No One Is Alone from "Into the Woods"

Another beautiful lyric which I would like to share.

The incomparable Bernadette Peters sings "No One Is Alone"

CINDERELLA
Mother cannot guide you.
Now you're on you're own.
Only me beside you.
Still, you're not alone.
No one is alone, truly.
No one is alone.

Sometimes people leave you
halfway through the wood.
Others may deceive you.
You decide what's good.
You decide alone.
But no one is alone.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
I wish...

CINDERELLA(To Little Red)
I know... 
Mother isn't here now. BAKER(to Jack) 
Wrong things, right things...
Who knows what she'd say?
Who can say what's true?
Nothing's quite so clear now- 
Do things, fight things...
Feel you've lost your way? 
You decide, but
You are not alone, You are not alone.
Believe me.
No one is alone. 
No one is alone,
Believe me.
Truly...

BOTH
You move just a finger,
Say the slightest word,
Something's bound to linger,
Be heard. 
No one acts alone.
Careful, no one is alone.
CINDERELLA
People make mistakes. People make mistakes.
Fathers,
Mothers,

BOTH
People make mistakes,
Holding their own,
Thinking they're alone.

CINDERELLA
Honor their mistakes... 
Fight for their mistakes-
Everybody makes-

BOTH
One another's 
Terrible mistakes.
Witches can be right,
Giants can be good.
You decide what's right,
You dedide what's good.

CINDERELLA
Just remember:

BAKER
Just remember:

BOTH
Someone is on your side.

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD & JACK
Our side.

CINDERELLA & BAKER
Our side-
Someone else is not.
While we're seeing our side-

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD & JACK
Our side....

CINDERELLA & BAKER
Our side-

ALL
Maybe we forgot:
They are not alone.
No one is alone.

CINDERELLA
Hard to see the light now.

BAKER
Just don't let it go.

BOTH
Things will come out tight now.
We can make it so.
Someone is on you side,
No one is alone. 

I've Never Been So Low on Love

Another one of my favorites from Barry Manilow's "2:00 AM Paradise Cafe".  In my opinion it's a classic.

I've Never Been So Low On Love

We'll I've never been so low on love
And I know I never hurt so bad
I never tried so hard
Just to see it fall apart
Just to lose the sweetest love I ever had

We'll I've never been so low on love
And I know I'll never be the same
I know you meant to stay
So if I drove you away
Oh I know that I'm the only one to blame

They say that every day
should make me stranger
and one day I won't think of you at all
but every day you're gone the days get longer
and all I do is wait for you to call

We'll I've never been so low on love
And I know that as the years go by
I'll still be lovin' you
When I'm holdin' someone new
And when I think about the tears
you made me cry
I know you never really cared enough
And I've never been so low on love


Songwriters:  Barry Manilow and Marty Panzer

Once Upon a Time

I have always loved this melody and lyric.  The innocence and ignorance  of youth is something you become more aware of as you age.  Missed opportunities. Too concerned about the opinions of others.  If only I could do it all over again.

A girl with moonlight in her eyes

Put her hand in mine

And said she loved me so

But that was once upon a time

Very long ago

Once upon a hill

We sat beneath a willow tree
Counting all the stars and waiting for the dawn
But that was once upon a time
Now the tree is gone

How the breeze ruffled through her hair
How we always laughed as though tomorrow wasn't there
We were young and didn't have a care
Where did it go

Once upon a time
The world was sweeter than we knew
Everything was ours
How happy we were then
But somehow once upon a time
Never comes again

Once upon a time
Never comes again

"Once Upon a Time" is a song with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams from the 1962 musical All American.

What I Have Done Since Retirement

I retired from teaching in June of 2008.  Since then life has been quite good!  Here's a list of what I have done in a little over two years.

Major Trips or at least an overnight:

California Trip (July '08)

New Orleans Trip (October '08)

Atlantic City Trip (November '08)

London  (March '09)

Madison, WI  (May '09)

Stockbridge, MA (July '09)

Ogunquit (July '09)

Providence, RI (August '09)

Las Vegas (October '09)

Vienna, Budapest, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia (October '10)

Day Trips

Block Island

Nantucket

Thimble Islands

Martha's Vineyard

Boston:  4^th of July

Lighthouse Cruise 

Wagner College ("Tommy" and Brigadoon")

 Abbey of Regina Laudis, Lourdes Shrine & Topsmead 

Tanglewood

Guildford Fair

Seville Dam, Old New Gate Prison

Big E (2)

Southford Falls and Kettletown

Mount Tom State Park

Chatfield Hollow

Yale Tour

New Haven Church Tour, State Street Building and East Rock

Steep Rock Reservation

North Guilford Country Fair

Palace Theater Tour

Ivoryton Playhouse ("The Full Monty")

Long Wharf Theater

Goodspeed Opera House

Sharon Playhouse ("Oklahoma")

NYC:  "La Cage", "Next Fall" 

NYC:  Cathedral of Saint John the Devine, Morning Side area and  "A Little Night Music"

Kent Falls, Bull's Bridge and Cornwall Covered Bridge

Patty LuPone @ Caramoor 

Carnegie Hall Series (5 recitals 2010-11

NYCO:  Music of Bernstein, Music of Schwartz & "A Quiet Place

NYCO Backstage Tour

Sister Teresita Catalano, OSU Celebrates 60th Jubilee

On my post of July 14th I spoke about the influence of Sister Teresita on my life.  Sister celebrated her 60th Jubilee of entering the order of the Ursuline Sisters of Tildonk on September 8th of this year.  I sent her a dozen roses and had another wonderful conversation with her that night on the telephone.  Unfortunately, the official celebration at the Mother House in Blue Point, New York will be in October while I'm away on my trip to Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia.  There was also a celebration of all the jubilarians on September 14th at St. Agnes Cathedral in her diocese.  Below is a tribute which was published in the Sunday Bulletin of Saint William the Abbott Church where Sister Teresita currently resides.


From the Pastor’s Desk:  Saint William the Abbott Church (Seaford, Long Island)

Our other honoree is Sr. Teresita Catalano, OSU, who will be celebrating her sixtieth year in religious life at a special Mass at St. Agnes Cathedral this Tuesday, with other jubilarians from the diocese.  Sr. Teresita has a great fondness for the Feast of the Nativity of Mary because it was the name of her home parish; she began her religious life on the Feast of the Nativity (Sept. 8, 1950); and her first teaching assignment was at Nativity School in Ozone Park. In later assignments, Sister taught at Our Lady of Victory in West Haven, CT, at St. William the Abbot School (1966-68), at Our Lady of Grace School in Howard Beach, and again at Nativity, where she served as principal. Before coming again to St. William’s in 1979 to teach music, she also served at other Ursuline institutions, such as their retreat house in Oyster Bay and a home for the mentally handicapped. Throughout these years, Sr. Teresita also taught in the Religious Education programs of her parishes. After retiring in 2002, she continues to give piano lessons at the convent here in the parish. Sr. Teresita has made many friends and admirers after her many years at St. William’s, and on behalf of the parish she has served so well, I congratulate her and ask God to continue to bless her.

Sister Teresita (standing)

60th Jubilee Celebration October 16, 2010

Sister Teresita (seated far left)

60th Jubilee Celebration at St. Agnes Cathedral

May 19, 2012 The Nativity BVM Alumni Association held a luncheon honoring Sr. Marguerite Torre's 60th Anniversary as an Ursuline Sister.  Sister Teresita Catalano, OSU is on the far left. 

And So It Goes

There are songs that you know you are going to love only after hearing the first chord.  For me, that was the case with Billy Joel's  "And So it Goes".  I'm so thankful that the beautiful melody is matched with such a plaintive lyric.

In every heart there is a room 
A sanctuary safe and strong 
To heal the wounds from lovers past 
Until a new one comes along 

I spoke to you in cautious tones 
You answered me with no pretense 
And still I feel I said too much 
My silence is my self defense 

And every time I've held a rose 
It seems I only felt the thorns 
And so it goes, and so it goes 
And so will you soon I suppose 

But if my silence made you leave 
Then that would be my worst mistake 
So I will share this room with you 
And you can have this heart to break 

And this is why my eyes are closed 
It's just as well for all I've seen 
And so it goes, and so it goes 
And you're the only one who knows 

So I would choose to be with you 
That's if the choice were mine to make 
But you can make decisions too 
And you can have this heart to break 

And so it goes, and so it goes 
And you're the only one who knows. 

Smile

Charlie Chaplin

Smile though your heart is aching 

Smile even though it's breaking. 

When there are clouds in the sky 

you'll get by. 

If you smile through your fear and sorrow 

Smile and maybe tomorrow 
You'll see the sun shining through 
For you. 
Light up your face with gladness, 

Hide every trace of sadness. 
Although a tear may be ever so near 
That's the time you must keep on trying 
Smile, what's the use of crying. 
You'll find that life is still worthwhile- 
If you just smile.

Composed by Charlie Chaplin, Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons

Success

When I was in high school, someone wrote to Ann Landers and ask her if she had a good definition for "success".  She responded by printing the quote below.  I cut it out . . . laminated it and carried it in my wallet for years.  I never forgot it, especially the line "To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived . . .  this is to have succeeded."  For years Ralph Waldo Emerson had been given credit for this "definition" but it seems that that is not the case.  You can find further information about the whole history behind this verse in search of success.  No matter who wrote it, it certainly is achievable.

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded.

--- inaccurately attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson

States I Have Visited

Up until July of 2007 I had never been off the East Coast and most of that was limited to New England.  Since then I have been to half the states (even though a couple of them were nothing more than airport stops transferring flights to be honest).  Believe it or not, I have never been to Florida and it really isn't high on my list of places to go.  I don't "do heat" too well.   Here's where I've been so far:

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Georgia (airport in Atlanta)

Idaho

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Montana

Michigan (airport in Detroit)

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Dakota

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Countries I Have Visited

I have been most fortunate to have travelled to 31 different countries/municipalities since 1991 when I travelled outside the USA for the first time.  Here is a list of where I have been and includes three new countries I will be visiting in October (Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia).  I have also included the year that I visited each country.

AUSTRIA (93, 95, 10))

BELARUS (04)

BELGIUM (93)

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA (10)

CANADA (94, 96, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 07) 

CROATIA (10)

CZECH REPUBLIC (95)

DENMARK (97)

ENGLAND (91, 93,  97 ,98, 03, 04, 09)

ESTONIA (04)

FINLAND (04)

FRANCE (93)

GERMANY (93, 95)

HOLLAND (93)

HUNGARY (95, 10)

IRELAND (91)

ITALY (93)

LATVIA (04)

LICHENSTEIN (93)

LITHUANIA (04)

MEXICO (08)

MONACO (93)
MONTENEGRO (10)
NORWAY (97)

POLAND (95)

RUSSIA (04)

SCOTLAND (91)

SERBIA (10)

SLOVAKIA (95)

SWEDEN (97)

SWITZERLAND (93)

WALES (91)

32  Countries as of 10/17/10