"Samhain," Storms & Things

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Our son Eric has a friend from Scotland who passed on this information about "Samhain."

“Samhain (pronounced Sow-win) is the Irish and Scottish Celtic new year. 31st of October is the last day of the year and the tradition dates back about 2000 years. Samhain is a little similar to the ‘day of the dead’ where ancestors would cross over to visit their families as ghosts and spirits. 

This wasn’t without risk for dead ancestors; as the barrier between worlds was weakest on this day various soul eating creatures (called Fairies) would cross over to attempt to devour the ancestors. There were many types but chief amongst them were the Dullahan who appeared as headless riders on horseback to sweep through villages. To keep the Dullahan and other Fairies away, and the ancestors safe, offerings were left outside the villages and the Celts would dress in animal skins to resemble even more fearsome monsters to scare the Fairies away. Celts so dressed would travel from house to house where feasts were underway to share in the foods.

In the middle ages many new traditions began to appear around Samhain, including the carving of Turnips to resemble gruesome faces and lit with lumps of coal. These would be placed outside homes to keep the fairies away.

Around 1200 years ago, efforts by the Catholic church in Ireland and Scotland to stamp out pagan traditions saw Rome declare the 1st of November All Saints Day, locally this was called “All Hallows Day”, Hallow being another word for ‘holy and saint like’. The festivities of 31st of October became ‘Hallows Eve’ which over the next thousand years truncated in to “Halloween”. Halloween was carried across to the US with Irish and Scottish immigrants, especially during the potato famine.”

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We had a series of storms pass through our area Thursday evening. Fortunately there were no tornados or heavy wind damage in our immediate area. 

Today is sunny and cool with a frost warning for tonight. The frost helps alleviate those things that affect my allergies. So having cool temperatures is fine with me.

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There were warnings to those going out for "trick or treat" to be back before the storms. Everyone in our neighborhood seemed to have followed the suggestion.

The best costume to visit our home was a little girl dressed as a unicorn. She and her Mom thanked me for the acknowledgement.

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"My friend, I am going to tell you the story of my life, as you wish; and if it were only the story of my life I think I would not tell it; for what is one ,an that he should make much of his winters, even when they bend him like a heavy snow?"
Black Elk

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This is the first day of November. 

I was looking for a November poem but did not find one that I liked. Perhaps I've been looking in the wrong places. There are many excellent poets out there, I just haven't found the right one.

I think that a November poem should make one appreciate that the leaves are falling, blanketing the land as if they are covers I pull up at night to keep me warm. 
The colors be bright oranges, crimson red, burgundy, butterscotch and golden yellow.
There should be nothing sad that summer is gone, but joy that autumn is beginning.

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Brother Maynard - Monty Python and "The Hotly Grail"l

“Thou shalt set the time one hour back,

no more,

no less.

One hour back shall the clock be set,

and the setting of the clock shalt be one hour back …..”

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Andy Kim - “Baby I Love You.”

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Go over to Kelly's "This Ain't the Lyceum," for more takes.

Rain, New Home & MLS

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This has been a dry season. I was concerned about having the lawn aerated and seeded with everything being so dry. However, the Lord was kind and brought a couple of days of soaking rain. I watered in-between and everything seems to be fine. 
(I went to Church and lit two candles, thank you Lord.)
  

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Our new home is being framed. It is nice to see things moving forward. 

Photo by Dee

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Selfie of Dee and me at the house

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Our son Todd was here for a few days and is a fan of MLS Soccer. His favorite team being the Toronto Football Club. So, we watched Toronto defeat New York City 2-1. It was an exciting game and fun watching it as a family.
Toronto will now play Atlanta United in the Conference Final on Wednesday, October 30. The winner then advances to the Cup Final on November 10.

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Tonight we are attending the "Patricia Schrock & Friends Concert" at our parish, Church of the Epiphany. Last year was excellent and we are looking forward to this evenings performance.

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I haven't been doing any painting since we've put the house up for sale. So, I though I'd grab some old photos of things completed in the past. The first one is the "Film Crew," and the second one is "Lee's Legion." Both of these were painted back in 2013.

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Chris Stapleton - "More of You"

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Ancestry, D&D Art & the Dish

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Today is “Indigenous People’s Day” in the United States. It is a change that was proposed back in 1977. In1989 South Dakota switched Columbus Day to “Native Americans’ Day. Soon afterward Berkeley switched to “Indigenous People’s Day.” More details at NPR’s website.

Canada also has a “National Indigenous Peoples Day.” They recognize and celebrate the cultures and contributions of the “First Nations, Inuit and Métis Indigenous” peoples of Canada. It is celebrated on June 21. My father’s side of the family is connected to the Métis people through my grandmother. However know one never talked about it. At the time they immigrated to the United States it was important to become an “American” and leave behind the French Canadian heritage.

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On Monday we had aeration and seeding completed in preparation of the spring. This helped last year and I want to make sure that whomever purchases our home appreciates the time and effort Dee and I have put into the gardening and lawn.

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Eric recommended that I watch, "Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons and Dragons."

Watching this great documentary brought back a lot of memories. I got into D&D when it first came out and played it for many years. When our sons were old enough we played the game and I even got Dee in a couple of games. (Really not her thing.) We still have many of the miniatures that we painted. I think Eric has most of them.
The great stories about the artists and their contributions to the game was far beyond my expectations. The amount of effort and creativity was not really appreciated during the years I played. We were just enjoying the game.
Thank you all.

Two Dwarves and a Dragon

These were painted over 30 years ago. Dwarves by Stephen & Dragon by Dad.

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We lost communication with our "television dish," error code 775.
So, I called the "television dish" company to get a technician out here to reset the dish. The process was interesting. 

The person taking my call asked me all the pertinent questions about the account number, whose name is on the account, what is my relationship to the account holder, the address, the telephone number, name of our first born, etc.. 

Then she asked me to go through the reset of the “receiver box” process. I explained that I already completed that task and discovered that error code 775 is showing. She said fine. There was a slight pause, figured she was going to get me a day and time the technician would show up. However, after a few moments, she advised me that she couldn’t send anyone out as my name is not on file. 

Excuse me! I went through this whole process, answered all your questions and now you tell me I’m not authorized to request a service call? 
“Yes sir,” she replied. 
So, I answered all the questions but now I have to have my wife call and go through this whole process again? 
“Yes sir, I’m sorry but those are the rules.” “Have a nice day and thank you for calling "television dish.” 

Next time I’ll call and tell them I’m Dee, but to excuse me as I have a cold.

 Fini.

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Bernard Cornwell's "Sword Of Kings," book twelve of "The Last Kingdom" series will be released in the United States on November 26, 2019.

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We listed the house this week and already had two showings. Waiting for feedback from those who looked at our home. 

Photo by Dee

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The Fleetwoods - “Come Softly To Me”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Stuff, Italy & a Journal

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We’ve been busy packing odds and ends that were discovered when putting together the “moving sale.” I’m amazed at how much “stuff” we have collected over the years. The hard part is deciding what to keep, what to give away and what to dispose of. 

Some things that I forgot about:

Photo of my first communion …

Downhill snow skis …

High school photos … 

High school graduation cards and announcements …

Various acknowledgments and certificates of appreciation …

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In preparation for listing our home, I'm making sure the outside looks presentable, Not that we have an unkept yard, just things like trimming the bushes, disposing of "junk" stored behind the shed and leaf removal.

Unfortunately it's rainy today, so the bush trimming needs to wait.

Collecting whatever "junk" there is will also be rescheduled.

Leaves are just starting to fall, so we're okay with that.

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Dee and I watched “Shadows In the Sun,” with Harvey Keitel. It is a great “couples” movie about a young editor that is sent to Italy to convince an author to write for his publishing company. The main characters are Harvey Keitel, the writer, Claire Forlani as his daughter, Joshua Jackson as the editor and Giancario Giannini as Father Moretti. All of them excellent.

The story takes place in Tuscany, Italy. The scenery was beautiful, so much so that Dee wants to go back to Italy. 

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In addition to "Literature & Angels," I have a personal journal. Lately I've not taken the time to keep it up to date. So, this week I started writing again. Hmm, inspired once again. I don't have an excuse for not writing. There's plenty of things going on in my life and I need to make sure those who read it understand that we all have things we can share.

Life is wonderful and sometimes challenging. I've found that the strength I get from the good times is what helps me face the frustrating times. Through all of it I've learned to keep an open heart, talk to God every day and be thankful I'm here to enjoy each day He provides.

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I like sharing cartoons, quotes, poems and music. Sometimes I get carried away and don't take the time to write my own quotes or poems. I could make a video of me singing. 

Okay, I can't sing, well definitely not well enough to make a video. I was once picked to sing in an eighth grade program. We were a small quartet and did rather well. When we were younger, my brother and I used to sing the Everly Brothers song, "Ebony Eyes," at parties. But then as we got older people stopped inviting us. 

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One of my favorite songs is "Seven Spanish Angels," with Ray Charles and Willie Nelson. The video below is by another great duo Jamey Johnson and Wilson Krauss. They sang this as a tribute to Willie Nelson in 2015 when he was the recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

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Jamey Johnson & Alison Krauss - “Seven Spainish Angels.”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Guardian Angels, RFD & Calvin

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Wednesday was the “Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels”

I liked what Bishop Barron wrote about in his Daily Gospel Reflection.

“Friends, today we celebrate the feast of our Guardian Angels. Why does God send these spiritual messengers to help us? Well, Aquinas says that each of us, due to our fallen nature, has been assigned a heavenly guide. Is all of this just speculation and conjecture?" 

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I'm blessed and thankful that God assigned a Guardian Angel to me. Although the assignment has been arduous.

He has dealt with my many years of good things, bad things, indifference and problems. 

Never faltering, always supporting and guiding me.

I pray and thank him every day.

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Our “Moving Sale” was successful. We sold and gifted many things to friends, family and all those who attended. We had a total of three homes, all next to each other, providing a variety of goods. 

There was a nice group of shoppers, and all of them pleasant to talk and deal with.

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"In October 1920 I went to Leeds as Reader in English Language, with a free commission to

develop the linguistic side of a large and growing School of English Studies, in which no regular provision had as yet been made for the linguistic specialist."

J.R.R. Tolkien

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This is a photo of our son Stephen, a Richmond Fire Department fireman.

The photo was taken by Mr. Bill Dent at a fire on September 23, 2019. The temperature was in the low 90's.

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Eddie Hodges - “I’m Gonna’ Knock On Your Door”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Katie, Moving Sale & Leaves

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Our friend Katie was diagnosed with cancer and at one point was given nine months to live. She fought the cancer going through chemo therapy which caused her to loose her hair. We all prayed for her recovery as she dealt with the pain and suffering. The cancer is now in remission.

A few weeks ago Katie returned to the church choir. Sitting in the front row watching and listening to her beautiful voice brought tears to my eyes.
After Mass, I gave her a big hug and told her how much her presence and her voice added to the Sunday morning worship.

Thank you Lord for listening to all our prayers.

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This is from Paul’s Bods. 
(Please note that the photos may not be visible.)

"Christine de Pizan (1364 - 1430) wrote a Poem called  "Ditie de Jehanne dArc" (the Poem of Joan of Arc, also known as the song of Joan of Arc) in which she not only eulogizes Joan, but also celebrates the appearance of a woman military leader who, according to de Pizan, vindicated and rewarded all women’s efforts to defend their own sex, 

"Ditie de Jehanne dArc" - Stanza XXXIV;

Hee! quel honneur au femenin Sexe! 

Que Dieu l'ayme il appert,

Quant tout ce grant pueple chenin,

Par qui tout le regne ert desert,

Par femme est sours et recouvert,

Ce que Cm hommes [fait] n'eussent,

Et les traictres mis à desert!

A peine devant ne le creussent.

(Translation)

Oh! What honor for the feminine sex!

God has shown his regard for it,

in contrast to all the people who

destroyed the Kingdom and ran away and quit.

Now recovered and saved by a woman,

who did what 5000 men could not,

and now the traitors are no more

who would have believed this before

For those interested, there´s a very nice Illustrated PDF Version (in original and Translation in english, HERE"

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We are getting ready for our “Moving Sale.” The garage is full of stuff and Dee has listed the date and time for our sale. She has worked very hard in setting up everything. Friends and family have been assisting with the process.
This Saturday, the 28th, from 8AM to 4PM. 
Some of our neighbors are also participating, so there should be a nice selection.

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“Besides the Autumn poets sing

A few prosaic days

A little this side of the snow

And that side of the Haze...

Grant me, Oh Lord, a sunny mind—

Thy windy will to bear!”

Emily Dickinson

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I finished watching season one of “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.” It is well done and kept my interest. I like story line and the cast of heroes and villains. 

I’ve always been a Jim Henson fan and love his Muppets. Looking forward to the next season.

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Johnny Nash - "Hold Me Tight"

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Anniversary, OBX & a Ship

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On Sunday, Bishop Barry C. Knestout, D.D., said Mass at our Church of the Epiphany 40th Anniversary. Afterward we enjoyed sharing food and drink with our Church families at our annual picnic. The Mass and the picnic were well attended.

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The Dare County, North Carolina officials opened access to Duck and some other towns at 4PM Sunday afternoon. We arrived around 9PM and avoided all the traffic. Our rental house is fine and we are enjoying the nice weather.

There are still many who are trying to rebuild from Dorian, so please keep all of them in your prayers.

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Deviantart

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“Thousands of people attended a ceremony at the Ground Zero memorial site in lower Manhattan to mark the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The ceremony began just before 9 a.m., with moments of silence and the ringing of bells to mark when planes hit the World Trade Center and when the twin towers fell. The attacks at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pa. were also observed during the ceremony.

As with previous anniversaries at the 9/11 Memorial, the names of the nearly 3,000 victims killed in the attacks were read by family and friends.”

These people are in my daily prayers.

For John Vigiano, for the souls of his sons Joseph & John Jr. For his family. 

(“John Vigiano, a former Marine and retired FDNY Captain has accomplished many things in his life, including the winning battle he waged with throat cancer in the 1980s. But his two greatest life accomplishments were his sons, NYPD Detective Joseph Vigiano and FDNY fireman John Vigiano II. John’s sons were taken from him on the morning of September 11 and the pain that his family and his sons’ families have endured has tested their strength.” 9-11-2001)

For the soul of “Father Mychal Judge, OFM, served as a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department. 

(After administering the sacrament of the sick to a fire fighter, Father Mychal was hit by debris and killed. He is the first officially recorded fatality following the attack.” 9-11-2001)

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A Bottle So Noteworthy 

“Walking along the sandy seashore

late on summers evening so cool

such peaceful scene everything so still

what a tranquil setting such a pull

For a number of hours there I was

spending these moments step by step

then out of the blue floating on top

so very clear looking so very in debt

But this looked elusive indeed

out of hands grasp it seems

then with quickness seemingly came

over these succulent soft streams

Eventually, my fingers found its touch

there deep inside a little note

took it out seeing only three words

its passion loose having no coat

A bottle so noteworthy

with no details what to do

mere words but so powerful

simply short saying I love you!”

Gordon McConnell

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Thought I would share a "Crusader ship" that was built over at Paul's Bods. He has completed a few ships, but I like this one. He does a great job in building these kits and fortunately provides details of each build. This particular ship is the "Hanse Kogge."

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This song is dedicated to an old friend who was an avid fan of Bob Dylan.

Bob Dylan - “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.

Folklore, A Poem & Grades

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Some time ago I found a folk story about a white deer in the county of Powhatan, Virginia. Unfortunately I don’t remember where I found it, so I went searching and found the same story, only it was from Brookhaven, New York. In either case, it is worth sharing.

Aunty Greenleaf and the White Deer      

A New York Spooky Story retold by S. E. Schlosser

"Aunty Greenleaf was a scrawny old woman with a wild thatch of gray hair and a crooked nose. She lived in a hut surrounded by pines just outside Brookhaven, and she sold herbal remedies to the folks in town. Mostly, people avoided her, except when someone got sick because it was said that Aunty Greenleaf was a witch. Her home remedies worked too well to be natural. Folks figured she had to have help from the devil or one of his familiars.

There were many stories whispered in Brookhaven about Aunty Greenleaf. People said she had hexed a farmer's pigs once after he spoke rudely to her, so that they all died, one right after another. One prominent citizen dreamed of Aunty Greenleaf, and the next morning her daughter fell ill with a fever and nearly died. It was also rumored that Aunty Greenleaf and her witch friends crossed the Atlantic in an egg-shell and frolicked with the witches in England. Then they put a spell on the egg-shell so that it brought them back here before sunrise

In the early fall, folks in town began talking about a large, pure-white deer that was seen roaming the woods near Brookhaven at night. Several hunting parties were gathered to go after the large animal, but it seemed to be impervious to bullets, and folks began saying it was a phantom deer. Around about that time, several women in the town began having trouble with their churning and a number of cows and pigs began to sicken and die. Folks blamed the incidents on the phantom deer, though each of the people afflicted with the trouble had crossed Aunty Greenleaf at some time in the last month.

The men of Brookhaven got up a hunting party to chase down the animal. They were gone all day, and well into the night. Finally they spotted the white deer. It was the largest deer any of them had ever seen, and was fast too. They couldn't keep up with it. The men got several good shots in, and swore that at least one of them hit the deer, but it just kept running. They returned home empty-handed.

One local farmer became obsessed with the white deer. Every moment he could spare from his work, the farmer would take his gun and go hunting in the woods around town. He saw the white deer several times, but he his shots always seemed to go astray. Finally, he decided the white deer must be a witch of some sort. 

The farmer melted silver to make bullets, and then he took his gun and went out hunting the white deer. He managed to make three shots with his silver bullets and the white deer actually stumbled as if one of the shots had hit it. Then it jerked upright and ran away. He tracked it almost to Aunty Greenleaf's hut, but then he lost it in the dark somehow, which was mighty strange, seeing as the deer was pure white.

The next day, the farmer learned that Aunty Greenleaf was ill. From the moment she took to her bed, the local farm animals stopped dying and the families who were having trouble with their churning were back to normal. Less than a week later, Aunty Greenleaf died and the doctor who cared for her told the minister he found three silver bullets in her spine.

After the death of Aunty Greenleaf, the phantom white deer was never heard of or seen again in Brookhaven."

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“I'm always amazed at how 'We The People' come together to assist one another during Hurricane Season or any other calamity. The beauty of human compassion always staggers me and reminds me of how divine we truly are. However, It shouldn't take a disaster, natural or otherwise, to remind us of our collective humanity.” 

Sabrina Newby

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“You are a poet, not an artist with a picture there to paint,

You share a certain sameness though your subject is so quaint.

Your pencil is the brush you’ll need to make the colors glow,

Your words the vital link I’ll need to make the figure grow.

You see I think the thing to do when you find beauty to convey,

Remember you’re a poet first, you know a better way.”

Dee, June 1970

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We are getting ready for the garage/yard sale this month. In the process of going through closets Dee found my first and second grade report cards from St. Francis of Assisi in Tonawanda, New York.

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Hurricane Dorian has left the Virginia coast. 
We are located west of Interstate 95 and missed the flooding and rain issues that Dorian was causing. Our prayers go out to those who were not so fortunate.

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The Newbeats - "Bread and Butter"

This is a "much watch," enjoy.

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Go over to "This Ain't the Lyceum," where Kelly is hosting more takes.