Hearts and Funeral flowers
Bang the drum slowly: Father Michael Bercik was a Clairton guy. He became a priest and was ordained at his home parish of St. Paulinus, after which he moved to parishes from Pittsburgh to Boston. Father Michael served as pastor at Saint Pamphilus Catholic Church in Pittsburgh for eleven years, served as pastor at St Ann's Catholic Church in Marlborough, Massachusetts for fourteen years, and served as pastor at Saint Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Derry, New Hampshire. He also served on the Provincial Definitorium of the Providence of the Immaculate Conception. He died of complications from diabetes and kidney failure. He leaves Milbrey Campbell of Tennessee, his twin sister and brother Fred of Charleroi.
One life ends, another begins: Last week’s snow storm in Clairton brought the Blue Flame Restaurant’s service to a screeching halt. With no power for a week the local restaurant was unable to host the civic group meetings, post-funeral mercy dinners, or the many regulars who stop by for good food and conversation. But life must go on. At least that was the case with 30-year old Questa Giles of Charleroi. She was very, very pregnant during the snow storm when a little voice inside her began to say, “Neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor hail will stop me from making my grand entrance into the world.”
Questa’s mom Gelinda Giles piled her daughter and almost grandchild into the car and headed up the recently opened Highway 43 to its terminus at Rte. 51 for a hospital, braving the weather. Once the Blue Flame came into sight Grandma, Mom, and almost Baby all knew that the ride was about to be interrupted. They whipped into the semi-snowbound parking lot and with the help of Jefferson Police Officers Sgt. William Potts and his partner Stephanie Behers, added one more life to the world in the person of 7 pound 8 ounce girl named Emani. The three generations of Giles eventually made it to the hospital where Mom and Baby are reportedly doing well. Grandma is still shaking. Perhaps the Blue Flame sign will be changed to read “Blue Flame Restaurant and Birthing Center.” If not, surely their parking lot will be remembered as a place of Special Delivery.
St. Valentine’s Day is for the birds: One myth held that if a young girl saw a particular bird on St. Valentine’s Day she would marry a particular type of man. Blackbird = man of the cloth, bluebird = man of humor, dove = man of kindness, goldfinch = man of wealth, robin = man of the sea, sparrow = man of the country and if she saw a woodpecker on Valentine’s Day she’d remain a spinster.
Top 10 gifts for her on Valentine’s Day: #10, a personally cut CD with her favorite music, #9, tickets for a weekend getaway to either her favorite spot or a romantic place you want to explore (hint: DO NOT take her to the romantic place you and your ex enjoyed so much). # 8, lingerie. Be sure to tell her that she looks better than the models at Victoria’s Secret. #7, dinner out at an upscale restaurant and make it a very special night #6 by getting there in a limo. #5 Chocolates in a heart shaped box, #4, a huge bouquet of roses complete with baby’s breath and greens. #3, jewelry, depending on your budget this could be a heart-shaped locket or lots of diamonds. #2 is poetry. If your ability is limited to “Roses are red, violets are blue,” or if you can only rhyme love to above, perhaps a fine poem from a commercial source would be your choice. And the #1 gift for a most special Valentine’s Day is the renewal of your vows. Take her to a chapel. If I may use the line that you used when wooing her, “Trust me.”
Nothing says “I love you” like a… dolphin? For as long as there’s been romance there have been symbols of love. Today we are most familiar with flowers, especially roses, hearts, lovebirds, doves, and of course Cupid and his arrows. Scholars tell us that Valentine’s and romantic symbols over the years have included pendants, crystals, butterflies, and even dolphins.
Cupid is the son of Venus, the Goddess of Love. According to mythology whomever his arrow hits will fall in love with the first person s/he sees. The love knot concept was born in the Muslim culture where women would send a message of love to a man by tying the knots of a carpet in a certain way and sending him the carpet. It is believed that on Valentine’s Day love birds and doves found their mates. And of course, the heart is the very center of life. Hence, the symbol of cupid’s arrow piercing the heart has come to represent true love.
A little blogging music Maestro…. Today there can be no better selection than John Paul Young’s, “Love is in the Air.”
Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
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