LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.  To me this is the most beautiful time of year.  The weather is great and the trees are beautiful.  I could get a little depressed when all the leaves are gone, but then I must get busy preparing for the holidays.

 

This past week I got a visit from the traveling statue of the Blessed Mother.  The statue is staying with me for the week.  Carla Iaquinta and Sheila Lopez delivered the statue to my home and this is a wonderful way to observe the month of the rosary.  I will be sad when she leaves but in the tradition of the traveling statue, she will be visiting another home. I consider this a privilege and I will miss her when she leaves.

 

On Saturday evening I had the privilege of attending the Guzzi family reunion.  For decades, the Guzzi family called East View home.  They were store owners, businessmen, community leaders and hard workers at everything they did.  Jim Guzzi, who is the oldest son of the late Frank and Katy Guzzi, planned and hosted this event for all the cousins to get together.  There were approximately 65 people there and it was wonderful to be able to reminisce with them.

 

The last of the original aunts is Angie Oliverio Guzzi and she was able to attend.  To my knowledge there was a representative from almost every family.  These children are the direct descendants of Jim and Rose Guzzi. The Guzzi family included sons Patsy, Tony, Frank, and Joe; and daughters Rose, Connie, Thelma, Virginia, Betty and little Mary.  They spent their entire lives in East View and after getting married many of them settled in other areas of our Clarksburg.

 

East View was a special and close community for many Italian families including my own.  Visiting with the Guzzi's on Saturday night reminded me so much of the get together my own family shared over the years. 

 

The Guzzi reunion was held at Muriale's in Fairmont.  The food and the friendship was wonderful. All families should plan an event like this just to be able to reconnect with their relatives. It was a happy and fun event and I was so honored to have been invited.  I attended with David and my grandson Ben and his girlfriend Hannah.

 

This past week I celebrated my 77th birthday. How wonderful it was to know that I had reached this wonderful, lucky number.  Over the past year there were times when I was not sure I would be able to. I had many wonderful things happen this week but one of the best were so many well wishes I got on line. I did not delete them as I read them over and over and every time I read them they brought back such wonderful memories.  There were many from family members.

 

Next in line were those received from the many friends of my children.  Each one brought back a special memory; maybe where they lived, how many times they were at our home, the different activities they were in with my kids and on and on. Next were many of my school buddies and classmates.  It is so nice to hear from the kids we grew up with as teenagers and young adults.

 

Then there were those who came from the associations I made all over the United States while a member of the Columbus Foundation or the many clubs I belonged to over the years.  Then there were those just from special neighbors or special friends I have made.  If you go on line why not try sending a birthday message to someone just to make their day.  I know they will appreciate it, as I have.

 

I received an email from Roosevelt-Wilson graduate Larry Jett this week and he advised me that he and his wife had been in Shanghai and were going on to Beijing for a week.  He is fluent in the language and this makes traveling much easier for them.  He advised me that a former Clarksburg resident, Brian Camean, teaches in Zambia.  I understand that he has a newsletter and you can get more information by going on line at https://winewsletterwv.blogspot.com/. I think this is a WI newsletter but has a lot of info about our area.

 

Enjoy the season for soon the snow will be here.  Take care and keep in touch with me at spanishqueen86@aol.com and until next week, “Now You Have Heard It through the Grapevine."