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This past Easter Sunday we and Marzena’s parents attended “Resurrection Mass” at Sacred Heart in New Britain, Connecticut, one of the largest Polish American communities and certainly one of the largest Polish Catholic parishes in the USA.
The Mass is preceded by a procession with players symbolically re-enacting Jesus’s the Way to the Cross.

Smell the incense?

Talcott Mountain and Heublein Tower

Then the youthful fiance —it’s no secret, she’s twenty years my junior—led me on an incredible arduous, 40 minute, 1.25 mile, uphill climb up Talcott Mountain in Connecticut’s State Park— atop which sits a castle-like set of structures owned by the man who brought Schmirnoff Vodka to America (and, A1 Steak Sauce!) It reminded me (after I caught my breath) of extravagant silk magnate Lambert’s Castle atop Garret Mountain on the Clifton/Paterson border. Heublein’s is open after Memorial Day.

What a panorama! Can you tell we’re miles up and standing on a delicate precipice?

Here’s Marzena standing in front of the Heublein Tower I strongly urge you to click on the preceding link to read about this worthy attraction, to which Marzena and will certainly be returning in the future.

Ah, nature! Here’s what some ambitious woodpecker had done to a tree in the interest of ridding it of termites.

If anyone took photos that they would like me to post from the Palm Sunday get-together, please send them to me as .jpgs
Here are the few photos which I and Marzena took.

Christopher John Ambrose led his family to NJ the weekend of March 6 & 7, so his mom Tina could attend a shower for cousin Michelle Murillo held in Bayonne. During that weekend Christopher established himself as “The Terror of Totowa” at his Pop’s house by running rampant and nonstop, taking down everything and anything in his path, including cats, dogs, cable tv boxes, toy trains, etc.
On Sunday, his day of rest, he took his folks to a New Jersey dive diner Rutt’s Hut, notorious as a hang-out for before-noon, alcohol-guzzling barflies and and as a biker road stop.The sign told us just where we were, i.e. at the place where you could order deep-fried hot dogs called “Rippers.”

Still napping upon arrival, Christopher captured the admiration of the chef who came to greet us and who only wished Chris would wake up to enjoy a bite from a “Ripper.”.
We were invited to be seated in the antique, atmospheric, bar room where its dark-wood paneling glistened with countless layers of shellac.
Well, Chris eventually did wake up and went right to town, enjoying the “Ripper” endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Nutrition, and Gerber Baby Food award-winning special!
Afterwards, we went for our Sunday morning ritual visit to San Remo where Christopher met and was greeted by brilliant centenarian Ralph Golzio, who interrupted his discussion on the subject of the CERN particle accelerator and sub-atomic physics (I kid you not!) to shake hands with Chris.
So cute is Chris’s face that Ralph asked if he was a girl. When I corrected him and said chris was a boy, Ralph remarked that at this point in life Chris was as pretty as a girl.

First off we made a stop at San Remo where we met up with Frankie Petrillo. He took Alex up the block to Il Carrettino, the local pizzeria, where they bought provisions for the staff of San Remo plus a slice for Alex to eat at the bar.

PIZZA!

Mangia!



From there we drove to Laurel Grove Cemetery on Totowa Road where, at the entrance, stands the magnificent Gaetano Federici statue, “Spirit of the Resurrection.”

There was much to see and to photograph as far as monuments and panoramic views of the surrounding geography. This statue of a stag is famous for being visible from Route 80.

From there, to the famous Paterson Passaic River Falls

There, Alex was a reluctant bell-ringer

The Paterson Museum has exhibits from Paterson’s industrial past, including airplane engines from the Curtis-Wright factories.

And the locomotive works for which this town was once famous.This Thomas Train is missing its smiling face!

What trip with Alex would be complete without a tour of a model car exhibit?
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The following were pictures I took during Thanksgiving celebration. I always have two regrets after Thanksgviving:
1. I probably didn’t attend to my guests’ needs adequately, didn’t check on who needed drinks, coffee, dessert or who needed to be made aware of special dishes they may have overlooked.
2. I didn’t spend enough time conversing with those relatives whom I see but once a year or less.
This year, as often the case I have a third regret:
3. I didn’t take enough pictures of everybody. So many of you are missing from the album, me included! (or should I say “excluded?”)

So, if anybody else took pictures, please, please,please send some to me to fill in the gaps, namely pictures of those whom I thoughtlessly neglected to photograph.
Nevertheless, and in spite of the shortcomings mentioned above, it was a great Thanksgiving celebration, with a great turnout, and we were ALL happy to see our extended family members on this joyous occasion!

Hostess Marzena

I can never get enough of this face!

Two Pianists

Arrival of the Washington D.C. Arlottos

Aunt Dolores with George Arlotto in background

John III

Co-conspirators

Grandparents of Anthony Vida

Kitchen Patrol

Don't tickle that boy!

Alex and father Steve in background

Composing on the computer

Buffet

Maisey & Nicole

Brooklynite Allyson Sklover Ambrose

Uncle A

Pianists with Moms Tina and Jen

The consequence of all that travel + eating and drinking a Thanksgiving feast

Little Drummer Boy

Mina. Where was Lucy the whole day?

This bizarre display occured in late November 2009 right over Union Boulevard in Totowa

How do like this cheerful little guy, Ian Michael Hughes, now three months old?

Johnny and Tina had Christopher baptized on November 15, 2009 at the Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church.
Tina’s brother and sister-in-law were the sponsors.

Justin and Rachel with Christopher

Aaron, Dan & Ally

Here are proceedings on the altar
After the baptism, the little Christian was returned to the family back in the church pews.

Ciocia Marzena dangling Christopher, Michael Jackson-style; Dan texting

Back at the house--- in Grandma's arms

Ian Michael Hughes snoozing through the early festivities

Italian antipasto platter

Marzena's famous homemade golabkis

Lauren & Alex strolling

The jolly Ian and one of his favorite uncles

Ian, cheerful in the arms of Aunt Ally

Alex kibitzing with Uncle Dan

The Thomas Ambrose clan

Merideth in background, Ally holding Ian and Ann Marie on the right

Still celebrating Halloween, Pop (and Alex)???

Visiting with great-great uncles and aunts

Holy dessert!

Atop the piano sits a little haunted village. Starting on the left is a tiny, dark graveyard in front of a sparkling blue-light tree; then a castle (actually an abandoned cathedral) lit from within. On a slight hill is a large pumpkin-shaped water tower adjacent to Dr. Frankenstein’s electrified laboratory. That’s the monster lying supine in the eerie blue-lit chamber in the front of the complex. Then there’s a merry-go-round on swings, with a witch, a mummy and a skeleton. In front of them is a haunted hayride.
Music provided by a ceramic Phantom of the Opera (not shown)