At last the rain stopped! It has been going now for three days! June noted that it seems we moved to Seattle…the rain capital of USA…Another thought was one more day and we’d start building the Ark. It made 1996 a record weather year at both ends. In January it set a mark of 36 plus inches of snow in one day and now here in December it set, with the help of the other eleven months, a record for rain. It was over 55 inches for the year! The record for the rain goes all the way back in 1873 (if you really care to know.) So 1996 will be a “Weather Record Year” if nothing else. We’d be happy not to be a party to any more such records, thank you!!
The year also closes the “record” on the firm (?) of “McSorley and McSorley”. There remains some matters to be ended still, namely two domestic relations case and two adoptions. One of the family law matter I hope to refer out and one of the adoptions Richard T. will handle the hearing…the end is near even if some things linger. As you can envision closing a law office is not quite a matter of shutting the office door and disconnecting the phone. I have some 200 original wills. I have directed letters to all indicating I wish their instructions regarding them. Some are more than 20 years old and we are getting a great number of returned envelopes advising us that the address is no longer apt…so we linger though the end is near. Today, Sunday the 15th, I moved 8 file boxes to be disposed. There remain some 12 more that need to be examined to see if any of the records should be maintained. I keep all adoption files. In fact I have records, in the form of index cards for Dad’s adoptions going clear back to the early 40’s. Over the years we’ve gone to them for request from people who are looking for their natural parents. I had a call just this month from a woman who was adopted by the Hoffnagles. They were a name even I remembers since they adopted 13! We were unable to help. She had been adopted in 1947 or 48. In addition I have furniture, books, equipment, and the like that need to be disposed of. I would be happy to supply anyone with a list if they think they might use something or know of some who might. Just let me know!
The end of the year brings memories of what transpired since last January. The trips to Avalon, Myrtle Beach, St Petersburg, Nova Scotia, Plymouth, and of course our US tour, Connecticut and N.Y We even thought for a while we would be heading for Orlando once again for the Pop-Warner Super Bowl but the guys didn’t make it.
Some highlights and some low ones for the year come to mind. The low ones were the loss of two friends, Judge Blake and Frank Mangini. But there were more highs…and not including the three-foot of snow in January. The top of the list has to be the one smack in the middle of the year. JUNE 29th, 1996…the day the whales came to celebrate June’s birthday. June, Dave, Sean, and I were sailing on a perfect sea in bright sunlight watching these monsters of the sea rise and peer at us…we who were bobbing about on a slight 60 foot boat…In the language of the guys (and gals) of today “It was awesome!!”
Other highlights, in no particular order: the announcement of three new grandchildren, with Mary having two at once; the Nova Scotia trip as seen through the eyes of a twelve year old, Sean and his report; the Myrtle Beach honeymoon (June and I alone) with shows almost every night and then to be followed by a beautiful sojourn in St. Petersburg; watching Grand son Tommy win his scholastic award, and a boat ride on the “beautiful ” Oswego River down to Lake Ontario! So there were a few more exciting things than the 36″ in January of snow and year of 55″ of rain!
Now onto ’97 and its good bye to business as usual and all sorts of grand plans…like a month to check out St. Petersburg and begin the organizing for moving some time around September. I note that Richard T., S.J., is already ensconced in Del Ray Beach until April. He is now a qualified “snowbird”, i.e., those who leave these parts and inhabit Florida when the snows come.
I finished reading “Angela’s Ashes”, Frank McCourt’s memoir of Limerick in the 40’s. I also thanks to Bill King’s tape of the show got to see the author on “Sunday Morning”. He and his brothers visit Limerick. He now has a best seller and they announced that the pocket book sold for a cool one million. I enjoyed it immensely despite all those honors and recommend it heartily to all who read these pages. In fact as a Christmas present to you all I am including in this edition of Jottings an excerpt from the book, which I have, entitled “My First Communion Day” which is hilarious.
As a further gift, I am cutting my ramblings short this month and will end here! We wish you a Merry Christmas!! A Happy New Year too!! See ya!
P.S. The book, “My Path to Peace and Justice, an Autobiography ” by Rev. Richard T. McSorley, S.J., is on the new stands…well, maybe not your newsstand, but is available if you know somebody…like me or Winnie, or Dick himself…get your orders in!!