October 15, 2007 by MoPat.

Comments from Rose (Stachura) Barczak:

I left in 1963 when I was married, moved to Rochester and visited Buffalo often. It was hard to give up the excitement of Buffalo and its great night life. A lot of my family still resides there. We went back often since we weren’t far away. Moved to Atlanta in 2005 and really miss the fresh veggies, fruits, bakeries and butcher shops.

I loved downtown Buffalo when I was in my teens. We will always root for the Bills they’re our team and we love em. Hope to be back soon, but, not during winter.

Posted in Winter | Print | No Comments »

February 11, 2007 by MoPat.

I keep thinking about the freezing cold, windless night I walked from my dad’s house (mom had died a couple of years earlier) to the grocery store five or six blocks away. The trip started in the very small dining room of our very small house on Clark Street in Kenmore. I layered on wool sweaters, wool pants, a jacket, gloves, socks, boots, hat, and scarf, and prepared to venture out the back door. Snow completely covered the back steps, yard, driveway and neighborhood streets. The streetlights glowed, and so did the lights coming from most people’s houses up and down the block. My wallet zipped snug in my pocket, I started walking.

There were no cars on the roads, no people out and about. I was completely alone on the planet, trudging along.

I heard the crunch and belch of my boots on the snow, heard myself suck in air through the scarf and exhale it out again, warm and moist. I felt a thin frozen crust form on my scarf, right over my lips. Soon I had to move the scarf down because the warm air found its way up to my eyeglasses and fogged them up. During the uphill segment of the trip, my breath speeded up and became wheezy sounding. I actually felt hot under all those clothes, despite the single digit temperature.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt safer on a nighttime walk by myself.

Posted in Winter | Print | 3 Comments »

December 31, 2006 by MoPat.

In April, Robert sent me this posting about what he misses. Like many former WNYers, he fondly remembers foods most of all. Yesterday, at a Christmas gathering, I was reminded of the sponge candy my brothers and I ate by the pound whenever we could–someone sent a box to my brother Denny and his wife Toby, and I wolfed down two pieces for breakfast today. Mmm-mmmm!

From Robert Blaney, now of Phoenix, AZ:
 
I was born (1953) and raised in Buffalo.  I went to Mt. St. Joseph’s school on Agassiz Circle, now Medaille College.  My sister, also a Maureen, went to Mt St. Mary’s and then Mt. St Joseph’s for high school.  She lives in Potomac, MD.
 
We grew up on Beard Avenue in North Buffalo and Crosby Blvd in Eggertsville.  My parents moved to Grand Island when I was a freshman in college and I lived on Grand Island until I left Buffalo in 1995.  I have worked in Arizona since 1998 although my wife and I had a home here since 1984.
 
Over the years we have exported Mineo and Sapio Italian sausage, Redlinski’s Polish Sausage, Hoelscher’s Corned Beef, Top’s Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Sahlen Hot Dogs, Chefs Spaghetti Sauce and Clam Sauce.  God, I could go for some of that right now…!!!  Also, we buy pasta fagioli from Santasiero’s, bread and pizza from Balistreri’s and crave Nancy’s Mustard although most Buffalo folk want Weber’s.  Chicken wings are another issue.  I think the best now in Buffalo come from LaNova. 

There is nothing better than a fish fry from Hayes on Delaware Avenue.
 
We have shipped, and carried in the overhead compartments, more Buffalo food than normal adults should probably admit.  Worse, I still go back to my dentist in Buffalo…
 
I always speak well of the community because Buffalo has so many detractors.  We still cheer for the Bills.  However, the only thing I really miss is the food. 

Posted in Winter | Print | No Comments »

December 16, 2006 by MoPat.

In the Phoenix area, people are still walking around jacketless in sleeveless shirts. And it’s just ten days shy of Christmas! Weird. I wonder if it has gotten cold enough in Buffalo to spray water on the back yard and make an ice rink there. What a kick that was–to shovel the snow in the middle of the yard out to the edges, make bunkers all around, stomp the remaining snow flat and packed, spray it with the hose, then wait overnight and hope for not too many lumps or grassy patches. The hot chocolate was free, courtesy of mom.

Posted in Winter | Print | 1 Comment »