Reunion of Immaculation Conception School

Since I am a toastmaster and I will be at a reunion in a few weeks, I need a nice Toast for the group. of people I haven't seen in 30 something years. Some of them I don't remember at all. Some I may actually never even have spoken to. I went to Catholic School, Immaculate Conception School. In Stapleton, Staten Island.

What do I remember from those days?

My best friend for almost all 8 years was Lila.
She lived close by. I played with Lila and her sisters, Marla and Cynthia since I was 5 years old.

Monica lived nearby.

Regina lived close.

Jeanne Marie and Debbie lived down the street.

Maryann lived across the street from the church. We actually counted the Sunday collection for a while. That was when we had to go to church. We had to put the little envelopes in numerical order so they could take attendance and see if Sr. Elizabeth had to talk to you about skipping Mass! We did this for maybe a few months. I think we talked too much and thay had to get new recruits.

I remember Sr. Cathleen (eighth) was strict. Mr. Garrett (seventh) was interesting, the first and only male teacher we had. Sr. Eileen (fifth) was a character. She told me I should take cod liver oil. I've never taken cod liver oil, but I can't think of anything that sounds more disgusting (Cod? LIVER?! Yuk!).

Mrs. Moriarity in 4th grade was my favorite teacher. She used to have multiplication table bees. Not spelling, multiplication!

Mrs. O'Callahan. Third.
Mrs. Wranovix. Second.
Sr. Patricia who later changed her name to Sr. Mary.

You may notice I skipped sixth.In sixth grade we started the year with a pretty young nun, named Sr. Margaret. She must have left after a few weeks. Then we got Mrs. Benedetto. I don't remember much about her.

Quotations about Graceful Aging

Oprah:
Whether you're 28 or 88, you've probably stamped yourself with a label. Look at the label that comes with your age, then replace it with the one that reflects the reality of your life. I know for sure that every birthday, you decide whether to make it the end of your greatest days or the beginning of your finest hour. Your call.

Katharine Hepburn:
I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun.

George Sand:
It is a mistake to regard age as a downhill grade toward dissolution. The reverse is true. As one grows older, one climbs with surprising strides.

Carol Channing:
This is the best time in my life -- the first eighty years are definitely the hardest.

Oprah, again:
All these years I've been taking lessons from life experiences and feeling like I was growing into myself. Finally, I feel grown, more like myself than I've ever been. If it's true what Maya Angelou says--that the fifties represent everything you were meant to be--all I can say is WATCH OUT!

Time Heals

Quotation of the Month (July 2010)

Time heals all wounds and wounds all heels.

Who said it?

Most people would attribute this to Chaucer. In Troilus & Criseyde he says (in Old English): "As tyme hem hurt, a tyme doth hem cure"

However some people may argue that someone said this even earlier, Menander (342BC-291BC) in Greek: "Time is the healer of all necessary evils."

My father, Victor J. Dolan said it this way.

But apparently he was combining 2 expressions into one.

"Time heals all wounds" is an American Proverb.

"Time wounds all heels," was a variation attributed to a commedienne who regularly worked on the radio, during its heyday, Jane Sherwood Ace.

June 28

Helen Keller was born June 27,1880.

Gilda Radner was born June 28,1946.

Mel Brooks is 84 today.
Kathy Bates is 62.
John Elway is 50.
John Cusack is 44.

Today I am 47 again. I'm 47 and holding. 47 is my lucky number. And my real age, according to RealAge.com.

If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.
Tallulah Bankhead (1903 - 1968)
If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.
Mary Pickford (1893 - 1979)
If I had my life to live over... I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.
Nadine Stair

Rainbow

"May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.

May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.

May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.

And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through."

- An Irish Blessing

Tuesday Afternoon

Monday is named for the Moon. El Lunes en espanol.

Wednesday is named for Woden, somehow related to Mercury. El Miercoles en espanol.

Saturday is named for Saturn.

But what about Tuesday?

Tuesday is named for Tiw, a Norse god of War and Law. And in many places Tuesday is named for the planet Mars. Mars is the Roman god of war. El Martes en Espanol.

Public Speaking

I hate the spotlight.

And several times in TM, members have said that all the attention should be on YOU. I always used visual aids, because I was more comfortable with the audience looking at them than looking at me.

Time to get over it. That's why I'm in TM. I can speak if I'm allowed to prepare the speech and practice.

I do have a talent for facial expressions!

Also, I think I'm funny. But I'm petrified that no one will laugh. Actually I'm petrified that no one will laugh except me. I have a subtle sense of humor and sometimes people don't get it. I did a workshop in costume 2 years ago and no one realized it. No one except people I had been talking to all weekend. I think I could be funny. I could do that stand up thing. Once people start laughing, they usually keep going..... Because I know ther have been studies done and the only thing that consistently makes people laugh is hearing other people laughing. That's why they have laugh tracks on TV. Still I try to be humorous, but the last time I did a speech at TM they didn't laugh at the first one and I got more nervous.

Laughter is a funny thing. Funny strange, not funny ha-ha. Children laugh more than 100 times per day. Adults average about 17 times per day. What a tragedy. When was the last time you had a good belly laugh?