Tribute to Officer Circelli – USS Missouri

This is my second big brother’s father. He and his dad are both American heroes. Here’s a tribute to Officer Circelli.

The Greatest Generations Foundation

January 24 at 6:18 AM ·

AMERICA REMEMBERS: It is with a heavy heart we learn the news that Mr. Albert A. Circelli, the man who prepared the table for the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay has passed away. He was 93

Born to Crescenzo and Antoinette Pastorelli Circelli on October 19, 1925, in Utica. Mr. Circelli joined the “CCC” Civilian Conservation Corps., right out of high school and subsequently began his work career with the Topper Beer Co, Balayntine Beer Co. and had a long and enjoyable career with the West End Brewery, until his retirement. Mr. Circelli was proud of his Italian Heritage and was an American Patriot through and through.

Mr. Circelli proudly served his country in the US Navy and was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He served aboard the USS Missouri and was present on the ship when they announced the Japanese would sign the surrender to America.

Mr. Circelli carried his military service with him, and every Veterans Day would always speak to the school children, about the significance of the war.

He married the love of his life Rose Marie Gaetano in 1948, a blessed union of 70 years. Mr. Circelli’s life revolved around his family never missing one of his wife’s meals, and always attending his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s events. His stories will never be forgotten, from the bean fields and shacks to the streets of his beloved Utica, to the Military.

On behalf of TGGF and its members, we salute Mr. Circelli for his devotion and service to our great nation.

“Every Day is Memorial Day”
The Greatest Generations Foundation
Web: www.TGGF.org

Tell us about your hero

25 Signs of Maturity – Got Any?

Humble and Kind

25 Signs of Maturity

The last couple of days, I’ve been frustrated about something and considered speaking to the “person” responsible for the situation to point a few things out.  However, I knew that conversation would solve nothing.  And, that, no matter how I phrased things, it sounded  immature.  Then I wondered what maturity is anyway.  I found this blog “25 Signs of Maturity: How Mature Are You?”  Take a read.  Seems it’s Ok to be frustrated but ….

25 Signs of Maturity: How Mature Are You?

Do you think there is a certain age at which maturity sets in? Could it be 20? 40? 70?

In my personal experiences, I’ve observed that age has little or nothing to do with it. I have met young people who are mature well beyond their years, and I’ve known older folks who act childish, only thinking about themselves.

So the question is:

What are the character traits that show maturity?

And do “mature” people exhibit them 100% of the time?

Well, I’m not sure that we can be mature in every situation that presents itself to us because we are always growing and learning as human beings, and I’m pretty sure that all of us have been guilty of at least some of these negative behaviors at least once in our lives. That being said, by considering these 25 tell-tale signs, perhaps we can be more aware of the interludes in which our whiny, adolescent self rears its immature head…

1. Realizing how much you don’t know.

2. Listening more and talking less.

3. Being aware and considerate of others as opposed to being self-absorbed, self-centered, and inconsiderate.

4. Not taking everything personally, getting easily offended, or feeling the need to defend, prove, or make excuses for yourself.

5. Being grateful and gracious, not complaining.

6. Taking responsibility for your own health and happiness, not relying on others to “fix” you or placing blame for your circumstances.

7. Having forgiveness and compassion for yourself and others.

8. Being calm and peaceful, not desperate, frantic, or irrational.

9. Showing flexibility and openness as opposed to resisting, controlling, or being unreasonable.

10. Helping yourself, not just expecting others to do it for you out of a sense of entitlement.

How are you doing so far?

11. Doing good deeds even when there is nothing in it for you other than knowing you helped, being selfless.

12. Respecting another’s point of view, beliefs, and way of life without judgment, not insisting you are right, belittling another, or using profanity or violence to get your point across.

13. Sharing your good fortune with others.

14. Being able to turn the other cheek without wishing harm on another.

15. Thinking before acting and having good manners, not going off half-cocked, lashing out, or being rude.

16. Encouraging and being supportive of others.

17. Finding joy in the success of someone else, not envy or criticism.

18. Knowing there is always room to grow and improve and reaching out for help.

19. Having humility and laughing at yourself.

20. Recognizing that which does not work in your life and making an effort to do something different.

Feel like I should put a link to Tim McGraw’s song Humble and Kind

21. Passing up instant gratification in favor of long term benefits.

22. Accepting, liking, and loving yourself, not needing someone else to “complete” you.

23. Standing up for fairness and justice for yourself and others and choosing to do the right thing.

24. Making sacrifices for the good of others without resentment.

25. Not clinging to materialistic items or bragging.

I’m sure there are probably other signs, but this list covers at least the majority of them. I know we can always do a better job displaying our mature sides. I also know that, by doing so, we lift each other up through our example. What’s most important, however, is seeing the negative side of our behavior and knowing we must do something positive to change it…And that, my friends, is WISDOM.

So, how mature are you?  Let us know how many of the 25 you do.

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Special Olympics Penguin Plunge – Narragansett RI – Wow

Special Olympics Penguin Plunge – Narragansett RI – Wow

At noon yesterday, we had a “what the heck” moment. We learned the Special Olympics Penguin Plunge was happening nearby. So we thought we’d see what it’s all about. And, we sure did. All of us have probably seen the news stories on New Year’s Polar Bear Plunges around the world every year. You see a handful of people jump in the water and quickly out. Then say “OMG who would do this?” Well we learned the answer today. They do it for charity.

RI Special Olympic Penguins plunged in groups and as individuals. All participants needed to raise at least $500 to take the cold dip.

This year they raised a minimum of $125K, from our estimate, for RI Special Olympics. One group raised $20K. Wow!

The History and Event Details

For the last 42 years, RIers have raisied $3.2 million to support 3,900 RI Olympians annually through this event. RI Special Olympics is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year; and this is one of its largest fundraisings.

About 2000 people plunged this year. Take a look at the kickoff of the
Special Olympics Penguin Plunge. There were others who jumped in from other spots on the beach too.

In they go … Video courtesy of Chip

Ready Set Go

Isn’t that amazing. And some people stayed in the water for more than a plunge. That still had us saying, “OMG who would do this?”

The organizers give you a safety sheet when you pull in to make sure everyone is plunging responsibly.

It was 56 degrees on Roger Wheeler Beach on Tuesday. Last year it was 1 degree.

Penguin Plunges are like a box of chocolate … you never know what you’re gonna get.

More Than Plunging

But there was more than plunging. There was fun music (personally I danced some…Chip swayed). Tents with opportunities to participate. We bought hats and tee shits.

There was a costume contest. Buses for different groups participating. Biker groups participating. Tailgaters. I will not say what some of them were drinking. Perhaps hair of the dog? It is the day after New Year’s eve.

The one thing missing was any visible corporate sponsor. No Dunkin Donuts tents with hot chocolate, nuttin’. The Free Masons had some signs around though.

Meet a Plunging Hero

But there were so many bright spots, that it didn’t matter. Meet the man below, Wayne Meunier of Warwick RI.

He has plunged for Special Olympics for 36 years of the 42 years of the RI Penguin Plunge . Each year they have a pin. You can see them all on his hat.

He casually walked in alone (as many people did). Plunged, dried briefly and got in his car and went home. We caught him in the parking lot and congratulated him. He was nice enough to tell us about himself.

All I can say is we were humbled and impressed. Chip wants us to try dipping in the Atlantic for the RI Special Olympics Penguin Plunge next year. It is for a good cause, so who knows.

Here Are A Couple More Pictures –
RI Special Olympics Penguin Plunge

Best Costumes From Our Perspective
Penguin Family … The Family the Plunges Together Stays Together

The Polar Bear Plunges and Penguin Plunges both benefit the Special Olympics. I think Polar Bear Plunges are for National Special Olympics and Penguins are for state programs. Hundreds of events take place on lakes, rivers and oceans around the world.

Happy New Year!

And take the plunge in 2019. Whether in resolution or passing it forward. Hugs.

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A Penguin Story

A Penguin Story

I saw this image in November and thought it was adorable.  I have been looking for a place to use it in the blog during the holidays.  Since I could not find a way to work it in, I’m writing a blog/short story about Penguin Carolers.

The Story Begins

Four penguins, Southie, Emperor, Glazier, Lifer, were swimming away looking for food and caught a large wave that pushed them pretty far out to sea.  There are a lot of penguin predators once you get out that far.  And, not being able to see land wasn’t helping them gain their sense of direction.

Luckily they were together, because if they were alone, they’d be shark bait for sure.  So, there they were, out to sea, looking for predators.  That was no fun.  Every blip in the water made them jump.  Was that a leopard seals, fur seals, whale and shark.  Ahhhh.  They were freaking out.

Great, this is exactly what they needed.  They had a families to feed.  Their only job at the moment was to go out, grab some chow and bring it back to the family.  Their wives were not going to buy this wave story.

Let’s just pick a direction and go for it, was Southie’s idea.  His name alone gave him confidence he’d head in the right way.

That’s when Glazier saw the hump of a whale.  “Great, just great.”  He indicated the hump and the penguins began to dive and flutter.

“Cut the splashing,” was Lifter’s advice. But the whale got closer.

As the penguins began to say their prayers and write their wills, they noticed the whale approaching them was a Baleen whale.  Not a meat eating whale at all.

Were They Saved?

The Baleen whale, who went by Jolene,  approached them; and asked what the heck they were doing so far out to sea.  They told the wave story; she didn’t buy it.  Why was the truth so hard to believe?

Emperor decided it was time for him to take control of the situation.

“Does it matter how we got here?” he asked.  “What matters is how we get home.”

You gotta admit, he had a good point.

The four penguins tried to describe the coast, snow and rock formation that they came from.  However, the whale only could find his way based on his sense of smell; and the penguins couldn’t describe the smell of their rocks.  At least not in a way that helped Jolene.

“I’m going up North,” she said.  “You can hitch a ride on me.  You’ll be safe.  As long as you don’t mind me diving down every so often, we’ll find a safe place for you to land.”

So, off they went. Within a day, it started to get warmer.  This concerned the penguins.  They were used to it being 4°F, falling as low as – 58°F  with winds that gust up to 124 miles per hour.

They were sweating bullets.  The farther north they went; the warner they felt.

The good news is, they started to see land.

How Warm is Too Warm?

The Baleen whale was feeling it was getting warm too.  She was ready to head South again.  But, she wanted a little rest. Leaving the penguins not far from shore, she headed to some cooler water.

Being a conscious breather, she has to remember to breathe, even while sleeping.  Jolene and her family normally rest quietly in the water.  Some like to sleep vertically; others like horizontally.  Jolene liked to sleep vertically.  Jolene and her family sleep alone in their pod.  Some others sleep while swimming slowly next to another animal, but this wasn’t her thing.  Anyway, the penguins are too small to help in this respect.

Off Jolene went.

What’s Happening on the Shore?

Swimming toward the shore, the penguins saw these pink and tan animals.  They walked on two legs like them; and even splashed along the water.  They made sounds that had more tones than they did.  At first it was strange.  Then it became interesting.

Their sounds changed from ones with lots of stops between them to sounds that were smooth and all linked together.

The penguins really liked it.  Some of the sounds were fast and spunky.  Others were soft and calming.

They swam closer.  They watched closely.  Glazier was paying closest attention of all.  He tried to mimic the sound.  After a few tries, he got it.

In his excitement, he clicked and cawed at his friends telling them how to make the sounds.

After a half hour, they were all able to make the smooth sounds too.

As they listened, the penguins heard more and more sounds.  They listened and looked around, taking everything in; capturing every detail of the area and animals.  There were strings of lights. Two-legged animals had colors over them.  Some were bright at the bottom and fuzzy around the rim and at the top.

The animals making the most sounds held flat weeds in front of them.

They felt they may have stumbled into a celebration.  It looked fun.  Everyone was so happy.  Maybe it was some kind of holiday.

Being penguins, they really had no sense of time.  And, being so far from home, they really didn’t know all the customs of the holiday.

“Should we show this to the quins when we get home?” asked Lifer.  All agreed this was something everyone would enjoy.

“Wait until the wives get to see this,” said Southie.

If only they can find their way home.

Warmth was finally taking over.  They couldn’t take it anymore.  Jolene Baleen showed up.  Thank goodness.

“Who would of thought going North would be warm verses cold,” Emperor said.  “I mean it was only two days of swimming, wasn’t it?”

“Jolene, did you know going North would be warm versus cold?” asked Southie.

There’s No Place Like Home

“Normally, I swim much faster and am in cooler waters in just a few days,” she said.  “This is highly unusual, but it feels like heading back South is going to be best for everyone.  Maybe with calmer waters, we will find your home.”

She was ready to head back; and so were the penguins.

Sure there were many twists and turns, but in 72 hours, they had found the penguins rocks.

“Why didn’t you say, this was the place where the seaweed smelled sweet, the air smelled like volcanic ash and the shore smelled phosphorus?” asked Jolene.

“Well, most of Antarctica has no scent.  The glaziers and objects hold their aroma because of the cold,” said Lifer.  “Next time, we’ll know.”

“Next time?” everyone said.  “There won’t be a next time. There’s no place like home.”

After thanking Jolene, they swam as fast as they could to their shore and rocks.

When they landed on the shore, the other penguins were happy to see them.  It was time for the male penguins to return to the females and meet their babies.  Then the woman would leave the kids with their dads and head off to find more food.

Upon returning to their colony, the wives heard their story and were pretty skeptical of the whole thing.

Then the penguins grabbed their seaweed in their flippers and began to make the sounds they learned off the shore in the place that was warm.

They stood with pride and made smooth sounds and bouncy sounds for an hour.  This had the other penguins and their new babies in awe.

So, their story was true.

A Note from MPG

Hope you like the picture too.  If you liked the story, share it with a friend or just let us know.