It is with a very heavy heart that I tell you, we have lost a member of the WordPress community, a man who was a very dear friend to me and my family, and who treated my daughter like a sister. They were movie buddies, among other hobbies.
John Freda passed away this morning from COVID-19. He was 51 years young.
John has a blog on WP called The Magic Shop. He truly enjoyed writing and I truly enjoyed our banter back and forth about it. We kept each other in line, making sure we were writing, even if we didn’t feel like it. He had been quiet for most of this year, trying to find his way back to putting pen to paper. He truly enjoyed Fandango’s FOWC, and participated in it frequently.
John was a gentle soul, a man who would give you anything he could. I am honored to be able to call him my friend, my dear friend.
Please keep his Mom & Dad in your prayers. Both have the virus. Mom is on a ventilator, Dad fell and broke his back. Neither know they have lost their son…
UPDATE: The person who tagged my blog has removed the link back and the problem has been solved (I hope).
HELP!
I decided to look at my site today on my desktop computer and discovered another site that had linked back to mine has plopped a photo of a lighthouse on EVERY FREAKING PAGE!!! This is only visible on a desktop or laptop. It doesn’t show on the phone or the WP App.
The photo is not in my media so I can’t delete it. There is no code visible to me in the editor. I am so pissed right now!!
I unapproved the link back, but nothing changed because it’s still linked on their page. I messaged them but have not heard back. I also contacted our lovely Happiness Engineers, and haven’t heard from them as of yet
Is there a way to block a site from mine? I did it once before from the App but I don’t see it anymore.
I hope you’re all safe within the confines of your homes, and haven’t caused bodily harm to any family member also trapped inside with you.
In all seriousness…I do hope you are well. We’re all good here. The town shuts down at 8PM. Food establishments can remain open but for take out only. I can’t visit my mom because the nursing home is on lock-down. No one in or out!! Hubby still has to work because he cannot work from home, and Lys has had all her pet sitting jobs cancelled. But better safe than sorry. Who knows what could happen. Hopefully, social distancing will help contain the beast that is COVID-19.
Please heed the guidelines put forth by your local & state government. It’s for your, and everyone else’s, protection.
This is a bit long, but I hope you’ll take the time to read until the end. Thanks!
It’s a funny thing, what we call life. You never quite know what to expect, even if you think you do. It’s been awhile since I’ve placed my hands on the keyboard and typed in this little space I once called home. I’ve been away. No, not on vacation, although I’m pretty sure I could use one. It’s because I haven’t had the real desire to sit down and write. And that scares me.
This past weekend has been one filled with great emotion. Some happy, some sad, and some worried.
On Saturday, we celebrated our dearest friend, Jim, as the town of Ossining, NY, named a street after him. It was on the corner of Sherman Place where they unveiled the new sign, honoring a man who had given many years to the fire dept, and later became a crossing guard, knowing each child by name and loving every minute if it. In the end, he fought a tough battle with pancreatic cancer, until he could fight no more.
James Drohan Jr, proudly unveiling the street sign bearing his father’s name – James Drohan Sr. Place.
James Drohan, Sr. was my husband’s best friend, having worked with Jim for many years at AIG. They ate lunch together every day, laughed and cried together, and became almost inseparable. Jim treated my kids as his own, and always called with silly ways to make me laugh. I miss him terribly, but I was honored by his friendship and by attending his street naming. ❤
On Sunday, we said goodbye to another dear friend, Frank. He was a bright star in our world, and especially our church. He was nicknamed “the voice of Sunday morning” because he would read passages from the bible during Pastor Charlie’s sermons. Frank was diagnosed last year, with pancreatic cancer. I can’t tell you how hard it is to type those two words. We have now lost two men very dear to us, to this dreaded disease, of which there is still no cure.
Alyssa and Frank at Yankee Stadium. They also made it onto the big screen!
Frank was a huge Yankees fan and when Alyssa was going through a rough time with her health, he asked me if I thought it would be okay to ask her to go to a game with him. Of course, I said yes! Not only did he take her to the game, but they toured Monument Park, with Alyssa (as she told me) amazed by Frank’s knowledge of the Yankees legends. On Sunday, March 8, we will honor Frank by wearing our Yankees shirts to his memorial service at Marantha..
And finally, yesterday, Alyssa spent the day in the ER, experiencing more health issues. It’s been a rough 30 years for my baby girl, but she plows through like a champ! She’s home now, and back to her dog walking obligations. She’s a tough cookie, and I’m so proud of her!
I, too, have had a setback with my health, but I refuse to allow it to tear me down. Although I haven’t been writing as much as I’d like, I am working on a book, chronicling my health issue over the past year. It’s a mix of prose and poetry, and I’m hoping it will be complete by the summer, this year.
Thanks for reading this far. I miss all of you, and hope to get back to blogging, and poetry, very soon. Until then, be well, dear friends.
Today, in the United States of America, we celebrate Veterans Day. A day to honor the men and women who have fought in war, and fought for our freedoms, so that we may live as a free nation. Originally named Armistice Day, Congress changed the name in June 1954. In 1971, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday in October, but was later moved back to November 11 beginning in 1978.
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“On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.”1
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Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day. Memorial Day is the day we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, who laid down their lives so that American’s could be free, free to choose, free to vote, free to live life.
We are and ever shall remain
“One Nation Under God, Indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for All.”
The next time you see a veteran, shake his or her hand, put your hand over your heart, just say Thank You. You don’t have to support war, but we do have to support our fellow Americans.
Thank you, to all the men and women of our military, here and away from home. My heart goes out to you and your families. I stand proud of my country because of you.
John has a blog on WP called The Magic Shop. He truly enjoyed writing and I truly enjoyed our banter back and forth about it. We kept each other in line, making sure we were writing, even if we didn’t feel like it. He had been quiet for most of this year, trying to find his way back to putting pen to paper. He truly enjoyed Fandango’s FOWC, and participated in it frequently.
Night Owl Poetry - Dorinda Duclos 