Saturday, November 25, 2017.

Blog #25 Thanksgiving at Aunt Maryann's & Uncle Jeff's.

Podcast #25 - aired Saturday 11/25

9am live or on the app anytime country 107.7 WDLC, 106.9 WYNC, Wall Radio, and Pocono 96.7.

48 years. 37 guests. 42 years. _____ bottles of wine & 1 big turkey! Unbelievable that Thanksgiving is here, 2018. My Aunt Maryann & Uncle Jeff have been hosting Thanksgiving for 48 years, and there will be 37 guests, and this will be my 42 year...yes my whole life....minus a few years in college. The amount of wine consumed is still yet to be determined...Aunt Maryann was this week's guest on education leadership and beyond and we talked about family. She provided great insight on being a successful teacher, caring food pantry director, and a loving Mother, Wife, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, and of course Aunt!The opening concept I shared is about family: what we can do for our families--regardless of your role. You can pick your friends but you can't pick you family. I talked about the following:Help your family, protect your family, and most of all, love your family.Helping--I shared the story of how we lived with Aunt Maryan & Uncle Jeff for about about a year before our home was completed in NE PA. We lived in my Grandmother's old apartment upstairs from my Aunt's place. We shared many a meal together, with love, laughs, comfort and warmth from my Aunt & Uncle and cousins while we were there. We were in need, and they helped!Protecting: I told the story of how my Dad helped my sister out at Cortland U many years ago. My sister Maureen was a freshmen and she attended a dance. The next morning there was another male freshmen telling tall tales about my sister about activities he only wished had happened with her. This was very upsetting to my sister as her reputation and dignity were on the line. My parents listened to her and they took action. The following morning my Dad knocked on my sister's dorm room door at around 7:30 (Do the math: Staten Island, NY to Cortland, NY is about a 3.5 hrs drive) He famously said to her "Show me that boy! which prompted Maureen to bring my Dad (the famous Mr. Joe!) to the cafe...Maur pointed him out and off MR. Joe went to speak to the young man. The boy retracted his stories and apologized to Maureen and was never to be heard from again. What a sign of support and protection from a father to his daughter!!!