IT'S RAINING AGAIN

Yesterday I watched yet another James Bond movie. I saw "A View To A Kill" with Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Grace Jones, Dolph Lundgren & Tanya Roberts. They were all really famous during that era. My father & Uncle Frankie went to the big mini_me Yankee game game last night. I could have gone but I've never liked sports. Of the people who showed up for the Fourth of July, the last of them should be on their way home by now. Today we bid a rousing happy sixty ninth birthday to the oldest Beatle, Ringo Starr, M.B.E. It's also Michael's twenty seventh birthday over in North Tonawanda. He's my cousin Mary Ellen's son. A little while ago it started absolutely pouring out again. The weather goes in odd streaks like that these days. I've gotten back to playing my guitars again these days, now that they've been re_strung.

SATURDAY IN THE PARK

This year's Fourth of July in Hilldale is now history. All went quite well. The food was suitably fattening. It rained entirely too much on Friday but we stayed on the patio & avoided any excess water. Around eighty five people showed up. Richie, Sean, Frank & I went out for guitar strings. There was a poker game & an interesting video of the Ronald's navy cronies. Larry & Rose's anniversary was July 3 & Elaine & George's was the fifth. Aunt Helen's birthday was also the fifth. Buffalo Michael's birthday is tomorrow. The whole thing started in 1961. Everyone put up quite a fight over exactly when the fiftieth anniversary should be. The kids went to Dorney Park one day. I got Steve to help me put in my DVD player/VCR. Vinnie wanted me to try to find a copy of the Beatles' "Help!" DVD for him so I got it on Friday at Barnes & Noble in Wilkes_Barre. On Saturday the Fourth we went over to the park, as virtually always, to play our softball game. Someone just had to say it: "Saturday in the park, I think it was the Fourth of July." I didn't bother to play the entire game but got up to bat once. I, believe it or not, got a base hit & RBI. Because I didn't bother to put on sun block soon enough, though, I got a sunburn & spent all day yesterday with a miserable headache. Tonight my father & Uncle Frankie are supposed to go to see the Mini_me Yankees play. Richie recently caught a picture of Java & Nunziata at a Yankee game. To everyone's chagrin, Fr. Walsh has left O.L. Sorrows. Saturday morning was his last Mass. There was a visiting priest this weekend. Our new pastor will be arriving soon.

JULY

Today is the very first day of a brand spanking new month. Lately it's been raining extremely violently for a little while at a time several days a week. Yesterday, besides early in the afternoon, it also started pouring after I went to bed last night. Both storms included thunder & lightning. Mary Anne took Bridget to Scranton yesterday to see their coal mine exhibit. Fortunately they beat the bad weather. Bridget told me this morning that she's going to Dorney Park tomorrow. Tonight I have to go to O.L. Mt. Carmel in Pittston for another of those meetings. I've read Pope John Paul II's encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" twice over so I'm as ready as I shall ever be. Steve's big concert was last night. Lately I've been re_reading Jane Austen's "Northanger Abbey" & all those other books. I've been reading Keats' poetry too. Today people will started filing into Hilldale for the big Fourth of July bash. A lot of people won't be available until at least Friday. Some will be completely unavailable. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.