A String of Pearls....

Well I'm back and I've had so many memories running through my head since I began trying to figure out which was the most memorable Christmas ever and so far I haven't been able to pinpoint one but I do have special memories from so many over the years. I, like my loving friend and sister of the heart, Tina, have a large Italian/Irish family, I should say "I had" because sadly most all of them have passed on now so the memories are even more important than ever and more precious to me. My dad's side was the Italian, of course, being Italian it was his opinion that since my mom had married him that she was from that day forward Italian by proxy! I wonder if he had it put into their wedding vows!!! My mom's side needless to say was Irish, the wee bit of Russian I have comes from my dad's moms side of the family and that's most of what I know about it because we're not suppose to talk about it???
One of the very first Christmas's I remember was at my Noni's, our family was always dirt poor but it never stopped us from having a good time or celebrating a holiday. My Noni always did the holidays up right, this is the Irish one although we called her by the Italian word meaning grandma. She was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, they said she was what is called, black Irish, she had beautiful perfect jet black hair, ivory white clear skin, a body to die for right up until the day she died and she had the most loving eyes, dark and they always seemed to be laughing! My Noni and I had a special relationship and I treasured every moment I shared with her, she's one of those characters everyone wants to know but that's another blog.....
Anyway, back to this Christmas, I don't remember exactly what year it was but I must have been around 5 or 6, I was very young at the time and as I said our family was very poor. The big thing then for women was to own a "String of Pearls" which was also the name of one of my dad's favorite dance tunes by Glenn Miller, he taught me to dance to it and it was like floating, boy I loved it, that was dancing, I wonder why it's never made a big come back? Well, the whole family had gathered at Noni's and we were all eating, drinking and being merry. Those were the best gathering, sometimes they'd last for days and we would sing and dance, fight and argue too but mostly just had fun.
In the middle of the festivities my godfather came in and everyone gathered around him because he was just someone you loved to love. He was a big man in every sense of the word and one of the kindest you'd ever know. He was a farmer and had bought some land out in the country and planted cherry trees and he was starting to reap some of the fruits of his labors and I remember he presented my Noni with a small gift box insisting she open it right then and there. I'll never forget the look on her face, I knew what it was just by the look on her face, you see no one in my family would ever expect to own a "real" string of pearls and let me tell you did she ever wear them well, they looked as though they were created to go around her neck. I'm not sure whether they complimented her or she complimented them more, they were a perfect match!
Those pearls have made an appearance at special occasions and every Christmas since, in my Noni's later years she had them restrung and gave them to my favorite aunt Irene, my mom's identical twin sister with strict instructions that they were to be handed down to me. Unfortunately my aunt didn't survive my Noni and it was my Noni who took them from my aunts neck and place them around mine. I remember when I took them off the first time I noticed I couple of my aunts curly red hairs were tangled in the clasp and I didn't remove them for the longest time. I still wear the pearls and always at Christmas in honor of all my loved ones those pearls have been touched by including my god father. They are also with me at other special occasions, I wore them at my wedding this year and I wear them anytime I have a need to feel close to my Noni. I hope that one day, Tasha my step daughter will wear them and I hope when she puts them around her neck she feels all the love that's held within that beautiful "String of Pearls"

If you look closely in the picture of Tasha & I above you'll see I'm wearing the pearls, this picture was taken on my wedding day in Virginia City, NV on August 8th, 2008

Democracy & Capitalism At It’s Finest!

A photo provided by the Florence and Laurence Family Foundation shows a sample of a card that was handed out to employees of the Waukegan, Ill.-based Peer Bearing Co., from the Spungen family with thank-you bonus checks after the family sold the company. The bonuses totaled $6.6 million to be shared by just 230 employees. Amounts varied and were based on years of service. Seen in the photo at lower right are Florence and Laurence Spungen in the front row and Danny, Carol, Debbi and Glenn Spungen in the back row.(AP Photo/Florence and Laurence Family Foundation)
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I hope all the greedy self serving company owner's read this story, it proves that a business can make a great profit and still treat their employee's fairly and with a little dignity and respect as well as sharing a little of the wealth those employees helped make! This family should serve as an Icon, someone business owner's and bosses should aspire to.
There should be a lot more of things like this happening in this country and should have been all along, it's nothing more than fair, honest with a pinch of integrity and ethics thrown in. This family shows that a business can be run right and EVERYONE INVOLVED can and should reap part of the rewards. They are to be recognized and commended for setting the standard of business practices a little higher than most do today!
Most of them here take the money and run and out of their selfishness, greediness and blindness due to the fact they see only their own bottom line they have tried to make a killing for themselves not even satisfied with their vast fortunes amassed already seek more and have lost most everything and make no mistake that is exactly why this country is in the financial state we currently find ourselves in now. And do you hear them crying and begging for help, someone to unburden them of reaping what they have sowed!
That's the reason regulations and government needs to oversee these kinds of things. Most cannot be trusted not to be blinded by their own greed and the financial crisis proves that sadly. Isn't it funny how they couldn't find in in their selfish little hard hearts to grant fair wages and benefits to the employee's that helped them amass their fortunes but when they lose them out of their own bad decisions based on their own greediness they are the first in line asking for hand outs in hope's of no repercussions or pay backs or reprisals for their deeds of greed!
I sincerely hope the Obama administration can curb some of the bad business practice's this countries people of free Enterprise have adopted in the last few years and bring back some pride, ethic's and moral integrity back into American businesses and American business people. Bringing back those things alone will go along way in setting this nation back on it's appointed course. I've always believed you can run a profitable business and still be fair to them employee's that work for you while enjoying the fruits of your labors as well as theirs and this family is just one example of proof that it can and does happen just not as often as it should.
This country has received a serious wake up call and it seems as though we answered the call but we can't let down or ease back now this is just the beginning of a rebuilding. Everyone needs to remain with their eyes focused on the light at the end of the tunnel, it is within our vision and our reach but everyone must do their part if we are to succeed and reach the light. It's an attainable goal I hope we all maintain in common for the common good. And make no mistake if this country let's the working man fall then it too shall fall, because this country was build by and is maintained by the working class within lest we not forget that too soon again.
My Christmas wish for this year is that every man, woman and child and all creatures great and small have love, family and friends to share the season with and I hope it leaves all with treasured memories that no amount of money could ever buy. Make it a point to let everyone you care about how you feel, after all 'tis the season....Happy Holidays BB