BAD TIME FOR QUEENS KIDS

Lately it's been such a sad time for us kids from 92 Street & St. Gabriel's. Earl's mother died in October, two weeks before his birthday. He & his brother, Jr., were really good kids. Tommy, Jo Anne & Ruthie were also friends of mine from those days. Their mother died last week too. When Earl's mother died I made sure I talked to him on the phone. It was the very first time we'd spoken since we were twelve years old. We haven't seen each other in person since then. I also spoke to Jo Anne on the phone when her mother died. My father was recently rushed to the hospital a while ago too. First he went to the Veteran's Hospital. Then he went to the General Hospital. They're both in Wilkes_Barre. He gets lots of visitors & phone calls. He's been recovering slowly but it's a seriously strenuous time for all. Mary Anne, Steve & Bridget came in for a couple of days last weekend to see how everything's been working out so far. We've spent a lot of time going back & forth to the hospital but my mother & Uncle Frankie are getting a bit too old for this kind of aggravation.

ST. GABRIEL'S

Father's Day, last weekend, went quite well.  As always my parents & I partied with Uncle Frankie & kin from West Wyoming.  Fran came up for the weekend & invited us over to his house for a nice big supper on Saturday & breakfast on Sunday morning.   Recently my mother sent away to QVC for yet another cell phone so she & my father could have one available for when they go out.  Because they really don't need a video camera or anything like that, I got theirs & they now have mine.  I especially like the one I have because it takes very nice pictures & the video camera is quite an interesting perk.  Recently all my St. Gabriel's friends & I got some extremely bad news.  Our beloved school over in East Elmhurst, Queens, recently re~named the La Salle School at St. Gabriel's Parish, will be soon closing down.   Our last reunion will be this coming Saturday, June 25.  I really wish I could have attended but due to circumstances beyond my control there's no way I could possibly get there.  That parish was always the single biggest, most important landmark of my childhood.  A lot of my old St. Gabriel's friends have been joining Facebook lately.  Last Saturday's Carmelite meeting went well.  Sister Mary Robert was there.  We needed her help with the installation of officers.  We meet every third Saturday morning of the month at the Little Flower Manor in Wilkes~Barre at 9:00 a.m. & are always looking for new members.  The weather's been exceptionally nice & warm lately.  It rains quite a lot but we need the rain.  There was an exceptionally violent rainstorm starting at around 4:00 a.m. this morning.   My parents always want me to water their really nice flowers, that they got from Aunt Lauren's farm, but on days like this no extra water will be necessary.  I've been reading a lot lately, especially poetry & Carmelite books.  Two days ago was my cousin Larry's birthday so we all have to say happy birthday to him.   June 18 was also Beatle Sir Paul's birthday.   It's good to see he's still around. 

ST. GABRIEL'S

It's so hard to believe but St. Gabriel's, my grammar school over in East Elmhurst, New York, will be closing down in June. Br. Edward Shields, F.S.C., who has been the principal for the past quite a few years gave us the bad news a couple of days ago. I spent my first six years of grammar school there. The Vincentian Sisters of Charity & De La Salle Christian Brothers, as well as many good lay teachers, gave me quite an exceptional education there. The priests of the Brooklyn Diocese were in charge of the parish. I left Queens right before my twelfth birthday but I shall always remember those days. That parish was quite a fine environment. Now because of the internet I can always keep in touch with all my old friends from there. It's still so sad, though, to see our school close. All good things must come to an eventual end & I haven't been actively involved with the parish or school in the past few decades but those memories of long~gone days will follow us all throughout our lifetimes. It's especially sad that this news comes so soon after the death of Miss Geraldine Watzel, everyone's very favorite second grade teacher. She was a symbol of how good St. Gabriel's was.

R.I.P. MISS WATZEL...THE END OF AN ERA

I just got some very sad news a couple of days ago. Brother Edward Shields, the principal of St. Gabriel's, my old school, in East Elmhurst, recently sent out a Facebook message telling us about the death, last weekend, of Miss Geraldine Watzel. Miss Watzel was my second grade teacher. She was seventy six years old. My old friends & I have always remembered her so fondly. Although I'd never expected to see Miss Watzel again, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a few reunions several years ago at the old parish, where she showed up. Even after so many long decades she was still quite a formidable intimidating character. St. Gabriel's, now the La Salle School at St. Gabriel's Parish, was the most important part of my early days in Queens. My days in that neighborhood & parish have always been a memorable part of my life. Over the course of my educational lifetime I got very many exceptional teachers but Miss Watzel was among the very best & most memorable. I shall have to keep praying for the repose of her soul.

CATHOLIC RADIO

My father's seventy seventh birthday on Saturday started out as an absolute mess. My mother got violently sick around 1:00 a.m. & that led to nothing but trouble. By Sunday though she got better so we went out, with Uncle Frankie, to the Outback Steakhouse in the Hub in Wilkes_Barre. All ultimately ended up working out quite well. I even ended up getting a coupon for another free visit to show for it. My birthday went well too. Mary Anne & family called. I wasn't home when Michael called but I showed up in time for Mary Anne. Two Saturdays ago the owner of the local Catholic radio station, JMJ750 am, stopped me in the parking after 8:00 a.m. Mass at the Oblates' Seminary. He asked if I should be willing to do some volunteer work for him & his wife from now on. Their names are Ed & Carol. Ed told me to show up at 1:30 on Monday. I got there a bit early & was kept waiting because no one else showed up until quite a bit after that. I started working with Bob the engineer, who showed me a lot of things I shall have to get to know how to do. Lynn Marie, from our young adult group, was being interviewed by Carol & two other women, Arlene & Anne Marie. I called Lynn Marie last week to see if the young adult group was still in existence. It's still advertised in the Catholic Light. She said it's gone until further notice. Fr. McKernan's bible study group at O.L. Sorrows has been doing quite well so far. Happy birthdays this monthish also go out to Jo Anne from Queens, Maria's cousin Roseanna (Dino's wife), my old pal Henry from S.U.N.Y. Farmingdale's mail room & the postal service in Melville, Mike from high school & cousin Mike, as well as to Eddie & Jessica, two of the cousins' kids. I've probably already mentioned a couple of them. By now we have gotten through most of the annual novena to St. Therese of Lisieux at the Maronite church of St. Anthony & St. George in Wilkes_Barre. As usual I missed a few days. I got a cake & cupcakes at their bake sale. Most of the times I go through that neighborhood I see policemen constantly pulling people over. There's a high crime rate in that part of the city.