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A week ago Saturday, my clock radio turned on at six as usual set to the classical music station.  After listening to the five-minute news and weather report, I decided to relax in bed and listen to the beautiful melodies of the Masters for a while before beginning my day.  […]

Music Appreciation

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They are known as Tony and Jo, but he calls her Josephine, and she refers to him as “You Know Who.”  To the casual observer they do not appear to be a lovey- dovey couple prone to public displays of affection; in fact,  their relationship on the surface at times […]

That’s Amore!

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Embracing Change:  Anne Morrow Lindbergh, the bride of aviator Charles Lindbergh, gained fame for her bestselling book, Gift from the Sea.  Anne had sound advice about the changing tides of life.  “It is only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, that true security is found.”  For each of us, […]

Inspirational Hugs

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The seventeen-year-old was identified as Connor Joseph Golembiewski of Flemington, NJ, born on October 31st, 2001.  I had attended the wedding of his parents, Mike and Veronica, the year before.  His grandmother Mary was first cousin to My BelovED.  She had emigrated from Ireland as a teenager, lived across the […]

Honoring Connor

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Harken back to middle school when you returned from a break and were given the assignment to write an essay on “What I Did on My (fill in the blank) Vacation.”  Well today I’d like to tell you how I spent Christmas this year. The holidays of my childhood were […]

A Different Christmas

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Although the weather is frequently dull and dreary, the last nine weeks of the year have always been a fun and festive season of celebration for me: the trick and treating of Halloween (10/31); election day (depending on the outcome); our Wedding Anniversary (11/5- we were blessed with fifty-six); our […]

Darkness and Light

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The Norman Rockwell poster “The Shiner” hung prominently in her home,  representing her indomitable spirit and exuberant personality.  She faced the challenges of life head on and never considered herself a victim, but rather learned from them the lessons of life that made her the strong and independent woman she […]

Tribute to Mary

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Beginning as a teacher at the high school and college levels, Dr. Paul Ramsey went on to a 30-year career with the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, NJ.  He enjoyed traveling and learning about other cultures. Since retiring, his main work is overseeing two charitable organizations he co-founded:  Friends of […]

Individual Impact

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This article appeared in the October, 2018, issue of Catholic Courier, a publication of the diocese of Rochester, NY.  The headline read:  Serving up bread and kindness                “If you listen and don’t fall asleep, you get a free loaf of bread,” announced the man in […]

Say Thanks by Giving

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For the most part, our lives are scheduled by clocks and calendars.  They tell us when to get up and when to go to sleep, when to change clothes to accommodate the weather, when to keep appointments, etc. etc, etc.  In Ecclesiastes 3, we are told:  To everything there is […]

Ever onwarD

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Born in Rochester, NY, on June 8, 1891, her parents divorced when she was eight, and the girl and her mother moved to Providence, RI, where they lived until 1909, when they moved to NYC for her to pursue a career on the Broadway stage. While window shopping on Fifth […]

Fame Without A Name

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“It’s a boy!” a first born son.  On the day that child was welcomed into the world, celebrations were held around the globe and around the clock. There were fireworks and bells chimed in every church and cathedral; there were gala parties where champagne corks popped and orchestras played; and […]

Heritage

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Michael was born on August 30, 1955, nine months and ten days after his teenage parents (John and Luanne) were married.  In the next two years he was joined by two sisters. Then John deserted his young family leaving his wife, at 21 years of age, to raise the children […]

Remembering Michael

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“Always pick one that’s lively.  That way you can tell it’s fresh.”  That was the first lesson I learned from my Dad about choosing the perfect beast for the feast.  Dissecting and devouring lobsters has been part of my life since I was ten.  My father had a great fondness […]

The Lively Lobster

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Today, September 5th, would have been her 47th birthday. Lori was born on the first day of school in 1971. She had an older brother who was born on Thanksgiving weekend three years before and then a younger brother born on the last day of school, June 23rd, 1977; significant […]

Daddy’s Girl

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“People often say ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ But the original quote was actually ‘A picture is worth ten thousand words’ as stated by Fred R. Barnard, of Printers’ Ink, 10 March 1927. If that is true, the framed memories of family and friends, vacations and ventures adorning […]

Captured on Camera

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……or What ever happened to Terp 57? We’ve all heard the expression “When one door closes, another opens,” but it’s up to each of us to walk through that second door and work to create a satisfying and successful life with our own talents and resources.  Here’s the story of […]

When One Door Closes……

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Do you remember the days of Rockwellian Americana as portrayed in It’s a Wonderful Life, Leave it to Beaver, and Father Knows Best, when milk was  delivered directly to consumers’ homes?  Customers would place their order with the milkman (it was almost always a “he”), and it would be delivered the next day […]

The Milkman Cometh No More

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We met at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Twenty-and-Over Club on Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, on May 2, 1959 (one day after Tony’s 27th birthday)). The date I expected never showed up, so I went to the weekly dance with a girlfriend. When I got off the bus, I asked a […]

True Love

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She walked in late for a Bloggers class at Writers and Books, breathless and seemingly disorganized—tall and slim with short dark hair and dangling earrings, wearing a vintage outfit that paid homage to the Love Era of the 60’s.  Her entrance was like a gust of wind disrupting the calm.  […]

First Impression

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Torrential rain saturated the grounds and forced the previously scheduled outdoor activities indoors or under tents, ruined carefully coiffed hairdos and slinky stiletto sandals, but did not dampen the spirit of the glorious day.  Claire graduated from Fordham with highest honors on May 19th, received three gold medals and the […]

Author Update June 2018

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