He Loved Her Very Much...

and he loved her very well. That's my favorite line from my dad's life celebration. My Mom's birthday is Monday. I think I'll remind her of this. Do you think it will help? Yes, for a moment, it will. Then we'll cry. That's okay, too. It's true. He loved her very, very well. Amazingly well. They were Fortunati

How many candles...

How many candles would Al have on his cake this Sept 9th? That greeted me in my morning inbox. Damn you, yahoo mail. Why not just punch me in the face? 81, in case you feel the need to know. Even if you didn't want to know. Right in the gut. Ouch. I must admit, September is bittersweet. It's hard on my mom, too. If you stopped by because you were thinking of my dad, please think of my mom and give her a call. She would love to hear from you. My dad is missed very much, by so many people. Thank you for being one of them. I am very sorry for our loss. Much love to YOU. Always. I have this on a loop this week. My dad would be pleased. My father said, "We like a little humor with our tragedy. It eases the pain". Feel free to dance! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_0P3oOC5k0

Fortunato?!

I am annoyed that my dad is missing all the good stuff going on with his family and friends. Then it dawned on me, that maybe he isn't missing a trick. We are missing his tricks, though...Fortunato, we were. Fortunato, we are. xo Thanks for stopping by. He's on my mind, too.

Thinking of you...

I shared Dad's quote in school the other day. "It is important to find the humor in every situation. Every tragedy has humor in it and it reduces the trauma of the tragedy." My students think my dad is a very smart man. Made me smile...and cry. Such is life. If you're here reading this, thank you for stopping by. You must be thinking of him today, too. I appreciate the company.

I'm Glad You're Here

Nicest words I've ever heard. I love when I can use them. They're for you today. Thanks for thinking of my dad. He must be thinking of you today. xo

We Are Glad You Are Here

I am glad you found your way back for a visit. Our thoughts are with my dad in September. It is 4 years later, and on September 9th we celebrated my dad's birth. Some days later, we mourned his passing. I tried to spend the next few trying to re-live the days we spent with all of you. Preparing for the celebration of his life and comforting one another. We still need that and I appreciate that you are here. Tomorrow marks his funeral. I think the day calls for solemn gratitude. I'm going for that. My dad was a very special human being. I think you would all agree. Thank you, God, for my dad. And for his friends and family who loved him, too. Whenever two or more of us gather in his name, he is here. He is here. Is that a little corny?! Perfect, now I know he is here! Love you all.

Flickr Photos - Our Trip to Torricella Peligna 2009

A big thank you to Dan Aspromonte for adding these photos - with captions. Italian and English. Dan, my dad would be so proud of you...and mad at me for taking so long to put these up. If you are still looking at this blog you will enjoy the photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/35906137@N05/ It was the BEST way to celebrate my dad. Being with the people of Torricella felt like a gift from my dad. A big hug. We are saving our pennies so we can go back some summer for the music festivals! We'll be back. Ciao, Michelle