Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

Memorial Day Stories 

May 30, 2006

Today’s announcements

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Memorial Queue Stories

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JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

Ron Gold

Let’s face facts: while small town boys know very little about girls, they are a bit more knowledgeable about what’s important in their lives and what makes them tick. 

And, let’s face it, even when they grow up, small town boys merely become taller small town boys.

Early in life we learn not to ‘judge people solely by their failures’ and that true friendship is more than a fleeting rite of passage.  Here’s a case in point:

Both my teenaged pals worked at our local hospital:  “Peanuts” Kolokowski, a small, wiry, bowlegged patient transporter, worked inside the hospital.  And Dominic LaRussa, a tall, slender automotive mechanic, worked in the motor pool.

They shared a carefree but competitive New England adolescent lifestyle: Bowling; shooting pool; playing baseball, basketball, football and pinball; Saturday movies; Sunday Masses; Summer days at the beach; Winter days shoveling snow, then sledding down “hospital hill”.

“Peanuts” and Dominic also vied in small town macho challenges: who could drink the most beer? Who could chug-a-lug a quart of beer the fastest? Who could get a date with Rosie Piero, the pretty red-haired pediatric nurse? 

On a more daredevil-ish plain: who could win a footrace at the Mill River waterfall, without falling onto the sharp rocks below.  And who could jump furthest off my back porch roof.

It was that roof-jumping contest that originally differentiated them.

The jump was more dangerous than it sounded.  While the tarred, sloping roof was not very high and the jump target was only Mr. Howser’s soft, newly planted garden, a jumper could easily strangle himself on Ms. Redd’s clotheslines.  Or impale himself on a beanpole.

On the day of the big jump, the “gang” claimed fifty-yard-line seats on our fire escape. The big bet?  A 5-cent, 12-ounce Pepsi Cola.

Tutti Mondinello stood atop the fire escape, covering dollar side bets from the onlookers; backing his faith in “Peanuts” with coin of the realm. 

Peanuts warmed up by stretching his parenthesis legs and by grinning.

Dominic was more cautious.  He examined the clotheslines, stared at the tall beanpoles, shook his head and said, “not today, guys”.  Then he told “Peanuts,” “you still have to jump to win.”

“Peanuts” smiled, walked to the end of the roof, made the sign of the

cross, and jumped.  He cleared the clotheslines and the beanpoles and landed flatfooted in Mr. Howser’s collard greens.

The thirteen witnesses, perched on the fire escape, immediately lost their faith in Dominic.  And as Tutti collected his side bets, he made chicken noises, pointed his finger mockingly at Dominic, called him a coward and a loser.  And he laughed.

“I knew he couldn’t lose,” Tutti chuckled.  “I seen ‘Peanuts’ jump before.  There’s nothin’ chicken about my ‘Peanuts’.  He’s got guts.  I remember him before he started jumping--when he had straight legs and was six foot tall.”

But “Peanuts” and Dominic’s friendship endured beyond that jump. 

“Peanuts” was best man when Dominic married Rosie Piero.  He was also Godfather to their son, Roger.

Both men were drafted into the Army shortly after Pearl Harbor was bombed. 

“Peanuts” was permanently assigned to the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C.  Dominic volunteered for the Paratroops and was ordered to England.

On June 6, 1944, a jumpmaster pushed Dominic out of an airplane’s jump-door over a Normandy beach. Dominic was killed by German ground fire as he floated down to earth in his parachute harness. 

There were no chicken calls or mock laughter that day, just a lot of gunfire, pain and explosions--and the silent sounds of good souls meeting their maker.

For more than 50 years—every June 6^th-- Peanuts, Rosie and her son, Roger, attend mass together.  And they hold hands and walk to our town’s Honor Roll, where they leave an unopened bottle of Pepsi Cola just below Dominic’s gold star memorial plaque.

Ron Gold

outthinkresumes@aol.com

~**~**~

A Perfect Sunday Morning

Dianna Doles Petry

It's Sunday morning here and I have a full day of activity planned but for now, I am having my second cup of coffee and listening to the chirping of birds right outside of my window. It really is a perfect morning. The air is cool, the sun is shining and already I hear children playing outdoors. I am sitting here thinking of just how lucky I am this morning.

My morning started at five thirty. I got out of my cozy bed and watched three sleepy eyed dogs stretch and try to decide if they really needed to get up and follow me around the house. Sable and Skye, my little fur babies, knew that it was time to take that first morning walk outside. Kanawha, my furry grandbaby, wasn't sure she wanted to get up and take a chance of losing the spot she had worked so hard to get last night. She had slept at the foot of my bed, trying several times to inch her way up only to be turned back by the two guard dogs cuddled at my side. None of these beautiful creatures have any inkling of what a dog's life is really supposed to be.

It is not quite eight o'clock now and I have prepared two punch bowl cakes, one for the cookout here today and one for Courtney, my Goddaughter to take with her to a cookout she will attend before coming back here for this one. By the end of the day, she will be one stuffed and content little lady.

I have also started the potato salad, the macaroni salad, and the baked beans along with a crock pot of chili that will simmer all day until we are ready to eat late this afternoon. I have chicken and steaks marinating and of course, there will be burgers and hot dogs.

Crystal's birthday is actually the thirtieth but we will celebrate it today. It was actually Memorial Day the year she was born and she always told me that she wishes I had picked another holiday to give birth. It used to bother her greatly that her birthday fell on a day that we honor the fallen soldiers, the lost loved ones and all of the sacrifices that people have paid to allow us to enjoy all of the freedoms we have. Now, however, it doesn't bother her at all. In fact, she told me yesterday that if anything, it helped her to put her life in perspective by reflecting on the past and looking towards the future.

I hope that your day is a good one. For those of you with illness in your family, I hope that you are well enough to enjoy today. If you are dealing with a loss of your own, please know that I will be thinking of you today and saying a little prayer for you. Finding strength to carry on when your heart feels so heavy is not easy but remember, you are not alone. For those of you taking trips, enjoying cookouts or paying your respects at grave sites today and tomorrow, please be safe and know how lucky we all are to be able to do such simple things that give us so much pleasure. Many people in the world don't have good food to eat, have no transportation and some have no one to visit even if they could get there. Many people in the world have loved ones missing with no graves to visit and no real idea of what happened to them.

For me today, I will give thanks to each man and woman who fought for what they believed in whether they are still living or they are among the dead. I will give thanks for each person who has crossed my path and touched my life in some way. If you think you didn't make a difference in my life, you are mistaken. You would not be reading this right now if you hadn't made a difference in my life. I will give thanks for you!!!

Have a wonderful day and I hope that blessings find you today,

Dianna

Dianna59@charter.net

http://diannapetry.tripod.com
http://members.tripod.com/~poemsbydianna/PoetryofLife.html
www.womenwithauniquesoul.com

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Poetry Section

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Memorial Day:


This  tribute  on  Memorial Day
2006   is in honour  of  ALL  patriotic
folk  who  treasure  the  United  States  Military
watching  over  our  freedoms.
As  that  wonderful  saying  that is  SO  TRUE  goes:
ALL  GAVE  SOME ~  SOME  GAVE  ALL !!!
We  ask  Father's  blessings  this Memorial Day  upon
America  and  her  HEROES  ~  living  and  dead.

Love  & God Bless  You,
Mary Carter Mizrany

musingByMary@aol.com

***************************************************
""AMERICA, HOME SWEET HOME"

Mary Carter Mizrany

God bless you, sweet America,

and heal the scars you bear;

Protect our warriors one and all,

defending you, land, sea and air.



The ones who wear a uniform,

and ones down on their knees;

The ones who gave their very all,

from sea to shining seas !



The ones whose faith sustained

you, in famine, wars, and drought;

Depression, riots, civil unrest,

from enemies within ~ without !



God Bless You, sweet America,

each heart and head bowed low;

those bearing pain of loved ones lost,

whose grief, Lord, you well know.



And, well you know the anguish

Lord, of our homeland's blackest day;

when cowards shatter'd hopes and

dreams, who took sweet peace away!



God Bless You, sweet America,

heal our wounds and dry our tears;

Oh, Father, forgive & deliver us,

from harm, from hate, from fears.



Revive our hearts with Your dear

love, O Lord, America needs You;

Let freedom ring as voices sing,

"Sweet America, our red, white & blue."



America, our home sweet home,

God Bless You from shore to shore;

And keep you safe, faithful & strong,

'til time shall be no more !


Mary Carter Mizrany

May 18, 2002
Copyrighted. All rights reserved.

~**~**~

This  tribute  on  Memorial Day
May 31, 2004  is in honour  of  ALL  patriotic
folk  who  treasure  the  United  States  Military
watching  over  our  freedoms.
As  that  wonderful  saying  that is  SO  TRUE  goes:
ALL  GAVE  SOME ~  SOME  GAVE  ALL !!!
We  ask  Father's  blessings  this Memorial Day  upon
America  and  her  HEROES  ~  living  and  dead.

Love  & God Bless  You,
Maryxo
******************************************************

FOR HEROES ~ NEVER SMALL

Mary Carter Mizrany

When I think of heroes,
it's your face I see;
Who bravely put your life
in constant jeopardy.


Retreating, no never,
whenthe bugle made that sound;
who heard not the shot
thatbrought you to the ground.


When I think of heroes,
your face comes to mind;
Who piloted your plane,
like a bat, flying blind.


Who flew for your country,
for she needed you so;
The last words from your lips,
"God, keep my family ~ now I must go" !


When I think of heroes,
I see you kneeling there;
praying for lov'd ones & strangers,
because you truly care.


Selflessly praying ~
" O, Father,show them the way;
Keep them safe, blessed Lord,
through each ferocious fray.

"When I think of heroes,
it's your memory I hold near;
The ones the seas now cradle,
who fought on through the fear.


Who took to that watery grave,
hopes and dreams ne'er realized;
When I think of all you gave,
unbidden tears flow from my eyes.

And, when I think of heroes,
I see my Jesus on the Cross;
suff'ring death for ALL mankind,
not counting the cost.

Whose life paid our sin~debt,
nail~scarr'd hands stretched out still;
who made THE WAY where there seemed none
for WHOSOEVER WILL !

Yes, when I think of heroes,
who have given their ALL;
My heart is raised in honour,
For Heroes ~ Never Small !!

Mary Carter Mizrany

Memoriam for Memorial Day ~ 2006
Copyrighted. All rights reserved

~**~**~

"AMERICAN  FLAG  SPEAKS"

Mary Carter Mizrany

I am the flag of AMERICA,
proudly waving the red, white & blue;
my stars represent the UNITED STATES,
to her I shall ever be true ~


I've been carried into battles,
by troops willing to die;
and, cover'd the coffins of many
So proudly o'er their graves I fly!


Placed in the hands of parents,
felt their hot tears, my colors stain;
as they hugg'd me to their bosoms,
for their losses, in deep grief & pain.


I've been draped over Crosses amany,
For too many years to recall;
Representing a land and its losses,
with Freedom & Justice for all.



I've been tatter'd, cursed & burned,
so despised ~ I now carry the scars;
in lands far away & by those I call my own,
yet still waving my stripes & stars.


So proudly my colors, the red, white & blue,
With honor and strength I shall wave;
o'er the land I call mine, the Great USA,
The Home of the Free and The Brave !


Mary Carter Mizrany

March 11, 2002

Copyrighted. All rights reserved.

*************************************

God, please bless America !!!

Mary Ann Mizrany

Memorial Day is a special day set aside to remember our
brave military giving the last ounce of strength for our beloved
country.    Some lie buried in graves in other countries around the
world.    The final resting place of some are the seas.
I'm sure there are many whose bodies were scattered on
battlefields with no formal  funeral due to the circumstances of war!

I suppose for some folk this day  is just a time to have an extra day off work.
A  time for partying ~ playing;   not really thinking of  WHY  there is
such a special holiday.

In my patriotic heart though,  it means there were (and are) those devoted
to  keeping freedom alive;  those willing to give their very lives to
accomplish this.

In my patriotic heart  one day is really not even sufficient  to pay
homage to our brave fallen heroes.   However, I am thankful  it was
decided to give at least one day of attention to those paying the
ultimate price  in defending  our  homeland  to retain  FREEDOM.

The Middle East  is the temporary residence of  many of our military presently.
Many face harsh challenges daily ~ even death.    These beloved ones
have families missing them, concerned for their safety ~ praying for them.
On this special day of rememberance of fallen heroes,  let us also
remember to intercede in prayer for those still in harm's way.

Let us spend some time reflecting upon the costs of FREEDOM.
Real  people willing to pledge its sanctity with their very lives.
If their names are not engraved in stone upon a 'Wall of Remembrance' . . .
let them be engraved upon our  hearts.
Meditate upon ALL we enjoy because of their willingness to serve.
Let us spend some time in prayer this Memorial Day thanking God
for those in graves all around the world who spent their lives for US!

FREEDOM   IS  NEVER   FREE !!!

Mary  Carter  Mizrany©
 

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