Meta Given Biography on EBAY 

Meta Given's Biography

Herstory

Author, Journalist, Editor,

Home Economist, Photographer,

Consultant, Syndicated Columnist,

Teacher, Scientist

Get your copy today with no shipping

Signed by the Author!

Get your Hardcover signed here!

Happy Birthday to Meta Given
January 25, 1888

This is a new biography about Meta Given. 

Written by Danette Mondou.  The author has signed your original limited first edition. Only 25 copies left.  Please send a message if you want more information regarding this item.

Meta Given wrote "Modern Family" (1942) and "Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking" (1947).

She also wrote thousands of newspaper articles.  This book gives details about her life, information about her cookbooks as well as her life and times from 1888 - 1981.

Don't miss this especially important new biography about a woman forgotten in history.  That would be like no one interested in Julia Child today or forgetting about Rachel Ray - we need more people to write about women who made a significant importance in our lives - like Meta Given.  You will learn her middle name, the newspapers she wrote for and so much more information.

Do you know where Meta Given was born, where she lived, or worked?

These are all answered in the book.  Meta Given made a difference to the Greatest Generation who won a war and produced the Baby Boomers.  Without Meta Given's important cookbooks, we would not have been as healthy as we were through the 1940's-1970's.  Think about how healthy we would be if we went back to the basics and how much richer we would be if we listened to Meta Given's wise counsel about the economics of eating healthy.

You can read all about it in this especially important biography.  With only 125 hard copies of this book, you will have an unbelievably valuable book.  There will never be any more hardcovers.  Sure, you can get the paperbacks on Amazon and Kindle. But this is a piece of history.  This book is only one of 125 copies.  There will never be another printing.  When these are gone, they will be gone.  Currently there are only about 25 copies left. Get yours today!  Don't Delay! This is a great Gift for a loved one or even yourself! 

*******Get yours today!*******

*******Don't Delay!*******

*******Makes a great Gift!*******

http://ebay.us/AcXsij?cmpnId=5338273189

 

Meta Given 

Biography

by Danette Bishop Mondou

Here's a little history as to why I wrote a biography.  In 2011, my mother and I were talking about Meta Given.  We were musing about who was she and did she do more than write my mother's favorite Cookbook.

I started this blog - I called it something obscure - because It was more about her cookbook the Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking she wrote and published in 1947 when she was 59 years old. (She is one person who proved that you are never too old and never to late to accomplish your goals.)

I could not find much about her initially.  There were some articles about people asking about her recipes and published articles about her recipes.  There was this great blog by Sandy's Chatter who wrote about Meta Given.  There was speculation on her blog about Meta Given also.  She had a little bit of information - but mostly that which was her own experience and the cookbook. Not much else. Then one of Sandy's fans provided a website about an article that Jane Nickerson wrote in the 1970s which led to a 1980s article.

Note: Jane Nickerson was an early New York Times Food Editor in the 1940s-1950s.  Jane had retired from the New York Times and ended up in Florida.  In the 1970s both Meta Given and Jane were in Florida.  They came together at a contest.

From there Jane decided to interview Meta Given which was great for me, as it confirmed my belief that Meta Given had a full life of various careers and experiences  in her lifetime. 

From this article I was able to learn about Meta Given from Meta Given's own word as relayed by Jane Nickerson.  This article opened up a flood gate of information about Meta Given that I was able to figure out - which allowed me to find information through google books, google newspapers, newspapers.com and so much more.

At first I was only going to do a bio piece in my blog, but my mother was not sure if I could actually publish a public article about Meta Given without permission.

So I did not publish the bio piece I had done.  Instead, by 2013 I decided to write her biography.  Within a year Wikipedia had a short article about Meta Given, that was not out there prior to my research.  I was very worried that someone would beat me to writing her biography - after all there are people scouring the internet for great material. While many people may not think this information is all that interesting - however I believed that the 70 million baby boomers had grown up on cookbook authors just like Meta Given.  There were about 4 million copies of Meta Given's cookbooks and brochures or booklets sold by Meta Given.

July 13, 2013 - I started Researching my book about Meta Given.  The research was slow until I found the Sandy's Chatter blog.  Her articles gave me all kinds of information about her life - the most important thing was the web site that house the article by Jane Nickerson of the 1970s interview.  Meta Given had been interviewed many times over the years - lucky for me. While I was researching Meta Given's life story, I also researched the following subjects:

How to write a biography - good luck finding anything on the internet in 2013

Copyright law - great stuff including a free class at MIT

Copyrights that Meta Given owned - Stanford University did a great project

Meta Given's Transcript from U of Chicago - Thanks for helping me obtain

Newspapers.com - While I have purchased an annual subscription to this newspaper website since 2013 - it has been worth every penny I paid for the subscription.

google books and google newspapers - thank for providing the information you did about Meta Given - including the Peterson Teachers - school documentation

On and on I can go gushing about the internet's assistance in helping me research Meta Given's life story.  Herstory would not have been possible without the use of the internet at the time I was writing this book.  I worked full-time as a Database Administrator for a helicopter company in the Hartford, CT area.  (That's a whole other story.)

I figured I put in about 25 hours a week for 5 years to research, write and rewrite this book.  That's a lot for a part-time job that was not actually going to pay me anything but a project that I fully funded.  Including the payment of website subscriptions. Computers, keyboards, headsets, books that I could not find in libraries and of course books, booklets, etc. that Meta Given had written.  I own about 10 of Meta Given's books, booklets, etc.  

I just sold a copy of Meta Given's Cookbook written in 1947,(PUBLSHED date) with a copy of her biography..  I am trying to off load some of these books, as I don't need them any more.  I have two favorite books with 2 copies of each - the rest I will either give away with a copy of her book or at talks that I will be giving in the future.

When I first started my research of Meta Given on the internet and especially on newspapers.com, there was very little but over time that number increased.  I noticed today that there are about 14,868 article in Newspapers.com.  When I started it was under 9,000. I realize that not all articles are about her - but most are and there are about 500 that are the wrote wording or given or meta (like meta data) then her numbers have still rose over the years.

I was 57 years old when I started this adventure (another case for your are never too old and it is never too late.)   I found myself publishing the book at the age of 62.  I remember when I decided I was publishing in August of 2018.  There seemed to be a race to the end.  I have to say I should have sent the book to the editor again.  I did re-edit the book, but there were still problems - not sure why some things - but I was able to fix the paperback and kindle - the hardcover is what it is - but I look at other books - some very famous with errors - so I feel I am in good company.

If you are thinking of writing a book or blog - my recommendation to you is just do it.

Here are a few hints:

1. Research every day you can

2. keep a journal or write everyday - by the way you can use an app that converts words to text.

3. research should include how to write, how to research, any laws or rules that my have something to do with your subject.

4. I know they tell you do an outline - I just couldn't do that - but I recommend do what works for you

5. Some people write until they reach a designated goal - that writing 10000 words a day or something ridiculous like that.  - for me some days I only wrote about 50 words and other days I wrote 10 or more pages.

6. document and save all your research - try to find some kind of organization that works for you

7. Fiction is different than non-fiction. I found that my non-fiction book kind of wrote itself.  Many times after research, I could write for hours as I recalled what I had researched.

People have to do what works for them regarding writing their own book - but don't be intimidated and never give up. Find someone who will help - by reading your work, to talk about the subject 

One of the things I loved most about the process was learning about new things. New things about Meta Given, copyright law, how to write a biography and the one thing that I learned was write everyday.  While I may not have followed that advice about writing everyday and the number of words written each day - I wrote a book.  You can say anything you want - I wrote a book!

A quote my mother said to me for years was "if you write a page a day for a year, after 365 days you will have enough for a book."  I did that for a year and while I had enough for a book - she left out the part that you need to know your research, you have to edit, re-edit until you practically have the thing memorized.

14868 - number of articles.

14967 - number of articles as of 8/29/2021 and counting

 

META H. GIVEN

Sexy, imagination, growth

Economy is always having it's issues about every 10 years or so.  We all know about difficulties, heartbreaks, growth, accomplishments. Every person I have ever met or read about has all of these and so much more. Sometimes we leave things out when writing a book because we are concerned about our perceptions - not of ourselves, but of others judging us and we all do it.  Many of us can't admit it or even realize we are doing.

Every employer does it, every co-worker does it, every family member does it - but it's a dirty little secret. One we use against each other to gain power, fame, wealth. However, we could still have all of our integrity if we looked at the positive of our fellow human race - I prefer chocolate to - very few people are this or that - they are many things and most of all trying to make a living, so they and their family do not have to live without.

Meta Given lived in a world much the same as we experience today.  She was a woman, and women did not belong in business, positions of power, out in public when pregnant. We progressively moved into acceptance of this latter behavior.  Meta Hortense Given (MHG) knew all about that power. 

Her first career was Teaching which she started at 14. She had finished the 8th grade. She was eligible to take the Elementary/Grammar School grades level. It was thought in the day that if you had taken the class then you could teach the class.  Eventually, with women getting public educations, instead of private or home schooled they began to thrust for more, hence the "Normal" School which began to spring up from the east coast to the west and everywhere in-between. 79% of the normal school participants were women. A portion of those women went on the Colleges and Universities where they could get accepted and eventually all female colleges began to spring up.

 

MHG was one of those women who sought more and more education and they were not afraid to augment education by being an autodidact like Leonardo da Vinci's got nothing on us. She got a full education about home duties as toting the water, planting and tending the garden, crop gathering for the home garden as well as the farm business harvest. She had a younger sister so she knew about taking care of children, and she could manage food like a chef. 

At the age of 9 Meta H. Given cooked a meal for her father and the farm hands as they were bringing in the crop. During one of their trips, they managed to run over a turkey which MHG proceeded to make into roast turkey. 

Now this particular chore requires a whole lot more information than they turned it into roast turkey, don't you think? I know I believe it deserves its own chapter. Someone or somehow a turkey is killed, usually it is by someone, and they use a bullet possible buckshot from a shotgun. Walking to and from the place where the birds are, then usually the home keeper prepares the bird by bleeding, gutting, defeather and cut up into the proper quarters so the meat is determined by white and dark (as the dark is the juiciest) but for some reason people prefer the white and try all kinds of cookery tricks to make it juicy and tender.

Even still hunting is a whole subject unto itself. I have never hunted personally, but I do know how to fire a rifle .22 or .33. 

Anyway, I wrote MHG's biography and there is so much detail in the book, it is recommended to get the book either free off Amazon Kindle unlimited, or Amazon Paperback and there is also the Hardcover which is selling currently on E-bay with one of her cookbooks "Modern Family" 1942.

 

META GIVEN

WROTE TWO FAMOUS COOKBOOKS ONE

MODERN ENCYCLOPEDIA

META GIVEN was born in the Ozarks of Missouri to James Henry and Eliza Ann (Lacy) Given. She was their first daughter.

META GIVEN WRITES MODERN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COOKING COOKBOOK AND SELLS MILLIONS OF COPIES.

META GIVEN stayed in Missouri going to school and teaching throughout the early 1900s from 1902-1922. She went to Normal School #2 in Warrensburg, MO around 1910-1912.

Then, from 1914-1927 she attended the University of Chicago a coeducational university.

From 1925-1930 she worked at the Evaporated Milk Association as the first Director of Home Economics. From 1930-1931 she was the food editor for the Chicago Tribune working on the columns called "Tribune Cook Book" and "Food Talk" with her own byline.

There are only two papers that hold her obituaries one placed at the time of her death in the "Lakeland Ledger" in 1981 when she died and one placed in the Chicago Tribune placed there by Danette Bishop Mondou the author of Meta Given's Biography called My Time with Meta Given."

OFFERED FOR SALE ON AMAZON A FREE KINDLE FOR PRIME MEMBERS - AND THE BEAUTIFUL PAPER BACK IS SOLD THERE AS WELL.

*********Kindle AMAZON_KINDLE_MG ***************

*********PAPERBACK AMAZON MHGBIOPB**********

************HARDCOVER EBAY**************

HURRY DON'T DELAY -THERE ARE ONLY A FEW HARDCOVERS LEFT!

*********MAKES A GREAT GIFT*********

META GIVEN

TURNS 133

JANUARY 25, 2021

 

HAPPY BIRHTDAY

 

70 YEAR CAREER

SCHOOL TEACHER SCIENTIST

EVAPORATED MILK ASSOCIATION

CHICAGO TRIBUNE

META GIVEN'S SCIENTIFIC KITCHEN

 

MODERN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COOKING

MODERN FAMILY COOKBOOK

ST. LOUIS POST-GAZETTE

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE

ARTICLE BY JANE NICKERSON

 

BIOGRAPHY WRITTEN

BY

DANETTE BISHOP MONDOU

ON SALE

AMAZON

EBAY

 

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

FROM META GIVEN

2020 TRADITIONS

STAY AT HOME
KEEP OUR DISTANCE
TEXT
WRITE CARDS
ZOOM
CONNECT THRU INTERNET

FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS!!!

 

Hardcover of Meta Given Biography on E-Bay

Meta Given Biography

Herstory

Author, Journalist, Editor,

Home Economist, Photographer,

Consultant, Syndicated Columnist,

Teacher, Scientist

Get your copy today $45 with a copy of her book "Modern Family Cook Book" written in 1942 

The biography is Signed by the Author!

Hardcover only 125 were printed!

This is a new biography about Meta Given. 

Written by Danette Mondou.  The author has signed your original limited first edition. Only 125 copies were printed.  Please send an e-mail if you want more information regarding this item.

Meta Given wrote:

 "Modern Family" (1942) 

 "Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking" (1947).

She also wrote thousands of newspaper articles.  This book gives details about her life, information about her cookbooks as well as her life and times from 1888 - 1981.

Don't miss this especially important new biography about a woman forgotten in history.  That would be like no one interested in Julia Child today or forgetting about Rachel Ray - we need more people to write about women who made a significant importance in our lives - like Meta Given.  You will learn her middle name, newspapers she wrote for and so much more information.

Do you know where Meta Given was born, where she lived, or worked?

These are all answered in the book.  Meta Given made a difference to the Greatest Generation who won a war and produced the Baby Boomers.  Without Meta Given's important cookbooks, we would not have been as healthy as we were through the 1940's-1970's.  Think about how healthy we would be if we went back to the basics and how much richer we would be if we listened to Meta Given's wise counsel about the economics of eating healthy.

You can read all about it in this especially important biography.  With only 125 hard copies of this book, you will have an unbelievably valuable book.  There will never be any more hardcovers.  Sure, you can get the paperbacks on Amazon and Kindle. But this is a piece of history.  This book is only one of 125 copies.  There will never be another printing.  When these are gone, they will be gone.  Currently there are only about thirty copies left. Get yours today!  Don't Delay! This is a great Gift for a loved one or even yourself! 

*******Get yours today!*******

*******Don't Delay!*******

*******Makes a great Gift!*******

LOVE IS NEVER TOO LATE, NEVER TOO BOLD AND NEVER ENOUGH!




Love Never Too Late

I read this article today in the Hartford Courant.  Made me think of when I was single and I used to send bags of tea to my family and friends on Valentine's Day.  I believe 2/14 is a day to celebrate with our friends and family our love for them.  To let them think of us as we think of them.

Enjoy the next few days and celebrate the love you have with the people you know.  I am the hero in my story, you are the hero in your story and I love each and every one of your stories.  You are enough!

Celebrate love!

Today in herstory...





HC - Women wear white Suffrage

Hartford Courant shows a picture of many of the women who wore white to honor women's suffrage.

Also, you can go to google images and see all the women who wore white:

Google Image Wear White

META GIVEN

Blog posts about Meta Given and her cookbooks and sales:

BLOGS

I am always impressed with the effort that people put toward Meta Given.  Meta Given is not the most popular cookbook author - but she does stack up against the like of Fannie Farmer, Julia Childs, James Beard and Irma S. Rombauer.

Sandys Chatter Searching for Meta Given

Sandy's Chatter Searching for Meta Given gave me my first break in finding information about Meta Given for a biography (My Time with Meta Given) I wrote in 2018.  Sandy is an aficionado of antique cookbooks.  Meta Given was just one of may authors that Sandy wrote about over the years.

SALES

Not only blog posts, but the sales efforts that are made in the reselling of her very famous cookbooks:
Modern Family Cook Book (1942-1972)
Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking (1947-1972)


Shop In The Vintage Kitchen


Not everyone is a fan of Meta Given or even have heard of her.  Yet many people have her cookbooks upon their shelves without knowing it.  My mother told me that she asked one of her cousins before she passed if she had a Meta Given cookbook.  She claimed she had never heard of the woman.  Yet when she reviewed her cookbook, there amongst her favorite books was a two volume cookbook.  I know that several of my relatives had Meta Given cookbooks which included my mother, her sister and several of her first cousins.  With the help of my sister many of the next generation have these precious books as well.

Thanks to the internet you too can own one of these wonderful books check them out through the following websites:

Amazon.com/Meta Given

Ebay.com/Meta Given

Etsy.com/Meta Given

Abebooks.com/Meta Given

You can also find her biography on many of these sites and at your favorite books store ask for it by name: My Time with Meta Given by Danette Bishop Mondou

AmazonMHGBiography

EbayMGMyTimeBio

EtsyMHGBioMyTime

Leave your comments below or ask a question. 

Meta Given's official Biographer!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

META GIVEN!

Meta Given Turns 131 years old on January 25, 2019

Meta Given was a famous cookbook author & entrepreneur with a 70 year work history from

1902 - 1972!

This picture is a composite of pictures of Meta Given over the years:

Pictures from left to right:

• 1925 Meta Given promotion picture 1924-1925
• 1930 Meta Given promotion picture 1930s
• 1940 Meta Given promotion picture 1940s
• 1942 Meta Given and staff picture taken in "Meta Given's Scientific Kitchen" business for 1942 cook book "Modern Family Cookbook"
• 1942 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Picture for syndicated column
• 1931 Promotional picture of Meta Given doing demo of how to prepare dough for apple pie.
• 1975 Picture taken for article written by Jane Nickerson for the Okala Star Banner in Florida.

Meta Given was born during a very cold and stormy winter in 1888.  She was the first of two children to James Henry Given and Eliza Ann (Lacy) Given.  Meta Given grew up in the Ozarks of Missouri getting a fine education at various schools in Missouri.  In 1902 she obtained her teaching certificate and began teaching grammar school.  Eventually after attending Normal School #2 out of Warrensburg Missouri she taught at a Junior school, high schools and some colleges.

While Meta Given taught she would continue to go to school and eventually to the University of Chicago where she obtained her Bachelor's of Education in Home Economics.  Meta Given graduated from University of Chicago in 1924 at the age of 36.  In 1925 she started working for the Evaporated Milk Association while she was trying to obtain her masters at the University of Chicago.  By 1927 she had abandoned her aspiration of a master at the University of Chicago.  She continue to work for the Evaporated Milk Association until 1930.

Upon leaving that job she worked for the Chicago Tribune from June of 1930 to July of 1931.  She wrote over 365 article for the Chicago Tribune.  She also was a judge for various competitions which often included readers sharing their recipes.  Meta Given was let go from her second job in as many years in 1931.  She drifted doing demonstrations and consulting work for various companies.  Eventually, in 1933, she purchased a scientific kitchen business that she named "Meta Given's Scientific Kitchens."  She managed this business with 4 or 5 employees until 1948.

During her business years, she wrote syndicated food column in many papers around the United States.  She wrote two famous cookbook "Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking" (1947) and "Modern Family Cook Book" (1942) selling around 4 million between the two books.  She also edited another cookbook sometime called: The Art of Modern Cooking and Better Meals: Recipes for Every Occasion 1936-1939 Revised and Edited by Meta Given.

#8 favorite antique cookbook by abebooks.com readers

           
Based on the picture above Meta Given's "Encyclopedia of Cooking" was #8 favorite antique cookbook.  Today you can find both of her books on various websites that buy and sell books including: amazon.com/meta given, ebay.com/meta given, etsey.com and abebooks.com.

In 2018, Danette Bishop Mondou completed and published Meta Given's only biography.  Meta Given was the author of Mondou's family favorite cookbook "Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking" published in 1953 15th printing one volume.  The original cookbook in 1947 was published in two volumes.  There were many publishings of both books from 1942-1972.

Mondou and her family became interested in 2011 about Meta Given.  Who was she? Was she only a cookbook author?  Through some research between 2011 and 2013, not much could be found.  Eventually through a blog called Sandy's Chatter, Mondou was able to get her first real information through this blog.  Google has a newspaper archive and books that have been uploaded to their site.  Through both of these sites Mondou was able to find some great information.  Then through further research the site newspapers.com had over 7000 articles that were either written about Meta Given or written by Meta Given in her syndicated columns.  Over the years that number has risen to over 10,000 articles.

These articles filled in the majority of Meta Given's life from 1902 until present.  Mondou was able to find all of her work history from 1902 through 1972.   Mondou was also able to find all of Meta Given's family history on Ancestry.com and other websites.

Meta Given's timeline is listed on the back of the biography.

Please join Danette Bishop Mondou in wishing Meta Given a Happy 131st Birthday!

*******

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

META GIVEN

*******

This day in history January 4th 

1939

I believe the book must have been - "The Art of Modern Cooking and Better Meals" which Meta Given edited and enlarged in the 1930s.

I am always uncovering new information about Meta Given - the newspapers.com website is constantly adding new papers and pages.

This day in history...

Meta Given wrote an article in various newspapers just about every day staring in 1939 until 1949.  Meta Given was a syndicated columnist writing for newspapers across this nations from New York to California.  She was one of the most famous Home Economists of her day.  She picked up the torch where Ellen Swallow Richards (the mother of Home Economics) left off in 1911 when died in March.  Meta Given was still working as a teacher while simultaneously gong to Normal School #2 in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Reminiscing about my Trip to Europe - 1983
I went to Europe with my sister SusieQ, and our mother in 1983 - talk about a fun trip of a lifetime - I would so love to go back with you guys. If I win the Powerball we are all going - that would be so great!

There are so many stories, some I can share, some I can't.  For instance, when we were planning to go, I was sure I would not have enough money.  In the early 80s I didn't realize you could save money, too funny.  I worked as a temporary Secretary and made around $10 or $12 an hour.  I had my Ford Pinto (the wagon not the blow up car, lol), and I was living with a girlfriend of mine.  We lived on the edge of Hartford, Connecticut on a street called Highland off Farmington Avenue and one street up from Prospect Ave.
 
I don't remember what I was paying for rent. But I moved from that apartment to Huntington Street the edge of the north end of Hartford. I paid $100 a month for that place. I had one room in a 7 or 9 bedroom house with 2 baths and a formal dining room and kitchen that you could use with a comfortable living room and a large color console TV.

It really was a fancy place to store my junk - until I came back from Europe. I had my own apartment back in the late 70s on Forrest Street right next to Hawthorn Street that has the original Hawthorn house that I could see from my apartment. It was pretty cool. I loved that neighborhood - close to Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stow Houses.

So I took on a second job working nights doing secretarial work. I worked for the CT. Lottery commission before the "Postal" event at the Wethersfield office. I also worked at a travel agency and a law firm. The law firm was the best. I could come and go as I liked for my evening hours. I usually worked from 5:30 PM until about 10 PM. I was typing from voice transcribed tapes. I had to type everything they needed done on those tapes. They used those tapes to remind themselves of everything. I learned a lot about the legal profession. They were a company that worked for insurance companies. They were working on lawsuits. So I typed up all their forms, letters, legal documents, etc.

I got friendly with all the people in the law office. One of the lawyers and I used to joke around. They had a bottle of Champagne in their refrigerator. It sat there all the time I worked there before I went to Europe. So asked him what the bottle of Champaign was for. He said sometimes they celebrate events, so they kept a bottle handy.

The last night I worked before going to Europe, they gave me the bottle. That was so cool. This is my favorite drink. I feel that every time I drink, I like to believe I am celebrating something.

And then we got into a very large plane and flew over the Atlantic Ocean headed for Paris, France. First country, first City. We wound up in Brussels instead. The students were picket or something the airport in Paris. We took a hot bus from Brussels to Paris. Which took the rest of the day and we had to be taken to the Airport since that was our original destination. They could not drop us off in Paris. 

I had exchanged some money before we left to Francs which came in handy since we needed cash for cab fare.  I don't think he was happy that I had Francs, since we were American he was expecting dollars.  Sorry.  My mother was surprised, but happy because by the time we got in it was late and it was one less thing to think about.

At the airport they had great information offices and they got us a great hotel on the right bank. I believe it was on Rue Avenue at a hotel with the similar name. Not sure it is still there today. We would go down around the corner and get our afternoon tea. By the time we left they had the tea tray ready for us, which we took to our room and brought back later. They were so friendly and beautiful.

Then we went to so many wonderful sights. The Eiffel town is all that you image it to be. We didn't go up, there was a line. But see it from different locations was really special. We walked down the Champs Elysees in a parade of people and we stopped to enjoy a cafe to watch the parade of people. Another experience worth the memory and feeling.

We walked to Mont Mart, took a tour of the Opera house, walked across this really cool bridge - a lot of bridges, saw the mini-Statue of Liberty and took a drive out to Versailles. We would have wine in the afternoon with cheese. Tried the bread, fruit tarts, chocolate deserts and so much more. Goose liver called pate was one of my favorites and their yogurt was beyond unbelievable. French food is all that they say about it. We went to a little cafe where the writers and artist of the day would hand out, and discuss their ideas. 

After a week in Paris we headed for Germany, Austria, Italy, the French Riviera (olala), Spain, back to Paris and then over the Chanel to London for a week or so. We spent 6 or 7 weeks in Europe. The most amazing thing that happened when I got back was the experience of going to the bank.

For you see for the past 6 or 7 weeks, we had been doing money exchange of travelers checks. My job during the trip became figuring out the exchange rate from US dollars, getting us around within the towns and cities we stayed in. Two of my best skills involving numbers and directions.

So, I figured out the exchange rate. Go to the bank or information centers that cashed our checks for their currency and in those days there was no euro currency as one. Each country had their own currency and far different exchange rates. Paris was 7 francs to 1 us dollar. Germany was 2 marks for every us dollar. Italy was the hardest to figure out it was like 13000 lira to 1 us dollar. England was just the opposite and the only country where the US dollar was lower than the British pound. I believe it was like 1 British pound to 1.60 US dollar. 

So when I walked into the US bank, with my paychecks that I had earned before I left, but had not cashed before I left, I had no clue what to do. In those days they sent the checks to my house, there was no direct deposit to my checking account. So I'm standing at the bank teller window with the check and no idea what to do next. I explained to the teller where I had been and that I was used to exchanging currency. So I have a paycheck, but I don't know what do to next. She was kind enough to explain that I needed to fill out a deposit slip, etc.

It was a cultural shock when I came home. Everything was so different. It's so hard to believe that you can forget your whole way of life in about 7 weeks when you go to other countries. That is exactly what it was like. I didn't go to work the first week I was home. I did line up a job for the next week. I had two paychecks, so I could live for a week until I got my next paycheck. 

I went back to working my day job and my night job, so that I could replenish my savings account, plus it was fun working for the lawyers and it was no problem with my social life - cause I usually got off early on Friday night and I didn't have to work Saturday or Sunday. I partied heartily at places like - 36 Lewis street, The Russian Lady, Brown Thompson and so many other great places. If there was a bar, I partied there - give a should out to Miss Piggy's (wish I could buy it - what fun). I wasn't a big drinker for the most part, but once in a while I have a few more than usual.

Like the time I waited for a date at the Russian Lady. There was this guy who was from New Hampshire who had a hot dog truck in the summer and wintered in New Hampshire. He would make decent money in Hartford on the streets as a hotdog cart entrepreneur and a few of his friends. Then they would head to New Hampshire in the winter, with the wood fires, hunting and fishing. They had the best of both worlds. He introduced me to a liquor called Frangelico (check spelling). Yum. I haven't had it in years. Eventually, my date showed up and I drank some more needless to say I got a little tipsy. Good think Ryan's Deli was in the Civic Center in those days. We went across the street and had breakfast which they served all day long. Breakfast is my favorite food.

Well that's one of the stories I have from my European trip in 1983. I was 27 and hot. The clothes were so radical. I wore a red dress that had a Spanish theme that was so pretty. Red is definitely one of my colors. Then I had an all white shorts outfit that had short sleeves. I had another pair of peddle pushers that were cobalt blue and shiny. I wore all of these with sneakers as they were the shoes of the day for walking. I see that the younger generation today has opted for flip-flops or slippers as "comfortable" shoes.

This has very little to do with Meta Given, but I wanted to expand on a post that I made on Facebook so I am putting it here for the time being.