Alvin. . .

Growing up we always knew about our Uncle Alvin.  We had heard the story of his death many times, and it made us feel as though we actually met him.   

During WWII, both my Dad and my Uncle Chet were in the military. . .my Dad, Leo, was in the Army in Europe, and my Uncle Chet was a Marine in the Pacific battle and eventually in Korea.  Alvin was the youngest Brother and he so wanted to be a part of the war.  Being that my Grandfather was sickly, he was not required to go, but he begged my Grandmother to let him join, to a point that she finally gave in and signed the papers for him.

Alvin joined the Marines and ended up in the Battle of Peleliu, in the Pacific Island of Palau in 1944.  He was missing in action.  We never really knew what had actually happened. . .there were stories, but we didn’t know what was actually true.

Years later, when I worked at a dealership, I got an email one morning from a man who said that he had information from his Father about my Uncle Alvin. . .I was ecstatic to say the least!!  I replied to him and he told me a story. . .his Father was Alvin’s commanding officer.   Alvin’s platoon was sent to the beach to fight, but Alvin was to stay back and wait for them to return.  He wasn’t happy with that and begged his commanding officer to let him go. . .again, Alvin was relentless, until the Commander agreed to let him go.   He was sent with another Marine to the beach. . .they barely got there when they were hit by fire and blown up. . .his remains were never recovered.

His Commanding Officer eventually sent me a letter. . .he felt guilty for all those years.  I told him it wasn’t his fault, Alvin did the same thing to my Grandmother, begging relentlessly.  I hoped that would give him some closure, as his story did for us.

PFC. Alvin Alton Bielat

PFC. Leon Joseph Bielat

Sgt. Chester Francis Bielat

Shorts. . .

So precocious. . .

One day, our little 3 year old Grandson, Henrik, asks my husband, “you like the back of Gramma’s hair?”.

                                         Wishful Thinking. . .

There are days when I wake up in the morning, look in the mirror. . .and wish I had a burqa!

Nice shoes!

When I was working, I often had the opportunity to be out and about.  On one such occasion, I decided to stop for a quick lunch, and since I was right near a Tim Horton’s, that was as good a place as any.

The place was empty, and I thought this will be a nice quiet lunch, so I got my food and sat down facing the door.  After a few minutes, a tall, well dressed, middle aged man walked in.  I looked up briefly as he was at the counter ordering his food.  He proceeded to find his seat, but he had to pass me in the process. . .as he did, I did a quick double take, slowly leaning to the right,  and almost falling off my chair. . .this tall, well dressed man was wearing PINK HIGH HEELS!!. . .’OMG! He’s got pink high heels on!’  That’s right, HOT PINK to be exact!  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, and I didn’t want to stare, BUT, I really needed to look again, so I put my head down, my hand on my forehead, as if I was reading, and just had to take another peak as I moved my eyes in his direction, hoping that he didn’t notice me.

Now, all these thoughts started filling my head. . .what else was he wearing that was pink under his nicely pressed slacks and classic jacket???  Does he go to work like this??? 

I wanted to stay and wait for him to leave so that he would pass me again and I could get another look, but I had to be back at work, so I had to leave. . .but, all in all, I had a very interesting lunch. . .how often do you get to see a man in pink high heels?

Oh, How Times Change

Yesterday, my husband, Jerry, and I were watching the Mets/Yankees game on TV.  We were discussing my earlier visit to the doctor for a painful arthritic knee.  Teasingly, he asked, “did you shave your legs before you went?”. . .I answered, “YES, but just the one”.

Premonition

One morning, a few weeks ago, as my Grandson, Henrik, and I sat in the front window watching our day start, my Mom came downstairs and said that she hadn't slept all night.  I asked her why, and she just shrugged.  I asked her again, and she reluctantly said that she was just thinking of things.  I asked, “What things?”.  She looked at me and said, “I’m just wondering how it will all end for me”.  My Mom is 92 years old.  That statement hit me like a punch in the heart, and I felt so sad.   

Those words also took me back to when I was 27 years old.  We were living in our first house, and my Son, Todd, was just 3 years old.   

For over 6 or 7 months, I was obsessed with death and dying.  So much so that every waking moment, the thought of it was there in my brain overshadowing everything that I did. . .absolutely everything. . .in my daily routine, watching TV, shopping, I couldn't keep from thinking about it, I was convinced that my demise was near.   

These thoughts even crept into my subconscious sleeping mind, where as I was having dreams about seeing dirt being thrown down on me. . .it was terrifying too, I couldn't shake it.

Then, on a snowy evening, in February of that year, where the snowflakes were the size of quarters, we got a phone call from my uncle that changed my life. . .my Dad had died, collapsing on a street corner as he waited for his driver to take him to work.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing, it was surreal.   

As the days went by and we made funeral plans, those thoughts of my own death seemed to vanish. . .my Dad was my concern now.  But, could it be possible that what I was going through for those months prior to his death was in fact a premonition?  Could it be that I was foreseeing a death, thinking it would be my own, when in fact it was my Father’s? 

I wrote this for my Mom when she celebrated her 90th Birthday, she will now be 96 in September. 

A Very Special Birthday Tale. . .

  (The Abridged Version). . .

 Once Upon a Time. . .there was a beautiful young girl named, Irene.  Irene had many brothers and sisters, and they all lived in a small house in the little village of Kaisertown.

There, Irene fell in love with a handsome young man named, Leon.  Leon was an artist and loved Irene very much, he loved her green eyes and lovingly called her ‘Renee’.

Leon had to go to war, so Irene waited very patiently for him to come home. 

Finally, the day came when the war was over and Irene and Leon were together again. . . . .So on a cold day in January, Leon and Irene were married.

And a few months later, they had a daughter that they named Carole.

Irene worked for many years at the village ‘5 & dime’ store. . .And everyone in the neighborhood knew her.

The years went by, and Carole fell in love with a young man named,

Gerald, but the war came again and Gerald had to leave.  Carole waited until his return, and they were married on a blustery day in October. 

A few months later, their first son was born and they named him Todd Christopher.

The years went by. . .and then one day, God called.  He needed an artist in Heaven and he asked Leon to come and help Him. . .so Leon left this earth, and everyone missed him so very much.

The years went on. . .and Carole and Gerald welcomed another son. . .his name was Eric Scott.

Now, Irene had two wonderful Grandsons, and they loved to visit her, she was more fun than a barrel of monkeys.  They would go on adventures riding in a little box. . .it was a car; sometimes it was a plane; it was even a boat; it was whatever they imagined! 

Grandma Irene, Todd, and Eric laughed, and laughed, and were always so silly!!!  They liked to call her 'Grandma with the Big Hair'!

The years went by. . . Todd and Eric were now all grown up.

One day Eric brought someone very Special to meet Irene. . .his name was Traveler.  Irene and Traveler became the best of friends.  Some say that Traveler is actually Leon, sent back to earth by God to watch over Irene. 

The years went by. . .Eric met a beautiful young girl named Sarah, they fell in love, and on a warm and sunny day in October, they were married.  A few years later, Todd fell in love with a beautiful young girl whose name was Jenna, it was love at first sight. . .and they were married in the Big City of New York on a gorgeous autumn day in October.

Todd and Jenna now live in New York City, and Eric and Sarah live on a beautiful farm in a small village called East Aurora. . .Carole and Gerald will be married 40 years. . .and today we Celebrate Irene's 90th Birthday. . .the years went by. . .and Irene Lived Happily Ever After. .