Where could you find us Tuesday morning? Shopping naturally, but this time Mrs. Molittieri came with us. It was a daily routine to go to The Avenue. We even stopped for lunch at the Avenue restaurant. Some girls from New York, who are members of the club, were in town so I talked to them on the phone while they were at Pops. Pat and I had the rest of the day to ourselves. We talked about the club and I was happy to hear that Pat is so very much interested and proud of the club. Patty said, "Am I a member?," so kidding around I answered, "You are if you give me a quarter." You could have knocked me over with a feather when Pat said I should come visit her in California--that would be the living end! The picture to left is a membership card for the Pat Molittieri National Fan Club and this is courtesy Don Gillis.

That evening the two of us decided to go to the show. At first we wre going to see "Operation Petticoat" again, but finally decided to see two scary pictures at The Benn Theatre. link to THE BENN THEATER One of the pictures was "Tean-age Zombie", but I can't remember the other one because I nearly fell asleep. Pat said, "Don't you dare go to sleep on me here because I m not going to sit through this again while you sleep! You sleep here in the show and not at home." As soon as we walked out of the show I was awake. We walked in to the Avenue restaurant to call Mrs. Molittieri to come pick us up, but the line was busy. We waited until closing time and then transferred to another restaurant. Naturally you must eat each time you go into a place. In the second place we must have tried to call Mrs. Molittieri at least a dozen times but the line was still busy. It was too far to walk home and we just made the bus. We walked into the house saying we had been calling for over an hour and there was Mrs. Molittieri talking to Frank Brancaccio on the phone. Picture to right shows Mrs. Molittieri being kissed by daughter Pat. Photo courtesy Marsha's vinage magazine collection.

I kind of wonder if every morning around two o'clock the neighbors didn't wake up thinking there might be an earthquake. They need not have worried--it was only Pat doing her daily hour of exercises before retiring. I got tired just watching. All Wednesday morning was spent at Don and Bob's where Pat and I had our hair washed and set. We sat side by side under the dryers and passed notes. Then there was a rush to get home and dressed for a luncheon Pat was giving for some of her girlfriends from school. There were Justine, Carole Moore, Judy Molinari, Sheila McMurry, Carol Valentes, Nancy Hammell, Loretta and Kathy Caruso. Pat really enjoyed talking over all the good times they had together at John Bartram.Picture at left is Pat and friends in front of John Bartram High--courtesy Marsha's vintage magazine collection (a TEEN MAGAZINE from the late 50s).

Around six, Billy Cook drove up in his father's Cadillac and took Pat and me out for a Chinese dinner. Coming home Bill stopped in the middle of a one-way street to run into the drugstore for a minute. Of course a car came and Pat drove away. Imagine poor Bill coming out to find us gone! We drove around the block and picked him up. We got home in time for a double party--ours and the parents' The house was really shaking that night! There were Mr. & Mrs. Molittieri, my mother, Mrs. Brancaccio, Mrs. Harden, Mr & Mrs. Leonard, Mr. & Mrs. Carrelli and Mr. & Mrs. DiPietro. Add to it Bob and Arlene DiPietro, Justine and her date, Peg, Bonnie, the two Frankies, Pat and me.Picture to the right shows some of the party guests that night--courtesy Don Gills Scrapbook. They have a screened-in front porch and not more than two couples at a time can dance out there. Bill and Bob both have cars so we went for a ride. We wound up at Billy's home in Lester, PA, and then everyone had to pile into one car to come home. Most of them walked up to get some ice cream so Bob, Arlene, Frankie L. and I sat in the front seat of the DiPietro car. After everyone came back we got together in the Molittieri kitchen. In the wee hours of the morning everyone went home.

Thursday morning Pat and I drove to Justine's house and invited her to come with us for a ride. We drove to Bill's house to find him waxing the car. Picture to left I bet is of Pat picking up Justine for the ride (Jane maybe in the back seat?)...courtesy Justine Carrelli. Billy should have known better than to have let the two girls help him. The usual clowning around began but ended in an unusual way with Billy thoroughy waxed, a dance or two and Pat's almost becoming the late afternoon snack of Bill's dog. This occurred when Billy picked Pat up in the air and nearly dropped her into the pen of the big black dog! We decided it would be best to leave and let Bill clean up the mess. Easter was drawing near so we went in search of some flowers for her aunt. Pat's always playing a joke and she wanted to buy something for my mother. You should have seen my mom's face when she opened up her present to find a small pail and shovel set filled with candy like an Easter basket. It was put to good use since now my mom has a plant in it. After leaving Meil's house we dropped Justine off and had to hurry home to pick up Bunny, and then Carol, one of the girls coming to the pajama party that evening. The four of us ate supper at the Hot Shop and I was a human garbage can. I only ordered a Mighty Mo but Pat started to feed me some of hers, and soon I had spoons coming at me from all directions. I found a website that spoke of the "Mighty Mo" and here are a couple of the posts: (1) "I remember a chain in and around Philly called the Hot Shoppe, I recall a car hop bringing me a burger called the Mighty Mo, a side of onion rings and an Orange Freeze. This would have been in the 50's " (2)"Hot Shoppes were owned by Marriott. They were located on North Broad Street at Stenton Avenue and Hunting Park Avenue in Philly, Old York Road in Jenkintown and Market Street in Upper Darby. Many more were located in Washington, D.C. area and along the East Coast. I remember the car hop service. The "Mighty Mo" was the model for the "Big Mac." Marsha's comment: NOW WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THE MODEL FOR THE BIG MAC, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THE COMMENTS WERE INTERESTING AND PEOPLE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE "MIGHTY MO" SANDWICH that Jane ordered that day when the gals went to the Hot Shop (apparently actually spelled Hot Shoppe). It's fun researching the info from these old fan club letters and for those who lived in Philly, I imagine it's a real trip down memory lane.

All the girls that had been to the luncheon the day before were at the pajama party. It was some party! Bill and Frank Brancaccio got the notion to crash it. However, we found out about it and when they came they discovered none of us in pajamas like they had expected. Someone was always eating, drinking pop, or telling jokes and it was not until around three that we decided to settle down. We all lay down in a row on the floor, but when you share blankets someone always manages to lose the covers. Naturally I said, "Pat, I can't sleep," and came the reply, "Jane, Im going to wrap that pillow around your neck!" A few minutes went by and Pat sat up and said, "Now I can't sleep!" Where are the pretzels?" I guess we did get three hours of sleep but by nine o'clock Friday morning we were all sitting around the table eating breakfast. After everything got back to normal, Pat and her family went out to the cemetery to decorate her grandmother's grave. My mom straightened up the house while Bunny and I played the radio and danced. We called and got Frankie Branccio out of bed, and as soon as we hung up Bill walked in. I saw he had the truck outside, so I asked to go for a ride. The picture to right is Bill in the truck that his dad had for their business and I am sure this was the truck that Bill drove this day in the story. He took Bunny and me over to Peggy Leonard's house for a while. Coming back, Peg, Bunny and I rode in the back of the truck. Besides holding on for dear life, we had to dodge the power lawn mower that kept rolling around. As for Bill, it seemed as if he was turning every corner and making lots of stops just to shake us up. That was a ride to remember! Everyone worked in the yard taking down a fence; Bill cut the grass while I took pictures. Justine came over in her boyfriend's pink convertible with her sister and took us three girls for a ride all afternoon. When we got home Bill was in the kitchen helping to cook supper. The way he was fixing potatoes you would think he was making them for an army. Frankie Brancaccio asked us over to his house for the evening. Saturday was the day I dreaded to have come because it would be my last day at Pat's house. To make things worse, it would be my last Easter vacation with them. However, there was no sense to waste such a beautiful day but to make the best of it. GO TO CHAPTER C