Yeah, Baby!

One Hit Shutout Tonight!

And the sun was shining (finally no snow)

Who Do You Think You Are?

I am sure you all have been following the new TV series Who Do You Think You Are?  Well, just in case you missed the last episode, it featured Susan Sarandon who was looking for her Italian grandmother in NYC in the 1920s or so.  She was able to trace her Italian immigrants to the cemetery, carefully following the provided information regarding the whereabouts of the grave site only to find there was no monument to mark it. 

You may have more in common with Susan Sarandon than you thought!  When she was traipsing around the cemetery, she held a piece of paper in her hand which I recognized right away because it looked just like this one:

Now, I do notice that several cemeteries fall under the umbrella of the Calvary and Allied Cemeteries so it might not be your Calvary Cemetery, but the area looked very much like the site James and I visited last year in search of the ancestors.  We had the very similar experience of making our way to the grave site only to find that it is not marked (I think it was the Coffarellis and not the Manzellis you see here).  It was something of a disappointment but still rewarding to feel that we had "rescued" some ancestors. 

Information such as this from the cemetery is very valuable and goes a long way toward figuring out "Who's Who".  In the case of this listing, I had to separately list each name with my thoughts on who I think they might be.  You may remember this was the trip during which we got ourselves locked in the cemetery and never got to cross the street to find the Isoldis.  We'll be going back (earlier in the day!). 

An update on the peach pie episode:  the diner burned down!  It's a landmark in our area and many others are also mourning the loss of delicious pies and breads.  Just my luck........

I am thinking about Monet today.  I hope those of you that are able to attend have a grand visit! 

As I was sitting in the church waiting for Uncle Johnny's funeral Mass to begin, I couldn't help but be reminded of Aunt Mary's funeral in the very same church fifteen years ago at very nearly the same time of year.  At the time, I kept thinking about the circle of life events that brings us closer and closer to the front pew of the church at funerals.  Most of the time, when we are young we didn't attend funerals (at least we didn't and I recall it wasn't considered "seemly").  Then we get a little older and we are brought to the church for the funeral of great grandparents, grand aunts or uncles -- then it's grandparents and you are seated closer to the altar.  Except for tragic illnesses and accidents we might not be in the front pew until you are burying your last living parent.  As your spot on the family tree gets closer to the generation lost, so do you move closer to the altar to honor those gone before.

Fifteen years ago I was a bit horrified by that notion of getting old enough to be moving closer to the altar at funeral masses.  Much life experience has passed in those years and my view has changed. 

I've begun to focus on extended families in my research and, as a result, have found many new cousins on both sides of the family.  These cousins were preceded by aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and grandparents.  Now I feel as though all those souls join us in the church for the funeral masses.  To the left and right of my seat are the cousins we may not have even met yet.  In front of me are the aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents I never met in person but feel I know as well as any other.  Behind me are the nieces and nephews along with all their cousins not yet born or discovered.  Now, it brings great comfort to take my seat among others at a funeral to honor the soul now joined in heaven with those who loved him.

Angela tells me that Uncle Johnny talked of his mother and father shortly before he died.  How comforting that must have been for him as it is for Angela and her family.  So, Happy Birthday to your mom who's in heaven welcoming her brother and reuniting him with their parents.

Rest in Peace

Coffarelli Update

Yesterday I visited your "new" Coffarelli cousin Mike Barra in Middletown.  Mike is Louisa Coffarelli Barra's grandson.  Louisa was your grandfather James' next oldest sibling so I imagine they were close as she was only about 1 1/2 years older than he was.  Mike and his wife Consuela very graciously allowed me an entire afternoon of paper shuffling, photo examination and general story telling. 

Mike has a collection of photos from his grandmother and we were able to distinguish some of them as Coffarellis as we compared them to those I have.  So now we know that these are definitely Coffarelli pictures and I believe them to be your great grandmother Rosina Pedano Coffarelli (1858-1908) and probably Louisa Coffarelli Barra's First Communion picture.  We aren't certain who the young boy is but we wonder if it could be your grandfather James. 

She has a kind look about her, doesn't she?

After looking at some of Mike's other pictures of his grandmother, I am certain this is Louisa.  I don't know if the church administered First Communion every year the way we know it now, but if not--perhaps this is James.

Mike remembers in particular Louisa's very blue eyes.  Some of you have beautiful blue eyes as well and this may be due in part to your Coffarelli genes.  Mike had been wondering what family he visited in Pine Bush when he was young so he called his uncle who told him they visited "John who had a sister Regina".  We plan to visit Uncle Johnny at Angela's this weekend and I look forward to sharing news of this visit with him.  Some of you may have already met these Barra cousins but don't quite remember.  In his grandmother's papers we found a photo of Uncle Johnny and Julia that Uncle Johnny had sent probably to Louisa's son Anthony (Mike's father).  Got that?

It was a very nice visit and I appreciated the time they were able to spend with me.  It has renewed my interest in tracking down those Coffarelli siblings! 

Women are from Venus and Men Eat Peach Pie

Maybe you remember a while back I posted about a very nice peach pie that James brought home that I could not face due to peach overload many many years ago. The Great Western NY Peach Glut of 1965 (give or take) completely turned me off to any sort of peach jam, pie, crisp etc.  And I blogged about it.  And I talked about it. 

So, when we stopped at a diner famous for its breads and pies I sent James in to get "whatever you want" (there was my mistake) confident we'd have some delicious sweet bread for morning coffee and a yummy pie for Easter dinner.  Out he comes with rye bread and peach pie.  Rye bread that we could get at any bakery and peach pie that I can't face.  Really???  I'm thinking mostly about how little attention he pays when I talk.  It must be like the Charlie Brown teacher with the blah-blah-blah that he hears.

Then I remembered the CNN article that has given me new and valuable insight to the differences between the male and female brains.  This article states some of these differences very clearly in ways that have saved several tense discussions (some might call them arguments).  Makes me wonder if your mother or grandmothers shook their heads in similar dismay.  Not that your mother or especially your grandmothers would ever even consider stopping at a diner to pick up homemade dessert!  They'd be shaking their heads in dismay at that very act.  Such is life today, right?

Ryan's baseball season has begun and the game schedule is keeping us pretty close to home during this vacation week.  He had a great outing for the second game of the season:  a win as pitcher and going 4/5 with 2 RBIs! 

Happy Birthday Wednesday to Nick, Friday to Thomas and Saturday to Lindsay!!  I've made contact with one of the "long lost Coffarelli cousins" and plan a visit later this week.  I hope to have some good information to share about some of your Coffarelli great aunts and uncles.  Stay tuned!!

Happy Easter!

I hope you are all enjoying the glorious day and have a great Easter!  You can see how I tortured poor Ryan in his youth with new outfits (but it was so much FUN!) Drew looks uncertain.  So does Ryan for that matter. Just look at Drew's legs then!!!  17 years ago.

Easter 1989.  Your Mom looks happy!