Move To Upstate New York

Epilogue

Dedicated to the memory of my parents,

My family and my friends

All of the names have been changed

To protect the innocent.

PROLOGUE

I ’ve often said that if I wrote a book, it would be a best seller. Well, I have decided to write that book, and can only hope that it is! I have decided to write this autobiography, not because there is anything special about me, or that I have accomplished anything spectacular, but because I feel that a lot of circumstances and situations that have happened to me were totally ludicrous and worth writing! I’ve always felt that I could have accomplished much more than I have. After all, I have had a good education while in grammar and high schools. It’s a shame that I never went to college. My parents couldn’t afford it, and I was not fortunate enough to get a scholarship. And after attending school for 13 years (I was left back in grammar school and had to repeat the fourth grade), I couldn’t wait until I graduated and became part of the work force! Also, at that time, my father felt that it was a waste of time for a woman to attend college, because she usually ended up getting married, having children, and staying home and taking care of her family. (Back in the 60’s, that’s how most dads felt!) I always received good to excellent grades in the sciences, and should have ended up either being a doctor, or some type of scientist. I’ve also made many bad decisions throughout the years, and unfortunately am still paying for some of them now! Of course, all my intentions started out good, but Murphy’s Law made sure that none of them turned out good! And if I had the chance to go back in time and do it all over again, there are many things I would have done different!

This book is about my entire life, or as I jokingly say lack of, and of which many of my family and friends disagree! I have been told to count my blessings, that it could be much worse! I do agree to a certain extent, because I do have a roof over my head, even though it is not mine and I’m paying rent to live here, but it’s a place to call home never the less! I do have plenty of clothing in my closets. In fact, I have more than I actually get to wear! I have more than enough food to eat, and certainly do not look malnourished! LOL! I have more than enough jewelry, shoes, handbags, and have purchased and acquired enough nick knacks and artifacts throughout the years that could choke a horse (but I wouldn’t, of course!) Last, but by no means least, I am thankful for my two beautiful pets, Hope Arabella and Daisy Mae, and all of my past beloved pets that have since passed, that I love and cherish, and will do so until the day they take their last breath, or I, whichever comes first! I’ve often said that if it wasn’t for my pets, I don’t know if I could have made it all these years! They helped get me through the most difficult challenges! Anyone who would pay me a visit (unfortunately, these days I don’t get much of them!) would say that it doesn’t look like I would want for anything! The truth is that I would very much love to own my own place (at this stage in my life, a condo), a small car (it doesn’t have to be a Mercedes Benz!), and what would make me very happy is if I had enough money to pay off all my debts, buy that condo and car, and help my family, friends and charity! To that I say In my dreams! I have entered so many sweepstakes, and have never won any money other than a ten-dollar bill! I have been retired since 2009, and would love to get part-time work at home, something that doesn’t make me a slave to the clock! All I seem to find are pure scams! Being retired and existing on a limited budget can be difficult, resulting in myself not having enough funds left over, after paying all my bills, to enjoy a nice vacation! Of course, I can always charge my way, but the only thing I would accomplish is having higher expenses!

I was also deprived of finding a loving partner or better half to share all of life’s ups and downs since my husband and I split in 1980, even though I’ve tried so many times over the years to meet someone! It’s almost as if someone or something put a curse on me to prevent me from finding my soulmate! I have had some relationships that never amounted to anything! Besides all of the above, I could also use a little help from Lady Luck! Over the years, I have become very familiar with Murphy’s Law! More detail to follow in my later chapters.

For as long as I can recall, I always had a good heart and was very generous with my family and friends. I never made enough money to be able to buy them very expensive things, but I did the best I could with the funds I had available! One very big mistake I made was not saving any money to build up that nest egg for the future! Over the years, I was taken advantage of by some family, friends, and at work too! Unfortunately, some mistake kindness for foolishness, and I’ve often wondered if I had the word fool invisibly stamped on my forehead for all to see! For Christmas, I used to buy all my family and friends at least three presents a piece. And I recall buying clothing and shoes for a past boyfriend who never gave a hoot how he dressed or how he presented himself! It was either that, or be embarrassed from how he looked! More to follow later on.

Before I go ahead with my life story, I thought that I should tell you a little bit about my family background. I come from a very small family. Over the years, my small family has gotten even smaller! I have a grown son, Stephen Michael, who is an only child. Stephen turned 43 years old this past November. My father’s name was Michael Paul Moretti. He was born and grew up in the East New York section of Brooklyn. My dad had one brother, Joseph John Moretti. Unfortunately, I never got the pleasure of meeting my father and uncle’s parents, because they both died when they were still young! My mother’s name was Olivia Marie Moretti (nee: Mancini). Her parents were Joseph and Olivia Mancini, who were born in Italy. They came to the United States years later (do not know exactly when), and ended up residing in Chicago, Illinois. My grandmother gave birth to my mother’s older brother, Joseph Louis, and my mom, Olivia Marie when they still lived in Illinois. Years later, they moved to New York. I think the reason why they decided on New York was because of a job opportunity for my grandfather. In those days, with the Depression and all, work was very hard to find! Let me add that my Uncle Joseph (Joe) never got married, and I don’t recall him ever having any girlfriends, with the exception of one, who he met years later when he lived in North Carolina. (I will explain further later on.)

I remember my mother telling me (and this story would probably make a very good soap opera!) that she first dated my father’s brother, my Uncle Joseph (also Joe). I was stunned when she told me that! At the time, Joseph John Moretti introduced Olivia Mancini to his brother, Michael Paul Moretti. After they met, they ended up seeing each other, and getting married a year or two later! I’ve often wondered how it would have turned out if my mother had married my Uncle Joe instead of my dad! If that had happened, I doubt it if my sister or I would be here! And I wouldn’t be writing this autobiography! LOL! Joseph Moretti ended up meeting my Aunt Bella. My Aunt Bella had a brother and sister, Will and Susan. Will and his wife Rosalie had one son, who I recall having a crush on when I was younger. Will and Susan had passed away at different times many years ago. Susan never married and had no children. I remember Aunt Bella’s father, but had forgotten his name over the years.

My Aunt Bella and Uncle Joe had a son, Paul, and a daughter, Tiffany, who are the only first cousins my sister and I have. Unfortunately, when my cousin Paul was 55, he died from cirrhosis of the liver. He enjoyed his beers a little too much! From the time Paul was young, my Aunt Bella always said that Paul was always in trouble! He was nowhere near a criminal! Paul just had this habit of driving while under the influence, and he was arrested a few times because of that! He also had issues with holding down a job because he didn’t like taking orders! Other than that, he had a great sense of humor and always made me laugh! He used to call me from time to time. In one of our conversations, he mentioned that he and his ex-wife Renee, who I met back in 1984 when I visited them in Florida, were married, and they had two children. I didn’t know that they were married! So, I have two second cousins somewhere in the world who I don’t even know! I would love to look them up one day. My cousin Tiffany was very spoiled when she was young. Even when she constantly teased Paul, and he got angry with Tiffany for doing so, Paul always got the brunt of it! Fortunately, when Tiffany got older, she outgrew her immaturity, married her husband Thomas, and gave birth to three sons. At the present time, Tiffany and Thomas’s sons are all married with children of their own. It’s been a very long time since I saw Tiffany. The last time we spoke on the phone was when I first moved to Upstate New York. She mentioned that my Aunt Bella, who is now 90 years old, had the beginnings of dementia, and was in a nursing home. My mother gave birth to me in September of 1948, and eight years and four months later to my sister in January of 1957. Well, that’s about it as far as my family background. There aren’t any more grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, and uncles to tell about! My father did have about seven first cousins, which I will provide more detail later on. My mother had a few distant cousins, but no others as far as I know, except for Tessa (Tess for short). Tess and her husband, John, had three children, John, Salvatore and Faith. They are all married and have children of their own. Faith was very mischievous when she was very young, and always got into trouble! I recall one time when we were waiting for a bus on Lefrack Boulevard, Faith pulled a button off a new coat my mom had just bought me, and my mom was not very pleased! I recall sleeping over their house one time. Faith and I slept in her room. I recall us acting silly and telling ghost stories, and Faith wetting the bed because she laughed so hard! Tessa (Aunt Tessa to me) came into the room afterwards and yelled at us both! For dinner one night, Aunt Tessa made leftover meatballs, which were so good, I just had to have more! John is now a retired professor, Salvatore turned out to be a genius and is (or was) a physicist in Indiana, and the last I know, Faith was a teacher. She and her husband, Howard, have three grown girls and reside in New Jersey. By the way, Aunt Tessa was my Godmother when I was baptized, and Uncle Joe (my father’s brother) was my Godfather.

Unfortunately, practically everyone is gone! My mother passed away from complications arising from breast cancer in 1989. My dad passed away in 1997 from a weak heart. My Uncle Joe died years before my dad from heart problems too. My grandparents and my mother’s brother (also Uncle Joe) are also deceased. And Aunt Tessa passed away a little over a year ago. She was 90, or going on 90, when she died! My father’s first cousin, Luna, who I hadn’t mentioned so far, had seven siblings, and is the only remaining sibling. At present, Luna has dementia and cannot walk. As a result, she is confined to a wheelchair and is in a nursing home. Her only daughter, Anna, who is my third cousin, visits her mom virtually every single day. Luna celebrated her 92nd birthday this past November.

Let me add that since I do not own a car, it is very difficult for me to visit cousins, and even some friends, who live out of New York! Since I’m retired and have been on a fixed income for eleven years now, I cannot afford plane, train and bus fares to see all those who I haven’t seen, or met, who live far from me. If, by some miracle, I ever end up with a substantial amount of money, I would love to see all my distant cousins and friends!

What follows is the story of my life and the experiences I can remember, from birth to the present.

CHAPTER ONE

BEWARE WORLD, HERE I COME! –

FROM BIRTH TO SIX YEARS OF AGE

W hen my mother first became pregnant with me, I recall her telling her friends years later, that she went to a doctor, and after he examined her, he informed my mother that she had a tumor. He had prescribed pills for her to take, I guess to kill or shrink the tumor! (I have no idea who this doctor was, but he sounded like a quack who obtained his medical license from a Cracker Jacks box!) My mother changed her mind about taking the pills, and threw them away instead. Thank God for that, because the tumor turned out to be me! Can you imagine that?!

I was born in September of 1948; do not recall exactly what time, but I do know it was some time in the morning hours, in St. Joseph’s Hospital located in Brooklyn. I weighed in at 7 pounds, 3 ounces. I have no idea why my parents chose a hospital in Brooklyn, since they lived in Queens. I’m sure they could have picked a hospital much closer in Queens. So, why a hospital in Brooklyn! Perhaps, the hospitals in Queens did not take my father’s health insurance! They named me Isabelle Olivia, after my dad’s mother, Isabella, and my mother, Olivia. Much to my parents’ surprise, as a baby I had auburn curly hair and blue eyes. Both of my parents had dark brown hair and brown eyes. For all anyone knew, I could have been the milkman’s baby! Being of Italian descent, no one else in my family, as far as I know, had that colored hair and eyes! Unfortunately, my hair and eyes turned brown as I outgrew infancy.

I was around two-months old, when my parents had me christened (baptized). I don’t recall what church. My parents chose My Uncle Joe (my dad’ brother) and Aunt Tessa as my Godparents. Don’t quote me, but I think my parents had the christening party at our cold-water flat apartment. All of their relatives and friends were there.

My parents were certainly not rich, in fact, far from it! They rented a cold-water flat apartment on 219th Street in Queens. There was a cemetery nearby, which could be seen from the kitchen window in the back of our apartment. I recall my mother saying that after World War II, she could see soldiers being buried there through that same kitchen window. In this day and age, I doubt it very much if anyone even heard of a cold-water flat apartment! Believe it or not this type of apartment has no heat or running hot water! Hence its name! I doubt it if these apartments exist today, with the exception of slumlord apartments. I recall the apartment being on the second floor of a semi-attached two-story building. It had an eat-in kitchen, living room and one bedroom, where my parents slept with my crib next to their bed. The bathroom, which was off the kitchen, had only a toilet. I guess it wouldn’t have made any sense to have a sink and bathtub, since there was no running hot water! When it was time to wash up, my mother filled a big pot with water and heated it up on the gas stove, and washed up by the kitchen sink! I recall my mother telling her friends that I used to cry a lot when I was a baby. Gee, I wonder why! Could it have been from the extreme cold in the apartment in the winter from no heat? My mother used to say the apartment was so cold that I had ice cycles coming down my face from my eyes in the morning while I was laying in my crib! So, she wondered why I cried so much! I could have given that question a very logical answer: I was uncomfortable from the extreme cold, and no one is going to tell me that having ice cycles on my face didn’t help! I probably slept in a one-piece snow suit! I guess that was the best my poor parents could do with the limited salary my dad made at the post office at that time! And my mother was a stay-at-home mom who cooked, cleaned, did laundry, went grocery shopping and took care of me. I honestly don’t know how they lived under these conditions! I guess they could not afford to pay rent to live in an apartment with heat and running hot water! They did the best they could with the money they had at the time! Even though the cost of living in those days was very low, so were the salaries! I don’t even know how much rent they paid at that time. It could have been around $15 a month, but $15 was a lot of money in those days!

There isn’t anything I recall as an infant! There are some events that I do remember as I got a little older. When I was around three years old, I recall my mom dressing me up in frilly sun suits and taking photos of me outside with my eyes squinting from the sun. My parents had a photo album with pictures of me in those sun suits. I recall my mother telling family and friends that it took me a long time to learn how to walk. I was about three years old when I took my first steps! (I could not believe that it took me so long to walk!) They took me to many doctors, including specialists, because they thought that there was something medically wrong with my legs. The doctors told my parents that there was nothing wrong with me. I was just lazy, and would walk when I was ready. From then on, I learned how to do everything late! I guess you could say I was a late bloomer! I don’t remember when I started talking, or being toilet trained, but I’m assuming I did those late as well! Several years later, I recall Santa Clause (I still believed in Santa Clause!) bringing me a nice two-wheeler bike with training wheels. I remember my dad trying to show me how to ride it without the training wheels. After so many attempts, he finally gave up! So many years later, I just got on the bike and took off, just like that! I don’t remember how old I was, but I think I was around 11 or 12. I learned how to do everything at my own slow pace! But, once I got the knack of it, there was no stopping me!

I recall my parents making friends with this very nice German older lady named Ursula who lived in the attached building on the second floor. Ursula adored and spoiled me, and used to babysit me at times. I remember spending a lot of time with Aunt Ursula, and enjoyed all the snacks and toys she gave me! I was always a very stubborn and hard-headed child who never listened and wanted her own way! My parents always told me I never listened and had a mind of my own! I remember this one particular morning right after waking up. I wanted to visit Aunt Ursula, and was in such a hurry to get there that I didn’t take the time to visit the bathroom before I climbed down the stairs from my apartment to go visit Aunt Ursula next door. I recall my mother telling me to go to the bathroom before I left. I told her that I would go in Aunt Ursula’s bathroom. Well, I ended up having an accident on the stairs! Of course, my mother was very angry with me, because she not only had to clean me up and change my clothes, but clean the stairs as well!

When I was about three, I had to have my tonsils removed. At that time, our tonsils were taken out at a young age even when they didn’t give us any trouble. (I recall my sister always getting sore throats and tonsillitis, but the doctors never removed her tonsils!) I remember having this ball which was my favorite out of all the toys I had. That ball went everywhere with me! I remember the doctors letting me hold onto the ball before I fell asleep from the anesthesia! I even remember seeing a photo of me holding that very same ball! I wouldn’t let the photographer take the picture if I couldn’t hold the ball! One time I had gotten this train set, either for my birthday or Christmas. I did something wrong (don’t recall what it was), and as punishment my dad took the train away from me.

From as early as I can remember, I always had a good imagination. In the middle of the block that I lived on was this empty lot with lots of rocks and weeds that went downhill through to the next block on 30th Street. That was my favorite place to play! I used to love to collect rocks and pick these tall weeds which grew in the lot! I found a rock that I carried around like it was a pet or toy. Like the ball that I didn’t want to part with! And everywhere I went, I had to pick these tall weeds. I have no idea what they are called, but recall they had these fuzzy long, green-colored tops. I just loved these weeds and had to have them every time I saw them! My imagination took me to a faraway paradise with all the rocks and weeds I could collect! As a young child, I remember getting a lot of nosebleeds, some of which were so severe that my parents had to take me to the doctor to get my nose cauterized! I recall one time playing with another child around my age in the lot. For reasons of which I have no idea, the child punched me in the nose, resulting in such a severe nose bleed, that my parents had to make a trip to the doctor to have my nose cauterized! I remember getting so frightened and upset when my nose bled, and crying for a long time even after it stopped! The doctors had no idea why I got so many nosebleeds! Thank God I ended up outgrowing them!

One night I recall my mother visiting a neighbor on the block. I vaguely remember having to go through these many alley ways and maze-like walls as a shortcut to walk to this neighbor’s house. My vivid imagination took me on a special journey every time I accompanied my mother to this neighbor’s house! Another time my mother visited another friend in the area whose apartment was located on the top floor of the building. I recall that I was very scared to climb up the very steep and turning staircase that led to her apartment. I finally made it after my mother coaxed me into climbing those stairs! I’m sure that my mother was very happy, otherwise she would have had to pick me up and hold me while climbing those stairs herself. And I don’t think she would have been able to do that since I was a little on the chunky side! I don’t recall how I got down those stairs after our visit! I guess that I had no choice but to walk down myself!

From a very young age, I recall having this very weird phobia to cobwebs and spiderwebs. A single strand does not bother me, but I’m terrified of spiderwebs, or those thick white cobwebs which have this tendency of collecting in a corner! They literally make the hair on my arms stand up! I might have been about five or six at the time. I was playing in the backyard when I came across a cobweb that was in the middle of the passage way I had to go through to walk to the back of the house. I was so scared of that cobweb that I could not go through! I remember crying and crying until I was rescued by my mother.

Another time, and for years after and even now, I don’t recall if it was a dream or if it really happened! I was with my Uncle Joe (my mother’s brother). I remember him picking me up and taking me through this long and barely lit underground tunnel. I was frightened as hell because I had no idea where he was taking me! We ended up in this room with a table, which I was placed on. Believe it or not, I don’t recall what happened after that. The only thing I do recall is my uncle talking to someone else in the room, and me being examined by someone (perhaps a doctor?). This had to be a dream because I don’t recall going to any doctor’s offices where you had to walk through a long tunnel to get to! And, no, my uncle was certainly no pedafile!

I recall going to kindergarten when I was about five years old. There aren’t any experiences I recall from the entire year I went there, other than my mother putting me in these beautiful dresses that everyone complimented on! I don’t even recall where the kindergarten was located!

My family and I lived in the cold-water flat apartment on 219th Street until around the time I was six years of age, when my parents and I moved to an apartment in South Haven Park, Queens, New York. My life there begins in Chapter Two.

CHAPTER TWO

AGE SIX TO ELEVEN –

A NEW LIFE IN SOUTH HAVEN PARK

A new chapter and a new start in our lives, and I have so many good, as well as not so good, memories of my life in South Haven Park! Sometime in 1954, we moved from our cold-water flat apartment in Queens to a bigger second-floor apartment in a two-family detached corner house on 125 th Place in South Haven Park. We were not that far from JFK Airport (At that time it was still referred to as Idlewild Airport.) I was six years old then and also recall that there was a candy store at the end of the block. We moved on up like in the sitcom The Jefferson’s, the only differences were, it was not on the East Side in Manhattan, and we were not on the 12 th floor of a large high-rise apartment building! LOL! The new apartment had heat, running hot water and an extra bedroom for me to sleep in all by myself! The landlord’s name was Iris, and she had a big Boxer dog named Lady. Iris also had a grown daughter (don’t recall her name) and was always very nice, cheerful and friendly. She used to come up and visit us from time to time, and Lady came with her. Lady was a very good watch dog and became very protective of my parents and me! At that time our family doctor made house calls. As a child, I recall coming down with frequent ear infections and bouts of bronchitis, and my mother putting a vaporizer in my room to help me breathe. I’ll always remember this one time when I got sick, my mother called the doctor. After examining me, he wanted to give me a Penicillin injection. Since I was petrified of needles, the doctor and my mother ended up chasing me all over the apartment so the doctor could give me the injection! At the time, I recall Lady being upstairs with us. Lady thought the doctor meant to harm me and ended up almost biting him! Years later, I recall my mother telling all her friends what happened! We never had any dogs or cats when we lived there, just birds. We had two Parakeets, and about once a day, my parents would let them out of their cage. One time we were having dinner, one of the birds flew down to my plate and started to peck at my food. After that I refused to eat because I skeeved the bird eating out of my plate! I never had any problems or issues with eating anything my mother cooked! I had a huge appetite for a six-year old. The only other time I wouldn’t eat was when I was sick! I recall always being on the chunky side, and my mother having to take me to the department store’s chubby section to purchase my clothes!

I also started first grade at a Catholic grammar school, which was located in Queens. All the teachers were nuns, who believed in not sparing the rod and spoiling the child! Since we lived in South Haven Park, we were not in the school’s district. I remember my mother saying that she gave the school my grandmother’s address which was in the same district. My grandmother, grandfather and my Uncle Joe lived on 26th Street which wasn’t very far from the school. When I started first grade, I recall the nun complimenting the beautiful dress I was wearing. (Despite the fact that we were pretty much a lower middle-class family, my mother would save up enough money out of the funds my father gave her to buy me nice clothes!) The students were required to wear uniforms, so I was allowed to go to school wearing dresses until my uniforms were ready. The uniforms were navy blue, with white short-sleeved blouses worn underneath. We also had to wear white and navy-blue saddle shoes and white socks to match the uniforms. My parents paid for two uniforms, so I could wear one while the other was being cleaned. I didn’t care much for the uniform, but loved wearing the saddle shoes! My first-grade nun was very nice, and I don’t recall her having to discipline any of us. As the years went by and I graduated from first grade to second grade, to third grade, and so on up to the eighth grade, the nuns were not as nice as in the first grade. They implemented many forms of disciplinary action if we were to get out of line! One form of punishment was to take out a roll of metal keys the nuns carried on their person and bang a classmate over his or her head for speaking to another student in class! In fourth grade I recall getting hit on the butt with a yardstick ruler while trying to solve a math problem at the blackboard, only because I was being too slow in solving it! Other than that, I don’t recall ever being disciplined since I was always a goody-two shoes student who never misbehaved. When I was in the first grade, my dad used to drop me off at school. (When I got older, he dropped me off on Hillshire Avenue, which is about a little over a block away from the school.) Class began at 9:00 a.m. sharp. I was usually dropped off a little earlier and went to the schoolyard, where we played and talked with our school mates. When it was time for class, the nuns had us march