Many of you have read this or heard about it already, but I thought you might enjoy reading some of it at your leisure.  It's from one of Amy's senior essays so it's 6 years old now but no less true:

As I get out of the car I almost trip and fall flat on my face because my feet fell asleep and my legs are so cramped from the 5 hour car ride.  In my head I am thinking I am about to be attacked by 28 short Italian relatives. That means 28 hugs, 28 kisses on the cheek, 28 "Oh look at you, you're all grown up!" and 28 people all talking at the same time, asking you how your life is going.  That would be my dad's side of the family, or as you will get to know them: the Dalpiaz side.

On the other had, you have my mom's side.  These are the Ryans.  On the scale of relatives (not like there is one, but I just made it up), they are on complete opposite ends.  The trip to the Ryans is usually about an hour (less the way my dad drives but that is besides the point).  When we get there, 16 people sitting around, on the couch, the chairs or the ground and they just kind of acknowledge you and go back to what there were talking about before.  

The essay goes on with some additional examples of the differences between the families.  She wasn't wrong and it occurred to me that it's very much in line with how my family history research goes.  Your Italians (every single one an Italian--if you ignore the Austrian border business) generally have a well documented history.  The stories told by your parents and your aunts and uncles are full of specific details and always check out as accurately told.  Your immediate ancestors generally lived in urban areas opening up all kinds of areas for study.  Records exist and are available.It's a "piece of cake" compared to the Irish.

The Irish in my family are the majority but we also have one stray German and one English family to trace.  Irish records are notoriously difficult and lacking in availability.  My immediate ancestors lived in rural areas except for all the fishermen in Gloucester Massachusetts.  The Irish aren't always so forthcoming with those details so eagerly sought by people like me.  And the stories....well, let me just say I don't write them down in pen.


As a result, I've developed a wide range of research skills which have served me well in many other areas of my life as well.  In the past, I have also noted that James and I grew up differently but also the same in many ways.  This has also served me well!

This seems like a good time to "confess" that my year of birth isn't listed correctly on the family information sheet.  I was born in 1956 so I'm a year older than some of you realized.  I will be 55 on my birthday--I'm calling it my Emancipation Day.  Those of you who teach or work in state government know that turning 55 is the magic key to retirement.  I'm not planning to retire immediately but it will be nice to go to work each day making the conscious choice to be there.  And my first choice will be to take a long weekend in the home of my paternal ancestors Gloucester MA!

Pepper Spray, Stun Guns and Sugar Free Fudge

Yes, that's a sign we saw on the roadside while we were in Erie PA this weekend and I think it nicely sums up how this post is likely to go.  A little bit of this, a little bit of that -- mostly sugar free.

I think you will forgive me as the last two weekends have been spent at family weddings.  The big family events this year started Memorial Day weekend and ended Columbus Day weekend!  It was a wonderfully wild ride.  And I got the news about Brad and Cheryl during the very last wedding reception!  Congratulations to both of you and your families.

We went to see Amy this weekend and even though it's a long drive, I enjoyed every minute of all 10 hours as the leaves were just gloriously beautiful at every turn along the way.  This was a bonus I was not expecting.  We got a zoo tour from Amy and met the macaw (I think it's Jasper) that hates her.  We witnessed this bird trying to chew off her proffered finger while allowing all other fingers to point and wiggle away without so much as an attempt to snip.  It was pretty amazing.

We also met the orangutan (can't remember his name at all) who blew kisses to her--really!

It was a great visit. 

Now I've been VERY negligent with the birthday greetings, so allow me a minute for some shout-outs:  Happy Birthday Mallory, Marisa, Hailey, Sarah, Bob and Drew (I'm so very far behind).  But I have a little present, especially for Sarah.

Amy wrote a little booklet when she was about the same age Sarah is now called "This Book is for Girls Getting Boyfriends".  It's not easy to read so allow me to transcribe:  "Getting a boyfriend is not easy.  But if you want one take these ideas.  You have to hang around him 1 week.  After a week ask him,"Would you like to be my boyfriend?"  If he says yes to to the next page.  If he says NO you might want to not read this (You still can though).  OK, now you've got a boyfriend.  If your boyfriend gets in trouble 20 times....Dump him.  If he doesn't, keep him.  Well, I have a boyfriend that always gets in trouble, his name is Louis.  He has light yellow hair, he is tall and handsome.  You will like your boyfriend you want to know why?  He CAN NO the jobs while you are resting. Have fund with boyfriend.  Remember...boyfriends are very tricky.

Be kind regarding the grammar and spelling--Amy was victim to the Whole Language movement (yikes!!  didn't do her any favors at all). 

So there you have it for now.  Pepper spray (late birthday greetings); stun guns (orangutans and macaws) and sugar free fudge (Boyfriends can be tricky).

2011

2003

I guess football is on my mind this week.  It was Homecoming for us, Fall Equinox, and Dalpiaz Family Fantasy Football!  Then Kathleen and Nick's pictures came through so I stole this one of Brandon (looking so very grown up) so that I could see what it looked like next to this one of Ryan.  

I've been reading a blog called The Occasional CEO and this week's post reminds us that no matter how much it seems things change, they mostly stay the same.  And while it seems change comes one on top of another at an amazingly rapid rate, this isn't "news".  Hasn't Margarine Always Looked Like Butter? points this out within the parameters of the annual Beloit College Mindset List. This list outlines what the lives of incoming freshmen has been like in order to understand their mindset.  It uses comparisons their professors should be able to relate to.  I was reminded of this very mindset last week as I was describing "the library card catalog" to the 7th graders and their teacher pointed out that the students may not understand why I call it a CARD catalog. Hmmmm.......  Point taken.

I admit that I wasn't consciously aware that margarine didn't always resemble butter.  Brandon looks like Ryan.  Margarine looks like butter.  What's your mindset?  Be mindful that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Jesse and Lindsay Find Someone to Love

What a night!The ceremony was wonderfully meaningful and genuine and I'm so glad we were able to bear witness to Jesse and Lindsay's vows.  It was like they looked into my heart and said to themselves "How can we make Patty Anne as happy as she can be?"  Ancestry, Celtic traditions, mothers kissing children, song, sunset and twinkling lights.  Yes, I do remember the night was about them and not about me....... Thank you Lindsay and Jesse!  We wish you all the best.

I only took a few pictures but it's fun to see all the smiling faces.  We started this party sometime around Memorial Day, right?  And now we are a the end of this particular string of events.  Hard to believe. 

First "Official" Grandchild

A while back, I mentioned that Aunt Mary told me that your Grand Uncle Peter Manzelli was married and had a daughter and later lived with another woman ("that Nervo girl") with whom he had no other children.  She didn't say what happened to his wife but she did say that "this makes Johnny the first official grandchild" of Joe and Jennie Manzelli. 

This haunted me for a long time.  First of all, there was the mystery of this marriage and little girl.  Then there's the intriguing sentiment that whatever happened with the marriage negated the child's status in some manner.  So I tackled the "easier" of these two:  the marriage and the little girl. 

A random message that came to me through Ancestry.com (which you've all heard makes this job so EASY PEAZY) motivated me to take a few extra research steps.  I was able to obtain Peter's 1921 marriage certificate. 

Peter and Mildred appear in the 1930 census living in Queens.  I learned that Peter was a chauffeur and that Mildred's parents were Swedish.  Daughter Evelyn is 8 years old in 1930 so I believe she was born about 1922.  My Ancestry.com message mate indicated that Evelyn married then divorced Jack Carman (or Carmen) and died in 1972 which would have made her only about 50 years old. 

Evelyn was about 2 years older than Uncle Johnny.  With apologies to Aunt Mary, genealogically speaking:  Evelyn is the first official grandchild of Joe and Jennie Manzelli.  Although I believe there were probably very good reasons for the social mores that dictated official status of the line of descendancy, I guess I'm glad those "rules" have relaxed a bit and we can kiss and hug all the babies equally.

There is still the mystery of their marriage and Evelyn's life, but perhaps one day we'll find some more cousins!  Also take note on the marriage certificate that their witnesses were Eugene and Amelia Russo.  Amelia was Peter's aunt (sister to Marguerite) and the Russo connection is another Ancestry.com message mate!  He provided pictures such as this one

I am sure I've posted this before, but it seemed appropriate with the upcoming wedding events!  See you all soon!

Every now and again, we (and by that I mean ME) have to make new rules around the house.  I'm sure it's the same at your house.  Last week, James took the air conditioners and the fans from the windows and put them away.  It wasn't even September yet, but I could see some sense in taking the air conditioners out.  But not the fans!  I usually take that stuff out at the end of September but keep the fans on hand.  Sure enough, we (and by that I mean I) had to drag the fans out again last night.  Yikes it was humid!


So here's the new rule:  The fans can be put away when I stop shaving my legs with the straight razor for purposes of wearing shorts.  There. 

My new "rule" for the upcoming school year is based on the Staples Back to School supply commercials.  There's an elementary teacher needing glitter and tape that sticks; a music teacher singing about denim needs; and a gym teacher swinging down from the ceiling with a jump drive.  He says he doesn't know what a jump drive is, but those kids are going to be jumping.  He tells us that our kids will be having "a year long tug-of-war with the ceiling".  And therein lies my new daily motto. 

I will face each crazy new initiative or state guideline or administrative directive with the resolve it takes to play tug-of-war with the ceiling.  For some of these challenges, I may decide to just bat the rope to the side and move forward.  I may decide to climb that rope (however long it takes) just to touch the ceiling.  Seems like a logical enough motto for my 33rd year of teaching.

And to all of you going back into classrooms or school offices:  May the rope be with you!

Labor Day 2011

These are my last roses for Summer 2011.  I was amazed at how healthy they looked after getting beat up by mean Irene last weekend.  I am grateful for their pretty color among the wind strewn leaves, broken twigs and other debris.  But there is something out of place about pretty pink flowers in the garden in September. 

This is the ages-old tree that's been out in the front of our school since the school began 76 years ago.  It was diseased and scheduled to be removed soon but storm damage dictated an earlier demise.  It did not fare Hurricane Irene as well as those little roses did.  This tree has seen a whole lot of the history of our school and town and my heart was broken at the thought of bringing it down.  We had staff days this week filled with buzzing saws in the background and the occasional thud.  Watching the progress made me teary eyed.  Now it's just a blank spot out there.  This is where Jim's last concert was held and that tree provided shade and comfort that night.  No longer. 

It was necessary to take the tree down and I thought I would be one of a few "old timers" distressed by this but I was wrong!  Recently graduated students put up a Facebook page mourning the passing of this tree! I was very surprised by their reaction.  It took taking that tree down for me to know there are other (younger generation) people who cared about it too.  I think that discovery will help overcome my feeling of loss.  There will be something out of place about that hole in the front yard, but I take comfort in knowing I"m not alone in missing the great tree.