Virginia Tollas (Baird)

I remember that poem and the energy displayed during this holiday. Actually there is a story in our Family when we lived in Medfield and I was very young. We lived close to a cemetery , and one this holiday my neighorhod friend and I went and gathered all the flags and brought them home to show mom what we had found.....needless to say, not everyone  was thrilled at the sight. I think my folks spent  most of the night trying to find and replace these flags on the graves. Today this holiday is more important than flowers and flags, I have a daughter who served in the Navy as a Doctor and traveled the world . I have a Son in law who is a doctor also and spent 1  1/2 years in Afghanistan   covered in our prayers.  Today I celebrate and thank all who have served , the ones who came home and the ones who did not. I married a S.E. Asia veteran. I know the stories and the dreams. Bless us in our Freedoms and for those who have Served.

Virginia Tollas (Baird)

Thanks Kevin. This whole thing brings up memories, some funny( looking at fireworks on 4th of July through tracer glasses) first loves, was I really that ignorant? And how I wish I had understood the meaning if Friendships. Thanks you all for including me I this new memory. And great job , to whomever designed the web page !

Kevin Tracey

Virginia Tollas (Baird)

good one. I have had problems with some of those terms in places like MN...they call it a "sacK, no, its a grocery bag! and it is my pocetbook not a purse, soda is the hardest....it has soo many names all over the country..to me it's Coke or soda water...to everyone else out there it seems to be Pop! and 90% of the country has no idea what a Frappe is. I in defense, I just recently learned what a NY egg creme was!

Howie Appel

Why can't people in other parts of the country speak our language.  I used to live on Mahkingham Road, not Markingham Road (Maitland, Florida).  By the way, here it's prounounced "floorida" not "florida".  Go figure.  I couldn't understand what a "roundabout" was until me and my wife (from Peabody) realized it was a rotary!  By the way, here one of our hotels in the "tourist area" is the "Pea-body", not the "Peabidy".  Finally, we have a city here called Kissimmee.  Locals call it "Kiss-eh-mee".   Everybody here, when they find out I'm from the Boston area, pleads with me to tell them where I "pahk my cah" and I obviously tell them "Hahvid Yahd".  Great write up!!!  Howie  

Carolyn Campbell (Kay)

One of my favorite Boston area signs is on Rt 2 as you approach Fresh Pond from Boston. I haven't seen it in 10 years. I hope it's still there 'cause this is only in Boston.

 It's at the corner of Rt 2 and Huron Ave / Rt 16. It tells the driver if s/he is willing to believe it that they are now on Rt 2, Rt 3A and Rt 16. One is route NORTH bound, one is SOUTH bound and the third is WEST bound. Apparently one shouldn't drive into Boston Harbor or there might be an east bound route as well.

Can someone tell me if my favorite only-in-Boston sign is still there?

David Drake

I enjoyed your post Kevin and the responses it has drawn.  My favorite part was "Route 128 South is I-95 south and it is also I-93 north."  For those who haven't lived here for a while, the signs are particularly tricky when you are driving on Route 24 North which ends at Route 128 (for us old timers).  The sign with an arrow to the left reads Route 93 South/Route 128 North (the road initially goes directly west).  The sign with an arrow to the right reads Route 93 North/Route 128 South (the road goes northeast).  I know lots of people who have made the wrong turn.

I also liked Howie's post regarding pronunciation.  We went to a hotel in Memphis also called the Peabody (Pea-body) Hotel.  On our recent trip to Idaho/Washington/Oregon, several people told us they could tell we weren't from that area.  We were pronouncing Oregon (Orr-a-gone) the wrong way.  They pronounce it as one syllable - Organ.

Thanks to everyone for their posts.  I'm enjoying hearing from everyone.