Je t’aime

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According to Wikipedia a coat of arms is a symbol used to identify families or individuals. It is a detailed design that often includes a shield, crest, helmet, motto, and more. The image could be used as a whole, or the crest can be used as a simplified symbol.  There […]

Family Crest

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My Mother’s Hands were rarely idle.  If she was awake, they were busy.  She had a confident “I can do it” attitude, and her work ethic was, “Nothing is too much trouble if it’s done with love.” She bandaged boo-boos, dried tears and wiped runny noses.  She kept a spotless […]

I Remember, Mama

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After publishing Je t’aime in August, 2017, I was contacted by people who said they had read the book and thought we might be related.  Our family name had come up in their ancestry search because it had been their mother’s maiden name.  It turns out my grandfather and their […]

Grandpa Frank

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Lord Have your Angels every day Watch and guide Us on our way The belief in angels can be traced far back into antiquity.  Pagans like Menander and Plutarch, and Neo-Platonists, like Plotinus, held it. It was also the belief of the Babylonians and Assyrians, as their monuments testify (the […]

Angels and Miracles

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When I first made the commitment to tell my Father’s story in November of 2014, I wanted to do something that would make it endure and be a permanent tribute. To start, MY belovED and I formed a company, EOC Enterprises, LLC, with all the necessary legal and financial documentation […]

It’s Official!

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It’s Oscar Season.  The nominations have been announced; the votes are being collected, counted and calculated; and the winners will be announced on Sunday, February 24th, at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles amidst much pomp and pageantry.  I’m not a great fan of the event but am proud to […]

The Envelope, Please

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He was named after his father, Chester, and called Sonny as a youngster.  We knew each other as children because our parents were friends, and his father and uncle worked with my father on many church and community causes.  There was also a familial relationship: his mother’s sister was married […]

Remembering My First

 in Je t'aime / Lives Cut Short by
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  It’s been forty-six years, but I can still feel the shock and disbelief I experienced at hearing the news.  My sister called to tell me she was listening to the radio and heard that there had been a tragic accident at St. Bonaventure University in New York:  a college student had […]
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Growing up I thought my family was rich. My father was a prominent, highly respected leader in our community whose picture frequently appeared in the local papers chairing a social committee, soliciting funds for a charitable cause, or spearheading a civic initiative. Also, each year when the Christmas contributions were […]

History and Horoscopes

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Memorial Service Program Mass of Christian Burial Edward O’Connell Our Lady of Lourdes Church December 23, 2016 10:30 A.M. Rev. Gary Tyman, Presider Nancy DeRycke, Pastoral Associate   Prelude                                       Les Miserables Finale Entrance Hymn                           Morning Has Broken, RS# 859 First Reading                              Sirach                                                    Edward O’Connell, Jr. Psalm                                          Psalm 27; RS […]

A Last Loving Tribute

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Looking back over the past year, I see God’s hand in preparing us for what we are experiencing at this very sad and special time. Last New Year’s Eve, Ed’s birthday, our son drove us to New Jersey where we had a fabulous dinner with my brother Bob and his […]

Christmas Letter 2016

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THERE IS NO TREATMENT.   THERE IS NO CURE.   IT WILL GET WORSE. The words pounded like a gavel pronouncing sentence.  My voice was mute but a silent scream echoed in my ears.  NO! – NO! – NO! We are not ones to sit idly by and meekly accept defeat.  We […]

The Gift

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Last week I had a routine visit with my cardiologist where I learned the results of  blood tests that were taken the week before. All of the readings were right on target:  cholesterol, both good and bad; triglycerides; blood pressure, etc.   The doctor was pleased, and of course so was […]

Weighty Conflict

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The Catholic Church celebrates the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary on its traditional fixed date of September eighth, nine months after the December eighth celebration of her Immaculate Conception, as the child of Saints Joachim and Anne. The circumstances of the Virgin Mary’s infancy and early life are not directly […]

Happy Birthday Mary

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The invitation arrived in the mail in early spring:  Please join us for your induction into the Golden Raider Society in recognition of the 50th anniversary of your graduation from Rutgers University – Newark.   Because of distance we did not attended, but we did celebrate because it was more than […]

Student Prince

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Tomorrow, August 12th, would have been Mom’s 98th birthday.  Even though she is no longer with us in person, we will be celebrating because she is  always in our hearts; and we know that now together, after a forty-nine year separation, she is having a very happy birthday with her […]

My Mother’s Hands

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There is a calendar on the desk in my writing office with a saying for each day of the year.  Its theme is “Words That Warm the Heart” Quotes by Women for Women.  Some are from scripture, some from literature, and each one is sweet and inspirational.  I enjoy reading […]

Message from Mom

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I am currently working on the chapter of the Book that deals with lessons I learned from my Father—there were many.  Most of what I am writing comes from my own memories, but while going through the newspaper articles found among my “buried treasure” –the craft paper to which they […]

Good Citizenship

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In any worthwhile endeavor, as in life, it is necessary to have, and follow, a set of rules, standards or guidelines so as not to deviate from the true path.   The original Ten Commandments were cast in stone and given to Moses on Mt Sinai accompanied by flames, earth tremors, […]

Keeping the Commandments

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“Do you have the time?”, an often asked question. “Sorry, I don’t have the time”, a frequently used excuse. Yet although each of us has been given different talents and variations of wealth, physical prowess and good looks, the one thing we all have in equal measure is the gift […]

Having Enough Time

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The little red light on my answering machine was blinking nervously when I returned home on Tuesday, November, 11, 2014.  Robo-callers don’t leave messages, so I was curious and pressed the “Play” button. “Estelle, this is Jeannie.” I recognized my cousin’s voice.  “I don’t know if I told you that […]

Buried Treasure

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